#blind channel - keeping it surreal

[ofb1t]

Title: “Scarecrowds: The Harvest”

👁️⃤X 𝔪𝔦𝔵𝔢𝔡 𝔪𝔢𝔡𝔦𝔞 𝔭𝔬𝔰𝔱-𝔞𝔯𝔱

“Fantasies are regarded by humans as NOT real. They are blind and senseless. They waste their true potential by living a life that arrogantly rejects and dismisses the fact that, to begin with, reality establishes the conditions for these fantasies to manifest as definitive REAL actions inherent to reality itself.” (𝘼𝙣𝙤𝙣𝙮𝙢𝙤𝙪𝙨 𝙎𝙘𝙖𝙧𝙚𝙘𝙧𝙤𝙬𝙙)

This is the 2nd illustration of my new post-art series: "Scarecrowds". The description of the series goes as follows: “The series is a dark fantasy and surreal-gothic mixed media post-art series that began on Halloween Eve, 2024. In gothic culture, crows are powerful and multifaceted symbols, often representing darkness, mystery, and a connection to death or the supernatural. This series playfully keeps out not crows as scarecrows do, but the dull and regulatory conceptual box labeled "Humans," especially when it comes to crowds. It celebrates the magic of animatronic "scarecrowds" and their warm-hearted, whimsical and non-human worlds, though not without a certain dose of fun, irony, satire, and dark humor. They have such big, warm hearts, but you do not want to know them when they detect a situation that is too human-centered. Beware.”

I’m publishing all my images on my OpenSea page, on my Website and across social media. Today I will start by publishing them also on my Youtube Channel. Please visit! Links in bio. TYVM @ofb1t

◐𐍆ᛒ1𝚪  (҂0_✘)

#darkfantasy #darkwave #darkart #gothgoth #gothicart #goth #gotico #gothicstyle #halloween #halloween2024 #gothaesthetic #gothic #illustration #surrealism #artoftheday #art #fyp #fypシ #foryou #parati #animecore #otaku #animatronic #scarecrow #animeart #ai #digitalart #fantasy #dark #ofb1t

[sirenizer]

The Warm Embrace

[part 1] [part 2]

As you scanned the cavern, you noticed the walls were slick with moisture, the air heavy and still. “This place is creepy,” you murmured, your voice echoing softly in the darkness.

“Creepy is good!” Ace replied, his grin widening. “It’s all part of the adventure!”

With a deep breath, you led the way through the darkness, your instincts urging you to proceed with caution. The narrow passage twisted and turned, the air growing colder as you ventured deeper. Flickering shadows danced around you, and you could hear the faint sound of dripping water echoing in the distance.

“Do you hear that?” you whispered, pausing to listen.

Ace nodded, his expression serious for a moment. “Yeah. Let’s keep moving.”

You pressed on, the walls narrowing and the air growing heavier. Each step felt like a test of your nerves, the darkness wrapping around you like a thick fog.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the passage opened up into a massive chamber, the size of a stadium. The walls were adorned with ancient carvings that glowed faintly, illuminating the space with a surreal light. Stalactites hung from the ceiling like jagged teeth, and the ground was littered with remnants of what appeared to be an old altar.

You stepped further inside, your caution momentarily forgotten in the face of such wonder. “Look at these carvings,” you said, moving closer to the walls. “They tell a story…”

Suddenly, a rumble echoed through the chamber, causing the ground to shake beneath you. You stumbled, quickly regaining your balance as your heart raced. “What was that?” you asked, a hint of fear creeping into your voice.

Before Ace could respond, the ground trembled again, and the air filled with an eerie silence. You exchanged worried glances, sensing that something was off.

Then, from the shadows, a colossal figure emerged—a stone guardian, its eyes shimmering with an unsettling light.

“You have entered the sacred ground, and for that, you must be punished!” it boomed, the very air vibrating with its power.

Your heart raced, fear clawing at your chest. “What do we do now?” you asked, panic rising once more.

Ace stood firm beside you, a determined glint in his eyes. “We fight. We can’t let it trap us here.”

The guardian charged, its enormous hands raised, and you felt the ground shake beneath you as it approached. Ace sprang into action, his instincts kicking in, but you knew that this would be a battle for your lives.

“Ace, we need to think this through,” you urged, instinctively taking a step back, your heart racing.

“Thinking is for later! Let’s take it down!” Ace shot back, his fiery spirit igniting. Without another word, he dashed toward the guardian, flames erupting around his fist.

“Wait!” you called out, but he was already on the move. You took a deep breath, channeling your powers from the Jikan Jikan no Mi. The last thing you wanted was to lose Ace to recklessness.

As Ace launched himself at the guardian, he shouted, “Fire Fist!” His fist ignited in a blaze of orange as it connected with the guardian’s chest. The impact echoed through the cavern, sending fragments of stone flying. However, the guardian merely staggered, its eyes narrowing dangerously.

“You think you can defeat me so easily?” it growled, raising its massive arm to swipe at Ace.

“Look out!” you yelled, your instincts kicking in. Just as the guardian’s arm swung down, you activated your Time Slow ability. The world around you warped, and Ace moved with blinding speed, dodging the attack effortlessly.

“Nice save!” he grinned, but the guardian was already recovering, a low rumble of anger emanating from its throat.

“Stay focused!” you shouted, your concentration wavering as you struggled to maintain control of time. The effort was exhausting, but you couldn’t let Ace down.

“Fireball Barrage!” Ace called out, launching a series of fiery projectiles at the guardian. The fireballs exploded against its stone exterior, creating a shower of sparks. But the guardian merely roared in defiance, shaking off the attack and charging forward.

“Ace, we can’t just keep attacking head-on!” you shouted, desperation creeping into your voice. “It’s too strong!”

He turned to you, eyes blazing with determination. “Then we have to find its weakness! Can you hold it still?”

You nodded, summoning all your strength. “Time Freeze!” you cried, the air shimmering as the guardian’s movements halted mid-charge.

With the guardian immobilized, Ace leaped forward, flames swirling around him. “This is it!” he shouted, focusing all his energy into one final strike. “Fire Emperor!” His fist ignited with intense heat as he aimed for the guardian’s core.

But just as he was about to strike, the guardian’s eyes flared back to life, and a massive shockwave erupted, sending Ace flying back. “Fools!” it bellowed, breaking free from your hold and throwing Ace into a wall.

“Ace!” you cried, feeling a wave of panic. He landed hard, groaning as he pushed himself up. The guardian's stone skin shimmered ominously, and it launched forward, swinging its arm like a battering ram.

You barely had time to react. “Time Slow!” you shouted, hoping to slow its momentum. The world around you warped again, but the guardian’s sheer size made it difficult to fully immobilize it.

“Ace, I can’t hold it for long!” you shouted as the guardian’s foot slammed down, narrowly missing you as you dodged to the side.

With a roar of fury, the guardian began to swing its fists wildly, each blow sending shockwaves through the cavern. “You think your powers can save you? I am eternal!” it boomed, its voice reverberating in the dark space.

“We have to work together!” Ace shouted, determination etched on his face despite the pain. “I’ll distract it; you find a way to weaken it!”

“Be careful!” you warned, knowing how reckless he could be.

Ace charged forward, weaving through the guardian’s wild attacks. “Hey ugly! Over here!” he taunted, his fiery spirit undeterred. He launched a series of fireballs, trying to keep its attention while you focused on gathering your strength.

But the guardian was relentless. With a sudden shift, it swung its arm down toward Ace, who barely managed to evade the blow. “You think you can dodge me forever?” it mocked.

You couldn’t just sit back. “Time Freeze!” you called out again, but the exertion was draining. The guardian was tougher than you’d anticipated, and your powers were starting to wane.

Seeing your struggle, Ace’s eyes widened with concern. “Y/N, don’t push yourself too hard!”

With the guardian momentarily slowed, Ace seized the opportunity. He rushed in, igniting his fist for another strike. “This ends now! Fire Fist!” he roared, but the guardian retaliated with a swift kick, sending him crashing into the ground.

“Ace!” you cried, panic washing over you. You felt the weight of the battle bearing down on you both. The guardian turned its attention back to you, its eyes narrowing with malicious intent.

“Your little tricks won’t save you!” it growled, moving toward you with a menacing gait.

Desperation surged within you as you struggled to gather your strength. “I won’t let it take us down!” you yelled, channeling every ounce of your energy. “Time Stop!”

