#alternative/indie is both a blessing and a curse

[reblog-house]

When you find a song that makes you feel Not Normal and takes you through a whole epic adventure and so you wonder what genre it is to live it all over again and. It's indie.

[spearcast]

i have a very VERY self indulgent original superpowers/superhero universe where the story is based around a majority of superpowered individuals being marginalized and over-policed and so on and so forth and a big theme of reconnecting as a community and coming against / dismantling both the government and a corrupt monopoly that takes charge of a lot of supes (the same way the us military takes advantage of marginalized individuals be they poor, poc, so and so forth). LONG STORY SHORT lots of fun themes and shit all floating around in the brain but sometimes you just need a very op self inserted main character and that is what hotspot is for me

i have. a lot of logistics and worldbuilding i want to at least put out into the universe under a read more but the TLDR of it is that hotspot is far too powerful for the govt and the organization (called CONQUEST) to really threaten and they soon begin to realize that hotspot is onto their shady goings-on and has to navigate the way to take them down (with the help of friends!! found family!! superpowered peoples reconnecting after forcibly being kept apart!!) without. like. tearing the planet in half bc they could if they put their mind to it. SDFHKSHDFS

essentially at a certain point in this universe people began being born with superpowers- it started off as a few at a time (which is where a lot of mythological heroes and characters in general are believed to have stemmed from, superpowered individuals born in ancient times) and by the time of 'present', there's a substantial portion of the population that have super-abled abilities. in the "80s" and "90s" (idk if i'm lining up this universe's time period with ours or not so 80s /90s are just concepts here SDHFKS) there came a lot of government regulation that was meant to keep superpowered people from becoming too powerful- or in their words "too dangerous" toward normal folk- and one of the major legislations was that heroes couldn't team up unless the team-ups were sanctioned by the national and international governments they were associated with. this also saw the birth of CONQUEST- an organization led by a woman named rebecca fowler and her husband meant to mentor and guide young supers into being helpful members of the community. behind this exterior, CONQUEST was really a world-power-funded military/weapon building corporation that actively took advantage of the supes they took under their wing. the alternative was to be an independent supe- "indie heroes" were governed solely by the mentor that chose them and a team of representatives and often had to do dealings with the government directly as opposed to following an organization's lead.

these were really the only two plausible options for anyone who had superpowers. anyone else was deemed a vigilante or danger to society and were either locked up for good in "defective supe" centers OR they were exterminated.

as was what happened with some supes, horizon renna was not born with their abilities. they began to develop when they were around seven or eight- and unfortunately for them, they were both blessed and cursed with terrifyingly apocalyptic abilities, and ended up destroying a section of their state when their powers emerged. thankfully they and their parents had been on vacation, in the middle of a state park when it happened- but the tumultuous volcanic and literally earth-shattering abilities they possessed were incredibly dangerous for a child with unstable emotions. there was much talk of just ending their life, because a small dose of being overwhelmed was all that led to a forest being turned to ash and molten rock, but a mentor stepped forward soon after- mililani kane aka ka wahine ‘ai honua (dubbed pele by the media), a renowned independent hero from hawai'i who at that time was in her mid 40s, saw much of herself in the child. while she didn't possess the massive destructive power that horizon did, she knew that she could use her knowledge of the extent of her own abilities to guide horizon to be able to control themself and their abilities. it was with mililani's help that horizon eventually grew to be one of the most powerful heroes, and most powerful supes across the board, in the world. it truly infuriates both rebecca fowler- who still heads CONQUEST in the present- and the united states government, considering they could've been brought into CONQUEST and be more easily manipulated.

essentially the LVL 0 rating that horizon has is due to how they categorize power levels within the universe (and i went numeral instead of the greek alphabet ranking that like. marvel uses SDFKHS):

6; least powerful, considered standard human base

5; first divergence from humanity

4; second divergence from humanity

3; power levels begin to become exponential; level 3 supers hold most of the high-level physical ability supers, like super strength and elemental abilities.

2; transition from physical abilities like elemental abilities and strength-based abilities to lower level psychic and metaphysical abilities

1; second most powerful, even more exponential than level 2, going from generic "looking at someone and reading their mind" to a more vast "can read and alter the minds of a room full of people"

0; the most powerful based upon what they could feasibly do with their already proven strong abilities. Hotspot is a level 0 super because she has the ability to connect deep within the earth and could ultimately destroy it on a whim if she so chose to. This has been proven by her holding back eruptions and earthquakes for even short periods of time. There are only a few physical-ability Level 0 supers like Hotspot, most are metaphysical supers.

there are also subcategories that they use to try to organize supes even more, like "celestial" being focused on star/space abilities, "substance" being focused on gravity/density abilities, "transmission" being focused on voice/sound abilities, "electronic" being focused on electronic/electric abilities, "psi" being focused on psychic/psionic/quantum abilities, and "vitality" being focused on life/death/youth/etc abilities. but. YEAH

originally from hotspot's pov it starts out as CONQUEST bad and indie good, but as the story progresses and they're forced to navigate the intricacies and politics of the supe world they come to realize while CONQUEST is a horrible company not all of the people within it really had much of a choice and then as some supes begin to go missing without much noise being made about it, along with the shadier sides of the organization and the government at large coming to light, they have some choices to make. i think it's fun and a lot of the characters surrounding horizon are either super self indulgent ocs or based on people from my life so AHSKDFHS yeeeee i had more but i think that's enough rambling for the moment

EDIT: OKOKOK WAIT i wanna give some hotspot-specific fun facts to end the rambling

they've learned there are many subcategories to their own abilities- they rarely get cold, their core is believed to be ABLE to reach the same temp as the core of the planet tho it would pretty much destroy their physical form as well as anyone around them so they don't ever try it- this also resulting in them being pleasantly warm to the touch at all times, though sometimes they can be searing in the middle of battle

most materials made of rock and mineral can be manipulated by them. glass? they can melt it and turn it into sand, or vise versa. gravel? can be turned to asphalt or tar or even solid rock. they can change rock to different parts of the rock cycle, especially after making it molten and melty. they can also pick up ANY rock and after a moment can tell you exactly what kind of rock/mineral it is. they have a lot of geologist friends SDFHKHSF

processing and melting plastic makes them feel sick in the same way that overexerting themselves without much to replace their energy makes them tired and go hibernal for some time. they've gotten to the point of having more stamina that staves off that hibernal period, but it still hits them now and then.

because of metal and magnetism having a connection, they can shift the rocks on their arms into magnetic rock and thusly can tell where true north is the same way a compass can. if dropped in the middle of wilderness they can make their way back to civilization because they are their own compass in that sense SKDFHSHDF

their body, while technically flesh like any other person, can be manipulated into a plasma-like state that mimics semi-solid lava and magma. this means wounds that harm them can be healed fairly easily by shifting from their human form to the lava form and just closing up the wound or whatever needs to be done- and this, as is learned later on in the story, means they can regenerate limbs, and ultimately, their entire self no matter how destroyed their body is.

[stealth-liberal]

The picture is blurry because my piece of shit phone's camera lens has decided to not focus properly today. Oh well.

Last November I took my birthday money and bought some books by Tumblr authors that I follow. Some I found in bookstores, some on Amazon and some via indie sites as they were self published. This is the 1st one I will be reviewing.

'Here, The World Entire' by Anwen Kya Hayward is a retelling of the Medusa myth. The original version that we all know has Medusa as a duel victim of sexual violence. First she is raped on a temple floor by Neptune/Poseiden and then she is blamed for it and for the loss of her virginity by Athena/Minerva, in whose service she was as a temple virgin. Athena/Minerva curses Medusa, turning her into a creature called a gorgon. Gorgons have living snakes as hair and visages so hideous to look at that it turns the viewer to stone. Both in the myths and in Hayward's book it's not entirely clear what exactly turns the person to stone, is it the viewer looking at Medusa, Medusa's gaze upon the viewer or is it a combination of both? Medusa herself doesn't even truly know.

Now, some people have tried to offer an alternate interpretation of this myth and say that Athena/Minerva was actually blessing Medusa with the power to protect herself from any further sexual violence. I have never liked that view of this story. As a sexual assault survivor I can tell you that one does not help a rape victim by forcing them to live in complete solitude, unable to ever be allowed to meaningfully interact with another soul nor heal from their pain. That's just perpetually retraumitizing someone. Hayward does not go with this reinterpretation in her story and I'm very glad as I would not have been able to finish it if she had.

In this tale we see Medusa confronting Perseus at the mouth of her cave. They talk, he tells her of himself and as he does, she remembers her past. She remembers her mother, her village, her rape and the aftermath and of the ancient village that once stood at the bottom of the mountain where her cave is located. She remembers her horror at what happened to the people she turned to stone, especially one little girl. Medusa always tries to warn people to stay away and they never listen. She feels grief for the innocent victims and perhaps not so much grief for the men who came to her cave seeking to take something from her that she did not want to give. In their own way, these men are just like Neptune/Poseiden.

Perseus tells her he needs her help to save Andromeda. Medusa is unsure how to accomplish that task as it is not safe for the world for her to leave her cave. However he convinces her and she agrees. Does he kill her and take her head? Does he become her friend? Does the story end ambiguously? You'll have to read it to find out.

This book is short, it's only 83 pages, so it's more accurate to call it a novella. I also wouldn't call this a narrative story, nor is it poetry. I feel that it is best described as prose, a point between narrative and poetry. I enjoyed it, though it did make me sad. However, Medusa's story isn't supposed to make you happy. It is instead a documentation of the entrenched misogyny of the Greek and Roman worlds. A misogyny we still very much deal with in modern times. Of rape culture that was wrong then and is equally wrong now.

I highly recommend this book, while short, it's not an easy emotional read... but it's a good read nevertheless.

You can find the author at @teashoesandhair where there is a link to buy the book in either a physical or ebook copy. Also in her header you can find a link to her side blog which is a hilarious and fun romp through world mythology.

[emo-scene-fm]

Artist Name: Jakewolf

Genres: Experimental, Indie, Crunkcore, Screamo, Emo, Punk Rock, Lo-Fi, Pop, Acoustic,

Similar Artists: Balance Problems, Never Shout Never, Scenes And Sirens, Nickasaur!, Dot Dot Curve :), Brokencyde, Cute Is What We Aim For, Brand New,

Bio: Before we begin, I feel like I should note that if if vulgar, NSFW lyrics are not your thing, you might find some of (not all, just some) this musician's material offensive and this might not be the the thing for you. Listener's discretion is advised.

Jakewolf is a proudly diabetic musician (seriously, it was on all of his MySpace pages wtf) who's been around online since around 2008, the golden year of Scene. You might recall him as that one emo-scene boy who catfished you on MySpace back then along with Andy Sixx, Alex Evans, and Cameron Ugh. Well today we're talking about the real Jakewolf, or at least the stuff I could find after doing my best to thoroughly research him.

He's been based in Austin, Texas and Providence, Rhode Island, has been in several bands including Gentlemen, Pillar of Autumn, and The Same Last Name. He's been making music since his teens and started getting notoriety for his relationship with Kiki Kannibal (yes, that Kiki Kannibal) and his Crunkcore music similar to the likes of Dot Dot Curve :) and Brokencyde. I couldn't find a whole lot of personal details on him, his relationships (at least anything I could make 100% sense of), etc. so most of what I have to work with here is his discography, all of which can be found on his Bandcamp.

His early crunkcore era, or as I like to call it, "Fuckin' Ballin' days" isn't anything spectacular but not necessarily skip-able either because of scene nostalgia reasons. Jakewolf made his music completely independently, creating beats with the program GarageBand and tended to rap about the typical crunkcore stuff. Sex, women, sex with women, getting CRUNK. Lot of "bitches," lot of screams, the usual formula. Maybe one of the most unique things about Jakewolf's music was his high voice, which many haters noted sounded like a 12 year old boy. Now I personally was reminded of Dib from Invader Zim, which is like 200 Scene Points. Just picture Dib rapping She's Number 72 and you'll have a spectacular image in your head. You're welcome!

My dumb jokes aside, I actually sorta enjoy this old material from a nostalgic perspective. Ballin' and Gangzta Azz Jamz get me in a hell of a scene mood, but Gangzta Azz Jamz actually marks growth for Jakewolf from his first album. The screams felt less generic and gimmicky and more emotive. If you listen to his single, The D-A-D In "Dead" I don't think you'll avoid crying just a little bit when listening to the gut-wrenching heartbroken and angry vocals set to melancholy beats. Some of his covers are also worth checking out, including both The Boy Who Blocked His Own Shot by Brand New but also The Curse of Curves by Cute Is What We Aim For, which he does in his own unique format. The next big step for Jakewolf was a major sidestep project, My Heart Is A Harpsichord.

My Heart Is A Harpsichord is an emotional, expressive masterpiece without bravado, without ego, but full of heart. Originally a side-project separate from "JakewolfCrunk," it was also Jakewolf's first album that was a major deviation in style. There's no hyperlust-lyrics set to poppy GarageBand beats in this. It's just his guitar, softly spoken word, agonizingly desperate sounding clean vocals and occasionally screamed vocals.It's one of the finest indie releases I've ever heard and a major step forward for Jakewolf. That Dirty Album is pretty much a return to his usual crunkcore style but it wouldn't be long before he'd start experimenting with a more experimental and stripped down sound again.

After That Dirty Album came Apple, which was another gorgeously raw and emotive release akin to My Heart Is A Harpsichord. If you're only going to listen to one song from this album, please let it be Most Statues Have Beards, This One Just Has A Gnarly Stache. This album is blessed and that song especially is. Next was Punk, which was rather... well, Punk! True to his roots as a punk rock kid for the first half, the other half is more of a mix of lo-fi hip hop and alternative indie music. The album is deceivingly eclectic because of this. It's a truly fascinating record to listen to.

After that, All I Do Is $cream About Money comes out and is true to his name. It's highly inaccurate to call this another return to crunkcore, because it's a lot less formulaic, party-like and generic and favors a more experimental approach. It's aggressive rather than poppy, chaotic and nauseating in the best possible way.

