#and he doesn't give off a collaborative vibe AT ALL

[aparticularbandit]

There is nothing in DR0 to suggest that this program was something Yasuke was working on in his free time - or even that was he working on any project with anyone outside of the care he provided to Ryoko.

More to the point, Junko specifically states at the end of the book that she was going to need to make changes to the memory modification he used on her to make it useful for what she needed for the lated Killing Game.

I haven't met Miaya yet - and it is entirely possible this is the project Chihiro was talking about.

But it doesn't fit with what we know of Yasuke to create something like NWP.

Here's what I think... (I hope I have not been annoying with all the these asks. Makoto, Kyoko and Byakuya's involvement with the NWP is such an interesting concept that I rarely see the fandom talk about or get to discuss about.)

I don't believe that Makoto and co had to bring any equipment to run the NWP. I think it was fully finished and developed, ready to be used anytime. I think all Makoto did was bring the remnants to the island and hook them up.

In a travel guide for Jabberwock Island, it mentions a large administrative building. That building must have the NWP installed into it. Like maybe the entire building was converted to hold this huge machine.

2. Miaya isn't the only person who worked on the program. Yasuke and Chihiro chipped in as well. And considering these are ultimates and Alter Ego was made by Chihiro, I believe that without these two, the NWP would not be as advanced as it is. So this program had to be full complete before either of them die.

So the NWP was completed right before the tragedy started. Miaya was the only ultimate still alive so when she joined Future Foundation, she likely told them about the NWP so that's how that program fell under ownership of Future Foundation. And that's also how Makoto found out it exists when he joined FF as well.

Makoto, Kyoko and Byakuya needing a crew of people to help them transport and assist in saving the remnants is something they should have had. It would be a huge undertaken to do this with only three people. But from what is seen in canon, it doesn't look like this is the case.

Those three alone really did brought 15 people to an island and hooked them up to a complex machine they have no prior training for. A machine that has to be used with extreme care or else they risk total personality destruction.

Dying in the NWP is one thing. But waking up from it and your memories and personality and entire being has been changed so you no longer are your past self is quite another. This is something Makoto has to AVOID doing while using the NWP. And he is doing it all without any help from professionals or those who built the program.

So yeah, Makoto was truly wild for doing this.

No worries, I’m interested in this stuff.

I’ve been assuming that Ultimate Programmer meant Alter Ego and Ultimate Neurologist meant Yasuke’s notes looted from Hope’s Peak after DR1. But if the Neo World Program was something Chihiro, Yasuke, and Miaya worked on before the Tragedy, then yeah, fewer logistical hurdles to jump that way.

Chihiro does mention a big, secret AI project in a DR1 free time event.

And, geez, hypothetical Makoto. You’re really lucky things turned out as well as they did, you mad lad

[jjwho]

Who Wants to Be your Valentine?

Pile 1. Pile 2.

Pile 3. Pile 4.

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Pile 1

Who is this person?

Knight of cups, three of pentacles, ten of swords, justice, knight of pentacles

Back of the deck seven of cups

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So this person is someone who wants to come with you with an actual love offer not just to be your valentine cause they want to have someone as their valentine or just want a pretty person to keep and drop. They want an actual emotional romantic connection and commitment. They have theyr cup filled with emotional availability and worked on their flaws and are even willing to keep getting better than they are already just to be with you, because they really like you that much. You might know them through work or collaborated before in work if not in the same office or same environment and this person mightve admired you afar and adored small things about you. This person mightve been backstabbed or cheated on by a previous partner or previous talking stage so he's scared he comes towards you with his feelings openly and you'd just keep it at a talking stage, but I see that justice ain't gonna let that happen here even if you don't feel the same towards this person. They want to offer you stable ground and ground for both of yall to grow together and to take care of you. Overall I see this person or you might have a lot of romantic options voming in or material options in life, but that doesn't affect this person's feelings towards you.

Go off girly pop!

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Pile 2

Who is this person?

The moon, three of wands, two of pentacles, ace of cups and the fool

So this person gives off highly intuitive and observer vibes like an owl watching you at might and not making any sounds when it Flys. Like they might keep their eyes on you very close and can maybe even stalk you sometimes but not like crazy stalker vibes not like Joe Goldberg vibes. This person could be connected to your friend group or in your friend group or you could meet them at a party ot any type of celebration. This person could struggle making financial decisions or just struggle to balance themselves and often rake more responsibilities than they can handle. This person definitely seems new and coming in with a new romantic offer and coming off fresh and wanting to really give it a go with you and leave the negative part behind and keep moving forward with you and giving this whole connection some freedom and adventures together. But this does seem new and you catching their eye and then all of their balls fall down while they're juggling them cause you caught them so off guard and they get really flustered.

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Pile 3

Who is this person?

The sun, king of pentacles, page of swords rvs, queen of vups

Bd, ace of wands

This person seems very cold king vibes. Unhappy king vibes. He has so many duties and responsibilities it puts him I'm this cage but he had all the wealth in the world so what more can he buy to make him happy yk? He's mot actually like that packed with money I'm just using an example but I do get the vibe he has quite a bit of money like damnnn. He may have his heads in the clouds a lot with all of these responsibilities and him having all this wealth putting him on top of this mountain but it gets lonely being alone at the top so ja. He may struggling to adapt to new environment or just doesn't like change in general. But emotionally he is very mature he just had a wall were he's cold and sarcastic but deep down he's emotionally available and emotionally mature. Or he could also see you as that and that's what draws him to you as he's very dense and less emotions but they're all buried underneath. He could be a fire sign or a very active person. Goes to the gym and just likes to be busy and active and is a little spontaneous yk?

Oop

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Pile 4

Who is this person?

Knight of cups, nine of cups, death. Seven of wands

Five of wands BD

So what im getting is that this person is someone you mightve manifested. Theyre ready, they're ready for commitment I'm keep getting the "I'm ready, I'm ready, I'm ready" like they're almost eager for you like they've done all the inner work and really are ready for you now but also they still want to and can do more inner work there's never an end to inner work. They might been through a lot before or have gone through a lot of major transformations through their lives and have been put in positions where they had to fight for their beliefs and opinions and stand by it. But this person has been waiting for you and wants you and wants to just pick you up and sway you around calling you "my pretty girl" and just happy to have you, but I see they're very conflicted internally so they may struggle confessing their feelings as they've been through it and in the rough.

But that's all I'm getting

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I hope yall enjoyed the readings and have a good upcoming valentines ^^

[skz-bibi]

( 🔴 ) ... [ YOUTUBE ] STRAY KIDS: THE KITTEN INTERVIEW !

( outfit ) ...

"i'm bibi." she waved to the camera , smiling.

they all sat on the floor excitedly waiting for the kittens to come out. "are they coming?" she squealed as the small kittens entered the studio. "oh my god , they're so cute."

she picked one up , gently scratching its head. "it's so soft." she said , not sure if she'd even be focused to answer the questions.

what do you look forward to eating the most when traveling in the usa?

"Chick fil a." she said , holding the feather over the kitten's head watching it follow it. "I wish I could take that back to Korea with me sometimes."

"I wish I could take you back to Korea with me." she cooed at the cat.

what's your favorite american slang word?

"they learned about rizz a few weeks ago , it's been interesting."

if you were an action figure, which two accessories would you come with?

"my phone and chocolate."

ryan Reynolds has publicly said he's a stray kids fan , are there any other celebs you were surprised to learn were your fans?

"we recently met chris hemsworth?" chris said , telling them about their interaction at the met.

"it was sort of like playing with an older brother , imagine being picked up by the chris hemsworth." she laughed.

"oh at the vmas sabrina carpenter called me cute." she smiled. "and I tell everyone about it."

you were the first full kpop group to attend the met gala. what was the most memorable about the experience.

"I think the entire thing was memorable , growing up I would see the outfits on TV and think it was so cool , I never thought I would be able to ever attend something like that."

if you weren't an idol what job do you think you'd be good at?

"probably a track star or a actress."

what names are your members saved as in your phone? What's your group chat name?

"chris oppa" "yongbok" "lee know oppa" "han" "yenie" she pointed them out. "then bin oppa" "hyunjin" "and kim seungmo like han." she said.

what artist would be your dream collaboration?

"tyla." she smiled. "i love her so much."

what's your love language?

"hugs , I love physical touch." she hugged the kitten. "you're so cute , she nuzzled her on top of his head.

"bibi is like a koala." Felix said. "she clings to people all the time." she nodded. "it's cute."

what's your roman empire?

"What would happen to me if I just was shipped off to a private island and had to survive?" she said. "really." she nodded. "I think about it often , I don't think I'd survive because I have 0 survival instincts."

if you could put one stray kids song into a time capsule to be listened to by future generations which would you pick ?

