#boats. that is the craziest coincidence

[felidthing]

oh my god that cat is actually a maine coon. i am no longer joking

[tsaritsa]

tagged by the beautiful and sexy and successful @fullmetalscullyy + @megthemighty. ty babes ur both fergalicious mwah how many works do you have on ao3? 40

what’s your total ao3 word count?  275,381 words

what are your top five fics by kudos?

may i feel, said he

for the serpent has died and i’m leaning by your side

enthrallment

against the run of play

a strange fate with wandering limbs

i’m really proud of each of these pieces for different reasons. mifsh is a love letter to mar and to the fandom generally; ftshdailbys (what a fucking acronym lmao) was one of the first pieces i did with the intention of hitting a specific word count; enthrallment is a reminder to myself that pain does eventually pass (and that riza/bradley is sexy af); atrop definitely helped develop my love for multimedia fics and playing around with how we show information to the reader; and asfwwl was as much a study of riza as the people around her

do you reply to comments, why or why not? absolutely — although i tend to wait for updates to reply to the previous chapters if it’s an ongoing piece. i’m always stunned by the comments i get and i treasure each and every one of them. ty for giving me a little joy in my daily life

what’s the fic you’ve written with the angstiest ending? i guess it depends on ur perspective. a strange fate is essentially dead dove on arrival — and bellyache deals with some unsavoury themes as well

what’s the fic you’ve written with the happiest ending? prolly that v saccharine valentines day fic. personally it makes me cringe a little now, but if that’s what floats ur boat, then go for it

do you write crossovers? if so, what’s the craziest one you’ve ever written? specific aus are as close as i’ve gotten - the crown!au would be the best fit. the concept of doing a marvel-esque endgame showdown has never really vibed with me; especially for the fma universe, which is incredibly niche and unique in a variety of ways

have you ever received hate on a fic? hahahahahah remember the time when ppl were bitching about mifsh on here bc it was ‘everywhere’ and we were ‘no better than rcyeddies’ with the power imbalance and it was a ‘glorified self-insert fic’ and we were deviants for sharing it and had made the royai fandom ‘cheap’ and ‘an awful place to be’ bc they were so much more than fucking?

yeah me neither lol. i’d also like to state that i’m not bitter about this anymore — but it really did feel awful to read those things, and for ppl to judge us and the substance of the story without ever bothering to talk to us before doing so. i’d like to think the fandom is a kinder space now, where we can just. move on if we don’t enjoy something, instead of sniping about it publicly and deliberately trying to make ppl feel bad

and if u were one of those ppl who were mean: either die mad and jealous lmao OR write something better and more engaging if u want ppl to shut up about may i feel. that’s literally all u have to do 🤷

do you write smut? if so, what kind? i write sexy smut. sometimes it’s an au where they’re in a ballet company. sometimes they’re at university. sometimes i forget to finish them in a timely fashion

have you ever had a fic stolen? not lifted verbatim. but there have been a few times where — and it’s not just my gut feeling, others have brought it to my attention — ideas and phrases align a little too neatly for me to brush it off as mere coincidence. at the end of the day it doesn’t really matter

have you ever had a fic translated? i’ve been very lucky to have a few translated: a few in spanish, russian, and mandarin as well, if memory serves me right

have you ever co-written a fic before? y’all know i have. may i feel and starstruck are the published ones, but maybe more will surface. we’ll see

what’s your all-time favourite ship? royai for sure. they just tickle a very specific part of my brain

what’s a wip that you want to finish but don’t think you ever will? won’t say i can’t finish any of them bc there’s always the chance i will — just a matter of sitting down and figuring out what needs to happen

what are your writing strengths? this made me pause for a bit bc in truth i’m not terribly sure. i’d like to think my dialogue is strong — not only in terms of characterisation, but in the ability to move the plot forward without having to simply tell the reader what is going on. y’all know i love making things sound pretty as well — assonance my beloved

what are your writing weaknesses? it’s a double-edged sword. as much as i love writing to a particular aesthetic, that definitely hinders me too when i get too involved with the details rather than examining my writing from a birds-eye perspective. i also know i struggle with keeping things simple — from explaining something as just. as it is as well as bigger issues like “let me just tell y’all about the history of the economy of resembool from the years 1872-1911 even though this was meant to be a throwaway sentence″

