#also the victorious soundtrack was my jam

[miloscat]

[Review] Sonic R (PS2)

Peak Saturn vibes.

I’ve now got much more Sonic experience under my belt. I’m thrilled that I can now have informed opinions about the series! But now it’s time to play some spinoffs from over the years that I’ve always meant to try out. First up is the franchise’s first racing game�� that people really like (the Game Gear had the two Drift games but it doesn’t seem like they made much of an impact).

British studio Traveller’s Tales had proved themselves with the isometric game Sonic 3D Blast so Sega commissioned them for an original title for the Saturn. As it turned out this would be Sonic’s only full new game on the system as the highly anticipated 3D debut Xtreme never came to be, and the only other titles were a 3D Blast conversion, the Mega Drive compilation Sonic Jam, and a cameo in Christmas Nights. I played the version included in the Sonic Gems Collection on PS2, which is based on the enhanced PC port.

Sonic R is an unconventional racing game in that, while it still plays not unlike a standard kart racer, many of the characters are on foot, and the game includes platforming and exploration elements. While I’ve played other games that include some of these ingredients like Rayman Arena, Beetle Adventure Racing, and arguably Sonic Rivals, the mix is intoxicating here, helped by excellent track design and immaculate vibes.

Rather than multi-track cups, you just play each track on its own. Well, there's only five tracks total and one is unlockable (a consequence of a quick development turnaround) so it makes sense. You can go for first place but the more satisfying goal is learning all the side paths and shortcuts. These dense little environments, designed by Sonic Team, have depth to make up for their paucity, and finding their secrets (in the form of tokens and Chaos Emeralds) unlocks new racers and the final Rainbow Road-esque track which is more a victory lap to speed around with your overpowered unlocks. Rings scattered around can be paid to open doors or enhance your boosts, and item tokens can help a bit but there's nothing as unbalanced as your typical Mario Kart game.

The racers have an interesting amount of variance to their stats. For instance, Tails is slippery and nimble while the Egg Robo has much more inertia. Sonic double jumps, Knuckles can glide, Robotnik in his hoverpod can shoot homing projectiles (they're not very debilitating), while Amy uniquely drives a car(!) which funnily enough is relatively slow but gets a boost on cooldown. Along with Metal Sonic, R introduces new counterparts in the form of Metal Knuckles and the fan-favourite Tails Doll. I would have liked to see them go all-out with even more characters but it's a decent selection and acts as a pretty good send-off to the Classic era before the characters got redesigned in Adventure. These low-poly renditions are just adorable!

Another way of remixing the racetracks is a weather system that changes the lighting and conditions. It makes the inevitable replays that much fresher, and of course the smooth tunes will draw you in as well. Veteran composer Richard Jacques nails it with a catchy Eurobeat mix, each track accompanied wonderfully by vocals from TJ Davis. It's a transportive soundtrack that gives the game a singular feel; this is truly what video games were made for. I was shocked to learn that this game's music is considered divisive! It's great!

Anyway, I had a breeze with this one. I did turn the difficulty to easy so I could focus on the exploratory aspects without worrying too much about winning (you do need to place well to keep the emeralds and unlocks), and I have no shame. Sonic R is a lovely little treat. This is Sega at its best: experimental, collaborating with international partners, and with vibes off the charts. Also, the framerate is rock solid which I've learned is never a guarantee with Sonic games. I know that later British-developed Sonic racing games are also excellent, but in between I still need to investigate the Riders series of hoverboard racers. Until then!

[navadev]

Now if you launch the game through web-browser you'll see this window. And there will also be no exit button.

I also changed credits and save button icon. Now "who goes first?" and "... won; ... lost" windows will adjust to players' names sizes.

(yes i know there is a bug right on the video but i'm too lazy to fix it)

Also added new soundtracks:

Both from Not Jam pack

It's pre-beta 2.0 pre-1 (it means i'm going to be releasing pre-beta 2.0 this week!) and i'll post it in my discord server within the next hour (yes this phrase has already taken root)

PS: i'm so happy now because i finally managed to steal gridroad and i'll play it tomorrow (or later) :-})

PSS: is it just me or did come up with a new emoji?

[fandom-trash-xl]

Character Mixes 4/?: Caulifla and Kale

SIDE A: CAULIFLA Punkish tomboy, tough Saiyan blood pumps in her veins... but she's still got a sweet spot for her girl~

You're Gonna Go Far, Kid - The Offspring Ain't It Fun - Paramore Take a Hint - Victoria Justice & Elizabeth Gillies (Victorious soundtrack) Girls - MARINA Jenny (I Wanna Ruin Our Friendship) - Studio Killers I Wanna Be Your Girlfriend - girl in red It Means Everything - Pedro Silva (OMORI OST)

(A/N: To get some of the more punkish tracks for her I actually had to tread out of my usual vibe for jams a little bit to get You're Gonna Go Far, Kid and Jenny. Could definitely use the former for a fight scene. Also considered Born2Run by Penelope Scott but I felt some of the lyrics were a bit too real-world-events for a fictional character.)

SIDE B: KALE Soft, shy, working on her self-esteem, pining for the one who sees her. She's got a tough side, she just needs the confidence to let her feelings loose.

Pink in the Night - Mitski Boys Will Be Bugs - Cavetown Cloud 9 - Beach Bunny Strawberry Blond - Mitski Doctor - Jack Stauber Stay Soft - Mitski Brutal - Olivia Rodrigo

(A/N: Kale was actually a bit tricky to do at times since some of the sweet stuff could apply to the Caulikale ship as a whole. I did manage to find some Kale-sided sweets for this side. Brutal is definitely a bit more intense than the rest of her mix- but that's her on the edge track, when her temper finally snaps.)

TAPE TWO: CAULIKALE/KALE-IFLA A pair that's tough to separate. Another side of them comes to light with this crush; Caulifla sweetens and Kale perks up. Honestly, a lot of this is just pure lesbian Chex Mix.

Still Into You - Paramore Be Strong and Hit Stuff - Casey Lee Williams (RWBY Volume 8 soundtrack) We Fell In Love In October - girl in red Homecoming - girl in red Magnet (Kasane Teto & Genbu Cover) - ELGD (original by Minato) Girls - girl in red Space Girl - Frances Forever

(A/N: I really love Be Strong and Hit Stuff for their tournament getting stronger together vibes. It was actual tricky to find other stuff that hit that mark, so I treated this more as what they'd vibe to- The Lesbian Chex Mix if you will (note: that phrase randomly came to me one night when I was planning this character mix and it's been on mind ever since). Also, when putting these together, I always act so hesitant with adding some of these tracks like I have to ration them out sparingly and I can only use them for one character's aesthetic. But that's not a rule that exists- heck, there are overlap tracks between Kale & Cabba and Frieza & Hit. Anyway, I've also found that Space Girl works really well for Kuriza x Bulla/Kurla. Just noting this.)

[greensparty]

Album Reviews: MC5 / Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers

What a week for album reviews. I got to review a long-awaited studio album and a re-release of an album 42 years old:

MC5 Heavy Lifting

Detroit's MC5 (Motor City 5) were among the architects of punk rock. I don't say that lightly. In the history of punk music, people point to NYC or the London scene as the birthplace of punk, but Detroit in the late 60s is where both MC5 and The Stooges were laying the building blocks of what became punk rock in the years that followed. MC5’s song “Kick out the Jams” was a burst of rebellious energy in 1969. I listened to the cover version by Bad Brains and Henry Rollins on the Pump Up the Volume soundtrack many a time growing up. I have their 1969 live album Kick Out the Jams on vinyl in my collection and its rebellious burst of garage punk is a political statement that's stood the test of time. As much as they amassed a cult following, they only released two studio albums (loads of live and compilations though), 1970's Back in the USA and 1971's High Time. Since their initial break-up in 1972, they have reunited multiple times over the years. Around 2018 they actually did a big tour as the MC50 featuring some guests like Soundgarden's Kim Thayil and Matt Cameron, Don Was and more. This year is a bittersweet year for the MC5 because in February we lost founding guitarist Wayne Kramer and founding drummer Dennis Thompson in May, but just in time for the MC5's long overdue induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame this week they are releasing their new studio album Heavy Lifting, their first in 53 years, on Earmusic this week. Kramer recorded this prior to his death along with new band members bassist Vicki Randle, singer Brad Brooks, guitarist Stevie Salas (a legend, google his discography if you don't believe me), and drummer Winston Watson. They even worked with producer Bob Ezrin and special guest stars like Slash, Living Colour's Vernon Reid, Rage Against the Machine's Tom Morello, and more. Dennis Thompson did play on some songs as well.

album cover

It does need to be celebrated that Wayne Kramer left us one last MC5 album before he passed away and that the very week they are getting into the Rock Hall, they are reminding everyone that they the group is a powerful force. But the thing with this album is something I talk about quite often, which is when a band takes such a long time to release a follow up that expectations are sky high. I certainly didn't even think there would ever be another MC5 album after waiting 53 years since the last studio album. One would hope it would be among the ranks of Back in the USA. On its own, there some decent rockers here but you need to ignore the fact that it's been this long since the last album. The other thing about this album is that what made the MC5's previous albums legendary was their raw garage rock sound. They were a group with big ideas and minimal resources to express them, which made it interesting (similar to The Raincoats), but this album is more like arena rock or alt-rock, which is not bad, I mean all musicians can evolve I suppose, but you just wanted that raw garage proto-punk sound. Having said this, there are some gems in here, most notably the ones with guests like "Can't Be Found" featuring Vernon Reid and Dennis Thompson and also their cover of "Twenty-Five Miles". But let's give credit to Kramer and Thompson for giving this band one last victory lap!