"3rd eye." she said. "I feel like a lot of people would love that song in the future."

you've had countless comebacks, but what concepts do you want to try that you haven't done yet?

"something like muddy water, I think it would be fun to have a comeback with that old school hiphop vibe." she said.

your concert last sometimes three hours, what's the secret to maintaining stamina on stage?

"relax a bit before you go on." she said. "save all your energy for when you're on stage , cause that's when it matters."

"of course with a group like this it's hard , so I say just wing it when you're up there." they laughed. "bibi stop."

what's your workout routine?

"legs the most , I don't focus on upper body a lot , I have no interest in lifting weights , but if I'm working out with the members I'll do it just for fun."

"doesn't last long." jeongin said. "yeah because I hate it." she laughed.

what's changed the most about straykids from your rookie days to now?

"my outlook on everything , when I was a rookie I thought about everything did wrong , now I just go with the flow and hope for the best."

what's one piece of advice you'd give to your trainee self?

"it's gonna be okay."

©️SKZ-BIBI

[mellonieee]

Mellonie does FOP + A New Wish Analysis: 2

Irep as an infant was able to defeat Jorgen, and then as an adult he gets thrown like a football by the guy.

Obviously it could just be the fact that baby fairy magic is incredibly powerful and as he grew up it mellowed out, but it just really goes to highlight the difference between Irep as a child and Irep as an adult.

When he was born in Anti Poof, the first thing Irep does is steal his dad's catchphrase about silence of the lambs as his first words, claim he wants to be the only fairy baby in existence by getting rid of Peri, and to also be despised and feared by all because if Peri is beloved, Irep states that he wants to be dreaded.

Irep, despite being basically 6 minutes old at this point, also sees himself as strictly independent. He gets bored of his mother and her affections, finding her immediately tiring. He doesn't need his parents and he doesn't do well with others.

He and Anti Cosmo immediately clash over this.

Anti Cosmo wants to do things together as a family unit; all three of them, he literally says as such. Irep retaliates by zapping his father and going out to commence his evil plans by himself regardless of what his father wants or thinks. Not taking anything he does season 8 and above into account, this remains the case for almost all of Irep's appearances. When he's doing something, he's doing it alone.

Compare this to Irep in A New Wish. Who actually teams up with someone and who actually has support behind him--that being the antifairies, and also Dev (temporarily.)

Irep, compared to how he was as a baby, definitely craves the validation and reassurance of others, like this guy is so insecure that he gets teary-eyed at the mere mention that he's better than Peri. He still wants to kill him too, but y'know, what's wrong with a little murder, right /j

Irep to me gives off "Well Done, Son!" Guy vibes in the same vein that Dev does. He wants approval. He wants the recognition that his evil plans since infanthood aren't fruitless. He rejected the chance to go along with his parents or to consider the idea of collaboration when he was younger, only to do a 180 as he got older. The difference is that he isn't young anymore, and that the validation he wants now isn't going to express itself as easily as it should've been then.

One thing nobody talks about enough is that Peri seems to purposely distance himself from his parents. He loves them, of course, and they love him back, but he deems them "too clingy." They didn't even know he was going through magical back-up till they found him in the cage. He didn't tell anyone about that.

Peri wants to be separate and independent, so much so that it's to his own detriment. It would only make sense for Irep to go in the opposite direction and actively seek out and include his parents in his schemes.

[mugentakeda]

WELL. I had an anon that was kindly asking me background info on my oc jiro and whatever he had going on with lu ten. I had the Fawking response all done and had it saved as a draft right. and i just needed to switch it to post but tumblr Wouldnt Let Me (it was saying something "went wrong" idfk) so I deleted the draft and was gonna try posting it again thinking the ask would reappear in my inbox but it DIDNT it just deleted the whole ask along with the draft :((( so i'm just gonna post it all here anyway and hope that the anon sees it fhkdndncmxbc,dndkzhnx

-basic stuff: 27 (<-when he meets lu ten), nonbender (<-doesnt need bending lol)

-finest jewelry maker in the fire nation. he also does metal art like embossing and figures and shit. he collaborates closely with famous potters and tailors in the FN to make stuff for the royal family and their special occasions (like holiday and celebration banquet jewelry and bedazzled outfits and shit). he also works with fire nation theaters, to help with their costumes for their more pricey productions. he's made MANY crowns for the royal family as well.

-oldest of 3 brothers. the business he owns was passed down in the family thru generations. jiro inherited (usurped?) it when he was 23, after he beat his father to death for smacking their mother around. their mother lives with the middle brother and his family on one of the outer FN islands. the youngest is estranged and started his own (less successful) business out of jealousy towards jiro.

-neutral on the war in the same way june the bounty hunter is- money is money to him. and when I say neutral I mean neutral. he obviously doesn't get clients or customers from other nations due to the war but if he did then he'd be more than happy to serve them. but his business still wouldn't be affected no matter the outcome of the war because even without international clients his wallet is thick, so he doesn't really care what the outcome ends up being. he believes a true businessman goes wherever the wind takes him and is good at adapting. not a "stuck in his ways" type of guy. the royal family is his top priority client obviously, but it's simply because they pay the most for the finest pieces. it's not out of any kind of loyalty or patriotism.

-jiro likes material things and having money, but he's genuinely super passionate about his craft and the arts in general. he does a lot of other crimes (<- lol) but counterfeiting isn't one of them. all his products and art are genuine, handcrafted, made to detail. he's probably kinda disgusted by the idea of counterfeit and scamming because he genuinely looks forward to the reaction of his clients when they receive what they paid for. he does the act of service, he gets the praise and the money, he's a happy camper.

-despite all of the above, his demeanor is the definition of greasy and sleazy- but he also can be genuinely suave when he wants. he'll charm the pants off your granny. but not sleazy in the same way zhao is, though (cus zhao is no real charmer lol). cus zhao is high in the navy so he's Very stuck up, and he's also an otl (<-???) ass-kisser. he's a slimy douchebag, but still one that adamantly adheres to and enforces fire nation law. he's a guy that has goals and will do anything to get there. meanwhile jiro, you look at him and you know he does criminal shit. he just gives the danger vibe, and he flaunts it with confidence. and you must reach at least level 4 friend to unlock the gentlemanly, white-knight-syndrome side of jiro.

-what jiro DOES do for criminal activity is that as he has most of all the fire nation nobility and high court (along with the Literal royal family) in his pocket. he has eyes and ears in a LOTTTT of people's business. sensitive business. criminal business. blackmail on top of blackmail. he's only loyal to people he personally gives a shit about, and whatever the people he cares about gives a shit about. he's got the love in his heart to make those extensions because he really is thoughtful in nature. but anything outside of that is not his problem so yes he WILL sell your ass out. the most dependable man in the world if he loves you, but the most venomous, backstabbing scorpion-viper if he doesn't care about you.

-and he doesn't hire goons- the business and its dealings are done all by him, and him alone. so if you air out his business or try to fuck with him, he will show up in your house alone and kill you in the next 24 hours i PROMISE you. preferred form of doing so is beating to death. and them is workers arms baby so you aren't getting out of it alive!!! jiro isn't very tall but he is strong as FUCK. and because of the fact that he knows everybody's dirty laundry he gets away with all of it lol. jiro is not afraid of jackkkkk SHIT (<- which is why he's very dependable if he loves you. he's unflinching and dedicated)

-as for him and lu ten: he and lu ten met by chance (they quite literally ran into each other in the palace and toppled over each other), and ended up being twin flames. lu ten's like the orange cat to jiro's black cat. they balanced each other out and jiro was exactly what lu ten needed at the perfect time. their first date or whatever (Doing An Activity Together) was having lunch and tea together in the palace gardens, and it kinda spurred from there. they spent time together like an old retired couple basically lol??? lunches, dinners, long walks from evening to night, doing their tasks in silence but they're next to each other so it's fun (<-parallel play for adults), sitting on benches for hours and just talking and bird watching. two people with tough jobs, so they sometimes forget to stop and smell the roses, but they reserve time for each other so they can stop and smell the roses together.