This time, you felt a surge of power as the world came to a standstill. You could see Ace, bruised but determined, still trying to rise. But as you focused on the guardian, you noticed it wasn’t completely immobilized; the residual magic in the air was pushing against your abilities, threatening to break your hold.

“I need to hurry!” you thought, moving swiftly toward Ace. “You have to get up!” you urged, shaking him gently.

He blinked up at you, the fiery determination in his eyes flickering. “Y/N... I—”

“Don’t say it! We’re not finished yet!” you insisted, pulling him to his feet as the guardian began to shake off your hold.

With time still frozen, you made a decision. “We need to combine our powers!” You looked into Ace’s eyes, desperation mixing with resolve. “On three. One, two, three!”

As you released your combined energy, time resumed, and you both shouted, “Now!”

The guardian staggered, caught off guard by the sudden surge of energy. Ace charged in, flames blazing, and you felt the connection of your powers strengthen the force of his attack.

“Fire Fist!” Ace bellowed, slamming his fist into the guardian’s core with unprecedented force. The explosion lit up the cavern, the sheer intensity throwing you both back.

But the guardian roared, unfazed, its skin hardening even further. “You think that was enough? I will crush you!”

You felt your heart race as the battle wore on. Ace pushed himself up, determination flaring in his eyes despite the mounting fatigue. “Y/N, we need to regroup and come up with a new plan!”

But before you could respond, the guardian charged again, faster than before. “This time, you won’t escape!” it bellowed, launching its fist toward you.

With adrenaline coursing through your veins, you shouted, “Time Slow!” The world warped around you, allowing you to evade the attack just in time.

“Ace, now!” you urged, feeling the strain on your abilities as you tried to maintain control.

He sprang into action, ready to deliver the final blow. “Fire Emperor!” he roared, channeling all his energy into one last attack.

As flames erupted from his fists, you focused on amplifying his power with your time abilities. The fiery explosion engulfed the guardian, but the impact shook the cavern, threatening to collapse the very ruin you fought in.

In the aftermath, the guardian staggered but was still standing, rage fueling its next move. “You will pay for this!”

Both of you panted heavily, feeling the toll of the battle. It was clear that this fight was far from over, and the guardian’s wrath was only just beginning.

[prettyputrified]

I watched the film again today because of a discussion in @bootleg317 ‘s channel server, so without further ado here’s my

ABCs of Death rankings

No particular order in each category I wrote each blurb as I watched :) spoilers ahead

Loved

G (drowning is such a horrific way to go, you may disagree but this is a horror short to me. We know how it’s going to end from the beginning and we can only watch, we don’t know why he’s doing this and we can’t help. All we know is a surfer has chosen to end his life the way he loved to spend it, his surfboard sticking out of the water as his headstone. Beautiful)

H (nazis get the bullet even ones that make my pp hard RAHHHHHH LETS GO INGERLAND)

I (the cultural context of this one is incredibly important and it is undeniably horror, a very real horror. It is unfortunate that it requires some background research to truly understand but I say that the not because I know many people won’t do it. Raw in its purest form. The violence against women it’s meant to touch on is given a blind eye, you can’t look away now and that is the point. I actually thoroughly enjoy its place sandwiched between two ridiculous shorts.)

P (I understand why people would skip this one, truly I do so no hard feelings to anyone who doesn’t like it. It’s part of a genre of shorts in this film which I would describe as “the real horror is being a woman” which honestly has so much to pull from. A mother’s love knows no bounds.)

S (s is for SO FUCKING GOOD, the contrast between the campy outlaw action film and the true reality at the end? beautifully executed)

T (an amazing short by an amazing animator, he utilizes his medium so well. I can’t say much without totally spoiling it but another good juxtaposition between fear and reality. The gore and body horror was amazing, we need a little green in our red)

X (it was so wonderful to see so many aspects of the lived experiences of fat women explored, people can pretend that it doesn’t happen but it’s all very real and it damages you down to your very soul. To be treated like a zoo animal that no one wants to look at but everyone wants to sneer and gawk at. So full but so empty. I understand her completely.)

Z (ok listen I know lol but this reminds me of how people describe Tokyo gore police which I’ve yet to watch, the political metaphor done with over the top surrealist horny is amazing. By far my favorite of the Japanese shorts.)

Alright

A (better than I remembered, really really interesting concept, lackluster execution)

D (I actually really liked the execution of this one and its twist was very heart wrenching, horrific for this man? Yes horror? No)

Y (the 80s feel was super intriguing, it’s metaphor is clear and executed really interestingly. I get the sense maybe the director was discussing their own experience through art but not in an inaccessible way. Honestly nothing bsd to say! I think the only thing keeping from the top category was the goofy kill. This isn’t a bad category just not my absolute favorite :))

Meh

B (boring, scaring a kid is a dick move but I don’t think they deserved to die for that)

F (refused to watch this one all the way through again, but I respect that it’s unapologetically Japanese lol)

L (I honestly struggled to come up with something to say for this one or where to even place it? I guess I’m a little desensitized. It’s an enjoyable watch for what it is and as usual I love the Japanese freak and the little surreal details that were lingered on. Plus 1000 aura)

N (a fun little short!)

V (I think this director should have saved this and maybe made a full movie, really interesting concepts all around and a clearly high ass budget)

Not a Fan

C (snooze, this is one of the ones where I do agree killing someone doesn’t make it a horror short)

E (snooze part 2, couldn’t even watch this one all the way through)

J (a good time but not what I came here for, wasn’t enough for me to give it a second watch through this time)

M (again, horrific for the person in the situation? Yes crossing in to horror? No. Loved the main actresses aesthetic)

O (idk man even I can’t read in to this one enough to come up with why it possibly ended up in this film, the visuals are fun? that’s it. I had to skip it)

R (man I wish I could like this one more, the body goop and concept isnt fun enough to make this in to meh and it’s just missing something. Some context??? Please)

U (imagine if they made a vampire movie really short and boring and didn’t utilize the concept at all)

Just Put The Fries In The Bag Bro

K (stop it.)

Q (tedious, pick up a dictionary)

W (whyyyy did we get TWO shorts around the concept of the director being uncreative and objectifying women)

[kaunisbaby]

@askeataiho and @necessarytragedies tagged me to put my on repeat playlist on shuffle and make you vote a song 🩷 thank you!

tagging: @samyelbanette @xyelissax @dominuslunae @darkerthanblack-666 @ghost--lights @tomorrows-unknown

[myremains]

Eurovision 6th Place finnish rockers Blind Channel are back with Album number 5. Since appearing on Eurovision their career has really blown up, they’ve toured relentlessly and this is their attempt to follow up on Lifestyles of the Sick and Dangerous which was a phenomenal album. Let’s see if the “violent pop” holds up the 5th time around!

“Where’s The Exit” is a quick 2 and a half minute blast that follows on from where Lifestyles of the Sick and Dangerous left off, a deep hip hop flow, little bit of auto tune which isn’t unusual for them, ridiculously catchy and a great reminder of why these guys have blown up. “XOXO” guest features from ashes to new which is a pretty perfect paring, rap metal at its finest, with a very addictive melodic chorus, mostly I love the playful nature of it and a nice big sleazy drop at the end to slap that neck around to. It’s all about the vocals on “Keeping it Surreal” and “Die Another Day” which quest features vocals from RØRY, the first of which ranges from soft and smoothe to sleazy and punchy whilst the second is a powerful balladesque duet, both adding to the diversity of songwriting on offer. “Flatline” sounds similar to The Browning but faaar less aggressive with that ominous trance sound, but with some of that smash mix of melody and harsher rock, another one for the greatest hits.

I tell you what the more I’ve listened the more I’ve fallen in love with it. They’re not “heavy for the sake of it” it’s always appropriate and impactful. They’ve allowed themselves to expand and explore further, the worlds your oyster at this point guys.

[8/10]

[catboyolli]

✨ the EXIT EMOTIONS track by track review no one asked for ✨

but i'm still gonna do anyway because i'm a highly opinionated woman

When Blind Channel said "oh yeah, we're totally gonna go heavy in our next album" I didn't fucking think they were talking about the theme and the lyrics lmao (fuck you, honestly), buuuuut the album really sounds heavier compared to LOTSAD, which I very much appreciate.

