#because of his tuning style and how distinctive it is

[innocuous-gnome]

at any given moment i am vibrating with the need to infodump about vocaloid

[vapyofthewind]

Musical Critters au

Hi! Here's my Au called the Musical Critters. There will also be a Nightmare Critter version of this au soon so stay tuned!

Here are the characters and info:

Musical Critters are A group of friends who turned the world upside down with their music. Each member is distinct, and not all music is equal. Their main goal is to bring smiles with their music!

Their rival group are the Tragedy Critters.

1st member: Dogtone

DogTone prefers to hear than to compose, he is the one who helps his friends with composing music, he has a lil bit of knowledge on almost every area. Though being completely average on any kind of composing activities. He is knowledgeable enough to give his criticism to help others improve though. The Musical Critters call him their leader.

2nd member: Sonacat

Sonacat doesn't sing. He just plays instruments. His favorite are the flutes. Sonacat is mute, but is very good with his hearing, being able to do extremely well on his job. He is a bit distant from the other Musical Critters. But still joins them for festivals sometimes.

3rd member: Tunne Tunnephant

Tunne Tunnephant is extremely good on his job. He knows exactly when there's something wrong on his melody, and is the best one at music theory out of the group. If anyone needs help with composing, Tunne is the hand you need! Though, sucking a bit at actually playing the instruments.

4th member: Happy Harpsichord

Happy Harpsichord is good at the piano/keyboard, but doesn't let it fool you, she doesn't play classical music. Her main focus is to make the songs sound as happy and funky as possible. Normally she plays those at children's parties. Sometimes she gets the Critters tired and not sleeping because she's playing it past 12 am. She truly never stops playing sometimes.

5th member: Cello Cellobear

Cello Cellobear, as the name says, plays the Cello. Her songs are normally love-based, calm and romantic. Normally she plays on ballroom parties, and everyone seems to enjoy her songs. Often being called to play on Orchestras. She's very kind torwards the other Critters and often helping them to play the instruments sometimes.

6th member: Classicorn

Classicorn only plays classical music. Though her doors are open to any kind of music, she mainly focus on classical music. But she's very good at it. She never stops composing, at a point where her room is just full of sheet paper full of notes. Her and Tunne are the ones who compose songs for the group. She is very creative with her songs, finding lots of different ways to play them, but still sounding like classical music.

7th member: Pitchy Piggy

Pitchy Piggy is the singer of the group. Her voice is considered to be one of the bests on the world. She sings on Operas, and got more fame than any other of the critters at this point. When she's stressed, all she does is sing. Often the other critters ask her to Sing the songs they created.

8th member: Funky Frizzle

Funky Frizzle LOVES funky music. He just loves dancing to funky beats. His songs are extremely funky, and normally are playing on the streets. He also knows how to beatbox, and how to breakdance. He calls his style the "coolest to ever exist".

[sillysowa]

Can you do a Hobie x fem!reader having to do with the song Rebel Yell by Billy Idol? I’ve been obsessed with that song lately. Ofc the song may not be Hobie’s style but the lyrics could be quite interesting for a fun night iykyk

(And in the end he would probably start liking the song bc of the good night they had together all because of the implications the song has)

absolutely anon!<3 sorry for the wait.

REBEL YELL!

pairing: hobie brown x fem!reader

genre: angst, fluff, smut

word count: 2.2k

warnings: not proofread! hickeys, vaginal fingering, vaginal sex

authors note: got a little carried away with the angst but don’t worry it has a happy ending!

synopsis: you had promised hobie he’d never see you again, but you both knew it was a lie

—

You told Hobie he’d never see you again…after that night, you were afraid of the grip he had over your mind. He altered with your brain chemistry and made it difficult for you to make reasonable decisions—or so you said. You both knew it was just too much; he was something you weren’t used to. He took his time with you, never expected anything from you, loved and fucked you like he meant it—it was brand new, and you were almost positive it was love.

It had been almost half a year since that night, since you’d last been in that apartment. You missed the smell, the feeling, the love. He treated you so good even until the end. He let you leave because he only wanted you to be happy…

—

“You know i’ll always be here, sweetheart.” Hobie whispered against your skin, his arm over your stomach and his lips on your neck. He had destroyed you all night, and loved you all morning like he does best. His sheets smelled like sex and your perfume and his touch gently broke down your walls. You weren’t ready for it and he knew that.

You got out of his bed, those long fingers dragging across your skin as you left his warmth. Hobie just watched you, dark eyes following your naked figure covered in hickeys and small bite marks that he had given you throughout the night. You slipped on your clothes, adjusting them in the mirror when you noticed Hobie in the reflection. You hadn’t realized he had gotten out of bed, his hands coming to your waist and his eyes boring into yours through the reflection. He looked beautiful, so peaceful in the dark night hours with you.

“If you truly want to leave me…m’not stopping you…but i’ll never stop loving you Y/N.” He whispered the confession that had weighed down his tongue for far too long into the air, his heart tearing apart at the sight of you so conflicted in his arms, under his touch. You kissed him one last time before you grabbed your bag and you left, telling yourself that you would never get this close to hurting yourself again.

—

You were ready for him now, speeding down the highway in your car. Your red heels pressed on the gas, not even needing the directions because how could your brain ever forget this drive? You would always know the turns and twists to Hobie’s place. You pulled up on the side of the road under the illumination of a street lamp, checking yourself over one last time in the mirror before you opened the car door, stepping out into the chilled summertime air. This was it.

As you took the stairs up, your heels echoing around you, you thought of what you would say. “Hey Hobie, sorry I was too scared to be with you because you’re the only person i’ve ever truly loved, wanna give it a second try?” There was really no easy or casual way to get back into his life you imagined—you were worried you hurt him—maybe even so bad that he wouldn’t want you back. God, what if he has new girl? What if he was over it? Your fists clenched as you walked to his floor, your heartbeat pounding like a bass drum in your ears. You could hear music bleeding out from behind his door, and your heart rate kicked into high gear as the far away tune became distinct—clearly, you had left your Billy Idol vinyl at his place the last time you slept together—six months ago. He had always teased you about your taste, saying Billy Idol wasn’t as good as you claimed, but he only did it to see you get all frustrated and petty. He loved everything about you, even your music taste…so when you left him that night and he had to sit in the silence of your absence, he held onto the last piece left behind that you had ever been there—your vinyl.

You heard it now, the racing guitar of your favorite song making the fine hairs in your ears stand up, your hand raised to knock pausing outside his door…he was playing along. Hobie was playing along so well you could barely even notice the added guitar. You felt a surge of emotions flood your veins, your knees weakening. With squinted eyes and a sigh, you pulled yourself together.

You tapped your knuckles against the door, your entire body trembling in anticipation.

—

Hobie rolled his eyes at the sound of knocking on door, preparing himself for a noise complain even though he had turned the music down significantly. He really missed you tonight…it had been so long. He couldn’t help it when he wanted nothing more than to drown out his emotions with something you had loved him to.

“I’m coming.” He groaned.

—

“I’m coming.” His muffled voice rasped behind the door and you could’ve died right there. You wanted to press your cheek against the door and melt through it, you wanted to be his again, you couldn’t wait any longer for him to open that damn door. God, you prayed you looked good…

—

With heavy steps, Hobie cracks his sore neck and unlocked his door, opening it and revealing who waited on the other side. The tiredness and annoyance practically vanished off his face in an instant as his heart clenched in his chest. It was you. You were standing outside his door with your pretty eyes looking up at his, dressed up and visibly just as nervous as him. He couldn’t speak, so many words coming to mind but none making it out his mouth, he just held the doorframe with his jaw slack,

“Hobie…” You whisper, your red-heeled foot nervously swaying, “I know I told you I was leaving but��� I miss you Hobie, and I can’t be away from you any longer...i’m so sorry for running…” You confess, mustering up all the courage you can and taking a step closer to him, gently touching his arm with your glossy eyes locking onto his.

He could have sworn he was dreaming and that you weren’t in front of him right now, but he knew that touch better than anything—you were real, and you were back. He exhaled a breath he didn’t know he was holding in, this weight that had been dropped on him ever since you left lifting off his shoulders as he holds your chin in his hand,

“Y/N my dear, when I told you i’d wait for you, I meant every word.” He whispers tenderly, his thumb rubbing over your lower lip, “Everyday since you’ve been gone, never once doubted you wouldn’t be back. Y’know I love you and y’know that’ll never change, angel.” Hobie whispered under his breath, his long slender fingers holding your jaw firmly as he leans down, both of your breaths mingling before he closes the gap, kissing you like he’s meant to for months.

You lean against him and he stumbles back, holding you through the kiss while fumbling to close the door as you make your way into his apartment. There was nothing in this earth that could match the feeling of Hobie’s love; his lips on yours just like you love it and his hands under your thighs as he picks you up, your vinyl booming through his speakers as he devotes all his passion to you through his pierced lips. The back of your knees met his bed and you gave in to the fall, his arms caging you in. After kissing until your lips felt numb, he broke away only to catch his breath, his eyes soft as gazes at you,

“You’ve changed…” He whispers but he doesn’t sound disappointed or upset, he sounds curious and genuinely happy for you. You smile,

“Just a bit…still like your lips on my neck though.”

He laughs softly through his nose, leaning down and kissing your neck in that way that makes you melt,

“Yeah I know…still my good girl…” He coo’s, his back muscles tensing under his white tank top. He slipped his hands under your shirt, sucking hickeys into your neck and kneading your boobs gently, his long fingers massaging them. You felt your eyes roll into the back of your head, seeing stars from his tantalizing touch. He peeled your shirt off, tossing it behind himself as he worked on your pants, that hungry look in his eyes that made your pussy wet.

“This alright with you, angel?” His hoarse voice cuts through your dreams and heavy desire, and you nod slowly for him. He strips you nude, his beautiful muse on display for him once more.

He dips his fingers between your thighs, his long and spindly fingers that you can’t get enough of. He toyed with your clit before slipping them deep inside you, mocking sympathy at the way you whimper for him. The feeling of his fingers curling inside you makes your thighs shake, and you cry out,

“M-More Hobie! More, please~” You clutch onto his shirt, your heart pounding and your head light as he pumps his fingers into your soaking pussy that greedily sucks him in, tight and warm,

“What do you want, my love? Hm?” He asked, a seductive smile tugging at the corners of his lips as he looked down at you. He knew what you wanted, but God did he love dragging it out of you,

“Please, Hobie, fuck me…” You groaned, your thighs trembling. He laughed,

“C’mon you know you can’t take me without loosening up a bit.” He teases with his voice an octave lower, nibbling on your earlobe as he fingers you faster, the rhythm of the song spurring him on. He decided to stop teasing you when you moaned brokenly for him, his cock twitching in his sweatpants,

“Alright, alright my love.” He shushed you with his lips on yours, slipping his pants down, his cock hitting his stomach fully hard,

“Look…look what you do to me, angel.” He groans, stroking himself, “Turn around for me.”