-it isn't ALWAYS them acting like a retired old couple though cus like I said jiro is a sleaze bag and a flirt. azula was the only one that really noticed and she was very disgusted by them and would constantly swear lu ten has a thing for losers. but then again she'd claim any person lu ten messes with to be a gross loser so there's that

-as soon as they got close to tension hitting a boiling point the siege situation rolled around (<-AVERAGE COCKBLOCKER IROH MOMENT) and lu ten obviously didn't come back. and jiro never let go of it because of all the "what ifs" and how there was something there that was mutual but it never became official or was put into words. so there's more regret rather than bitterness about lu ten's absence in jiro's life. like "right person, wrong time" trope??? but this is the dai li au so they'll be fine eventually lol

-after lu ten died and ozai took over, jiro was silently cut off from the royal family. ozai didn't directly order that or anything but he didn't commission or hire jiro for anything the way azulon always did. jiro also quietly removed himself from the whole political ring and just focused on his work. didn't have a reason to stop and smell the roses anymore, but the work never quits and the world didn't stop turning

-once azula got old enough to be let loose into the playing field, she hired jiro under the table due to her knowing how close he'd been with lu ten (which makes him someone she felt that she could trust), and he got put back into the political game (<- to everyone elses dismay). since her first rodeo was outside of the fire nation, he became her eyes and ears back home.

-and he wasn't forced by her or intimidated by her- he was brought back to life by finally having a real reason to get back in action again. at first, azula being the kid lu ten personally took care of for the first little portion of her life (<-which is a secret jiro knows from lu ten. azula doesn't know about that, and it's gonna stay that way. it's more to be a driving force for jiro. cus jiro has a "whats yours is mine" mindset when he loves someone. so what lu ten loved, jiro also loves. so whatever azula wants from jiro, jiro will provide it to her.) was what made being her guy so easy, but he ends up taking a genuinely liking to the crazy kid. he feels like they get along pretty well cus they're like-minded when it comes to their methods

[falsemilkbun]

Winter Sun and the Storm-Black Sea test snippet/vibe taste

So this disconnected scene slice is basically a transcription of a dream I had in the process of working out details for the AU I mention in my pinned post. It's KBMS like everything I do. This is more of a preliminary doodle/sketch of the vibe and some ideas, and I understand it doesn't contain a lot of context, but I've been told behind the scenes stuff is interesting, so here's something I'd normally only show collaborators.

The hawk - Kabru had yet to name it, may never name it - had proven a productive project between himself and Fleki. It minded him well, no wonder considering its nature, and had sharp eyes and an eager nature that impressed Kabru.

It was still, and may remain, almost entirely as it had been when they trapped it. If Kabru had his way, it would never carry his mind or his sight, and it would never become the kind of half-monster Fleki could command. It had seemed unfair enough at the time to trap and change it, to let Fleki cut and burn his hair to bind it to him. To change it further felt unfair, and what’s more, unwise. 

The memory of snapping Fleki’s neck and carrying her ‘home’ across his shoulders, like game, to be remade was still too fresh and too terrible. If Kabru had to die, he would do it inside his own body, the convenience of a sky-high set of eyes be damned.

Some days, though, he regretted not accepting the responsibility inherent in taking greater control of the thing.

An eager hunting partner was part boon and part bane, especially in the cold and the snow and the sun, where scanning for the hawk’s blackened form against ht highly reflective landscape fried Kabru’s eyes. It had darted off again, which was a habit that Pattadol blamed on it being a half-made familiar bound to a half-trained mage. 

She still ate the hares it snatched for them, so in Kabru’s mind her complaints were irrelevant. 

Calling the hawk did nothing; even the piercing bottle rocket whistle he used to call it to eat did nothing. Underfoot, the chunky crust over the snow kept giving way under him and dunking his boots in the melt running underneath. It was May, and the sun’s influence could no longer be denied. The dungeon island would thaw, even if by degrees.

Not that day, though. On that day, he resorted to casting water walk to spare himself the frostbitten feet he’d have to endure if his boots soaked through. It didn’t matter that his gait remained unsteady, offset by the pack he’d taken into the field to carry his gear and transport their catches. Having gone months without the free use of his magic, he was relieved to have the option at all.

Pattadol wasn’t wrong, though. He was half-trained at best compared to the true Canaries, and the specializations he’d been toying with were particularly dangerous. Someone like Otta, who could be just as dangerous, had decades of experience compared to Kabru’s measly eight years. Experience counted toward a mage’s ability to focus, yes, but also toward the sharpening of their judgment. Tempering fear and anger, with which Kabru continued to struggle, the years spent in active practice made shrewd mages who could be trusted to act alone. Kabru hadn’t expected to feel like a child, still, but he did.

But he was overthinking having lost control and sight of the hawk. It was still an animal, mostly, and animals had minds and wills. So this one was flighty. It was new, no more trained than Kabru was, and this was to be expected. If he returned to camp it may follow, being bound to him and aware he had a waxed sack stuffed with fresh hares on his back.

But that would have meant admitting that he’d lost it.

He sounded the return call again.

It sounded back.

No echo.

Kabru swept the hood of his white cloak up over his head, and he listened.

There, again, an imitation of the call.

Like a question.

‘Well, are you there or not?’

Few monsters were so playful.

A person, then.

That was manageable.

He traced the sound to what must have been the ruins of a fortress, all ringed in with stone and open on one side like a stage.

The hawk was there, with the man who had called it. Who had called Kabru. He was dressed lightly against the cold, though the clothes he wore were very fine, and he was fair all over with a tall and broad frame. Probably from way up north and accustomed to the whether, Kabru reasoned. The hawk seemed to appreciate the taller perch it found on the stranger’s arm.

“Ah, you found him!” Kabru put on a bright and cordial smile and pinched his voice high, made himself polite and small. “Thank you, I was afraid I’d never call him back with all the wind out here.”

The stranger smiled stiffly and sent the hawk winging back to Kabru with a light shake of his arm. Kabru brought his glove up to receive it and fixed the lead to its ankle so it couldn’t slip him again. Pest.

“He was probably just exploring,” the stranger said. “They’re curious, just like humans are. Have you had good luck hunting?”

“Good enough that my back is sore from carrying the burden of my good fortune,” Kabru said. It was true, but half the discomfort was from the healing gouge in his shoulder blade. He’d have to seal it completely once he’d eaten enough. “My name is Kabru, by the way.”

Always offer your name first. It makes them trust you.

“It’s good to meet you, or, I mean, anybody out here,” the man from the north said. He stepped closer, his high boots churning the snow. “You’re an elf, right?”

Beneath his hood, Kabru’s ears shifted, and he felt his eyes widen a fraction. He knew elves were not particularly loved on the Island, especially Canaries. But it was the way he spoke, wasn’t it? Or the shape of his face, or even his eyes. Something had tipped him off, and it was probably best not to lie when a stray gust of wind could lift his hood and give him away.

“My father was, yes, but I never knew him. My mother raised me by herself.”

True enough. Both mothers had done so.

Something lit up behind the man’s eyes, which were a light enough shade of brown that they brought to mind gold or honey. “I’ve had friends like you,” he said, as if that should matter to Kabru at all. “How old are you now?”

“I turn twenty three this month,” Kabru said, still smiling. “Not to speak ill of your home, but I hope that I don’t have to celebrate it in this weather.”

“Yes.” The strange light left and the stranger’s brows drooped. “It’ll break soon, though, I’m pretty sure.”

Silence filled the space. And the wind.

“What brings you out in this if not game, then?” Kabru asked.

“Visiting a friend’s grave. I keep thinking…” His eyes looked far off, then narrowed. He shook his head. “No. Never mind.”

Kabru bowed his head and frowned. “Excuse me, then. I didn’t mean to interrupt you in a troubled time. I’ll return, now.”

He started to do so, but the man called out to him again once he’d made it a hundred yards.

“Kabru!” He sounded too cheery for a man on a funerary visit. “Do you like animals?”

Kabru grimaced to himself and kept the smile in his voice. Not particularly. “Yes, I love them!”

“That’s great to hear, and I hope I see you again!” He was shouting so loud Kabru was afraid the snow would shake loose from the pines and squash him. “Be careful until then, okay? The Western Elves are here, the Canaries, and they don’t care for people like you!”

Kabru’s lip curled up. What did he know? Not that he was wholly wrong. “I will, don’t worry.” He had the smile back on his face, bright as ever, but he refused to turn and show it to the man. “If you plan to see me again, what should I call you? Who are you?”

“I’m Laios.” The voice was so near it made Kabru jump and when he spun around he found nothing but stones and trees and snow. Words whipped by in the wind. “I’m the king of a troubled land.”

[bunchashapes]

any music recs?

i could have made this very short or entirely too long. i opted for the latter:

HAVE YOU LOOKED FOR SOME NEW MUSIC TO LISTEN TO? LOOK NO FURTHER, FOR HERE IS

I know. There's a lot of music out there. Well have no fear, because I've selected, organized AND categorized a fine number of music selections, just for you! I tried to keep it to just stuff you probably haven't heard of before, but I make no promises. Hopefully you'll find at least one new thing you can take with you into 2023.