Sunflower feels unabashedly angry, hateful, and violent. It's eerie and horror inspired (not in a super corny Horrorcore way) and a vast departure from anything else Jakwolf made, recounting violence, murder, expressing racism and sexism, it's clearly from a very villainous character's perspective and was genuinely uncomfortable to listen to, it might not be for everyone. Here's Your New Album is another lo-fi acoustic release with many eclectic influences and experimentation. You might've noticed I've been using that word a lot but there really isn't a better phrase to describe Jakewolf's music. Finally, there is Homes Like Hollow Bones. No sucked dry of marrow, this is the funeral record for Jakewolf's persona, putting the name to rest. This album is eerie, melancholy, and altogether relaxing in only the most unsettling ways possible. The final death throes of Jakewolf are something to hear. Often sensitive and echoey, this album truly feels like an ending, and an ending so far away from where Jakewolf began.

I love progression and experimentation. Jakewolf's music has always been interesting to me because of where he started and where he went. This isn't actually the end of his music career though. He's still making music under ""Jacob", the name" on Bandcamp. He makes alternative/acoustic/indie rock with influences of blues and jazz. If you wanna check him out, definitely do. Whether it's his oldest or his latest efforts, I'm sure he'd be happy to know somebody's listening and enjoying.

Discography:

BALLIN' (Bandcamp)

Gangzta Azz Jamz 4 Rhul Azz Nigguhz (Bandcamp)

The D-A-D In "DEAD" (Bandcamp)

My Heart Is A Harpsichord (Bandcamp)

I Like Blondes (Bandcamp)

Caricature (Bandcamp)

THAT DIRTY ALBUM (Bandcamp)

Apple. (Bandcamp)

Sunshine (Bandcamp)

Punk (Bandcamp)

All I Do Is $cream About Money (Bandcamp)

Sunflower (Bandcamp)

Here's Your New Album (Bandcamp)

Heroin(e) (Bandcamp)

Homes Like Hollow Bones (Bandcamp)

Favorite Lyrics: "He said my heart melts into a puddle when I look at you. And I never knew, I never knew a love like this exists, it's true. I'm lovin you, I'm lovin you. You make me the happiest guy around the town. And all the places that we walk around, it's true, you do, you do. He says I want you wrapped around my heart." (Ben's Song)

Recommended Songs:

No, I Think I'll Walk From Here (x)

Ben's Song (x)

Caricature: (x)

The Boy Who Blocked His Own Shot (Brand New Cover): (x)

If I Had the Resources, I Would Sample Gunshots Into All Of My Songs: (x)

LIGHTS! CAMERA! ACTION!: (x)

Curse Of Curves (Cute Is What We Aim For Cover): (x)

Most Statues Have Beards, This One Has a Gnarly Stache: (x)

The Goblin King Is A Scene Girl [NSFW]: (x)

The D-A-D in DEAD: (x)

Coincidental: (x)

She's Number 72 [NSFW]: (x)

This Is Untitled...: (x)

There's A Sale On Purple Suits At JCPenny [NSFW]: (x)

[missytearex]

To Read List - Zouis

This list is purely for myself to keep track of everything I still want to read. Its gonna change as I actually read though them and find more stuff to add.

Find fics I’ve already read here.

Zouis

far side of the moon by zouee

the one where louis’ summer holidays are blessed (or cursed) by the new boy next door.

promise me you won't regret me (like the tattoos on my skin) (orphan_account)

it seems like pain and regret are your best friends / cause everything you do leads to them / but baby i could be your best friend / and baby, i could fuck you right

the one where zayn's a stripper who swings both ways, louis' straight (or so he thinks), and harry's the gay best friend who wants to party. all. the time.

run away home with me (orphan_account)

Louis is suddenly and intoxicatingly glad to be here, under this sky and walking across this broken-up asphalt with Zayn, who is ridiculous and beautiful and looks on the whole world like it is both his for the unravelling and something that he will never be able to touch.

Very end of high school/summer before uni AU. Features approx. one instance of attending class, one study session, several dumb teenage parties, an end-of-an-era camping trip and a lot of feelings about getting older and falling for your best friend, as well as possibly slightly obsessive detailing of the weather.

I Wanna Dance With Somebody by FallingLikeThis

“Hey, Liam,” Louis asks before Niall’s best man can escape to the dancefloor with everyone else. “Who’s the DJ?”

“Oh, that’s Zayn Malik. He’s a good friend of ours. Why?” Liam asks, curiosity sparking in his eyes.

“Because I’m going to marry that man.”

somewhere in the night by alnima

Louis smiles at him back and hopes that Zayn can’t see the swirl of emotion inside him. He’s a stranger and Louis is catching feelings, go figure. Leave it to him to take in a stray and want to keep him.

which one of you is the one you are by leighbot

A fortnight in America and Louis’ craved In-N-Out Burger every day. He tells himself it has nothing to do with a certain sharp-tongued and prickly-tempered pretty lad but he’s only partially lying. Or, Louis’ a Brit in America who is just trying to raise his daughter and excel at work. A pretty man and terribly unhealthy fast food are trying to make his life difficult. 

fire for a heart by alnima

“Then how come I’ve never noticed him before?” Louis asks, because he knows everyone. Or well, he knows most everyone. That’s his thing. He knows people. That doesn’t mean he’s friends with them or that he likes them all – or that they like him – but still. Zayn somehow slipped under his radar and he doesn’t understand how. Zayn is—Louis would have noticed him.

“He’s shy. He’s not really concerned about being known,” Liam says, like that’s an explanation for it. And maybe it is. Maybe not everyone wants the world to know their name like Louis does. “And why are you so concerned about him? Do you like him or something?”

“I don’t even know him, Liam, don’t be ridiculous.”

Or the one where Louis is on the football team, Zayn is in yearbook, and they make it work.

Break My Bones But You Won't See Me Fall by catholicschoolgirl

"Maybe Louis was growing up. Maybe this was his coming of age story."

Or, Louis is Bella Swan, Zayn is Edward Cullen, and vampires are totally real.

Deadly Jokes by zouisprince

Louis is a well-known criminal with a wicked sense of humor; Zayn is just the doctor who should be taking care of him, but Louis is too fascinating for his own good. (A highly-adapted Joker/Harley Quinn AU)

Where the Heaven Are We? by Gebiurl (fookin_tossah)

Louis likes weed, some weird indie band, and Zayn. Zayn likes art and not-Louis.

wasting days with you by strong

Coming in with a casual step and lazy uni student attire is a guy with a face Zayn’s got imprinted on his brain. Sullen cheeks, shifty eyes, loose tufts of brown hair falling over them from below his hood. He strolls past the front counter and down one of the aisles, checking everything out as if he doesn’t come in often enough to have it memorized.

“Need help, mate?” Zayn asks. It’s a part of their routine. I’m good, but..

“I’m good, but I’ll let you know,” the guy smiles at him, the grin never reaching his shaded eyes.

a tragically beautiful boy with blue eyes frequently steals from the store zayn works at, and zayn isn't sure what he wants to do more: help the guy out or kiss his heavenly face

Though the Stars Walk Backwards by manybumblebees

Zayn's been gone eighteen months, and the SGC have all but stopped looking for him.

One day, if Louis is very, very lucky, he’ll find a quantum mirror that’ll transport him to an alternate reality where he can call his commanding officer an idiot without losing his job.

ring of fire by countthestars

“One week,” Louis finally says, testing the words out loud. “You're giving me one week to get Zayn to kiss me in order to prove myself?” “By next week Saturday at midnight,” Liam says excitedly, like some kind of nightmare fairy godmother. “What could go wrong?” Niall adds. “I really don't want to be involved with this,” tacks on Harry. Louis' made worse choices. Probably. “You're on,” he says.

never ending math equation by liquidmeasure

Niall’s told him all about the winter. The way the snow creeps in through the cracks. The way the winds make you feel like the entire continent will be ripped up and away and tossed into the void. But that’s the bad days. Niall says on the good days, everything is still, save for the ice, and the stars flash like strobe lights and if you look up, you can see everything. You can see right through the universe. So that’s something to look forward to.

Or...Louis does science, Zayn is an enigma, Harry studies penguin poop and Niall fixes radios. Nobody knows how they feel, but Zayn knows how everyone feels.

For an office AU hate-to-lust prompt that i took a few (read: lots of) liberties with. It's sort of an office, it's just an office in Antarctica!

you came and you took this heart by styleslaurent

Louis has a pathetic crush on his daughter's teacher that he fails to hide, but when she decides to help him out, things eventually take a turn for the better. 

Run It For The Cardio by PigSlay

“I was right to be nervous around you that first day.” Zayn shakes his head, laughing angrily. “But for some reason I thought it was just because I was nervous about making new friends. Nah, I knew to be nervous about the fact that you’re an annoying tool who only cares about himself and hearing himself talk.”

“Wait a minute,” Louis smiles widely. “You were nervous meeting me?” Zayn has no idea why he’s smiling so widely right now. Being nervous around someone isn’t always a good thing – it could very well mean you’re afraid the other person will rob you or something.

Or the one where Zayn and Louis meet during art class at their university and their lives are never the same again.

Life and Choices by wellthatlookslikefun

"Three hours later, Zayn is questioning both his life and his choices as he brushes ash out of his hair for the second time in as many days.

“You know,” Louis starts, poking delicately at the melted puddle that used to be his cauldron, “I think I’m getting better.” He looks up at Zayn with a faux-innocent look. Zayn just manages to hold back his laughter at Louis’ smudged face and his bright, wide-eyed expression. Louis had very bright eyes, Zayn notices."

Or the one where Zayn somehow starts tutoring Louis in potions and Niall accidentally hits Zayn with an experimental spell that messes things up for a while but then makes everything better.

we've come a long way by graceana

For the rest of the movie Louis barely pays attention. He’s too focused on the words that Harry said. They keep echoing in the back of his mind: There are people who don’t experience sexual attraction. That’s Louis. That’s what he’s got to be. He wants to know more. He wants to meet people who are like him, who know what it feels like and how confused and scared it makes him.

there are two things louis is confused about. the first is his sexuality, or lack there of? he guesses. the second is why all of a sudden he has feelings for his best friend.

prompt: ACEFIC? Louis and Zayn are best friends who hang out all the time and everyone jokes about them being in love/life partners/boyfriends. They're both so hung up on the idea that dating = sex that they're oblivious to the fact that the joke isn't really a joke maybe until one of them starts going on dates with someone else? Maybe...slowly realizing that sex isn't everything, they've been more than friends for a while and figuring some things out. Non-sexual intimacy ok? Okay!

I'm Just A Reader, You're Every Chapter by Austinattack

"Go get Louis away from that prick," Harry slurred, reaching up to poke Zayn's cheek. "And like. Kiss him. You want to. I can tell."

Zayn glared down at Harry, and shrugged his shoulder so he couldn't lean on him anymore. "Fuck off."

Harry smirked and slipped his arms around Zayn. "You do. You liiiiiiike him," he gushed, wiggling closer, while Zayn's face warmed. "You should go kiss him. You should bring him over here and kiss him all over."

"Shut the fuck up, Harry."

or

Zayn and Louis are uni roommates, Zayn may have a crush, and Louis can't handle it.

Soaking In The Glory Of It All by fancyachatup

Football player and single father Louis Tomlinson meets Zayn Malik, famous artist and single dad.

Or

Louis and Zayn unknowingly go on a date with their kids and then go on a real one.

then i saw your face by countthestars

Louis snatches the picture off the fridge and retreats to the safe haven of his bedroom, stuffing it out of sight in a desk drawer where Niall can’t get his grubby hands on it. And like. So what if he refuses to throw it out? He needs evidence when he confronts Liam next week, doesn’t he? And so what if he’s spent maybe a little more time than necessary studying the pencil lines, tracing his fingers over the lead until it smears. It’s just. He never thought his face was that interesting. Never believed it could, like, inspire someone to recreate it.

or, the one in which Zayn is an art major and Louis has a hard time letting his guard down.

the cold never bothered me anyway by countthestars

Honestly, the whole super power thing is some grass is always greener bullshit. Zayn hadn't realized, before he developed a power, that it'd come with an obligation. It was sort of expected that he would dedicate his life to fighting evil.

Louis, though, he never saw coming.

Stay Quiet, Stay Near by parisienneheart

Zayn and Louis are community college skater bros on a last hurrah roadtrip along the California coastline before Zayn leaves to his transfer university. Louis harbors some angsty feelings about being left behind and realizes he might have more than friendly feelings for his best friend.

Aftermath by StormDancer

In another world, Zayn would be on the bed already, and Louis would be tasting every inch of him. He’d be writhing with pleasure, taken care of properly, shown what true pleasure can be, not just the pretense he’s probably had. He’d show Zayn that even in the camps, far away from the city glamour, there’s real pleasure. He’d have Zayn screaming his name, begging for him. In that other world, when Louis hadn’t won Zayn in a card game. When the chains around Zayn’s wrists that kept him with Louis were emotion, not gold.

two wheels of a different pair (but we're still rolling into something we don't know) by zouee

“Does it get tiring?” Louis asks, voice coming out softer than anticipated.

The response doesn’t come right away. For a moment, Louis thinks Zayn might actually be asleep; pulled under quickly despite their surroundings. Then he thinks Zayn’s making a point to ignore him and he considers leaving - the rejection making his heart sting. But in the next moment Zayn remains stone-still as he replies, mouth only moving slightly.

“What does?”

Louis turns his head, looks at him, “Pretending you don’t care.” _

When an out of town bikie storms into a restaurant placed on the outskirts, he doesn’t expect to meet the boy with bright eyes and devilish smile.

Set in the 1950’s.

you've got a pretty kind of dirty face by zouee

“what are you gonna do, zayn?” louis asks him, now noticing his lack of breath in his voice. he glances down towards zayn’s gun. “you gonna shoot me?”

-

louis' a bank teller and zayn's a thief.

high hopes by zouee

i know it's crazy to believe in silly things, but it's not that easy

Based off this video clip

Wicked At Midnight by Randominity

In which Louis is turned into a vampire, Nick is unhelpful, there's a rota, and everyone thinks things are going to go smoothly.