You did just as he asked, arching with your ass in the air. With his hands on your waist, Hobie thrusted in, filling you up and almost keeling over at the feeling of being back inside you for the first time in forever,

“F-Fuck…” Hobie hissed, his dick dragging against your tight walls like it’s exactly where it’s supposed to be, his pace growing rapid in need. You tremble and scream at how he fucks you. It’s good—so good,

“Yes! Yes, Hobie, yes right there~! Oh fuck, I need you!” You practically sobbed, your throat tight and your pussy squelching around his cock. The sound of skin slapping rang out in his apartment along with the music, a new melody being crafted through your passion.

Your body, mind, and heart needed this more than you could ever imagine. The feeling of Hobie’s touch as he fucked you like this had tears welling up in your eyes, and you couldn’t help but scream for him,

“Hobie! Hobie I…” He broke you down, the feeling of him pumping so deep inside you nearly sucking the air out of your lungs and leaving you speechless. He thrusted and thrusted, your fingers clenching the sheets under you like a lifeline as he filled you with pleasure. You cried for him and he felt his heart throb,

“I know my love, c’mon and let it all out.” Hobie moaned, his skin sweaty and his dick hot inside you. The friction was becoming unbearable and he knew he was going to die inside you if he kept going like this, but he fucking loved it. You unraveled under him, screaming like he was taking your soul as you came, dripping down your thighs and making a mess. Hobie fucked you through it all, your pussy growing sore quickly as he pumped inside. With a desperate whimper he pulled out, cumming all over your back. He stroked every last drop out, sighing at the sight of you pressed against his sheets and looking up at him so sweetly.

He pulled his tank top off and wiped you off with it, tossing it into his laundry and flopping down beside you, pulling you against his chest. ‘Eyes Without A Face’ played softly in his room, as he looked into your eyes. Hobie knew he’d never have to see you walk away from him again by the way you called his name in your after glow,

“Hobie…”

“Yes doll?” He murmured, his hand cupping your face,

“I love you.” You whispered, telling him what he already knew but never thought he’d hear aloud. In that moment, Hobie wished he could have frozen time to just bask in what that felt like. He never wanted to let go of that high. He leaned forward and kissed you softly, just his lips pressed against yours for a second before he held you to his chest,

“I love you more.”

Your vinyl spun to its end soon later, two lovers wrapped up together in the midnight and clinging to each other in their sleep. Hobie felt in his soul that he would do absolutely anything for you—anything to have you in his arms like this every single night, and the would so just that. For now, he would just hold you tighter in his sleep and make love to you all night in his dreams.

—

@ohxx @luxxtuxx @fatenpara @hobesbf @defnot-bri

[undiscovered-horizon]

Amendments II: The Panther and the Duckling - Kaz Brekker x Reader

[Part 1]

[vulgar language, canon-typical violence]

SUMMARY: The moment comes when Kaz gives you the opportunity to make amendments for the two thugs that started a fight at his club. He can only nod in appreciation at the mayhem you effortlessly cause.

WORDCOUNT: ~ 2.2k

[Grishaverse-inspired playlist]

Kaz didn’t quite know what to expect when walking towards your place. Would it be filled with riches? Or instead, kept plain and simple? How golden is the Golden Panther’s lair?

Despite having no expectations, he’s pretty surprised to see the interior of Albasten Vlam Casino. Creme and crimson furnishing along with gold chandeliers and brackets make the venue appear exclusive. A soft jazz tune carries through the venue, skilful hands of the pianist creating a neverending, atonal melody. The guests are also nothing short of lavish, losing in one game the same amount of money some citizens of Ketterdam earn in three months' time. It seems as though the entrance to the Albasten Vlam is a doorway into another realm, where poverty and disease are about as real as the boogeyman under a child’s bed.

Two Fjerdans, each roughly the size of a grange, eye Kaz suspiciously as he walks through the spacious halls. His common elegance looks almost offensive among the million-Kruge suits of the casino’s clientele. Even if he wasn’t a thief, the guards would still expect him to dabble in thievery - simply because of the way he looks compared to the other patrons.

Walking up short stairs and turning into backrooms and staff-only corridors, Kaz knows that he’s expected. Otherwise, why is no one stopping him? In fact, most of the employees don’t seem to pay him much mind.

The long hall decorated with statues and paintings ends in a two-wing pair of doors almost completely covered by the stocky bodies of bodyguards. One of them, covered in tattoos of Zemenian origin, laughs when Kaz approaches the door.

“Oi, boys!” the tattooed man yells to someone behind Kaz. He speaks with a heavy accent. “Would you look at this! Twee’y wans in.”

Kaz hears two sets of footsteps behind him. They’re not distinctively loud, those people aren’t carrying weapons.

“I came to speak with the Golden Panther,” Kaz states, unaffected.

“Like many did before ya and many will do after,” the guard answers. “Wha’eve’ ya have to say to me Boss, ya can say to me, Twee’y.”

“Very well,” Kaz says quietly. “I’m here to discuss the repayment of Panther’s debt for causing a fight in my club.”

The tattooed man gives his friend, who looks like his archenemy is the Sun, a meaningful look.  “Keep an eye on the lad, I’ll check in with Boss.” He goes to open the door but before he walks into your office, he makes sure to give Kaz the most annoyed expression a face can make.

A few minutes go by when no one makes a sound. The sickly pale guard barely blinks, keeping his watchful, grey eyes on Brekker. Whoever followed Kaz is still standing a few paces behind him, also remaining suspiciously quiet.

Kaz hates this feeling. He has to put his faith in your apparent reliability. Some people say that ‘there’s no honour among thieves’ and perhaps they’re right. But what honour could there be between a panther and a crow? Isn’t the only thing they can honour Mother Nature? The food chain?

Right when Kaz is about to give in to his fatalistic thoughts, the door opens once again and the tattooed man emerges from the room. His lips are kept in a thin line. The man appears to be dissatisfied with what he had learned but alas, there is nothing he can do about it.

“Today’s ya lucky day, Twee’y,” he speaks up, his voice bitter. “Pop in and behave yaself.”

Without another word, Kaz pushes past the tattooed guard and into the room.

Your office is furnished in a similar style as the rest of the casino: creme, crimson and gold. The first thing that Kaz notices, and pretty much anyone who walks in, is the taxidermied panther head hanging on the wall behind you. The motif of a panther is quite prevalent as the legs of your desk are also carved to resemble pouncing and roaring panthers.

Bright ringing chimes in his ears. He turns his head to the side only to notice a frail woman, if she is even old enough to be called that, typing away on a typewriter. Judging by the stack of papers next to her, she’s rewriting your letters and notes. Kaz makes a note of her clothing: the pigeon blue barely fits the interior design but the quality of the material and craftsmanship looks far too expensive for a typist. 

“Kaz Brekker in the fucking flesh,” you say aloud. His attention is once again focused on you. “Honestly, I wasn’t expecting you to show up in person.”

“An opportunity has arisen for you to repay me.”

“Tell me.” Your voice sounds disinterested as you look back down at whatever document you are signing. Kaz puts his gloved hand on the back of the chair in front of your desk but you’re quick to shut him down. “Nah, don’t sit,” you say without looking up.

It’s all a gimmick, he thinks, but she has the means to uphold it. The skill and power to make it real.

For a moment he considered sitting down against your will simply out of spite but he’s heard enough stories to not get in your bad books just to prove a point. Golden Panther is a name even Pekka Rollins would say with fear in his voice. Kaz has seen the damage you’ve done to Pekka - damage that even his title of “The King of the Barell” can not repair.

“I’m planning a job and I need a distraction,” Kaz explains. “There’s a brewery in town. Belongs to a man known as Magnus Molders. Your job is to destroy his business, thus drawing the Stadwatch away from me and my Crows.”

With a devilish smile on your face, you look up from the document and set your pen aside. “And what did little Maggie-boy do to you, Dirtyhands?”

“That is none of your concern.”

You give him a knowing nod.

“So, kill two birds with one stone,” you sum up. “Practical, effective, sends a message. Solid 6 out of 10. Lacking in the finesse department.” Half-jokingly, you shake your head with an expression of disappointment.

“I’m not interested in your appraisal,” Kaz retorts. “Magnus Molders’s brewery in two days' time. That’s your assignment if you want your debt erased.”

A scoff flies past your lips. “I’m rude, not stupid, Brekker,” you drone your words. “I’ll be there. Stadwatch won’t even catch a sniff of you. Here, let me walk you out.”

You stand up from your desk, grabbing the cane with the panther's head leaning against it. Although Kaz doesn’t want to admit it, hiding a blade inside the cane is an idea that has been growing on him. Practical, effective, sends a message, he hears your voice in his thoughts. 

Kaz follows you out and is immediately met with an obvious change of behaviour in your employees. The guards suddenly stand uncomfortably straight, pushing their chests out. Now, Brekker can take a look at the two men who had followed him up to your office. They both look like chimney sweepers or shoe shiners, the type of lanky young men no one pays attention to in a crowd. People of this sort tend to be overlooked enough to listen in on any and every hot scoop or invited into people’s homes and no one ever checks whether they’re not helping themselves to the expensive belongings of the homeowners.

“I want Sorokin and Evander with me,” you order. “They started this shit and I will do my damn best to make sure they end this.”

“Yes, Boss,” the tattooed man hurriedly answers and bows his head slightly. He’s about to march away when you ask him one more thing:

 “And bring the Duckling.”

The tattooed man’s lips turn into a devilish grin. “Aye, Boss,” he drones the words.

“The Duckling?” Kaz repeats in a questioning manner.

“Oh, we wouldn’t want to spoil the surprise now, would we?” you answer in an irritatingly patronizing tone. “It’s very me.”

Explosions and mayhem? Kaz thinks to himself. But then he realizes it doesn’t quite matter - if this “Duckling” lives up to your known style of dealing with things, he’s going to get one hell of a distraction.

Magnus Molders rushes out of his brewery. He didn’t even have the time to button up his coat. The cold, rainy wind tugs at his thin shirt and dishevelled hair.

He gasps in surprise. His employee, a redhead boy with a lisp, told the truth: there’s the Golden Panther waiting for him on the circular driveway in front of the brewery. You’re leaning against the backdoor of the steel carriage, finishing a hand-rolled cigarette.

“I’d say ‘good morning’ but it’s more of a shitty noon, you know?” you speak up. With a flick of your fingers, you throw the finished smoke under the brewmaster’s shoes.