For info on Heavy Lifting

3 out of 5 stars

Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers Long After Dark Deluxe Edition

This week I got to review Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers twice! The two-night only documentary Heartbreakers Beach Party is screening Oct. 17 and 20 and I got to review this long-lost 1983 special filmed during the 1982-83 era of the Long After Dark album, originally released in November 1982. That was the band's fifth album and followed the one-two punch of Damn the Torpedoes and Hard Promises. Celebrating the, well 42nd anniversary of the Long After Dark album, UMe is releasing a special Deluxe Edition this week that I got to review! I first discovered The Heartbreakers around 1985 when their album Southern Accents, which was actually the band’s 6th album (the follow up to Long After Dark). I was a kid just discovering music and one of the music videos that blew me away at that time was “Don’t Come Around Here No More”, a psychedelic rock homage to Alice In Wonderland with Petty as the Mad Hatter. I liked their tunes and picked up the album on cassette tape. Throughout the 90s (my high school and college years), Petty was always on in the background. Whatever I was into at the time (alternative, punk, metal, etc) Petty was always an old standby. After singer / leader Tom Petty died in 2017, there's been some releases including the 2022 album Live at the Fillmore, 1997. I was psyched that the Tom Petty website actually quoted my review on their website for that album!

album cover

I had heard the Long After Dark album a few times over the years, but my initial impression of it was that it was a somewhat lesser album for The Heartbreakers. Damn the Torpedoes is often considered to be their best and it was years before Petty's terrific solo albums like Full Moon Fever and Wild Flowers. So my initial thinking going into this review was, why this album and not others? It was a transitional time for the band in that it was the debut of bassist Howie Epstein (1955-2003) who replaced Ron Blair (who does appear on "Between Two Worlds"). Looking back it feels like a crossroads album between the 70s classic rock sound they had perfected and the early 80s start of 80s synth pop and MTV, which you can hear on "You Got Lucky" the big hit off the album.

the 2-CD / 1-blu-ray edition

Disc 1 is the original album remastered and I have to say it is way better than I remember it being. Disc 2 is outtakes, alt versions and live versions. Some buried treasures in here include "Never Be You" (later a hit for Roseanne Cash), "Ways to be Wicked" (later covered by Lone Justice), and their cover of The Troggs' "Wild Thing". Disc 3 (in the version I got to review) is the blu-ray audio, which is impressive. There are also liner notes from Rolling Stone veteran David Fricke (also a host on Tom Petty Radio). This package truly elevated the album as a whole. It's always cool to re-discover an album and like it better upon the reissue and that's the case here!

For info on Long After Dark

Original Album: 3 out of 5 stars

Deluxe Edition: 4 out of 5 stars

[1d1195]

IM SO EXCITED

i just booked tickets to go to party 101 (that thing matt bennet from victorious does where he plays all the disney channel songs) i’m such a kid but idc lolll

You are SO not a kid! That's awesome and super exciting!

You COMPLETELY inspired me and I jammed out to some of the Victorious soundtrack on my drive home from work today (Best Friend's Brother, Freak the Freak Out, and Take a Hint)!

Not to be too philosophical but I think the little kid in me is never too far from the surface and I try to make sure she gets to do fun things every once in a while (see also: my coloring books and watching Toy Story for background noise).

He's such a cutie too! Every video I've seen of him hosting these parties he looks like he's having the time of his life and everyone in the crowd is too. 💕

Thanks for sending a life update I LOVE this! It's so nice to hear you're doing fun things and I can live vicariously! Come back after and tell me how it was! 💕

xoxo

[astro-b-o-y-d]

Part 2, we're just gonna dive right into it:

Caramella Girls - Caramelldansen - I'm really starting part 2 with that, huh. Alright, sure. Yeah, I stand by it. Tell me he wouldn't love it. Tell me he wouldn't blast it in Ford's head at 3am while Ford is utterly exhausted. It's especially weird, given how the song wouldn't be out at that point in time. Maybe he snagged it from the future.

O-Zone - Dragostea Din Tei - Oh, hey, the original song. Just felt wrong having a bunch of different versions of the song without it, even if I feel like Bill would vibe with the more dance-y versions more.

Psynwav - Musical Tangents: 01 Industry Victory - Oh, hey, we're getting into super weird (no AL) mashup territory. I mean, I had Sweet Victory in the first half and I'm pretty sure I have Industry Baby on here as well, unless I decide to remove it when I get there.

Anyway this one and the next few are the ones from this album that I feel like Bill would probably have on a party playlist somewhere. I had to physically restrain myself from adding A Bite At The Pizzeria on the list as well. I might add it at some point anyway.

Psynwav - Musical Tangents: 09 Happy Hour - Bit of a tamer one but it's very fun. Also Cbat makes a return.

Psynwav - Musical Tangents: 10 We Don't Make Meme Mashups - This one is just batshit and only gets more chaotic by the end. Love it to pieces.

Ryan Chongoshow - MAD RAT PURGATORY - I needed at least one Ryan Chongoshow original mashup on here and also I'm SO sad he hasn't uploaded The Jam Revolving on Youtube as its own video because I'd 100% add that as well.

Either way, if you want to check it out for yourselves, it's here in the full Behindtale album. Which I'd just recommend on its own outside of any Bill playlists if you love mashups and Undertale. Consider that an honorary playlist song.

Lil Nas X - INDUSTRY BABY - Okay, so this isn't on here because I think it applies to Bill. This is on here because I feel like he'd apply it to himself. I don't think it suits him but I feel like he'd think it suits him, you know? But bestie, it doesn't. 'Oh, I'm gonna make the biggest comeback, I'm gonna prove them all wrong!' Dude. Anyway, great song.

Lipps Inc. - Funkytown - Yeah :)

Earth, Wind & Fire - September - Yeah :) (These ones are just fun vibes, don't have any other reasons besides that)

Britney Spears - Circus - ALL EYES ON ME IN THE CENTER OF THE RING, JUST LIKE A CIRCUSSS~ This one's just fun and also listen to the lyrics. Can you not imagine Bill being like 'Oh, that's soooo me~!'?

Britney Spears - Toxic - YOU GET IT BECAUSE HE'S TO-god, this playlist really bounces between coding him as an angsty teenage boy and a girlypop teenage girl. So real, if we're being honest.

Lou Bega - Mambo No. 5 (A Little Bit of…) - This song has those 'singer is trying to sound so cool and suave while also kinda coming across as a huge dork' vibes, in the best way. So, like...*gestures at Bill* Also does anyone remember the Radio Disney version where he sings about wanting to hook up with the Disney characters? That was weird.

Katy Perry - Firework - This song's so fucking annoying, but you know Bill would hear those first few lyrics and go 'Ugh, she gets me.'

Switchfoot - This Is Your Life - Once again, I show my Christian upbringing in full by slapping another Switchfoot song on here, but also like. Listen to it. Can you not imagine it being sung to him from the Axolotl's perspective? Am I just stretching so hard I dislocate my arm? Who's to say?

Geppetto Soundtrack - Pleasure Island - I feel like only three other people outside of me grew up with this movie, but also this song's got fun, sinister vibes.

Black Eyed Peas - I Gotta Feeling - Honestly, just assume any Black Eyed Peas songs are on here because they'd be loud and annoying. I mean, I like their music but I know that's the general consensus for them.

Black Eyed Peas - Boom Boom Pow - Like I said above.

will.i.am ft. Britney Spears - Scream & Shout - Not technically a Black Eyed Peas song but I feel like it falls in the same vein of often being scorned by people who just hate fun. Also it's got more Britney, and while I can't imagine Bill's as much a Britney girlie as he is a Kesha girlie, he's still got a handful of her songs at the ready.

Typing that also made me realize how I have, like, no Lady Gaga songs on this playlist. I dunno, while she's definitely weird, I feel like her brand of weird and Bill's brand of weird aren't completely overlapping. At least in terms of music, he'd definitely love that meat dress. Maybe some of her songs will end up on the list at some point.

Black Eyed Peas - Dirty Bit - This is the last song of theirs for now, but I know I added Let's Get It Started down the list. I know too many of their songs.

Pitbull ft. Christina Aguilera - Feel This Moment - I don't have enough Pitbull on this list. I should fix that. I considered Timber, but even with Kesha, it just didn't feel right for a Bill playlist. Dunno, the vibes were off to me.

Taio Cruz - Dynamite - I THROW MY HANDS UP IN THE AIR SOMETIMES, SAYIN' AYYYYOOOO, GOTTA LET GO-

Nova Twins - Undertaker - An anon suggested this, and I LOVE their rage. The lyrics are very Bill as well~!

Pure Hell - No Rules - Another anon suggestion, and once again, it definitely has those Bill vibes! So much rage, I love it!

Nirvana - Smells Like Teen Spirit - Of course. Of course.

Weird Al - Smells Like Nirvana - Again, of course. I should really tie the two of these together with the cover in the first part, but I feel like they all encompass Bill to some degree. The silliness, the rage, the ominous vibes. Whichever one you pick, I can see it applied to him.

DJ Cummerbund - Shaxicula - This mashup's just silly and fun.

Basshunter - DotA - I believe Puff put this on their playlist as well, and the ONLY reason I remember that is because I saw the song title and went 'Wait, I haven't thought about that song in years!' Anyway, yeah.

Team Four Star - My Way Lyric Video (TFS Perfect Cell Cover) - Specifically this cover. It just hit different.

The Black Eyed Peas - Let's Get It Started - We're not going to talk about the original version. We're not going to do it. Don't know what the original version is? Good, keep it that way. We're just going to enjoy this version and agree that they'd be bumping it so loud in the Fearamid.

djJack - Heffalumps and Woozles Remix and djJack - Pink Elephants on Parade Remix - Loud remixes of already super-weird Disney songs. I dig it.

Awkwafina & Daveed Diggs - The Scuttlebutt - What the FUCK were they thinking with this? Anyway, it's one of the worst songs I've ever heard in my life. So naturally I added it to my Bill playlist. Does it relate to him? Not really. Would he love it? Absolutely.

Ylvis - The Fox (What Does The Fox Say) - I think we're just getting into songs that Bill would slap on his party playlist because they're so goddamn annoying. I have a LOT less to say about some of these other than 'They're annoying, he'd love them.' But that's all we need, right?

Eminem - Without Me - Pretty sure this was a Drake suggestion, too. Also annoying but my dad listened to a lot of Eminem when I was growing up so it's kind of nostalgic for me. Anyway, I fully support slapping mediocre white boy music onto my Bill playlist.

Lil Bigg Dawggg - Straight Blanchin' - Only this version, though. The soundtrack version doesn't have Kevin Michael Richardson on it, and I consider that a personal sin. Plus I just like how this one was put together.

Kesha - Die Young - This Kesha song's so far down because I actually forgot it early on. Felt terrible when I eventually remembered it, but I slapped it on the playlist and that was that~! Honestly I think one might be one of Bill's favorites. How ironic.

Yoshida Nightcore - Nightcore - I'm Blue x I'm Good - This mashup just rules, I don't even care. Maybe I have extremely bad taste in music, but I feel like people who hate the newer song just hate fun.