MAKE YOUR SELECTION:

1 - MIKE, I'M LOOKING FOR SOMETHING TO GROOVE TO. SOMETHING I CAN GET DOWN AND VIBE WITH OR PERHAPS LISTEN TO WHILE I WORK:

Sounds good! Let's start with a few of those:

Vulfpeck - Okay you may already know about Vulfpeck. Sorry. If you HAVEN'T, they're a wonderful group of dudes from Michigan that are all insanely talented. They have a wide-range of styles they cover and pretty much every member has gone on to do other solo stuff, which may also suit your interests. They also have a spin-off band called The Fearless Flyers that I'll cover a little further down.

Jacob Mann (As well as his Big Band) - Jacob's solo stuff has a nice laid-back feel to it, while his big band stuff is slightly more bombastic, but all of it is fun and groovy. Great example of a musician effectively switching between different toolsets, whether its a whole group of talented musicians at his disposal or just a bunch of nice Roland presets.

EMEFE - They haven't been very active lately but EMEFE is an incredible ensemble with plenty of amazing music for you to listen to. Their live album from 2017 makes me wish i could go back in time and watch it live.

Louis Cole - Louis Cole's also pretty popular, but maybe you haven't heard of him! Originally hailing from Knower, he's collaborated with a ton of musicians (including Vulfpeck AND Jacob Mann Big Band, mentioned above) as well as produced an impressive array of solo music. I can't understate how much I love this guy.

Thundercat - Know who else he's collaborated with? Thundercat. Have you listened to Thundercat? You should really do yourself a favor and listen to Thundercat.

Sammy Rae and The Friends - Only learned about Sammy Rae very recently but The Feeling (linked) was an earworm that lodged itself in my brain for months. Infectiously positive vibes, a great ensemble and really brilliant singing.

Silk Sonic - Okay they played at the Grammys so it definitely doesn't count as a deep cut but listen to Silk Sonic anyway okay? Okay.

2- MIKE I NEED SOMETHING THAT WHIPS ASS. SOMETHING TO COMPLETELY KNOCK MY SOCKS OFF.

Can do. Your metric of kickass may vary but at least one of these should work for you:

King Gizzard and The Wizard Lizard - King Gizz has put out such an unbelievable volume of music that it's hard to just recommend ONE thing from them. I've linked Nonagon Infinity, a great little album with the fun gimmick of seamlessly looping front to back. They really haven't put out a single bad album, so just go wild.

Royal Blood - Royal blood's bassist plays through an octave pedal, giving their stuff this fuckin' beefy sound that's well-rounded enough you'd never guess the band is just a bassist and a dummer. Their style has gotten poppier lately but it's still all worth listening to.

Tricot - Tricot's been around for around 10 years now and their stuff has only gotten better over time. I feel like Math Rock is kind of an obtuse genre for most people but their recent stuff is absolutely worth checking out even if that's not your usual sort of thing. Makkuro (真っ黒) is my favorite album of theirs by far.

Thank You Scientist - Stranger Heads Prevail is probably one of my favorite prog albums ever and you'll probably like it too. Insanely good ensemble (the amazing triple threat of sax/trumpet/violin is such an integral part of their sound) and really fun vocals.

Nova Collective - Another incredible prog group. As far as I know they've only put out one album but it whips ass.

Ask My Bull - These guys popped out of the woodwork a few years ago and I've been obsessed with them ever since, I can't wait to see what they do next. If you're a horn-loving freak like me you absolutely need to listen to them.

Fearless Flyers - The previously aforementioned Vulfpeck spin-off band, guest starring Mark Lettieri of Snarky Puppy and the incredible Nate Smith on drums. Their album Tailwinds is easily one of my favorite albums ever, the addition of a sax trio takes their stuff from incredible to legendary.

Daikaiju - Kaiju-themed surf rock. That's really all that needs saying.

3 - MIKE I NEED SOMETHING THAT'LL MAKE ME SAY "DAMN THAT'S COOL"

Well you're in luck! A wide range of things fit the bill:

Snarky Puppy - A powerhouse jazz/funk/rock ensemble full of insanely talented musicians. Just give this song a listen, you won't regret it.

The Dear Hunter - Dear Hunter (not Deerhunter. Different band) has remained my favorite band since high school. The band has a number of different projects, A collection of EPs for each color of the rainbow, a 5-part rock opera/narrative concept album (with a 6th part that may be a movie??) and other more straightforward albums that still cover a broad range of genres and styles. I think they're great and hopefully you will too.

Hiromi Uehara - Hiromi's probably my favorite pianist ever. Just watch that video. She's ridiculous. She also plays in an incredible trio and guest stars on my favorite Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra song! Preposterously talented and insanely fun to watch. I love her.

The Bad Plus - Speaking of great trios, you can't go wrong with The Bad Plus! Really vibrant arrangements and generally incredible musicianship throughout their work.

Esperanza Spalding - Obscenely talented bassist AND singer AND songwriter. As someone who sings and plays bass (not at the same time, of course) watching her do effortlessly do both at the same time is mesmerizing. I love her.

Chon - Chon's also pretty big now but I want you to imagine you're me at a Dear Hunter (see above) concert back in 2015 and one of the opening bands walks onstage and you're like "well okay what's these guys' deal" and then they start playing these fucking insane picking solos in perfect unison. I literally couldn't believe what I was seeing. I wish everyone could experience Chon through those eyes.

4 - MIKE THOSE ARE COOL AND ALL BUT WHAT I'M REALLY LOOKING FOR IS SOME MUSIC TO GET BUNDLED UP AND GO TO SLEEP TO

You need ambient? I got your ambient right here.

Hiroshi Yoshimura - I was first exposed to the wide, wide world of Japanese ambient music back in college and in all my years since then, few things have been able to beat Yoshimura's atmospheric soundscapes. If you need music to shut your brain off (and who doesn't, from time to time), look no further.

Chihei Hatakeyama - Another Japanese ambient powerhouse, Hatakeyama's got a huge discography of music and all of it will knock your lights out (very pleasantly).

Green-House - Very much inspired by Japanese ambient, Green-house is described as "music for plants". I only wish there was more of it.

Joep Beving - Not exactly an ambient artist but a masterful practitioner of minimal, atmospheric piano. His style is understated but filled with emotion, a great mix of more classical elements with a modern cinematic flair. Great to work to!

5- MIKE EVERYONE'S TALKING ABOUT JAPANESE CITY POP, JAZZ FUSION AND EARLY ELECTRONIC MUSIC BUT I DON'T KNOW WHERE TO START. GET ME ON THE GROUND FLOOR HERE

You got it boss:

Yellow Magic Orchestra - You've probably heard of these guys by now. I've only known about them for 6-ish years after they had a moderate burst of fame here but I think it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say these guys were one of the principle pieces of genetic memory that coalesced into the DNA of modern electronic music. All three of the principle members, Ryuichi Sakamoto, Haruomi Hosono and Yukihiro Takahashi (rest in peace) have all had really prolific solo careers in a ton of styles of music that are all worth your time.

T Square - An absolute titan of Japanese jazz fusion, their album Adventures is a veritable Rosetta Stone of video game music, directly inspiring a good number of video game songs including the dang mario brothers theme! Their stuff is an absolute joy to listen to.

Tatsuro Yamashita - Yamashita is often called the king of city pop and is (according to wikipedia) credited for pioneering Japanese "soft rock". Having grown up on the pacific coast, there's some ineffable truth in his schmaltzy surf music that touches me deep in my soul. You may not have the same experiences as I do, but I hope listening to him will allow you to tap into that divine spark and enjoy it for yourself.

Masayoshi Takanaka - Perhaps not quite as famous as Yamashita, Takanaka is a brilliant guitarist and musician known for that same schmaltzy pacific rock (just look at that damn guitar. I love him) as well as a number of other styles of rock and jazz fusion. He's got a huge discography and it's all incredible.

Casiopea - I would be remiss if I didn't mention Casiopea. I'm not an expert in Japanese music obviously, but I think it'd be fair to say they and T-Square are the two titans holding the glory of late 70's-early 80's jazz fusion like Atlas shouldering the world. Do yourself a favor and listen to Mint Jams.

Himiko Kikuchi - Truthfully I don't know much of Kikuchi's discography other than Flying Beagle (linked) but she absolutely killed it. Do yourself a favor and listen to that too.