what are your thoughts on writing dialogue in other languages in a fic? i think it can add a ton of depth to a scene — it’s more a case of ensuring that the context around the dialogue can help the reader infer meanings without feeling so unsure they want to go search the translation. for the most part in may i feel, i think readers have been able to understand without too much hassle when a character uses spanish (but also we all know enough rudimentary spanish that it’s not utterly foreign). using a non-latin written language like mandarin or thai would definitely take me out of the fic more — but again, it’s all in how u apply it 

what was the first fandom you wrote for? fruits basket! i never published it tho

what’s your favourite fic you’ve written? currently it’s my piece that will be published for this years fma big bang. i’m really excited to share more about it next month (and publish it on october 3rd!!)

tagging @firewoodfigs, @royai, and @bringingglory if y’all haven’t already gotten around to it

[smolbeandrabbles]

Money, Honey - Nolan Sorrento x Reader (Ready Player One)

GIF CREDIT: X

@happyskywhale @wltz-bby​

Author’s Note: Thank you for requesting @babydoll97!! 🥰🥰🥰🥰 Thank you for also letting me write him the way I see him - that’s very sweet of you! Although I think I mixed in a fair amount of how I usually see him written, so hopefully he turns out okay for everyone! 😁

I’m also so sorry that it sat half finished for so long! 🙈

Also, for my favourite of all of Ben’s characters it sure has taken me a long time to get this ‘explicit’ with him... 🤔 Disclaimer: RPO Characters not mine / GIF not mine / lyrics not mine Premise: Nolan is supposed to be away on business, it doesn’t stay that way for long. Both of you need a little something-something... 

Words: 2761 Warnings: Sinday/Sunday Smut / Swearing 

--- Damn, I love the Jag, the jet, and the mansion (oh, yeah) And I enjoy the gifts and trips to the islands (oh, yeah) It's good to live expensive, you know it But my knees get weak, intensive... When you give me k-kisses (that's money, honey) When I'm your lover and your mistress (that's money, honey) When you touch me, it's so delicious (that's money, honey) Baby, when you tear me to pieces (that's money, honey) That's M-O-N-E-Y. So sexy, I... Damn, I'd love a boat by the beach on the West Coast (oh, yeah) And I'd enjoy some fine champagne while my girls toast (oh, yeah) It's good to live expensive, you know it But my knees get weak, intensive... You know I 'preciate the finer things But it's not what makes me happiest, baby (I can do without it, babe) Your tender loving's more than I can handle Never burn out this candle baby, baby ---