All You Have to Do by Randominity

Louis doesn't want to win Zayn over - he just wants to win.

somewhere in the night by alnima

Louis smiles at him back and hopes that Zayn can’t see the swirl of emotion inside him. He’s a stranger and Louis is catching feelings, go figure. Leave it to him to take in a stray and want to keep him.

make the world for you by alnima

“Okay, right.” Louis rolls his eyes and stabs his finger into Zayn’s wrist. “You’ve gotten like, a million new tattoos since the break up.”

“So what? I’m always getting new tattoos.”

“You’ve dyed your hair,” Louis says and Zayn runs his hands nervously over the silver hair on top of his head. It wasn’t a drastic decision or anything. And he doesn’t need Louis calling him out on it. “Just trust me, Zayn. This trip will really do you some good, okay?”

Zayn looks at his best friend and looks at the bag on the ground. It’s a crazy idea, it’s rash and absurd but maybe Louis is right. Maybe a trip around the world is just what he needs to figure out how to be Zayn again. He’s not sure himself, not sure about getting on a plane for hours but… He sighs, shaking his head.

“Alright. Yeah, let’s do this.”

Baby Bring Your Body by disarm_d

Zayn and Louis get stoned and switch bodies. In that order.

So Much Of The City Is Our Bodies by disarm_d

A place/ where everything too big to take apart/ had been left behind.

AU set in Toronto, Canada.

Method to the Madness by disarm_d

Louis doesn’t trust himself to know the right way to touch Zayn anymore.

your finest inspiration by carissima

His legs ache a little and he's shattered so he keeps the radio down low as he cruises through the streets until he hits the motorway. It's another two hours to London and he's got a lot of cursing at Zayn to do so he slouches down in his seat and thinks about how dumb Zayn's stupid face is.

like any real love it's ever-changing by annemari

"Do you think if I repeat 'this isn't happening' for long enough it'll make it true?" Louis asks.

The cat—Zayn—moves its tail. Louis doesn't know what that means.

"I have no idea what that means," Louis says.

Zayn turns into a cat. Louis figures some things out.

i count my steps by annemari

Zayn and Louis often play truth or dare to unwind.

Those Meddling Kids by Gorgeous Nerd (gorgeousnerd)

Zayn likes to watch the street from his own windows when he can. He likes it even better when the street watches back, and Louis's the only one to know it.

(Or: Zayn and Louis hook up in the Mystery Machine.)

only fools rush in by gravitycentered

The night feels like it moves quickly, melting away as they all get steadily drunker; Zayn watches the boys eat and laugh and shove each other around and feels suddenly very glad to be with them, incredibly lucky to have all of them to himself.

Especially you, Zayn thinks, looking over at Louis. The bar lights are dim, as usual, but there’s a dull little ceiling lamp above their table and it illuminates Louis just enough as he smiles back.

I'm the Scene, You're the Director by slashter

Zayn has yet to not get a stiffy when he sees Louis on set--just the idea of Louis being so in control of everything, shouting commands at him, walking up to him when he's in a pose and touching him everywhere, moving him around so he looks better--it's definitely somewhat of a fear boner, but in the best way possible. Honestly, he kind of wants Louis to destroy him, and that desire hasn't wavered a bit over the past two years.

[Or the one where Louis tells Zayn what to do, Zayn (usually) fights back, and neither of them can get enough of it]

You Ignite Me And I'll Ignite You by slashter

“Zayn,” Louis repeats, slightly out of breath, once he’s right in front of the boy. It’s only mildly embarrassing. “Louis,” Zayn answers, raising an eyebrow. “On your way to class?” “I--yes,” Louis stammers, then starts walking alongside Zayn. “Um, off to do more art? And stuff? That you do?” Smooth. Zayn laughs. His eyes crinkle up at the corners and Louis wants to drop-kick Harry, he’s so fucking sexually frustrated.

[Or the one where Zayn sells Louis weed and Louis definitely has much more than just a crush]

If Only You Saw What I Can See by slashter

It's almost impressive that Louis hasn't tried to see his own face in a hundred years, because Zayn doesn't know if he'd be able to go a day without looking at him.

downward facing dog by robpatFF

The yoga mat is heavier than he remembers, and dustier, and Zayn realizes it’s been a few good months since he’s been able to do this proper. Been able to stretch out his mat and stretch out his own body and feel the ache of release, the burn in his muscles as he pushes himself past the sting of it and just breathes. His fingers grip around the edge of the mat in anticipation, his shoulders already relaxing as he sets it down in the living room.

come sail away by robpatFF

The hotel faces the beach, and when Zayn looks out he can see the ocean lapping up against the shore, the distinct darkening of the sand where the tide washes in.

rise from your burning fiat by dangerbears

AU of the high school variety. louis and zayn have always been best friends and they always will be, no matter how much time they let pass.

if not the happiest, surely the luckiest by dangerbears

AU. reform boarding school for the obscenely wealthy, essentially. zayn is new and louis is hot shit.

Gravity Always Wins by writeivywrite

The truth is: if they weren’t in a band together, Zayn wouldn’t be friends with someone like Louis.

give this wandering soul a home by sunshineflying

Louis Tomlinson lives in a sleepy town in Essex, near a small uni where all his friends seem to be going – except for him. He thrives on having a social life – with his best friend Liam at his side and the cherubic new boy Harry across the street, life is good. But when autumn comes around and everyone goes off to uni, Louis starts to spiral out of control.

The feeling of being left behind never really goes away, so Louis doubles his efforts to forget, hardly sober for more than a day at a time, and yet life still goes on around him. Louis wants to grow up, he does, it’s just that it’s hard to do when the ones around him are far more successful than he is. It isn't until his mother's harsh ultimatum that Louis is brought back to a sobering reality.

Covering nearly five years, this fic follows all the characters, though Louis most of all, as they work their way through relationships, road blocks, and more coursework than they can sometimes handle to come through alright on the other side. Through a series of ups and downs, Louis and everyone else settle into lives they’re pleased with – a task that several of them didn’t think was possible to accomplish. Inspired by Skins UK.

(I love you) by softly (alexenglish)

There should be a word for a threat that is also a promise. Because that is what I want you to hold me down and do.

(buy your love by playing make believe.) by softly (alexenglish)

I would love you more if you were someone who could love me.

(quiet kisses are so hardcore) by softly (alexenglish)

I laugh along but inside I know that it’s true: Being in love is totally punk rock.

(you know that I’m no good) by softly (alexenglish)

I don’t know how to make things right. So I’ll just keep pretending that nothing’s wrong.

(You can’t start a fire without a spark.) by softly (alexenglish)

I hate trying to put my desire into words when my body knows exactly what to say. Come home.

known you in every life i've lived by leighbot

“I would guess that your magic is stronger here because your soulmate might be within the castle. Maybe your magic is trying to lead you to them.”

Zayn is a newly appointed crown prince and Louis is the first person with grey magic in the kingdom since the Founding Queen herself. Abelwick fic.

what happens in the bathroom by leighbot

Zayn just needs to relieve himself before his lecture starts, but there's someone crying in the stall and he can't just leave them upset.

the time you have wasted for your rose by leighbot

“I’m not a boy.”

“You’re a… girl?” he tries, feeling like he has the wrong answer to a test he didn’t know he was being given.

“No, I’m not a girl, either.”

“Is this a riddle, because I’m shit at riddles to be honest.”

Or, Louis and Zayn work together on a school play and learn that not everyone is as they seem.

your heaven and your oceans, too by leighbot

It usually starts the same for everyone: an uncertain glance, a hint of familiarity, a hesitant step forward and finally an overwhelming sensation of recognition as their souls connect. People have met their soulmates at both very young and very old ages, people have met their soulmates in their prime or when they’re married to someone else or even when they’re nearing their own death. The only rules of soulmates are that everyone has one and everyone meets theirs at some point in their lifetime.

Or, Louis is Emperor and Zayn is his soul mate. That simple, really.

Ice Skating by leighbot

Looking up at Louis now, his face soft and open, Zayn doesn't know how to admit that he doesn't want to feel like a fool. Instead he shakes his head ‘no’ and purses his lips, staring at the skates as if they had personally offended him.

or, the one where Zayn really doesn't want to ice skate but Louis is so pretty and smiles so wide for him and he'll try it, okay? He'll try.

its been a while by neonmoonlight

The only good thing about break is that he doesn't have to be on Twitter constantly and check what people are saying about him. He spends most of his time out on friend dates with Danielle and dodging calls from Simon. He also has more time to spend going to music festivals he's been wanting to go to for years and have a couple day holiday in Vegas.

Based off of Louis "Vegas has broken me ..." tweet.

#1 by dramaturgicallycorrect

“I know what you are,” Mueller growls.

Tommo lifts and slams him back against the bar. Zayn looks around, finds the bartender and the rest of the patrons casually minding their own. Must be business as usual in a place like this.

When Zayn looks back, there’s a knife in his hand, long and thin and shining even in the pub’s dim light. Only when Zayn looks hard enough, it’s not a knife at all but a thin blade, nor is it so much in his hand as it is protruding from it, resting dangerously at Mueller’s pulse point.

Zayn’s heart pounds. He’s a mutant.

[Or issue number one.]

all the stars were crashing by sarcangel

“We should practice,” Louis says. He’s got a faraway look in his eye that doesn’t bode well for anyone, based on Zayn’s newly-formed knowledge of Louis. “Find a place, set up a schedule, all that.”

“What?” Zayn says, not sure where the conversation is exactly headed anymore.

“You know, in a movie - like, this would be our montage sequence,” Louis says, hands everywhere, gesturing wildly. “There’d be some song playing in the background while we spar and gain strength and -”

(and lick sweat off of each other’s necks, Zayn thinks, and then you knock me to the floor and lay on me and)

“Yeah, that’d be sick,” Zayn says, instead, not knowing if he’s more surprised that anything coherent comes out of his mouth or that he’s actually agreed to Louis’ awful plan.

Blow by catholicschoolgirl

“I wonder how it feels sometimes / Must be good to you”

Alternatively: sex, drugs and feelings in the Mystery Machine.

Fangs by catholicschoolgirl

"The days that Louis had spent with Zayn were the best of his life. All 74,035 of them."

Louis loves Zayn, always has, but Zayn might want someone else. Louis does not react positively.

stumbling, looking in the dark by rilla

'Everyone always thinks Louis is just hilarious and cutting and sarcastic when he’s actually just deeply honest and doesn’t like very many things. The only person who ever believed him is Zayn, and Zayn’s long gone now.' University AU.

we've got each other and that's a lot by rilla

Louis is the first person Zayn meets at university. He's definitely trouble. Luckily, Zayn likes trouble.

Everyone Else Isn't You by rilla

'Everyone else isn't you. It turns out that's a huge problem for me.' A little bit of canon zouis, set in February 2016.

no one knows (if you don’t say the words) by words_unravel

Louis wants one last winter holiday with the boys and Zayn's never been one to tell him no.

Would you let me be your world? by geewhizmo

Louis moves to a new city to start college. Her roommate, Zayn, is attractive, intriguing, and totally out of her league.

This was going to be an interesting year.

Make Up Your Heart by FallingLikeThis

You know that saying? Something about not knowing what you’ve got ‘til it’s gone?

Yeah, well fucking fuck that shit, okay?

It’s hard enough losing something, someone, without having that piece of shit sentiment thrown at you from every angle as you grieve. Or punch things. Louis has a tendency to punch things. Or kick things. Like his football. Only he imagines it’s Zayn’s stupid, beautiful, disloyal face.

[coffeeandcalligraphy]

A Few of My Favourite Things | 2018

Hey People of Earth!

So it happens to be December 31st, AKA, the last day of the year, AKA another year has gone by, and I’m back to share a couple favourite things I found in these last twelve months. 2017 has been an insane, but relatively good year. Regardless of the bumps in the road, I had a pretty great time, and I’m excited to see what 2018 brings! This blog truly grew this year, and for that, I’m eternally grateful for you guys... Here’s to another year!

Like last year, I’ll be discussing a few of my favourite things I’ve come across throughout 2017. This post will be sectioned off in four categories: MUSIC, FILMS, BOOKS and WRITING.

I listened to so much amazing music this year, and I’m so stoked to formally share the lovely artists I’ve acquainted with in 2017.

I’ll be listing these in the order in which I found them this year, for the sake of also keeping a timeline!

1. First Impressions of Earth by The Strokes

Genre: Garage/alternative rock

This albummmm. <3 I started listening to this album at the very beginning of the year, and I’m so happy I did. The Strokes is my favourite band, and FIOE is definitely my favourite work they’ve put out so far (head to head with Room On Fire). What a perfect way to start the year.

If you like: Alternative rock, great lyrics, AMAZZZING instruments, the sickest of all sick guitar solos, and grungy vocals, this album is the way to go

Favourites off this album are: Ize of the World (my favourite song ever), Razorblade, Electricityscape (though the entire album is my favourite lol)

2. ÷ by Ed Sheeran

Genre: Pop

This album was worth the wait, as it quickly became a favourite. If you were here in the 2015 days, you’d have gone through my *I love Ed Sheeran above everything in the entire world* phase (actually not a phase ha). Though my music tastes have changed a lot since I started listening to Ed years ago, his music is like coming home.

If you like: Pop with folky vibes, awesome music you can dance and sing to, pop music that is super fresh and cute but powerful vocals, here you goooo.

Favourites off this album: Barcelona, Dive, Shape Of You, New Man, Eraser

3. Light Upon the Lake by Whitney

Genre: Indie rock tho I would say alt country with psychedelic pop vibes ft. some indie works

OH BOY what an amazing find this was. This album is literal gold. My mom loves this album. ‘Tis mom approved. I’m really excited for another Whitney release.

If you like: Really chill music you listen to on early morning train rides, unique, soft male vocals with blessed guitar riffs and trumpet stuff, this is my go to.

Favourites: No Woman, Polly, Golden Days

4. Angles by the Strokes

Genre: Alternative rock with some new wave vibes maybe?

This was my final album endeavor in The Strokes’ discography, and oh boi it did not disappoint. Some of the songs on here are very different in sound to their first three albums, but I dig it.

If you like: Rock music with 70s pop vibes, Angles is perfect for ya.

Favourites off this album: Two Kinds of Happiness, Machu Picchu, Games

5. Buds by Surf Curse

Genre: Surf rock/punk, lo-fi vibes

ENTER THE START OF A NEW BEGINNING. Surf Curse is literally the best band I found in 2017, no lie. I found them after clicking around on YouTube, and haven’t looked back since. This is literally the best music to listen to when you need to get through them summer finals/want to go to the beach but can’t go to the beach/need some quality grade angst in your life.