I loved the album and the direction they're taking musically, even if it seems that they're scared of the number 3. Or maybe they're alergic to it, who knows. But yeah, I'm greatly pleased by this album, it's now one of my favorites from them. I just wish the songs were a bit longer.

Thoughts below (WARNING: it's very long and yeah, I talk shit about some of the songs 💀)

WHERE'S THE EXIT

I love the way this track starts, it has a nice riff and Niko's agressive rap had me so hooked. I honestly don't know what happened after that. I'm gonna guess that Aleksi was tired at 3 AM and mixed parts of other two unrelated songs into this one, because to me the song as a whole doesn't make fucking sense. It's all over the place, trying to be a mix of everything but falling short.

The lyrics of the first verse are cool (especially the blowfish part, I think they liked the concept of a morningstar a bit too much, which is understandable because those are fucking cool), but something has to be said about this:

I've been making enemies out of rockstars All those friends with benefits out of popstars

huh??? enemies out of rockstars????? and 4 out of 6 of y'all are in long term relationships wdym friends with "benefits out of popstars"? get out of here 💀

2. DEADZONE

This is clearly a track engineered to get radio plays, they worked with Johnny Andrews, who produced some singles of the two latest Motionless In White albums.

A perfect track, well rounded, nothing is missing. It has the Blind Channel Big Chrorus™, cool guitars, growls, and Niko and Joel's voices compliment each other so fucking well. I like it a lot and it's giving them their success in the US, so I'm happy with this one.

3. WOLVES IN CALIFORNIA

DHFGBYURGDNGDJK whose idea was to add the "wolf" sound effects? 😂

This one is fun and catchy, the scratching and the riff are cool, and Niko's rap is so fucking on point (I think he said somewhere in an interview that Jason from FEVER333 helped him with the rap in the album, which tracks because he's also credited as a writer in this song, and would you look at this picture of them together in the California house, with a big-ass dog? Zakk Cervini is also credited and boy, when you see the bands he produced for it makes sense why this is a good fucking song.)

The bridge gives me Reincarnate by Motionless in White vibes, and it's my favorite part of the song by far. Also the lyrics are so fucking fun, like:

Back home we used to be the fucking black sheep, sweet Now they calling us a flagship Straight outta Hell - sinking

Amazing, fun, a great track overall *chef kiss* I'd say I can see myself in the middle of a moshpit if they play this song when I (eventually) see them live.

4. XOXO

I'm gonna say that this is Niko's album becaue holy shit, y'all, he's on fucking fire with the screaming and the rapping and the lyrics and the everything. The chorus is another Blind Channel Big Chrorus™ and guys from From Ashes to New fucking delivered too.

And let's not forget about that breakdown, which sure, isn't that big or heavy compared to what other bands can do, but coming from Blind Channel and what we're used to get from them, it's a fucking lot. I hope they do something like this again, because it's one of my top tracks in the album for sure.

5. KEEPING IT SURREAL

This isn't doing it for me, the guitar riff is cool but there's something missing. It makes sense that if you make an album to be played live you are going to need a song that is a bit slower, for both their sake as performers and for the audience. But I don't know, it didn't blow my mind like other songs, maybe I need to give it a few more listens.

Oh, and the transition from the bridge to the last chorus is underwhelming. I was expecting something more after the "please don't", but it never came.

The lyrics are cool tho.

6. DIE ANOTHER DAY

The mandatory ballad of the album, I'll admit I didn't listen to it that much after it was released because I didn't like RØRY's vocals in the verses (and I still don't). It's somewhat good, but it's not at a Bad Idea or Feel Nothing or Enemies with Benefits level of good, y'know.

The lyrics hit you like a truck.

(If you need to ask, yes, I'm still salty about the music video with just the singers and that adds to my dislike of the song).

7. PHOBIA

I am incredibly angry at this song because it has fucking power chords (that reminds me of some Nightwish songs, I wish I could pinpoint exactly which one) and Niko's amazing growls FOR ONLY TWO VERSES. It should be a crime to make a song that starts like the EDM summer remix of a radio friendly song and a catchy chrous, and that then gives you a very brief taste of something really fucking good, to take it away after, like 10 seconds.

I mean, I can't complain when the band has EDM Teen Sensation Alex Mattson in their lineup, but like with WHERE'S THE EXIT it feels like two unrelated songs mixed in one.

Again, deep lyrics, but the music isn't doing it for me.

(It's weird that tracks 5 to 7 were written with Dan Lancaster, who is a well known producer that has been working with Bring Me The Horizon, and yet... I'm not convinced of any of the songs. I wonder why.)

8. HAPPY DOOMSDAY

The relief I felt upon hearing this song can't be described. I don't have that much so say because it has been released a while back and I listened to it a lot, but I like it. It's a good song, like finding salvation in the middle of the trainwreck that are the three previous songs.

9. RED TAIL LIGHTS

This song is amazing, full of energy, very beautiful very powerful. The line "red tail lights is all I got" could be a jingle on a commercial, don't ask me why but it gives me that vibe. It's not missing anything, it combines all of Blind Channel's elements in such a flawless way and it left me very pleased. Niko rapping with the heavy riff killed it again.

I only have one question: why is the guitar solo so fucking short? 10 more seconds wouldn't have killed anyone 🙄

10. NOT YOUR BRO

GUYS. GUYS GUYS GUYS. This one is my absolute favorite in the album, oh my god. These petty motherfuckers can make bangers when they're fueled by rage and spite (at least this time it isn't against the music industry lmaoooo). There's something very 2000ish about the way they sing the chorus and some of the melodies, I swear I heard something like this but less heavy when I was a child and I love it so fucking much. Another perfect song blending everything this band is, and it was produced with just Johnny! To me it's proof that they don't need to go after other songrwiters/producers to make a fucking great track.

BUT OH MY GOD THE BRIDGE!!!!!!!!! NFGJHBJGVDEHNNBY FUCKING AMAZING, I LOVE THIS BAND SO MUCH. THIS IS THE KIND OF PART WHERE I CAN'T HIDE MY HUGE ASS SMILE. IF THEY PLAY THIS LIVE AND I GET TO SEE IT I'M GONNA GO SO FUCKING HARD AND 100% BE JOEL FALLING OVER THE BARRICADE DURING ZITTI E BUONI IN ESC2021 I SWEAR.

I need them being dramatic as fuck while playing this song. I desperately need to see what the live visuals will look like because there's a lot they can do. And I need a music video to go with this song.

I don't understand why this wasn't released as a single and was placed 10th in the album. The people who clocked out after track 7 are missing on such a great gem of a song.

11. FLATLINE

I listened to this one a lot, I love the electronic music vibes it gives, overall it's a great song to listen to and to play live. I gotta say that their stupid cringey dance kiiiiiiiinda ruined the song for me when it was released, but I've been learning to appreciate it a lot more lol

12. ONE LAST TIME... AGAIN

It's a good song to close the album, I liked it a lot too! The verses and the first part of the bridge gives me vague The Weeknd vibes, I don't know if it's the way it's sung or what, but it was the immediate comparison my brain came up with. And the second part of the bridge is fucking cool.

I'm happy we get to hear about the band's breeding kink, because what else could these lyrics mean? 😏

Come insidе One last time again One last time again

I'm happy with the album. I preordered both the LP and the CD without second thoughts and now I'm glad I didn't waste my money LMAO. Congratumothafuckinglations, Blind Channel.

If you made it this far and you still don't want to throw me from a high cliff, I love you and thank you for the patience 💕💘💗💕💘💘

Have some cookies, you deserve it:

[sofilovesmusic]

On the edge of emotions Suffocating in a concrete ocean Every generation thinks that they're chosen To find something that's not broken How to feel hopeful? How to feel something at all? Tell me If I died in a dream would you wake me up

[maximuswolf]

Blind Channel - KEEPING IT SURREAL [Nu Metal] (2024)

Blind Channel - KEEPING IT SURREAL [Nu Metal] (2024) https://youtu.be/0hbYLYG10fc?si=tL0j2Ynt7IKCHllS Submitted October 16, 2024 at 05:50PM by Puzzleheaded-Dig7475 https://ift.tt/hJqgAeW via /r/Music

[belltrigger]

Submastober Day 11 - Coupler

So..... I had such fun writing the fic yesterday that this morning I had another idea! (o゜▽゜)o A continuation, if you will! I hurriedly wrote part of it by hand at work and transcribed it when I got home. Then I added onto it!