David Guetta, Bebe Rexha - I'm Good (Blue) (Nightcore) - Once again, I feel like people just hate fun. Anyway, Bill's bumping this so loudly that they hear it up in Washington. It's true, I heard it.

Eiffel 65 - Blue (Da Ba Dee) - And finally, I add the original song. Which I also love to pieces, I always have. Maybe Bill dedicates it to Kryptos or something.

Bill Nye: The Science Guy (Intro) and Bill Nye The Science Guy Theme Song But I'm Screaming The Lyrics - SERIOUS loud warning for that second one, but I just think I'm hilarious. Also I got the idea from the poll about Bill Nye earlier.

NOMA - Brain Power - Don't have much to this one, just the vibes.

Bring Me The Horizon - Kool-Aid - Doll suggested this one, and they were right. It bangs hard.

The Living Tombstone - My Ordinary Life - And we're back to the super obvious picks, specifically the one I completely forgot about until earlier. Anyway, yes.

Teenagers - My Chemical Romance - I added it back on. Who are you to judge me? The Bill police? Get outta here. Anyway, yeah, this has big Bill vibes to me.

PaRappa the Rapper - Car Rap - BAD Instrumental - This one just gives me anxiety because it reminds me of how bad I was at that game. I feel like Bill would find it amusing.

Oh, look at that, I'm at the bottom of the playlist. At least for now, I'll probably end up adding more songs to it at some point. If I add enough, I'll reblog this with a Part 3.

Anyway, if you read all of this, you're a saint because I spent several hours putting it together. Hope you like my stupid as fuck Bill playlist, even if most of the back half of songs were just added because 'I feel like he'd like them for parties' without much of a deeper meaning to them.

Hayley's Completely Self-Indulgent and Borderline Ridiculous Bill Cipher Playlist (Part 1)

Just gonna go for it and make a masterpost of all the songs (video links included) I've got on my Bill playlist so far.

'So far' being the key words; I've added over a hundred songs at this point and will probably add more in time. Whether it's songs I think Bill would like, songs that just remind me of Bill, the most obnoxious songs to hear on a party playlist, songs connected to the side of himself he tries to bury in lies, or songs that I'll admit are a bit of a stretch but they still remind me of Bill so I added them anyway, I've got a little bit of everything here.

I do take requests for songs to add but also don't make fun of me for some of the more obvious and basic choices because I know. I know. But also I can do whatever I want forever.

I did put some small reasons/infodumps next to each song, to explain why I picked them. Or I'll just say that it had Bill vibes to me and leave it at that.

Anyway, for anyone interested (if you actually read all my little blurbs, massive props to you), the first chunk of songs are listed below. Just a heads up, it's LONG and this is only the first part:

Mariana & The Diamonds - Oh No! - Yeah, obviously. Obviously.

Taylor Swift - Death Note ｢AMV｣ Look What You Made Me Do - I said it before, I'll say it again; Death Note AMV creators can turn water into wine and every time I watch this one, I can't stop picturing the song from the POV of a manipulative, power-hungry bastard with a God Complex. So you know, Bill. But only specifically in this context, it doesn't hit as hard without the AMV.

Fall Out Boy - Centuries - Listen to the lyrics of the chorus. That's Bill. Like...that's Bill. The rest of the song has a lot of really good Bill lyrics as well.

Scissor Sisters - I Can't Decide - Shut up. SHUT UP. I knew about the song WAY before it was ever applied to Bill. Heck, I knew about this song way before Bill even existed so SHUSH. But like, come on. Sometimes a song choice is overapplied to a character for a reason; it works.

Creature Feature - The Greatest Show Unearthed - I think my teenage self would strangle me if I didn't put at least one Creature Feature song on here. Lucky for him, I've put more than one. But the other one comes later. ...Did I add it? I should check that.

Voltaire - Land of the Dead - Speaking of teenage Hayley's tastes, time for the Voltaire songs I've definitely just added because of the 'I'm 13 and this is Deep' vibes. But also Voltaire fucks severely and every Bill playlist should have at least one of his songs on it, in my personal opinion.

Voltaire - When You're Evil - Once again, I'm 13 and this is Deep, but also tell me you can't imagine Bill singing this to himself. No, not in a sexy way in a human body who looks like Oregonian Onceler, in the edgy teenager way where you thinks you're the most evilest evil in the entire world but you're really just going through puberty and also probably transgender, but you don't know that yet.

Voltaire - Death Death (Devil, Devil, Evil, Evil, Song) - Once again, edgy teen who thinks he's the most evilest evil in the entire world (I don't think Bill is actually irredeemably, unquestionably evil, he'd just really vibe with 'Ooh I'm so evil! I'm such a bad guy!' songs).

I'm pretty sure this is the last Voltaire song for now, unless I added Brains! somewhere down the line and forgot. (Also just a mild warning but this song DOES use the f-slur, if that bugs you)

The Greatest Showman Cast - The Other Side - Sighs. Look. It's a Bill and Ford song to me. I don't even mean romantically or anything, just LISTEN to it. That's them. If there were a Gravity Falls Musical, dedicated to recreating the entire show through song and dance, the two of them meeting for the first time would have a song exactly like this. I refuse to apologize for this choice. Also a Gravity Falls musical would rule, someone should make that eventually.

Italobrothers - My Life is a Party - Just the first of my many Dragostea Din Tei choices for this playlist. I really like the original, okay? And I usually end up attached to people who try to remix it/make a new song outta it. This one has the bonus of also being a fun party song.

David Guetta, Bebe Rexha - I'm Good (Blue) - Speaking of the first choice of a song I have multiple times on this playlist in some form. I don't care what anybody says, I think this song is a lot of fun and I think Bill would have it on one of his party playlists somewhere. Probably the Nightcore version, it's a lot quicker and makes for a better fistpumping song, in my personal opinion.

Set It Off ft. William Beckett - Wolf In Sheep's Clothing - Yeah, I'm not explaining this one, you get it.

Vocaloid (made by Fukase) - ‘Cause I’m a Liar - I actually don't like this one all that much, and I can feel everyone's judgment about having a fucking Kokichi Ouma fansong on here. But the lyrics don't lie. Or...I guess they do. It's a song about being a liar, that's the joke. (Also slight content warning but the video has a lot of flashy effects, so take caution!)

Kesha - Blow - Of course we've gotta have some Kesha. There will be more. She needs no explanation.

Kesha - TiK ToK - Once again, not explaining myself. It's Kesha.

Taylor Swift -【AMV】Death Note - Blank Space - What I said about the last Death Note AMV with a Taylor Swift song. It just works so well for a manipulative guy like Bill, but only when set to Death Note specifically. Why? I have no idea, it just hits different. It's like eating crackers with cheese whiz: not a healthy or fantastic snack by any means but sometimes I just want some junk food. Except this junk food manipulates people.

Kesha - Take It Off - Once again, will not explain my Kesha choices. You understand that Bill and the Henchmaniacs would be Kesha girlies or you don't.

Neil Cicierega - It's Gonna Get Weird - Giggles. Also funny enough, I don't listen to this all that often. Dunno why.

Gravity Falls Soundtrack - Is It Bottomless - Triangulum Entagulum - I mean, yeah.

Gravity Falls Soundtrack - A Very Tricky Triangle - I mean, yeah x2. I don't care if this might be cheating, I can do what I want. But also, isn't this such a FUN instrumental? I love the music they use for him in the show SO much. It's so sinister and otherworldly. Top-notch soundtracking.

Voltaire - Brains! - Oh, hey, I did add Brains! to this. Anyway, we can tell I was a Billy and Mandy kid so I'm gonna project that onto Bill. Also I'm 90% sure this is the last Voltaire song I have on the list. For now.

Trolls 3 - Mount Rageous [Extended Edition] - This is absolutely one of my most self-indulgent picks on the list, especially because I went straight for the one that includes the Sweet Dreams part of the song (because I guess the soundtrack doesn't actually have it?)

Anyway, it's a song all about faking it to make it, sung by people who have gone on to manipulate everyone around them by using others for their own abilities. So I think I at least have SOME excuse to connect it to Bill. Maybe? Possibly? I think so. Plus it fucks and actually got me to semi-care about the Trolls films again.

Alex Hirsch - We'll Meet Again - Giggles again.

Marina and The Diamonds - Bubblegum Bitch - Insert that post about always understanding whenever someone slaps Bubblegum Bitch onto a character playlist. That character's Miss Sugar Pink Liquor Liquor Lips now. Admittedly I don't have any other real reason for it to be on here, other than its extreme levels of cunt. Maybe Bill adds it to his party mix at Pyronica's request or something. Now THERE'S a Bubblegum Bitch.

Rihanna - Disturbia - Another song that gives me Bill and Ford vibes. Pretty self-explanatory, probably. Probably?

Malia J - Smells Like Teen Spirit - I also have the original version and the Weird Al parody down further on the playlist, and I tie them all to Bill in different ways. This one's for his more ominous and sinister side, where it's like 'I'm coming and I'm not leaving :)', whereas the original touches more on the 'teen/young adult revolutionary' side of things and the Weird Al cover is just because Weird Al. Also this cover is so pretty and chilling to me.

David Guetta ft.Sia - Titanium - This one's kind of a 'I could take it or leave it on here' song, admittedly, but also it gives me pre-Second Dimension-Destruction Bill vibes, in a twisted kind of sense. Like, he feels all powerful and like nobody can stop him...as he proceeds to make the worst mistakes of his life and destroys everything he knows. Might stew on this one and potentially remove it, but it can stay for now.

Ricky Martin - Livin' La Vida Loca - I feel like this one speaks for itself. He's insane. He's cah-RAZZYYYYY. Also it's a fun party song.

Freak Kitchen - Freak of the Week - This one just fucking rules. I'll admit connecting it to Bill outside of the title is a stretch, it's more a critique on people so desperate to achieve fame and fortune that they'll go as far as putting their own lives in danger to get it, whereas Bill is more likely to put others in danger to achieve his own goals.

But also he was willing to destroy the universe with himself inside it, for the sake of the most wild party imaginable. Also, desperate to seek fame and fortune without considering the dangers necessary to get there? Could always stretch further, say it's a Bill and Ford song. Either way, I'm keeping it on the playlist.

Christina Milian - Am to Pm - I've just really liked this song since I was like, ten, and it's a fun party song. Not all of Bill's party songs have to be super annoying, sometimes they can be bops. The bops make you lower your defenses. So when he drops a What Does The Fox Say? down the line, you're completely blindsided. Yes, it will be on here.