If you like: Punk music with loooots of drums and lit rhythm guitar, would recommend. Also if you enjoy supporting really sweet bands, send Nick and Jacob some love.

Favourites off this album: Heathers, Fire Walk With Me, Goth Babe, The Smell Saved My Life

6. Future Present Past EP by the Strokes

Genre: Alternative rock with more new wave vibes lol I think

THIS EP. This EP is so groovy. Literally, if you need some groove in your life, this is perfect.

If you like: Groovy tunes, here we goooo

Favourites off this EP: It’s so short, but Oblivius (Moretti Remix) and Threat of Joy are the bomb dot com.

7. Sad Boys EP by Surf Curse

sad bois

Genre: Surf rock, punk

More blessed Surf Curse fammmm. If you seriously need to go to a mental beach, this EP will immediately take you there. Sad Boys is the kind of music that plays over like beachy montages in like 80s coming of age films.

If you like: Hardcore beach vibes, the end of summer aesthetic, this EP is lovely.

Favourites: Forever Dumb, Beach Whatever, I’m Not Making Out With You, Reality Bites

8. Nothing Yet by Surf Curse

Genre: Surf rock with those beachy vibes though this album is harder to describe

THIS ALBUM is so good. I listened to this while I was in Mexico with my family, and it will forever be my ‘Mexico’ album. It’s got some really amazing riffs mixed in there which is a little different from Buds, but soooo good. Surf Curse signed my copy of this also. Love. <3

If you like: Punk with more indie vibes I guess? This album’s genre is hard to describe for me ha, but if you like some chill music that's kinda existential, here we goooo.

Favourites off this album: (the entire thing is so good but here are a few): Christine F, Doom Generation, The Strange and the Kind, Sleeping, All Is Lost, Falling Apart

9. Music From Before the Storm by Daughter

Genre: Indie rock

I don't know how to express my love for this album in a way that’ll be remotely coherent. This was the soundtrack to Life is Strange: Before the Storm, and I couldn’t be more excited about it.

If you like: Mostly instrumental stuff, this album is perfect for you. The majority of this album is instrumental, so it’s my go to rec for people looking for music to write to. This soundtrack is sweeping, but so emotional, even though most if it is instrumental, those instruments speak for themselves. Daughter is one of my favourite bands of all time, and they did such an amazing job on this album.

Favourites: A Hole in the Earth (which imo I think is their best song yet), Dreams of William, All I Wanted, The Right Way Around, Burn It Down

10. Across the Universe Soundtrack

Genre: Rock (?)

So this is the soundtrack to the musical, Across the Universe which centres around songs from The Beatles. I LOVE THIS MOVIE SO MUCH. And this soundtrack is lovely too. My parents are both mega Beatles fans, so I grew up listening to a loooot of their music. This soundtrack is literally life.

If you like: The Beatles, musicals, amazing vocals from everybody, I totally recommend this soundtrack.

Favourites: Hold Me Tight, All My Loving, With A Little Help From My Friends, If I Fell, Because, Something, Revolution, Across the Universe

11. Me Oh My Mirror by Current Joys

Genre: I really don't know with this one, rock with indie feels sometimes?

Current Joys is Nick from Surf Curse’s solo project, and I’m literally in love, lol. This album is so beautiful, and what I’m currently digging.

If you like: Sort of chill music that can get very not chill as the songs progress, indie, songs about angst, love, finding your place in the worldz, this is my go to. This album is art. It will make you feel all the emotions. It’s legit so poignant.

Favourites: Desire and also the Desire Demo, Home Pt. 3, My Motorcycle, These Times Will Never Change, Don’t Be Consumed, Home Pt. 1 and 2, Here’s To The Afterlife

So that’s it for albums! Onto some singles/other songs I really enjoyed this year:

- Jaded by Precious Kid

- Dirty Disposition by Precious Kid

- Obstacles by Syd Matters

- To All Of You by Syd Matters

- 11th Dimension by Julian Casablancas

- Modern Girls and Old Fashioned Men by The Strokes

And that's a wrap for music!

2017 was the year I really started getting into film. I solidified that if I didn't study writing, I’d go into film instead! This year pretty much verified my love and passion for film and the like. I have many recommendations for you all, and whilst I know this category is for films, ha, I’m also going to include television shows.

First up are the short films I watched this year. In no particular order, I present to you, All Of The Films I Watched Instead Of Writing And I Have No Regrets At All

1. Andy by Mikey Murphey

The cinematography in this short is so good? Like I’m shook? And the acting? And the colour-grade? Just everything about this is so good. This is the little description of it on YouTube:

After being horribly bullied throughout high school, a mistake at a party leads Andy into getting back at an old friend of his... by outing her relationship with a teacher...

I’ve watched this at least 5 times now, and I have zero regrets. A would recommend, especially if you write YA contemporary!

2. Friend Like Me by Sammy Paul

Everything about this is so good?? I was very shook??? The acting?? The script?? The audio??? So GOOD??

Description from YouTube:

A story of Toby, his genie and the very last wish...

This idea is literally so cool, and this is absolutely one of my fave short films of all time. If you want to get into short films, I’d highly recommend giving this one a try!

3. Tick Where It Hurts by Bertie Gilbert

This film is so beautiful, so emotional, and the colours are so gorgeous. The story is also so amazing and hit home. Also, my boy Bertie gives off some major Clifford vibes in this one, ha. I would go into this one without knowing what’s up, but I’ll give a trigger warning for suicide here in case.

4. Playground by Bertie Gilbert and Sammy Paul

I started my Bertie Gilbert film adventures with this one, and it did not disappointed. This film is so so so good, and if there’s one film I urge you to watch off this list, it’s this one.

Summary off IMDb:

Ezra finds himself dealing with the loss of his younger brother in a rather unconventional way. On route to the funeral service he (and his bike) are taken hostage by a gang of forest dwelling children. In return for his release Ezra must help them fix their rocket ship. However, in the process of doing so, he finds an escape from grief.

5. Comfort Food by Sam Saffold

THIS. I absolutely love the story, and the coolest part is, there is no talking. Sam managed to create such a beautiful story in such an effective way. This film is gold. This film follows a relationship ft. popcorn ft. food ft. everything you ever wanted in a short film.

So that’s it for my favourites! I watched so many other amazing short films this year, so if you want anymore recs, I’ve got tons I didn't get to mention here!

As for TV shows, I enjoyed quite a few this year, namely:

1. 13 Reasons Why

A controversial show I wouldn't have watched it if it weren't for my boy Dylan who I was following through The Narwhals for a while. Not a fan of the book, but I think this show is actually incredibly important to watch. I’ve struggled with suicidal thoughts all my life, so this one was great for me. I truly enjoyed the writing in the show as well.

2. Criminal Minds

So I’ve actually watched Criminal Minds since I was like 7, and it was always one of my faves growing up. After watching a couple episodes with my family on our drive up to Pennsylvania, @sarahkelsiwrites decided to watch all of it from season one. Currently on season 11 (or 10 if we rewatch), and it’s been so good? I can’t tell you how helpful this show has been in inspiring me writing-wise, so if you like crime shows (which are my favourite) and haven’t watched Criminal Minds, this is a huge recommend!

So that’​s it for TV because I’m not much of a TV watcher lol.

Which is a wrap for films as a whole!

I’m just going to preface this entire section by saying I failed big time in the reading department this year. I read a total of 10 books, which seems okay, but then 5 of them were re-reads, and 2 of them were for school lol.

This was definitely the year of audiobooks. I will say that. I listened to all three of The Darkest Minds books this year because that’s probably my favourite series ever, listened to Bitterblue by Kristen Cashore after having read it twice because you gotta live that audiobook life, and also listened to All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven because that’s also one of my favourites and that audiobook life amirite. So. The five re-reads were actually listened to lol. I tried. I’m almost done my listen through of Me and Earl and the Dying Girl (another re-read) which I’ve been listening to for a year. lol. I don't know what to do with myself.

So yes. I don't have much to say in this department, other than that. I’ve also started narrating audiobooks for fun which is a cool thing?

Honestly crossing my fingers for next year, ha.

Oh boy, do I have some favourites for you.

1. WordBook

WordBook is a dictionary and thesaurus app for PC and it’s the best thing I found all year. It works online and off, so it’s perfect for on the go, and I’m going to cry for a straight week when I get a Mac next year because they don't have a Mac version. :( This app is so easy to use, gives me great words when I’m looking for synonyms for something, and is actually my favourite thesaurus. I much prefer this to googling, so I’ll have to find a replacement before I go to uni! But if you have a PC and are looking for a great dictionary and thesaurus app, this one is my favourite.

2. OneLook Reverse Dictionary

This literally saved my life this year many times, so I’m putting it here. If you ever can’t find a word but know its definition/words in the vein of what you want, this app is PERFECT. I can’t tell you how many times a word has slipped my mind, and this has helped me find it.  

3. Word’s text to speech feature

As noted in my books section, I’m a huge fan of audiobooks. Listening to my work was a thing that became super prevalent this year, and I truly think helped me out in a number of areas in my writing: flow, voice, and catching typos! I often listened to my chapters after I wrote them to get a feel for what content was there. This was one of my favourite things I implemented into my writing process this year by far.

4. You

Okay so here is my moment to get cheesy, lol. This year, I started my Doing the Write Thing series, which I’ve mentioned multiple times, has been pivotal in my writing journey. I would say that’s a favourite of mine, and while the series itself is great and so important to me, the reason it has become so integral in my life, is because of you guys. Your continuous support means so, so much to me, especially on that series. So thank you for reading those, and for making that series so much more special to me, and in general, making this one of the best years of my life.

So that’s it for this post! Hope you enjoyed seeing some of my favourites from this year! Happy 2018!

--Rachel

[sinnhelmingrmoved]

Domestic ship meme: Helion. GO

domestic ll accepting.

tiny scary goth queen / big buff cheeto puff

Who’s more dominant: Outside of the bedroom, just as a general personality trait, Hel is. Destruction was a ruler longer, but he’s also very chill, where Hel is able to put her foot down. Sexually… Unpopular opinion: Destruction is a sub. Hel is also a sub. There have been evenings where they flip a coin to see who has to be a switch.

Who’s the cuddler: Hel. She would be wrapped around Destruction 24/7 if they were able. 

Who’s the big spoon/little spoon: Hel tried to be big spoon at first, but Destruction is too solidly built. There is no dorito waist for her to wrap her arms around. Instead, Destruction gets to be big spoon, and likes to cuddle up close to Hel while they sleep – which pisses her off a lot of mornings as time goes on, because he is a very deep sleeper while she’s an early riser. So she’s entangled in his massive arms as he snoozes away and she wants to start the day. There’s a reason she keeps a book on her nightstand wherever they go.

What’s their favorite non-sexual activity: Adventuring! The pair love to just pick a destination and go, whether they make a day trip of it or an actual holiday. Destruction is very interested in showing Hel all the beauty the galaxy has to offer, and she is devoted to showing him her favorite places on Midgard and slowly reeling him back down from his absconding to the stars.

Who uses all the hot water: Hel. Her baths are notoriously long, and Destruction has started joining her for them just to get some kind of comfort in his life. Cold showers benefit neither of them, but you cannot convince her highness of that.

Most trivial thing they fight over: Iambic pentameter. Sometimes, it’s like Morpheus never left, or so Destruction snarks when Hel proofreads his work. It is this comparison to his worst brother that will set Hel off every time. All of this over Hel critiquing one of his poems.

Who does most of the cleaning: Destruction, at least until Hel gets into the hang of it. She’s always been tidy, but with the trade off that she’s also always had servants on hand. Plus I mean who better at getting rid of messes and dust than a literal embodiment of Destruction? Shit is effectively going to be nuked from orbit.

What has a season pass on their dvr/Who controls the netflix queue: Destruction. He always finds the neatest documentaries or indie movies that they can cuddle up and watch when they have some downtime.

Who calls up the super/landlord when the heat’s not working: Hel, lest Destruction make the issue worse by trying to play handyman. It’s a race to get the super called before Destruction can get started ‘fixing’ the heater. She usually sounds like someone calling 911 – soft, panicked ‘The heater’s gone you need to get over here before he finds the toolbox–’

Who leaves their stuff around: Neither really? Destruction is a bit less focused, though, so he might put something down to come back to later. It’s still not technically leaving it around, though, as he does actually come back to it pretty quickly in most cases. 

Who remembers to buy the milk: Destruction. Hel had servants all her life. I need to reiterate that here because it’s the only weak excuse she has to stand on for how clueless she is when it comes to shopping, sometimes.

Who remembers anniversaries: Hel. Not by any fault of Destruction’s though -- I imagine once you hit his age, years fly by like seconds. It can be hard for him to realize the ebb and flow of his father’s domain, and Hel has the upper hand there. Even as old as she is, time still holds some sway over her. Her little brothers have saved his ass multiple times during more modern eras by setting up phone reminders for him.

Who cooks normally: Destruction. Always Destruction. Hel actually appreciates his food, unlike some siblings, and for this he’s eternally grateful. This is also on account of Hel being a downright lethal chef, and even the physical embodiment of entropy has been staggered by something as impossible to fuck up as her chicken soup in the past.

How often do they fight: Rarely-ish? I mean, they’re both rather chill at heart, and both of them have rather cold natures when it comes to anger. It’d have to be something major for them to have a row, like an honest to God fight -- flyting is not actually arguing, even if Destruction totally started it by comparing her to Morpheus.

What do they do when they’re away from each other: Hel runs her realm and plays her politics, he dedicates himself to his art and his travels. She’s the loyal homebody, he’s the vagabond bohemian.

Nicknames for each other: She calls him soft, loving names that highlight his desire to separate himself from his function --  My Lamb, My Poet, My Wanderer. Destruction, on the other hand, is the embodiment of the “I use hun not hon because you are not my honey, you are my fierce warrior” text post. Empower the lady. Let her know she is the baddest.

Who is more likely to pay for dinner: Destruction. Not out of any misguided sense of chivalry, but because Helheim is broke and Hel has like... 0 money on her own. It’s a necessity.

