#btw those are still the only elvis songs i really know about

[sortanonymous]

Just remembered this one comment I had on AO3 (kinda forgot the fic) and now I can't stop imagining Elfilis as Elvis Presley.

[atleastpleasetelephone]

I know you’re in the middle of Kinktober (and crushing it btw!!!) so I’m sure you won’t be taking requests for a while, but leaving this in your inbox because I cant stop thinking about it. Humbly requesting wholesome cockwarming with BDE 🙏🏼

A/N: Thank you very much! I decided to make this a sequel to Bunny.

Not that innocent

Pairing: BDE x reader

Word count: 2.3K

TWs: Erectile dysfunction, cockwarming, p in v sex, a lot of cum, a short appearance from angry!Elvis, reader cries (not sex-related).

Elvis likes you, so he wants to keep you around. He was a little anxious that maybe you didn’t like him back when you said no to his invitation to spend the night. But then you turn up to his show the next night wearing the dress he’d had sent to you, so some of the anxiety dissipates. He feels like he does the entire show for you, the moves, the songs, even when he’s kissing all those other women he still has you in mind. You intrigue him - he thought you were shy, and then you asked him all those questions. All those oddly pertinent questions. As though you could see inside his mind and knew that he was sad and lonely a lot of the time. He wants you by his side again so he can talk to you some more. And of course it wouldn’t hurt to teach you a few more things in the bedroom. 

This time you decide to go to Elvis’ suite alone. Your friends aren’t that interested in going again anyway - they’re only in Tahoe for one more night and then they’re going back home. You’re supposed to go with them, only you’re not sure if you will. There’s not a lot pulling you back to Virginia. Your job, of course, but no significant other or pets or anything like that. And you could get another job. It might not be that professional to just stay in Tahoe until the end of Elvis’ residency, but part of you is wondering if you should try living a little. 

As soon as he sees you Elvis’ hands are on you, guiding you around the room as he murmurs questions in your ear about the show and what you’re drinking tonight. You answer him brightly, because you loved the show and you’re dying for another margherita. He settles you down next to him on the sofa and immediately starts talking to the rest of the people around him in an extremely animated fashion. You sip quietly on your drink and watch him. He really is very handsome, and you love the way he talks. Not just his accent, but the way he says things, something about it really appeals to you. 

After an hour or so, you start to get antsy. You’ve been sitting in the same position, with Elvis’s arm around your shoulders, being jostled by him as he moves back and forth. And you’re uncomfortable. And if you’re really, truly, being honest, a little bored. You tap his leg cautiously and look up into his face. He’s still talking though, barely registering anything else in the room other than the conversation that he’s so completely immersed in. You tap again, but there’s still no response. Then you think of something that will get his attention, your little hand wandering over to his groin and squeezing his balls. 

“Bunny!” Elvis’ face is red and his eyes are wide. 

“Sorry,” you whisper, your eyes meeting his a little reluctantly. “I tried to nudge you but you weren’t paying attention.”

Elvis is briefly furious at the fact that you’ve touched him, there, in public, and part of him wants to throw you out of the suite and never see you again. There’s a weird stillness in the room as everyone around him waits to see how he’s going to react. It’s not as if any of them actually saw what happened, but they all know that tone, and that there’s a high likelihood of the entire suite being cleared out in the next couple of minutes. 

“You can’t do that!” He rages, far too loud and too close to your face. 

You’d heard that he has mood swings nowadays, you’d read about them in the newspapers. He’d been nothing but sweet to you last night, though, so you hadn’t really believed it. But here you were now, right in the middle of one. You burst into tears. 

“I d-didn’t mean to… I… I… it’s uncomfortable and loud and I don’t know anyone but you and I don’t even know you…” the words are rushing out of you at a rate of knots and you struggle to make them stop. “I just wanted y-your attention, it’s too much b-being here on my o-own…” you sniff loudly and then succumb to sobbing again. 

“Oh, bunny…” Elvis softens immediately, seeing how upset you are and knowing he’s the cause of it. 

“Right, Charlie, everyone out!” He shouts into the room, and then without warning scoops you up and carries you into the bedroom, closing the door behind him. 

“Bunny I’m so sorry,” he coos, placing you down on the bed and sitting himself next to you. 

You sniff and try to get your breathing under control as he passes you a box of tissues. “It’s… it’s okay.”

He watches as you wipe your face and take a few more gulping breaths of air, gradually calming down again. 

“Ya don’t like all those other people?” He asks, gently. 

You shake your head. “N-no. It’s just a bit much.”

“Sorry, honey. C’mere.” He pulls you into his arms, your head on his chest as he strokes your hair lovingly. You both stay like that for a while, and then he wonders what you were trying to get his attention about in the first place. Now he’s had some time to think about it, it’s kind of a funny way to get his attention, and if nudging didn’t work he can’t really blame you for doing it. 

“What did ya want anyway, Bunny?”

You move your head to look at him. “Jus’ your attention. Wanted to move off that sofa and do something else.”

He grins. “Well ya got what ya wanted.”

You wriggle up his body, your hand burrowing into his hair. “I kinda wanted something else, too.” You press your lips against his and he responds eagerly, kissing you gently at first and then with increasing passion. 

You start to pull at his clothes and it’s not long before he finds himself naked with you, a position he doesn’t usually like to be in with the lights on, but somehow your little body is making him care less about it than usual. He caresses you with his big, guitar-roughened  hands and you moan, kissing him and rubbing your body against his. He’s shocked when you pull away from his embrace and straddle his thighs, your hand tugging on him just like he taught you yesterday. He’s even more shocked when he feels you rub the head on your pussy, your arousal covering him as you sink down onto his length. 

“Fuck,” he groans, looking down at you through hooded eyes. “Thought ya were an innocent lil bunny.”

You giggle, settling yourself down, his dick completely inside you. “I’ve had sex before, Elvis.”

He shakes his head and clicks his tongue. “‘parently so. Ya not gonna move then, bunny?”

You giggle again, shaking your head and running your hands over your breasts, arching your back as you do it. He groans. “Thought I might tease you a little?”

“T-tease me?” He stumbles over the word a little. He really read you wrong when he met you, you might’ve been terrible at handjobs but you definitely know what you’re doing with your body right now. 

“Mmm. Jus’ sit on it.” You bite your lip and tip your head to one side. One of your girlfriends had told you about teasing and you thought it seemed fun, but you hadn’t really had much of an opportunity to try. The couple of guys you’d been with were so demanding about their own pleasure you’d been more of a fun plaything than a woman with agency. 

“S-sit on it?” Elvis feels like he has to stop repeating everything you say back to you as a question, but it’s like his brain has gone completely blank. Apart from the part that reminds him that he’s 40 and he takes too many meds for his dick to co-operate like this for too long. And he doesn’t want to say that out loud. 

You grin. It seems like it’s working. You rock your hips just a little and he moans in response. Biting your lip, you decide to try pushing it a little further. 

“Maybe you’ll think twice about being so mean to me, next time?”

Elvis’ expression changes a little, and you wonder if you’ve pushed it too far. His hand reaches to slap you on the side of the thigh. 

“C’mon. I apologised fer that. Ya need ta move.”

His tone is bordering on annoyed, and you consider it for a minute and then shake your head, going for your best attempt at a girlie cute little grin. 

“No! Not yet.”

Elvis groans, feeling himself starting to get soft. 

“Please!”

“No!” 

You think you’re still teasing, until you feel something change inside you and watch something changing on his face, too. 

“Ya may as well jus’ get off,” he huffs. 

You tilt your head to one side and look at him. “Don’t want to.”

Still huffing, he gets up onto his elbows and looks at you sternly. “There’s no point now.”

His tone is bitter but he keeps staring at you, waiting to see what you’re going to do. Expecting you to move. But you don’t want to. You don’t feel as full as you did earlier, but he’s still nestled inside you and you like that feeling. 

“I like it,” you tell him, then you hold out your arms. “Want you closer.”

He’s confused but the way you’re being with him softens his frustrations and he finds himself sitting up as you ask, with you adjusting to make sure he doesn’t fall out. After some wriggling he finally finds himself with his arms around you and his head on your shoulder, breathing in your scent. 

“Too old ta be teased,” he whispers. 

“Maybe I’m jus’ not good at teasing,” you suggest. 

“Hmmm.”

“Like the feeling of you inside like this.”

He grumbles into the crook of your neck, then sighs, relenting. “Like it too.”

You sit there for a while, in one another’s arms, enjoying the feeling of closeness. Then you wiggle your hips a little. 

“You think I can get it back?”

“Hmmm?”

“Your hard-on. Think I can get it back? I’m not that good at teasing but I am good at… other stuff.”

Elvis shakes his head a little to clear it of your dirty words. “I dunno, honey. Little Elvis isn’t that co-operative nowadays.”

You giggle, moving so you can look at him properly. “Little Elvis? You named it?”

He looks down, shyly. “Y-yeah. I named it.”

“Ohhh. Maybe I should talk to him.”

“What’re ya gonna say?”

You think for a while, tilting your head to the side and nibbling on your lower lip, going through several options. Then you decide you’ve come up with it, and smile brightly at him. 

“I think I’m gonna say, Little Elvis… you’re not actually that little, are you?”

Elvis bursts out laughing, his fingertips digging into your fleshy hips as he throws his head back. Your hands hold onto the back of his neck as you grin at his reaction. 

“I’m also gonna say, I like playing with you, and I’d really like it if you got all red and hard for me again. But if you’re too tired, I understand.”

Elvis is still laughing, all the tension from earlier has completely gone and he just loves how silly you’re being. It’s making him feel like the whole thing is less serious than he’d first imagined. Then he starts to feel something as you rock your hips back and forth on him, your ass firmly pressed against his thighs so he doesn’t slip out. A little hardening, a little rush of blood back down there again. Your lips find his ear and you murmur into it. 

“Want to show you how good I am at this. I know you’ve had a lot of girls and I’m sure I’m not the best, but I want to try.”

He groans at your words and your movements, and he starts to think that you’re right, you are good at this and you can bring his erection back. He’s never known a girl be able to do it before, he usually gets so psyched out and upset when it happens he doesn’t even let them try. 

“Bunny,” he breathes, feeling your pussy hugging him again as you start to roll your hips forwards, pushing your breasts against his chest. 

“Elvis,” you moan back, raising yourself up on your knees just a little before sitting back down. 

“Fuck,” he mutters, his hands on your ass as you start to make your movements bigger and bigger, until finally you’re bouncing on him like…well… a bunny rabbit. 

You move one of your hands to rub your clit as the familiar feeling inside you builds, his dick pleasuring you just the way you like. You’ve only been in this position once or twice, but those are the times you’ve been able to cum from sex and so you’re excited to do this with Elvis. You watch his face contort in pleasure and it brings you even closer, thinking that you’re the cause, you’re what’s making him feel so good. Your fingers rub faster and you keep bouncing, his hands helping you move now too, fucking you on his dick. 

Leaning back, you finally sigh out your orgasm, so quietly Elvis would’ve missed it if he was just relying on his ears. But he feels you, and then he knows he has to move you before he cums. His strong hands pull you off him completely and set you down somewhere around his knees, before he grabs his dick and quickly jerks himself, cumming in seconds, his release spurting all over your belly and tits. Lying down with a groan, he wraps his arm around you as you lie down next to him. 

“I need a shower,” you whisper in his ear. 

He’s still breathing hard, trying to recover from his orgasm, and he pries his eyes open to look at you. You’re literally covered in his cum. 

“Shit.”

You giggle. “Told you I was good at it.”

He shakes his head with a wry smile. “Knew Bunny was a good name fer ya. Jus’ didn’t realise how good. Until now…”

***

@vintagepresley @arg-xoxo @from-memphis-with-love @msamarican @blursedblegh @returntopresley @eapep @everythingelvispresley @i-r-i-n-a-a @sissylittlefeather @arrolyn1114 @jhoneybees @cattcb @polksaladava @lookingforrainbows @jkdaddy01 @ccab @epthedream69 @lustnhim @elvisslut @pomtherine @that-hotdog @ladelinee @angschrof @fairybloodsucker @deltafalax @makethemorning @elviswhore69 @ilovequeen978 @wildhorseinkansas @pocketfulofpresley

[the-darkness-does-not-bargain]

almost forgot but picture me breaking into your metaphorical home and plopping down a card because uno reverse card be upon ye: 9, 13, 15, 22, 28, + 8, 18, 25, 29 and 24 pa more. Random side note but you answering 24 with ‘i answered this, but i still have more’ brings to mind those ? boxes in mario where usually whacking em produces only the one coin once and no more, but then there are some that yield multiple coins lmao

and oh yeah, since this is still a metaphorical holdup 🔫, hand over (please share) some weird facts about your DA au, either watsonian and/or doylist

You're spoiling me lmao. I'll share facts in a separate post later tonight when they're all compiled 😁.

8. Song about drugs or alcohol. One Toke Over The Line by Brewer & Shipley, a classic.

9. Song that makes me happy. I think I'll give this one to I Need Never Get Old by Nathaniel Rateliffe and the Night Sweats (great name btw). It's groovy and folky with excellent instrumentation and a very cute little music video, and I really like the vocals. It's just fun!

13. Favorite song from the 80s. 99 Red Balloons by Nena! Nuclear holocaust has never bopped so hard!

15. Song that is a cover. There’s plenty, but I'll pick Janis Joplin's cover of Piece of my Heart, originally performed by Erma Franklin. Both versions are great, but Janis's is the one I grew up with.

18. Song from the year I was born. 1995 and honestly there aren't a lot from that year that I like. But Freak Like Me by Adina Howard is a winner.

22. Song that moves me forward. How Far We've Come by Matchbox Twenty. It just hits like that.

24. Song from a band that broke up. Previous answers here, here, and here. I still have more. Oasis was a hot mess of a band, and it really is for the best that they broke up, but She's Electric is a classic for a reason and one of my favorite 90s songs.

25. Song by an artist no longer living. So many now, but off the top of my head, Rebel Rebel by David Bowie, one of his best in my opinion.

28. Song by an artist with a voice I love. See, you can't ask this of me as a Florence fan because it just isn't fair to stack another artist up against her. So, we'll do it like this: Morning Elvis for Florence, and a curveball from left field, Anoana by Heilung. Seriously, watch the music video and don't try to tell me you felt nothing.

29. Song from my childhood. Aww yeah, baby, time to bring back the one and only, irreplaceable, unmatchable Groove Is In The Heart by Deee-Lite! Probably the first song I ever obsessed over, despite being 4 years old and therefore completely incapable of understanding or singing the lyrics. That's how you know it was a banger. God, it's so peak 90s, watch the music video if you dare but be prepared. Artists these days don't use goofy sound effects in songs the way they used to, and it's depressing.

[hellsideangel]

Sos I'm a Palaye fan too so wanted to share some of my fave quotes 🙃 (by fan don't quiz me I tend to separate reality with songs)

BROKEN

You know that I've always been broken

"But I see I'm not broken like you

And you are not broken like me"

You know that we've always been broken

HOSPITAL BEDS

Leave the living for today, and dying for tomorrow

I am so blessed and cursed

LONELY

I dug this grave I call my home

The only home I know is my bed

PUNCH BAG

Go get high on my mistakes

Your real, I'm just a fake

Heavens what they sold me, but now I miss the old me

MASSACRE THE NEW AMERICAN DREAM

Went from homeless to your TV screen

How's this for your American dream?

Generation why are we

Why are we so casual about these casualties?

PARANOID

I can't escape my thoughts

Are they real or dreams?