Nervous, Magnus clenches his hands into fists to stop them from shaking. His lips tighten into a thin, white line.

“What…” his voice trembles. Magnus clears his throat. “What do ya want, Panther?”

“A lot of things,” you answer. “But I don’t suppose you sell lavender cream puffs or pistachio croissants, do you?”

“No, I-” he hangs his voice when he sees you put your hand up.

“That was a rhetorical question,” you spit out.

“So,” he continues, “What brings ya here?”

You took a small step towards him. “At first, I wanted to talk to you. You know like proper adults. But then I remembered I don’t speak little bitch.”

Magnus clenches his jaw. His eyes begin to burn with anger, fear and humiliation. Like a wounded animal, he ounces when threatened.

“Yer mad, woman, is what ya are!” he screams. A few distant passers-by look towards him and you. They scurry away, sensing immediate danger. “I’ve no bad blood with ya. What’s all this for?!”

With a sad expression on your face, you shake your head disapprovingly. “Because you’re a cunt.”

You hit the steel door of the carriage with your fist, the banging ringing in your ears.

“Duckling?” Jesper repeats confused. Kaz only nods along, an absent expression on his face. “What in Hell is-...” he hangs his voice when he notices a metallic shine in the darkness of the steel carriage. “Oh. Oh, that’s proper mental.”

Without a warning, the massive Gatling gun hidden in the cab begins shooting. Bullets faster than blinking eyes pierce the air, thousands in a second, destroying the brewery. As you ordered before, Sorokin is the one aiming and firing, his whole body trembling from the recoil of the machine gun. Evander, the other man responsible for the fight, is holding the casings with the bullets and making sure the Gatling doesn’t seize up.

After barely a few minutes, although they felt like hours, the brewery building looks like one of the kerchen cheeses that have more holes than actual cheese. Magnus Molders is catching his raspy breath as he tries to stop the bleeding in his left arm. Most of his white shirt is crimson now. Blood is covering the circular driveway, red mixing with greyish rainwater in puddles only to turn into a black, thick liquid. It’s hard to say what happened to his employees back at the brewery but you couldn’t care less. “Bad place, bad time” as some people say.

The streets are awfully quiet but not for long: galloping horses are heard in the distance. A bell begins to ring feverishly. It’s the Stadwatch, always arriving when the party’s already over.

When Kaz gets back into his office in the late evening hours, he’s met with something he should have expected - you’re sitting in his chair, legs propped up on his desk. Although it’s supposed to come off as arrogant, he notices that you’ve stacked his papers, so that your shoes don’t actually damage them. Strangely nice for someone who has no qualms about shooting up a random brewery.

“What are you doing here?” he asks angrily.

You look at your pocket watch. “Took you long enough. I was beginning to think you’ve lost your way.” You take your legs off his desk and stand up. “I should probably ask whether you’re satisfied with my service but I find myself unable to care for your opinion.”

“Why’d you come here, then?” he retorts swiftly.

“Business etiquette, I guess?” You shrug. “Shake hands, erase the red from the ledger and go our separate ways, admiring each other’s achievements from a safe distance.”

Kaz slightly squints his eyes. By the way he’s clenching his jaw, you can tell he’s angry. He does accept your handshake but keeps the courtesy short and stern. Professional, one might say.

“And yet I feel compelled to give you my appraisal." His tone is intense, filled with violent emotions kept under control with the last bits of his self-control. "You’re like a fly that keeps buzzing but keeps escaping the swat. Infuriating.”

A humourless chuckle erupts in your throat. “You might want to check that with the board of directors.” Before he has any time to react, you pat his thigh, indecently close to his groin, before walking past him and out of the room. At first, he’s angry, blood boiling in his veins and begging him to put you in your place, demand respect in the only way people like you and him understand. But then Kaz grows strangely bashful as he realises that there might be some truth in your words.

___

Guys, I promise I'm not actually dead T_T Been writing original stuff and binging The Mortal Instruments (the Netflix show is so bad it's actually fun...?)

Tagging people who were interested in part 2: @queenkalico @kplatzman @sunset-kisses-vibes @zeeader

[cosmic60s]

Here's some material straight from the publicity department at MCA. This would have been intended to craft the "Dean Martin" public persona after his breakup with Jer. From the earliest years after they went solo, we can see the "king of cool" identity beginning to take hold for the mainstream public. I also included a singular color slide of Dean performing solo at the Sands because I think it's a nice perspective from the crowd and makes you feel "in the moment." This would have been roughly around the same time as the attached marketing material.

There are a few quotes from this that stand out to me -

"He is amazingly modest concerning his talents. Of his singing, he says, 'I'm no singer. I can carry a tune and I have an easy style. But a lot of us crooners get by because we're fairly painless.' He's so painless three of his recordings have sold more than a million copies and one, "That's Amore," was well over 3,000,000 at last count."

I find it interesting how often Dean seemingly downplayed his talents and his singing in particular. It certainly plays into his cool, laidback image. However, I think it speaks to some of the insecurity and uncertainty he felt about his career, especially after going solo. Although, even Jerry wrote about how Dean never gave himself the credit he deserved when it came to his singing abilities. It seemed to be a rare spot of vulnerability. I don't think Dean could have ever imagined that his career would have such longevity, long after his passing (not only is he forever cemented in show business legend, but he currently has 6,000,000 monthly listeners on Spotify - that's no small feat).

"His friends call him Dino, and his enthusiasm at encountering old acquaintances is genuine and boyish. He likes people, and the feeling is mutual."

His friends called him Dino but only Jerry called him Paul. I think it's a bit funny that it says he likes people when I think it was very much known how he tended to avoid crowds and parties. It's even been said that he would retire early from parties at his own home to go watch a western film in another room. In this publicity material, we can see these clear distinctions and contradictions between Dean Martin the persona and Dino Crocetti the man.

[bumblequinn]

Hi! Medium time listener (I followed after slarpg altered my brain chemistry), first timer asker! What is your process when it comes to composing for games? Is it any different when the subject changes (personal, commission, etc)?

hehehe, well i hope that alteration was a positive one! 😋

so i think there's kind of two sides to this: there's the creative process, and the collaborative process.

The Creative Process

my creative process is actually pretty similar whether i'm working on contract or for personal enjoyment.

first, i consider:

the needs of the prompt in front of me (is it a save menu or a boss battle? is it a tense scene is or a tender one?)

how it should fit into the bigger picture of the whole project (mood/tone, genre, leitmotifs, instrumentation, production style, etc)

what tools i will need to use (subtractive synth or sampler or soundfont or live recording?)

then, i typically write what i call a "skeleton:" just the barest bones of a piece of music. i almost always do this on piano, dividing the bass, harmony, and melody into very distinct registers. i do it this way for several reasons learned the hard way:

first, by dividing parts into clearly delineated registers, i'm saving myself a whole lot of trouble down the line. i have long had a bad habit of over-crowded arrangements, which besides being weaker from a composition standpoint, are also notoriously difficult to mix. and mixing is already hard enough as it is! so writing a strong and well balanced composition from the outset is the best way to go.

second: when you jump into arranging or mixing before the whole piece is written, it's much easier to get stuck. where should i take this track next? i dunno, guess i'll fiddle with the mix. suddenly a week's gone by and i'm still working on a half-written track. if i require myself to write the whole piece out first, then this bottleneck is almost always eliminated.

sometimes you can get really excited about an idea, get carried away with arranging and producing a whole track, get to feeling really attached to it—only for your collaborator to say it's just not the right direction. by limiting myself to one instrument, i don't put in a disproportionate amount of work before confirming whether or not the piece is actually a good fit. and bonus, if it's not a good fit then i have a piece of music written that can serve another project later (or another part of the current project, if i'm lucky)!

of course, i'm not always perfect about this. even very recently, i got really stoked about a track i was cooking up for susan taxpayer and went BANANAS with it—only for punkitt to say she loved it but it wasn't at all the right vibe. a hard but necessary reminder of why i try not to get carried away prematurely!

(don't worry, the one i made to replace it fit like a glove, and the first attempt is gonna be used elsewhere. love wins 😌)

once i do have confirmation that i'm headed in the right direction with an idea though, that's where i really get into it with choosing instruments, designing synths, figuring out the production style, etc. and there's where the real back-and-forth with my collaborator begins, to make sure things are staying on track every step of the way. that leads us to:

The Collaborative Process

for starters, and probably most obviously, different people are different to work with. everyone has different strengths and challenges both creatively and interpersonally, so i try to meet my collaborator where they're at and tune in to their specific needs, vision, and communication style. within reason, i try not to look at these things as being "better" or "worse" with one person versus another, just different!

i think the biggest differences for me as far as how much time and energy i invest into a project are A) whether it's paid or pro bono, and B) my own level of personal excitement about the project.

if i'm doing something purely for fun, it's pretty exclusively because i'm really hyped about the project. because, well, it wouldn't be fun if i weren't, right? and in that situation, i enjoy giving it my all! susan taxpayer falls firmly into this category, and i'm having a blast with it.

SLARPG started out pretty similarly, but as the scope of the project grew, it evolved into more of a pro bono arrangement; bobby and i drafted up a contract and negotiated on how we would split earnings from the game once it released, and that's where i've gotten the vast majority of my income this year. it remained a passion project til the end, but i could not in good conscience put that much of my life into a project of that size unpaid, no matter how much i loved it! (maybe one day, if we collectively defeat capitalism and i no longer have to worry about such things... 🥲)

things get a bit different when you get into strictly contract work, though. when it's something i'm doing for a client who's paying from the start and it's not for my own enrichment, i have more hard and fast boundaries on how much of myself i put into the project. i have specific rates, and offer only so many free revisions before charging additional fees. sure, i can be horribly particular and will revise something a bazillion times to get it "just right" if i'm working on a passion project, but i'm not about to do that for like. a corporate commercial or whatever lol

whether it's for fun or all business, though, i always try to make something i'm proud of. because i want whomever i collaborate with to have something they're happy with in the end, of course! plus i'm kind of allergic to phoning it in, i'm too extra for that 😜

________________

i'm sure i could go on, but i think i'll leave it at that! pardon the slow response, it took me some time to formulate my thoughts for this one. thanks for the question, and take care ^^ 🎵

[rekofan101]

i had originally planned to write and send this back when you had announced the end of the daily posts, or at least before then. but its funny how life just gets busy and all. and then i stopped using tumblr and switched to twitter. but i ended up remembering this and i vowed i would write it, no matter how long it took. so here we are. consider this the end of the reko anthology.

It was quick Practically instant. The sensation burning against her neck, the weight of her body as it dangled from the ceiling. Even the faint view of her kicking feet was nothing more than a fleeting dream. She found herself somewhere new, unfamiliar but comforting all the same.