Who steals the covers at night: Hel. She gets cold, ok? Destruction has no idea how that is possible since he’s basically a personal heater, but you do you, Hel.

What would they get each other for gifts: Hel gives Destruction anything that furthers his interests in the arts -- fine canvases, arrays of paint, a quiet studio wherever they settle. Alternatively, she’ll give him something to do with his interest in travel, be it guidebooks, old or current maps, star charts.. This often influences what Hel herself receives, usually any of his hideous quirky art pieces, or a souvenir or curiosity from his travels. Perhaps not the most exciting method of gift giving, as a quid pro quo arrangement, but they like it.

Who kissed who first: Destruction. He looked at her all excited and bright-eyed about something on one of their rendezvous in other worlds, and decided she was simply the most kissable woman he had ever seen. So he caught her mouth as stars flared overhead, and he froze her to the spot, and that was that.

Who made the first move: In hindsight, Destruction, even if neither of them realized it. He was the one who invited her out of Eljudnir to go exploring with him, which led to their repeated meet-ups whenever he was in her plane of reality, and eventually they both started to realize those were dates.

Who remembers things: Destruction, so long as it’s not an anniversary. Mind like a steel trap, that one -- though Hel’s memory is almost as long, and her grasp can be far tighter when slighted.

Who started the relationship: Again, Destruction. He did a lot of the pursuing while Hel was still nervously convinced that she was fundamentally unlovable, at least by a man of his standing and frankly gorgeous appearance. She resigned herself to unrequited love wrapped up in friendship where he was equally as smitten and failed to alert her of this for some time.

Who cusses more: Neither? They’re both relatively clean mouthed. Destruction is far more likely to drop a minor curse here and there, though.

What would they do if the other one was hurt: Destruction would automatically ensure Hel is ok, then launch an offensive against whoever dared to hurt her in any way. He’s been more than willing to throw down with Odin himself over past slights against Hel, so gods help whoever tries to have a go at her after he enters the picture. Hel, by contrast, is less a fighter and more a caretaker, and her first and only priority would be defending her lover and seeing to his well-being. 

Who is the dirty talker: Destruction tries, but bless him, he’s a little too boisterous. His voice and overall range is not suited to it. More often than not, he ends up giving his partner the giggles. Hel, meanwhile, learns how to master the art, and can make Destruction putty in her hands. Her voice ends up his kink once she takes on that ‘bedroom tone.’ I blame Hel like 100% for every encounter that led to them making babies -- it didn’t start with a kiss, it started with Hel muttering in her darling’s ear and playing him like a fiddle.

A head canon: Just as Destruction helps Hel work through her deep emotional trauma and her unhealthy repression tactics to get her to a healthier frame of mind, Hel starts Destruction down the path of healing his own emotional issues. Namely, the fact he wore himself out with his family and worked so hard to be the caretaker, and how it took so much out of him. They give as good as they get to help support each other on a road to recovery.

[kvndeathmusic]

THE BEST RECORDS OF THE 2010S PT 2 (THE TOP 10!!!!!!)

if you thought the last post was long, you just wait. ive also decided to actually number this list, but pls keep in mind my opinions change often and drastically so dont think anything is set here.

please read my other post too if you want to know about the records i like a little less than the ones here as well as some honorable mentions

#10: Some Rap Songs  -  Earl Sweatshirt (2018) 

This record is a perfect fusion of rap and lofi hip hop. Nobody makes a beat like Earl, and this record is a perfect example. Earl uses his samples to create layered soundscapes of distorted vocals and sounds, paired with his emotionally blunt flows. It’s short, but it really doesn’t feel that short, and frankly I could re-listen to it a handful of times in a row and probably not care that much. Not to sound like Todd Howard, but it just works dude. 

#9:  ゼロコンマ、色とりどりの世界   -  Mass of the Fermenting Dregs (2010)

According to Google, this record’s title translates to Zero Comma, Multicolored World. Which is interesting. I wish I knew Japanese just to understand this kind of stuff to be honest. But that’s besides the point.

Zero Comma, Multicolored World is a fantastic collection of tracks from my personal favorite J-Rock band, Mass of the Fermenting Dregs. Like for context, I got into this band around the same time as I got into Nirvana. I spent the entire summer of 2016 crying to In Utero, playing Overwatch while listening to MF DOOM, and jamming to Mass of the Fermenting Dregs. I managed to find a copy of their fantastic self-titled EP when I was in Tokyo a few years back. Anyways I’ve gotten off track. 

This record is a breathe of fresh air for those tired of American “alt-rock”, incorporating elements of shoegaze, post-hardcore, pop, and more to create a totally unique and explosive record. Every member of this band is playing out of their minds on some of these tracks, and lead singer/bassist Natsuko Miyamoto’s vocals are powerful and blend so well with everything else this record offers. At this point in most paragraphs I’d gush about some specific tracks but I don’t have a Japanese keyboard to write the track titles and I’m lazy, so just trust me and go listen to this record, their self-titled EP, the reunion record No New World from 2018, and their EP World is Yours if anything I’ve said interests you. 

#8: Fetch  -  Melt-Banana (2013)

This record melts my fucking brain dude. Melt-Banana is some of the most eccentric and weird music I’ve ever heard, blending noise, punk, and just plain absurdity to create music that I want to simultaneously describe as cursed and blessed. From the wailing walls of pure volume coming from the guitars to the sporatic and often manic vocals, this record sounds like no other I’ve ever heard. My personal favorite tracks are Hive, Candy Gun, Zero, and Schemes of the Tails. Seriously, if this sounds interesting to you, set aside 32 minutes to just appreciate this record. It’ll be worth your time. 

#7: Joy as an Act of Resistance - IDLES (2018)

On Joy as an Act of Resistance, British band IDLES offers up some of the best punk of the decade in a package that is full of hope, anger, and love. From singer Joe Talbot’s cries for unity in tracks like Danny Nedelko and Great, to self love anthems like Television and I’m Scum, Joy offers an alternative to their much angrier and sad 2017 debut record Brutalism, which I now realize I forgot to include on my fucking honorable mentions god damn it. Anyways, this record isn’t all sweet. IDLES tackles some heavier topics on this record as well, with songs like Samaritans dismantling toxic masculinity, Rottweiler tearing into sensationalist news and media, and the introspective June seeing Joe speak bluntly about his experience being the father of a stillborn. It’s also some of the unique punk out there at the moment, with jangly guitar “riffs”, Joe’s accent heavy shouts, and noisey drums. IDLES is definitely a band to pay attention to going into the 20s. 

#6: Adults!!!... Smart!!! Shithammered!!! And Excited By Nothing!!!!!  -  Bomb the Music Industry (2010)

Adults!!! is short, coming in at 21 minutes over the course of 7 tracks. And yet, this EP contains some of the catchiest and refined ska punk of the decade. The record acts almost as a condensed summation of BTMI’s entire career, featuring some of the repeated themes that has defined Jeff’s whole discography. Not only that, but some of BTMI’s best tracks are on this EP, from Jeff’s strained vocals on You Still Believe in Me?, to the peppy and depressing Planning My Death, to the defiant Slumlord and the explosive penultimate track, The First Time I Met Sanawon. I could wish it was longer, but I’ll be honest, with the quality of tracks here, I don’t care. It’s a near flawless EP that represents everything I love about one of my favorite bands ever.

#5: The Money Store - Death Grips (2012)

Like Fetch, The Money Store is similarly mind melting in completely different ways. This record is brutal. MC Ride’s “vocals” are like no other, with some describing them as the shouts of a drugged up homeless man. Paired with ear bursting, stereo busting beats, and esoteric dark flows, the picture this record paints is one of filth and primal violence. And I love every minute of it. And despite the harsh nature of this record, some of these beats fucking slap. This record features some of the weirdest uses of sampling, like seriously who the fuck finds Arabic Nokia ringtones and thinks “yeah let’s sample these in like half the tracks on this record” and make it sound this good. And at times I have no clue how they even managed to make some of the sounds they did. All of this is backed with Zack Hill’s extremely technical and wild drumming. I contemplated putting other Death Grips records in this spot, but The Money Store is the complete DG package. It also has Hacker on it. im in your area 

#4: Teens of Denial  -  Car Seat Headrest (2016)

I’m a fucking moron and I’ll tell you why. When I initially heard the first few tracks from this record when I was 17, I wasn’t that blown away. Like, I added Fill in the Blank, Vincent, and Destroyed by Hippie Powers to my big ass shuffle playlist and didn’t bother digging much deeper. Here I am now, 20 years old, kicking myself in the ASS for overlooking Car Seat Headrest for this long. I only gave this album a proper listen to back in January! And I LOVE it! Teens of Denial is a fantastic record, full of complex, multilayered tracks that are not only incredibly catchy, but full of heart and passion. Lead singer and songwriter Will Toledo has voice that sounds equally uneasy and leaking with confidence, and that confidence spills over into every aspect of this record. While not as emotionally intense as their only other studio LP as of February 2020, Teens of Denial is just track after track of some of the greatest indie rock made this decade. Including the songs I mentioned before, you’ve also got Drunk Drivers/Killer Whales, 1937 State Park, and the powerful Cosmic Hero. And if you like reading, the narrative of this record is interesting to follow.  And while I was working on this list they literally just announced a new record so like I’m fucking hyped dude. 

#3: To Pimp a Butterfly - Kendrick Lamar (2015)

Ok. Look. I know everybody is putting this at their #1 spot. And they probably have even more to say about this record than I do. There’s probably nothing I can say that hasn’t been said a million times by literally everyone. But that’s just a testament to the quality of this record. This is one of the greatest hip hop records ever made, if not the best depending on who you ask. Some of my favorite rap songs are on this record, Wesley’s Theory, King Kunta, Alright, The Blacker The Berry, and more. TPAB offers detailed glimpses into one of the biggest rappers in the world’s psyche and pain, mixed with profound social and political messages. The beats on this record are beautifully mixed with jazz and gospel influences, starting a trend many artists have since continued. And Kendrick’s signature flow from gkmc are at their absolute finest on TPAB. There is something to enjoy out of this record no matter your background, which would explain this record’s near universal appeal. To Pimp a Butterfly is just full of life, energy, and passion. It’s weird to think this record is only 5 years old, because it feels just as powerful as it did when it came out.

#2: Twin Fantasy - Car Seat Headrest (2018)

Twin Fantasy is a rare kind of record. The emotions expressed on this record are intense and laid flat out for you to hear, dissect, and empathize with. The entire record being structured around the idea of reflection works both as a fun way to organize a diverse and varied track listing, while also playing into a handful of the record’s motifs and themes. Speaking of which, each song on this album has a unique identity, both in terms of sound and feeling, and how it plays into the larger narrative of this record. Some songs have multiple tonal shifts, such as the epic Beach Life-In-Death, split into three distinct parts making it a song that, despite its 13 minute run-time, is a song I never grow tired of listening to. What each track shares, however, is the same fantastic songwriting, with layered instrumentals and some of Will’s greatest vocal performances. It also helps that all the tracks are just flat out catchy, like the fantastic Bodies, the chill Sober to Death, and the energetic Nervous Young Inhumans. While the 2011 original is great, the 2018 rerecording adds so much new complexity and clarity to this record. In addition to the original themes, the 2018 version adds new perspectives and meta commentary to the 2011 original, with Will reflecting on the feelings he was experiences at the time he wrote the original record, 7 years afterwards, adding an additional layer to this record’s larger narrative. The final 22 minutes of this record provides a strong emotional climax to the record, sending off a fantastic and absolutely classic record. There’s a good chance that, in 10 more years or so, I may look back at this record and put it above my #1 record. Hell, while I write this I really question whether or not I should do it. What I’m trying to say is, take that #2 with a grain of salt, because I love this record just as much as my #1 at this point. No record has managed to leave such a profound and strong impression on me this quickly after my first listen a few months ago, besides Twin Fantasy. Because Twin Fantasy is a rare kind of record. It’s a perfect record.  And now it’s time for my favorite record of the decade. It’s probably obvious what it is considering some of the things I’ve said on this list, so without any more delay...

#1: WORRY.  -  Jeff Rosenstock (2016)

WORRY. is my personal favorite record of the decade and of all time. It is an absolutely triumphant record. Every song here is a classic. WORRY. radiates pure, unfiltered energy that I haven’t been able to shake for the nearly 4 years this record has been out. Songs like Festival Song and Wave Goodnight to Me still get me pumped, and the so called “WORRY. medley” that spans the back half of this record rivals the medley of Abbey Road. And the opening track, We Begged 2 Explode, fuck man it’s a hell of an opener. Hell, I know every line spoken on this record. This record is a product of a man who has spent over 20 years perfecting his music, never compromising to trends or demands. Jeff has always been open about what he loves and what he believes in, and it’s no more apparent than on this record. Trying to describe every way in which this record works for me leaves me grasping for the right words to describe the feeling. It’s a record that makes you wanna chant along to it, move your body to it, and tell everyone you love about it.  So just listen to it. I don’t care if you don’t like punk, or ska, or ska punk, or just garage/indie rock in general, or if my enthusiasm hasn’t sold you. This is one of the best records out there and you can either realize it now, or regret it later. 

I know the record literally says that the perfect sound doesn’t exist. But it does. And it sounds like this.

And that’s it for this list. I’m excited to see what the new decade brings. If my mind ever changes about these records, or I get around to listening to a record that deserves to be on this list, maybe I’ll do an updated version, but like right now? This is how I feel.