FEVER DREAM

We can be anything and everything

We want to be if we believe

Letting go

Of what we used to know

Fall asleep and make believe with me

We're gonna be alright

So close your eyes

Just say goodnight

MORNING LIGHT

You see my friend

Life is just a game

Oh try to stop me now

Oh I will hit the ground

Oh I will turn around

I do believe that this world ain't done with me

WHERE IS THE BOOM

All my friends are living my dream

I tried to sell my soul

It didn't go so well

And I want to go, want to live my own life

Want to find all the things I've lost inside

DIE FOR SOMETHING BEAUTIFUL

You'll never find all the things you want

Breaking free from the chains that haunt you

You gotta die for something beautiful

You'll regret the time

LINE IT UP

I can’t slow down

Because I’m scared to stand still

I can’t go home

Because it feels like hell

I'd rather die

Than pretend like I'm satisfied

I have more but CBA to go throu them all these r the main ones I really like. Also for those who like Palaye YOU should defo check out some band I quite like. (Not all are English btw)

Here's my recommendations and songs to start with:

Badflower: ghost, family, promise me, move me, jester (better with vid), don't hate me, 30, animal, she knows, 24

Nothing but thieves: Amsterdam, sorry, before we drift away, graveyard whistling, overcome, afterlife, everybody going crazy

Set it off: lonely dance, duality, fake ass friends, why do I?, why worry, dancing with the devil, upside down, happy all the time, cordial

Halestorm: black vultures, I'm not an angel, love bites, familiar taste of poison, miss the misery, here's to us, psycho crazy, call me a bitch like it's a bad thing, terrible things

Ren: ok it's hard to get people to like this one but just watch the video of the song full throughout. Violets tale. (Then look at Jenny and screechs tale 🤪)

Sleep token: higher, take me back to eden, aqua regia, the offering, give, ascensionism, hypnosis, the night does not belong to god

One ok rock: the beginning, stand out fit in, save yourself, bedroom warfare, our last dance, broken heart of gold, liar, wasted nights

Bump of the chicken: (some not got English names so just check them out and investigate) happy, go, butterfly

Irama: le genesis to colore, melodia proibita, in respiro, Ali,

Maneskin: if I can dream (really good from musical I think? He sand Elvis song) , zitte buoni (euro vision) , laltre dimensione, back to black, valentine, if not for you, chosen, babay are you coming, Trastevere, coraline

There r other but like not every single song or just for certain songs so not gonna list bomb ya...yet.

Also there's this TV show called paradise city. And Palaye royale as well as bad omens song some songs you should check out:

Cruel game (though watch the series for the best thrill of the song WARNING EXPLICIT)

Cats in the cradle (it's a cover btw by the relentless = Palaye royale)

Be careful what you wish for (this one is by the flux = bad omens)

YOUR WELCOME 🫡

ᯓ★ PALAYE ROYALE PROMPTS, a collection of prompts / lyrics taken from palaye royale’s songs from their album, fever dream— part one.

( mentions of possibly triggering subjects such as violence, self-harm, death, drug abuse, and more. )

✦ ETERNAL LIFE

it feels like the worst days of my life, i still drown in paradise.

i didn’t think i could sink this low.

keep me company ’til the end, does anyone else feel this alone?

my best days are my demise.

i feel pretty when i cry, i’m so ugly when i try.

hallucinations taking off, i’m playing god.

i’m holdin’ out my hands and changing everything i hate about myself.

take me far from me — my worst enemy.

i wanna crawl away into eternal life.

✦ NO LOVE IN LA

livin’ in the moonlight, lookin’ at the hills but the hills don’t shine right.

lookin’ at her nose but the shit don’t blow right.

you can change your face but the pain won’t go away.

addicted to the fame but the fame is momentarily reality.

the creeps are crawling up to the doorways, they’re dying to find out what’s inside.

the creeps are always posting their photos to show off what they’re lacking inside.

on a private jet but you can’t afford your rent.

gettin’ high with fake friends ’cause that’s all you got.

i’m late for my own premiere. maybe i should leave, my dear.

it seems to me that the demons of the city wanna keep me here.

there is no such thing as love in LA.

they’re judging me, i’m judging you. we ain’t got nothing else to do.

✦ PUNCHING BAG.

go ahead and mold me. bought me and then sold me.

i’m smiling upside down.

now i’m all used up, ready for my close up.

am i pretty underground?

i can be your barbie, i can say sorry. i can do whatever you want.

go ahead and slap me if it makes you happy.

use and abuse me till i’m gone.

go on, make my day. go get high on my mistakes.

i wake up, i’m so glad i can be your punching bag.

if you want me, come and take me. because i love the way you hate me.

heaven’s what they sold me, but now i miss the old me before i got stuck in hell.

walking down the street, just a public enemy

this is goodbye, you bled me dry.

this is goodnight, my soul has died.

i gave you my all — you built me up to fall.

✦ BROKEN

i’m trying to be the man that you wanted to see.

cause i’m tired and i’m hurt, and i always try to put you first.

but you say i’m not worth it to you — so why are you worth it to me?

you break my heart cause you’re never home, always with your friends.

i try so hard but you’re just playing games.

i needed you tonight but you got high again.

heartbreaks and mistakes with no change. how did we become this way?

the nights are long and the days won’t end.

no more love between us, let’s not pretend.

✦ FEVER DREAM

don’t look around at all the faces abound.

don’t look behind you cause we are stuck underground.

can you see the words i’m up here tryna preach?

no need to cry, you’ll never find me trying to leave.

cause i see that you’re in pain from your pale and lifeless face.

tell me how it’s fair to put a loved one underground.

follow me into this fever dream — we can be anything and everything we want to be.

✦ LINE IT UP

i’m feeling like a stranger cause i’m stuck here. living like my parents is my worst fear.

they had some kids and got lost in the suburbs, working jobs they hated made them suffer.

crashing in these secondhand motel rooms, driving cross the country ’cause i want to.

i can’t slow down because i’m scared to stand still.

i can’t go home because it feels like hell.

and i’d rather die than live my father’s life and pretend like i’m satisfied.

so line it up for me, steal away my dreams.

cause i don’t need no sleeping when i’m diving off the deep end.

why should i come back to earth when all that’s there is tears and hurt?

diving off the edge feels good, i’m finally not misunderstood.

i’d rather die than ever live my life that way.

✦ TOXIC IN YOU

i can take another hit and overdose ’til you make me sick.

you know i don’t love the shame in my brain when i put you inside my veins.

i can’t take it anymore, will i ever even make it out the door?

all this fucking and fighting that i keep inviting could lead me to my grave.

now i’m self-medicating because i love the pain.

i keep feeling like I’m not enough but i don’t run away from you.

knock me down and twist me up until i’m all fucked up but i don’t run from you.

i guess i’ll asphyxiate — let my heart break straight in two and now i’m turning blue.

don’t know what to do. i just love the toxic in you.

my straight jacket holds me tight and says i’m okay.

locked myself in prison and then i threw away the key.

[superbatson]

how did you get into elvis btw? Don’t mean to offend but its pretty rare to see young people who are so into him these days

you're not offending me at all! honestly i've been thinking more about how this whole elvis thing started with me lately.

i think where it officially began was with disney. i can't remember exactly how old i was, but sometime in my early childhood, i watched lilo & stitch and obviously that incorporated elvis' music and likeness in a lot of ways so it taught me who he was. i mean, i may have had a vague idea of who he was from how popular the trend of impersonating him is, but i think watching that movie is what really introduced me to him as an artist rather than a caricature.

paired with that is hearing his music in disney world. i went twice as a kid (ages 5 and 8) and i think it's bc i stayed at a hotel called the "pop century", but the buses that took you to and from the parks were always playing old music so during those trips, you got this whole soundtrack of motown, rock n' roll, disco, etc. i think elvis was in the mix there and maybe because of lilo & stitch, i recognized some songs and came to like them.

and of course also as a kid, i watched full house, and we all know jesse was a huge elvis fan so that taught me a lot about him too. again, a lot of caricature stuff, but still. it was the exposure that mattered. (i remember recognizing the horn part of "it's all right" in the movie from full house bc it was referenced in a couple episodes. i don't think i ever knew that faster version of the song outside of the show.) ((oh and also, kinda unrelated, i remembered the other night that jesse canonically changed his name upon turning 18 - i forget what it was originally, probably something unflattering - and i wondered if he chose "jesse" after elvis' brother. i don't think the show addressed it but it wouldn't surprise me if that's where he got the name from.))

then as i got older, i got curious about the man behind this caricature - the guy who, for all i knew, talked kinda funny and had a weird singing voice and wore white, sparkly jumpsuits and was famous in vegas. when i got a biographical research assignment in 5th grade, i chose him as my subject. i think that's where i really became a fan of his.

i researched him twice more during my school career, in 9th grade and freshman year of college. honestly, i don't remember a whole lot about the 5th or 9th grade projects, but i think both pulled back the curtain, so to speak, on who elvis really was, and i found that fascinating.

the college paper obviously went into a more specific area of research, because that's just the kinda writing we did then. i think i focused on elvis' impact on american culture, really honing in on how revolutionary he was as an artist/performer. that's where i learned a lot of details i picked up on in the movie, about his interest in women's clothing and makeup, how controversial his dancing was, his black influences, etc. i remember asking my professor for recommendations of what kind of sources to use outside of books, and he said to check out old newspaper articles or watch some of elvis' performances.

i kinda did both, but it was the performances that i really had fun with, getting to analyze the differences in how elvis held himself before and after the heavy criticism.

while i only really skimmed one of the books i used for that assignment for information relevant to my paper, i went back like 4 years ago to read it in full, just for fun, and learned a heck of a lot more about him, both good and bad. but it didn't really change how i looked at him, as both a man and an artist. i mean, yeah, he had his flaws, no one's perfect, but i really felt for him and appreciate what he did for music.

sorry that got so long and probably didn't need to get into specifics at the end, but that's basically my story. i honestly don't remember a lot about why i became a fan of his, more just how. i think i just heard so much about him that he felt more like a character (hence my uses of "caricature") than a real person, so i got interested in learning about who he really was. i was raised in a music-loving household, but my dad was a big beatles fan, so maybe in a way, i went and had my own rebellion by becoming an elvis fan. and now i just have a big appreciation for classic rock in general (elvis, beatles, four seasons, etc).

[lofi-tophat]

Let’s talk about the 70s punk scene and HWS England

I sometimes feel that the fandom doesn’t give England’s love for punk/rock music much justice. Some authors usually write about this human AU in which Arthur wants to be a rockstar and some others plainly avoid the topic whatsoever. Which is a pity because I actually believe the whole character has a deep punk reference, specially regarding appearence (might expand on this in another post but basically, for me, England seems like some random bushy browed anime 70s punk guy who suddenly has to put on a suit and attend world meetings, which is both fascinating and hilarious).

So I thought maybe we could dive a bit into very general punk history and then I’d like to share with you some hc regarding England’s involvement with punk culture in general (if you just want to read the hcs just scroll down to the last paragraph with the bullet ponts).

My experience in punk stuff is actually that I’m kind of a metalhead lol. Metalheads and punks had and probably still have a deeply-rooted rivalry. However, punk influenced metal a lot, and metal also influenced punk. So I stumbled upon many punk facts while browsing about my favorite metal bands. 

Take this as historical hetalia... but counterculture historical hetalia :D (which is something we need more in the fandom, btw, I know military history is cool but its also cool how humans expressed themselves through art, fashion and music when they felt the pressure of authority and the frustration of society).

Historical context

Let’s return a bit in time and remember the 60s. The 60s were this blessed time in which people tried to defeat the establishment with peace and love. The hippie movement is from this decade and it influenced a lot on how people thought and behaved. In terms of counterculture, I must say this is a fascinating time in history (I recently discovered psychodelic science and its so incredible what was being talked back then).

Anyways, although a lot of young people were into this discourse of love and peace, some weren’t really that happy about it. In Europe, the post-war situation was sad and a lot of young people either were jobless or had the shittiest jobs you could imagine. Politics were also depressing. This was the origin not only for punk but also for other genres of heavy music, such as metal: People who didn’t want to be all happy and peaceful and had the need to express their frustration and anger, shouting about how society was fucked up. They needed an outlet.

Origins of punk

The origins of punk music are actually not quite clear. In fact, the US and the UK both claim that punk music was born in their country. Funnily enough, my country also claims to be the origin of punk (I’ll leave this mini-doc for you. Sadly, I don’t think this is a correct claim, mainly because their music was in spanish and I doubt that major punk bands took them as reference. Its a cool band tho).

I have to side with americans on this: The arguments for the american origins of punk are quite solid. The Ramones were the first actual punk band out there. They were active since 1974. Their music had all the elements of punk and, chronologically, they were the first ones performing this type of sound.

However, they didn’t have the aesthetic. That actually was a british invention. American punk had still leather jackets, jeans and sneakers. British punk? Well, remember all those ripped pants and shirts you commonly associate with punk? Yes, those were the Sex Pistols all along. They were the ones introducing the attitude and the style. The Pistols had some insane performances and a huge shock-value that can’t be found in early american punk. So you can safely say that your image of what a punk is is based mainly on the Pistols (also, for singing anti-authoritarian lyrics, they actually were managed by some dude who had a fashion shop. So yeah...).

Punk attitude or philosophy or whatever

The reason why I addressed the rockstar thing at the start of the post is because I find it curious. Punk is characterized by the whole Do It Yourself attitude and breaking with the establishment. Anarchism in punk is scandalizing people since there is no authority whatsoever. There wasn’t really any deep philosophy behind all of this, nor any political movement. Punk has nothing to do with a formal anarchist philosophy (which actually exists and has nothing to do with disorder). However, punk is characterized by the anti-establihsment lyrics. Remember, this is all about scandalizing people (which sometimes took great lengths). Presentations from british punk bands were also quite wild those days. They involved a lot of insults, spitting and, of course, pogo.

So, it is obvious that there is this deep concern about turning into a sellout, a pretty common fear in any underground scene. Authenticity was encouraged. Aspiring rockstars really didn’t have much mercy in the community so to speak, at least in this specific period. 

I would also like to add how punk had other aspects beside the music. For example, fanzines were pretty popular in the punk scene in the 70s and a great way to engage with what was going on with bands and music. I remember also this interview of this band in which they remembered how a very high guy decided to recite his poem while the band was playing. So, yeah, literature, illustration, fashion and other stuff were involved in the punk scene too.

British punk was also characterized by a very nihilistic attitude and a total disregard for previous influences. 1977, a song by The Clash, stated:

No Elvis, Beatles, or the Rolling Stones!

Now, for the important stuff: The music. Punk music is all about being simple. Punk musicians aren’t really known for their virtuosity in their instruments, something that actually inspired musicians from a lot of heavy bands later. In fact, the famous Sid Vicious from the Sex Pistols never could learn how to play the bass. So the band disconnected his instrument from the amplifier and he only had to pretend to play. The guy actually tried to learn how to play bass but music wasn’t exactly his talent. He had tons of punk attitude though, and that was the reason why his band didn’t kick him out. 

Vocals are usually shouted, the rythm is fast and the riffs are quite simple. In fact, there is this famous publication on a 1976 british fanzine that stated:

This is a chord

This is another

This is a third

Now form a band

HWS England and the 70s punk scene and onwards 

Thanks to his immortality, it is obvious that England had to experience the 70s in all their glory (what a lucky bastard). Was he there? Hell yes. As I explained before in some of my hc posts, nations represent the population more than their Government, so I really believe that England felt the frustration from that post-wwii decade and he probably also felt pissed about this. Working for the Government must have felt really frustrating during those years. 

In the past, he probably would have tried to take his ship and sail the seas or whatever, but that was not possible in the modern era. I guess that’s how he discovered punk. 