She stood tall in the middle of an endless lake. The blue water wet up to her ankles, the smooth stones underneath her feet betraying the nature of the still water. She could see the reflection of fluffy clouds drift by on an endless blue sky. If she stared hard enough into the water, she almost felt like she could fall right into the sky. It was disorientating, but no more confusing than where she was now.

Reko looked across the endless expanse, wiping her hands on her jacket. Her fingers crept up to her neck, finding smooth skin. She hummed, fingers feeling the vibrations of her vocal chords as she took her first step forward. She's not sure where she's going, she's just sure that she shouldn't stay. There's a pull, much like the drive she felt when the tempo kicked up, that made her feet move.

She walks forward, the water barely even splashing as she waded through. The water was tepid, the warmth you'd get from a gentle embrace. Like it had been warmed by the sun all day, only to be cooled by the moon. She's not sure when she took off her boots, but even with all the smooth stones, she did not fear slipping. They were perfectly laid into one another, like a path. She had no reason to believe she could fall.

A few moments into her walk she began to hear something vaguely familiar. It was hard at first, because it was so faint she was sure she was imagining it. Like the phantom sounds of music she'd be plagued with after hours spent in the studio trying to record. The melodies would haunt her mind, getting stuck in her head as she was reminded over and over that it wasn't good enough. The sound wasn't just right. They'd hit the wrong chord, or the guitar wasn't perfectly tuned, or the drums were dragging the beat, or the piano wasn't in time with everyone else. There was always something.

But this felt distinct, the further she got from her starting point. It was distinctly not the fast paced music she was used to. Neither the slow rock ballads she had a soft spot for. It was foreign. It was familiar. It was fickle. Like a lighter, her mind tried over and over to ignite that memory. The one carried by the faint music in the air, growing louder and stronger the more she walked.

"So it's Americana this time?"

It's a conversation she had a long time ago. She can still feel the old wooden sticks in her hands. Their wooden handles covered in duck tape to help give some semblance of grip.

"You know we could try to incorporate some of the style into our own stuff. It's good. Even if it don't fit."

She's so close. She can hear the chord changes now. The sounds are muffled in her ears, but she can tell when the changes occur. It's so close. She knows this song. She has to know it. They had talked about it before.

"So what about it? It's simple, plainly so. But it get's the message across so well. They made it damn near the start of the second world war. Kind of funny, isn't it?"

It was one of his favorite songs. She didn't get it. She remembers now. There were so many other better songs from the genre, from the time. She didn't get why he liked this one so much. Was it her voice? When she sang it for him, that once? On the ride back from their first gig? When they got tossed from the bar? When he broke his leg falling down the stairs? She can't quite remember when.

But she remembers. There's no mistaking it. That deep rich tenor, with a slight waver when it came to the notes just a tad above his reachable range. He was never able to hold those high notes for long.

So will you please say hello

To the folks that I know

Tell them i won't be long

How could she forget it? That voice, that song. It was one she commit to memory. One that she's heard in damn near every tone imaginable. Joy, sadness, anger, disgust, fear, hopeful, despair, comical, sarcastic, prideful, death. If she was even just a tad more frightened she would've freaked out already, but in her heart there was nothing other than longing. Longing for the embrace she had failed to receive so long ago. For one that she could never feel again.

They'll be happy to know

That as you saw me go

I was singing this song

She kicks into a sprint, not even aware of where she's trying to head. She just knows that moving forward makes it louder. She knows it can't be an illusion because she can hear it so clearly, so perfectly. It gets louder and clearer with every step and she has no fear of falling. Because she knows if she does her big brother will be there to catch her. Or laugh, and then help her stand up.

Keep smilin through

Like you always do

Til the blue skies drive the dark clouds far away

In the distance she can see a figure, sitting atop a rock. The only rock poking out of the water. He was hunched over, staring down at his arms, legs hugged to his chest. She can't help the smile that spreads across her face. His mouth is moving, his eyes closed. He's singing, out to the lake, to anyone who will hear. He always had a loud voice. At times she got mad at how overbearingly loud he could be. She's never been more thankful that he just had that natural loudness.

The memories come back. She remembers the next lyric.

She decides to join him.

We'll meet again

She can see him shift. His head pokes up, eyes fluttering open.

Don't know when

The look in his eyes makes her heart hurt. He truly thought she was gone. She thought he was gone.

Don't know where

"REKO!"

He calls her name, jumping off the rock. He sprints towards her, arms outstretched, tears already falling down his face. He crashes into her, damn near knocking her off her feet.

"Alice!"

She wants to be mad at him, scold him, but she's too happy to even pretend to be. He crushes her in his grip, burying his head into her neck as she wraps her arms around him. She can feel her makeup running down her face. An ugly sob escapes Alice's chest, and she can't even try to comfort him because there's already one threatening to spill over her throat.

But I know we'll meet again, some sunny day

yeah idk lol

DAY 367: I KNEW IT WAS YOU

[xerith-42]

Minecraft Diaries Musicians

I have so many things to say about this!! In the show there's like a lot of characters who are musically inclined, but the series never does anything with it! We know bards exist in Ru'aun, but we literally never see one what the fuck!!

I want Vylad only ever lowering their scarf to play the ocarina when there's a quiet moment. Give me Brendan trying to romance women with his basic guitar skills and it finally works on Issa because she finds him adorkably charming. When Aaron is looking after the kids, he can get them to settle down by playing guitar.

Those are the canon characters who can play instruments, but I want MORE

-Zoey playing the harp and knowing strange and mystical tunes on it that she uses to draw people to her business (remember when Zoey was a merchant?)

-Travis knows how to play the lute and has his own style of music he learned in Gal'ruk, and he loves exploring the differences between the regions music and wonders if places like Tu'la also have a distinctive sound to them.

-Fiddle player Nana when? Playing songs for her dolls to dance along to to entertain guests? Dancing around with her husband while she plays them a little ditty??

-Aaron comes to understand others not by talking to them, but because he's sitting around the campfire and suddenly Travis starts asking him if they know any songs in common, and Vylad joins the two of them when he hears them playing together.

-I want Laurance playing the lyre during downtime and trying to romance Aph and Garroth with it even if he's just a little terrible at it sometimes!! He's trying his best!

-Cadenza really loves dancing, she likes making skirts that flow around while she's dancing, and she loves dancing to Laurance's playing when he's learning.

-Aph doesn't really have the spare time to learn an instrument, but when Garroth hears her singing to herself, he tells her that she should sing more. She's really hesitant at first, but others often sing along with her and she comes to love the sound of singing with others. I also like to think she sings lullabies to Levin and any of her other kids.

-Malachi teaching himself how to read and write music so he can transcribe Levin's music box into a melody others can play, and maybe even write lyrics to go along with it. Because he wants to hear his mother sing along to it.

-Literally forgot about it until now, Logan can play guitar! What if he was a grouchy old man but when his kids need to be put to bed he played them a very gentle lullaby. And you saw the wrinkles on his cheeks turn into smile lines when he can see them all start to doze off. And he was just happy. What if.

-And let characters play songs together!! Vylad's trying to calm Laurance down after he nearly loses control, so they whip out the ocarina and the lyre and the two of them just play together on the beach for a while.

-Aaron struggles to connect to people, but when Travis very earnestly asks Aaron if they can teach each other songs from their separate regions and he doesn't know how to say no to that. The two of them end up bonding over a shared love for this form of self expression. Aaron rather suddenly admits to Travis one day when he's playing a melody that he used to play songs for his wife and his son, that his wife played the violin with him sometimes, that his son was learning to play guitar. Aaron actually of his own volition tells someone about the past he has been running from for about twenty years.

-If I keep going with this I will just start ranting about how I would rewrite Aaron which is not the point of this post

-What I'm trying to say is that music is one of the oldest and most universal forms of expression. We MCD fans already have breakdowns over Flowers on the Battlefield, but imagine if that was a song someone played in universe!!! Imagine if it was a song composed by someone in universe, or a melody that just came to be associated with this group! What if it was literally their in universe theme, that would be amazing!!!

-There is literally no bad ideas that can come from exploring this possibility, like I keep trying to end this post but then I come up with a new idea--

-Like the idea of Zoey and Aph singing to their kids together!! When Levin has bad dreams one of the best things that can comfort him is his music box, but he honestly feels safer hearing the sound of his mothers voice and a gentle harp, even if he doesn't fully remember why.

-Okay this post needs to be over I am actually going insane

[kuvvydraws]

Solitale AU

Praetorius' HCs 💙

First • <<Prev ← Part 5 → Next>>

It's not very hard to earn Praetorius' favor, the only requisites being respect, competence and a distinct lack of need to annoy him with menial issues. At the same time, he has no qualms when it comes to squishing someone like a bug if they go out of line. Incompetence is one of the things that do drive him to the point of violence, so the guards around him have all been guided down the path to perfectionism.

His bones are very sensitive due to his injuries, cracks and implants, and he does not tolerate casual touches from anyone, with very few exceptions.

If he was to wear anything other than his uniform, which wouldn't happen Underground, he'd resign himself to shirts and dress pants. He doesn't have a personal style, and never got the chance to develop one due to the way he was raised and how his job shaped his priorities, so even when his duties become less pressing he remains uninterested in fashion. The shirt&pants combo is formal enough to satisfy his inner critic, and he doesn't have to take time out of his day to think about what to wear or buy.

Regarding fashion, he does appreciate the effort and art behind embroidered filigrees on cloth, and actually enjoys the texture of them on his uniform and peacoat. When he's deep in thought, Praetorius tends to rub the pad of his thumb over the embroidery on the cuffs of his jacket.

He relishes the chilling effect his presence makes when he enters a room, and finds entertaining how the majority of people who know or have heard of him immediately tense up and grow stressed. He believes fear is one of those emotions that help him control his surrogates, and uses that as a tool. He believes the effect would be even stronger if he had a little tune to announce his presence, because he does have a flair for the dramatic.

Regarding his scars, his skull is covered with five of them, of which three are remarkable. A huge crack starts at his forehead and crosses the right side of his face down to his teeth, leaving the top and bottom of his right socket chipped. There are two deep gashes from the bottom of his jaw up to his cheek bone, and two smaller ones, hardly as severe, on the right side of his chin.

He prefers colder temperatures over hot ones - warmth implies the presence of fire, and he doesn't like the warm light as much, nor the dancing shadows flame produces. Cool light is hard to come by Underground, but for a time, before she lost HOPE, he used to commission white flame candles from a fire elemental - he didn't care for the monster much, but he does miss her products.

When he's agitated, Praetorius tends to tap the pads of his middle and ring finger with his thumb, or trace the chips of his phalanges with it. He keeps his fidgeting, as well as his wounds, often hidden behind his back.