[ravengregory]

How stories are made. By Raven Gregory. So I figured out my next story. But I’m not quite sure how I’m gonna tell it. Part of me wants to be bare naked and do something very indie and autobiographical like “Blankets” (and ask Dee Fish to draw it) and the other part of me wants to hide the truth in a story (and maybe try to get Sheldon Goh to bless me with his art once again) . So for years I’ve thought and wanted to tell a story that dealt with alternate realities or time travel in the sense that I miss my wife and would do anything to see her again. And often I would think of my past dealing with various people who had suffered from SMI. Schizophrenics and people suffering from dementia who live in their own specific reality that no one else could never comprehend. And would that really be a curse or maybe a blessing to go insane. So last night I hit this place. Where I tried to go crazy. I tried to make myself embrace the insanity and the madness and make believe that Kourtney was still here. I spent the morning talking to her. Holding her. Losing myself into the whole thing. And it dawned on me. That I’ve used writing as a therapeutic escapism for so many years, living in a world of pretend, what if all along this was my minds way of preparing me to what it meant to just be happy by not accepting the reality I know, but mentally making my own. And my first thought fell to that if people can pray to an invisible deity, if you can believe that your loved ones are watching after you long after they have gone, then why can’t I pretend my passed away wife never died and just be happy? And as this whole thing set in, Tears of manic crazy joy of just letting go set in and I was so willing to embrace the madness of it all. But as the day went on, lying in bed, thoughts of who she really was, who I was, kept popping in my head. All the fucked up ways we hurt each other and who we both really were outside of the romanticize version of those we lost and the rose colored glass lenses we view them through. And I thought to myself. That’s the story I want to tell. Someone who loved and lost and couldn’t let go. But when they went insane https://www.instagram.com/p/BznF49PBhip/?igshid=1eoqiprm2t94a

[thebandcampdiaries]

Syne - Midas

A new release with a focus on combining clever arrangements with baroque melodies and lush vocal harmonies.

Syne is an artist based in Houston, Texas. He has a passion for combining instinct with innovation. His music is extremely kaleidoscopic and diverse, channeling a broad range of influences and ideas.

Recently, he set out to release a new ambitious single, “Midas.” The song blurs the lines between a wide range of styles and ideas - from pop to electronica and progressive music, anything goes.

Syne is a purveyor of hypnotic synth textures, as well as crisp electronic beats with a punchy edge. His work on “Midas” showcases a diverse creative approach, as well as the artist’s ability to approach pop music with somewhat of a progressive edge.

One of the most striking features of “Midas” is definitely the fact that the song has many twists and turns. This isn’t your average electro-pop jam. On the other hand, it explores various sonic depths, going for a broad range of sounds.

The drum machine beats are reminiscent of some of those classic 808 tones, with a classic analog warmth that adds character to this release. The synth melodies have a warm retro charm, giving the song a distinctive color.

Last, but definitely not least, the vocals truly shine under the spotlight. Syne is a master at creating complex, yet very direct vocal melodies. His lines are adorned with beautiful harmonies, which add a lot of depth and richness to the textures of the song. At its core, this release embodies the warmth of vintage aesthetics, but it also has a cool modern sound, so it brings the best of both worlds together in a massive way.

In terms of production and recording, the song is also quite outstanding. This release has a big, larger-than-life vibe, which really blurs the lines between indie aesthetics and massive pop anthems. As a result, the song appeals to a truly broad range of listeners, pleasing indie/alternative music fans as well as suckers for a good chart-topping hit!

For those who might not know, “Midas” is named after the legendary king of Phyrgia. He was so obsessed with becoming as wealthy as possible, that he was endowed by the god Dionysus with the power of turning everything he touched into gold. Initially, “Midas” was extremely pleased. However, it did not take long for the king to realize that turning everything to gold was not necessarily just a blessing, but also a curse. This track uses this reference as a powerful metaphor in order to explore other deep topics in life.

So many times, we fail to see the real value of the things that are within reach, and we always seek to achieve wealth, fame or status in any other ways, without realizing that most of the best things we’ll ever have are what we already have. Our relationships, our values, our spirit. Not being able to crawl into the mind of the artist, this is my personal interpretation from listening to the song, which is actually very evocative, and if you want to get the full listening experience, you should definitely check out the track’s beautiful music video as well. The video adds deeper layers to the mix, giving the audience a much more immersive experience.

In addition to the song’s unique style and feel, Syne matched the beauty of this track with an equally impressive music video. The film is essentially an animated feature, with bright and dynamic visuals that perfectly complement the aesthetics of the music as well. The video actually works well with the song, because “Midas” has a strong cinematic feel, which is highlighted by the beautiful animation. Syne’s music style reminds of the work of influential composers such as Hans Zimmer or Danny Elfman, particularly in the way the artist utilizes deep textures and a stunning variety of sounds.

Ultimately, I’d definitely recommend this release to any fan of music that’s accessible.

Fans of artists such as Gotye, Alt J, Radiohead, James Blake, Son Lux, and Glass Animals are definitely going to enjoy this particular single, so don’t let it fall under your radar.

Find out more about Syne, and check out “Midas” via the following link

www.syneverse.com

We also had the chance to interview Syne: keep reading for more!

I love how you manage to render your tracks so personal and organic. Does the melody come first, or do you focus on the beat the most?

Answer:  

Thank you.  My process for composing varies, but I’m pretty melody-driven, and my main instrument is the piano, so much of the time I start by playing around on the piano and improvising melodies until I have something that I like.  Then I build on that, adding other elements like percussion, strings, synths.  Other times though, I may be experimenting with different virtual instruments and create a beat or find a sound that I really like and try to build a melody around that, or sometimes I’ll have some lyrics that I’ve written and try to build the song around that.  

Do you perform live? If so, do you feel more comfortable on a stage or within the walls of the recording studio?

Answer:  

I’ve been performing on stage since I was 9, though in a different context.  My career in the arts actually began in children’s entertainment and performance, and I’ve performed with acts like Barney and The Wiggles in arenas and venues like Radio City Hall and in different parts of the world like Canada, Mexico, the US, and Australia.  I’ve also performed as a musician and singer for many different kinds of acts and in different genres, playing piano, djembe, Latin percussion, or guitar with different bands, doing solo performances and singing my own compositions or other music ranging from Frank Sinatra in English to Mexican mariachi music and José José ballads in Spanish, and other kinds of gigs.

However, throughout the years, I’ve realized that my true passion is creating, and even though I’ve had plenty of experience performing, I’d say that I’m most comfortable producing music in my own recording space.  I haven’t performed as Syne yet, and right now I’m focusing on creating rather than performing, but it may be something I do down the line.

If you could only pick one song to make a “first impression” on a new listener, which song would you pick and why?

Answer:  

That’s a tough one.  I really like how “Midas" turned out, and I’m also really excited to share a few of my upcoming ones like “Plato’s Cave”, “Fall of Icarus”, and “Forget the Borderlines”, but I think that the first song, “Siddhartha”, is one of my favorite ones, and I think the message of learning how to deal with change is one that everyone can relate to and one that has resonated with many people.  Also, I think the aesthetics of the music and the visuals represent the concept of Syne well, so I’d probably go with “Siddhartha”.  You can check out the music video for “Siddhartha” here: https://youtu.be/Uu46SO0F1Ts

What does it take to be “innovative” in music?

Answer:

I believe there’s no such thing as an idea that’s 100% new.  We can’t create something that’s purely original, but what we can do is create new and unique ways of combining elements.  So at first, you have to do a lot of copying.  I don’t mean plagiarizing other people’s work, but using the work of other great artists as inspiration, and practice copying or imitating different styles and techniques.  The wider and more diverse your sources are, the better.  Eventually, you start to understand how different elements make up a whole of something, and you get better and better at breaking them down and mixing them up in different ways.  This is how you create your own style.  

And this is why I think it’s vital to listen to as many different genres and artists as possible and to study different styles.  I was lucky enough to have parents who exposed me to all kinds of music, and so my taste in music is very diverse.  

But it shouldn’t stop with music; I think you should expose yourself to as many things as you can and try to expand your interests.  Read about history, mythology, astrophysics, or philosophy, take courses or watch tutorials on animation, photography, graphic design, or illustration.  

Learn about a new instrument, like the bouzouki or the balalaika.  Read about different cultures and new technologies.  Be curious, read and listen a lot, be open to learning new things.  All of this exposes you to different perspectives and tools that you can use as elements to dissect and put together in unique ways.

The word “kaleidoscope” has been used a few times now to refer to my music, and I like that word because I think it’s a good way to describe how creativity and innovation happen.

Mark Twain said it best: “There is no such thing as a new idea. It is impossible. We simply take a lot of old ideas and put them into a sort of mental kaleidoscope…”

Any upcoming release or tour your way?

Answer:

I am currently working on my next two music video releases, “Forget The Borderlines” and “Plato’s Cave".  “Forget The Borderlines” is a departure from the animated music videos I’ve been making and uses real-world footage.  The theme is about coming together as one human race and putting our differences aside, and I wanted the visuals to be a very direct representation of current social and political issues and events that people have been experiencing around the world.  “Plato’s Cave, like my previous two music videos, “is an animated video, but this one is much more complex and is taking a lot more time and work.  This song was actually was where the concept of Syne began, and this will also be the first time I feature my main “Syne” characters onscreen, so I’m particularly excited about this one.  

I’ve also been working on an illustrated poetry book for a while now, hoping to release it at some point in the near future.  It’s called Mr. Pendlum’s Compendium of Illustrated Verse from the Multiverse, and it contains poems that I wrote and also illustrated.  The book is essentially a compilation of my many interests, and the topics range from astrophysics to psychology, ancient history to artificial intelligence, and much more.

I have a second book on the way as well, this one with quirky illustrations paired with silly micro poems and more profound quotes.

Aside from that, I’m working on several other songs that I’ll use as mini-releases, some with vocals and some purely instrumental, which I also hope to create videos for down the line.  It’s a very busy time, but I love creating, so I enjoy every bit of it, even the times when it gets frustrating.

Anywhere online where curious fans can listen to your music and find out more about you?

Answer:  

Yes, of course, you can find my music, videos, art, poetry, and blog at syneverse.com

If you have Insta, Facebook, Soundcloud, or Twitter, I like keeping in touch!  You can find me @syneverse on all platforms.

[blueruinspaper]

Justin Vernon and Heartbreak

Justin Vernon’s airy voice haunts me. His voice portrays all the emotions he felt, unapologetically and that’s why I listen to him. He creates a nostalgic atmosphere, which is extremely raw and tender, it’s like I’m with him in his father’s hunting cabin where he recorded his first album - For Emma, Forever Ago.

Justin Vernon is from Eau Claire, Wisconsin. He formed a band called Deyarmond Edison and moved to North California but things didn't work out. The band fell apart and Justin went through a rough breakup, he also suffered from Mono (a liver disease). Vernon moved back to Eau Claire to live in his father’s hunting cabin, alone in the wild for three months with some musical instruments. It was there he recorded For Emma, Forever Ago. For Emma, Forever Ago is mellow and it shows just how vulnerable Justin is, alone in his father’s hunting cabin. The album is a sentimental masterpiece and is awfully painful at some instances, like when Justin sings “What might have been lost”. His music touches my soul, and I live his mental and physical pain. Justin Vernon’s delicate falsetto creates a gloomy ambience. He manages to capture all the emotions at once. Bottom line, ‘that dude can sing’ and ‘he knows his shit’.

For Emma, Forever Ago changed Indie Folk, forever. The genre Indie Folk got more exposure and started getting main stream coverage. Vernon came to international prominence with For Emma, Forever Ago in 2007. In 2011, Justin Vernon and his band BON IVER came out with their second album Bon Iver, Bon Iver. Their second album won hearts all over the globe and Justin Vernon ended up with two Grammys - Best New Artist and Best Alternative Album at the 2012 Grammy Awards, for their 2011 self-titled album. Bon Iver, Bon Iver was commercially successful and sold a total of 629,000 copies in the United States. “Holocene” was nominated for the Song of The Year and Record of the Year, however, Perth was my favourite song in the album. When Justin sings midway through Perth, “Still Alive For You”, I lose my shit. Perth was written for Heath Ledger, after he passed away and since Heath was born in Perth (Australia), Justin called the song Perth.

It all started in his father’s hunting cabin, a heartbroken Justin Vernon with a guitar and some other instruments started recording songs and created something magical. Vernon is a genius when it comes to portraying emotions, he hardly uses clichés. He engrosses the listeners’ with his voice and charms them with his words. We need more people like Justin Vernon, he is a delicate human being. We all have to thank Emma for breaking Justin’s fragile heart ( I know, it sounds extremely idiotic but none of this would have been possible if Emma didn't break his heart ). In For Emma, Forever Ago, Justin rips his chest and puts his heart in his mouth and the result is orgasmic. Vernon’s falsetto is nothing short of extraordinary and this is what makes him so special, his ability to hit higher notes. Justin Vernon lived alone in the woods in chilly Wisconsin to produce one of the greatest, if not the greatest heartbreak album, ever, period. Vernon wonderfully blurs the line of limitation and gives us something extraordinary. He is passionate about music and it’s pretty evident. Justin’s music is not just entertainment rather it is a spiritual fuckin’ thing. His music is almost cathartic! Justin Vernon’s voice will make you believe in love and his words will make you want to be in love.

In 2016, Justin Vernon released Bon Iver’s third album, 22 a million. It was recorded in his April base studio in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. 22 a million was completely different from Bon Iver’s first two albums. It was dark, mysterious and hypnotising. Justin Vernon totally changed the perception people had about him as a heartbroken man with a guitar, alone in the wild. He came up with something complex and dingy. The album had a level of magnetism attached to it. Vernon has been inspired a lot by hip-hop music and has collaborated with a number of rap artists throughout his career. 22 a million, brought a different side of Bon Iver, a side no one expected. 22 a million, is probably ahead of its time and that’s no hyperbole. The album sounds more polished than the previous two albums. Justin Vernon is the most underrated musician on this planet, according to me.

Justin has always been a passionate musician. His song ‘ A Song for a lover of long ago’ is the greatest heartbreak song ever. In the chorus he sing,”I have buried you in everyplace I have been, You keep ending up in my shaking hands”, the chorus makes me cry every time and I am not a sensitive guy at all, It’s just that Vernon is a freakin’ genius when it comes to music. He knows how to move people with just his words. Justin’s music explores the dungeons of emotions buried deep inside and it rinses them out. He is a master when it comes to expressing his emotions, his music is peaceful and calming. Justin Vernon, however, never wanted fame, he says “ I feel both blessed and cursed by the fact that I can do whatever I want at this point”.  Vernon is extremely dynamic, electric and creative with his music, every song is different and unique. His music will make you cry over a girlfriend you never had. Saying Justin Vernon is good is an understatement. He will always be attached to that fabled cabin. That cabin represents Justin - isolated, obscure, strong and soothing.