Now, rock existed in England before punk. I mean, the Beatles, duh. So Arthur wouldn’t have been completely ignorant about rock music in general. Contrary to popular belief I don’t imagine him being that much of a beatlemaniac though. Sure he likes them, but the music didn’t resonated with him as much. But boy, that first time he heard the Pink Fairies in 1971 (Yes, this was an actual band, a proto-punk band)? Yeah, he could relate more to that.

More detailed stuff here:

Pubs were crucial for the development of punk music. They were these spaces in which bands could play, a venue to discover new music. Yes, Arthur must have been a regular in a lot of these pubs.

Fanzines probably fascinated Arthur as an outlet for his own writings and silly drawings. He probably created a cringey pseudonym and collaborated with a lot of them. 

Its canon that England likes to critic american movies, and, taking from there, I think he’s the type of guy that has an opinion for everything. So I can imagine him also writing about what bands he enjoyed and what bands sucked.

Yeah, I can also see him being drunk and just reciting a poem while some rock band played behind.

With some ability, and a lil bit of tricks, Arthur could escape normal Government activities and perform with punk bands at nights. People were so into the music that he had no problem passing by.

Some cover art in CDs show Enlgland with a guitar and a bass (yes, not many people remember the bass cover art). So he probably plays both guitar and bass. He also probably plays the drums. Of course, he’s no virtuoso and he only knows the most basic stuff in those three instruments. I can see him being into songwriting tho.

Music equipment:

Guitar: Definetely a Telecaster

Bass: Fender P-bass and I can also see him having a Rickenbacker 4001

All these instruments are full with stickers. Punk instruments look really cool btw. (I wish my bass could look like those I see in certain punk bands)

England’s probably the kind of guy that doesn’t cut his strings at the head of his guitar.

He can actually play guitar/bass and sing at the same time.

England plays bass with a pick (what an asshole, we bassists know picks are not allowed)

Contrary to popular belief, I can see England appreciating good rock music from other countries and supporting them. He probably insists that punk music was born in the UK though.

1977: The Queen was going to celebrate her silver jubilee. And England had no problem with this. He really had none... but he HAD to be in that boat trip with the Sex Pistols. There’s no way he was going to miss that. He later had to explain his abscence that day to his Government officials (Btw, my hc for England’s relationship with his monarchy is “It’s complicated”. I can explain this later. Just remember that he was really pissed those days)

I can see Arthur in general being really involved with the scene. A lot of the stuff they were making actually matches with his canon interests and even personality. So he probably enjoyed those days and felt quite at home. I can even say that, for a long time, he hadn’t felt that kind of connection with his own people.

Although I can see England being attracted by the nihilism in the scene, I think his romanticism protects him from embracing it fully.

England had to live a double-life during this era. Not that it was new for him.

Arthur was pierced several times by some random, drunk teenagers. He doesn’t remember who tho. He was also drunk. Obviously his piercings close really fast, unless he has a permanent jewel in there.

I can actually see England expanding his music taste. Although punk is in his heart, it wouldn’t be strange for me that he’s overall a rock nerd and enjoys other genres, specially those with fast drum beats and heavy riffs. So I can see him having some metal favorites too, having a certain taste for prog rock and even digging into hardcore.

I’m still unsure if England would have been a massive Pistols fan as fanfics usually portray him. I mean, maybe? I would say he is definetely into acts such as the Pink Fairies (I mean, c’mon, its perfect). The Clash and the Damned probably also have a place in his heart.

After the punk scene dried out (the 80s weren’t that great for punk music although it was the birth of even heavier forms of music based on punk), England also was eager about the new genres flourishing during these times based on punk. Acts like folk punk might have had an appeal for him. He’s also fond of the punk-ish bands from the 90s like Green Day.

“Punk will never die!” shouted England while stage diving in some random small concert. He likes to support new bands these days.

The most fascinating thing, maybe in a more poetic sense, is that England’s immortality probably also helps him to keep up a punk spirit as much as his nationhood allows him, instead of aging poorly and angry like a lot of punk musicians... I mean, he aged poorly, but for other reasons lmao.

[hectabdr]

Dragon Raja IV - Chapters 13 - 15 + epilogue (Abridged)

Hi everyone, sorry for taking so long to post the last part, I had a lot of work this week.

BTW, since it's over, I put the whole novel summary on a PDF document, which you can download from here.

Previous Chapters

Chapter 13

The nurse at the mental hospital couldn't believe her eyes when Luminous came back and requested to be admitted in his old room. He asked for his usual injection and went back to his not-so-favorite video game level.

In his vision, he kept accelerating far away form the swarm of death servitors, everything went according to plan and they still had lots of time to spare. He made many excuses to Nono in an attempt to justify his incredible performance, in the radio, there was a very strange song, Luminous recognized it, the name was "Daily Growing" by the folk group Altan, it was the same song that Johann and his father heard before they ran into Odin.

Nono was confused, Luminous just seemed to know way too many things. He knew about the damaged tire, about every safe route, the reach of the Nibelungen and the presence of a small, strange building hiding in the distance. It was the Media Asia Group building, according to Finger, this is the place where Nono found Chu Tianjiao's home. If this was a Nibelungen, an exact copy of the room should be there as well, still intact.

There was nothing surprising about the small place, but that was intentional. A person like Tianjiao was probably trained against people with skills like Nono's, so there had to be a secret compartment or a hidden door. He lifted the bed and there it was!

Mr Chu managed to create an underground bunker for himself. There was a bigger, more comfortable bed, a record player with Elvis Presley's discs and leather jackets. Luminous wanted to be more like this stylish man every second he spent there.

He noticed a bunch of pictures hanging from a string. Tianjiao spend a lot of time making copies of photographs from his family, but he wasn't in them, there was another man next to his wife and his son, but he used chemicals to erase him from the images. He also wrote small phrases dedicated to his wife in the back of the photos, like:

"This is the first year since you left me, you look good"

"This is the third year, you're getting fat"

"Fifth year, I don't have time to think of you anymore"

"Sixth year. ...but I still miss you".

The rest of the walls were filled with images and documents connected by red strings. Multiple events were listed in them, including the fall of Black Swan Bay in 1991 and the Greenland incident from November 7, 2002. These events related to dragon sightings and awakenings all led to a specific incident: The resurrection of the Black king Nidhogg. Even to the other dragon overlords, Nidhogg is a god-like existence, and its words are taken as prophecies. Chu Tianjiao was the city's watchman, he came to that place with a special purpose, but he mistakenly fell in love with a young dancer. They got married and had a child, they were happy, but he knew very well that he couldn't give them a peaceful life, so he signed the divorce papers and watched her take Johann away and marry a different man. While that family went to amusement parks and movie theaters, Tianjiao stayed on his underground room thinking about the fate of mankind.

Luminous memorized as much as he could from Tianjiao's investigation and went back with Nono, he kept driving and they entered the empty city, the lights were still on and the amusement park shined like a neon show.

- I always wanted to be in a Nibelungen, but I didn't expect it to be like this.

- How did you think it would be?

- Distorted, scary, definitely not this beautiful.

They looked up and they saw Odin, standing on top of the clock tower, Nono raised a gun and pointed at him but Luminous held it down, telling her not to disturb him, they kept driving silently and the god didn't notice their presence.

Luminous took her to a shopping mall, where they entered a department store and he gave her a dry change of clothes. This was still strange to her, he already knew her size, he never stopped looking at his watch and somehow he also picked an outfit that she liked (a pair of burgundy sports trousers and a fleece hoodie).

He gave her a cup of hot coffee and he suggested they waited on an empty movie theater while they waited for help.

Nono waited uncomfortable in front of the screen, Luminous picked up a random movie from the projector room, it was Wall·E, the second film roll to be exact, so the film started from the halfway point. The movie slowly relaxed her and she started chewing popcorn while they waited.

- I've been here before, haven't I?.

This was the theater where she rescued him from a failed love confession to Wenwen, before taking him to sign his Cassell admission papers. Actually, Luminous was watching Wall·E with his fellow literature club members. All of these were deliberate choices, he only picked the second half of the movie because they didn't have enough time to watch it from the start.

- You have been here, you have experienced all the things we are experiencing now and I have lived this moment many times.

Nono was a profiler, it wasn't that easy to trick her, so he admitted the truth. At 12:00am, Nono was going to die, like every other time.

- This dream will become a reality. I have repeatedly entered this dream just to find a way to save you, but I couldn't find it.

- If you can't find a way to save me, why don't you save yourself instead?

- My senior brother said that he always regretted leaving his father here alone, that feeling of regret is so terrible, it made him want to go back and die right there.

- Don't say such disgusting things, if this is really my end I will accept it.

The answer became obvious, the only way to escape this Nibelungen was for one person to stay behind and die. As the movie reached its climax, a spear broke through the screen, Nono didn't move, Luminous didn't move.

- No, senior sister, this will not be you end, it will be mine.

Chapter 14

Luminous opened his eyes, it was still a quiet summer night, he slid a small knife that he bought at the convenience store and ripped the straitjacket open. The hospital personnel were resting in different rooms so he sneaked out with ease.

His last attempt was the 108th, none of them managed to give him the perfect ending that he desperately chased. The old man with the tricycle was waiting for him outside, Luminous got on the small bike and drove away. The security guard couldn't believe it when he saw the same tricycle pass by for a third time that night, straight into the elevated road.

Luminous reached the old Asia Group building, now flooded and filled with rubble and mud. He managed to find the secret door and found the insides half-submerged as well, but not everything was ruined, he located a small metal suitcase in the corner that was filled with multiple weapons, including a revolver, a tactical shotgun and a Uzi submachine gun.

All seemed to indicate that this equipment came directly from Cassell College, an academy that never bothered to mention Tianjiao's existence.

In his way out, he picked one of the photographs that managed to survive the flood, it portrayed a family of three. Johann was probably five years old and his expression was as emotionless as usual, his robot face wasn't the result of some traumatic event after all, it came with him from the moment he was born. In the corner, Tianjiao wrote some words as well: "Stay like this, not crying, just looking into the distance".

This arsenal was strong, but insignificant in front of a being like Odin. Ming·Z·Lu showed up to offer one last gift.

Something for nothing, 50% fusion.

Luminous was familiar with that sensation, his nerves burned and the depths of his mind seemed to be cracked open, the pain was bigger than any human can endure, but once it was over, there was a feeling of euphoria, a need to fight. His senses increased immensely, he could now distinguish every single drop in the middle of the rainfall. This usually costed him a full quarter of his life but now it was... Free?

He finally heard the distorted noises of the death servitors, it sounded like the crying of babies. The wall of water and wind that protected Odin became visible, the black figure mounted an eight legged horse. He was in the Nibelungen again, this time he didn't plan to turn around.

Luminous approached them and parked the tricycle next to the Maybach, he stood in front of Odin and the god stayed silent. The words "You are finally here" were not uttered this time, he was right, Odin was waiting for Nono, but he didn't bring her this time, Luminous's presence was meaningless to his rival.

Odin kept staring at the end of the road, waiting for Chen Motong to appear and show her face.

- This is the right way to start the game, my senior sister is not here, only you and me, only one of us can leave this place alive!

He was vey happy, he finally played the god. He slowly grabbed a spear rocket launcher from the tricycle, the little devil was as reliable as always. The servitors immediately recognized the destructive potential of the weapon and tried to disperse, but Luminous opened fire first and scattered their shadowy remains on the road.

He saw his face in a puddle, the crazy expression of Ming·Z was now his own, like every other time they fused, it felt like this was his true nature. Weapon after weapon he ran out of ammo, some servitors sneaked behind him and sliced his torso with their claws, if it wasn't for the bulletproof vest that Tianjiao left in his suitcase, Mingfei would have died already.

A shot of his last gun, a M500 revolver finally broke one of the servitor's masks. He hadn't seen one of those faces since his mission in Japan, their skin was covered in scales and their teeth were long and alien-shaped. Odin gave them black robes and masks to use them as his personal servants. Odin was definitely different to every other dragon king he had faced before, they were all savage and aggressive, but this one was stoic and dressed like a figure of mythology, unless...

That was it! Odin wasn't a dragon disguised as a mythical character, Odin, the myth himself has been a dragon all along. The secret party had misread norse mythology, now it was clear that it narrated the history of the dragon clan and it was written by the dragons themselves. Every god was in fact a dragon king, in those myths, the main antagonist of Nidhogg was Odin. This god had already foreseen the coming of the end of the world, the so-called twilight of the gods, where the world tree would wither.

The suppressed Nidhogg will rise in the air, ready for revenge, it will destroy everything and ruin the kingdom of the gods. Therefore, Odin prepared himself for this battle, ordering the Valkyrie goddesses to gather the heroes's souls and place them in the Hall of Valor to assist him in resisting the black dragon. If the norse myths are indeed dragon history, the hall of valor must represent a place filled with countless dragon cocoons and embryos waiting to be awakened.

This information, this great secret was about to be buried there with him if he didn't survive this battle. Nono was probably packing, ready to leave with Finger and go back to Cassell, for whatever reason Odin needed her, she would be out of his reach, he just needed to endure and Odin was still as invincible as ever. Making a deal with Ming·Z was inadmissible, giving the little devil enough power to materialize could bring an immeasurable catastrophe. The boy appeared in front of him.

- Brother, you finally asked to see me, do you want to... Shake my hand?

The multitude of servitors overwhelmed him, he contemplated dying there, it wouldn't be so bad, just very lonely. With a loud bang! the strongest servitor flew out and fell motionless on the mud.

A red BYD car swiftly parked next to him, a hand came out of the window and shot the three closest servitors, that was Finger, of course it was him!

- Drive faster! Why the fuck are you here?

- What do I know? I was eating dumplings with your aunt and the hospital called to tell me you were gone!

Finger placed a tracking device on Luminous just like he did with Nono and saw his trace disappearing in the highway, so he went to investigate and entered the Nibelungen by accident.

- Don't get confused by my F-Rank rating, I started as an A-rank, remember?

Flammel tasked Finger with helping Luminous to prove Johann's existence, he didn't remember the young hybrid either, but he trusted Anjou, and Anjou believed in the importance of Luminous more than anyone. Not everyone on Cassell gave up on him after all.

- Don't drive away, we can't escape!

- I thought you told me to drive faster!

- Yes I did, but I meant towards Odin!

The servitors quickly realized what they were intending to do, so they formed a barrier in front of their master. Finger pressed a button on the car and one mini-gun came out of each side of the vehicle.

- The equipment department makes phones that double as grenades, you think they can't make 007's car?

The gatling guns opened fire on the crowd of servitors, effectively cleaning the way. Finger put the car on self destruct mode and got ready to jump out, Luminous got on the roof, aiming his knife at Odin. The car hit Odin's water barrier and exploded, the shockwave soared into the sky, filled with flames. Luminous jumped and managed to pass through, and with a swift move, he pierced through Odin with the blade, just like Tianjiao attempted to do many years before.

Every servitor stopped their movements, Odin's scores started dropping down immediately and his body got split in two. There had to be something wrong with that, there's no way he would fall to his death so easily. Luminous took the god's skull and removed the mask, under it, the face of a death servitor greeted him instead, the others started crying and laughing at them. Odin's only goal is Nono, it had always been Nono, this was a trap and he was already on his way to get her.

Chapter 15

Nono was sitting next to Su Xiaoyan's bed, peeling an apple. The woman happily ate the bonbons that Nono brought for her as a gift.

- Nono, how is your mother doing?

- She's fine, she's still working and always asks me when I'll get married but I just don't tell her.

Nono had to make up that story, but at that moment she really felt like Xiaoyan's niece. She checked the woman's medical records, apparently the doctors thought she was schizophrenic and amnesiac, as long as Nono played her role well, the medical personnel would think Xiaoyan's amnesia made her forget about her relative.

Because Nono brought Bonbons, Xiaoyan recognized her immediately and happily accepted her gift.