It was just a normal Saturday night of missing the man you loved.  You were lying in bed, propped up on your elbows listening to your favourite playlist and scrolling through IOI news you’d seen 100 times. If for no other reason than you got to see his face, and occasionally if it was a video hear his voice. You groaned gently, wondering if it was okay to try and get off to news reels. Why, when you needed him so damn bad, did he have to be out of town? You sighed, wiggling your hips around and swinging your legs in the air in discontent. You pouted and continued your scrolling – also why did he always look so fine in these pictures!? Why did you have to scroll through some particularly delicious ones of fashion shoots in sharp suits – some of which with buttons undone a little lower than necessary – but also exactly what you needed right now. And the thirsty comments that followed them weren’t helping you one little bit either. Yet you had to agree with them, and you got to lie there with a smug smirk – seen as you were the person with the man they were all talking about. You groaned again running your hands over your face and through your hair with a sigh – as soon as he was home in a few days you weren’t going to be able to keep your hands off him. Or, maybe it would have passed by then. All you really knew was right now it was agony – and not even sweet agony. You were frustrated. You needed him. Desperately. ** Nolan had the same problem – he couldn’t stop thinking about you. Usually being away wasn’t so bad – but he’d had a hard day of answering a lot of tough questions. The kind where he’d get to go home afterwards and fall into your welcoming arms – that he’d at least have that thought in his head all day as relief. Not so today. And he couldn’t deal with it – so he’d driven all the way back to Columbus (even if it meant getting up insanely early to drive back; he still needed to be there tomorrow) just to see you. He was surprised that you weren’t running to him the moment he opened the door. Nolan tentatively called out your name, but gained no reply. Deciding instead he’d like to surprise you with his return, he followed the light trail up to your bedroom, smirking. Perfect! It was obvious why you’d not heard him as soon as he entered; with headphones and your attention on your phone, you were in your own little world. His smirk only broadened; slipping from his suit jacket and unfurling the knot of his tie before undoing a few buttons. Nolan Sorrento didn’t even give you fair warning before he grabbed both your ankles and dragged you down the bed towards him. You immediately gasped, it was sharp but not quite a shriek, adrenaline spiking in the situation as you were flipped from your front to your back – coming face to face with your partner. Your cheeks flushed – bright red. As if Nolan had heard every little dirty thought that had run through your head as you’d lain here without him. In reality, your prayers had just been answered, and you didn’t know who you were supposed to thank first. You removed your headphones and reached up to touch his face, as if you needed to check he was real. “Nolan! You’re home-!?” A great surprise, but he wasn’t meant to be, you knew that for certain. Not about to count your blessings twice on perhaps the whole thing being cancelled… He twisted to gently kiss your palm, “Baby, I couldn’t be without you…” Your smile was gentle, “Me either.” His eyes traced your body – you were wearing an old IOI t-shirt and sleep shorts, with the way he’d pulled you both had ridden up dangerously and Nolan bit his lip hard, groans rising in his chest. That was unbelievably sexy. With his body weight pressing down into you, you moaned gently, feeling how desperately he needed you. Nolan Sorrento was aching for you – if he’d really driven all this way to do to you what you been lying here wanting him to, it was either the craziest coincidence or the best case of stars just aligning. Nolan kept his weight on his knees, running his hands up your body; you responded immediately with tiny little groans, shivering under his fingertips as they glided over your hips. He put just enough pressure on your body to pull your shorts and underwear too. That sent you another set of shudders and you bit your lip; the friction against your clit exactly what you craved. “Nolan…” If he wasn’t already smirking before, he was now; “That’s my girl…” His hands ran higher, over your ribs. One stilled, but the other travelled; over your shirt – which was much more of a tease than going under it. Nolan’s fingers brushed your nipple, circling it, and you lurched into him. You very nearly cursed yourself for spending so long thinking about him and your eyes fluttered closed. “Nolan-!” He chuckled, re-pressing his weight into you and you groaned again, it was clear that both of you had it bad. And as his hands roamed you to a series of excited mewls, Nolan’s lips found your neck, your shoulders and then your ear, the nip was small but a shiver ran through you again. You were probably wet before he’d even come home, but now you just wanted to be one with him. And even just that small nip had you pushing up into his body again – that friction was exquisite. Nolan laughed, hot breath against your ear as his voice dripped lust; “Someone missed me…” “Nolan… God, baby please…” He smirked, “What were you doing sweetheart… without me, hmm?” Nolan’s hand travelled back down to your panties, running his index finger teasingly over them as your hips rose to meet the friction – mhm, he knew it now too. “Nolan, please!” “You want me, don’t you?” Yes. Yes you absolutely did, but he wasn’t going to get away with something like that, you pushed your knee up between his legs and his grip on you tightened. “As bad as you want me.” His kisses transferred to your lips with a smile and you tangled your hands in his hair; Nolan pushed your leg back down and apart but was wasting no time, pushing your shorts to one side he slid his thumb up to your clit. You gasped against his kiss, body quaking underneath his, before Nolan inserted two fingers – at first tentatively, but you were so wet and ready for him that your hips instinctively widened as you gripped him tighter. Pulling from your lips Nolan tsked you, his lazy smirk teasing you: “Oh, darling…” and you hated him for it, for how desperate he was implying you were. Of course the problem was tonight he would be right. He was slow and careful with you though, thumb brushing you in leisurely, gentle circles as he focused more on stretching you; you were still going crazy, because although Nolan was touching you it wasn’t enough. And whining for him did nothing more than make his smirk widen. Nolan Sorrento wanted nothing more than to be inside you, but he knew how much your pleasure mattered: determined to be patient and satisfy you. Your hips jerked upwards as he varied his pressure, pressing his thumb a little harder over your clit and this time you did curse. “Do you like that, hmm?” It didn’t help that you were also aware of how eagerly your body was clenching around his fingers, still moving inside you, “Oh, you do, don’t you?” His voice was dark and husky and you weren’t sure if that was just your affect on him that he couldn’t control, or Nolan was doing it on purpose. As his fingertips brushed what he was really looking for, your body gave another jolt up into his; and the friction of how hard he was against you had you calling his name as you moaned, once… twice… head