[comicsalternative]

On Location: The Second September Visit to Heroes Aren't Hard to Find

Michael and Derek are back at their local shop, Heroes Aren't Hard to Find, to discuss recent mainstream and indie titles that have captured their attention. Mike starts the ball rolling by focusing on recent expressions of a couple of second-tier characters, Doctor Strangeand Hawkman, as handled by Mark Waid and Robert Venditti, respectively. He then takes the conversation into a more "adult" direction with the first issue in Batman: Damned, part of DC's new Black Label imprint. This title is notable for a couple of reasons. First, it's now difficult to find, and as such, both fans and retailers are selling copies for a hefty price. But even more significant is the fact that in this first issue, readers get to see Batman naked. That's right, Wayne's wang. Batman's junk. The recent titles that Derek brings up are much tamer in nature. He begins with Matt Kindt and Tyler Jenkins's Black Badge (BOOM! Studio), the second issue of which will be released next week. This is a promising new limited series that has all of the secretive, undercover, and espionage-y markings of a Kindt narrative. However, Derek isn't as excited about the new Image series, Man-Eaters, written by Chelsea Cain and art by Kate Niemczyk. While he admires the message that seems to be embedded in the story, the first issue is rather sketchy in laying any satisfying narrative groundwork. But Derek more enamored by the minicomic Common Blessings and Common Curses, written by Maritsa Patrinos and nominated this year for an Ignatz Award in the Outstanding Minicomic category. It was a wonderful find at this year's Small Press Expo.

Remember that The Comics Alternative's on-location series is now part of the Queen City Podcast Network! Check out the great podcast series that give life to Charlotte!

Check out this episode!

[cellerityweb]

A Virtual Experience That Made A Real Difference [part I]

War. One of the most popular and never depleted themes accompanying our widely understood (pop)culture. On the pages of fantasy books, it brought wealth and glory to victorious heroes. In real life however …

War is ugly and it mostly brought and still brings suffering and misery to (almost) all involved. But always, no matter if real or fictional, revived from the past or imagined in a distant future, war brings change. For us, fortunately, the war was virtual. But the change it brought was as real as it gets.

Back in 2014 we released »This War of Mine«  –  an »indie game« allowing players to experience a simulation of what it is like to be a civilian in a city torn by military conflict. It became a game changer for us. Not only because of the overall sales or critical acclaim, which were more than satisfying, but first and foremost because of the impact it created. It simply made people care. Not only about gameplay but also about the subject it touched. And for us it proved that games can evoke empathy and bring experiences that shouldn’t just be applied to a fun/not fun scale but rather rated, based on their overall impact.

From the publishing point of view, This War of Mine, being a somewhat niche survival simulator, allowed us to break through to the so-called »mainstream«, changing the way we think about advertising and game-focused communication as a whole.

»The Shelter« (Concept Development)

The first rough version of the game differed a lot from what you know as This War of Mine. It wasn’t even based on war as such. What welcomed you in the initial prototype was a post-apocalyptic wasteland and a half-destroyed bunker serving as a shelter for a group of anonymous survivors. So, »Shelter« became our internal codename for the game, that we used for a significant period of the development process. Visually, it was cool. Even as a basic prototype, we kind of liked how it looked. But emotionally… well, it just wasn’t enough. It lacked something. Even though all of the elements were kind of ok, the sum of them did not work for us. If we wanted to make it stand out from the crowd, we had to bring it to another level. The question was how? We had »the shelter« so the main question was who lived in it. Grzegorz, our CEO, suggested that it should be victims of war  –  regular people suffering from the conflict that broke out around them. That concept clicked with the team as it gave the missing layer to the game. We felt we could build upon.

What came after was basically a lot of research. A lot. Inspiration came from multiple articles, history we knew from school, as well as from stories told by our parents and grandparents. Being a Pole made the process a bit easier, as we could not complain about the lack of source material. History gave us much, and current news did the rest. Unfortunately, you do not have to try very hard to find »fresh« stories about conflicts affecting modern societies.

After few months of intense work, we landed with a new prototype. One much closer to the final shape of the game. Sure, it needed a lot of polishing  –  but it worked! At this point we felt we had something truly special. Something that, once you sucked your teeth into it, stuck with you. That became both a curse and a blessing. You obviously had to play it to realize its potential. Not having the track record nor established franchise, we had to build the buzz and interest way before the game appeared on digital shelves of Steam and other distribution platforms.

Shaping the Brand

The common perception is that to succeed you have to be innovative. Break the rules, they say, find your way. The truth is that »new« means difficult. People are afraid of new. They mostly prefer »same old« as predictable, safe and measurable. This is why, amongst a few other reasons, the AAA market is dominated by long running franchises. Investing a lot of money, you crave for as much predictability as possible. And new is far from being predictable. It can pay off, but there is no guarantee of that. With no benchmarks, no historical data, it basically is a bungee jump. On a freshly unpacked rope. So, we jumped. Making the knots in mid-air.

An early prototype of This War of Mine, internally codenamed “The Shelter”.

At this point we knew we had a good game, but we were the only ones with that knowledge. And that is the issue with every new brand/product appearing on the market. You have to build its perception from scratch. What is it? What does it offer? And first and foremost  –  why the hell should people care? You need an answer. You need a solid brand. Branding is mostly about building a well-defined, coherent presence on the market. Creating a perception and then preferably a purchase intent by associating particular feelings and connotations with your product, service or whatever you have to offer. In our case  –  a game. There are multiple methods of constructing a strong brand but no matter which path you choose, one thing stays invariable  –  you have to be relatable. To find something people can easily understand and, in a perfect scenario, have an opinion about. If that opinion is good or bad, that is secondary as sometimes negative feelings can work in your favour as well.

We had a war-themed game and »war« as such was at that time (and honestly not much has changed since then) a commodity in gaming. There were and are so many titles based around conflicts. Modern, historical, sci-fi, you name it. Just check the Steam tags. You are going to get hundreds of results for »war« alone, not to mention all the variations. That meant that the market was cluttered, but also full of potential. Especially considering the fact that the majority of these games shared a somewhat similar and slightly clichéd perspective. No matter the platform or genre, they usually allowed you as a player to embody a superhuman protagonist, running and gunning (alternatively moving units), trying to meet objectives that were different interpretations of winning by destruction. »Action & confrontation« were the core that everything was built around. No empathy involved. Not much of a reflection either (besides few gems like Ubisoft’s »Valiant Hearts: The Great War« or »Spec Ops: The Line« by Yager Interactive).

We decided to use that trend as a springboard for our communication strategy. This War of Mine was to be the »rebel« –  questioning the well-established status quo by introducing gamers to a new perspective on war. A strong idea, as we felt, but an easy one to implement. To succeed we had to use all the means at hand to underline our dissidence and prove its value.

Keeping it Short

What made the process of bringing the initial strategy to life more difficult was the fact that English is not our native language. The struggle started with the game’s title. The first version we had had was War of Mine and honestly we were quite happy with it, till one of our English-speaking colleagues asked if we actually had »mines« in our game? And if miners literally fought each other? The answer was »no«. So, we had to iterate. The funny part is that what helped was Guns N’ Roses and their song »Sweet Child O’Mine«. Take that, all you teachers dissing our music tastes in the 90s!

After we had adjusted the title, it definitely worked better. The structure itself was catchy and it stood out among the other titles. To make things even, better it was descriptive and pulled all the right strings. »I am the game about war« it was saying, »but with a personal perspective«. Having this part laid out, we moved to the tagline. First of all, we felt it could become handy as part of planned activities and secondly, being able to enclose your whole premise in a short sentence organizes your communication and helps with the prioritization of what and how to say it. A good tagline should do for your communication what a good punchline does for a joke. Basically sum it up, but in a smart way. Being simple and being obvious are not the same things. We wanted people to easily understand what This War of Mine was and intrigue them a bit. As David Ogilvy (note: a former British advertising tycoon) once said »You can’t bore people into buying your product«.

We wrote a whole bunch of proposals. Some were too long (»In war there are those who fight and those who try to survive«) or too obvious. It took us a while but we ended up with: »In war, not everyone is a soldier«. It was memorable, had kind of a melody to it and most importantly, provided the shift of perspective we craved for. Also, you could easily fit it on the key visuals and that is always helpful.

The Value of Consistency

Having the whole foundation laid out, it was crucial for us to maintain a coherent tonality. We wanted our campaign to be recognizable. Remember, that having no track record, we had to build the game’s perception from scratch. Seeing the ad for the next »Call of Duty« you know what to expect. Buying the game from Paradox, you also can predict what it would offer in terms of experience. Encountering This War of Mine, you knew close to nothing, so establishing its’ identity was crucial. We wanted people to get more and more familiar with our game every time they encountered one of our marketing assets, so after some time they would be able to recognize This War of Mine on the spot. To achieve that, all the pieces, while not repetitive, had to have the same denominator  –  the premise laid out in the initial strategy. We not only had to maintain consistent aesthetics but also to focus on key features and values specific for our game. We decided that each and every piece we were about to produce had to be

– Serious  –  there was no space for jokes or winks. No breaking of the fourth wall. We were aware that we were touching serious matter, so we wanted to act respectfully.

– Non-military  –  This War of Mine was all about civilians. And we wanted to maintain that perspective all the time as this was one of the differentiators you could notice on the spot.

– Apolitical  –  while politics are highly subjective, human consequences are universal. Getting into politics you can way to easily divide people and trigger unnecessary conflicts. That was not our goal. We wanted to create and promote a human-centric experience people could relate to no matter what their views or beliefs.

– Insightfulness & humanism (two in one basically)  –  we wanted you, as a player, to identify and immerse. That was an important part of the experience which our game offered and we had to translate it into marketing, not losing anything in the process.

With that mainframe we were able to develop a sort of »language« that we tried to maintain for the whole campaign. It paid off, as every time we released a new piece of content (no matter the medium or format) it added to the overall perception of our game. With every release we stood out a bit more as people got a stronger and clearer image of what our game was and what it was not.

»Gamers just Wanna Have Fun«

Of course, sometimes being coherent meant we had to say »NO« to our gamers, and that is never easy. Especially when you have a committed and highly engaged community. For example, sometime after the release we started to receive requests for a zombie mode. It is understandable as »This War of Mine« has all the elements making it the perfect candidate for that sort of conversion. It is a survival game after all, with people crumped in half-destroyed buildings, trying to survive as long as possible. That’s something half of the zombie flicks are based on. But we did not want to do that as we strongly felt it would blur the identity of the game we had worked so hard on. Fortunately people understood our approach and respected our decision. The identity we created, while well-defined, was grim and quite far from what gamers are usually used to. That raised quite obvious questions about the »fun factor« of our game. But as Pawel  –  one of our writers  –  said while interviewed by Kotaku, with This War of Mine we never aimed at fun but rather a meaningful experience. We were ready to sacrifice what was necessary to maintain the big idea that fuelled the game. »Weren’t you scared?« ,  you may ask. Of course we were. But that was the only reasonable solution. There was no middle ground there if we were to achieve what we aimed for. I still meet people telling me that This War of Mine is their favourite game… they will never ever play again. And that is OK. Some people replay it multiple times. Some don’t. But they seldomly forget the experience they had with the game.

Putting the Cogs into Motion

Being indie meant that we had astrictly limited marketing budget, so our campaign relied mostly on widely understood digital media and key gaming events coverage. »Owned«  and »earned«  channels were crucial as we could afford only so much when it came to paid activities. Basically, we divided most of our attention between video production/distribution, social media presence, PR/e-PR activities and event coverage. Everything else followed but considering our headcount and the scale of the overall marketing investment, we couldn’t add much on top of these four pillars.

Video Marketing

Limited budget meant limited range of available touchpoints.

Video became the backbone of our production as the most appealing and most willingly consumed type of content at the time (and nowadays as well). It is no secret that game marketing heavily relies on videos. Trailers, »let’s plays«, »dev diaries«, you name it. Having that in mind, we planned all the key points in our campaign around some type of video content. Obviously we could not afford high fidelity, fully fledged cinematic trailers to which people have been accustomed by top tier AAA publishers, but a good idea works even when written on a napkin, as we believed. Over two years we released over a dozen if not more videos but few of them are especially worth mentioning. The announcement trailer aimed at introducing people to the core premise of the game. It was all about the new perspective on war. As it was the first one, we wanted to use a little trick basing on what our viewers were accustomed to. The idea was to open as if we had the next action-focused shooter and then make the shift introducing the civilians’ perspective. That way we could gain the necessary attention and present our idea in a clear and efficient manner. Simple as it was, it worked brilliantly. We didn’t show the gameplay, or even say what the genre was. The premise of the game proved to be enough to spark the conversation.

We introduced gameplay much later on in the campaign but even when our communication became much more gameplay-oriented, we stuck to the tonality and all the strategic assumptions. The stories we were telling and the features we were revealing were new every time but at the same time each video was expanding on the »civilians in a time of war« concept. No exceptions. Preparing our first gameplay trailer we decided to use Polish song, titled »Zegarmistrz wiatła Purpurowy« as a background to the story we were to tell. We were concerned about whether it’s gonna work, considering the fact that most of our audience doesn’t know the language, but finally we had decided that the emotional package it carries is language-neutral and should work universally. The reception of the video proved us right. The funny part is that our video enhanced the popularity of the song abroad and right now you can find a lot of comments on Youtube by people who actually found the song because of our trailer.

Another video, which we consider to be a milestone, happened not long before the release of the game. Some time into the campaign we received a message from Emir  –  a survivor of the siege of Sarajevo  –  who complimented the game and compared it to his own personal experiences. Fascinated by his story, we invited him to share it with us, and he happened to be kind enough to accept the invitation. Shortly afterwards, he visited us in Warsaw where we taped a video together that later, supplemented with elements of gameplay, became the launch trailer. The lesson here is that sometimes the universe works in your favour and gives you opportunities to learn, to create and to enhance whatever you do. What is crucial is to push all you have to make each and every one of these opportunities count. Not always will everything work but once it does  –  it does for real.

Patryk Grzeszczuk

  is Marketing Director at 11 bit Studios,

focusing on game marketing and

digital communication

The post A Virtual Experience That Made A Real Difference [part I] appeared first on Making Games.