Viva La Vida - Coldplay - A human Bill song if I ever heard one. Another fairly basic choice, but again, I don't think it's a HUGE stretch to tie it to him. Plus again, insert that Top Forty Hits quote from Dipper here. They're in the top forty for a reason, they're CATCHY.

Eurobeat Brony - Discord (Remix) - Yeah.

Alina - When You Leave [Numa Numa] [Basshunter Radio Mix] - I told you this song was going to be all over the playlist. And we still haven't gotten to the original yet. Also fun fact; there was originally another version of the song before this one, but upon a relisten I was like 'Hmm, nah, it's good but I don't know if it's got that Bill energy.' Yes, I can and do compare Dragostea Din Tei covers for my Bill Cipher playlist like I'm comparing paint swatches at Home Depot. It's that important to me.

Switchfoot - Dare You To Move - I have no excuses for putting a song from a psuedo-Christian rock band on my Bill Cipher playlist outside of the sheer nostalgia factor, and I can't even pretend it's a one-off thing because there's another one of their songs further down the list. But CONSIDER; the Axolotl singing it to him. That's all I'm going to say. I will not apologize.

BB Cooper - Blame - To me, this is one of those songs about the feelings Bill probably tries to drown in lies. I realize it's a stretch, because we know he wouldn't actually stop and self-reflect in the way that the song does.

But at the same time...I could easily see someone making an animatic set to this song with Pre-Second-Dimension-Destruction Bill at the beginning and it switches to present-day Bill for the second half. I see the vision, even if I realize Bill would try his hardest NOT to see it.

Either that or he'll interpret it as a 'You see? I'm not the villain here. My tragic past is the real reason I'm like this.' song. But you know, there's always that thin thread that's tied to his past, before everything unfolded as it did. Where at some point, he really and truly wasn't to blame. Alas.

They Might Be Giants - Particle Man - Heehee hoohoo triangle man.

Tom Cardy (ft. Montaigne) - Red Flags UNO REVERSE - I added these two in reverse order, oops. Oh, well. I feel like it adds to the chaos.

Tom Cardy (ft. Montaigne) - Red Flags - Of course. Sidenote but this song is physically impossible to sing out loud in public unless you want some WEIRD looks from people.

Hudson Mohawke - Cbat - Tell me he wouldn't love this garbage.

Circus Music - Just circus music. Because he's a massive clown.

Earth Wind & Fire - Boogie Wonderland - Just a fun song, especially for parties.

Nicki Minaj - Super Bass - It feels so wrong to think of a party mix without it, and I feel like Bill would agree.

Toby Fox - Your Best Friend and Toby Fox - Your Best Nightmare - These two are tied together in that order, for pretty obvious reasons.

Simple Plan - I'm Just A Kid - I bounced back and forth with myself before eventually taking Teenagers by MCR off the playlist. I'm not doing that with this song. It just...it feels Bill, you know?

Maybe specifically my version of him, but also can't you imagine your own version of him blasting this at the age of like, fourteen? Am I wrong? I don't feel like I'm wrong. Also I might add Teenagers back onto the list, he needs more of those angsty teen songs.

Darude - Sandstorm - It's a meme, it's funny, it'd be a blast at parties.

Flo Rida ft. Kesha - I wouldn't count this as a Kesha song but also I could easily see them bumping it in the Fearamid.

Sia - Chandelier and Toad - Chandelier - Once again, a two-for-one special. I feel like Bill would enjoy both for various reasons. He can interpret it as just another party song, while ignoring the obvious darker implications behind the song of masking your true pain and emotions through a wild and reckless lifestyle. He'd probably love to get as literal as possible with it and try swinging from a chandelier. The Toad once is ear-splitting annoying. I think they fit

Florence and the Machine - Cosmic Love - This one is just for Mina. That's the only reason it's here.

Weird Al - Polka Face - Funny Weird Al song.

Vanilla Ice - Ice Ice Baby - Drake suggested this one and it was right. I laughed and added it, then proceeded to get jumpscared by it when I shuffled the playlist this morning. So that was funny. Go, white boy, go.

Tim Rothrock & Jim Wise - Goofy Goober Rock - More Drake suggestions (this and the other Spongebob songs, along with a few others down the line), and this makes me smile extra hard because I've been in such a Spongebob mood lately :)

Spongebob - Jelly Fish Jam (4 Hour Edition) - Yes, the 4-hour edition specifically. If you're not jamming as much as the jellyfish did in the episode, you're doing something wrong.

Spongebob - Sweet Victory - Of course. Gotta honor the classics.

Weird Al - NOW That's What I Call Polka! - Another one of my personal favorite Weird Al polka mashups.

LMFAO - Party Rock Anthem - Would Bill be Team Party Rockers or Team Party Rock Is?

Cutting it off here because this playlist has over a hundred songs so far and I'm only at...57. How fun for me personally to stop there for the first part. Anyway, expect the next part in a bit.

[schrodingersvibecheck]

tagged by @hoshimybabe 💞💞💞

Rule: answer the 30 questions and tag 30 followers that you would like to know better

nickname: evalin, mom, dad, eva (which is just my name but its elongated to indicate exasperation and/or disappointment, usually for bad jokes) gender: female star sign: leo height: 5′9″ / 175.3 cm time: 15:33 birthday: july 28 favorite bands: panic! at the disco, missio, sylvan esso, bts, dreamcatcher, akmu, day6, onf, seventeen, the rose, red velvet favorite solo artist(s): griffin mcelroy, joe hisaishi, bear mccreary, iu, heize, sandeul, amber, luna,  zico, ailee song stuck in my head: on/off - onf last movie i watched: as above so below (though i got tired like 30 min in so i went to bed rip) last show i watched: the great british baking show when did i create my blog: 2012 what do i post: uhhhh this ones mostly shitty memes, panicking about the world, and cryptids / eldritch gods. also: dogs last thing i googled: how to make mozzarella cheese do u have other blogs: yup! @drowningbecause is for kpop do u get asks: like once in a blue moon but man when i do 💞💞💞💞 why did u choose this blog name: i think it used to be drowningbecausebooks and i tried to have a book blog but then i had more interests so i changed it following: 348 followers: 201 favorite colors: cornflower blue, black, dark grey, light pink average hours of sleep: its either like 4 or 15 theres no in between lucky number: none... dont believe in luck instruments: like....... ones i own? or can play? (i mean i can at least kinda play all the ones i own so) flute, piano, guitar, trombone, recorder, kazoo, harmonica, bongos..... id like to learn violin and cello what am i wearing: long black skirt, black tshirt w/ the california bear on the breast pocket but instead of boring colours its rainbow for us lgbt+ folk how many blankets i sleep with: 1 dream job: astrobiologist / geologist with nasa, or any space agency tbh (alternatively, an author) dream trip: world tour of the biggest libraries / bookstores + science museums (esp bc the museum of science and industry in chicago is my JAM and i only got through 2 exhibits in 5 hours bc im a mess and i love science so much) favorite food: yall it changes like everyday so rn its fresh baked bread (bc i made some last night >>) nationality: american favorite song now: its a tie between hogsbottom griffin mcelroy, sorry the rose, and what can i do day6

tagging: @suju-bangtan @nochujr @kaep-jjang-veryjjang @dannathebookslayer @chickenfeces @ayoyoungg @saiferr @notebooksandtea @whoodhaveknown & anyone else, man

[earthstellar]

Transformers Tracks: Some of the Objectively Best Transformers Theme Songs

Because I’m a playlist nerd, you can find all of these tracks below compiled into a YouTube playlist here.

(Please do note that the playlist is arranged in the order they are in below, and not in chronological order!)

I have also included the album art for each track/OST so that you can find the right album if you would like! 

TRANSFORMER (トランスフォーマー) Scramble City Intro by Satoko Shimonari for G1 is extremely and wonderfully 80s, and would absolutely make an amazing Future Funk remix. Reminds me somewhat of Sailor Moon theme tracks! Pro Tip, this one is also great for karaoke.

1986 Movie Theme by Lion - We all know this one’s obligatory.

Transformer V: Victory Opening Theme ( Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: Victory (戦え!超ロボット生命体 トランスフォーマーVビクトリー) by Koji Kaya is so completely slept on by the entire fandom, but it has the perfect mix of 80s vocals and 70s big band flavour which makes it a definite all-time great. Has a very 80s Voltron feel to it, almost. 

TRANSFORMERS EVO. by JAM Project for Transformers Animated isn’t particularly my style, but I know it’s extremely popular amongst the wider fanbase so I’m including it here. It’s very high energy! 

The Headmasters (トランスフォーマー ザ★ヘッドマスターズ ) by Hironobu Kageyama is another delightfully 80s track, with a touch of 70s big band but with the addition of power guitar which gives it an extra dramatic, powerful flair. This also has an 80s Voltron vibe.

Tamashii no Evolution (魂のエヴォリューション, "Evolution of the Soul") from Beast Wars Metals is interestingly also by Hironobu Kageyama and evokes early 2000s rock, which reminds me of early Fullmetal Alchemist theme songs. That’s a good thing. (It was released as one of the several Beast Wars albums; Please check the track lists, as the above album cover may not be 100% correct.)

Transformers Prime Theme by Brian Tyler does a lot to establish the mood of the series right out the gate, and matches the tone of the series. Love a good orchestral opening in a Western series.

Arrival to Earth by Steve Jablonsky for the first live action Transformers film is probably the best thing to come out of the Bayverse live action Transformers films. (If you like the movies, I’m not hating on them or you, I’m just saying the soundtrack is great and I’m still personally mad about the rest of it.) 

Q-Transformers: Mystery of Convoy Returns (キュートランスフォーマー 帰ってきたコンボイの謎  Theme - Physical by OLDCODEX is so wildly funny, mostly because it is a heavy metal track for a series that is essentially about little chibi versions of the characters. It rocks though, so if you’re into metal, here’s the track for you. I have no idea if this ever got released as a single anywhere, because I can’t seem to find it if it was, but above is the series logo.

TRANSFORMER -Dream Again- by Psychic Lover for Transformers Armada is another metal track that manages to also feel like early 2000s rock music, and it’s pretty solid. If the Q-Transformers track is too much for you, this one is the perfect medium. The album this track is on includes a bunch of the other Japanese theme songs across all shows, which is also pretty cool and is probably why they went with the G1 Autobot/logo design here.