He used to like sweets as a child, whenever he could get some, but after a tragic episode with very sticky toffee, he started selling the sweets rather than eating them.

Despite his height (5' 7"), a lot of monsters cower under him. His short stature doesn't stop him from looking down on people, chin up and eyelights burning in his socket like two deadly lasers.

[quitealotofsodapop]

In the Wukongverse what is Wukong's and Macaque's singing voice like?

Oh I do Love me some singing hcs. Took me a while cus I bad at actually remembering singers. I'm just trying to add as many song links as possible.

LMK: These two's english VAs (Sean Schemmel & Alejandro Saab) have sung before, and I will repeat my thoughts. Whilst Macaque is the more "stage friendly" of the two and can interact with an audience and put on a show, Wukong is stupidly good at singing. Like, LMK!Mac is dumbfounded how good his Wukong is. Wukong's stage fright gets to him tho, so his voice cracks the second he detects anyone listening to him - only Mac, the kids, and baby monkeys know his true voice. He destroys everyone at drunk karaoke tho.

HeroIsBack: SWK's singing voice is initally very harsh (not use much in 500 years) but grows softer/more confident as he sings. I can almost hear it as being like the song in the film itself "The Feeling of Flying", just full of joy. Also dubbing bonus; Jackie Chan singing the Cantonese version of "I'll Make A Man Out of You" from Mulan (1998). HeroIsBack!LEM's voice is similarly underused but a hidden gem. Mostly reserved for lulling infant monkeys to sleep. A tenor like Thomas Sanders. Gets embarassed quickly because his singing voice "doesn't match his face" (Dasheng disagrees).

Reborn: You could say his warped view of his own demonic identiy hasn't exactly left Reborn!SWK a positive idea of his singing ability. His actual singing voice is surprisingly deep with a lot of octave range; example Jonathan Young. 100% would jam with anime opening songs. Secretly gets really excited when he duets. Reborn!LEM is much less confident in their performing ability than the other LEMs, his voice is much softer, quieter, and soprano-pitch. Ethereal almost; like Ben Whishaw in The Tempest. And this LEM might just sing "Ariel's Song/Full Fathom Five" too - since his six ears often "hear "pick up" songs of the future. May use his voice to guide the lost souls he chariots.

Netflix: This SWK do be singing, and he penned his own theme song! Hidden talent at composing? I hc that he's singing voice is the metal version of his theme as done by Voodoo Kung Fu & Ian Honeyman. Probably scares the other monkeys (sans Reborn!SWK who starts rocking) the first time they let him take the mic and he goes full heavy metal on them. Has a hidden softer tune only his pilgrims + LEM know about. Netflix!LEM would say that they'd rather eat glass than sing in public, but like their main inspo (Aubrey Plaza - "Get Happy") they are ridiculously good at swing/jazz style music where the singer interacts with/insults their audience. A good example of them singing (whether for a con/trick) would be Amber Gray in Hadestown.

NewGods: This SWK sounds like a smooth cruise /lounge singer. This man can bust out a Sinatra that'll make the room shake. He however can get really emotionally into the music and end up crying at the oddest songs. Good reference would be Richard Cheese. NewGods!LEM gots broadway vocals like Josh Groban, and will completely shred you with his Phantom of the Opera performance. Unless he decides to use his voice for mischief and starts singing filthy blues songs with his SWK.

2000sCartoon: I bet these two dont really flex their singing muscles much so they dont sound "good", but SWK loves him some travelling songs and shanties, and his LEM provides good backing. SWK has a crackly, higher pitched singing voice like George Salazar (Be More Chill + Percy Jackson Musical). 2000sCartoon!LEM's voice I can see being smoother like Ashe (of "to ashes" on youtube), and once he becomes more confident in himself; its one of the first clear distinctions the two monkeys can make between one another.

Meihouwang: I could see Shihou & Mihou having "younger-sounding" singing voices similar to Zach Callison (of Steven Universe fame), and Jeremy Jordan (Tangled Series + Death Note Musical) respectively. Absurdly good for monkeys with no formal musical training.

Smash Legends: This Wukong has a pretty good singing voice but he uses it for goofy "meme" songs (ex Loney Island) since he's actually a little mic shy. Has potiential for greatness. "Serious" singing voice is similar to Sam Tsui. Smash!LEM aka SixEars is a legit indie music star along the lines of a "faceless" nearly-online-exclusive artist - best comparasion I can give for his "typical" vocal ranges (remember perfect mimicry/pitch) is between Aly & AJ to Taron Egerton. Will leave the other monkeys in the dust in a competition.

No matter who's the "better" singer of all of them one thing is for certain; you turn on that karaoke machine around the SWKs and LEMs, and there's about to be a whole lot of monkey business.

[kisuminight]

Magic, Weaponry, Social Life. Choose two.

-That's how Mercedes Lackey defines the worldbuilding around the skills of the heralds of Valdemar, and that it what we're going for here. Especially in a Minecraft-style universe where there's so much time just taken up by survival.

All Blades are "good" with their Soul Weapon. They know it's exact dimensions, how it moves and how it hits. Likewise, they are very in-tune with their elements. But that doesn't mean that the skill has reached a "useful" level.

Very old Blades have enough experience and Procedural Memory to be versatile, but most younger Blades tend to either specialize in melee artes (elemental ability added to physical blows) or specialize in long range spells/artes. They usually don't do in-between.

Technically c!Techno'd be one of the ones who specialized in Magic and Weaponry and did not do Social Life, but he's old enough that the distinction doesn't matter.

I said I was using Tales of artes for the "spells" in addition to general Minecraft enchantments, so I'll try to adapt what they do to general Minecraft game mechanics. Please also assume that Blades have matching elemental enchantments--so all ice Blades have Frost Walker, all fire Blades have Fire Aspect, all water Blades have Depth Strider, etc.

Under cut because this is long:

c!Philza - as a bow character, he would fall more under the "magic" side of Blades. As an Aegis he's also very good at the "weaponry" part. A mix of both. He can toggle Frost Walker on/off, and can walk easily on powder snow, no matter what type of armor he has.

Sheer Cold - Phil can adjust his own temperature, and the temperature of surrounding blocks downwards. Since he is an Aegis, there is basically no distance limit and the lowest temperature he can reach is very close to 0 degrees Kelvin. It takes more concentration and more power to chill things that are further away, so Phil usually uses this either as a close-ranged attack or to keep himself from feeling cold out in the tundra.

Shuffle - Basic manipulation ability. Can manipulate ice/snow blocks without touching or mining them

Snowball - equivalent of extra hotbar space with infinite snowballs

Ice Arrow - forms arrows out of ice to fire from a bow. Functional Infinity, may freeze the opponent.

Frigid Moon - slashes his weapon in front of him in an arc that creates a crescent-shaped blade of ice. Blade is 3 blocks wide and travels straight for 10 blocks

Frozen Starlight - a plunging attack. When he hits the ground, causes ice elemental aether to bloom out under/around him for damage

Ice breath - breathes out a cloud of ice elemental aether. Short range attack. 3 blocks wide in front of him and only two out on range.

As an Aegis Phil can use many more abilities from many other elements, but these are a few of his favorite ones.

~

c!Techno - more of a "weaponry" fighter. Has had minimal social life, so also plenty of magic knowledge as well. Most of his abilities tend to be either melee or large-scale destruction.

Earthsense - allows Techno to feel the types of blocks around him, as wells as the positions of people or mobs standing on those blocks. He is a powerful Blade in Resonance with an Aegis, so his range is wide, maybe 100 block radius? Things that are closer to him are easier to distinguish.

Shuffle - basic manipulation. Can re-arrange dirt/stone blocks without touching or mining them.

Earthworks - extra hotbar space with infinite dirt blocks

Reinforcement - makes stone tools and weapons more durable (Unbreaking) and slightly stronger (Sharpness)

Imbue Earth - strikes a block, marking it with a seal. If the block is touched or stepped on, will explode like TNT

Grand Cataclysm - cracks the blocks apart in a 20x20 block area. The lines/seams between all blocks in the area glow, and damage is done to all entities within the area. Upon completion, all blocks on the "level" of the plane the arte was used on disintegrate; does not count as mining, cannot be picked up.

Ground Dasher - opens a chasm beneath the target, 10 blocks long, 10 blocks deep. Spikes of earth come up and damage the target, then break. Target and other entities in the area fall into the chasm (potential fall damage)

Gravity Well - earth/lightning, Techno must borrow aether from Phil to use. Creates a field, 20x20 block radius on both x and y axis. All blocks within that field become "falling blocks" (like sand), with the center of gravity set to the center of the field.

~

c!Dream - as a healing Blade, most of his powers fall under the "magic" side. Is bad with time management and has friends who like to mess around with weapons with him, so does keep general weaponry skill even if most artes are not weapon-based

Awareness - we've talked about this passive before. Attention is focused on Dream; the more power he uses the more people are aware of him. Inverse relationship between people focusing their attention on him and them actually listening to what he's saying.

Pow Hammer - traditional for Tales series support characters! Dream's one melee-focused arte. Creates a red hammer that squeaks when it hits something. Auto-stun upon hitting. 5% chance of spawning a Toss Hammer (gold colored, same sound effect), which applies Wither effect for 2min when hit

First Aid - heals 2 hearts

Nurse - applies a regen effect

Recovery - heals 6 hearts

Restore - full healing

Resurrection - exactly what it says. Light-elemental specific. Can cure zombified villagers. Is not the same as the Resurrection Ritual from the Revival Book

Dazzle - dancing green light spots, generally a distraction. Can be focused and used as a laser pointer (but no damage)

Flash - raises light levels to 15 in a 5 block radius for 5 sec. Sets undead on fire.

Gleam - makes the shine of light on armor/weapons brighter or duller for 1 day

Sacrifice - kills user in exchange for full heal to all friends and massive damage to all foes (Dream doesn't remember he has this)

~

c!Punz - more focused on the "weaponry" side. Some artes, has begun learning more as part of the fascination with the Revival Book.

Notice-me-Not - this passive allows Punz to deflect attention from himself and anyone in close proximity of them. Can be pierced by a determined light Blade, but they must know Punz is there first. Does work on cameras; cameras will still record, but anyone watching will have their attention deflected.

Swift Sneak III

Shadow Fury - several weapon strikes coated in dark elemental aether.

Violent Pain - is struck by dark lightning, dealing 2 hearts of damage. Cannot move for 4 sec. After that, attack is increased and damage Punz deals will ignore all positive effects/buffs (ignores protection, if attacking someone using Turtle Master, will still hit the full amount from Punz but opponent will still have slowed speed)

Nightmare - sleep inducing arte. Gives opponents who are sleeping poison damage until they wake up.