A Virtual Experience That Made A Real Difference [part I] published first on https://thetruthspypage.tumblr.com/

[dont-settle-with-this-life-blog]

Read this when your feel like your friend/s don't appreciate you

My best friend is basically me. I am both blessed and cursed to have a best friend. I am cursed because I can't seem to find actual friends other than her and the casual friends that you have in your classes. That makes me feel lonely but I think the pros outweigh the cons. The reason why I say that my best friend is basically me is that we have so many things in common that it is almost like she is my clone. We met at the freshman orientation because we were both new to the district and in the same orientation group. Instantly we clicked because we were both equally as lost. It surprised me how much I liked her. For me, it is hard to find friends since I'm so shy and not just anyone becomes my friend. On the first day of school we both decided to meet up in a place we both knew where it was so I got there first and I spotted her from the distance because she is wearing a super bright yellow shirt, now it's “hahaha new freshmen” but I was also wearing a bright yellow shirt, coincidence? Not sure. We both love baking. and we have the same taste in EVERYTHING; we dress similarly, our parents are divorced, and we even have the same birthday! She listens to all of my pointless rants about things that happen and I listen to hers. The only thing that we do not have in common is our taste in music, it is completely different.

If my best friend were to say something about me it would definitely include

She had the worst taste in music because it is all over the place (i like music in different languages, especially Spanish rock, classical, rap, pop, indie, alternative, EDM, and everything in-between!)

She was a better baker than I ever was (I don't know about that because she makes really good chocolate crinkles)

She was a little stupid but her jokes made up for it (i lose my train of thought too often but if I weren't so afraid of being on a stage in front of thousands of people, I could become a stand-up comedian)

I'm going to miss her so much and my family is too (her family loves me)

I'm glad she is quiet now (once you get me talking you can't make me stop)

I'm glad she is quiet now (once you get me talking you can't make me stop)

She was always busy doing something (i'm in academic decathlon, percussion, the president of a club, volunteer to babysit for the Hispanic literacy program, and I bake to raise my own money for my percussion fees. I do have a lot of things on my plate but that does not mean that I don't sleep to be able to do my homework; I always do about half of everything that is assigned. School is hard but extracurriculars are easy for me) 

[symbianosgames]

Before the Nintendo Switch was released on March 3rd, the developers who were among the first to bring their games to the new console described themselves as having been “gagged.” Nintendo had forbidden them from saying anything public about the process of developing games for the Switch.

After March 3rd that gag was removed and many of those silenced developers have been able to speak up. But forget any association with kidnapping that the word “gagged” may have. Those developers aren’t telling horrific stories of being locked up in development hell. On the contrary, the consensus is that the Switch is “the least demanding Nintendo console” to develop for yet.

This is no small feat given that the whole idea behind the Switch is that it doesn’t serve one console experience but many. It can be placed in a dock and transmit to a TV like a traditional home console, but it can also be taken out of that dock and played as a handheld, and from there the two Joy-Con controllers can be detached from the sides of the screen for multiplayer sessions. 

All of these transformations happen in a snap, too, so developers have to ensure both an instant and smooth transition. Except they don’t. “Usually, you have to think about a second screen or some kind of feature that requires rethinking your game from the ground up,” says David D’Angelo of Yacht Club Games, the studio behind Shovel Knight. “The portable/console transition [of the Nintendo Switch] just works and is seamless!”

The notion that it “just works” is repeated by the other early Switch game developers. “The switch between the handheld and the console mode was the first thing we tried. It worked on the get-go. Nothing to do for us, the display changed from TV to the LCD (and vice versa) without any specific code,” says David Bellanco of Game Atelier, the studio making Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom. 

Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom

“After the first test we just had to handle the change of gamepad mode and make it work at 720p resolution in handheld mode," adds Bellanco. "That's it, really! It's very easy to have the game working in those two modes.”

This is a big relief for all. The big question for most developers when it came to the Switch is how many small adjustments it would take to get their games working well on both a large TV screen and a smaller handheld one. But it seems Nintendo has performed a magic trick by almost entirely eliminating the potential hassle of that process.

The only minor note on this topic came from Brian Provinciano of VBlank Entertainment, who is making the open-world action game Shakedown Hawaii for the Switch. “One difference is the need to handle the old TV ‘safe area’ when in console mode, but not in handheld mode. TVs by default cut off the outer edge of the screen,” Provinciano explains. “If you don't leave extra padding, half of the score might be missing, for example. So, if you run your game identically for both, you'll notice a bit of a border in handheld mode. The alternative is to use a different camera, and use different HUD/UI placement for each.”

Shakedown Hawaii

Other than that the Switch has arrived as a blessing for these developers, especially Dant Rambo of Choice Provisions, who is currently working on rhythm game sequel Runner3. With its BIT.TRIP series alone, Choice Provisions has developed seven titles that were released for both the Nintendo Wii and the Nintendo 3DS. That was a lot of work. But in having dropped that dual console approach with the Switch, and instead releasing a hybrid, Nintendo has thankfully lessened the development work for multi-platform studios like Choice Provisions.

“After years of spreading ourselves thin focusing on several platforms at once, it’s been an incredible relief to focus all our efforts on just one platform, and for it to be so easy to develop for,” says Rambo.

Given that the Switch is a hybrid console, being for both TV and handheld gaming, one of its biggest tests is the power and performance of the hardware. Consoles have always been judged by their processors and graphical output: the bigger the better. But the Switch is a different kind of machine that requires a new measurement stick. 

For Valerio Di Donato of 34BigThings, who is working on futuristic racing game Redout, “the Switch is first and foremost a mobile console.” What that means for him is that, while the Switch’s custom NVIDIA tech does have “some real power,” it’s not necessarily trying to compete with other consoles on that front. Instead, Donato looks at the Switch in its own category and with its own goals.

“I think NVIDIA did an amazing job with the GPU of this console and you can't simply find anything that matches it in terms of GPU power and portability at this time,” Donato says. “I would probably have preferred to have something to spice it up once connected to the dock instead of just unlocking additional power on the same components, but I'm assuming something like that would have skyrocketed the costs.”

The other developers had no complaints whatsoever about performance or power but this is largely due to the low demands their games put on the hardware. “Shovel Knight is not the most power hungry game in the world, so we haven’t spent the time really investigating the bounds to wish you can push performance on the Nintendo Switch,” says D’Angelo. “That said, the specs outline a very powerful machine at that size and price - we’re impressed!”

The only potential exception in the group was David Bellanco, whose game Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom is a 2D platformer like Shovel Knight, but happens to be a little more heavy going on hardware. But the Switch passed that test too. “Before we got our hands on the hardware, we were concerned about the mobile chip: fill-rate is important for a full HD 2D game (lots of alpha blending is really taxing on any GPU),” Bellanco says. “But the performance is excellent and the game is running 1080p at 60fps. We can keep adding graphical features to the game without fearing any optimization trouble.”

It’s not only the physical hardware of the Switch that has helped to make game performance so smooth and optimization so easy for these developers. The console’s integration with third-party engines is also a big contributing factor. “The Nintendo Switch is compatible with Unreal Engine and Unity engines, and our games being mainly developed on those graphic engines, it is really convenient for us,” says Stephane Longeard of Microids, who is developing adventure game sequel Syberia 3 for the Switch. “We can also count on Nintendo’s support during development process as well as Unity’s.”

[embedded content] Syberia 3

Donato adds to this that if you’re already using Unreal or Unity then “porting the game should feel exactly the same as porting it to any other console: each has its quirks and workaround to fight and you will still need to pour a lot of work into it, if you care for a decent porting.” 

If you’re not working with Unreal or Unity, but are instead using your own game engine, then evidence so far suggests there shouldn’t be any big issues there either. Kai Tuovinen of Frozenbyte, who is bringing roguelike action-strategy game Has-Been Heroes to the Switch, speaks on this. 

Has-Been Heroes

“We didn't have almost any difficulties with making Has-Been Heroes for Switch, our own engine has been pretty flexible and easy to adapt to it, and we managed to get the game running at 60fps at 720p portable and 1080p docked,” Tuovinen says. “One of the things we stressed about in the early stages was how to make the resolution change dynamically from the handheld's native 720p to 1080p when going from handheld to docked and vice versa. This turned out to be a non-issue in the end, and it works great.”

One of the Switch’s defining features is its two Joy-Con controllers. They have been criticized by some users for being so small, at least in comparison with traditional game controllers, and this was a concern for some of the developers at first, but that soon passed. “We were a little worried at first that hand cramping could occur if you played for a long period, but that hasn’t been the case,” says Rambo. “They’re really neat little controllers.”

What most players agree upon is that there’s a luxury in being able to have your hands separate while playing a Switch game. Each Joy-Con has its own face buttons and analog stick, but also come with an accelerometer and gyroscope motion sensor so they can be used independently. You can play with your hands down by your sides or you can split them between people during multiplayer games.

The developers also found this to be a major boon while playtesting their games on the Switch. “The biggest surprise was how nice it is to play with the separated Joy-Cons, one in each hand,” says Provinciano. “Even with games designed around a traditional controller, it feels pretty good having the freedom to rest each hand and arm wherever. I'm pretty into ergonomics though, so I might be extra inclined to like it.”

Greg Wohlwend found a similar behavior occurred among his team at aeiowu as they worked on rolly roguelike TumbleSeed for the Switch. “We'll often detach [the Joy-Cons] when playing development builds when we're all in the same place working on the game together. That way we can pass them around when testing out different feels in the rumble or whatever else,” Wohlwend says. “That's really handy. We pretty much use the Switch as it wants to be used, unplugging it and doing some bug-testing on the couch is a nice change from sitting in the desk chair hunched over.”

TumbleSeed

The biggest complaint about the Switch’s controller from users since the console’s release is that the left Joy-Con has trouble maintaining a consistent wireless Bluetooth connection at certain distances. But the developers didn’t come across any similar issues with connectivity or the inputs of the controllers themselves.

Bellanco sums up their impressions on that topic when he says, “It’s pretty straightforward. We have here the same number of inputs as the Xbox One and the PS4 controller, so we didn't have anything to change.” The only slight hiccup experienced with the Joy-Cons came from Donato: “We had to change the mapping of one single button and everything worked automatically, but that's mostly thanks to Unreal Engine and the Switch integration,” he says.

What practically all of the developers that were questioned got very excited about was the HD Rumble feature built into the Joy-Cons. It’s an advanced version of the rumble functions that modern game controllers have in that it allows for multiple sources of vibration to be felt within the controllers. One of the mini-games in launch title 1-2-Switch, for example, has players tilt the Joy-Con in order to feel how many balls are rolling around inside it. There are no balls inside the controllers but the HD Rumble gives the impression that there are many.

“I think the best new thing about the Nintendo Switch is the HD Rumble feature. We can have real stereo vibration with an accuracy level we didn't witness on the other platforms,” says Bellanco. “We only have it implemented in some limited cases for now but this feature is something intend to use more in the game.”

Wohlwend gets especially giddy when talking about the HD Rumble feature as it suits the focus on movement in his game TumbleSeed. “The HD Rumble is the big feature we're diving deep into. Because our game is very physical and you're constantly rolling around trying to avoid holes and attack enemies you want to know as much information about how fast you're going, where you are on the screen ALL THE TIME. So HD Rumble gives us that ability to communicate that sense or feeling to the player.”

Omar Cornut of the studio Lizardcube wasn’t initially so enthused by the HD Rumble but when showing Wonder Boy: The Dragon’s Trap at GDC his perspective was changed. “We will put more resources at getting the haptic feedback right,” Cornut says. “As we found out with various demos shown last week [at GDC], the rumbles on the Joy-Con are really nice and it’d be a shame to not take advantage of that. It’s a little talked feature but with the right software design, people will really like it when they feel it.”

Wonder Boy: The Dragon’s Trap

It’s still early days for the Switch, but the developers working with it that were spoken to have been almost universally positive about their experience with it. They’ve found it to be a modern and overall pleasant package to work with. The biggest hope they have for the Switch’s future is for Nintendo to stay on their toes by continuously improving the software and listening to developers in the years to come. 

When asked to rank the Switch against other modern consoles, many of the developers put it on par with the PlayStation 4 in terms of ease to work with. And they all seemed to agree that it’s the best Nintendo console for developers at this point. “The tools and hardware are much better than they were for the Wii U, so devs from the previous generation should look forward to digging into the Switch,” says Provinciano. “Nintendo's also been good with support whenever I've had technical questions.”

These thoughts are mirrored by the team at Frozenbyte who, like Provinciano, have developed for a number of different Nintendo consoles. “It has been easier to develop for than Wii U, mainly because of better documentation and the whole ecosystem has been thought out much more from a developer perspective - our programmers have been praising the API as well,” says Tuovinen. “It is so much nicer to work on a platform that has been designed well, not just from the hardware perspective but from the development perspective too.”

Another veteran of developing for Nintendo hardware is Bellanco, whose final thoughts are more mixed. “I've worked on several Nintendo platforms over the years, from the DS to the Wii U. Working on the Nintendo Switch is like night and day,” says Bellanco. “Nintendo did a very good job making it easier to develop on the Switch. It's very straightforward, I push play on my visual studio, it runs on the device and I can debug very easily.”

However, Bellanco still thinks that Sony is better with the SDK, but views Nintendo as rapidly catching up in that department. He finds the API easy to understand and the documentation that came with the Switch to be helpful, but not perfect. He wasn’t hugely critical but did say that Nintendo “could improve their docs; some API or features have limited docs. I like samples, I always want more samples.”

This was followed by Cornut whose criticism wasn’t aimed at Nintendo as much as it was all current console manufacturers. “I keep saying it, and it is daydreaming at this point, but the first console manufacturer who will allow programmers to publicly release code that uses their API (even if the actual libraries and release process are still fully under their control, like Apple does) will make a huge leap in term of development quality,” says Cornut. “Right now console developers can’t easily share code or discuss issues because, well, no one can release their code. It’s a mental switch that first-parties have to flip in their head, but it would be a small revolution.

Out of them all, it is probably Wohlwend that had the most damning complaint of Nintendo and the release of the Switch. “Don't release a new Zelda while we still have to finish TumbleSeed,” he says. “That's just mean.”