Back to Life (80s Remix) · Hailee Steinfeld for the Bumblebee live action movie is an interesting combo of current 2020s pop music with a replica-retro vibe, which makes it fit in nicely with a lot of the classic Transformers tracks.

Honō no Overdrive ~Car Robot Cybertron~ (炎のオーバードライブ ～カーロボットサイバトロン～, "Blazing Overdrive ~Car Robot Autobots~) by Koji Wada is the opening for RID. It’s another high energy rock theme, very late 90s/early 2000s as was the trend. It’s a good track though, and I feel like it should be included primarily because the vocal performance is great. 

CALL YOU... 君と僕の未来, "CALL YOU... The Future of You and Me" by Shinji Kakijima for Galaxy Force is yet another rock/metal track, but a little softer than some of the other Transformers metal tracks and very much an early 2000s metal revival type rock song. (Lots of these in modern Transformers.)

Taiyō no transform!! 太陽のtransform!!, "Solar transform!!" by Hiroshi Kitadani for Super Link is great because it evokes the 80s power guitar and keyboard with very 90s (and almost cheesy feeling) vocals and beats. It’s refreshing after all the metal and rock music to get a little bit of a throwback theme. 

The above is not a fully comprehensive list, but they are the tracks that first come to mind when I think of pretty solid Transformers jams! 

Here’s the link to the playlist again so you don’t have to scroll through this whole mess lmao.

BONUS: Album Recommendation! 

Transformers History of Music 1984-1990 produced by Colombia Music Entertainment contains what is as far as I can tell every single piece of Japanese Transformers music created between those dates. It is an absolutely fantastic album, and if you can find it, I would recommend you get it, because every track is a banger. 10/10

What are your favourite Transformers theme songs? I will add any below a cut if you feel I have left out a theme that you particularly like! 

[jbk405]

Okay, approaching "The Rescue” more seriously and not just FREAKING THE FUCK OUT, I really have to applaud the way they handled tension and escalating threats.

Our characters are, by any measure, as close to the cream of the combat crop as you can get.  The two top bounty hunters in the galaxy, the most notorious hitwoman, a former elite guerilla soldier, and two Mandalorians who have spent decades fighting an ongoing war against the Empire.  The thought that Stormtroopers -- any number of Stormtroopers -- could pose any sort of threat to them when they have the initiative is almost laughable, and the show treated it that way.  Their invasion of Gideon’s ship was a steamroll.  They were never pinned down, never outflanked or surprised, never so much as inconvenienced by the opposition as they made their way to the bridge.  When Cara Dune’s gun jammed all she did was beat people with it until she got it working, and even that didn’t actually stop their progress.

I heartily approve of this because anything else would have smacked of cheap drama.  With what we’ve already seen these same characters do in previous episodes, I wouldn’t have believed any real difficulty.  I would have rolled my eyes and maybe glanced at my phone because an attempt to wring drama out of “Oh no, will the 32nd stormtrooper they face somehow do a better job than all the rest they’ve already killed?”  I know they’re going to win, and since the show doesn’t pretend otherwise I get to enjoy the characterization and choreography of their fight.

But then came the Dark Troopers, who were sold as solid menace.  Their startup sequence was imposing, the soundtrack malevolent, and since we’d never actually fought them before (And therefore never seen them defeated) we think “Okay, these guys can play”.  Their slow, steady motion also really helped sell their presentation as unstoppable juggernauts.  They don’t need to rush or run, because it doesn’t matter.  We see the one Trooper beat the hell out of Din as the others methodically beat down the doors with their bare hands.  Din just barely managing to flush them into space before they breach shows his desperation, but also his cleverness, and doesn’t turn them into sudden canon fodder after the one single tough fight.

Then, once the Dark Troopers have been dealt with, we return to an enemy that we know is going to lose.  Moff Gideon may have the Darksaber and be eeeeeeevilll, but he’s also a sixty year old desk jokey.  We’ve never seen anything to indicate that he’s a Secret Ninja Master or Former SpecOp, so when he faced off against Din he was good, and it was a good fight (Very well done), but again there was never a moment of “OH NO HOW WILL DIN POSSIBLY SURVIVE THIS ONE?”  With Din’s experience and motivation, combined with his armor which actually blocks lightsabers, we knew Din was gonna win.  Which is why this wasn’t the climax of the episode, because this victory doesn’t serve as the capstone of the episode.

Because that’s when the Dark Troopers return, and again it is solid menace.  No wisecracks, no clever plans, the characters just bunker down and are clearly expecting to die in minutes.  Again, the Troopers move slowly, methodically, and as a benefit of being droids they also do it in complete silence except for the thump of their feet and the bang of their fists on the blast doors.  It all sells the thought that this is it.  And now we’re not saying “Of course the good guys are going to win,” we’re wondering “How can the good guys possibly win?”

And that is when Luke Skywalker walks in and changes the fucking game.  Because for Luke Skywalker, Jedi Knight, these tinpots are less of a threat than the Stormtroopers were for the main characters.  Like I said in another post, he walks through them.  Barely even needing to make an effort.  And because of how well the Dark Troopers had been presented, how clearly we saw that they were death on two feet, that makes his effortless victory so much more impactful.  Now we see just how it is that the Jedi have so often held the fate of the galaxy in their hands.

The episode introduced all the threats at their appropriate levels so we believed each and every fight, and when it jumped up a notch we believed it.

[sibyl-of-space]

I have regular Moods (tm) where I just listen to all of my old compositions and have a lot of feelings about them. It’s like this weird combination of “these songs are complex enough that they can evoke feelings” and (mostly) “I remember the exact emotions that I was experiencing when I wrote this.” Like every song is this extremely vivid window into the moment in time when I was writing it.

Like, I’m listening to the dynamic BGM I wrote for “Shark WIP” at the global game jam a couple years ago and this one is really making me emo. Not only was that one of the most fun game jams I’ve EVER had - it was a team of just 3 people, me and two good friends, and I streamed some of the composition process and just had a fantastic weekend full of really fond memories - but it’s also one of the best pieces I’ve ever composed, so there was a lot of pride in there too. Game Jams are also adrenaline-fueled which just amplifies all emotions by 8329483402% and I just listen to the BGM and remember getting chicken and waffles at the midnight food truck and having a game dev sleepover and making something really cool that I was proud of.

The song starts out melancholy and gets exciting and victorious, and it’s supposed to be because in the game you build a little cute underwater city, but when I listen to it I just think of the triumph of finishing a game that Actually Worked (a marked improvement over the previous year) with my buddies.

I didn’t realize it until tonight but I think this is because I only really get attached to music that has a context. It’s why my mp3 player has almost exclusively video game music on it, I love VGM because the music has a context. But I don’t think I was prepared for the fact that listening to music in this way would make me listen to my *own* music like that; but the context for my own music isn’t whatever game I wrote it for, it’s where I was at in my life when I wrote it. I’ve been... unintentionally writing a soundtrack for my life, to put in in a really weird/uncomfortable, but kind of accurate, way.

I don’t listen to “Undersea Development” and think about sharks building a town. I listen to it and think about PB drawing cover art for me when I asked him if he would even though he hadn’t slept enough that weekend.

I wonder if artists of other mediums have similar relationships to their art.

[tirednotflirting]

okie dokie was tagged by @pixiegrl, @allsassnoclass, and @clumsyclifford to share ten songs i’ve been obsessed w recently : )

1. don’t come down - the maine

like VERY recently. like twelve hours ago-ish. thanks to pals in the club but also listening to rian being Very Cute about his love for the maine on this podcast i listened to last night. we are feeling sad today and this song is helping

2. six feet under the stars - all time low

this has become my new go to song on my drives home from work at 2am bc it’s a good scream into the highway song.

3. potential breakup song [explciit] - aly & aj

listen these gals were baby’s first concert in ‘06 and i’ve waited all of my adult life for the moment i get to hear aly and aj sing fuck okay

4. la on a saturday night - hearts and color

a couple months ago i asked bella if she had a playlist of songs about LA bc i was trying to write a thing (this thing that ended up being not really about LA in the end but ya know) and of course she did and then i decided that this song sounds like a prequel to the whohurtyou stages ep and i’ve been obsessed since

5. lesson in letting go and wish we never met - whohurtyou

yeah no i can’t pick just one of them but i feel like they should also be together. sad boy barakat and kevin fisher made the PERFECT ep like i will never get over how they wrote the PERFECT pop ep

6. long story short - taylor swift

everything taylor put out last year spoke to me in a way that her music hadn’t since 1989 honestly but the reflective(?) nature of this one really hits me every damn time. this one really reminded me that i’ve been lucky enough to have her lyrics as the soundtrack to most highs and lows in my life. (long story short i survived gives me CHILLS)

7. drug - simple creatures

on xmas eve i was alone and one point it just hit me and made me VERY SAD so i spent like probably an hour and a half dancing around my living room with a bottle of pink wine to this song until i felt happy again. simple creatures is SO FUN. also fun fact: i spent like a month when this was released also obsessed with it and then just? forgot about it? guess my subconscious wanted to save more of them and atl for 2020 lol

8. dancer - mali-koa

yeah it took me too long to listen to miss mali i KNOW but now i am JAMMING okay. another good living room dance party song

9. kicking and screaming - all time low

idk man it came up on shuffle the other day and i got hooked on it for awhile. 