tipped backwards as he touched your G-spot again. “Baby- Please-!” You were surprised you managed to be even that coherent. Nolan just chuckled; “Please what?” “Finish me… fuck me… I need you.” Need you. Not just want you. Need you. And you said it like you’d die without him. “My pleasure.” Nolan kissed you again, and you were already drunk on him. The feel of his body pinning you down, of his hands on you – within you, the way his scent surrounded you, the sound of his voice, his laugh, his breathing… the taste of his kiss – you were having a complete sensory overload. He didn’t withdraw his fingers from you; and his continued attention to that spot had you very nearly writhing beneath him. Shit, Nolan, please… just let me--! Just LET me-! And at the sound of his belt buckle and the zipper on his pants coming undone, you very nearly did. Nolan’s lips left yours at the same time that his fingers did – and you’d have been pissed, if he didn’t immediately push into you. He filled you completely, and you moaned at how wonderful he felt. One with you once more. Exactly where you wanted him. You locked your legs behind him – pulling him as deep as he could go. Nolan choked out a gasp; he wasn’t smirking anymore. Your hands framed his face for a moment, as he reigned his composure in enough to actually move, you were quiet, watching every emotion that crossed his face. You knew he was half way there already, so your sweet sigh coupled with letting yourself clench freely around him drew a full body shudder as Nolan dipped his head. “Fuck-” You very nearly laughed triumphantly at that; but the look in his eyes as he brought them back up to your face stole your breath instead. That intense dark blue was not to be messed with, rimmed with the same lust that dripped from his voice – you were prepared for this sex to be quick and dirty. You weren’t even sure you particularly cared, you just wanted him. Nolan withdrew from you enough for the loss of him to have you whining, and as your body moved beneath his, he pinned your wrists back. “Stay still for me.” His voice broke over his command, and you mewled again as he pushed back into you, a little slow and sloppy as Nolan tried to gain control of himself. Clearly your writhing was not helping the situation. Yet, to you, his pace was torturous – and you were beyond caring about how many times you moaned, or that his name tumbled from your lips – needy. He responded to you, mercifully and, letting you slide your hands to entwine with his, intensified his pace. But not in increments; Nolan wasn’t taking you higher and higher every second – but from relaxed and sweet to hard fucking near instantaneously. That only made you louder; squeezing your eyes tightly shut, you lost control of all your senses. Everything was screaming, you could hear his panting and your heart pounding, feel every single small point of contact where his skin brushed yours – and you were holding him so tight; nails digging into his hands you’d be unsurprised if he was left with 10 little indents. “No-lan-!” You couldn’t even say his name in a single breath, from the pitch in your vocals you were surprised you could speak at all. Having gained some semblance of control over his body; even if only for your sake, Nolan was having no trouble, “You like that, baby, huh?” You weren’t going to bother try to be coherent, a nod of your head would have to do – but how could he not know? Nolan could hear how he was making you feel for himself. All your lack of response invited was another delicious smirk and his pull of your body, to thrust into you a little harder at just the right angle. He felt so good, so damn good - all you wanted was for him to keep fucking you like this, endlessly – but it couldn’t be endless, even if you could dream of such things. It was what made you crave him so much. “No- No- No-” After the third attempt you gave in again. Close enough to a one-time nickname he hated, you weren’t even going to bother with that second syllable, barely manging the first between sharp pants. God, you were so ready… He must have known that too, and Nolan read every sign of your body, changing his rhythm just so slightly to match the way your body was quaking, keeping you comfortable. You were on that edge now, even when being tipped from it was the main goal it was about keeping there, for maintaining that pleasure for as long as possible. “That’s it…” Now his voice was shaking in pleasure too – you weren’t surprised, you were certainly being greedy with him what with the way you clenched around Nolan to keep him within you, “…Good girl.” Good girl? He’d never called you something like that before – where did that come from? The sudden shift in mood in Nolan somehow excited you more, and your body couldn’t maintain the high he was giving you. Your gasp was sharp; this time managing his full name before your ecstasy stole the air from you once more. That was enough for him; and his choked breath followed your climax, before he stilled. Nolan’s spine curved and his head bowed as he groaned, grip on your hands tightening as he finished within you. His heavy breathing matched yours, and the sound mixed, filling the stillness of your softly lit bedroom. Nolan growled softly as he withdrew from you – you whimpered quietly at the loss of his body so close to yours, as he afforded you both some breathing room for a minute. When Nolan finally raised his head to look at you, he was panting and sweaty, dark grey hair very nearly back to its natural colour. He looked like a mess – albeit a hot one – as he nestled into the sheets next you, drawing you nearer to him to hold you close in his arms, rubbing his hands comfortingly over your back and shoulders: “Oh, babe, I’m so sorry… I’m so sorry…” You shook your head, snuggling into his chest and holding him just as close, running your fingers through his hair as you hushed him. Speaking gently between kisses; “It’s okay… I needed it too…. Nolan it’s okay…” His kisses back were slow; all his energy spent. But the content sleepy look on his face was insanely cute and you got to bask in that for a moment. It wasn’t so often you saw him this relaxed; maybe he could unwind, for just five minutes – here in your arms. Until you suddenly thought on possible consequences of what had just happened, eyes wide: “Wait… did you-!?” Nolan’s eyebrows knitted and he frowned, before he caught on and his eyes too widened: “Fuck! Oh god, I’m so sorry-! Do you have…?!” It wasn’t like you hadn’t thought about children, it wasn’t like you didn’t want them with him, it’s not like it would just happen, but it was always a possibility. Still, you didn’t currently have any form of protection with you: “I could… get some.” “You don’t sound so sure you want to?” Nolan shifted as he propped himself up on his elbow, mysteriously curious about it – was that a small smile or was he more perplexed? “…Would it be such a bad thing?” You weren’t sure how else to voice such a question. Even if it deserved a little more gravitas. “…Do we want to take that chance, right now?” It wasn’t a no. “Do we NOT want to take that chance right now?” The look on his face as he took your hand in his told you Nolan had no answer for you, before he turned those perfect blue eyes back on you – brushing his lips to yours. “Okay, well let’s see.” He pulled you close again as he lay back in the sheets, you cuddled into him with a nod, closing your eyes and settling to the sound of his heartbeat, “One step at a time…” 