She had been there since her son's death, she lost track of time, to the point where she felt like she had been there for three or four months, when in reality, seven years had passed. Not many people visited her in that time, her husband would take her home for a few days every now and then, but those events became less and less usual. Of course, Nono was there for a reason, without Tianjiao's apartment, her only remaining clue was Johann's mother, but the woman wasn't very open about her life. Nono's ability allowed her to put puzzles together, but Xiaojiao kept messing up the pieces.

- Did your former husband treat you well?

- He couldn't make enough money and he was very unmotivated, playing foolish all day long, I had enough of him!

- But he's handsome, and he's probably still breaking hearts.

- How do you know that he's handsome? You haven't seen him before.

- Of course I have, I remember hugging my uncle!

- Come on, do you really think I'm that broken? I know I don't have a niece.

- Then why didn't you tell the doctor?

- Because you're so pretty, and I like to chat with pretty girls, there's no one else here to chat with me, and you don't look like a bad person either.

Nono was genuinely surprised, so she declared her intentions straight on, she wanted to know more about Chu Tianjiao, but his ex-wife didn't seem to know a lot about him either, he would constantly lie about his past and alternate between multiple versions of the story.

- Sometimes he told me that he was a great spy, and that he came here to complete a task, and I believed him, without a clue of his salesman-like nature!

- And you still married him?

- He was handsome, and I was young.

Xiaoyan didn't express any regret in divorcing him, she'd rather be with someone she could rely on, but there was something else she could not explain.

- But he seems to have left something behind with me, a very important thing, I just can't remember it.

- What is it?

- I said I can't remember it, I've been thinking about it for a very long time.

- What kind of thing?

- A very important thing, I must find it, it would be very bad if I didn't.

A burst of cold wind opened the windows and made them shiver, Nono stood up and went to close them but she noticed something strange, the flowers on the outside were all withered, black petals flew through the room, she closed the window as fast as she could, something bad had happened and the air outside smelled of death.

She took out a desert eagle from her bag and stopped Xiaoyan from screaming, the woman relied on her intuition to understand that Nono wasn't going to hurt her. The place was silent and the lights flickered, the instinctive feeling of being alert that came from true isolation soon got a hold of her. She and Xiaoyan got out of the room, door after door, every doctor and every patient had disappeared.

The rain and the wind rapidly eroded the building. The day was finally here, she had never been in a Nibelungen before, she once regretted not being able to experience it, now Nibelungen came to see her. She didn't knew wether to be nervous or excited.

- Someone, someone is coming. Su Xiaoyan's voice trembled slightly.

The sound of footsteps made an echo in the building, those weren't human steps, that sounded like a few horses were coming their way. The storm, the Nibelungen, the steed, the rider, it seemed to be an ancient king who came with a strong breath of death, and the flowers in the garden withered in front of him. Nono remembered him, she saw his silhouette in the reflection of the glass when she went to Tianjiao's apartment.

The rider didn't seem to know where Xiaoyan's room was and he was checking them one by one. They ran towards the elevator, the rider was on the first floor so they needed to get to the top as fast as they could without the sound of their steps giving away their position. Behind them, the fluorescent lights went out one by one. Nono finally saw the reflection of the elevator's door in a mirror, but when its doors opened, the light of Odin's flames came out.

They ran in the other direction and soon reached the stairs, they ran down but it didn't matter, they were trapped on an endless loop. She shot at the creature but the bullets melted before touching the god's armor. They kept running and Nono kept shooting back but it wasn't buying them any more time, temperatures were rising and there was no way out.

Odin wasn't even in a hurry to reach them, Nono took Xiaoyan in her arms and ran across a hallway, enduring the terrible heat of the floor. She tried to get out through a window, but after opening the curtains she noticed that the whole world outside had changed and she was greeted by the sight of a roman pantheon.

Nono suddenly fell silent, she helped Xiaoyan to sit down on a bench and put her boots on the woman's feet. She noticed something, she was crying, she was remembering.

- There might be a way for you to get out of here by yourself, now tell me, what did Tianjiao left for you exactly?

- It's... A child. I had a son with him, his name is Johann Chu, I can't find my son... I can't find my son!

Xiaoyan was holding a pillow in her arms, the doctor said that she would put this pillow in her belly every morning and happily declare that she was pregnant. Nono took it from her hands and threw it away.

- Since you have a clear memory of him, you don't need this anymore, you will find your son, although I don't know where.

In this world, those who are not lunatics are the ones who were deceived. Luminous and Su Xiaoyan were the craziest because of their link to Johann Chu, to the truth. His mother's mental disorder was not there because she had lost a son seven years ago, a certain god wanted to modify her memory of him and she was resisting. She tied the little pillow to her back because a child is only safe in his mother's body, she sensed that someone was going to hurt her boy, so she wanted to feel like she could protect him.

Nono pushed Xiaoyan into a cubicle next to the ward and told her to keep the door closed until someone came to rescue her. She took Finger's GPS device out of her bag and broke it, expecting Luminous and Finger to arrive there after seeing her signal disappear. Odin arrived, his flames evaporated the strong currents of water and stood in front of her, Nono kept two knives on her back and a desert eagle in each hand.

- Odin!

The creature and his lance were impossible not to identify, the god actually exists.

- You are finally here.

He slowly raised Gungir and a faint white thread appeared, connecting the tip of the spear and Nono's heart. She thought his goal was Xiaoyan, due to her connection to Johann, but she was wrong, Odin's goal was her and only her. No wonder Luminous threw her down in the library, he probably had a foreboding of her death for some reason and tried to save her, his eyes showed a constant state of panic.

She didn't believe him and they put him on a psychiatric institution. She really wanted to tell him that she was sorry, because she had underestimated him.

She had always tried to be there for Luminous, she couldn't deny that she saw a lot of herself in him, this obsession with taking care of her sidekick was so prevalent because she knew how it was like to be powerless, lost and defenseless, but in the most critical moment, she had failed him.

Nono vaguely heard a song, a duet about a father and his daughter, it was coming from somewhere, along with the noise of a car engine. Luminous was coming, that song came from the radio, but how could she hear him? It didn't matter, she felt him presence and she believed it.

- Luminous! Don't you fucking dare to come here!

Nono shot every bullet she had left and they melted on Odin's presence. The lance was thrown and suddenly, the Maybach smashed through the wall, its lights illuminated Nono's eyes. She smiled, the moment she saw him, the cartridge of her gun was empty. The lance had already started its course and Luminous could only see her lips moving:

- I'm sorry

- Ming·Z·Lu! Luminous roared, time slowed down in his eyes

- The little one is here! Ming·Z smiled, Since I promised my brother that I'd try everything!

Come out! Golden saint cloth of the zodiac!, Phase shift armor!, Fierce fist! Seven-fold ring of the blazing sky!, Absolute domain AT Field!.

Every time he yelled a strange name, Luminous froze for a moment, these strange spells were taken directly from anime shows, they were weapons that lined up in front of Odin's lance, even a nuclear explosion could be rejected by them.

- What are you doing?

- I don't really know what tricks would work so I'm doing all of them!

Ming·Z kept casting spells, the speed of the lance was indeed affected but it never stopped nor it changed its trajectory.

- Hurry up brother, run!

Nono tried to yell, telling Luminous to stay away, but her mouth moved too slowly. Luminous ran past Odin and past the lance. The seven-fold ring was the strongest defense against projectiles, every time the Gungir lance pierced through a layer, it made a loud noise. Nono dropped the empty gun, she didn't have the strength to wield her knives. The spear hadn't arrived yet, and she was already like a lamb crucified on an altar.

Gungir hit the final defense, the sound was almost glass shattering.

- I couldn't stop it, even with the last layer. Give her a hug, kiss her! This is going to be your last chance! I'll buy as much time as possible for you!

Ming·Z made another barrier but the lance broke it, the little devil's hands were splashed with blood and they stained his bow tie, but he didn't care and looked at his side as an indifferent Luminous passed by and stood in front of Nono. He never managed to change the events, just the scenery. Gungir pierced through Ming·Z's chest.

- Brother, I tried my best

- It's ok, I'm here as well.

Luminous wasn't going to hug or kiss Nono, he was there to take her place. He could clearly feel his heart being cut open. The spear hadn't even touched his skin and his body had begun to carbonize and turn black, showing a rare struggle, burning it inch by inch.

- No! No! No! Nono struggled to stand up and pull the lance away from him.

- Don't come near me!

The lance tried to go through him, but it only managed to pin him against the wall. Nono shivered slightly and tears slowly ran down her face, but she didn't realize that she was crying. She always wanted him to grow up and go his own way, to use any advantage she might have over him to push him forward, but now the person who was crying on the floor was her.

- Senior sister, are you okay? It's okay.

Luminous raised his head, half of his head and body were carbonized, the cracks at the end of his lips extended all the way to the roots of his ears. He was really happy, because he finally managed to achieve his goal. He didn't want to live with the regret of losing her, he had seen Johann's own regret already.

Odin wasn't pleased, the god roared as he realized he had missed his chance. Luminous whispered:

- Ming·Z·Lu...

- Brother, I am here, you really found a method to stop the lance!

- In this world, only a monster can stop a monster, and I am the biggest monster in the world...

- Yes, you are the biggest monster in the world, brother! You are awesome! Then, are you ready to make the last deal? I can't do much against the lance, but I can take care of the monster behind it, the little devil is good at this dirty work!

Luminous stared at him and asked for two conditions:

- Kill Odin, but also take Nono back to safety.

- Alright but hurry up! That guy is almost here!

Sleipnir's eight legs made a thunderous sound, the dragon subspecies that Odin mounted carried its master into the room. Luminous raised his blood-soaked hand and gave the little devil a high-five. Ming·Z's figure suddenly appeared in the night sky, this time he stopped laughing and opened his arms. He looked like a suspended cross.

- Something for nothing, 100% fusion.

He breathed deeply, as if he wanted to inhale all of the world's air into his lungs. Sharp bone spurs protruded from his body and he was covered in black scales. Huge black wings sprung from his back and he took flight, diving down, his image poured into Luminous's body.

The carbonized skin quickly peeled off, he experienced musculoskeletal growth and deformation and the sound of a glacier cracking was heard across the hospital.

The black wings were opened and Gungir was ejected from his chest. Sleipnir couldn't move a single inch closer to them, because Luminous placed his hand on the horse's chest. Nono stared blankly at him, because she couldn't tell if the monster in front of her was a friend or an enemy, but Luminous stared back at her.

- Sister, don't be afraid, as long as I live, you'll be fine.

After two years, Chen Motong saw the devil that rescued her from the bottom of the Three Gorges Dam once again. She remembered how he held her, his childlike fear and his voice.

Don't die, don't die, don't die... Don't Die!

- So it was you...

But Luminous didn't hear those words at all, he rushed to Odin, at the flash of lightning, the monsters that had been in conflict with each other so many times, leaving countless disasters, clashed once again, and the claws and the sword stained the place red and black.

They roared, they fought, a war between kings that can only be ended by death.

Epilogue

On the elevated road, Finger stopped for a moment to catch his breath. This guy is usually slacking and his posture is erratic. The death servitors are struggling to even reach his clothes.

There should be half a marathon left before he can lose them, however, the physical strength of those things is almost unlimited.

Seeing him stop, a group of servitors suddenly became excited and the baby-like cries they made reached the heavens. A girl in a black outfit and a gauze mask appeared in front of him, a ninja.

- How did you know I was here?

- I have a radar for pretty girls... Can you handle that many servitors?

Mai Sakatoku drew two small blades.

- Those are too many, I'm specialized in assassination, not group combat. It's a pity that the other two girls are not here...

- Then I hope I can help.

He had a sword in his hand, the mirror-like Murasame suddenly turned black, the black blade light soon extended all the way to his body and the rain around it evaporated. Mai was surprised by the brutality of the sword, but Finger remained indifferent.

- What kind of sword is that?

- Murasame, have you never heard of the Dragon Slayer of Fire? Then you are really kind, but a bit ignorant, my friend!

After saying that, he jumped and cut off the elevated road.

[ladyonfire28]

My French music Masterpost

So since half of the population is in quarantine right now I thought I could make a list of some french/ french speaking artists and songs that I listen to and that you could also discover since we all have time to kill. 

Obviously I cannot put every single artist and song I  know and listen to so it’ll be a bit of mix of my favorite albums/ artists of the past few years but also what i’m listening at the moment ! 

Pop/ R&B

Angèle 

She’s a 23 year old Belgian singer. Her first album was a HUGE hit last year and she got 5 news songs out in November too. She’s also been dating a woman for a few months.

I would recommend to listen to her whole album Brol , it’s quite a bop. Also there are two songs about wlw relationship called « Ta Reine » and « Tu me regardes ». That last song was a kind of coming out song btw, we were all freaking out when we listened to it the first time lmao.

Favorite songs: Les matins, Flemme, Flou, Nombreux, Ta reine, Tu me regardes, J’entends

Clara Luciani

She’s a 27 year old French artist. 2019 was truly her year. She’s has an incredible voice and I just love her energy. She’s an amazing songwriter too. Her first album is called Sainte Victoire.

Favorite songs: La grenade, Les fleurs, On ne meurt pas d’amour, Drôle d’époque, Nue, Dors, Ma Soeur, Bovary.

Christine and the Queens

I think a lot of you know her already. She’s also a queer and pansexual artist. I have to say I really LOVED her first album Chaleur Humaine, one of the best albums of the past decade, but I didn’t love as much her second album (Chris) or her new EP (La vita nuova). I mean they’re good, but her first album was really something else. And it’s also just my opinion !

Favorite songs : iT (it’s in English though), Saint Claude, Science Fiction, Half Ladies, Paradis Perdus, Chaleur Humaine, Nuit 17 à 52, Intranquilité, Amazoniaque, Jonathan, La marcheuse, L’étranger

Therapie TAXI

This is a pretty fun band, their first album has been quite popular. They’re pretty unique and sometimes their songs and lyrics are let’s say... bold lmao. I haven’t listen to all their songs though, there’s like 25 songs in their first album and 15 in their second aha. But they also have so many bops. 

Favorite songs: Hit Sale, J’en ai marre, Salop(e), Avec ta zouz

Aya Nakamura

Aya is now a r&b/pop superstar here in France and even in other countries in Europe. She’s 25 and you can hear her songs in every night club and party here. Can’t say her lyrics are very elaborated but her songs are real bops and the best to dance to in your room lmao

Favorite songs: Djadja, La dot, Pompom, Copines, Pookie, Sucette, 40%, Comportement

Lous and the Yakuza

She’s a 23 year old belgian artist. She only has 3 songs out for now, but i’ve been pretty obsessed with them. Her lyrics are pretty great too (and she’s SO beautiful omg). 

Favorite songs : Dilemme, Tout est gore, Solo

Yseult

Yseult is a 24 year old french singer/songwriter. She’s has a beautiful voice and the beats are also great. I haven’t listened to all her songs though, I only heard her new EP Noir which is great.

Favorite songs: Corps, Nos souvenirs, Noir, 5H

Indie/electro rock/folk :

Pomme

Pomme is very famous in the LGBTQ community in France, but i haven’t listened much to her songs (yet). She’s a 24 year old french and lesbian singer songwriter. Her songs talk about love, anxiety, and even death. She has a such beautiful voice too.

Favorite songs: On brûlera, A peu près, Anxiété, Je sais pas danser

The Dø

The Dø are a finnish/french duo and also one of my favorite band (they sing in english though). They made of of my favorite albums of the last decade, Shake Shook Shaken, which came out in 2014. Their first albums sounded more folk/indie rock, but their third album is much more electro. And the album is about the break up of the lead singer, Olivia Merilahti, and the musician, Dan Levy. One of my favorite song of all time is in their second album Both Ways Open Jaws and is called Too Insistent.