Cloud 'focus' again, this time after Nobori has returned.

Title: Coupler Word count: 897

There was something unnervingly surreal about the situation, and Cloud was starting to wonder if he was dreaming. Nobori, old enough now to nearly be his father's age, was bowing deeply to him, forehead to the ground, thanking him profusely for watching over Kudari while he was gone. Following the gratitude, Nobori apologized over and over for causing hardship for the entire Subway, Kudari and the agents alike, as if any of the situation had been his fault.

As unexplained as his disappearance had been, the return of the Black Boss was even stranger. An immense glow, blinding everyone in the office, came out of nowhere, and then suddenly Nobori was standing there, amidst the desks. He was noticeably older, and while still dressed in his uniform, looked as though he had worn nothing but that for a decade. Even worse, he had no memories, even of Kudari.

It was impossible to miss Kudari deflating, but he still clung to his brother with every ounce of strength he had.

"Hey now, come on…" Cloud tried, hoping to convince Nobori to stop prostrating himself to him. Things were already odd enough during the past few weeks without his boss practically begging for his forgiveness. And besides, when it came down to it, after spending the past year trying to keep Kudari together, he realized that Nobori and Kudari were something like friends to him. Nobori shouldn't be bowing like this, whether boss or friend, because he had nothing to apologize for.

Reaching out to gently set his hand on the back of Nobori's head, he ruffled his boss' hair with his hat. As Nobori pushed himself up, sitting back on his haunches, he watched Cloud with a confusion that was heartbreaking. Nobori had always been sharp, ever alert and aware of all the goings on in the Subway. He kept up to date with current events, considering it his duty to be knowledgeable for the sake of visitors.

Nobori had forgotten nearly everything, and second only to forgetting his precious twin, much have hurt to his very core.

Even without his memories, it was impossible for Nobori to not realize how important Kudari was to him - they lived and worked together. Their clothes were all matching. Kudari hovered near him, wanting to be by his side like normal, but worried about crowding him as he worked to regain his past.

Cloud wondered if Kudari had revealed their matching jewelry to him yet. He also wondered if Nobori still had that jewelry with how bedraggled he was. Hopefully, because Cloud didn't think Kudari could keep up his positivity if that was also lost.

He'd know for some time about the nature of Nobori and Kudari's relationship - Kudari had been the one to give him an inkling of confirmation. Daydreaming with a stack of paperwork quickly draining his will to sit still, Kudari had sighed about wanting to hold Nobori's hand to make things easier. After the words left his mouth, he seemed to remember that Cloud was also working with him on the same looming stack, and gave him a strained smile.

It was their own business, he'd thought at the time, and it wasn't as though they were hurting anyone. He was content to continue working as if he'd never been given a hint at all. But soon after, both of them had come to him, saying they wanted to clear the air so that Cloud didn't feel uncomfortable.

Not only was he not uncomfortable, the conversation had closed the distance between them as merely employee and employer, into the realm of friendship.

In fact, because they had entrusted such an important thing to him, he'd been asked to be the witness to them exchanging rings. They couldn't go through more official channels, of course, being twins. But, he could grant them that much, the knowledge that *someone* knew and had 'officiated' their union.

And now, Nobori knew less about that than he did.

"Why are you spending your time apologizing, Boss?"

Nobori's eyebrows raised, and then he dropped his gaze, staring hard as his fists as he clenched them in frustration. "I put all of you through such unfair hardships, while I was none the wiser. Apologizing is all I can think to do."

Kneeling down to his Boss and friend, he put a firm hand on Nobori's shoulder. "We all know that you think you should be sorry. But, maybe you should take some time off and spend it with Kudari." Nobori looked back up to him, eyes widening. "After all, he needs some time to relax with the person most important to him."

"I... " Nobori trailed off, seeming to think it over, before his posture straightened, though he was still on his knees. Pulling his cap down from his head, he held it in front of his chest. "You are right, Sir Cloud." Nobori had always been a touch old fashioned, from his speech to his overwhelmingly high sense of manners, but to be referred to as Sir Cloud? It felt weird, and he couldn't wait for Nobori to regain the part of his memories that would put the perspective back into their own friendship. "I shall ask Sir Kudari if he will take some time off to recuperate!" Nobori declared as he stood up, and Cloud stood with him.

"I'll get the paperwork started."

[mellohidisc]

╰ ☆ ╮𝐠𝐞𝐨𝐫𝐠𝐞 - discord au ✰⋆

1.2k 𝚠𝚘𝚛𝚍𝚜 | 𝚜𝚕𝚒𝚌𝚎 𝚘𝚏 𝚕𝚒𝚏𝚎, 𝚏𝚕𝚞𝚏𝚏

𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐭: "𝘉𝘢𝘣𝘦, 𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘰𝘳𝘨𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘻𝘦𝘥 𝘐 𝘢𝘮." // "𝘓𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘯𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘧𝘳𝘶𝘪𝘵 𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘱𝘴 𝘣𝘺 𝘤𝘰𝘭𝘰𝘶𝘳."

𝖙𝖍𝖊𝖒𝖊𝖘: 5/5 𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘭 𝘣𝘰𝘺𝘴 || 𝘺/𝘯 & 𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘮 𝘧𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘱

I plopped my bag on my unmade and definitely in need of a wash bedsheets. I looked down on it, scrunching my nose seeing blemish marks upon my white sheets. Don’t ask me what it is, maybe dirt? Marker? Maybe the last drops of a monster energy drink that I chucked across my room into the garbage can. I’m not too sure what exactly it is to be quite honest. I’ve been so busy and tired, and the state of my bedroom defiantly showed it. University is hard, especially when it isn’t your only responsibility. With all the homework, my job and trying to keep my long-distance relationship above water it is especially hard.

But for once, the world was on my side. It was the weekend, I didnt have work and nothing due soon for school. I could get a rest, fucking finally. I walked my self over to my desk, and sat down in the chair. Unlike George and his streamer friends with these super expensive duel monitor and pc set up bullshit, I just had my laptop, and fuck Dream for making fun of me for it. I unfolded it, pressing the power on button. I watched as it slowly booted up.

Okay, maybe Dream is right but still fuck him.

I refuse to give that man the satisfaction of saying "I told you so." After waiting for a few to let it boot up all the way, I clicked through onto discord.

sex havers and y/n.

fucking idiots, all five of them.

looking over to the voice channels i saw them all in vc 2. I pondered, and questioned if I was mentally stable enough to listen to karl and quackity scream into my ear. I knew the answer was no but...oh, my finger slipped.

"y/n!" karl yelped with excitement. I felt a second wind rip through my body. that was the effect these boys had on you, if you think you're tired you're actually not.

"hi george." i said brightly, knowing it would offend karl greatly.

"hi hun." he said shortly, taking me off guard. i could hear him slamming on his keyboard.

"what are you playing?" i asked, going to click on his discord profile to find out.

"phasmaphobia, come save me from karl. he's been screaming the whole time in the lobby."

"hell no babe, you're on your own im sorry."

"for once, i agree with them." dream chimed in, making me roll my eyes and make a fake gagging noise at him.

dream has one of the kindest hearts i know of. we just fucked around with each other, but we could never seriously hate each other. he was like a brother to me, and no not one of those weird fucked up "i have a crush on my boyfriends best friend" things, but just a genuine great friend.

my thoughts we're interrupted by a loud scream from sapnap, and quackity and karl yelling run. I winced, smashing the volume down button on my laptop.

"alright nope! no no im done! i am closing the game." george said frantically, you laughed as you watched his discord status change.

"awe did the ghostie boy scare you?" i tease gently, testing the waters. with george sometimes, i could never tell when the teasing would be too much.

before he could anwser, i saw karls face appear on my computer screen making me giggle. he had the camera zoomed all the way into his face, staring dead into the camera.

"george..." he growled lowly, making you laugh.

"yes karl?" george asked innocently.

"SCREW YOU!"

the whole call bursted into laughter, i watched my screen go from only karl to karl and quackity.

oh dear god...

anytime alex has his camera on we knew we were in for it.

i watched quackity as he grabbed a stuffed pillow from behind him, and a pair of scissors off his desk.

"george listen- listen to me. this pillow-" he waved it in front of the camera.

"this is you. now this is a pair of scissors." he proceeded to wave them in front of the camera also.

"now george, i want you to turn your camera on for me."

george groaned in protest.