6 - WELL MIKE THAT'S ALL WELL AND GOOD BUT WHAT IF I WANT SOMETHING WEIRD THAT DOESN'T FIT IN ANY OF THOSE CATEGORIES

I'm always happy to recommend unconventional stuff. Here's a few albums that I love to close us out:

Tom Waits - Alice - First of all, you should listen to Tom Waits. I know you know him as the Funny Voice Guy but he's had such an incredible musical career that starts great and only gets more and more amazing over time. Anyway, in the 90's, Tom and his wife (and writing partner since the 80's) Kathleen Brennan were scoring weird experimental musicals in Germany, namely The Black Rider (also worth listening to) and Alice. The musical is a strange extrapolation of Alice in Wonderland, namely inspired by Charles Dodgson's (Lewis Carroll) relationship with Alice Liddell, generally accepted as the real-life inspiration for Alice. Though the actual specifics of their relationship are uncertain, the age discrepancy and Charles' general fixation with Alice leads many to assume....the worst about their relationship, an interpretation the musical runs with. The actual musical is hard to find evidence of (there's some documentary footage from the 90's and I've found the script) but Tom rearranged his music for the show and released it in 2002, which in my eyes is the definitive version of the music. The album is unbelievably melancholic, heart-wrenching, at times deeply uncomfortable, and absolutely filled with beauty. Lost in the Harbor is maybe one of my favorite songs of all time. If ANY of this sounds even slightly interesting to you, I implore you to check it out. It also has Colin Stetson on saxophone and clarinet, which segues quite nicely to the next album.....

Colin Stetson - New History Warfare Vol. 2 - You may have actually heard Colin's music before, he's scored films like Hereditary, Color Out Of Space and the newest Texas Chainsaw Massacre movie. New History Warfare is one of his experimental solo projects, most characterized by Stetson recording basically everything in a huge room filled with microphones, creating this incredible impression of scale. It's filled with some of the craziest shit I've ever heard someone do on a saxophone; long, galloping phrases with no pauses for air thanks to circular breathing, mixing in the sound of the valves opening and closing, and an incredible unnatural-sounding delay all achieved with live recording. The Righteous Wrath of An Honorable Man is one of the coolest things I've ever heard in my life (you've probably already heard it before) but the whole album is absolutely captivating.

Caroline Shaw - Partita for 8 Voices - Caroline Shaw is an amazing musician, singer and composer. All of her stuff is really beautiful and worth listening to, but few things stand out as much as this composition, written for and performed by a cappella group Roomful of Teeth (which is probably the sickest possible name for a choral group). I feel like a cappella music has a woefully bland perception among most people (thanks in no small part to Pitch Perfect); all lavish arrangements of pop music with absolutely no soul. If this is what you think all a cappella music is, I urge you to listen to this album. It's a masterful blend of speech, song and energy, filled with a vibrancy and passion I have a difficult time putting into words. You really just have to listen to it.

[j2zara]

my friend who isnt on starbreaker tumblr but is obsessed w the clones and jaceporter said that we should put the clones in a band so i have some ideas to run by you:

j2 on vocals and guitar, obviously. hes the songbird, he's the most talented out of them

j4 on bass. she gives off bass playing girlfriend vibes. bass players are also the ones who fuck the most <3

j3 on drums. relegated to the background as usual but the band wouldnt work w/o him

i'm fascinated to know there are people i will never meet who like the clones. Sad (for me) that ur friend isn't interested in joining the circle of perverts but as ppl who have nuclear launch codes to each others psyches i get it.

ANYWAY. The clones in a band. I've never put like thought thought into it but like the want literally crossed my mind like every fuckin day. I keep joking the Jaces (i think jaceprime should get in on it too!) should be in a band so that they can angrily sing The Chain at each other live. But YEAH this is such a good configuration.

J2 our little songbird!!!!!! And everyone is like "well in order to make it you just have to have some sort of It Factor and. Bluejay has the It Factor" (J3 is so so so fucking normal about this). Meanwhile people who are really into them are like "i get Bluejay is the artist but J4 is the secret sauce and the heartbeat that really makes all of it tick. She's the one who has real instincts about this stuff and really punches everything up. Without her they would be so generic and would not have the same longevity". (J3 is. Slightly better about this but is still so so so so so so so so so so fucking normal about this, too)

I think J2 and J4 get into a lot of fights about creative differences, even tho j2 is usually such a Goodboy this means so much to him and i do think he has a strong creative voice and J4's instincts are so the opposite. (in that. Her instincts are so Jade Victorious coded in that she wants to dump a bucket of stageblood on her audience). AND J2 doesn't do it on purpose but he's like. So so so so so so bad about parasocial boundaries. He's like. These are my friends who i love so so so much :'). We couldn't have done this without you. meanwhile J4 shaves her head and bleaches it and comes out in a wig like. "just kidding. I know how badly changing my appearance would disappoint my friends. Just kidding again. I'm not your friend and you have no say over what i do with my body" and is like. Honestly borderline hostile to the audience. (the people who like her are kinda into that tho)

Meanwhile J3 is such a workman. People ask "is J3 the best drummer in the world?" and J2 (if he's in a mood) is like "J3 isn't even the best drummer in the band". He's so Ringo Starr coded. In that he's weirdly popular but also nobody takes him seriously. However, he is extremely hot tho which somehow only makes him Lose Cred even more!!!! b/c people are like. Oh only stupid girls would only ever like J3. He's not a serious Artist. His hotness brings down the rep of the entire band which J4 pretends she doesn't care about even tho she wants to be taken seriously but J2 thinks is really annoying. But to be fair, J2 is the one who is concerned with being commercial.

And like. To be fair all of J3's songs are so Octopus's Garden coded but also if Octopus's Garden was not a children's song but maybe more about being on substances. But there is a subtext of like. It would be nice if everything was peaceful and everyone would get along :) in there

I also think like. there's like. j2j3 tension b/c j3 is annoyed b/c J4 is breathing into his mouth every night but like. Only seems to take J2 seriously as a collaborator. J3 can also be George coded if i say so. Paul / john love-hate relationship that broke up the band even tho ringo left first i love you i see you im sorry for talking so fucking much about the beatles i know thats so gouche but i think beatles lore is so funny and also when ppl are like "who would ever like the beatles" my base instinct is to go [john mullaney voice] my mommy so shut the fuck up! Stop calling my mommy dumb.... J3 is also ringo coded in that when there's nothing but constant conflict you start to worry that maybe you're the problem.

[veloursamour]

Hello all, I'm so stoked to be back here to give this another shot! So you can find a brief summary of Phoenix below and if you'd like to view his full bio, you can just go ahead too! Please just feel free to hmu anytime on Discord to plot 💗

Phoenix has moved around a bit throughout his life from Sydney, Bordeaux, London, Paris, New York and now he's in Florida ( to create trouble ) to find new inspiration and make new memories in his life. He started his modeling career in 2019 and then he naturally found his way to the music scene as a DJ and eventually becoming a producer too. He's a bit of a yapper in all good and bad ways, uses humour to cope with his feelings, very bubbly and generally just tries to get along with everyone as he's based off the sweetheart Elle Woods from Legally Blonde. He's also very affectionate, kind and hardworking. He's also assertive and won't hesitate to speak up, and he can be a bit provocative in a sense where he can say or do some things to rile others up just for fun. He's also very stubborn and will do whatever it takes to achieve the goal he has set in his mind, and really doesn't give a damn what anyone says.

✯ POTENTIAL CONNECTIONS ✯

fellow model friends / rivals

fans of his music as Nyx Rose

friends who support his DJ sets at clubs

collaborators he can make hits with

childhood friends / family friends from Sydney, Bordeaux, London, Paris whom he can reunite with and get acquainted all over again

neighbours in harborview residences (coral cove)

frenemies

best friends

friends with benefits

✯ WANTED CONNECTIONS ✯

will they, won't they ( any male fc, 24 - 28 years old ) They’re new friends who get along so well but there are times when they feel a bit more than that, both romantically and physically but they don’t actually act upon it. Instead, they tiptoe around each other with subtle contact or some flirty banter and then pull away. Maybe they just need a lot of time navigating all these new feelings. Phoenix doesn't believe in romantic love and relationships but just for them, he's willing to risk it all. ( I imagine some slow burn, butterflies in their tummies every time they meet kind of vibe. Maybe everyone around them thinks they’re together except for them because they haven’t realized it yet or are too scared to admit. I think it would be fun to explore a deeper side of the muses, especially if they haven’t dated much or haven’t had a relationship in ages. )

foe yay ( any male fc, 24 - 28 years old ) They both got off at a bad start and then everything else just seems to come off even more wrong after that. For some reason, they just cannot stand each other and their snarky exchanges create a lot of tension but despite that, they find themselves at the same occasions and in mutual company. Little did they know, their silly hatred is very slowly turning into something they would not have expected... like attraction!

[acaplaya-musings]

Voiceplay Visuals: Halo Theme

I've never played any Halo games before, ever (though I've heard of it, obviously), and this isn't one I watch/listen to very often, but I knew there would be a few things for me to talk about, not just in regards to the actual video, but also in regards to the history of Voiceplay (formerly known as 4:2:Five).