Favorite songs: On my shoulders, Too Insistent, Sparks, Despair Hangover & Ecstasy, Opposite Ways, Anita No!, Nature Will Remain.

Izia

Izia is a singer but also an actress, you may know her from La Belle Saison, Samba, or Un peuple et son roi. I listened a lot to her third album La vague, that was released in 2015. it’s much more electro that what she used to do before. Her two first albums were much more rock albums. She’s got a new album out but i haven’t listen to it yet.

Favorite songs: Hey, La vague, You, Les ennuis, Bridges, Tomber

Mansfield.YTA

The band is composed of 2 women, Julia Lanoë et Carla Pallone. Julia is in other bands/ projects such as Sexy Sushi and Kompromat. Unlike those two last bands that are very electro, Mansfield is something more nuanced. It sounds more like indie folk and mixes different style. You can hear electric instruments but also violin, harmonium, piano etc. And it’s pretty melodramatic.  They sing in french and english.

Favorite songs: Et demain déja, Pour oublier je dors, Mon amoureuse, Gilbert De Clerc

Electro :

Stromae

You might have heard of that Belgian guy. His album Racine Carré (released in 2013) is too me the best of the decade and his song “Papaoutai” was a huge hit in Europe. He’s a pure genius. His lyrics are super deep and usually quite dark but he makes incredible beats that are very electro. If his second album is definitely his most popular album, his first one Cheese, was also so so great and his first single “Alors on Danse” was a huge hit (Kanye West did a remix of it). He also directed Billie Eilish’s “Hostage” music video. That dude is just incredible. But after his huge success his did a burn out and his mental health got very bad. He stopped making music since then. 

Favorite songs: Peace or Violence, Alors on danse, Dodo, Je Cours, House’llelujah, papaoutai, bâtard, ave cesaria, tous les mêmes, formidable humain à l’eau, sommeil

Rap :

I have to say i’ve been listening to a lot of french rap this past couple of years so i won’t list all the rappers i listen to, especially since i’m pretty sure most of you aren’t interested in rap. But I still have to list some of them that have been very popular recently. France has a huge and very diverse rap culture.

Fauve

Actually that collective is actually not a rap band at all. They do more like spoken word songs but didn’t where also to put them lol. The band broke up 5 years but I still listen to them a lot today. It’s one of my fav band too. Their lyrics are really well written and beautiful. It usually talks about the “youth malaise” and their frustrations, heartbreaks and anger etc. They made 1 EP et 2 LP. 

Favorite songs: Blizzard, Cock Music Smart Music, Nuits Fauves, Haut les Coeurs, Rub a Dub, Voyous, Infirmière, Vieux frères, Lettre à Zoé, Paraffine, Tallulah, T.R.W, Les Hautes Lumières 

Meryl

Meryl is a 24 year old french martinican rapper. Before making her own music she used to write and compose melodies for other famous french rappers. She’s very influenced by her roots and and she also sings some of her songs in creole. I love how different and diverse her music is. 

Favorite songs: Coucou, AH LALA, Béni, Désolé, La brume

Aloïse Sauvage 

Aloïse is a multi talented french singer/ actress/ dancer. She released her first EP in 2019 called Jimy and her very first album Dévorantes was released in February 2020. She’s definitely a queer artist (99% sure she’s lesbian but she’s never confirmed it so anyway + her little sister is 100% a lesbian aha) and she talks about lgbtq issues in some of her songs, but also about her own issues and all. Her lyrics are beautifully written. And she’s also a ray of sunshine so there’s nothing to dislike about her haha. 

Favorite songs: Dévorantes, Si on s’aime, A l’horizontale, Et cette tristesse, Jimy, Présentement, L’orage

Roméo Elvis

Roméo isn’t french but belgian. He’s the big brother of Angèle. I actually knew about her because of him. He’s less known than her now obviously but he’s still quite popular. His rap is pretty soft and chill. I preferred his collaborations with Le Motel (who was his producer) more than his “solo” album but he still got some good songs on his last album.

Favorite songs: Morale, Nappeux, Drôle de question, Bébé aime la drogue, J’ai vu (feat. Angèle), Lenita, Chocolat, Normal, Dis-moi 

Lomepal

Lomepal is a french rapper. He’s known for writing songs that are pretty elaborated with chill and melodic beats. I also call is rap “soft”. He usually talks about his loneliness and insecurities

Favorite songs: 70, Yeux disent, Club, Trop beaux, 1000°C, X-Men, Plus de larmes

PNL

PNL is the most popular cloud rap band of the past few of years. They’re two brothers NOS and Ademo and they’re famous for using vocoder when they rap. Like a lot of vocoder lol. But they’re also very known for working with some of the best beat makers in the industry. If the way they rap is sometimes pretty hard, their beats are very chill and cool. In their songs they talk a lot of their life as dealers in the french banlieue, their struggles, how tough their lives were but also how their lives today isn’t set and how they’re not necessarily happier today. Their third album “Dans la légende” was a huuuuge hit in France, and their latest album “Deux frères” just as much if not more. 

Favorite songs: Recherche du bonheur, DA, Dans la légende, Luz de Luna, Humain, Bené, Jusqu’au dernier gramme, Blanka, A l’ammoniaque, Shenmue, Menace, Déconnecté, La misère est si belle

Other songs that I listen to at the moment : 

“Le temps est bon” - Bon Entendeur (electro)

“De mon âme à ton âme” - Kompromat (electro)

“Reste” - Maitre Gims feat Sting (pop)

“Les méchants” - Heuss l’enfoiré (rap)

“C’est plus l’heure” - Franglish feat Dadju, Vegeta (r&b)

“De l’autre côté”-  Ninho feat Nekfeu (rap)

“Blanche” - Maes (rap)

“La complainte du soleil” - Laura Cahen (from I Lost My Body OST)

Some french speaking “classic” songs that  I listen to and that you probably don’t know (from the 50′s to 00′s) :

“Une valse à mille temps” - Jacques Brel

“La foule” - Edith Piaf 

“Chanson pour l’auvergnat” - Georges Brassens 

“Je t’aimais, je t’aime et je t’aimerai” - Francis Cabrel 

“Ma préférence” - Julien Clerc

“La nuit je mens” - Alain Bashung 

“Foule sentimentale” - Alain Souchon

“Mistral gagnant” - Renaud 

“Sensualité” - Axelle Red

“Manhattan Kaboul” - Renaud feat. Axelle Red

“Onde sensuelle” - M 

“Et dans 150 ans” - Raphaël 

“A la faveur de l’automne” - Tété

“L’aventurier” - Indochine 

French LGBTQ+ artists 

This past few years a few lgbtq artists have blown up here and like 4 lesbian artists have been nominated for best new artist this year at the french grammy award called Victoire de la musique (and one of them one the award, Pomme). Unfortunately i’m not very good at discovering new artists so i’m quite late and i haven’t been able to listen to a lot of them. But if you want to discover them yourself here are few lgbtq artists: 

Already mentioned: Angèle, Pomme, Julia Lanoë/ Rebekka Warrior (Sexy Sushi, Kompromat, Mansfield.YTA), Christine and the Queens, Aloïse Sauvage

More : Hoshi,  Suzane, Eddy de Pretto, Safia Nolin (she’s from Quebec)

[woodenducklings]

The Legends of River Song (review)

So 2 days a go i finished a lovely little book called The Legends of River Song. I have some things to say about it. This "review" will not be spoiler free so if you intend on reading the book with little to no prior knowledge of it I'd recommend stop reading here.

Story one (Picnic at Asgard by Jenny T. Colgan):

What the actual fuck???? 😃😃 This story just boils my blood a way an actual saucepan never could. What was Jenny trying to achieve? Nothing in this story from the animatronic dragon to River wanting to ask the Doctor if he wants to have a kid with her names any sense. I defiantly closed the book in anger a few times while reading this. Now looking back (literally I'm reading through my diary to find out what i actually thought) I didn't dislike the entire reading progress. In the very beginning (when I was on the train on my way home after purchasing the book) I said I was enjoying it so far but if you turn a single page I write

"13th May 2021

Hello fellow gigi lookalikes

I'm 32 pages into tlors and here's my review so far: kinda chaotic"

Kinda chaotic is only a compliment if I'm talking about Britney Spears' Instagram feed. I go on for an entire page just talking about how much I do not like this story.

Here's yet another entry:

"15th May 2021

Hello fellow gigi lookalikes

I woke up about 15 minutes ago & the first thing I did was to finish reading picnic at asgard & here's a review:

It doesn't really make sense it's like they didn't know what to do"

Which perfectly sums up how I feel about the story.

I have given this story the generous rating: 5/10, get your shit together.

Onto the second story, suspicious minds by Jacqueline Rayner:

This one was really confusing in the beginning. This is literally how it starts:

"I first met Elvis in the Seventies. Of course, he was in disguise- no one was supposed to recognize him, that might have caused a riot. But I spotted him easily enough. I could tell at first glance he wasn't just one of the crowd, and it intrigued me. I determined then and there I'd get him to myself, somehow or other."

Now this as an opening might not have been so disasterous if if it wasn't for the fact that the story isn't about Elvis Presley, rather it's about using humans as fertilizer because said humans didn't like wasps. Even worse is the fact that the Elvis River is talking about is a wax figure who's not really a wax figure either but rather is one of those living plastic things from the episode "Rose", that luckily for humanity decided to be a good guy. another thing that they blow over is that River had sex with this sentient wax figure. They should bring that up on the show sometime.

The beginning isn't the only thing that bothers me with this story but it bothers me enough to give it this score: 6,5/10, why Elvis?

Story three: A Gamble with Time by Steve Lyons:

I just looked trough my diary to find any real time thoughts on the story but since I couldn't I'm just gonna tell you that it's definetly a little confusing at times, so are all stories that involve time travel but it was overall enjoyable, I really don't have anything else to say so I'll just give you the score: 7/10, pretty good actually.

Story four: Death in New Venice by Guy Adams:

Oh Yes Oh BOy this one fuck yeah. This one, without a doubt is the best piece of Doctor Who reading I've ever done which is, no not very impressive since all I've read is this book, mediocre ao3 fanfiction as well as some inappropriate Wattpad stories. It still stands though. If they every decide to do a River spin-off (which btw is highly encouraged by me) I really want them to make this a two-part episode it's brilliant I love it.

Ok so onto the actual story:

This story feels like it was written in a diary with it being divided into 11 different parts, or entries all as they happen. The Doctor isn't even as much as mentioned in this story which I LOVE since it just shows that River is entirely capable of doing what they do without any of their help, and probably better.

I like the character and scenery descriptions because it gives you a good pov of not only what's happening but how River perceives it and how she feels about it. overall just feels like River. She keeps saying "dear diary" which I love, it just makes since since she is supposed to be writing all this in her diary anyway.

I just love how this story is written BUT i really don't know what happened in the so therefor the score is: 9/10, fr this ones great

Story five: River of Time by Andrew Lane:

So,, I like the way it starts and ends, like it makes sense, no question marks, which I consider good. When I finished the story i just felt like it understood it which is less common than you'd wish.

The story is nice, like not comforting just, nice. It's a good story. It mostly makes sense which is more than you can say about the doctor who canon in general.

This one did not have those saving "dear diary" moments that Death in New Venice had which is disappointing but all these stories are written by different people with different writing styles. To make up for the lack of "dear diary" it did add some well deserved lore to River's hallucinogenic lipstick.

Overall it's not better than Death in New Venice but it is slightly better than A Gamble with Time. So the score for River of Time is: 7,5/10, second best isn't last.

So like shoutout to Guy Adams for being a good writer.

[bloo-is-batty]

22 Question Game!

*inhale-exhale* lets give this a shot. I see them around a bit. Thought I'd make my own. Whoo!

Feel free to give it a whirl/@ ppl to try/ reblog. I'm gonna be a dink and tag @messybitch802 /@greatgooglymooglybobert to give it a try!

#1. Nickname(s)?: "Bloo" (around fellow nerds/artists), "Little One" (only my Da calls me that), "Miss Baker" (at work, I'm a night shift Baker), "Hun", Darlin', "Sugar/Sug", "Goddess" (by my BF) "Bitch-Cakes", "Lovey", "Ashie/Ashy-Lin" (What my GF @messybitch802 calls me. The last two are because my name is actually: Ashlyn)

#2. Height?: 5'5.

#3. Favorite physical feature?: Either my blue eyes or my chest area...where my fellow DDD's at yo?! Lolz

#4. Age or zodiac(s)?: I'll give ya both. Gonna be 26 in May, Taurus and year of the Rooster.

#5. Favorite condiment?: Maple Syrup. I put that shit on almost everything. It's my shame I must live with...and it has to be VERMONT MAPLE SYRUP!!! From any other place it's crap and I'll fight chu if you say otherwise (my state pride showing a bit)!

#6. Syfy or Fantasy?: Fantasy. Always.

#7. Manga or Anime?: Manga. I watch little Anime anymore, it just doesn't live up to the manga for me.

#8. Favorite Comedian(s)?: Maria Bamford, Eddie Izzard, Pete Holmes, Russell Howard, and John Mulaney.

#9. Musician?: Ugh!!! So haaaaaard....Imma be that arse that picks way more than one: Gorillaz, Tenacious D, Ninja Sex Party, Falling in Reverse, David Bowie, Christopher Lee, Billy Boyd, Elvis, Freak Kitchen, In This Moment, and Kerli.

#10. Song stuck in your head currently?: "Fire on Fire" by: Sam Smith

#11. Live action or animated movies?: Animation.

#12. You could speak to any Historical figure for 30minutes, who'd it be?: Either Grace O'Malley or Willam Wallace.

#13. Granted a super powers. Which?: Hands down, I want the Nightcrawler power-package!!! If the tail gets included, I'd die of joy!

#14. You get to punch anyone square in the face, "scott-free", who?: Reeeeal hard to pick...tyed between this one bitch I had the misfortune of knowing, OR this fucker we all know, that rhymes with "Dump". 'Nuff said.

#15. Dream Destination Trip?: New Zealand or Japan.

#16. Favorite smells?: Whiskey, Cigars, Fresh Hay, Leaves, Maple, Hot Chocolate, Lilies, Lilac, Roses, Bubblegum, and Peaches.

#17. Favorite Animal? Oxen or anything of a bulvine nature! Those eyes and "mooos" make me weep with joy.

#18. Following how many?: 56.

#19. Followed by how many?: 310! Thank you all btw!!!!!

#20. Other Tumblr Blogs?: @blooeyedspazz (my artist blog), @erebonerarkenstonerz (A comic featuring myself and @messybitch802) and @homewardhearts (a collabrative fan art/fan fic Hobbit projects I've got in the works. Still in the works at the moment.)

#21. Special Talents?: Besides drawing? Lol...Well, pretty good at making connections to things, brainstorming possible outcomes. Kinda like that wacko you see in films with tacks and string connecting to maps and photos and they are in a corner sweating, surrounded by empty coffee cups, mumbling in the fetal position "there must be a link...just haven't found it yet!". That, and I can memorize songs lyrics and poems pretty quickly. So my talents really have no usefulness to them. Lol

#22. Any Random facts about yourself?: I actually had a pretty popular Beetlejuice Webcomic for 3 years or so, called: The Ghost With The Most. Even won an award via Smackjeeves for it too, but ended up dropping it for personal reasons/loss of passion for it. Ha, and here's a quirky one for you: As a wee-one, my family had a taxidermy Great Horned Owl that I adored. I named him "Mr. Hooty-Who". Also, I've been told I have a habit of "staring". Only at people I like though. Gets on their nerves or creeps them out. I hardly notice that I do it. It just means I like them...right? They should be flattered!