10. house of memories - panic! at the disco

i got victorious on my time capsule playlist the other day (which is weird but whatever) and then listened through doab for the first time in a while and forgot how sick this song is. doab is So Good wtfffff

feel like everybody already did this buuuuuuut i’m tagging @haikucal, @mashlums, @calumcest, @ilovegolden, and @aspiringwildfire and anybody else who wants to share :))))

[teamhawkeye]

Top 10 Far Cry Songs

i wasn’t tagged to do this, but i saw @tomexraider‘s post and choices and it got me thinking and i wanted to make my list too!

i’m gonna totally cheat and break this down by the background score and the original soundtrack + licensed soundtrack songs, because having the pick just 10 out of all the FC music would be absolutely impossible for me. without further ado-

RULES: list your top ten songs from the Far Cry franchise and list your reasoning behind your picks.

score:

Far Cry 3 / Further (feat. Serena McKinney) - Brian Tyler (both of them) | Far Cry 3 (they’re nearly identical songs - one has a solo vocalist and the other has a violin solo - so i included them both. both so powerful: the first is at the start of the game and the second is played into the credits so they bookend the entire game for you. still give me chills)

Journey Into Madness - Brian Tyler | Far Cry 3 (the moment this one’s tied to - your first up close glimpse of Hoyt and the rush to get the information to save your buddy Oliver - is one of my favorites. So tense and urgent and makes you feel a little small after the high of “Kick the Hornet’s Nest” immediately preceding it)

Sloan’s Assault - Power Glove | Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon (i love the entire Blood Dragon OST for being synthwave/retrowave - that is absolutely my jam, synth, 80s, and 80s synth are my bread and butter. this one in particular is so heart-pumping and energizing)

Royal Reception - Cliff Martinez | Far Cry 4 (plays in De Pleur’s mansion at the very start and plays again if you play through the whole game and finally reach Lakshmana with Pagan. There’s just something very haunting about it - it’s mired in intrigue at the start, when you’re not sure where you are or just what you should be doing)

Lakshmana - Cliff Martinez | Far Cry 4 (absolutely stunning - both tragic and beautiful. it speaks of lost and eternal love and it’s both calming and sobering)

When the Morning Light Shines In - Dan Romer | Far Cry 5 (this one...this always feels like coming home. opening up the map and being greeted with this just brings a feeling of warmth and happiness and belonging to me)

The Blessing Just Takes Minutes - Dan Romer | Far Cry 5 (this is one of my favorite “battle” themes - it just speaks of high adrenaline and fighting hard to victory)

Their Thrones Become Electric Chairs - Dan Romer | Far Cry 5 (”YOU ARE BEING HUNTED/YOU’VE BEEN MARKED”...that infamous cue comes from this one. Very industrial, sinister, and foreboding - as most of the score in the Whitetails region is - but it’s absolutely invigorating)

Faith’s Bunker Theme (Walk the Path) - Dan Romer | Far Cry 5 (absolutely haunting. it perfectly fits the hallucinatory state of Faith’s Gate and the emotional state of having just beat Faith and trying to reach the Sheriff in time. never officially released, but absolutely one of the strongest tracks of the whole game)

Bold and Brave - Dan Romer | Far Cry 5 (the backend of John’s boss battle, after his plane gets shot down into his death cutscene. it’s equal parts sinister and tragic - which fits John so well - but there’s also such an undercurrent of energy in that first half that really speaks to Rook’s need to finally stop John)

OST + Licensed soundtrack:

Make It Bun Dem - Skrillex & Damian “Jr. Gong” Marley | Far Cry 3 (it’s iconic for a reason - such an incredible mission and objective is tied to it. always reminds you what makes Far Cry games so much fun)

Paper Planes - M.I.A. | Far Cry 3 (what an opener. FC3 has some of the best and most memorable music of the series)

Should I Stay or Should I Go - The Clash | Far Cry 4 (another great opener - and closer, if you like to get the Secret Ending a lot like i do, haha. such a promise of the chaos and fun of Pagan Min’s character)

The River - The Bombay Royale | Far Cry 4 (such a good song to amp you up for the face-to-face with Pagan after spending 90% of the game away from him and communicating via only radio. it just scales up the tension for the confrontation so well)

Oh John - Dan Romer/Hammock | Far Cry 5 (i’m cheating and putting two versions of it - you could even throw the Hope County Choir version of it in here too. it’s just such a upbeat and catchy song in its original form sung by - and the Reinterpretation version of it is so dreamy and soothing, i adore them both so much)

Oh the Bliss - Dan Romer/Hammock | Far Cry 5 (cheating again by throwing in 2 versions, but oh well. it’s such a beautiful song when sung by Jenny Owen Youngs and so haunting and captivating in its Reinterpretation version - perfect for Faith)

We Will Rise Again - Dan Romer | Far Cry 5 (i just love how beautiful this one is sung - major kudos to Meredith Godreau)

Only You (And You Alone) - The Platters | Far Cry 5 (this song has forever been changed for me after FC5 - it’s hard to explain to my parents why such a romantic and sweet song can make my hair stand on end when it’s played unexpectedly, haha. speaks to the impact it made by this particular song being chosen for such an important aspect of the story)

We’ll Meet Again - Vera Lynn | Far Cry 5 (forget John whistling it in The Confession for a sec - i’ll never forget beating FC5 for the first time and the shock of ending it with Joseph being right and he and Rook alone in that bunker as the screen faded to black and this song kicked in. it was an absolute gut punch - i wasn’t necessarily mad, just completely blown away and trying to process what had just happened. it was so powerful)

Disco Inferno - The Trammps | Far Cry 5 (”Burn, Baby, Baby” remains one of my favorite missions in FC5 - the absolute insanity of Sharky’s introduction is so outrageous and fun and represents everything to love about Far Cry games)

it hurt me to leave off some of my other favorites, but i did my best to keep things level and not have everything be solely from FC3 or FC5, lol. anyway, let me know what some of your faves are!

i’ll tag @starsandskies @seedlingsinner @josephseeds-rosary @lxmbert @foofygoldfish @chyrstis @weekend-writer @amistrio @minilev @fadedjacket @red-nightskies and anyone else who would like to jump in and make their own list - be sure to tag me so i can see it!

[chalantness]

Tagged by @gomustanggirl16!

Quarantine “Stay At Home” Tag Game

Are you staying home from school/work? Yup!

If you’re staying home, who is there with you? My mom and my three brothers. 

Are you a homebody? Yes! Even though I make it a point to go out with friends and family so they know I enjoy their existence, I’m super comfortable being at home and typically prefer it.

An event that you were looking forward to that got cancelled? 

a Disneyland trip in March

another Disneyland trip in April

taking my mother out for her birthday in April

celebrating Easter with my extended family in April

the Black Widow premiere in April

my cousin’s wedding in May

a few anime conventions in the Bay Area throughout spring

Niall Horan’s California stop on his tour (I think it was set for this spring)

What movies have you watched? I surprisingly haven’t watched any new movies, but I’ve re-watched a lot of movies. Like, a lot. Basically every movie I own on DVD or have access to on a streaming service that I know of, I’ve watched. A few re-watches that have had multiple plays:

I think I watched Frozen 2 and Black Panther twice a day for almost a week and a half straight

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker was on my TV for a good three days

I’ve watched Onward twice so far

Keeping Up with The Joneses is up to three re-watches now

and so is Hustlers

only two Crazy Rich Asians watches, which is kind of surprising since I watched that for like a week as soon as I bought it

two re-watches for Aquaman

another two for Jurassic World

What shows have you watched? Like with movies, I’ve done a lot more re-watching than “new” watching of shows, with the main ones being Brooklyn 99 and Phineas and Ferb (like, all the way from the beginning). But I started making my way through Disney+ originals! I finished Lost Cities with Albert Lin and The World According to Jeff Goldblum this week and will probably make my way through most if not all of the docuseries by the end of next week. Those are my jam.

What music are you listening to? Oh goodness. A little bit of everything? I have Spotify, and my main genres according to Spotify are:

pop

contemporary country

a little bit of rap

a little bit of R&B

a mish-mash of throwback playlists also around pop and R&B

and a shit ton of Disney and other musical soundtracks, which also includes a decent amount of Glee covers

And when I’m writing, I’m usually listening to one of three playlists:

Ariana Grande (almost her entire discography, from all of her albums and all of her singles and all of her Victorious and Christmas EPs)

One Direction (their entire discography as a band and also all of the individual members’ releases when they all went solo)

my “main” playlist, which is basically like my version of a hit mega-mix but instead it’s my top favorite 250-ish songs from maybe the last decade

What are you reading? So many books. So many. I’m re-reading my entire library and also making my way through as many free Kindle Unlimited reads as possible. You can find all of them on my bookshelf page if you want to read with me!

What are you doing for self-care? A lot of reading, a little bit of writing but a lot of planning and plotting, and a lot of bullet journaling and planner decorating! Also a lot of re-watching of my favorite shows and movies that are comedy-oriented and light-hearted to keep my positive vibes going. And also YouTube.

Thanks for reading about my life right now!

I’m tagging anyone and everyone who wants to play! Please tag me back, I’d love to check out what you’re all watching and reading and maybe what your own DIY or crafting or even just home reorganization projects have been!

(But for the sake of getting this fun little game around, I’m also tagging @moonguks @xo-stardust720​ @natrogersfics​ @drunkromanogers​ @batfamskitty​ @romanogers101​ @anxxiousfreak​)

[that-shamrock-vibe]

Disney+ What To Watch: My Top 10 Favourite Modern-Day Disney Classics

#1. The Emperor’s New Groove

I absolutely and completely fell in love with this movie the first time I saw it. Not only is the movie’s comedy on point but the animation styling, the story and the emotion that develops throughout this movie, for me, is exceptional.

Now it is fair to say that my #1 and #2 favourites involve the main protagonists being indirectly turned into into animals by the movie’s main villains and the story that follows is a buddy movie about self-discovery. But while The Princess and the Frog is a developing love story, The Emperor’s New Groove is a cautionary tale about the pitfalls about power, how it can corrupt and to appreciate the little and simple things about life.

In a way, The Princess and the Frog and Lilo & Stitch are also about that as the former sees the the main protagonists learn to open themselves up emotionally and the latter is about the meaning of family but this movie combines with it a fun family adventure, some rather high-intense sequences, brilliant comedic scenes, one or two fantastic meta-reference moments and every main and supporting character fills their roles perfectly.

Not only are the characters fantastic, but this movie makes me enjoy both David Spade and Patrick Warburton, I don’t really dislike Warburton but I really dislike David Spade unless his voice is coming out of an animated llama.

The plot, despite being slightly derivative of a standard buddy adventure comedy, somehow makes itself quite unique in the sense of not only the prince cursed to be a llama learning to be human but also the very hands on interference from the villains.

Speaking of the villains, despite being a movie about Emperor Kuzco learning a sense of humanity while he is effectively exiled from his throne, this movie’s two main best features are Yzma and her minion Kronk.

There are very few actors that I say are born for roles and certainly fewer that I say are born for multiple roles, but Eartha Kitt was born to be Yzma just as she was born to be Catwoman. It’s no surprise that these are her two most recognisable roles.in mainstream fandom.

I cannot say enough great things about this character, she is, for me, the best Disney Villain since Cruella De Vil because she is unapologetically ambitious, knows what she wants and will stop at nothing to to achieve it.

Her design is cartoon enough to not seem real but at the same time you want to meet this woman in real life, if that makes sense. She is such an interesting character that you want to meet her, you want to interview her, you want to find out about her history and what got her to this point in her life.