--- Thank you so much for requesting-! 🥰🥰🥰 Thank you for reading! 

[jawbreakers2015]

Player Profile: Hang

avid modder, occasional TO and montage video producer from Germany top 12 in the Jawbreakers Stunfest Qualifier (artwork of Drop by Kagu)

What names do you go by?

I used to go by Troke for the entirety of April. Which was based on a dumb coincidence where I talked to Neer and had one of my usual mobile spelling errors and I wrote "I'm having ha troke" instead of "having a stroke".

I wanted to go away from "Hang Boy" since quite some time as I specifically wanted to get rid of the "Boy" and just "Hang" felt wrong and was still associated to Hang Boy anyway. But I guess I'm back to that now.

Reason to why I wanted to rid myself of "Boy" was as simple as me linking my online persona to my OC (By choosing her for profile pictures on basically any platform) which then of course lead people to believe she is a male based on the thought "Hey this is Hang Boy. So the profile picture must also be Hang Boy".

The name Hang Boy btw occurred just as I started my first step into the internet, when I was a big fan of the Binding of Isaac. So i needed an online name and I ventured through Isaac related things. Which was when I came across the Tarot card "Hanged Man". So I just took that and adjusted a bit.

How do you feel about your performance in this tournament?

Was pretty okay. I didn't expect to get far into it. Although I'm a bit sad I didn't make the Top 8 picture. Only needed one win more as well.

However I would have been disappointed in everyone else, if they allowed for me to reach Top 3. So good that didn't happen.

What was your strategy preparing for and competing in the tournament?