Punz is a relatively new Blade, compared to most others on the server. He's actually most dangerous as an assassin, rather than a fighter. His abilities mean he can put a group of enemies to sleep or walk through them without being noticed, "mute" the person he is trying to kill so that death messages/calls for help can't go out, and then kill them without anybody realizing it was him. Just because that's easiest for him, however, doesn't mean he's a slouch in a fight.

~

c!Skeppy - old enough to have worked around both the "magic" and the "weaponry" options. Originally fell on the side of "magic."

Voices of the World - Skeppy's passive allows him to hear snippets of conversations on the wind. It works better the higher up that he is. Not all of the voices he hears are current - sometimes the wind brings him snippets of information from the distant past, sometimes it is something echoing back from the future. Mostly Skeppy doesn't worry about them, though he does use them to prank Bad.

Automatic Feather Falling IV

Respiration III

Homing shot - uses mastery of the winds to turn regular arrows into homing arrows.

Meteor Storm - rips up blocks, throwing them up into the sky, and then back down at the opponent. Blocks act like TNT upon striking.

Shredding Winds - causes a tornado of wind blades 2x2 block area to form, before firing off at opponent. Can hit any target in 10 block radius, seeking/homing

Cyclone Seal - traps a target inside a 3x3 block area, sucks the air out before collapsing. Can be used to launch enemies, depending on how Skeppy collapses it

Wind's Howl - activates the effect of Wind Burst III with a regular attack

Skeppy's abilities tend to be less physically powerful than, say, Techno or Phil's, but they make up for it by most being homing abilities with short cooldowns.

~

This is getting long, so I will cap it here. I'm still not entirely sure what I want c!Callahan or c!Slime's abilities to be. If you think all of these abilities sound really strong, it's because the DSMP is a relative outlier in that it not only has multiple Blades, but it has multiple powerful Blades. In terms of power level, the order goes:

Philza (100) > Techno (20) = Dream (20) > Skeppy (18) > Punz (16) > Slime (13) > Callhan (12)

[kevinsreviewcatalogue]

Review: Puss in Boots: The Last Wish (2022)

 Puss in Boots: The Last Wish (2022)

Rated PG for action/violence, rude humor/language, and some scary moments

<Originally posted at https://kevinsreviewcatalogue.blogspot.com/2023/12/review-puss-in-boots-last-wish-2022.html>

Score: 5 out of 5

Puss in Boots: The Last Wish is a movie I missed last year, which made it kind of annoying to hear so many people praising it to the heavens as one of the best animated films in years, not least of all because I'm the kind of guy who does not like spoilers. Flying down to Florida just in time to share a house with three little kids over Christmas break gave me the perfect opportunity to check it out, and the only thing I'm disappointed about is not seeing it sooner. It doesn't reinvent the wheel or have any pretensions of being a particularly revelatory movie, but it's still an outstandingly well-put-together one in everything from the animation to the characters to the humor to the mayhem. Putting it side-by-side with Shrek, the film that put DreamWorks Animation in the spotlight and which this one is a sequel to a spinoff of, shows just how much the studio has evolved in the twenty-plus years since then, going from mischievous, Looney Tunes-esque pop culture spoofs with barbs aimed directly at Disney to a kind of family-friendly, character-driven adventure comedy that's clearly inspired by the Mouse but still has enough unique style and dramatic edge to stand out. I don't really have much to add to the conversation on this one except to say that it's easily one of the best films that DreamWorks has ever made, especially given what I thought of the movie they released just eight months before this, and one that I expect to stick around as a classic just like Shrek itself.

Set in a fantasy/fairy-tale version of Spain, our eponymous protagonist is an intelligent cat who has exploited his nine lives to become an adventurer who doesn't fear death... at least, not until he loses his eighth life thanks to his carelessness fighting a monster attacking a town. Suddenly, he no longer feels so invincible, especially once he encounters a mysterious wolf bounty hunter who seeks to claim his ninth and final life after watching him squander his previous eight. Going into retirement in an elderly cat lady's home after burying his sword and gear, Puss is dragged back to the world of adventure when Goldilocks, the thuggish leader of the Three Bears Crime Family (guess who her "enforcers" are), seeks to hire him to find the Wishing Star, a magical rock that would grant one wish to whoever discovers it -- and she won't take no for an answer. Puss decides that this star is his key to regaining his nine lives, and with help from an old flame named Kitty Softpaws, he sets out to find it himself, staying one step ahead of Goldilocks, the evil businessman "Big" Jack Horner who wants it for his own ends, and of course, the Wolf.

The look of the film is one of the most immediately striking things about it. While it's not the first film to use cel shading to make computer animation emulate the look of hand-drawn animation while being distinct from both (Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse and The Mitchells vs. the Machines did something similar recently), it's going for a different set of influences than those films, its look instead resembling a mix of the fairy tale artwork that the Shrek movies have always spoofed and anime in the action scenes. The settings feel lifted almost from a highly stylized painting or storybook, while the action looks downright sublime, the film's characters doing battle, chasing one another, and facing various treacherous foes on their quest for the Wishing Star in all manner of awesome ways. Even as cats, Puss and Kitty came across as credible and cool adventure heroes, especially with Antonio Banderas and Salma Hayek Pinault leaning heavily into their live-action screen personas, Banderas playing Puss as a riff on Zorro where the only real "parody" element comes from his species and Hayek playing Kitty as the cool femme fatale who has history with the hero that they'll inevitably have to settle. Florence Pugh was hilarious doing her best gender-flipped Ray Winstone impression as Goldilocks, especially with the real Winstone himself voicing one of the three bears (alongside Olivia Colman and Samson Kayo), while John Mulaney made Horner into an absolute bastard who I couldn't wait to see get his well-deserved comeuppance. At first glance, with three separate groups of characters all racing for the Wishing Star, this film can feel sprawling, and yet it always manages to tie these three stories together in a way that feels organic.

The key to doing this was the Wolf. From the moment we're introduced to him, he's presented as a metaphorical representation of death itself, an impossibly skilled fighter who trounces and nearly kills Puss in their first encounter and who is seemingly unstoppable from that point onward, every meeting he has with Puss feeling like it could be their last. The film's comedy stops dead cold whenever the whistling announcing his arrival starts up, Wagner Moura's performance lending him an almost demonic menace without going over-the-top into cackling supervillainy. He is one of the best villains I've seen in any animated film in a long while, a no-nonsense monster whose evil combines the most terrifying elements of an unstoppable force of nature and somebody who hates you personally, the closest thing that a family film could come to an outright slasher movie villain. There have been many jokes made about this film having one of the most realistic depictions of a panic attack in any animated film, but watching it, it was no joke: I understood immediately how this guy completely disarmed Puss' suave, arrogant demeanor and left him a trembling wreck running for his life. The Wolf wasn't just scary, he was a perfect villain for Puss, a representation of how his wasted life is finally catching up with him, and watching Puss reach a place where he can finally confront the Wolf and turn the tables on him was immeasurably satisfying.

From this, we get a fairly simple moral that largely boils down to a celebration of living life to the fullest rather than either wasting it on hedonism or remaining stuck in an idealized past. It's nothing revolutionary, but not only is it exactly the kind of thing that the fairy tales this movie is sending up have long embraced, it's well-told enough that I fully bought into it. If the original Shrek was a deconstructive parody of fairy tales that sent up their moral messages while offering a few of its own, then this film serves largely as a more faithful, straightforward throwback to them, amped up with a swashbuckling action/adventure plot and some jokes for the parents but otherwise falling squarely within the modern, post-Kung Fu Panda DreamWorks wheelhouse.

The Bottom Line

It's a very straightforward movie once you get past the stylish animation, but hardly to a fault, as it's still a riotous, heartfelt, and just plain awesome ride that delivers exactly where it counts and doesn't overstay its welcome. Easily one of the best family films of the last ten years.

[cookinguptales]

I will say that I've been lying down quite a bit the past few days just because uh. Strong dislocation risk.

So, to please tumblr, I've started listening to Malevolent. Podcasts are an okay way to stay sane when you can't move much, lmao.

Thoughts so far under a cut, because to my knowledge, only two of you care about this lmao.

So far... I'll admit my feelings are mixed. I'm a couple episodes into the second season, I think, and... well, I still don't care much for cosmic horror or creature features. I'll admit it's just kind of a style of horror that I find a little boring. Every time they start describing the new monster or Lovecraftian cult or cosmic horror, I'll admit that my eyes glaze over a bit.

So uh. With the caveat that the actual plot is not doing that much for me at all, I'm not like... okay, if I were on my own I probably would've tuned out by now. lmao. But I'm not, so I'm pulling steadily through. I don't hate it or anything. That said, it does struggle from some of the same pitfalls as other indie horror podcasts, and I do think it's worsened a bit by the creator trying to do everything himself here.

I especially wish that he had not decided to do every voice himself, because as someone with hearing difficulties, it makes it really hellish to figure out what's going on sometimes. lmao. I usually rely on really distinct voices to tell people apart in podcasts, and I mean. That's not a thing here. Moreover, because he often tries to disguise his voice with accents or digital effects... well, that does not always make the voicework easy to understand. I've had to rely kind of heavily on the transcripts, so thank god they're there.

While I think he does have writing strengths and weaknesses (it's... not always easy to keep track of what's going on) I am interested to see where the characters go. I'm not... quite sure I follow the logic for why John gained selfhood while Arthur was in a coma, but I'm willing to just go with it. I do kind of wish that we were working with a somewhat expanded timeline, though... I think at times it's like "HE'S GROWN ACCUSTOMED TO HIS FACE..." and I'm like "sir, it's been like 48 hours." But. You know. Again, I'll just go with it.

I am intrigued by the idea of writing a pairing inhabiting the same body (and......... it would not be the first time, if I'm being entirely honest) and I think that's kind of what's got me holding on lmao. I do also like the concept of a creature struggling against his old self in a very literal way. That sort of bid for earned humanity is always interesting to me, though I'll admit I haven't listened to enough of s2 to have thoughts on how it's playing out.

So every time I'm like "oh... okay... they're being chased by a monster again..." I just tell myself "yes, but you might get to write something very weird and fucked up" and that does help.

To be clear, I'm not saying the style of horror here is necessarily a bad thing. It gives old radio serial vibes sometimes, like they're gonna have to fight the eldritch ghost pirates with Little Orphan Annie or something, and I'm sure some people enjoy that very much. It's just a style of horror that I tend to bounce off of even in other types of media. (Like I am still firmly of the opinion that The Descent was scarier before the monsters showed up.) I suppose I just feel more strongly affected by horror that's more like... just kind of unsettling and uncanny and spooky. The monster-y action stuff does less for me personally. Like.. I'm not worried about Shub-Niggurath showing up in my apartment, frankly. I'm just like "yeah but that's not real."