[hgfstreamchats]

Plummer Human Memorial Stream

TheAlienTazerToday at 9:22 PM

ELLO

SharpwingToday at 9:23 PM

Oh lord I'm sorry I didnt mean to turn on video

highglossfinishToday at 9:24 PM

Not to worry, I for one didn't even notice.

SharpwingToday at 9:24 PM

thank you

TheAlienTazerToday at 9:25 PM

This is nice

thenightetc2Today at 9:25 PM

Yeah

highglossfinishToday at 9:25 PM

Enjoy it, because the movie we're watching is no such thing.

thenightetc2Today at 9:25 PM

Although the quality is, ah... a little.........

highglossfinishToday at 9:26 PM

Oh, for Pit's sake, it followed us here too?

thenightetc2Today at 9:26 PM

Resolution's fine, but it's a little jerky--video and audio

TheAlienTazerToday at 9:26 PM

not too bad tho tbh

thenightetc2Today at 9:28 PM

Hmmm

[

9:28 PM

]

For me the audio was jerky enough that I couldn't understood what she said at the end there

SharpwingToday at 9:28 PM

I'm hearing it predominantly in my left ear, is that the stream or my earbuds being weird? (They are Very Bad Earbuds, but I never know what's gonna go wrong or not.)

TheAlienTazerToday at 9:28 PM

for me it's fine

[

9:28 PM

]

Like no problems on my end

SharpwingToday at 9:29 PM

Ah okay, thanks, it must be my wifi

thenightetc2Today at 9:29 PM

Same, I guess

highglossfinishToday at 9:29 PM

I just tweaked something that should fix it if it's on my end.

thenightetc2Today at 9:29 PM

Seems good now!

highglossfinishToday at 9:29 PM

Wonderful!

SharpwingToday at 9:29 PM

The left audio is definitely on my end then, thanks

highglossfinishToday at 9:30 PM

None stream with left audio.

thenightetc2Today at 9:30 PM

ha!

TheAlienTazerToday at 9:30 PM

Lmao I was just about to say-

SharpwingToday at 9:30 PM

thats what i was thinking but i couldnt figure out how to phrase it, thaqnk you

[

9:30 PM

]

this song was stuck in my head a few days ago

[

9:30 PM

]

it's so soft

TheAlienTazerToday at 9:31 PM

I've been listening to the Cats musical

[

9:31 PM

]

The movie is terrible and it has ONE good song and that's Skimbleshanks

SharpwingToday at 9:32 PM

also what do you mean the movie we'll be watching isn't nice, Knockout? I thought it was an animated feature about a boy that turns into a cat and a rooster that's an Elvis impersonator

[

9:32 PM

]

EXCUSE YOU MEMORY IS WONDERFUL

TheAlienTazerToday at 9:32 PM

I watch the original musical and weep for what couldve been

MimicToday at 9:32 PM

hello all

highglossfinishToday at 9:32 PM

It's exactly that.

TheAlienTazerToday at 9:32 PM

Maybe the recording

@Mimichello all

TheAlienTazerToday at 9:32 PM

mic is on btw

SharpwingToday at 9:32 PM

:0 blasphemy sir!! i love that movie

blythe1Today at 9:32 PM

Okay, have I got this working yet now?

@Sharpwing:0 blasphemy sir!! i love that movie

TheAlienTazerToday at 9:33 PM

The live action movie is bad sorry

@blythe1Okay, have I got this working yet now?

TheAlienTazerToday at 9:33 PM

u click watch stream??

SharpwingToday at 9:33 PM

asjhdfghdfghdf I MEANT ROCK-A-DOODLE

TheAlienTazerToday at 9:33 PM

OH

[

9:33 PM

]

lol

blythe1Today at 9:33 PM

Is it a red carpet interview?

TheAlienTazerToday at 9:33 PM

Yes

MimicToday at 9:34 PM

also Skimbleshanks slaps, to quote Sideways. only cover in that movie that well and truly slaps.

SharpwingToday at 9:34 PM

i do enjoy the live action purely for the fact that it was my first introduction to Cats and it's Beautifully Bizarre if you can get past the uncanny valley but i agree that Skimbleshanks slaps

@Mimicalso Skimbleshanks slaps, to quote Sideways. only cover in that movie that well and truly slaps.

TheAlienTazerToday at 9:34 PM

I LOVE SIDEWAYS I WATCHED HIS WHOLE VIDEO

MimicToday at 9:34 PM

SAME

TheAlienTazerToday at 9:34 PM

I feel so bad for the orchestra you can hear them weeping

blythe1Today at 9:34 PM

Ah, good, I have never used this service before, so I'm looking forward to all sorts of goof ups as I learn which button I should not have pressed.

Zephra85Today at 9:34 PM

Oh here we go here I am

MimicToday at 9:35 PM

oh god the orchestra suffered so very much forthat movie.,

@blythe1Ah, good, I have never used this service before, so I'm looking forward to all sorts of goof ups as I learn which button I should not have pressed.

TheAlienTazerToday at 9:35 PM

Discord is rlly fun once you know how to use it

Zephra85Today at 9:35 PM

Let's try this again HELLO ALL

TheAlienTazerToday at 9:35 PM

Hewwo

MimicToday at 9:36 PM

HELLO

highglossfinishToday at 9:36 PM

Zephra human, hello!

Zephra85Today at 9:36 PM

I was typing in the wrong chat at first lol

TheAlienTazerToday at 9:36 PM

Lets suffer together lmao

Zephra85Today at 9:36 PM

Jokes on all of you I love this movie

TheAlienTazerToday at 9:36 PM

nice

Zephra85Today at 9:36 PM

which is what makes it extra painful I can't stay, I have too much to do tonight T-T

SharpwingToday at 9:36 PM

SAME

TheAlienTazerToday at 9:36 PM

I've never watched it

SharpwingToday at 9:36 PM

nooooooooooo

thenightetc2Today at 9:37 PM

Oof, the audio's doing that thing again

blythe1Today at 9:37 PM

As soon as I learn how to use a service, it generally crashes and burns, or goes out of business. If Discord is fun, then I really shouldn't learn too much about it in case I kill it.

TheAlienTazerToday at 9:37 PM

oof

[

9:37 PM

]

btw my audio is fine I'm in America

MimicToday at 9:37 PM

I mean, if anyone's running a discord deadpool you could make some bank

thenightetc2Today at 9:37 PM

...don bluth

[

9:38 PM

]

ohhhhhhhhh.

MimicToday at 9:38 PM

rock-a-doodle

Zephra85Today at 9:38 PM

I love don bluth so much I hate that most of his movies bombed he's amazing

blythe1Today at 9:39 PM

It looked like and asteroid strike there for a minute, thought that this was gonna be ableak movie about talking cocks.

TheAlienTazerToday at 9:39 PM

HA

[

9:39 PM

]

btw ya'll I got new emotes I can use

SharpwingToday at 9:40 PM

i i love the shoes bit i had completely forgotten it

MimicToday at 9:40 PM

those chickens are designed so very differently from the bird with the mammal curves later.

blythe1Today at 9:40 PM

It has been so long since I dropped in for one of these things. I missed this.

highglossfinishToday at 9:40 PM

Don Bluth movies and their rapidly dwindling list of cast members who are still alive.

Zephra85Today at 9:40 PM

Wehhh don't remind me T^T

thenightetc2Today at 9:41 PM

The grand duke of owls

Zephra85Today at 9:41 PM

Sorry guys I love this movie and I wish I could stay but I can't

TheAlienTazerToday at 9:41 PM

Bye bye!

thenightetc2Today at 9:41 PM

He can't crow now?

SharpwingToday at 9:41 PM

see you later!

thenightetc2Today at 9:41 PM

...ohhhh

Zephra85Today at 9:41 PM

Bye guys! I hope the stream goes well!

[

9:41 PM

]

Thanks for inviting me, Knock Out!

thenightetc2Today at 9:41 PM

Goodnight!

highglossfinishToday at 9:42 PM

Anytime!

[

9:42 PM

]

Good night!

blythe1Today at 9:42 PM

It is always hard for an over achiever to learn they are not as critical to the success of the operation as they thought

thenightetc2Today at 9:42 PM

f

blythe1Today at 9:42 PM

Bye Zephra

MimicToday at 9:42 PM

good night!

[

9:42 PM

]

and ikr

highglossfinishToday at 9:42 PM

Like most owls.

SharpwingToday at 9:42 PM

also. i wish i were capable of hugging you, knock out

blythe1Today at 9:42 PM

Wait, did they just Princess Bride us?

SharpwingToday at 9:42 PM

--wait IS THIS WHY YOU DONT LIKE OWLS

MimicToday at 9:42 PM

yup

[

9:42 PM

]

except sorta nested

thenightetc2Today at 9:43 PM

Oh, there's a little notice on mine that says it has reduced quality, which "may be due to network conditions"

TheAlienTazerToday at 9:43 PM

ah damn I'm good on my end

thenightetc2Today at 9:43 PM

Yes, poor Edmund

blythe1Today at 9:44 PM

Oh noes, you have to stay warm and dry in bed and not slog through the rain. How awful.

thenightetc2Today at 9:44 PM

Someone call CPS

[

9:44 PM

]

.......

blythe1Today at 9:45 PM

I do miss those big rubber hats though, when did they go out of fashion and can we not bring them back

thenightetc2Today at 9:45 PM

Whoooooo indeed

MimicToday at 9:45 PM

I'm sorry, I'm laughing, this is a narrative ouroboros

highglossfinishToday at 9:46 PM

Rrrrock and rrrroll.

MimicToday at 9:46 PM

and Plumber is chewing that scenery

blythe1Today at 9:47 PM

The adventure called "concussion" and "traumatic brain injury".

highglossfinishToday at 9:47 PM

Chewing it to a masticated pulp.

SharpwingToday at 9:47 PM

oh no i have to go to supper again... i'll be back!

thenightetc2Today at 9:47 PM

See you!

SharpwingToday at 9:47 PM

....don't you have to have teeth to masticate something or do i have my latin roots mixed up

blythe1Today at 9:47 PM

bye sharpwing

SharpwingToday at 9:47 PM

bye for now!

thenightetc2Today at 9:48 PM

He could get some velcro shoes

MimicToday at 9:48 PM

... IJUST REALIZED. ITHINK THIS COULD HAVE BEEN WAY BETTER RECEIVED AS A POINT AND CLICK ADVENTURE GAME

blythe1Today at 9:48 PM

I'm not entirely convinced that is a male kitten either.

thenightetc2Today at 9:49 PM

I thought I saw a pink bow in the hair there

[

9:49 PM

]

Which is certainly cartoonspeak for "girl"

highglossfinishToday at 9:51 PM

It'd be an interesting twist if they found him and he told them to get scrapped.

thenightetc2Today at 9:51 PM

Heh.

blythe1Today at 9:51 PM

True

thenightetc2Today at 9:52 PM

So he's, uh

[

9:52 PM

]

a duke in a political sense?  it's not just a nickname?

[

9:52 PM

]

Why are the others naked

[

9:53 PM

]

Are they his harem

blythe1Today at 9:53 PM

Highest member of the ordinary nobility, unless he is a Royal Duke, which is a different thing.

@thenightetc2Are they his harem

highglossfinishToday at 9:54 PM

Absolutely.

[

9:54 PM

]

The only enjoyable thing in this movie is the owls. Do you know how much it pains me to admit that?

MimicToday at 9:54 PM

does one normally form harems for the purposes of impromptu musical sequences

highglossfinishToday at 9:54 PM

What other purpose matters?

MimicToday at 9:54 PM

fair enough

thenightetc2Today at 9:55 PM

impromptu NAKED musical sequences

TheAlienTazerToday at 9:55 PM

High kicks encouraged

blythe1Today at 9:56 PM

Without its own aircover, that boat should be completely overwhelmed by an air attack.

thenightetc2Today at 9:56 PM

You know what, just let him out

blythe1Today at 9:57 PM

And so they all drowned, short movie.

thenightetc2Today at 9:57 PM

And it's miraculously empty of water now!

highglossfinishToday at 9:58 PM

20 minutes of movie, 40 minutes of the Duke deflowering his owl harem.

blythe1Today at 9:58 PM

I've watched worse movies.

TheAlienTazerToday at 9:59 PM

Like the Cats live action movie

blythe1Today at 9:59 PM

I've not seen the Cats movie yet, I'm waiting for them to release the butthole cut.

TheAlienTazerToday at 10:01 PM

Dear lord its bad There's a channel called Sideways that made a great video about it

blythe1Today at 10:01 PM

Just buy slip ons, dude.

thenightetc2Today at 10:01 PM

Or velcro.

TheAlienTazerToday at 10:02 PM

that knife is the size of his whole damn bod

thenightetc2Today at 10:03 PM

That sure is a character design

highglossfinishToday at 10:04 PM

This movie is allergic to maintaining tension.

TheAlienTazerToday at 10:04 PM

True

blythe1Today at 10:05 PM

I think they may be being to subtle with the Elvis metaphor, they need to lean into it harder.

thenightetc2Today at 10:05 PM

Gosh, are you SURE he's supposed to be Elvis?

TheAlienTazerToday at 10:06 PM

Have him die on the toilet

blythe1Today at 10:06 PM

Uh-huh-huh

MimicToday at 10:06 PM

question, what the hell is the slimeball boss

thenightetc2Today at 10:06 PM

Yes, yes, but those people don't think he literally causes the sun to rise, so who cares about their so-called "love"

@TheAlienTazerHave him die on the toilet

highglossfinishToday at 10:06 PM

Bloated and full of painkillers.

@highglossfinishBloated and full of painkillers.

TheAlienTazerToday at 10:07 PM

EEYUP

highglossfinishToday at 10:07 PM

End of short movie.

MimicToday at 10:07 PM

I mean, as is entirely expected.

TheAlienTazerToday at 10:08 PM

Oh I love the owls!

MimicToday at 10:08 PM

damn, Plumber had so much fun singing that little bit of nonsense

thenightetc2Today at 10:08 PM

...So, given that there don't seem to be any humans in this movie

[

10:08 PM

]

What, uh....

highglossfinishToday at 10:08 PM

I love the Duke.

thenightetc2Today at 10:08 PM

What's up with the... farm.

MimicToday at 10:09 PM

free love commune?

[

10:10 PM

]

cult compound around the sun-raising chicken?

thenightetc2Today at 10:10 PM

Mmmmaybe?

MimicToday at 10:11 PM

"We just want you to sound exactly like Audrey from Little Shop of Horrors. no deviation at all."

[

10:11 PM

]

why. why the light up starfish dancer outfits for mice

TheAlienTazerToday at 10:11 PM

brb ya'll I need to take a few minutes to nurse this headache I got brewin

thenightetc2Today at 10:12 PM

Underwater theme

highglossfinishToday at 10:12 PM

The owls and farm are competing free love communes.

blythe1Today at 10:12 PM

Aw, I was hoping that paper dart would wedge in his quiff.

1

@highglossfinishThe owls and farm are competing free love communes.

MimicToday at 10:12 PM

headcanon accepted

[

10:13 PM

]

"Oh no. they sent in a bird with a chest. we're doomed."

blythe1Today at 10:14 PM

This is dreadful, he has a rewarding career and a steady girlfriend. How dreadful, of course he should go back to thanklessly working on a farm somewhere.

thenightetc2Today at 10:14 PM

How awful of him.

MimicToday at 10:14 PM

working?

highglossfinishToday at 10:15 PM

How dare he be happy and loved for something other than his ability to crow?

[

10:16 PM

]

Back to dirt farming poverty with ungrateful """friends""" for you.

TheAlienTazerToday at 10:17 PM

I'm back!

blythe1Today at 10:17 PM

welcome back

highglossfinishToday at 10:17 PM

Welcome back!