I haven't played Blaze in weeks. The only times I played recently was to get some recordings for a Toxic montage. Right before the tournament I was more worried to finish my Isaac run. Which I did win!

And during the tournament was pretty much just "Turn some nice music on, jam to it, play some Nitro, do some silly cuff shenanigans, do dumb parry grab down throws so the viewers can laugh over something".

I did "fly" with Nitro in one match but sadly it wasn't streamed so only Hellraiser was able to see the glory of Flying Cuff™.

Which was your hardest match of the tournament?

Hellraiser I suppose. He did kick me out of it. I never really played him or saw him play and he didn't fall for my aggressive playstyle, so it was a tough time.

What surprised you most about the tournament?

Cherry's second place finish. I know he's good, I think he's underrated even.

But second place is a really good finish. Even more so beating JawDrop since, in my opinion, he has some of the craziest tech and can be really really confusing to play against.

(Yea he also has weird lag even tho he lives in France but whatever :p)

Is there anyone you didn’t face that you wish you did?

I would have wanted to play Defur if possible. To some degree I see his entrance as a sort of meme entry. But jokes aside and game aside, I can only take my hat off to this man and his effort for the tournament scene.

Sadly didn't get to play Daio. It feels like a tradition to face off against him in FellowsTV hosted tournaments. Which always goes the same way tbf. He counters my playstyle hard, I'm annoyed to play against him, don't bother changing my playstyle in order to win, get demolished. But the tradition counts!

I'd put Neer in the same boat. Hate playing against him but it just kinda has to be.

How did you get into Lethal League?

A friend bought it for me. We played a couple of games, he had to leave. I went into QM, found Garu, got absolutely demolished, he friended me and pulled me into it.

I specifically remember seeing his Latch corpse juggles and thinking "Man this is so cool, I want to be able to do this too". So right of the bat I started to play for the style, which is what I still go by.

Style > Efficiency

It feels bad not having paid for LL nor Blaze but I bought LL for a bunch of friends so guess that checks out.

What's your current Lethal League experience?

450+ hours in LL 340 hours in Blaze (As of now. 26.4.2019) And a giant bunch of hours of community interaction and modding.

I was very excited when asked to be beta testing and it fulfilled a childhood dream of being in video game credits.

Despite only getting into Beta a month before release, I stacked up 90 hours before the game came out. Lots of 9 hour playtime days. It was massive fun.

I bought almost all of the merch...got most signed by Tim & Dion too. I went to the Netherlands twice to meet TR. It was fun, they are cool people. Watching Dion doing a live dance off was pretty rad ngl.

I brought self made cheesecake the second time, but Tim had to get it into the building since they check your bags for normal visitors and it wasn't allowed to bring food.

I'll never forget the sight of Tim with his big bag looking like he's smuggling a bomb into a convention.

Who are your main/side/counter character picks?

Everything. So yes random, it's random.

However I most enjoy playing Nitro because of all the dumb things he can do. Especially flying, cuff storage (specifically for down angle on the ground, to just pull a little bit forward) and half pull.

Doombox is also very fun. Special>bunt>smash>parry>special>repeat can chain pretty often on some opponents and is hilarious.

The only characters I "despise" playing are Toxic and Sonata. But only because I'm really bad with them.

What are your favourite character outfits?

Dust and Ashes. Just their whole design.

For real tho. There's not really skins that stick out to me since I use my own modded ones.

Can you share your favourite/most used custom outfit?

Hm I missed that that's not "outfits"...well take a load of skins! In order

Mothyman Jeviman Spacetor Golden Switch Drop Palette Sonata Supercharged Latch PaDice-a the Rapper Skull Grunt Supercharged Grid Supercharged Doombox Dropbox FYouBox Nitro with a blue, white and mint color scheme I made for every character and lastly my Toxic skin with that same color scheme

What are your stage preferences?

Idc. I play random so who really cares. I guess insert the usual "Paradise field eclipse succs!!!"

What input method do you use?

PS4 Controller Dpad for movement L1 Bunt R1 Swing R2 Grab

I used to play LL on a cheap SNES controller using only face buttons. When I was over at Dutch Comic Con with Serchiot I played a couple games of Blaze with his PS4 controller and really liked his layout and the feel of the controller. So I just sneakily stole his layout and got myself a PS4 controller.