Spooky, uncanny, very personal horror that is just disquietingly close enough to a reality that can't quite be explained is more my style, I think. I'm realizing that as I listen to this podcast.

Other things I've thought to myself while listening to this podcast:

SHUB-NIGGURATH IS A GIRL. It was even in that book they read out loud in the first episode. But John and Arthur keep calling her "he" and I'm like "that's sexist, women can be unfathomable eldritch beasts TOO. god forbid women do ANYTHING."

me, halfway through the second episode of s2: sir are you going to make us wander through the entirety of dante's inferno or just the seventh circle? because that was a very long book?? we've already done the violet/blood-red lake, self-harm woods, the burning plain, and the cliff, and I'm a little worried about that allusion to ice at the bottom! I don't want to go all the way down, lmao.

the first time they mentioned the king in yellow I immediately imagined the man in the yellow hat and I am so sorry but I still keep thinking of him. and also occasionally this man. it kind of... makes him less scary...

it's truly embarrassing how much it drove me crazy until I remembered that song at the beginning of episode 10 was "stardust" lmao. which... I suppose is probably some kind of cosmic horror pun...

I know that I was supposed to be really horrified when John took control over Arthur's hand but literally all I thought was "oh, I'm sure the fandom has made good use of that."

like I was in marvel comics fandom for years before the movies came out, I am well acquainted with monsterfucking fic.

look I'm not here to criticize you, john, but your other half seems to be running a really inefficient cult here.

how did you guys not notice the wraith following you for like six episodes. that one really seemed to come out of nowhere. like... did she hitchhike with them?? go in the caves with them?? swim behind the boat?? or was she just like psychically watching them and then teleported???? I am literally so confused about the wraith thing. I get that they wanted Arthur's kindness towards a "monster" to save him later, I get the themes and motifs here, and I get that they needed a deus ex machina, but I'm so confused about the actual mechanics of that save. it didn't help that I thought that "free her" meant like... free her spirit so she wouldn't be a wraith anymore and she could move on or something. so I had a very confusing moment like "wait, that thing is still alive??" lmao

so... anyway, yeah, I'm just kinda. hangin' on. haha. I'm here for the monsterfucking more than I am for the monster fighting, being honest with you. the monster mash more than the monster bash, if you will. but I am willing to be patient with the parts of the podcast that don't do as much for me to get more character work. hopeful on that point.

[zelda-photography]

TotK Dungeon Thoughts!

Finally finished the first four main dungeons. Whether there's more or not, I'll find out, but I thought I'd make a quickly little post on my general thoughts.

More details below, but up here I'll say: It feels like you were 'expected' to complete them Rito-Zora-Goron-Gerudo (very gently tho). However, I think for the most satisfying route, I'd go Goron-Rito-Zora-Gerudo (if nothing else Goron first).

Rito and Tulin

The game pushes you in the direction of the Rito very strongly when you start the game, and I decided to do them first. Over all, a pretty good choice as you run into a lot of good things on the way.

The story itself, I like! I like that you arrive in Rito Village and only the kids are left, really already telling you a lot about what's going on. I like that Teba was left behind because he's the new chief, rip the old Chief. It also makes me very happy how excited Tulin was to see Link, really showing that Tulin looks up to Link. Tulin having wind powers shows that that was not just a Revali thing, just that he was extremely skilled with his own, and I very much like that.

Tulin's power itself is distinct from Revali's Gale. I miss Revali's Gale because of how useful it was to get around, but it also did makes things a little too easy at times, and Tulin's power feels more in tune with the game as it is, as being able to push yourself through the air is useful. Easily the power I use the most of the sages.

The trip up to the Wind Dungeon is a lot of fun. It just barely doesn't overstay it's welcome, and about halfway through there is a shrine so that you can take a break. Over all, it was a lot of fun, though I was hoping that the flying ships we'd seen were going to appear more in the other places in the sky.

The Wind Dungeon itself is, well, it's fine. It's more distinct in style than the divine beasts, which I like, but I did also like the how the divine beasts you could manipulate things. It's give and take, though, and I get that. What mostly bugs me is how every element felt isolated; solving one part of the dungeon did not help me solve another, and that really bugged me, especially since I had a lot of trouble with a couple of the locks (mostly because I'm dumb but that's besides the point).

I like the boss! It felt really good to dive right through the week points, or to be smart enough and a good enough shot to shoot out the weak points from beneath the boss. It also has you utilize Tulin well enough when you need to dodge the boss.

This was my first dungeon, so the ending cutscene with the previous sage was very good and interesting, and I loved that you get to have a shade of the sage to help you fight! It really captures how one of the themes of Tears of the Kingdom is how much Link is not alone.

Goron and Yunobo

Climbing Death Mountain always sucks a little because I hate the armor, but at least the Gorons live in a place where you don't die trying to reach them, so that's a win in my book. The goron quest line is easily my least favorite, hence why I suggest doing it first. I'm also going back and forth on how much/what I'd change.

I think the marbled rock roast is, ugh, fine I guess as a plot point? The biggest problem to me is that the plot lines of the rest of the regions feel very personal, and make you really really worried about the well being of those there. I'm not not concerned for the Goron, but I could definitely be more concerned.

I'm also undecided on how I feel about Yunobo with the mask. When Yunobo first showed up and was mean, I wanted to punch is teeth in. But also, what an interesting take on the character, where over the years he got maybe a little big in the head over his company and his status, and how it's time to bring him down to earth again. The mask breaking off and him being nice again, I was happy to see my nice friend again, but also he was more or less the same as when I'd last seen him.

The up Eldin Volcano sucked, I totally didn't understand what I was supposed to do with the monster on top of the volcano at first, which made it a little frustrating at first. The mini battle itself was fine enough, though, and flying on the machines is always fun.

Going through the Depths to the Fire Dungeon sucked. I wasn't a huge fan of that, it just felt like padding. Why not put me there just right away?

The Fire Dungeon, like everything else, was fine I guess. I like rails and minecarts a lot, but a lot of the tracks felt too short honestly to be much fun, and sometimes I'd give up navigating them and just straight up climb the sides of the buildings to get where I needed to go. The boss fight, on the other hand, i thought was really nice! It felt good to put Yunobo's power to so much use, it flowered pretty well, It felt both challenging but also like I was prepared for it.

Zora and Sidon

Seeing Zora's Domain all swamped in shit water was a shock and I love how shocking it was and how upset it made me to see the place in such a state. I was immediately invested in finding out what had happened to cause this and how I could help. The statue in Zora's domain with Link and Sidon is great (even if I was worried at first where Mipha's had gone) and SO FUNNY to see it and meet Sidon's fiancee right afterwards.

I like that Yona gets a mantaray head - it immediately sets her off as different from most of the other Zora, and she and her attendents have different armor than the Hyrule Zora. She's a little simplistic as a character, but over all I like her. I another small detail I like is that the child Zora are playing in the water in the throne room, and that room seems to be some of the cleanest water, and I like to imagine that was on purpose. We also see here that healing is magic many Zora have, which I like, but also that it seems hard for them.

Sidon trying so hard to heal as much water as he can, and be the only one putting his life on the line so no one else dies like Mipha, was just so good. It's great set up in BotW, and pay off here of how traumatizing of an experience that was. Again, I like that Yona got to be like 'I know you, Sidon, and I know youre trauma, and I know what you want to and should do in this situation, so do it'.

Getting to the dungeon was so fun! The floaty jumping was a little weird at times, but over all I loved it and gave the path such a distinct feel, a lot like the path to the Wind Dungeon.

The Water Temple was the easiest in my opinion (none of them were overly hard, but this felt really quick to me) (also the Lightning Temple is a close second) ((ALSO ALSO some of that can probably be attributed to me just getting more used to the game and the kind of thought processes it asks of you)) but I thought the way it worked was pretty good. The boss was also very funny, as you were totally set up to expect a like like and instead got the weirdest octorock you've ever seen, and you're pushed to use Sidon's power in a way that feels very natural, though I haven't used it much after this dungeon tbh.

Gerudo and Riju

Going through the desert and seeing the Gerudo Town so destroyed was devastating. This was also where the gibdo were introduced, a suitably creepy enemy for such a scary thing going on. However, they don't stun you. This makes some sense since they show up in such hoards, but also takes away a lot of the scariness of them, and they're almost laughably easy to beat after they've been hit by some kind of elemental attack. Again, I was immediately concerned and wanted to do whatever I could to help the Gerudo. I like that you didn't have to really sneak in (except at first) because you've earned their trust by now and these are extenuating circumstances.

Buliara is one of my fav characters (she was really important in a fanfic I was working on where a new Gerudo male was born) so getting to see her and her specifically vouching for Link absolutely made my day. I like that the Gerudo are utilizing the underground bunker - in general, I love all the times in the game emergency things like that are broken out because these are hard times. Riju, a little older now and training hard, but not frustrated or feeling (at least not acting like) she thought she wasn't good enough was great. She wasn't hitting the mark, but she seemed just focused on training until she could.

The way to the Lightning Temple was okay, It wasn't bad but it wasn't note worthy, although I did like that you got to see the boss before you actually fought her. The best part was when Link had to help defend Gerudo Town from the gibdo. I'm not sure I did actually put together the best plan, but I felt like I helped, and getting the spoils afterwards made it even better.

The temple was a bit weird to navigate, and I'm not even sure I solved everything the way it was 'supposed' to go, but I did it so hey, what more can you ask for. The boss was pretty good, although she was, like, very bug like, and I think it made you kind of go 'oh, the gibdo aren't humans, they're bugs' which further makes them a little less creepy in my opinion.

General/Final Thoughts

Over all, I thought the dungeons felt a lot more like Zelda dungeons than the divine beasts did, and I like them well enough. I wish they were a little trickier, but also I wasn't overly bugged by them being too easy. Each dungeon felt very distinct, which I loved, and you never think you're in one place over the other.

Honestly, my biggest problem is with the Sages. I wish we 1) got names for them or learned more about them and 2) I wish the little cutscenes were a little more distinct.

The end of each dungeon goes: here's the sage, the sage was in the fight and won, Sage of Time told them to recreuit their descendent, wow didn't the Sage of Time look like Zelda? I understand this is because you could visit any dungeon in any order, but I think they would've, like, shown the Sage was in charge of something specific, show more of how the war impacted them specifically, something or anything to make that part more distinct.

Uh, so yeah, I like them, I think they're mostly an improvement over BotW (they both have pros and cons, though, and there are defo things that BotW did better than TotK). Let me know your thoughts about the dungeons if you want! (without spoiling anything past them please ^-^)

[xielexalt]

Xiel's Atelier Log #1 (April 2024)

I decided to start this blog detailing my creative endeavors and progress every so often, discussing the process and thoughts regarding recent releases and current WIPs!