"why-"

"SHUT UP AND DO IT!" quackity yelled, i whined at him to shut the hell up.

I watched the screen grow again into three cameras on, butterflies filling my stomach as I saw george's smile. sometimes it just feels so surreal to me, how he gave me the time of the day really. when I first meet him he didn't seem like the type to date anyone, and if he did he would have been the type to forget he was dating someone and not answer for days.

yet he proved me wrong.

being with george has been one of the best relationships i've been in. he was kind and caring, and yeah he had a hard times being comforting but he showed his compassion in other ways. whether it be a meme he made himself to make me laugh, or a something as small as sending me a cat video link.

"y/n! turn on your camera." sapnap demanded, making you frown your brows.

"what! why? since when did you have yours on sap?"

"well if you weren't day dreaming ab mr gog mister over here you would have saw me put it on."

I rolled your eyes. I scanned my bedroom and made a face. It is a fucking mess in here.

"okay but dream doesn't have his on." i point out, knowing that wasn't going to help me.

"yeah thats because its dream." karl retorted.

"turn it on."

"turn it on."

"turn it on."

The four of them stared to chant, as dream laughed in the background.

"I fucking hate you guys." I groaned, hitting the camera button on discord.

Quackity placed the bear and scissors down, standing up out of his seat to lean closer to the computer screen.

"holy shit y/n! did a hurricane come through your room or something?" he laughed, half jokingly.

the boys knew they couldn't genuinely say shit, after all they are boys.

"oh fuck off. i would love to see your bedroom."

"i guess this makes me the organized one in the relationship." george says proudly, gleaming with joy.

the boys and i laughed at him, watching his mouth slowly open wide and a look of disbelief spreading across his face.

"what! why are you laughing?"

"george, you and i both know you are the least organized person in the world." dream told him.

i giggled watching georges reactions to their comments. his mannerisms were apart of his humor, the hand gestures and the facial expressions.

"no okay no guys please. listen-"

"guys pleaseeee" sapnap whinned mockingly, sending us all into laughter.

"screw off! babe tell them how organized i am!" he yelled through a laugh.

my eyes widened, fuck. you tried quickly to think of a lie to make him look stupid but good at the same time.

"last night he ate his fruit loops by color." i said, nodding trying to sell it.

"HES FUCKING COLOR BLIND YOU LIAR!" dream yelled loudly.

i covered my mouth from laughing so hard. holy shit. thank god i dont have anything to do tomorrow its going to be a long night.

[turtlethon]

“Unidentified Flying Leonardo”

Season 4, Episode 39 First US Airdate: December 1, 1990

Leonardo travels to the town of High Falls, where he becomes caught up in a series of alien sightings.

“Unidentified Flying Leonardo” is the season four finale of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. This episode was written by Sean Roche, in his only contribution to the series.

The Turtles are reluctantly watching a TV documentary about plywood at the insistence of Splinter, who tries to sell them on the merits of educational content. Over at Channel 6, April outlines to Burne her intentions to investigate reports of UFO sightings upstate, having planned to meet up with a reporter from the High Falls Gazette. After leaving Burne’s office, April informs Leonardo via Turtlecom of her assignment.

Splinter tells the Turtles that he has “negative vibrations” about April’s investigation. Leonardo decides to check in on their friend and make sure she doesn’t get into trouble, while the others head out for pizza.

Travelling upstate in the Turtle Van, Leo parks in a field, intent to keep an eye on April with binoculars. The corn stalks around him begin growing rapidly, knocking him off his feet. An encounter with a stranger who turns out to be a mere scarecrow follows, as an airborne vehicle hovers above. Leonardo is now convinced something unusual is afoot.

April visits the Greasy Spoon Diner, where she meets up with local reporter Scoop Oliver. He has little interest in the UFO stories, and is more invested in showing her his scrapbook of his previous stories, consisting of mundane local interest articles about topics including some bulldozers being stolen from a tractor dealership.

As the other Turtles return to the Lair and notice Leonardo is still absent, the leader of the team is wandering around the fields, now completely lost, and begins to panic. He tries to contact the trio via Turtlecom, but as he’s now far removed from the city, the communicator is out of range. While rushing through the corn fields, Leo collides with a young man called Billy Jim-Bob, who was running in the opposite direction after seeing what he believed was a UFO. Once Billy Jim-Bob's face gets covered in mud, both catch a glimpse of each other and believe that they’ve encountered an alien, each fleeing once more.

April is still being bored senseless as Scoop goes through his old stories. The conversation is interrupted by the arrival of Billy Jim-Bob, who bursts into the diner and announces he’s just seen a green alien with a blue mask. April immediately picks up on the description and figures out who it likely really is.

Leonardo stands on a dumpster and peers into the diner as Billy Jim-Bob recounts his experience to the sheriff and the doubting locals. April is eager to hear about this, and during their conversation Billy Jim-Bob manages to unwittingly activate a Polaroid-type instant camera. It captures the image of Leo at the window, who falls into the dumpster upon being blinded by the flash. After seeing the photo, Scoop leads an angry mob of townspeople outside to confront the “alien”, wrapping up the first act.

We return from commercials with a garbage truck scooping up the contents of the dumpster and driving off with them, including Leonardo. April pleads with Scoop to not get caught up in the furore, but he believes this will be his ticket to the big time. Scoop leads the angry mob who pursue the garbage truck in their own pick-ups.

Not joining the hunt is Doctor Davens, a man with a traditional cowboy get-up and an uncharacteristic accent that would seem to befit a Germanic mad professor type. Once the mob has left, he departs in his truck, intent on beginning his own pursuit.

Leonardo emerges from the debris at the local dump and is contacted by April via Turtlecom. She reveals that the townspeople believe he’s an alien, and plans to meet up with him to find a way out of this predicament.

Things briefly take a surreal turn as Leonardo is seen fending off various giant vegetables, including falling peas and an enormous angry pumpkin with a face, before it’s revealed that this was a nightmare being experienced by Splinter. Upon waking, he tells the Turtles that they must find Leo and April immediately, and that “they were heading for a rural town somewhere upstate”. (He just knows this somehow, sensei powers and all that jazz.)

April waits by the road for Leonardo to arrive in the Turtle van, but instead encounters a UFO – from our perspective, clearly a helicopter with a ring-light attached to it – that captures her. Leo emerges nearby, noting that he’d recognise April’s scream anywhere, much as Donnie did a few episodes back in “Beyond the Donatello Nebula”.

Before Leonardo can investigate April’s disappearance, the angry mob of locals arrive and chase him up a tree. He uses his ninja skills to escape to a nearby barn, kicking down hay bales to deter the group before fleeing once more.

After an encounter with an angry bull, Leonardo falls into the back of Billy Jim-Bob's truck. The young man helps our hero to lose the angry townsfolk, and later provides him with a pizza, figuring that he’s “seen E.T. eleven times, [he knows] what aliens like to eat!” Billy Jim-Bob reveals to Leonardo that the alien spaceship frequently appears near the farm of Doctor Davens, and so the two head off there to investigate further. Back in New York City, Leo, Mikey and Raph take to the Turtle Blimp and begin their journey to find Leo.

Doctor Davens takes a captive April into his lab, explaining that the UFO was a distraction to keep the locals from learning of his “agrigenic research”. He goes on to use his machine’s ray guns to increase the size of the produce as a demonstration. Davens intends to become wildly wealthy by selling the giant veggies. April points out that this will decimate the town’s farming community and the environment, but he remains unrepentant as act two ends.

The final part of the episode opens with Leonardo arriving at the lab and peering through the window before being spotted by Davens. The scientist opens fire on the crops nearby, causing them to grow and forcing Leo to act quickly as he tries to escape. Leonardo takes to the helicopter and flies off, pursued by Billy Jim-Bob in his truck.

Still wandering around in the Blimp, the Turtles contact Vernon (via a Turtlecom/radio connection) at Channel 6 and try to get a lead on where April might be. Vernon goes out of his way to be unhelpful, declaring that even if his co-worker is in trouble, “she knew the job was dangerous when she took it”. Burne steps in, and while he has no love for the Turtles, he reveals that April was headed for High Falls.

Despite being tied up, April is able to activate the lab’s vita-ray beam gun, causing the creation of giant vegetables that generate pandemonium in High Falls. Enormous vines catch the helicopter-UFO, forcing Leonardo to once more take refuge in Billy Jim-Bob's truck. The vines eject both driver and passenger from the truck before Leo’s team-mates arrive in the Turtle Blimp.