Coming from all face buttons, I needed some time to get used to it. But in my opinion it's just superior this way.

How do you make your character montage videos?

I have two ways of recording clips. Just consciously recording with OBS or putting Shadowplay on and saving every time something cool happens. I usually just boot up Blaze and jump into ranked to get some games in. With the Toxic montage it was a bit different since I now have a 4K monitor but 4K can hardly be recorded at 60fps and setting the output resolution in OBS to 1080p got me weird screen effects. So every time I went to record, I put the resolution of my monitor to 1080p in order to at least get that in good quality. Then I just cut all the good clips out of the recordings and mix ‘n’ match ‘em. What's usually the hardest decision is what music to use. There's been a couple of songs that I'd like to use, but they either don't fit over Blaze gameplay, don't fit my playstyle or were just the wrong length.

My two favourite Montages are definitely for Candyman and Nitro. Candyman took a long way to develop, because I just wanted to show off so much. It's one of the few montages where I actually asked higher skill players for games instead of jumping into ranked. Picking the song was really hard, I was only sure I wanted a Klaus Veen track, but OD V2 was too mainstream and most others were too short. So in the end I opted for two songs with a break in between the montage. Splitting the clips into two sets, each song one. With the second part containing what I considered the more hype bursts.

And for Nitro I actually had the montage pretty much done, but I wasn't too happy with it. Still planned to just upload it like that tho. However when I saw the Nitro voice actor interact with a community member in a way that could only be described as "incredibly wholesome", I was inspired to redo most, if not all, of the clips and do the best I could. For the first time actually going into training mode to lab some combos (mostly corpse juggles tbf) and eventually learning Flying Cuff™ too. Watching JawDrops Blazin' Combo video and taking a slice off the Nitro plays there. Which resulted in a montage I am very happy with.

What other games do you play?

It differs from time to time.

The only games I always come back to are retro games like SMW, CTR or something like Mario Kart 8D. Which I always enjoy playing at local tournaments and pretty successfully so even. People just can't handle it when someone plays with one hand.

Atm I also like playing TBoI Rebirth.

Will you come to Stunfest?

Probably not. Driving/Flying over to France is just very expensive. I would love to meet all my Baguettes (Lusked, Jawdrop, Aru and Lalou, who stated he can't make it due to exams, yes I know). But exams and the neer-ing end of my apprenticeship is leaving a lot of work to be done.

So it probably won't fit into my schedule. However never say no! Trips to Blaze events aren't uncommon for me.

Is there anything else you’d like to say to the community?

Play the game for fun, not for glory.

Stop rubbing yourself for an imaginary title that doesn't mean anything as there's not even any competition for it.

I can't stress enough how great Soda City Funk by Tim Legend is. Go listen to it right now.

And for my last words. Be more like Kota. And remember, We love Ramkat <3

[nogodsnomasters138-blog]

GOATWHORE Gather Blood for the Master

Editor’s note: Another blastbeat from the past. A 2012 interview with GOATWHORE bassist James Harvey.This one is unique because it’s an email interview that actually turned out to be decent. The editor of the site I was writing for at the time said he had an email interview lined up and asked me to send him a set of questions for GOATWHORE. I don’t even think I knew what member was going to answer when I wrote the questions. (Oh yeah, and I’m actually going to edit it for this posting.) GOATWHORE RIP! LISTEN TO MORE GOATWHORE!!!

Recently GOATWHORE came out with their new album on Metal Blade Records, “Blood For The Master.” Phillip Lawless talked to bass player James Harvey about the new album and his time with the New Orleans band.

Phillip Lawless: Hi, James. Thanks for taking time out to speak to Metal-Temple.com. “Blood for the Master” will be out soon, and it’s a killer. Tell us a little about the writing process for the new album.

James Harvey: Well, the writing process was pretty simple … coming up with riffs and jamming on them, creating songs. Other elements like guitar solos, intros, etc., come in later, after the songs are pretty much complete. Nothing really too out of the ordinary.

PL: Who brought in material? Did you guys work on any songs as a band?