MimicToday at 10:17 PM

wait. why does he specifically have to give up his awesome life and go back home to the farm to do the crowing thing(edited)

thenightetc2Today at 10:18 PM

I mean... the sun rises EVERYWHERE, yes?

SharpwingToday at 10:19 PM

IM HERE TOO HI WHAT DID I MISS

blythe1Today at 10:19 PM

I feel like teaching everyone basic meteorology would solve a lot of this movie's central conflict.

thenightetc2Today at 10:19 PM

You missed sexy bird.

SharpwingToday at 10:20 PM

thenightetc2Today at 10:20 PM

SharpwingToday at 10:20 PM

....is that the sheriff from Robin Hood

highglossfinishToday at 10:20 PM

They meddled with that, he was supposed to slap her.

blythe1Today at 10:21 PM

Technically that is extortion, not blackmail.

highglossfinishToday at 10:22 PM

Rapid switch from "Don't talk to me" to "Hang on, honey."

thenightetc2Today at 10:22 PM

ikr?

SharpwingToday at 10:22 PM

ah, the elation of Having A Plan

[

10:22 PM

]

as....nebulous as that one is

thenightetc2Today at 10:22 PM

Good job, guys!

[

10:23 PM

]

You found him!

highglossfinishToday at 10:23 PM

Don't treat him for that head trauma, just put him somewhere.

blythe1Today at 10:23 PM

They ought to have called this Concussion: The Movie.

thenightetc2Today at 10:24 PM

He can crow with a concussion, it's fine

highglossfinishToday at 10:24 PM

They take his severely concussed form back to the farm, prop him up, and get him to crow by sticking pins in him every morning.

TheAlienTazerToday at 10:24 PM

Reminds me of weekend at bernie's

blythe1Today at 10:24 PM

Nah, a singer needs to be conscious. That is drummers you are thinking of.

thenightetc2Today at 10:25 PM

What kind of animal is the sleazy boss, anyway?

highglossfinishToday at 10:25 PM

A fox.

TheAlienTazerToday at 10:25 PM

I think a fox huh?

thenightetc2Today at 10:25 PM

...Oh.

blythe1Today at 10:25 PM

Okay, it is near half three in the am here. I really must go and get a couple of hours sleep. It has been nice dropping in again and seeing you all. Take care, all.

SharpwingToday at 10:26 PM

i thought he was a wolf?

[

10:26 PM

]

oh! gnight then!

TheAlienTazerToday at 10:26 PM

Night!

thenightetc2Today at 10:26 PM

Goodnight!

[

10:26 PM

]

Nice seeing you!

highglossfinishToday at 10:26 PM

Good night!

[

10:27 PM

]

Just flinging his unconscious body around, no thought to his spine.

thenightetc2Today at 10:27 PM

So if... losing a shoe is symbolic of losing virginity...........

SharpwingToday at 10:27 PM

THOMAS O'MALLEY THAT'S HOW I KNOW THAT VOICE

thenightetc2Today at 10:27 PM

Did, um

[

10:27 PM

]

Was that

[

10:27 PM

]

When her shoes knocked those guys off the ladder...

TheAlienTazerToday at 10:28 PM

huh

highglossfinishToday at 10:29 PM

"He's bleeding from the mouth."

SharpwingToday at 10:29 PM

he's definitely not supposed to be singing

highglossfinishToday at 10:30 PM

"Crow for our highly conditional love!"

SharpwingToday at 10:31 PM

in fairness, it's hard to love if you're dead from critical vitamin d deficiency

[

10:31 PM

]

i do agree with your point though

thenightetc2Today at 10:31 PM

More concussions!

highglossfinishToday at 10:31 PM

They've done nothing since he got back but yell at him.

SharpwingToday at 10:32 PM

i would have some Objections if i were in hi shoes

[

10:32 PM

]

why is one of them saying his name wrong

highglossfinishToday at 10:32 PM

They don't care enough about him to pronounce it correctly.

SharpwingToday at 10:33 PM

THAT IS ONE BIG OWL

[

10:34 PM

]

statement rescinded and reversed.

TheAlienTazerToday at 10:35 PM

lmao

thenightetc2Today at 10:35 PM

"sorry dude I guess you're a cat now"

TheAlienTazerToday at 10:36 PM

"You've been in a coma for six months."

highglossfinishToday at 10:36 PM

"Except for one thing. Edmund was still here."

SharpwingToday at 10:37 PM

wait what

highglossfinishToday at 10:38 PM

Of course they had hybrid chicks.

thenightetc2Today at 10:38 PM

...huh

SharpwingToday at 10:38 PM

...okay, this movie is significantly more... batshit. than i remember.

TheAlienTazerToday at 10:38 PM

that's an understatement I believe

thenightetc2Today at 10:39 PM

And of course she doesn't mind giving up her dreams and moving to a farm

[

10:39 PM

]

as livestock

highglossfinishToday at 10:39 PM

And wearing jorts.

SharpwingToday at 10:39 PM

i completely missed the jorts and i am grateful

TheAlienTazerToday at 10:39 PM

makes me wanna watch the secret of nimh

highglossfinishToday at 10:39 PM

Was this song necessary?

TheAlienTazerToday at 10:39 PM

Not at all

SharpwingToday at 10:39 PM

no

thenightetc2Today at 10:39 PM

Was this movie?

TheAlienTazerToday at 10:39 PM

Nope!

highglossfinishToday at 10:39 PM

Point, point.

TheAlienTazerToday at 10:40 PM

Well I gotta hit the hay got the doctor's in the morning night ya'll this was fun!

SharpwingToday at 10:40 PM

Gnight!

thenightetc2Today at 10:41 PM

goodnight!

SharpwingToday at 10:41 PM

ugh you reminded me i forgot to call the dentist

highglossfinishToday at 10:41 PM

Good night!

SharpwingToday at 10:41 PM

you don't know how much i wish i naturally had dental plates

highglossfinishToday at 10:41 PM

I've got nothing else either, I just wanted to show this movie.(edited)

SharpwingToday at 10:41 PM

instead, im going to spend my life trying to avoid them

[

10:42 PM

]

And I am very grateful you did

[

10:43 PM

]

do you want to look for something else to watch, or is that enough for tonight? i can help brainstorm if you want

[

10:43 PM

]

:0

highglossfinishToday at 10:44 PM

They cut part of this out.

[

10:44 PM

]

Presumably because it was interesting.

SharpwingToday at 10:44 PM

it certainly does sound like it

thenightetc2Today at 10:44 PM

...

highglossfinishToday at 10:44 PM

There it is.

SharpwingToday at 10:44 PM

ah

highglossfinishToday at 10:46 PM

Alright, I've got to be off and doing something as well.

[

10:46 PM

]

But thank you all for joining me in this!

SharpwingToday at 10:46 PM

Alright! I hope whatever it is goes well<3

[

10:47 PM

]

Thank you for inviting us!

thenightetc2Today at 10:47 PM

And thank you for hosting!  It's been... a movie, certainly!

SharpwingToday at 10:47 PM

it was insane and i loved it

highglossfinishToday at 10:48 PM

It certainly is a movie and it certainly does exist.

thenightetc2Today at 10:48 PM

Honestly it WAS a good distraction from my aching dental work

SharpwingToday at 10:48 PM

oof

[

10:48 PM

]

hhhh this s o n g

highglossfinishToday at 10:49 PM

There we go. A nicer note to end on than "I tried to squeeze him 'til his brains came out his ears."

thenightetc2Today at 10:50 PM

Awww.  Yes.

SharpwingToday at 10:50 PM

sdhkjsdfgkjdg

[10:50 PM]

yes it was

[10:50 PM]

it was beautiful, thank you

highglossfinishToday at 10:50 PM

My pleasure!

[10:50 PM]

Until the next time, good night, everyone!

SharpwingToday at 10:50 PM

Goodnight!<3

thenightetc2Today at 10:50 PM

Goodnight!

highglossfinishToday at 10:51 PM

May your dental bones feel better soon, night human!NEW

thenightetc2Today at 10:51 PM

Thank you, I'm sure they will.

SharpwingToday at 10:51 PM

i second the sentiment

[roundthatcorner]

"Something that didn't happen but did. But only for a minute" Can you elaborate on what you think this means?

(Okay,hopefully you are still here, anon (carpal tunnel = me reluctant totype much of anything, sadly, bc I need to save my loser hand for myjob…Gird your loins or w/e, this is long…and meandering…)

Ithink I stuck that in the tags of a post, but I was just paraphrasingPaul’s lyrics in ‘The Pound Is Sinking’, where he sings ‘hear me,lover/I can’t be held responsible now/for something that didn’thappen/I knew you for a minute/oh, it didn’t happen/no, only for aminute/your heart just wasn’t in it anymore’ (probably you knowthis, but just for background…).

So,just let me like riff on my interpretation a little, and don’t be toooffended if I get off track, it’s all related in my head:

Incomparison to the kind of nether-world of John and Paul’srelationship with each other, we can maybe look at theirrelationships with their (eventual) wives to see what wouldconstitute, at least in Paul’s mind, something that actually'happened’. No matter what we think DID happen between John and Paul,it was clearly never a 100% fully fledged relationship, right? Theynever got married, they never bought a house together, they nevermade each other breakfast every morning, they never adopted kids,etc. They never actually ran away together – at least not withoutcoming back. Paul wrote those lyrics after 10 years of marriage withLinda and 4 kids, and in comparison to that level of day in, day outcommitment, whatever John and Paul had is something that onlysemi-happened, or only happened for a minute (or happened in 'anotherlifetime’ or 'was I just dreaming or was it only yesterday?’).

Awhole range of possibilities exists for what their relationshipactually was (I have another ask that I am trying to formulate aresponse to that will be more along those lines), and so these lyricscan be interpreted a lot of different ways…but essentially…nomatter how far they went with each other, romantically or sexually, Idon’t think either of them ever got quite what they wanted out ofeach other, you know? Neither of them was ever fully satisfied by it– there was always SOMETHING in their relationship that was out ofreach – unattainable – whether because of their ownpersonalities, conflicting demands and desires, fame on a level noone could possibly understand (I mean…really…the ENORMOUSpsychological pressure on them is simply unfathomable and somethingwe should always try to have deep, deep empathy for), exteriorpressures, homophobia, the hard slog of being in a band together,jealousy, competition (!!), differing drug habits, etc.  

Like,I think we can get a pretty clear idea of WHAT John wanted out of arelationship by comparing his relationships with Paul and Yoko. Whydid John swap Paul for Yoko? Presumably because he was gettingsomething from Yoko, at least in the first couple of years of theirrelationship, that he COULD NOT get from Paul, or wouldn’t ask forfrom Paul, or couldn’t expect from Paul. Paul was never going to beat his beck-and-call 24/7; Paul was never going to go on about himbeing a genius without also expecting him to actually producegenius-level work; Paul was never going to BLOW UP everything theyhad built, their whole world, for John, on an impulse; he was nevergoing to tear the Beatles apart for John; he was never going todevolve into junkie-ism for John; he was never going to stop writinggreat songs because it made John jealous when he did; he was nevergoing to stop being the prince of swinging London because it madeJohn feel stultified in comparison; he was never going to…put hiscock on the front of an album, or mail back his MBE, or put on artshows that are designed solely to rile/exasperate/pull-one-over-onpeople (Paul’s art, in contrast, is almost always 'invitational’). IfJohn was into his 'great debunker’ mode in '68, Paul could not be hispartner in that – but Yoko could, since she never put in thefucking hard work of building their Empire (though she has happilyreaped, for decades, the benefits of what she helped destroy).

(Also– Paul could never stop being a man in order to bolster John’smasculinity, or to quiet his gay panic, or lessen his probablepost-Brian-dying existential crisis about what-the-fuck theirrelationship, or any gay relationship, could ever be. A best friendwho you can fuck but is also a woman (so it’s alright)? That’simpossible for Paul, he can only go two-for-three there.

Also,not unimportantly – for all John described Yoko as a genius, blahblah blah, she was NEVER EVER going to write a number one hit. Youknow? She was NEVER actually competition for him – he never wasgoing to look at her and be like, “Gosh, I like your songs on thisalbum better than mine…”, LOL. Yoko and his post-Beatles work wasa way of REMOVING himself from the game – how better to escape fromthe pressure of coming up with another Ticket to Ride than byproducing Life with the Lions, or whatever-the-fuck? He TALKED a shitload about his genius after the Beatles were over – but by thatpoint his genius (which was being the leader of a ROCK 'N’ ROLL BAND,btw, in case anyone (Yoko) ever forgets) was atrophying. The world will never love Yoko the way it loves John or Paul, which allows John to win that competition BY DEFAULT -- with no effort! -- while also getting to play a bit of a martyr vis-a-vis her and her treatment by the press/society/fans.

Also, Iwould compare what Paul was able to get from Linda to what he gotfrom John (it’s a valid comparison, obviously – Linda and John werevery different Libras), but doing so doesn’t quite make sense here,since Paul never actually made a choice between John and Linda. WhatPaul chose Linda over was dying – literally fucking dying – of abroken heart.)

So,having hashed out some dynamics or dysfunctions that were presumablypresent no matter what 'level’ their relationship went to, and whichpresumably drove them apart, you’re probably saying…what the fuck,dude? Because all of this is sort of putting the cart before thehorse, right? Since John’s impulse to do all of theseBeatle/Paul-ruining things, which necessitated 'Yoko boat’ ratherthan 'Paul boat’, had to come from somewhere…

Myactual shortened timeline-sort-of view of their relationship and myCONJECTURE on how it may have happened: sometime between 1964 ('If IFell’) and May 1968 they moved into a semi-stable phase of theirrelationship which is semi-explicitly romantic (the sexualinterplay/experimentation presumably far pre-dates this period, maybedating back to their first months together ('Baby Elvis’ – John wasphysically/sexually knocked-the-fuck-out by Paul from the start)), inaddition to being ten dozen other things. One or both of them mayharbor the notion at this point that some day – when the demands ofBeatlemania are done, when things are more settled, when they haveaged out of fucking around so much, when they buy an island, when thepress hounds them less, when homosexuality is more destigmatized inaddition to being decriminalized (1967 in Britain, which may playinto this) – they will be in a yet more stable, more exclusive &more serious relationship.

Atsome point it becomes clear to one or both of them that this is notgoing to happen: Brian dies which fucks everything up (nothingharshes a buzz like death, especially the death of one’s gay mentor, which may then precipitate a decisively un-gay turnaround), Paul gets engagedto Jane in a last ditch effort to save their relationship, and Pauland John as-a-couple fizzle out. Possibly it’s even amicable atfirst, like they’ve agreed to put it on hold because they acknowledgethat they can’t give each other what they want – which wouldexplain why Paul is so docile and accepting of the Yoko thing atfirst. Not only does he not think it will last (another of John’swhims – Chip Madinger puts the Two Virgins recording on the VERYSAME DAY that John announces that he is Jesus fucking Christ! (*)) andmaybe it’s actually in-line with what they’ve agreed to, but Paulalso doesn’t yet understand that John will at some point becomewilling to destroy the whole dang thing, all-or-nothing, 'if we can’tbe lovers we’ll never be friends’, etc.