But she is also hilarious and fearsome at the same time. She is a fully-realised three-dimensional character and not just this movie’s typical baddie. This is captured not only in the character design but particularly in Eartha Kitt’s performance. I love her almost as much as I love Cruella and her becoming a cat at the end was the icing on the cake of a fabulous performance for me.

Kronk meanwhile is what I deem to be a villain by circumstance, to the point where I actually believe he is slightly oblivious to exactly what side he has found himself on working for Yzma. This is because, maybe save for Pacha, he is the gentlest and most naive character in the village. That’s not necessarily a bad thing and it is a great moment when he finds his place in the world separate to Yzma and isn’t persecuted for his past because officially he hasn’t actually done anything villainous save for attempted regicide.

However, the great thing about this movie, and Kuzco being something of an anti-hero, is I don’t believe anyone in the kingdom would prosecute 

As for Kuzco, he definitely showed some growth throughout this movie. He may not be the nicest individual but he does learn a lesson in humility and also friendship through his friendship with Pacha and the karma he receives through his actions reverberating on the giant target Yzma paints on his back.

This movie is also very quotable, this may not be the most well-known movie but chances are you will recognise a quote or two that were coined in the playgrounds if you attended school in the early 2000s. From Kuzco’s catchphrases such as “No touchy”, “Llama Face” and his “a-ha” victory chant, it’s fair to say that non-fans are at least familiar with one of them.

But also, let’s be honest, the best moment of this movie is Yzma’s iconic “Pull the lever Kront, wrong lever!”. Not only was this instant comedy gold but continued to be a staple in the franchise as the spin-off series The Emperor’s New School utilised many versions of this scene throughout the series.

Kuzco is also a fourth wall joke away from be the Disney Animated version of Deadpool, not only does he break the fourth wall numerous times in the first half of the movie, but also you can tell that if the movie was higher than a family friendly rating, he would not be so family friendly which is fantastic with the potential being there but not needing to be exposed.

Also, the movie is set in Peru. I think Up  and The Three Caballeros are the only other movies in Disney history to actually feature any South American locales and not just the design in architecture but the fact that Pacha’s village is authentic to South American culture being a llama herding and produce village is very productive for an animated movie. It creates teachable moments without jamming it down your throats.

That being said, it would have been nice to have some Peruvian or South American representation in the voice casting, because despite the talents of Eartha Kitt and Wendie Malick, the rest is principally a white in a strictly Peruvian setting.

Musically there are just three words...Tom freakin Jones. Not only is his music the theme song for this movie but he is the only “theme song guy” to become animated as the theme song guy. He is in this movie less than Bucky the Squirrel yet I love him just as much.

Also there is a fantastic song that was left on the cutting room floor sang by Eartha Kitt “Snuff Out the Light”. Not only do I feel that if this song were included it may have made it a slightly different movie but also I would say that non-canonically it is one of the better Disney Villain songs if nothing else but for Eartha’s powerhouse performance.

This movie, like One Hundred and One Dalmatians is a movie where I can honestly say that, for me, there is not a bad moment in this movie, there are no slow parts, there aren’t any unnecessary parts, the slightly wacky or convoluted moments add to the genius that this movie encapsulates.

I can remember seeing this movie with my mum and sister and loving it, I remember playing the PlayStation game and loving it, Outside of Disney compilation soundtracks, this was also the movie soundtrack I ever owned and it is because of Tom Jones and Eartha Kitt’s performances...there’s just nothing bad I can say about this movie.

So what do you guys think? Post your comments and check out more Disney+ What to Watch Top 10s as well as more Top 10 Lists and other posts.

[daleisgreat]

Scott Pilgrim vs. The World

A movie podcast I listen to, The Big Picture, did a recent episode on the 10th anniversary of 2010’s Scott Pilgrim vs. The World (trailer). Coincidentally enough, that film remains in my backlog box all these years later, so I made sure to re-watch it before giving that podcast a listen. For those unfamiliar with this film, it is based on a series of six graphic novels of the same name by Bryan Lee O’Malley released between 2004 and 2010. The basic gist is that Scott Pilgrim (Michael Cera) falls for newcomer to town, Ramona Flowers (Mary Elizabeth Winstead). In order to win her over Pilgrim has to defeat Ramona’s “Seven Evil Ex’s.” Scott spends the rest of the film exploring Ramona’s mysterious past and dueling her ex’s while practicing with his band, Sex Bo-Bomb, as they progress through a battle of the bands tournament. Sex Bo-Bomb is one slick act! Stephen Stills (Mark Webber) is the doom-and-gloom frontman of the band. Kim Pine (Alison Pill) is a 2010 take on Daria and effectively nails her vintage expressionless glares and blunt quips. Young Neil (Johnny Simmons) is the affable, DS-loving, always ready alternate for Sex Bo-Bomb. Their #1 fan and also other girlfriend of Scott Pilgrim is one Knives Chau (Ellen Wong). Knive’s arc is probably my favorite of this ensemble cast as her journey from adoring fan and girlfriend to her final destination is a fascinating quest to see develop and a faithful translation from the books.

I first heard of the books on the videogame podcast, Team Fremont Live where they reviewed the first book and their breakdown of it caught my attention when they dissected all the nonstop videogame references that are peppered regularly throughout it. The film captures that imagery to a T where it feels like Pilgrim is living in a real life videogame. In this world suspending disbelief is required because it is jam-packed with extraordinarily choreographed battle scenes, makes anyone capable of instantly pulling off bombastic martial arts moves in the blink of an eye without any training whatsoever, and quirky little animations of objects like Mario Bros.-esque coins and pixelated items inserted throughout that any videogame fan will pick up on. The fighting game fan in me popped a little each time a thunderous “KO” blared out each time Pilgrim emerged victorious after an evil ex duel. As a lifelong fan of videogames, it was fun picking up on all the references and Easter eggs in the background throughout. Scott Pilgrim vs. the World hit at an interesting time where Michael Cera was the only established star at this point in 2010 and was riding the last wave of critical success coming off of Arrested Development, Superbad and Juno. Brandon Routh is noteworthy appearing here as one of the evil ex’s after flaming out in his single appearance in a Superman film. However, a few other stars are here right before they exploded into bigger success like the aforementioned Mary Elizabeth Winstead. Chris Evan is here as another evil-ex shortly after his two Fantastic Four films, but a year before donning the Captain America costume for the first time. Anna Kendrick is here in a small role as Scott’s sister Stacey while in the midst of her initial Twighlight run. Finally, Brie Larson is here as Scott’s evil-ex, Envy Adams and she is the lead for her band, Clash at Demonhead in my personal favorite musical performance of the film as they belt out “Black Sheep.”

It is worth repeating that I highly recommend suspending all disbelief going into Scott Pilgrim vs. the World and simply roll with it. The battle scenes are a hoot to take in and feature a ton of CG that holds up well ten years later. It is also worth pointing out this film is part absurd videogame battles, part early 20s love triangle drama and to a lesser extent part musical with several performances from Sex Bo-Bomb and other bands throughout the film. Director Edgar Wright tracked down a few bands to play the tracks for some of the featured bands in the film such as Beck performing the handful of Sex Bo-Bomb songs in addition to a slew of other tracks from artists like The Rolling Stones and Blood Red Shoes that perfectly supplement the outlandish tone of the film. It is not too often on here I recommend hunting down the soundtracks for a film, but the soundtrack for Scott Pilgrim vs. the World I wholeheartedly recommend! I think the Scott Pilgrim vs. the World BluRay may have set the record for amount of extra features for a single film in the near seven years of movies I have covered on this blog. A rough tally on my notes gives an approximate sum of nearly five hours of bonuses, and then four feature length commentary tracks on top of that! I will not detail every bonus, but will give some highlights of the ones that stood out for me. There is just under a half hour of deleted scenes with or without commentary from Edgar Wright. Most of them are extended scenes from the first act to trim out excess background info, but an alternate ending is what stood out the most that Wright explained he changed because it did not go over that well in test screenings. I can always appreciate a good blooper reel, and an excellent 10 minute reel is compiled here that I would rate right up with the stellar ones in the Marvel films.

There are three features grouped together in the ‘Docs’ section of the extras tallying up to a little over an hour. If you only had time for one of the five hours of bonuses I would go there because that has the core making of documentary which breaks down collaborating with Bryan Lee ‘O Malley, nailing the casting, detailing the extensive stunt training and interviews several of the bands about being featured in the soundtrack. Speaking of the soundtrack, there are four music videos included. Definitely check out the four minute animated short, Scott Pilgrim vs. Animation that is essentially a prequel to the film that dives into Scott and Kim’s former relationship. There are 12 ‘Video Blogs’ totaling 45 minutes that are raw on set interviews with the cast and crew between takes that sees the crew up to all kinds of mischief to kill downtime. This BluRay easily has the largest photo gallery of any home video I have covered with several hundred photos. One gallery is labeled ‘storyboards’ but each storyboard panel is nearly identical to the excellent quality of the art in Bryan Lee O’Malley books so that is essentially a free comic book adaptation of the movie buried in the extras! I experienced all four of the commentary tracks in one re-watch of Scott Pilgrim vs. the World via jumping around to a different commentary about every five minutes. Edgar Wright is on two of them, one with Bryan Lee ‘O Malley and writer Michael Bocall and the other with photography director Bill Pope. The other two commentaries are split among nine cast members, with Michael Cera and the rest of the leading cast on one and the ancillary cast members on the other cast commentary track. Wright has tons of nonstop insight and production facts on his tracks, and the cast tracks are have a lot of fun anecdotes such as Cera failing at trying to get additional people on the commentary via phone call. On top of the commentary I had on during my re-watch was also a factoid subtitle track to really take in the extra features. Despite going on now for three paragraphs about the bonus features, I think I only touched on about half of what is available, and it is truly astonishing to see how much they crammed into one BluRay disc.

A part of me thought going into this that Scott Pilgrim vs. the World would not hold up after 10 years. I would chalk that up to thinking I may have got easily won over with all the hype from being vastly into the books back then and being too caught up into the build to the film’s initial release. I can put those reservations to rest thankfully as I immensely enjoyed this ode to videogame fandom as much as I first did in 2010. Throw in a plethora of extra features to last all year to make Scott Pilgrim vs. the World one of my highest recommendations yet! If you want even more commentary from me about this film than below I have embedded the podcast I originally recorded 10 years ago shortly after seeing the film on its opening weekend. I bring on a couple other special guest hosts that are also ardent Scott Pilgrim fans and we review the film, soundtrack, the books and the videogame. Enjoy!