1: "Buffer" ft. ZETHIEL ZERO (DiffSinger)

I commissioned Annoying Hyena to create this DiffSinger voicebank of ZETHIEL ZERO, based on 20 minutes of his Japanese singing data! He's obviously not the best quality DS, but I really like his vocal quality and how it differs from his RVC. I have some ideas for the future of creating an update of his DS that includes his English data, even more singing data created with RVC, and parallel training to help his vocal range, but that'd be for 2025 at the absolute earliest.

Regarding "Buffer," it's the first song Empty old City created as part of Kamitsubaki, and I fell in love with it instantly. I think I'm the first cover of it, and I really enjoyed tuning him as well to reflect some of the stylistic choices of Kahoca's singing. It's such an excellent song and I'm just. OBSESSED.

2: "Tera Tera" - Alcheglow SIDE B

I worked with Kezo, Pigeon, and Kori to make this chorus of Tera Tera for A Sekai Tour! I actually had two groups under "Alcheglow" entered in this event, but SIDE A had to be delayed a bit due to some circumstances. It's a super fun song that the rest of the team really liked, so I'm glad we made a fun final result.

In any case, I'm really proud of this mix and how it all came together. I did all the art and as well, and the simple video. I tuned Rikka and Pigeon tuned Chis-A, and one thing that's really fun about 2 tuners for a cover like this is that the vocalsynths blend into each other more "authentically" like they're actually two people singing, instead of their voices overlapping into one new resonance. Rikka is my darling favorite so I'm glad to use her. I also discovered ZETHIEL, arcdia, and Rikka's blend is pretty insane. I do have a ZETHIEL x Rikka duet planned at some point...

3: "Karen's Cleanup" - arcdia

arcdia's first solo cover coming back as a "revived" vocalist. The process to create her voice is to first sing normally as myself, then convert my voice with RVC into her voice. Although she and ZETHIEL ZERO share a voice essentially, it boils down to the song choice and expression that strongly differentiates them. arcdia leans into the sweeter charm and covers beautiful or sinister songs, while ZETHIEL ZERO leans into a "cooler" charm and covers melancholic and electronic songs? Additionally, ZETHIEL ZERO is strictly a vocalsynth, while arcdia is more of a "real" singer, especially because more "real" singing goes into her presentation than synthesized singing.

I really really love this song, and the comments I got on it during February Youtaite Rewind said her voice suits the song so well and could be the original. I'm glad arcdia's voice has a similar distinctive charm to SEKAI/Isekaijoucho in that case. It's a bit strange that I love listening to arcdia meanwhile ZETHIEL ZERO is a bit of a mixed bag due to dysphoria feelings.

4: "Ga1ahad and Scientific Witchery" - ZETHIEL x arcdia

For this cover, arcdia isn't revived through RVC, these are genuinely just vocals I recorded way back in early 2019 in the real. And then I rerecorded for the other part in late 2023 (4 years on T) to create this duet. This song has such a chokehold on my psyche and I'm obsessed with this song so much... I feel like it defines a part of my inner soul or essence so to speak, so I feel like by making an arcdia x ZETHIEL cover of this song, it's like I've created the perfect Ga1ahad and the perfect Witch.

It's because of this song, I decided to take arcdia's persona in the direction of a "witch" style. Incidentally, ZETHIEL with his emphasis on alchemy and technology suits the "scientific" side of this song. ZETHIEL and arcdia are my perfect duo.

5: "Kannagi" - ZETHIEL

I will not stop covering Hiiragi Magnetite songs. I have more in store.

I'm obsessed with this song in particular, and wanted to create an utaite/VSinger version I could listen to a lot, so I made this shortly after my trip overseas to attend an honor choir. I felt like that trip really awakened a new side of my voice and I think I showcased it here well. I think I listened to myself in this cover so much that it showed up in my YT Recap stats as a top song.

Although I can't belt super high like a lot of other tenor vocalists, I feel like my falsetto has its own appeal. When this was played at a Youtaite Showcase end-of-year stream, a lot of people commented on how insane my vibrato and falsetto is, which I was really happy about, as well as the unique youthful quality of my voice combined with the beauty and technique of the cover. I'm really, really glad people love ZETHIEL like this.

Kannagi is a super captivating song that I'm just really really obsessed with. I feel like it encompasses such a beautiful side of Hiiragi Magnetite. Yes, it's an electronic song, but it really just feels so similar to the beauty evoked by classical or orchestral songs -- which I love a lot too.

Speaking of which, Kannagi, Ga1ahad, and Buffer are all part of a new playlist I created called "Essence of ZETHIEL" -- which I think are the "key songs" for ZETHIEL's overall image and vibe. I think I worked really hard planning on ZETHIEL's image as a character, and I'm satisfied with where we're going with this now.

6: "Pale & Deep" - ZETHIEL (WIP)

This is the next "big" cover for ZETHIEL to define his character image, incidentally it's the same composer as his debut song Hana to Nare.

I carefully considered a lot of artists and decided to go with this artist for the music video. They captured ZETHIEL's vibe so exceptionally well, and it'll be the first music video featuring ZETHIEL's new design. I wanted him to have more of an "alchemist" vibe!

Regarding the song choice of "Pale & Deep," I was really excited Awairo became a proper musical duo (Yunosuke + WaMi) and under Sinsekai at that! Their visuals are so pretty and their music as well, I listened to Pale & Deep on loop for so long!!! The music video evoking "blue" and the lyrics too, makes it even more suitable for ZETHIEL.

I arranged the harmonies here myself, I kind of want to adjust things to make it more "proper" Yunosuke style. But it might be OK by itself, we'll see.

Trying to make an MV myself is difficult, but that's what I'm gonna try to test myself on this for this cover. I hope to release this by June or July. I downloaded a lot of assets for this cover in particular, inspired by my video editing class and the original MV of "Pale & Deep."

7: Various original song/arrangement works

Been unable to publish a lot of them just yet, but there's a lot of original song works I've been doing in the past half year or so. Keep in mind some of these are still WIPs and unmixed.

#1 is client work. #2 I hope to release as a single this year. #3 and #4 will be part of a collaboration album. #5 is also client work!

Also, I published "Aurora" onto Soundcloud, it's just been sitting around finished for at least a year so I decided to post it. It's a fansong for Tobias from Dragalia Lost.

I think I'll be able to release it onto streaming as a B-Side to another collaboration track.

Anyways, that's the atelier log for today!! See you in a bit more!

[edhayne]

The One with the Smart Design System

It’s been 20 years since the lights went off in Monica’s apartment and Friends came to an end. The concept, the talent and chemistry of the cast, not to mention the brilliant script writing, have attracted a legion of new fans to a show that the top TV networks still fight over.

However, as tempting as it is to write about Rachel’s haircuts or the comedic genius of the late, great Matthew Perry, I want to focus on an aspect of the show that gets less attention but is highly relevant to our industry. DISTINCTIVE ASSETS.

Now before you accuse me of being a tragic Byron Sharp tribute act, my musings are more concerned with how we can look beyond our day job for some practical inspiration, rather than trying to impersonate the legendary Professor (Sharp, not Geller).

But why Friends you might ask? Well, what better place to go looking for inspiration than a show famed for developing and deploying assets that didn’t just operate as separate entities, but as members of a carefully considered design system. Spoiler alert, do this and your brand is far more likely to grow.

Of course, there are many elements to explore, but in the interests of brevity, I’ve selected what I believe to be the most influential.

Element 1 – Costume Design

Just like their familiar catch phrases, when it came to the costume design, it was important that each character stood out on their own, but also complemented each other. So, designer Debra McGuire assigned each character a colour palette in season one. For the girls, Rachel typically wore greens and blues, Monica stuck to black, white, grey, and burgundy, and Phoebe got brighter colours and floral palettes.

As for the guys, Chandler's clothes were often vintage and racing stripe shirts, Joey's signature style was "defined by texture," and Ross, because he was a professor, "dressed appropriately," according to McGuire.

Element 2 – The Set

It’s no coincidence that Monica’s apartment and Central Perk live so vividly in our minds. Both provided the perfect canvas for the visual identities of each character to become established, whilst also giving the show itself a distinctive aesthetic. My old CSO at Ogilvy, Kev Chesters always stressed that a brand ‘owning’ something like a colour was “laughable, hubristic, utterly delusional & over-ambitious”. He argued that the best course of action was “to just claim it, and then once you spend enough time telling and showing the world that you are the one who is associated with it, then anyone else can’t be.”

As luck would have it, this is exactly what Production Designer John Shaffner did with the colour purple. As well as enhancing each character’s wardrobe, his rationale for Monica’s apartment wall colour was simple: "When you switched to 'Friends,' you saw that it is purple, and you stayed tuned." Furthermore, it helped other design flourishes to become distinctive assets, most notably the iconic golden frame that hangs on the apartment door.

The orange sofa in the coffee house is another example of using colour effectively. Found in the basement of Warner Bros studios, it literally serves as an emotive piece of brand furniture and is proof that you don’t need to unceremoniously dump as many brand signifiers as you can find, to secure attribution. In fact, the lesson here is the exact opposite. Namely, if you want an asset to become distinctive, give it room to breathe and think about its relationship with the environment it exists in.

Element 3 – Easter Eggs

Like any brand at the top of their game, Friends is a brilliant example of refreshing and building memory structures. Importantly, this was never at the expense of having some fun and driving visual intrigue amongst their audience. Take for example, the Magna Doodle on Joey’s apartment door. Fans became obsessed with the drawings and messages that changed subtly in every episode, and even started looking for hidden meanings.

Similarly, only the most eagle-eyed fans will have noticed that the colourful dots in the F.R.I.E.N.D.S logo have a hidden meaning. In case you didn’t know, each dot represents the main characters in the show. There are six dots for six friends and if you pay attention at the beginning of the opening theme, you will notice that each character holds an umbrella that corresponds to the colour of the dots. The likes of Aldi (think Cuthbert the Caterpillar getting arrested in their Christmas ad a couple of years ago), are expert practitioners of this approach, and it’s something I’d love to see more of in our industry.

Are little details like this why Friends is watched by millions across the world? Of course not, but they add personality to the design system and enhance the viewing experience for those who want to engage with the show on a deeper level.

A quick word count check has revealed that this article is in danger of turning into 18 pages (front and back), if I’m not careful. So, now’s probably a good time to sign off.

If nothing else, I hope it’s underlined the fact that there’s more to building a design system than painting every object in the brand’s primary colour or slapping the logo on screen throughout a telly ad. Recognising that each asset is only as strong as the other elements of that system, is essential in understanding how brands grow. Evidently, the team behind the world’s most famous sitcom got the memo.