The video was uploaded on the 2nd of October, 2021, and features Scott Porter, who was a founding member of "4:2:Five" (Geoff and Layne are the only two OGs left in the group), and these days is a bit of a small-scale actor, starring in series like Friday Night Lights (the show, not the movie), and Ginny & Georgia. The video was dedicated to Voiceplay's friend and collaborator, Rek Dunn, whom Scott talks about in a segment at the end of the video (which I shall talk about as well, because, well, it gives me more to talk about).

But anyway, let's actually start including some screencaps, shall we?

Holy apocalypse doomsday Batman!

(I swear I'm not actually making fun of the outfits, I just don't really have any specific thoughts on the costuming here, other than there was obviously a theme/vibe/aesthetic they were going for here, and they basically nailed it (and I love Cesar's jacket))

Is it just me or is there a sense of pain/sorrow in Geoff's eyes during a lot of this video? 💔 (he was no doubt thinking of Rek, and I'm sure Layne, Scott, and Eli were thinking about him the whole time as well)

(Also you think this is sad? Well it is, but I've never even watched the video for The Heart Of Life, because I know the context of it, and I've listened to it on Spotify, and the cover alone is heartbreaking enough - watching the video might actually make me tear up)

The editing work on this video is insanely good. This was Layne's arrangement and Layne's video, so I guess it was his editing job as well? There are so many quick cuts and zooms and vocalists popping in and out of sight! And all timed to the arrangement perfectly, of course.

Just to keep viewers on their toes (ayyyy 👉👉)

Those shoes are definitely cool. Who was wearing them, I wonder?

Cesar hitting us with the side-eye!

(Also, probably unintentional, but him being the only one not actually looking to the side (though his head is turned that way) highlights the fact that he is the youngest and newest member. Though undoubtedly a brilliant fit for the group and beloved by fans, he doesn't have the history that the rest of the guys do).

"Red team!"

"Blue team!"

So here's the thing: "Voiceplay" actually just started off as a traditional barbershop-quartet acapella singing group with Geoff, Layne, Earl (yes, he was a founding member (that's why it hurt so much when he left)), and another guy (Michael/Mykhal(?) Kilgore or something like that?). Layne was the baritone of the group. The group decided to add a fifth member, a beatboxer, after being inspired by the group Rockapella, and that fifth member was Scott Porter. They called themselves "4:2:Five", because, literally, they went from 4 to 5 members (they didn't become "Voiceplay" till 2011 or 2012). When Scott left the group to go pursue an acting career, Layne took over as the beatboxer/vocal percussionist (and was shown the ropes by Geoff, actually), and he's stuck to it ever since!

All that to say, this is a fun little moment of OG-beatboxer vs current-beatboxer 😁

Really brilliant effects/editing for this one

So that's the actual acapella bit of the video, now time for the elaboration/dedication at the end from Scott! (Also I really love his shirt)

Surprise! Old Voiceplay/4:2:Five pictures! And by "old" I mean look how young they are! I'm guessing that's Earl on the far left, that's definitely Geoff next to him (my god look at how short his hair used to be!), and that's Layne in the middle (he really was always that tall huh)

Look at them!!! (Layne on the left end, Geoff on the right end)

Apparently the first ever Halo game released, Halo: Combat Evolved, was released in November 2001, so this photo is probably from either late 2001 or sometime in 2002. Maybe a year or two later, but one way another, this is Layne and Geoff in their very early 20s (and look at them now! Aged like fine wine I tell ya.)

Selfies from the Aca Top 10 Disney Sidekicks video!

Rest in peace, Rek 💜

(Also I don't know anything about Halo but apparently this video/arrangement was impressive enough for the actual official Halo Youtube channel to comment on it and call it "legendary", as well as a comment from the guy who wrote the theme in the first place, so yeah damn well done guys)

Not exactly a typical Voiceplay Visuals post, but it was one I didn't want to skip over, and for the next post we will be back to our usual fun theatrical awesomeness! Stay tuned!

[inverted-flowers]

Secret Life Tarot Reading no. 6!

It's Scott's turn!

Quick reminder that as of reading number 5 with Tango these are done after episode 3s have come out. Also! You don't really to know anything about Tarot Cards to enjoy this post. Just understand that I'm using them to predict how our lovely ccs are gonna do in Secret Life.

First Card - Start

So to describe the (now passed) start of Secret Life for Scott I drew The Hanged Man. This card feels like it's more so saying he did well in terms of avoiding rash descions. How? My thoughts are on how while everyone else was taking silly bits of damage, from falling off of things for example, Scott didn't really do that. He did very well in thinking through his situations to avoid losing hearts.

Second Card - Individual

This card is meant to describe how Scott plays this season. I drew The Lovers. This card talks about positive collaboration and how trust in your team provides strength. I'm thinking this is saying Scott plays with a strong bond with his team or at least intends to. He wants to be able to work with his team and trust in them.

Third Card - Social

This card is supposed to describe how things go for Scott on the social aspect. I've drawn Justice in Reverse which discusses dishonesty and one-sidedness. It's funny because at first I was just looking at this card and the one before it and wondering how the heck that could make any sense. They're kind of difficult for someone to have at the same time here ya know? But then I changed perspectives a bit and it makes more sense.

There's a few ways we can take this. Usually when I'm drawing this card when someone's I'm got a team assuming that it's going to refer to their team first and the rest of the server second. Since we're looking for the more major kinda baseline stuff it just makes sense. So I suppose the first idea here is that this card is referencing Scott's social experience outside of his team. I'm not really feeling that theory but it felt best to mention it anyway. The next idea is that the dishonesty is coming from either Gem or Impulse. I'm also not going to completely shoot down the idea that Scott is the perpetrator in either of these. I just think the cards are saying he gets deceived- maybe marinated if we don't mind using Among Us terminology lmao. Someone pulls the wool over his eyes and keeps it there.

Fourth Card - Big Impact

This card is meant to tell us about what has the biggest impact on Scott's season. I drew The Chariot for this. This sounds like he survives something by the skin of his teeth. That or it's describing something like what usually happens to the last green (which Scott has plenty of experience with). If that's the case I'd reckon he sees it coming from a mile away and narrowly avoids it.

Fifth Card - End

I drew The Emperor in Reverse. This card talks about being blind to others needs as well as hiding one's true intentions. This sounds like it could be a callback to our 3rd card. Someone, whether that be a teammate or someone else, decieves him.

Final Thoughts and Theories:

I somehow drew all Major Arcana cards for this reading? Also as I was interpreting this the song Jenny Was A Friend Of Mine by The Killers popped into my head which was ironic with some of these cards. (I always have a song stuck in my head at this point I swear.)

Is he gonna win a second time? This reading certainly doesn't sound like it's giving a definite 'no' but I'm not sure it's a 'yes' either. If I had to make a guess as to how it unfolds I'd say he trusts someone he gets deceived by (cards 3&5) and it does him in. Could he pull a gaslight, gatekeep, girlboss? Sure but thats not the vibe I'm getting. Maybe he gets decieved and it results in him being unable to help his teammates. That would leave him alone after he builds his game around working strong together. If we wanna go back to my previous reading with Impulse, I said there's a chance he betrays or just overall messes things up with Gem & The Scotts. Maybe Impulse stabs him in the back for a task? The task would be the need Scott is blind to here (card 5). There's also the whole thing with how Scott is usually one of the last alive. Those who will be around towards the end of his season are likely to all be red. Yeah we'll see I suppose!

'Til next time! :D

[fideidefenswhore]

Hi! I understand if you don't feel like sharing it ,but i really would like to read your meta about that Henry/Anne scene in BSR ''Isn't that enough?''. I hope you have a nice day.

"is it enough for you?" , but yes, i actually elaborated on this a little more elsewhere in other tags because i used that shot of that scene again for another edit.

so, expanding where i left off:

the images chosen are more the vibe for the quotes but the one from BSR is very specific

it's a great scene and it's so well-acted bcus she feels BAD for him here.

she pities him. she feels bad for him because he's losing her bcs she's not going to settle for these terms

because she knows she's amazing

and she's so self-posessed in the scene

and he cannot handle this and so it manifests in the reaction(you're making a big mistake; except that is his own big projection)

she's willful and knows her worth and won't diminish herself for anyone

...and i chose the reaction from the scene bcus it's not necessarily at odds with these descriptions (of her 'prudence')

bcs it takes a lot of dignity and self-worth and inward grace to stand one's ground enough (to withstand the 'tide of their prince')

...to give that rejection that by all social and cultural norms and graces she was simply not supposed to give. or was at least supposed to couch in more self-effacing terms.

but yeah anyway i know people thought BSR was 'trashy' but i actually thought the acting and chemistry between them was really great and maybe even lifted the writing from its weaker points.

because just the way he reels back at the line 'is it enough for you?' in all its pity-wrought glory...firstly, because it seems like it's a question no one has ever thought to ask him before, and secondly, so it gives way into that transformation from the shock into anger (how a 'lesser' person is daring to pity him, how he doesn't want her pity, he wants her love) which is just...chef's kiss. she absolutely obliterates his dignity here, not only in her rejection but in this eloquent explanation as to why this is her answer, and in the finality of her conviction. it is delicious. they could have this scene anywhere, in this darkened staircase for its the tudors copycat setting in this lithuanian palace, or on a fucking greenscreen, and it would still be just as powerful if these were its actors.