JH: Yeah, most of the stuff we worked on as a band – we would get together and jam pretty much every night and work on stuff. Sammy would usually bring riffs in, he and I might tweak them some, and then we would start to assemble parts into songs, etc. If I was out of town, Sammy and Zack would usually get together and work on stuff as well. Once the basic skeletons are there it is easy to customize drum parts, bass parts, guitar solos, etc.

PL: Which songs do you think will be your favorites to play in a live setting?

JH: So far we have chosen a few new songs to play live. “In Deathless Tradition” and “An End to Nothing” have been really cool to play live. In the future we will work in more stuff, including “Death to the Architects of Heaven,” which should be a fun one to play.

What was it like working with Erik Rutan in the studio? How did he contribute to “Blood for the Master”?

JH: It was great to work with Rutan – he has an awesome studio and really knows what he is doing. He drives us to get the best performances possible and has a good ear for detail. Erik provides input and feedback for the overall sound of things as well as getting good instrument sounds, etc. He also provides input regarding more detailed things in songs, such as a certain guitar solo or bass line, or vocal pattern, etc. If it doesn’t sound quite right, he will let us know, and it is helpful to have a fifth person outside of the band to contribute an opinion.

PL: The new album cover is pretty sinister. Where did the album artwork originate?

JH: Our friend Jordan Barlow did the artwork – he is a very talented tattoo artist in New Orleans. Ben reviewed ideas with us, they talked about what it should look like, and he drew it up. All the artwork came out killer. If you are ever in New Orleans, stop by Jordan’s shop – “Hell of High Water Tattoos”  – and get some ink! He is one of my best friends and is a great artist.

PL: Whose idea was it to unleash the album on Valentine’s Day?

JH: Actually it was a coincidence. It just ended up that way with Metal Blade’s release schedule. It worked out quite well though.

PL: How is the band’s relationship with Metal Blade Records? Is it a good situation for GOATWHORE?

JH: Well, I have to say Metal Blade definitely stepped it up with this album. They did the pre-order bundles, vinyl, etc., as well as advertised. We were pleasantly surprised. This new release is a good situation for GOATWHORE and Metal Blade.

PL: You are the newest member of GOATWHORE, having joined in 2009. Take us back a couple years. How did you land the bass player position in the band?

JH: Well, I had been jamming with Sammy for a few years beforehand in RITUAL KILLER, so I already knew him and all the guys from living in New Orleans and going to shows, etc. The timing was perfect as I was just finishing up my Master’s degree when I joined the band. I got the call one day and hit the road shortly after…

PL: Did the other guys put you through a hazing period when you joined?

JH: Of course they did, I think we always still ‘haze’ each other to some extent still, but I get it the worst!

PL: How does living in New Orleans affect the band sound and attitude?

JH: Well, the sound still retains that super thick and heavy sound, even though we do much faster stuff than the traditional ‘New Orleans’ sound that many people associate with EYEHATEGOD and CROWBAR. As far as the attitude goes, it affects us in positive and negative ways – there is more to New Orleans than shrimp po-boys and daiquiris.

PL: Since you’ve joined in 2009, what’s been the strangest show you’ve played with GOATWHORE?

JH: We have definitely played some strange shows  before … probably the craziest was a show we did a couple of years back with EYEHATEGOD and PIG DESTROYER – on a boat that went around the Hudson Bay while the show went on. It was packed and was absolutely insane. I couldn’t fully stand up on the ‘stage’ – it was too short!

PL: What are some bands you haven’t toured with that would be a good fit to share the stage with GOATWHORE?

JH: We want to go out opening for SLAYER! As far as other bands to play with – touring with new bands is usually how I am introduced to new music. I don’t really listen to too much new stuff myself. Some bands that we have gone out with and really had a good time with include SKELETONWITCH, BLACK ANVIL, EXHUMED, HAVOK, SAVIORS and TOXIC HOLOCAUST to name a few.

PL: James, thanks a lot for your time but before you go, please tell us about GOATWHORE’s upcoming tour plans.

JH: Well we are out on the road right now with LOCK UP, we will be meeting up with HATE ETERNAL for a two-week run of dates then meeting up with DYING FETUS for a short run. There are plans to go to Europe in the spring/summer and Australia in the summer. Then we will be doing another US tour in the late summer. Stay tuned for details!