I brought on a couple other Scott Pilgrim experts on as guest hosts on my podcast to review the film, books, videogame and soundtrack shortly after they all released 10 years ago. Check it out in the embed above for more Scott Pilgrim goodness or click or press here to queue it up for later. Other Random Backlog Movie Blogs 3 12 Angry Men (1957) 12 Rounds 3: Lockdown 21 Jump Street The Accountant Angry Video Game Nerd: The Movie Atari: Game Over The Avengers: Age of Ultron The Avengers: Infinity War Batman: The Dark Knight Rises Batman: The Killing Joke Batman: Mask of the Phantasm Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice Bounty Hunters Cabin in the Woods Captain America: Civil War Captain America: The First Avenger Captain America: The Winter Soldier Christmas Eve Clash of the Titans (1981) Clint Eastwood 11-pack Special The Condemned 2 Countdown Creed I & II Deck the Halls Detroit Rock City Die Hard Dredd The Eliminators The Equalizer Dirty Work Faster Fast and Furious I-VIII Field of Dreams Fight Club The Fighter For Love of the Game Good Will Hunting Gravity Grunt: The Wrestling Movie Guardians of the Galaxy Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2 Hell Comes to Frogtown Hercules: Reborn Hitman I Like to Hurt People Indiana Jones 1-4 Ink The Interrogation Interstellar Jay and Silent Bob Reboot Jobs Joy Ride 1-3 Last Action Hero Major League Man of Steel Man on the Moon Man vs Snake Marine 3-6 Merry Friggin Christmas Metallica: Some Kind of Monster Mortal Kombat Mortal Kombat Legends: Scorpions Revenge National Treasure National Treasure: Book of Secrets Not for Resale Pulp Fiction The Replacements Reservoir Dogs Rocky I-VIII Running Films Part 1 Running Films Part 2 San Andreas ScoobyDoo Wrestlemania Mystery The Secret Life of Walter Mitty Shoot em Up Slacker Skyscraper Small Town Santa Steve Jobs Source Code Star Trek I-XIII Sully Take Me Home Tonight TMNT The Tooth Fairy 1 & 2 UHF Veronica Mars Vision Quest The War Wild The Wizard Wonder Woman The Wrestler (2008) X-Men: Apocalypse X-Men: Days of Future Past

[abalathia]

never-ending survey: esja

RULES: Repost, do not reblog. Tag 10 blogs!

tagged by @yascaret! thank you! <3 tagging @nekun-uul, @nascentflash, @s-udarshana, @lavender-hemlock, @blood-of-the-dragons, @hingan-fox, @fairwindsandblueskies, @warpstargazer, @red-hare, @wood-warder, and anyone else! feel free to use me as your tag if you brave this! ;)

BASICS.

FULL  NAME :  Esja Fiala

NICKNAME : The Violet Warder

AGE :  Appears late 20s, actual age unknown.

BIRTHDAY :   16th Sun of the 5th Umbral Moon

ETHNIC  GROUP : Viera (Veena)

NATIONALITY :  Ivalician (?)

LANGUAGE / S : Common

SEXUAL  ORIENTATION : Bisexual.

ROMANTIC  ORIENTATION : Heteromantic.

RELATIONSHIP  STATUS :  Single.

HOME  TOWN / AREA :  Skatay Mountain range.

CURRENT  HOME :  An isolated hunter’s cabin buried deep in the Shroud.

PROFESSION : Survivalist, hunter, and mercenary.

PHYSICAL.

HAIR : Naturally platinum, dyed to a beige blonde.

EYES :  A pale violet blue.

FACE : Stoic, serious, and determined yet still radiant with an underlying beauty.

LIPS : Of average size and often left natural or stained to match her traditional tribal paint.

COMPLEXION : Ivory.

BLEMISHES : None.

SCARS : Several, each a reminder of the war she fought, the Wood she protected, and the comrades lost.

TATTOOS :  A golden sunburst that spans from her ribs to her thigh.

HEIGHT :  6′3″.

WEIGHT :  Average.

BUILD :  Slim and athletic.

FEATURES :   Slightly upturned nose, full eyelashes, faint dimples, mid-length ears left thick with fur, and fingers stained a muddy brown.

ALLERGIES :  None.

USUAL  HAIR  STYLE :  Typically left natural, thicks waves parted down the middle hang to her waist. When working, she pulls it back into a messy ponytail with plaits and strands of leather. It is common to see it adorned with beads and feathers.

USUAL  FACE  LOOK :  A thick painted band across her eyes with two finger swipes beneath on either cheek. These are either in tones of sienna or sepia, and it is not common to see her without them.

USUAL  CLOTHING :   Leathers, furs, and brass jewelry. She has not taken to the more casual style commonly seen throughout Eorzea and instead sticks with her traditional attire.

PSYCHOLOGY.

FEAR / S : Failure, insignificance, being forgotten.

ASPIRATION / S :  To achieve greatness and be worthy of remembrance outside the confines of her tribe.

POSITIVE  TRAITS : Determined, resourceful, confident, resilient.

NEGATIVE  TRAITS : Reckless, impatient, competitive.

MBTI : ISTJ-A (Architect)

ZODIAC :  Nymeia (Libra)

TEMPERAMENT :  Phlegmatic.

SOUL  TYPE / S :   Warrior.

ANIMALS :  Wolf.

VICE HABIT / S :   Drinking, smoking, fighting, isolation.

FAITH : Religious, no. Spiritual, absolutely. Though she tries not to insult or anger any deities.

GHOSTS ? : Yes.

AFTERLIFE ? : Eh.

REINCARNATION ? :  Eh.

ALIENS ? :  Eh...?

POLITICAL ALIGNMENT : She cares not for politics, and does not burden herself with the workings of a land she will eventually leave, too.

EDUCATION  LEVEL :  Common education, but relies more heavily on experience rather than the teachings of those long dead.

FAMILY.

FATHER : Estranged.

MOTHERS :  Estranged.

SIBLINGS :  Potentially many, but she knows of none of them.

EXTENDED  FAMILY : Many. Some she was close to, some she’s never met. All estranged.

NAME MEANING / S : Fiala, the small and secluded mountain tribe she hails from that I totally made up and also means violet in czech :P.

HISTORICAL  CONNECTION ? : No.

FAVORITES.

BOOK :  Old and dusty tomes detailing the victories of the heroes of old. 

DEITY : None.

HOLIDAY :  All Saints Wake.

MONTH : October.

SEASON :  Autumn.

PLACE : Deep within the woods where only the trees may speak.

WEATHER : Hazy, rainy days.

SOUND / S:  Crackling fires and distant thunder.

SCENT / S :  Tobacco, lingering rain, damp wood.

TASTE / S :  Whiskey, spiced apples, fresh herbs.

FEEL / S :  Fur, wet grass, tree bark, rough skin.

ANIMAL / S :  Wolves, ravens, stags. (Plus the fox kit and road sparrow she calls family.)

NUMBER : 6

COLORS : Sienna, white, olive, beige, black, copper.

EXTRA.

TALENTS : Surviving, hunting, drinking grown men under the table, shit-talking, incessant flirting, and kicking your dad’s ass.

BAD  AT :  Losing, singing, dancing, cooking anything that isn’t over a campfire.

TURN  ONS : Men - rough hands, facial hair, scars, muscles, abrasive personalities, good hair. Women - soft lips, sweet voices, humorous, strong-willed, independence.

TURN  OFFS : Carelessness, stupidity, attention-seeking, ignorance. 

HOBBIES : Hunting, leatherworking, making jewelry, sketching, drinking all day long.

TROPES : Badass Teacher, Crazy Prepared, Action Girl, The Leader, To Be Lawful or Good, One of the Boys, Nature Lover, Lady of War, Guys Smash Girls Shoot, etc.

QUOTES : “Got a light?”

MUN QUESTIONS.

Q1 :   If you could write your character your way in their own movie,  what would it be called,  what style would it be filmed in, and what would it be about?          

A1 :  Beyond the Wood - a southern gothic film riddled with a feeling of discomfort, lurking cryptids, old gods, and one badass bun.

Q2 :   What would their soundtrack/score sound like?          

A2 :  Dark folk with eerie instrumentals and scratchy voices that make you feel both at home and like something is watching you from the woods outside your window.

Q3 :   Why did you start writing this character?          

A3 :   Esja has had many faces. She started as a warrior bun, went off the rails as a botanist, and ultimately transformed into the woman she is now. I’ve always loved southern gothic and norse themes, and I decided to cram them both together. I didn’t think it would work so well, but she’s easily my favorite thing ever.

Q4 :   What first attracted you to this character?          

A4 :  Everything. I’ve wanted a viera since I was a little kid, and I was so sad to have to wait so long to play one in FFXIV. I’d resigned myself to using mods for eternity, but bless SE for finally giving me the option. Also, who doesn’t love a strong lady bun?

Q5 :   Describe the biggest thing you dislike about your muse.

A5 :  Her desire for infamy and immortality overshadows any craving for love, and it makes me feel for her. She’s so wrapped up in her dreams and hides behind the walls she’s built that she’ll probably never find it. It’s easy to find company for the night, but we all know that isn’t satisfying forever. I keep my fingers crossed for her, though. 

Q6 :   What do you have in common with your muse?          

A6 :   I, too, am a lone wolf who does no evil but takes no shit. But honestly, I have been pulling a lot of inspiration from Esja to apply to real life. I’ve started hiking, I want to learn how to shoot a bow and arrow, and I’ve stood up for myself a lot more since creating her. She’s my muse in every sense of the word!

Q7 :   How does  your muse feel about  you?          

A7 :   I would for sure be one of the green adventurers she mentors. Though I imagine she’d kick my ass off a cliff for whining too much. 

Q8 :   What characters does your muse have interesting interactions with ?        

A8 :   I’ve only had a handful of roleplays with Esja, but she will easily have a good time with anyone willing to arm wrestle and get drunk under a full moon. If that’s your jam, hit a girl up!

Q9 :   What gives  you inspiration  to write  your muse ?        

A9 :  Vikings, norse mythology, southern gothic aesthetic, the supernatural, dense forests, folk music, and folk horror.

Q10 : How long did this take you to complete ?          

A10 : Started at 11am and worked on it off and on throughout the day.