(im realizing that if anyone who is reading this hasn't watched they're going to think i'm an insane person based on this description... so hopefully the actual beats of the scene below will reveal what i mean, lol:

there's also a compelling subversion of (modern) expectation here, because...the only different thing in this equation is the status of the man asking to love her, asking why love is 'not enough'. for most 16c women of anne's status, no, 'love' wasn't enough. security was preferred. and, actually, it's very anachronistic how much this opinion is villianized (see, tobg:

...when it's like...yeah, a man's love was considered worthless. if it wasn't, they wouldn't have considered betrothal contracts to be a necessary evil!). it's very easy for him to say that she would 'want for nothing' (households, jewels, etc, one assumes), and she isn't allowing his ease: she's contradicting him, and pointing out that there is little security in the position of royal mistress.

herein lies the constant counterfactual moralistic tutting: anne 'should've just become a mistress,' always paired with 'this would, in the end, have made her 'safer.'' and it would have, as we know (not anne), but it would also, as she points out here, likely lead into her being a nonentity (a voice on the pillow, a woman hiding underneath the sheets and behind the bed curtains, an ornament for dancing), and she didn't want to be one: she wanted to be partner and collaborator of her future husband, not the diversion and darling of someone else's.

tl;dr the scene is powerful because she feels bad for him (she feels bad for herself, too, but she only allows him to see the former:

[mxniomei]

manhwa/manta comics recommendations go 🎤

FUCK YEA 5 PARAGRAPH RANT BELOW

Manta specific:

Under the Oak Tree is surprisingly good. I say that bc I honestly thought I was gonna hate Maxi bc I can't stand bumbling naïve protagonists, but she redeems herself really quickly. She's not naïve, she's traumatized, and has a lot of understandable triggers. Riftan is likable in the funniest way possible imo bc he's so Stupid like he's so scared Maxi is gonna leave he just looks goofy trying to get her to stay which I approve.

I've Become a True Villainess is a transmigration/Isekai who's protagonist, Seria Sterne, is trying to reform her image and it is so incredibly likable! Seria is refreshingly normal personality wise; she's not dumb not naïve , understands when to give up the ghost, and is just incredibly likable all around. Her relationship with Rouche is fascinating; I have a creeping suspicion that Rouche might be more of a romantic than he lets on, and it just makes their relationship kinda hilarious. Lina is a fascinating character as well, who might know more than we give her credit for. . .

Duchess Crow is my current favorite! Melisa, a 32 year old gemologist, is approached by Louis/Lewis, a 25 year old noble who asks for a contract marriage with her. Melisa is smart as a whip and has a no nonsense personality that speaks to me. She's not just the kingdoms brightest gemologist, but she's also just really good at analyzing a situation and figuring it out. Louis is severely charming to the point of pissing me off, but he's also smart and likable. However, i think Louis's most likable trait is how much he really respects Melisa. He gives her a lot of deference, clearly cares about her opinion, doesn't try to convince her he knows better-- he's genuinely collaborative with her, and knows that her intellect is greater than his in some situations, so he wants to lend her his power to be able to make her goals attainable. He also (so far!) has not pulled any asshole moves male leads are prone to in manhwa. He only ever dangles his status over her in a playful manner, and doesn't actually believe he's better or can dominate her in any way. And their story is pretty high stakes, working against a villain that's easy to love and hate.

Non Manta:

Marry My Husband is a time travel piece about a woman who's gonna get mad revenge against her boyfriend and best friend. The male lead is so pathetic meow meow and I'm obsessed with how he's obsessed with her. It's a good dramatic romp!

Beware of the Villainess is another transmigration/isekai except instead of just redeeming herself, Melissa fuckin DOMINATES the plot. She learns sword play, beats the shit out of a bunch of cunty dudes, and is my wife ! There's a wet blorbo blue haired boy, which is my favorite genre of boy, and a lot of bi vibes through out.

[thesinglesjukebox]

ORVILLE PECK FT. KYLIE MINOGUE & DIPLO -"MIDNIGHT RIDE"

Pride Month may be over, but midnight rides on...

[4.27]

Kylo Nocom: Orville Peck, as far as I'm aware, has always been bad winking kitsch with an occasionally tender moment. Kylie Minogue's brief, inexplicable genre dalliance was underappreciated for its solid pop songwriting, overshadowed by the easy headline of "Kylie Goes Country!" Diplo is somehow still getting work. Unfortunately, this track is like the worst instincts of each transformed into some horrific hydra. Orville's pained groaning clashes against Kylie's whispers and belting, neither finding a spot where they complement each other; still, the song chugs on! There's even a goofy whistle drop thrown in there, like a "fuck you, I'm here too!" from Diplo himself. [1]

Alfred Soto: I guess they're going for the contrast between Kylie Minogue's libidinous squeak and Orville Peck's bullfrog gravitas. Perhaps all involved hoped the presence of Kylie would transform "Midnight Ride" into "Baby I'm Burnin'" for the post-Diplo era. I'll admit it sounds as uncharacteristic of its moment as Zach Bryan's "Pink Skies."  [5]

TA Inskeep: Peck's and Minogue's voices pair okay enough, but Diplo (I'm gonna blame him) doesn't bring much to the song's production. If you want true disco country, go for Adam Mac's "Disco Cowboy," which gets it right in every way "Midnight Ride" doesn't. [4]

Wayne Weizhen Zhang: This is extremely sexy until you come to the realization that it seems like within the canon of the song Orville Peck is wooing Kylie Minogue, and then it’s suddenly hilarious but not quite camp. It doesn’t help that the chirpy whistle motif sounds jacked from a Flo Rida song.  [6]

Ian Mathers: Peck continues to have the kind of voice that makes questions of camp and pastiche irrelevant (it is and it isn't and who cares?), and as great a performer as Minogue is, always, her voice pales in comparison. Diplo's production continues to be either uninteresting or so ubiquitous as to seem uninteresting -- suggesting, once more and with renewed force, that it's probably worth finding someone else to work with. [4]

Nortey Dowuona: Fuck Diplo and fuck critically engaging with his music. (Orville and Kylie sound real fucking good tho.) (Also the drum programing is fucking terrible.)  [5]

Katherine St. Asaph: Fuck Diplo. That out of the way, Orville Peck is still kinda giving Meat Loaf, and the panting melodrama certainly aspires to be giving Jim Steinman, though its execution lacks chest heave. [6]

Taylor Alatorre: "Fake it 'til you make it," they say, but this song's fake-confidence in its own radio potential is stripped bare after the tongue-in-cheek harlequinisms of the spoken-word bridge. It could be that Orville Peck became aware that "Midnight Ride" wasn't organically generating the sense of windswept drama that he'd been banking on, and so a turn to the extra-musical was a brute necessity; or he was so starstruck by Kylie's presence that he wrote an entire song for the sole purpose of reciting this breathless soap opera dialogue with her. Either way, it's a creative choice that communicates far more than the arid verses or the overcrowded choruses do, though unfortunately far less than the Diplo-by-numbers whistle hook does. [3]

Brad Shoup: Peck is snapped to Kylie's wavelength, from the sneaky homages in his phrasing to the unapologetic pleasure-seeking: inhaling all the heat he can before getting bored. That extends to the production—not the campfire camp, the vibe of which is essentially "Big Enough" with the sound off—but the cruise-control disco. There's barely anything left for her to do! He gets to wriggle a little on the spoken bridge, but this is more a one-reel gag than a widescreen romp.  [5]

Jonathan Bradley: For all the gothic Western drama Peck promises in "Midnight Ride," he delivers a trot through a rather featureless landscape. Perhaps that's for the best as far as Kylie's concerned; her last collaboration with a theatrical baritone prima donna gave her a much richer role, but she also ended up bludgeoned beside a river. Here, she's just whistled at. [4]

Mark Sinker: “Dumb or not much to say?” porque no los dos.jpg  [4]

[Read, comment and vote on The Singles Jukebox]

[ipsen]

touka and/or chie hori for the character asks pls pls

Touka and Chie! What a delight. (sorry about the wait. am tired)

Under the cut! I don't like taking up space.