Davins taunts April, pointing out that her attempts to scupper his plans have failed, the giant plants now about to destroy High Falls. Donnie, Mikey and Raph arrive in the Turtle Blimp to stop him, and bizarrely Leonardo gives a speech about how the villain will wind up going to jail, despite his character not even being present. The Turtles are soon captured by more overgrown vines, but Michaelangelo is able to thwart the escape of Davins by using his grappling hook to power up the beam gun. Giant vegetables grow around the truck that Davins attempts to flee in, pinning him in place.

Leonardo arrives in Billy Jim-Bob's truck, freeing both April and the other Turtles. The group head outside to find Davins crawling out from underneath some colossal pumpkins, bemoaning the fact that his own produce betrayed him.

Later, Billy Jim-Bob and Scoop watch as the Turtle Blimp floats over High Falls. Scoop is devastated to learn from Billy Jim-Bob that they never were aliens, but were newsworthy in their own right as the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

The Turtles return to the Lair, where Raphael whips up a UFP – Unidentified Flying Pizza – in Leonardo’s honour. After Michaelangelo suggests it could use some vegetables, Leo is quick to make his exit.

“Unidentified Flying Leonardo” hinges on the idea that in the world of the Turtles – where by this point, multiple aliens have showed up in New York City to cause chaos and a big talking brain from Dimension X routinely appears on TV to declare he’s taking over the world – there’s still somehow ambiguity about the existence of life on other planets. I suppose if anything, the many wild events covered by Channel 6 over the last four seasons would only serve to make people that much more paranoid. Initially I assumed that the residents of High Falls were being portrayed as so backwards that they don’t even know of the Turtles and their exploits, but the closing scene with Scoop suggests otherwise. At the same time, no-one had any clue who Leonardo was upon seeing him outside the diner earlier, so make of that what you will.

Up to this point, we had been conditioned as viewers to expect a grand finale and climactic battle between the Turtles (with Splinter) and Shredder to conclude each season and set things up for the following year. The initial mini-series in 1987 ended with the Technodrome being sent into Dimension X. Season two’s “Return of the Technodrome” had Krang bring the rolling fortress back only for it to be forced down to the Earth’s core. Finally, The Big Trilogy would conclude with Krang’s revived headquarters colliding with a floating asteroid, now back in Dimension X. This year we get no Shredder or Krang at all, and instead are presented with an uncharacteristically sedate story about Leonardo running around in corn fields. It’s certainly... different.

Going further, “Unidentified Flying Leonardo” feels far removed from what we’ve come to expect from Turtles not just in terms of season finales, but from the series in general. Not only does the story largely unfold outside of New York City, but much of the early goings are more restrained and less wacky than we’re used to, with a good deal of the first act in particular revolving around April’s interactions with Scoop and the other residents of High Falls. Even the villain of the day, Doctor Davins, is less fanciful than usual, intent only on getting rich rather than world domination. I don’t hate it, but I get the sense that there’s a reason this was left until the very tail end of the season, one final adventure to go out on a cold December morning once everyone had stopped paying attention.

Given what an oddity this episode is, I doubt it will shock you to learn that none of the characters introduced here – Billy-Jim Bob, Scoop Oliver or Doctor Davens – will ever make a second appearance. To use them again would probably require at least acknowledging this odd little excursion to High Falls, and it’s hard to imagine the producers of the show being willing to go back to this particular creative well.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles season four ends not with a bang, but with... well, not a whimper, but more of a dignified murmur. We leave the green teens here, at the tail-end of 1990, as an international phenomenon, with Turtlemania now at its height. When Turtlethon resumes for season five, we’ll begin to examine what happens when there’s nowhere left to go but down.

[catboyolli]

thank you Sofi!!! 💖

put your music library on shuffle and write down the first line of the first ten songs that play, post the poem that results

I've been stuck in the middle pages

Break down the wall again

Latched to this life like a death grip, we're satisfied

You can have it if you want it

I'm a bomb wrapped in glitter

I've been searching for an answer

Run, run, run

Quit moaning about fate and change

She's got no soul, heart black as coal

Summer mood, hot sand under my feet

"Gold Steps" by Neck Deep, "Slaughterhouse (feat. Bryan Garris)" by Motionless In White, "Marigold" by Periphery, "Over my Dead Body" by Blind Channel, "Absolute Attitude" by Lord of the Lost, "Pittsburgh (No Intro)" by The Amity Affliction, "KEEPING IT SURREAL" by Blind Channel, "Silvera" by Gojira, "Not My Type: Dead as Fuck 2" by Motionless In White, "We Got The Moves" by Electric Callboy

no pressure tag💖: @yes-armageddon-it @kaunisbaby @ladysorbus @necessarytragedies

Thank you Gabi! @dominuslunae

put your music library on shuffle and write down the first line of the first ten songs that play, post the poem that results

Hay algo que ya no puedo contener

Looking back, you're mistaken

Parece que esta vaina calentó

Quando a gente tá perto, tudo muda de cor

I feel lost

Your friend who is not my friend

Yo, que intento acertar la vuelvo a cagar

É, às vezes a vida dá dessas

This ain't a studio, this is a morgue

Some people think they're always right

I don't know if this makes any sense lol

"De atar" by La Vela Puerca, "Secret Garden" by Spirit Box, "Pa' Dentro" by Juanes, "Além do caos" by Menores Atos, "Opinions" by Blind Channel, "Como soy" by Pignoise, "Serenata Existencialista" by O Grilo, "Autopsy" by Blind Channel, "YOu Only Live Once" by The Strokes.

@catboyolli @capytomamate

[bapyess1r]

Amphetamine

WARNINGS: cursing, age difference, substances used

CHAPTER 6

Talia’s POV

We had come back from the hotel and parked the car at my Godparents. We wouldn’t be needing it for the rest of the day. When we got to Sam’s we knocked on the door, only to be greeted by Marcel and his blinding white smile. “Hey Talia! Anais…” he smirked, throwing her a wink. She held up the half pound bag of ice and smiled.

“Hey boo.” she purred. Watching the two of them flirt was cute for a second or two until they started making a series of faces.

“Sup’ Marcel.” I chuckled, shaking my head. I looked around the tidy mess of a living room for Sam but he wasn’t around. I was almost disappointed.

“Sam is loading up the boat and making sure it’s safe to drive. We haven’t used it since his last job.” He told us.

“And he pulls it out for us?” Anna said, feeling flattered as she sat on the red couch.

“Personally, I think it’s to show off for Talia.” He said whispering rather loudly to her.

“I can hear you! I’ll be right back, I’ve gotta change into my swimsuit.” I smirked. I went to the bathroom and sighed as I closed the door behind me. It was going to be a long day of flirting and jokes, all of us drunk again. I took off my shirt and pants, exchanging them for the bright orange bikini that I stored in my bag. When you live in Florida, you kinda learn to keep one with you everywhere you go. You never know who has a pool. As I slid the haulter around my neck the door suddenly opened and I squealed, turning my back to cover my chest. It was Sam.

“First time in my house naked, I kinda expected to be there for it.” He smirked. Without a word, I punch him hard in the chest. “I’m sorry- I’m sorry!” He backed out, closing the door with a chuckle.

My face was flush with embarrassment as I tied the back of my bikini. I pulled my jeans over my legs and stuffed my shirt in my bag, shaking my body to loosen up the tension. “That’s a cute one.” Anna told me, gesturing to my bikini with a drink in hand.

“Day drinking already? We still haven’t eaten!” I said as Marcel shoved a pretty glass filled with screwdriver in my hands.

“Good thing I made you guys sandwiches!” He smiled, passing me a plate complete with some potato chips on the side. My eyes grew big with hunger as I raced to the bar to sit.

“What kinda sandwich?” I asked, sitting my cup down and picking up one of the halves.

“Shredded grilled chicken topped with a bit of potato salad and deviled egg.” He sounded quite proud of his leftover sandwiches.

“Fuuuck….” I groaned as I took a large bite. Everything meshed so well together and it didn’t take me long to clean my plate either. Just as I did, Sam emerged from his bedroom, dressed in a blue Hawaiian shirt covered in bright pink flowers and palm leaves with toucans. He wore a tight pink shirt underneath and some grey swim trunks. He stepped out with his arms out wide for us to admire his clothing of choice and I scrunch my face. I could tell Marcel and Anna felt the same was as they donned my exact expression.