Chie first!

one aspect about them i love

Her attitude! She's a free spirit and that's really admirable. Not a lot of people have the confidence and outlook she has to do the things she does (namely leaking CCG documents).

one aspect i wish more people understood about them

I don't do deep dives in the Chie fandom, unfortunately, so I don't think I really have anything here. I guess I wish she had more influence since she's an integral aspect of TG's overall world? Humans who aren't necessarily anti-human, but rather they clash with the "necessity" of the CCG, either through outright opposing it (she steals from them) or just overall vibes (doesn't let someone's status as ghoul or human define her opinion of them).

one (or more) headcanon(s) i have about this character

Studied software engineering, but not in college. Turns out you don't need university to gain the knowledge that a degree supposedly gets you!

one character i love seeing them interact with

Shuu "Let's Launch a Cyber Attack on CCG Servers with Piss Poor Equipment in the 24th Ward" Tsukiyama. I settle my case.

one character i wish they would interact with/interact with more

I'd say "women" as a general catch-all, but that's kind of cheating since TG doesn't like when women speak to each other. Hm... I wonder what her relationship to Kaneki was like. Maybe it's explored in the novels, but I haven't read them, so I have no idea how they actually interact. I'd also like to see her talk to Hinami because Hinami always needs more friends.

one (or more) headcanon(s) i have that involve them and one other character

In the event she were to meet Urie, he'd ask her for photographs to give him inspiration for his next art piece, and she'd ask him for his art pieces to inspire her where to go next in her travels. Very tranquil type of relationship.

--

Now for Touka!

one aspect about them i love

Her penchant for observing and understanding the people around her. It goes hand in hand with her ability to reach out to people and form connections with them, regardless of any existing friction between them. Her conversation with Amon in re 117 is particularly beautiful, because of how she encourages him and how he encourages her in return. Kindness begets kindness.

one aspect i wish more people understood about them

Her penchant for observing and understanding the people around her! Even Ishida himself kinda forgot that part of her (or rather, he put that part of her on hold), especially after re 125. Like, the Dragon arc could have been completely avoided if she had a bigger role in the narrative, but she basically gets put on standby (despite demonstrating a proactive attitude for those she cares about) until it's too late.

Because of that standby, I think people call her personality in re cardboard, which it isn't, but it comes off that way. I actually love her more in re because she's mellowed out a lot and has matured since the original series.

one (or more) headcanon(s) i have about this character

I think I said this before in an old post, but I think she has a stash of biology books lying around somewhere in preparation for her attendance of Kamii, a thread that never got revisited from the original series. Adding onto that, she collaborates with Kimi and the science team post-re to finally achieve that dream of hers (I treated myself when writing Holometabolism as well with this).

one character i love seeing them interact with

Again, saying "women" is cheating, but I have to say Hinami, who she ties with for 2nd favorite character in TG. Big Sister Touka is my favorite brand of Touka. Also Ayato. I love sibling interactions in general.

one character i wish they would interact with/interact with more

Kaya Irimi. This series is oversaturated with ukaku ghouls, but I wanted to learn more about Irimi after the Owl Suppression arc. Little Sister Touka would also be a good side to see.

one (or more) headcanon(s) i have that involve them and one other character

If it were up to me, I'd put Kaya and Touka in the same apartment, upon which they welcome Hinami with welcome arms. I just think the OG Anteiku crew would be a lot more close-knit than canon thinks they are. Minority solidarity, you know?

--

That's everything! Thanks for the ask

[sophaeros]

3 13 15 20!!!!

3. humbug or tbh+c?

THIS IS AN EVIL EVIL QUESTION AND I CANNOT BELIEVE OP WOULD WRITE IT OR THAT YOU WOULD ASK ME THIS!!!!!! humbug is so very immortal for its moody unabashed horniness but tbhc is so..Is So.....when it hits you it really hits you. it's so cinematic and i can't help but love that. BUT HUMBUG..ITS PIVOTAL TURN AND OBLIQUE LYRICS......but also the narrative and Imagery of tbhc. i dont know i dont know i dont want to give a cop out answer. OK IDK MAYBE HUMBUG??it has a range of sounds that are nonetheless cohesive + i love how he switches between obfuscating clever wordplay and kitchen sink slices of miserable time. very hashtag inspiration. my new homescreen in progress is literally tbhc tho so WAILING EMOJI

13. what are some of your favourite lyrics alex has written? (doesn't have to be arctic monkeys, can also include tlsp/ other artist collaborations/the submarine soundtrack)

OK SO I HAVE A CHANNEL IN MY PERSONAL DISCORD SERVER FOR LINES THAT INSPIRE ME BC SOME OF THEM PISS ME OFF IN HOW THEY FEEL LIKE I COULD HAVE WRITTEN THEM IF I WAS JUST A LITTLE BETTER AND MORE WIRED. here are some

when the heat starts growing horns / she's thunderstorms

in the backroom of a bad dream (i'll feel bad if it turns out miles wrote this one)

like in my heart there's that hotel suite / and you've lived there so long / it's kind of strange now you're gone

is that vague sense of longing kinda tryna cause a scene?

LIKE FUCKIN..first one drives me insane forever i dont even know why. for one thing i'm forever in awe of how he slots words into melodies like i can't write music man maybe i'll learn this year but it blows my fucking mind how he makes them sound so good And that they rhyme. and his imagery is just off the charts like u listen to it and ur like fuck that makes so much SENSE even as ur hit w HOW THE FUCK DID HE THINK OF THAT. i can't even articulate what it is about shes thunderstorms that gets me so bad.

2 and 3 are just. idk i love how he conceptualises these abstract places. like it brings these nebulous feelings and vibes and locates them in a solid place but also with surreal imagery. idkidk it just blows my mind im so mad maybe i should make a compilation of lines like these

4 just hits hard bc it's saur relatable LMAO. just fuckin the phrase "cause a scene" with the vague feeling of longing.......URGH. song made for aimless artists having an identity and existential crisis.

15. favourite arctic monkeys b-side?

UMUM UM . SO VERY MANY. ok the on brand answer would be catapult but TRUTHFULLY i find myself always going back to too much to ask. every time it comes on i have to loop it at least twice. im just soooo very enraptured by how he captures the mundane and the slow frustration the impending sense of doom. the whole song has such a like..inevitable vibe. the song trucks on at a steady pace all leading toward the ending realisation that really you could already see coming from the very first line.

20. favourite record ender track?

GOD it's gotta be a three way tie between that's where youre wrong, i wanna be yours and the ultracheese. actually perfect sense is in there too. four way tie.

thats where youre wrong to me really encapsulates this breezy sense of melancholy thats so distinctive of the sias album. it just moves so lightly like a clear day when spring is shading into summer but it's so undeniably Sad. it coming after sias is the perfect one two punch of this exact vibe.

BUT I WANNA BE YOURS. MY BABY. I LOVE HER BADLY the simplicity of it the pure unadulterated longing and desperation. i would fucking do ANYTHING to be yours i would make myself so useful and devoted just for you to deign to say you need me. it just brings you to another dimension man. blast it on your headphones at 3am and you will unlock a never seen before depth of hell called longing. it just strips the whole am album down to its core (ie pleaesepleasepleaspelepalseplease text me back)

the ultracheese. lies down. it's everybody's favourite. and for GOOD REASON. the insanity of ending on a gutwrenchingly honest confession after an entire album about fantasy and escape. WHAT THE FUCK. WHAT KIND OF ACTUAL FUCKING SICKO ENDS ON "but i haven't stopped loving you once." ARGHHHH and musically it's like it's so very tbhc. is the best way i can say it. the tbhc album's sound and atmosphere put to fucking Work.

perfect sense makes me want to walk off a cliff and lie down in the dirt forever and ever and ever. if ultracheese was a confession perfect sense is a rumination. i was going to say it's like relief if relief tasted like whiskey but idk if i can even really say relief it's just like. i think it's also quite special to me because i do sincerely believe that by and large things will work out in the end and something unremarkable in your past will come to be the perfect solution in your future and back then it appeared just as it was meant to. it's like going on a long journey so that you could learn that where you began is what you needed and that doesnt mean the journey was a waste because you needed it yknow. i know there were people being like ohhh oh no tc is their last album and like perfect sense has such end of movie vibes but only the kind of ending where you know the characters are going to continue on past the end of the reel. yknow.

so idk maybe i will say either perfect sense or thats where youre wrong because i listen to thats where youre wrong a lot but clearly i have Feelings about perfect sense

thanks for the ask bug!! <3