“What?!” Sam shouted. He could tell we weren’t feeling it.

“Imma have to have a talk with you about your fashion choices.” I laughed aloud before sipping my orange juice soaked vodka. The others cackled.

“I’m tellin’ you man, it’s about time to retire those shirts.” Marcel chuckled, wiping a tear from his eye.

“Hawaiian shirts have actually evolved since the 80’s y’know.” Anna added, nodding matter of factly.

“We should go shopping when we get to the boardwalk!” Marcel interjected.

“Shopping?! Nah, man, count me out.” Sam said, shaking his head.

“But-” I started and he winced.

“Ehh…” he said. I stood up and walked over to him pouting.

“Please?” I said with my best puppy dog eyes, running my hand up his arm, my fingertips gently gracing his side. He stared down at me with narrowed eyes and sighed in bitter defeat.

“Just promise me we’re not gonna be there all day…” he whined.

“Obviously. That takes away from the sunshine. Shopping is just a thing we’ll do when we get bored.” I said, playing with one of his fingers. He rolled his eyes and raised his hand to kiss my knuckles briefly.

“Fine.” he said, taking off his shirt and throwing aimlessly into his room before going into his closet and grabbing a white button down. “Alright then, let’s hit the channel, ladies and gents.”

He clapped his hands before placing them on my hips and guiding me towards the door.

I took hold of Sam’s hand as he threw on his sunglasses and led us to his boat. Out of all the boats we had seen on the way down, his definitely wasn’t the greatest. It was small and khaki with wooden accents to it, a roof over the driver and passenger side. The back was long enough to fit us all and that’s all that mattered. “She’s not the prettiest but she’s a fast one. And she steers real easy.” he told us, proudly slapping the side of the boat labeled “The Morgan”. I smiled at how proud he was of his little boat. It made me happy to see him smiling the way he did.

“After you, ladies.” Marcel said, offering a hand to Anna as Sam lifted me up and placed me in the boat. I squealed as my feet left the ground and he hopped in with no problem. Marcel undid the rope that kept us anchored to the docks before joining us. As Sam made his way to the driver's seat, I sat next to Anna to watch him do his thing. He started the boat and the two massive black motors behind us roared suddenly making Anna scream. We all laughed at her startled face and Sam turned the radio up.

“Everybody in?!” He yelled over the music. We all gave various versions of a yes and the boat began to drift away from the docks. We sailed for a little bit under overpasses and through the neighborhood as Marcel made us all more drinks before we reached the big blue ocean. I was living for the sights. It was so surreal. We passed a man on a paddleboard dressed in an office suit, his pants rolled to his knees and his work in his crossbody bag. Sam waved at the guy briefly as we passed him and ran his fingers through his hair as it was blown around. The wind pushed at his clothes, his shirt bellowing in the wind. I shuddered at how good he looked and leaned back onto Anna with an exaggerated crying face.

“He looks so damn good!” I whispered to her, not being able to contain myself. She cheesed at me before yelling out.

“Damn, Sam! You look hot up there!” And Marcel wolf whistled, adding to the mix. I blushed, covering my face a bit as he looked behind him for a moment to lower his sunglasses and wink at us. I could’ve died right there but instead, I reached in the cooler and grabbed him a beer.

As the boat coasted by a gigantic cruise ship, blocking the shade, I walked up to him, his beer cracked and ready for him. He looked down at me above his shades and smirked, taking the drink from me. “Thank you, sweetheart.” he said smoothly. ‘If I died right now, I’d be ok.’ I thought with a pleasant grin. “So… Are we having fun?” he asked me as I sat in the passenger seat, leaning on the bar to enjoy my surroundings. I lifted my glasses to push back my hair and rested my chin in my hand.

“It’s alright, I guess.” I teased and he nudged me in the shoulder with a deep chuckle.

“I’ll take that as a yes.” he smiled. I could see him in my peripheral looking at me repeatedly and eventually I turned my head to meet his eyes. “You know… eventually we’re going to have to talk about the massive jump between when we first met and last night.”

My heart skipped for a moment but I tried my best not to let him see me flustered. “What do you mean?”

“That kiss last night was… amazing. And I can’t stop thinking about it.” he confessed. I gave a wide closed lip grin.

“What- you want another one?”

“I wouldn’t be opposed.” he said with a cheshire grin, sipping his beer. The tension building between us again was insane. I couldn’t help it. I stood on my tiptoes to plant a soft kiss on his plush lips and smiled. He gave a satisfied grunt before gripping the steering wheel. “The reason I said… That I didn’t wanna hurt you is because I’m almost always gone. I’m always chasing something. And when I’m gone, the person I’m with gets lonely and tries to demand me to stay home. Build a family or whatever. But I can’t because…” he paused a moment to gather himself and took a deep sigh. “I like my life as it is right now… I’m never gonna be able to stop…”

“Are you giving me a warning sign?” I raised my brows in surprise.

“If I didn’t, you’d hate me and I can’t have that…” he told me lowly. I put a hand on his bicep and squeezed it tightly.

“You need someone that’ll go with you. Not keep you back.”

“Yeah… I guess so. But my job… it can get very dangerous and I’d hate to lose somebody.” he said solemnly. He was being extremely open with me.

“I think I could handle myself pretty well.” I smirked in response, crossing my arms and legs. I put my shades down and flipped my hair, returning to drinking in my new aquatic surroundings.

“You think so huh…” he mumbled. His face softened as he scratched over his neck tattoo.

“Why’d you tell me all of that?” I asked.

“Well… It’s obvious that we have this…. Attraction to each other. I have a feeling it’s going to grow on both sides,” he said with a sweet smile. “I don’t want you to be lonely, but I can’t stop searching for lost artifacts… I don't wanna start something with you and I can’t be here with you.” I stroked his hair and caressed his cheek. It was time I started to be just as vulnerable with him as he was with me.

“Sam, I have nothing… I have a job yes but it was a result of a failed career. I don’t have a home of my own. I don’t have a boyfriend or a life waiting for me when I leave Florida… I’m a...floater.” I chuckled. “I could easily just hop on a plane and leave with you.” I wrapped my arm around his free hand and rested my forehead on his shoulder. With a swift motion, he wrapped that arm around me and cuddled me close, his eyes never leaving the watery path.

“What am I gonna do with you?” he said with a sigh of relief.

“That’s up to you, bub.” I answered, patting his strong back. A perverse smirk spread across his lips and I smacked his chest.

“Just sayin…” he chuckled.

Author’s Note: I know it’s been a slow burner but this next chapter I swear things are gonna pick up! 🙈 Expect some filth 😭

[catboyolli]

Hi Luna! ❤️❤️❤️ shuffle your favorite playlist and post the first five songs that come up. then copy/paste this ask to your favorite mutuals✨

hi Ness!!! 💘💕💖💖 I don't have a favorite playlist because I just listen to some albums on repeat depending on my mood lmao but let's shuffle my on repeat playlist instead!

KEEPING IT SURREAL - Blind Channel

Habitual Line-Stepper - Periphery

The Heaviest Matter of the Universe - Gojira

Marigold - Periphery

ABC (feat Sophia Black) - Polyphia

thank youuuuu 🥰💘💕💖💕💘💖

[guerilla935]

The Advantage Of A New IP

In the fashion of it being a brand new year we get asked a pretty general and not at all specific question. What game do you want to see this year? In every new years edition podcast and youtube channel this is hot debate. Of course in your mind you have limited options. You say to yourself, do I want a sequel of something we already have? Has a production company that I’ve heard of before not made anything in a while? You can only answer in what you know. And in the most recent years, the devs have been listening. Do you want The Last of Us Part 2? Naughty Dog will deliver. Expecting a new Legend of Zelda game? Nintendo will probably keep making them until the sun super novas so you are good there. But you would never answer that question with: “I want a (insert adjective here) game.” I mean you might, in which case you must have a very specific itch to scratch good on you for knowing what you like. In any case I will valiantly fight for every game that is still on the drawing board that is not a number 2, 3, or 4. Not a sequel or a prequel. Not an HD remix 2.5 remake. This is why we need to be excited for original games that still have yet to be conceived in a game engine or drawing board.

CD PROJEKT RED

To prove my point I am going to break down what makes CD PROJEKT RED’s The Witcher series so indigestible and why it is so popular now. This company makes a very good video game, but if you jumped into The Witcher 3 you would have been pelted with so much lost exposition that you have already lost interest by the time you have killed the Griffin which is where every person I have talked to (including myself) has stopped playing that game the first time they had picked it up. The game plays very non traditionally, the combat is scarce, each battle takes crafting and social preparation that is tiresome if you were not expecting to work so hard to get to the action, and the travel time is tolerable but not the greatest thing. But the story is amazing and you are waiting on that to pull you through. However we are looking for Yenefer, who is that? Why is this old guy following me around? Why does everybody hate me? Kaer Mohren is uh, a place? Not anymore? The story comes in at a weird place. So you say okay lets go play the first two games, wrong, the first game is unplayable if you have updated windows since windows 10 came out. You could have an awesome time playing just The Witcher 2 and then 3 but lets assume that you just gave up. Fast forward to 2019 and Netflix releases the first season of The Witcher series based on some fantasy novels written by a Russian dude in 1993. Whether you liked the show or not you and 100,000 people actually start playing through The Witcher 3 because you know who Yenefer is, you kind of know who Vesemir is, you know why everybody hates you and how to deal with it, and you have that catchy song stuck in your head. My point in all this is that until a Netflix series taught you how interesting this story and this world is you and most people had every intention of not touching the game at all. CD PROJEKT RED has now announced a cyber punk crime drama starring Keanu Reaves, it is also based on a lot of prior source material but the average player like me would have no idea about that kind of stuff. It sounds awesome and it probably will be, but it is gaining a lot of steam because it’s new and exciting and we can dive in blind which is an awesome feeling.

The Remake

Three of 2020′s most anticipated games are full remakes. Final Fantasy VII, Doom Eternal, and Resident Evil 3. Before we have this argument I’m not going to admit that Doom Eternal is not a remake because it really is, it is awesome plot-less demon shooting and as long as they keep using the Doom name it is all just a remake of Doom. The problem with the hype for these games is that it is hinged on if the fans consider Final Fantasy VII (2020) to be as good as their memory of Final Fantasy VII (1997) and people have pretty exaggerated memories. Doom Eternal also has to upstage Doom (2016) and Resident Evil 3 (2020) has to be better than Resident Evil 3 (1999) and make more improvements than Resident Evil 2 (2019) which will still disappoint fans because Capcom wants to make it more action based which is what killed the franchise back in 2009. But what is really sad is talented writers are adapting content for a modern generation when they could be writing new content for a new era. Video games age worst out of any type of media and I am glad that these are getting restored but we are seeing so much effort put into showing our kids why we were crying when we changed from disc 1 to disc 2 in Final Fantasy VII that we may not get to see Final Fantasy XVI until the far future.

Hideo Kojima

Before I start this section I want to say that Hideo Kojima is one of my personal favorite people. As soon as Mads Mikkelsen and Norman Reedus got hypnotized by Hideo Kojima to work on Death Stranding the games development cycle that involved nobody, not even Hideo Kojima, knowing what in the heck what was being put together in his offices made so much noise in gaming that it could not fail. There are a few games that need only a few seconds to prove that they are worth playing and having Norman Reedus incubate a baby on screen and nothing else is probably the most surreal experience anyone has ever had seeing a game trailer. This original IP whether you loved it or hated it was really exciting to live through the launch of, and when we see game trailers in the future I can only hope that they are as exciting as this one.

The Difference

So what is the difference between seeing a trailer for Final Fantasy VII (2020) and seeing a trailer for Ghost of Tsushima? For me the difference is that when I see Cloud appear with the buster sword I am excited to know what they kept, to see how they improved it. When I see a samurai on screen do crazy ninja moves and disappear I want to see more, a lot more. I know what to expect from the next Legend of Zelda, I know what to expect from Call of Duty, for Assassin’s Creed, and I love when they do blow those expectations away. But when Naughty Dog sends me a YouTube video of the Planet Earth clip where the ant goes psycho and grows a mushroom out of its face then the game comes out and I never knew it would be so sad and intense and rewarding it is unlike anything else. We spend most of our time as gamers anticipating the next rush and I can tell you exactly what it’ll feel like to play the next Doom or Metroid Prime but I will never be able to put into words the next time I will get to play a new game for the first time will be like.

[upalldown]

Shura - forevher

Second album from Manchester-born '80s-inspired synthpop musician Alexandra Denton

8/13

Shura emerged in 2014 as a pop star with a contradiction at her core. “Touch,” her lo-fi disco debut single, was a sort of “Dancing On My Own” for a new generation: an eminently danceable song about watching somebody else dance, about wanting to touch one another but being unable to because you’re paralysed by your own thoughts. Her 2016 LP Nothing’s Real was full of pop songs about unfulfilled promise and missed connections. With track titles like “2Shy” and “Tongue Tied,” she channelled the feathery soul of Janet Jackson and early Madonna while singing about being so engulfed in her own mind that she came apart from her body (the title track described the near-death pangs of a panic attack). If Nothing’s Real was all thought, the Manchester-born singer-songwriter’s follow-up forevher is all feeling.

Shura (real name Aleksandra Denton) spent the three years between her first and second records falling in love. The relationship that inspired forevher is a long-distance one, played out between New York and London via Skype and iMessage, and so the album tells a very modern story of intimacy (switching off Airplane Mode as soon as you land to see what your lover sent you while you were flying; being preoccupied with thoughts of the latest nude they sent you).

In tandem, her sound has grown into something more corporeal: While her voice on forevher largely comes through the filter of Auto-Tune, the instruments are looser and more live than they were on Nothing’s Real, with string flutters mimicking skipped heartbeats, and basslines settling into deep, well-worn grooves. If Shura used to hover awkwardly on the edges of dancefloors, now, she gives herself over to them. The psychedelic electronic soul of “religion (u can lay your hands on me)” or “skyline be mine”—all co-produced, once again, with her regular collaborator Joel Pott—could sit comfortably alongside Steve Lacy or Connan Mockasin, with digital flourishes bringing a layer of surreal newness to earthy rhythms.

The hooks of this record, at its most sensual, are less pop choruses than they are ecstatic moans. The swaggering sci-fi funk of “side effects” melts into a refrain that feels ancient and instinctive: “What it is, what it is, what it is, it’s so good.” On “religion,” the sparse, direct hook is simply, “Ooh girl, don’t stop, please/ You can lay your hands on me.” The record’s repeated urge, between clipped scratches of funk guitar and distorted saxophone, is simply to keep on going, keep on dancing, keep on feeling.

Of course, Shura still grapples with light insecurities in the album’s slower mid-section, in particular “flyin’” and “princess leia,” both of which deal with anxious thoughts during long-distance travel. It’s a necessary contrast for a record that mostly revels in new-relationship bliss, but—obviously—less fun. Likewise “tommy,” a voice memo and short ditty depicting an old man finding new love, rings more hollow than the richer funk songs that surround it. Shura is at her most convincing, and her most alive, when she’s fully embodying her own experience rather than narrating someone else’s.

The album’s slightly saccharine title is an indication of its general embrace of romantic cliché—on “forever,” she rhymes "forever" with “together” and coos: “You make me feel like sunshine, feel so good.” It might be clichéd, but as with her neo-soul sound, it’s also an enthusiastic, earnest reclamation: You’ve heard people sing “forever together” on a pop song before, but have you heard a woman sing it to another woman? Throughout forevher, Shura places herself lyrically inside religious imagery (she promises to baptise her love like Jesus on “BKLYNLDN” and makes herself into God on “religion”) and inside romantic tropes, as if asking, why not us? On the cover of the record, she places two women inside the familiar image of Rodin’s The Kiss, washed in blue light reminiscent of a Hockney swimming pool.

The pop canon has, for so long, been totally devoid of women expressing uncomplicated desire for other women, but 2019 might be the first year where queer women are spoilt for choice. LA band MUNA are preaching self-love, Marika Hackman is writing rock anthems about women going down on one another, and Charli XCXand Christine and the Queens stop just shy of making out in the video for “Gone.” This record is, first and foremost, about queer women. It is also about anyone who has experienced this kind of love: as blinding as religion, as cheesy as a Hallmark card, as familiar as a pop song.

https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/shura-forevher/