Withouttheir being lovers, all the little resentments John has towards Paul– over leadership, talent, looks, personality, music, etc, that heis able to overlook when they’re fucking – boil over. If John’sperception becomes that Paul has managed to wrest the band away fromhim by sexually manipulating him (**), then that’s one more reason forhim to now try to assert his dominance – by foisting Yoko on all ofthem, which only drives home further how not-the-leader he is (in hisown mind), since if he WERE the leader, they would accept her(especially because he thinks she’s cool, and they generally thinkeverything he thinks is cool is cool!). Having Yoko nearby all thetime also conveniently keeps Paul-and-his-sexual-wiles away from Johnand gives him a continuous alternate sexual outlet. For John to’re-take’ the leadership position (which has always actually been aco-leadership, of course, since the moment John and Paul were theones wearing matching blazers while everyone else had plain shirts)would require that he start writing better songs than Paul – onlynow he’s too heroin-addled to effectively do so and he’s got writer’sblock something major, so instead he withdraws further into Yoko andheroin and non-communication. At the point where Paul is begging himon bended knee – writing Oh Darling for him and then repeatedlyTELLING him it’s for him – Paul is at his lowest point yet and he is STILL writing more songs than John andpretty soon he’s refusing to go along with Klein, too, which onlyfurthers the resentment. And especially if Paul’s love andprotectiveness towards the band partially caused him to put thebrakes on the relationship with John, what better way for John toessentially fuck with Paul and get all his latent heartbreak anddisappointment out than to leave Paul with nothing by destroying theband, too?

(*) John really seems to have experienced a BREAK with reality at this point, and it’s bizarre how rarely this is explicated in discussions of him finally getting together with Yoko. After years of compulsively drinking/drugging they go to India where, at least at the start of things, John is STONE COLD SOBER and meditating for hours on end – anyone’s psyche would be shaken up by this! And then Paul LEAVES – which, even if it wasn’t precipitated by any argument or whatever (I’m agnostic on this), had to be massively destabilizing for John because suddenly he has HOURS to ruminate on Paul and their relationship and what he is and isn’t getting from it, and he no longer has Paul actually physically there to ground him, both in reality generally and in his Paul-ness and how essentially lovable and fascinating and alluring John finds him and will always find him. 

(**)Paul may well have been the first guy that John was physically turnedon by – bisexuals supposedly realize their same-sex attractionslater than their opposite-sex ones and comparatively later than gaypeople do – but moreover Paul seems to have SET and embodied thepattern of John’s male attractions for the rest of his life. Not fornothing was John’s intended panty-dropper line to Tony Manarosupposedly 'you’re prettier than Paul’. Practically every rumor I’veever seen of John’s sexual encounters with males in his later yearsemphasizes that he liked PRETTY BOYS (and who’s the toppermost of thepretty boy heap?). So if John was conflicted about his attraction tomen, it makes sense that he might manage to blame that on Paul, too.

Hopefully this makes a slight bit of sense…at any point in there at all, lol. Feel free to ask me again if I didn’t quite hit the mark or if you want clarification. :)

[kazlifeadventures]

Rockin it in Memphis..

I decided it would be fun to take the amtrak train from New Orleans to Memphis....and it was fun! A long trip (about 8.5 hrs or so) but great to see alot of the farming and countryside. I also got to meet some more cool people on the train. Two ladies in the cafe car and i spent a few hours chatting and having a few wines to celebrate their respective birthdays. Our conductor regaled us all with stories about some of the towns we stopped in, and I learned a whole lot more about the Mississippi area.

When I finally arrived after 10pm I settled in for a sleep ready for an early start to see as much as I could in Memphis.

Sun studio has the reputation as the birthplace of rock and roll. With an amazing musical history along with it. It still operates as a studio in the evenings and apparently has a sound that is truly only it's own. The tour was great. I still struggle with people who are oblivious to their surroundings and don't or won't move along to let others see something. But I guess that's something that'll never change! It's an incredible feeling to know you are standing in a place where so many talented people have created so much amazing music. It's where a very young Elvis recorded on July 5th 1954, 'that's all right' an iconic song mixing country and blues... plus there's that photo of some of the greatest musicians in time hanging out in the studio..

After the tour they have a free shuttle that according to their website took you out to Graceland as well as the rock and roll hall of fame. Apparently they don't go out to Graceland anymore.. 😪. As luck would have it, a guy on the same shuttle was heading the same way so we shared an uber out there, and both had someone to hang out with for the day.

I pretty much only had a few things on my must do list, whereas he had researched his trip more, and had a list. My top 3 were Sun studio, Graceland, and the Peobody hotel and it's ducks. So it turns out I introduced my new friend to one thing he didn't know of - the ducks!😀

I had a very busy but great day. Graceland was amazing and operates like a well oiled machine, cranking those millions of visitors through. I really enjoyed the audio commentary and was helped alot by Matt with his knowledge of all things Elvis and Graceland. To go through all the exhibits (except the planes) took about 3 hrs... It was Memphis heat wave hot too, so a very large icecream was very welcome! One big thing I never really knew about Elvis was how much he had done for charities and people in need. He regularly donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to either individuals in need or charities. One of the stories I saw involved him buying an old lady a new wheelchair as he had found out her family couldn't afford it, he then delivered it and lifted her into the chair himself. Btw the huge photos of him everywhere are awesome, his eyes are even more amazing...

We headed back to the new civil rights museum, located at the old Lorraine hotel, the site of the assassination of Martin Luther King. It was strange as I saw the motel sign i couldn't place why I knew the name of the hotel. Then it clicked. Apparently the assassination is taught in school here, as Matt knew all the details. Apparently it takes 1 -3 hrs to get through all sections, so it's on my list to come back to one day as it was too late in the day to get through it and still get to the ducks.

We then jumped on a trolley (yep they're trolleys here) and headed to the Peabody hotel to see the ducks in the fountain and their march to their duck palace on the roof. Loved it! They put on a huge show with the history of the hotel and the ducks all presented by the 'duck master', before they go on their little journey. The views from the roof are fantastic. Sneaking into the function room on the rooftop that had recently held a wedding and walking away with a pretty rose - worth it😂😂. The hotel also has a memorabilia room with some amazing artifacts. Having first opened in 1925, the story of how one drunken night was the start of the duck tradition is well worth looking up.

Then it was off to the 'Bass Pro' pyramid and my first experience with this shopping concept. There was a lift (with a charge), to the top of the pyramid, but we decided that we'd had a better view from the Peobody. An outdoors shopping concept with live alligators in a tank, and huge fish in giant ponds...its own restaurant and bowling alley what's not to love?😀

The famous Beale st was next, we were on a mission to find some awesome bbq with music to match. Played some pool, had some fall off the bone ribs, heard some great music, and ended the night in a bar with the "dueling pianos ". My one full day in Memphis was fabulous and it made a difference to have had some company. There's definitely more I could see and do, but Nashville is calling....(and sadly I've already booked everything for the next week, so can't change it...)

Oh... tiny tiny plane flight story to come!! (So many adventures!)

[musicoccurred]

The Music Occurred Interview: Jason Mingledorff

Who: Jason Mingledorff Band: St. Paul & the Broken Bones Instrument: Saxophone

Jason is the badass sax player you see honking on the right side of the equally badass SPBB horn section. He has quite the musical pedigree and we're thankful for the opportunity to chat. Thanks Jason, let's do this.

MO: I see you're in New Orleans now, but from Montgomery originally, is that correct? JM: Yes, I grew up in Montgomery and went to the University of Alabama before moving to New Orleans.

MO: How did you end up in New Orleans? JM: I moved there to go to graduate school at the University of New Orleans, where I got a Master’s Degree in Jazz Studies and studied under Ellis Marsalis. I actually didn't get accepted to the program at first, but I fell in love with the city and moved there anyway. After a semester of taking some undergrad classes, I was able to re-audition for the grad program and luckily got in. MO: Ellis Marsalis is the patriarch of a legendary jazz family, what was it like studying under him? JM: Studying under Ellis Marsalis's jazz program was fun and challenging. He had a definite philosophy of how he wanted the program run, and although I didn't take personal lessons with him, his influence permeated the program. However, I must say that my undergraduate experience at Alabama was even more impactful on me. The wind ensemble conductor, Gerald Welker, and the Jazz Band director, Steve Sample, both demanded excellence and still have a lasting influence on me. I feel really fortunate that Loyola University, where I've been teaching for 10 years, offers the best of what I remember getting at both UA and UNO.

MO: Is the Sax the first instrument you learned to play? JM: Like many kids, I studied piano when I was young, but in 7th grade, when it came time to choose an instrument to play for band, I picked the tenor sax (mainly because it looked cool and shiny with all those buttons). I still think it looks cool, I guess.

MO: Do you come from a musical family? JM: My dad's parents were quite musical. They had a gospel quartet way back when, and once they even backed up Elvis Presley at the Ryman Auditorium. When I was a kid, they owned a piano shop, and my grandmother used to play in the window of their store. They were big fans of Hank Williams, partly because my grandfather grew up in a double next to Hank in Montgomery. He used to say that Hank would hang out drinking on the porch all the time and taught him his first chords on the guitar. So, family get-togethers usually involved playing and singing music, and always included a few Hank Williams songs.

MO: What music was playing around the house growing up? JM: We usually had pop radio on. I still remember the station, WHHY-Y102, because I listened to the radio ALL the time. I have great memories of listening to soul music as a kid every day at lunchtime during preschool. I would only eat PBJs for lunch (still love them) and they "punished" me by making me eat lunch in the kitchen with the cooks and janitor. I felt like Brer Rabbit because I loved eating my PBJs and listening to the radio with them every day. I also used to be a huge KISS fan as a kid, then became obsessed with Michael Jackson and Prince, then went a few years listening to nothing but gospel music. MO: Can't go wrong with any of that. I love Prince and old gospel music.

MO: Do you remember your first paid gig? JM: I was in high school (Jeff Davis HS) and my band director put together a little group for some type of pageant. I remember thinking that since I got paid, I was now technically a professional musician.

MO: First band? JM: My first year of college, I joined The Grounders, which was a popular cover band in the early 90s. I'll never forget my first gig with them - it was at The Nick, in Birmingham. MO: Long live the Nick, every city has to have a grimy rock club.

MO: One of my favorite things about following you on social media is your love of art. Every tour stop you hit the museums, tell us a little about your passion for it. JM: Yes, I got the art bug a while back. I remember seeing a special on PBS in college about art by this nun named Sister Wendy. Her love of art was kind of infectious and pretty much got me hooked. The guys kind of tease me by asking me during soundcheck, "So, what museum did you go to today?" I definitely feel the need to go out and see what each city I'm in has to offer. Otherwise, it's just another gig in just another bar or theater. Sometimes I'll run into Paul at a museum, which is kind of funny. We're like, "Look who it is! Long time, no see!" I have absolutely no visual artistic talent, btw. Browan is actually a fine artist and I'm quite jealous that he can paint and draw such beautiful stuff. MO: Browan is a pretty incredible artist, I love his work, and especially his Jason Isbell album covers.

MO: Being in an international touring band must seriously get you into the best museums around, what's the best bucket-list piece you've been able to see on tour? JM: Oh, there's a room of JMW Turners in the Tate Museum in London that I got to see this past year that I've been wanting to see for many years. I've toured with different bands throughout Europe for 20 years, so fortunately I've been to most of the museums I've wanted to see. The Uffizi Gallery in Florence (with Botticelli's Birth of Venus) was probably the one I was most excited about. Nowadays, I just get deep pleasure out of unexpected surprises, not knowing what I'm going to find.

MO: I'm getting pretty deep into jazz after years of flirting with it, I know you got to play the same festival or two as Kamasi Washington, what are your thoughts on that guy? JM: I had never heard of him before, and one day Paul was playing his new record backstage. I was listening closely and was impressed with how this sax player was developing a musical idea and how ambitious everything sounded. I asked who it was, and that's the first time I ever heard his name. I love how Kamasi is bringing the energy of late 60's post-bop and avant-garde jazz to modern day ears. He has a great band that knows how to groove as well as stretch out and hold its listeners' attention.

MO: Who are your jazz guys? JM: I definitely gravitate towards tenor sax players. Sonny Rollins and Stan Getz are probably my favorites. I know they are quite different, but they both have had long, fruitful careers filled with experimentation, growth, and lovely melodies. I love that they each weren't afraid to take chances and constantly evolved as improvisers. John Coltrane, Dexter Gordon, Michael Brecker are other faves. As far as current players go, Donnie McCaslin (who was on David Bowie's last album), and Joshua Redman are always inspiring. I also have a great love for rhythm and blues saxophonists like Lee Allen, King Curtis, and Plas Johnson.

MO: I've seen you play a couple different instruments, for the gear heads out there can you do a quick rundown of your touring and studio setup? JM: I don't usually obsess over gear, and usually stick with what I have for a long time, but here you go: My tenor sax is a 65 year old Buescher 400 "Top Hat and Cane", although I'm getting my Conn 10M "Naked Lady" overhauled and will likely start bringing it out. It was made in the early 40s (Dexter Gordon played one!) and I look forward to playing it again. I love the sound of those old American made saxs. I've been playing a Peter Ponzol mouthpiece on tenor for quite a while. My baritone sax is a Yamaha, which makes the best horns currently being produced, in my opinion. My baritone mouthpiece is a Lawton, which is made in London. My flute is the same flute that I bought at Arts Music Shop 25 years ago when I was in college - a silver-plated Emerson. I also have a Yamaha clarinet that I played on "Sea of Noise" (on "Crumbling Lightposts" I layered 5-6 tracks each of flute, clarinet, and bass clarinet), a Selmer Mark VI alto sax, and a Yanagisawa soprano. For reeds, I've been loyal to D'Addario on all my horns for as long as I can remember.

MO: Were you in the original SPBB lineup? JM: Nope. Since I've been living in New Orleans, I've been playing in bands from there. I've been lucky enough to play with some great bands from there, including Galactic, Dr. John, Harry Connick, Jr., Mem Shannon, Better Than Ezra, the New Orleans Nightcrawlers Brass Band, and Papa Grows Funk. MO: Can you elaborate on some of your previous bands?  JM: I played with Galactic the first two years they began touring. Ben Ellman, their current sax player, and I used to work together in a sax repair shop and he would do the west coast tours with Galactic and I would do the east coast tours. We'd alternate Colorado tours and play together in New Orleans. After we recorded Crazyhorse Mongoose, the band realized that it sounded totally different with me than with Ben, and had to make a decision on what sound they wanted. At the time, I was disappointed that they didn't decide to just keep both of us, but everything works out for a reason. My style ended up being a perfect fit for Papa Grows Funk, some of whose members were a big influence on Galactic (Stanton Moore used to set up Russell Batiste's drums for him and come to our gigs to listen to Russell). Papa Grows Funk was a five piece "all-star" band that recorded 5 albums and stayed together for 13 years. When we broke up in 2013 (around the same time the Broken Bones formed), some Tulane guys decided to make a full length documentary on the band and are almost finished with it. It's called "Do U Want It" and will be coming out later this year.

JM: Playing with Dr. John (known in New Orleans as Mac Rebennack) was always a memorable experience. He is the REAL DEAL. He has his own language and has this attitude that makes you just wanna be around him. He usually just used horns when he was home, although he would sometimes tour with one of the greatest bari sax players in the world - Ronnie Cuber. Those were big shoes to fill.  I'll always remember playing on Mac's Grammy winning The City That Care Forgot record and premiering the Locked Down album with him at SXSW, which featured bari sax as the only horn. After his musical director, drummer Herman Earnest, passed away around 5 years ago, he changed up his whole band. I hear he's using New Orleans musicians again and hope to play with him again soon.

MO: How did you join the Broken Bones? JM: Two years ago, when SPBB played at Tipitinas in New Orleans, one of the bands I play in, King James and the Special Men, opened up for them. Al Gamble used to have a trio that my old band, Papa Grows Funk, used to do shows with when we would come through Memphis. He remembered me from then and asked if I played baritone sax. I spent a few years playing bari with Dr. John, so I told him, "Most definitely!" He said they were thinking of adding a sax, so I stuck around to hear the band. Not only did they blow me away, I had an overwhelming feeling that the type of soul music they were playing was something I grew up with, it was home for me, and I immediately felt that I should be in this band. Coincidentally, we realized that night that Al and I went to Alabama at the same time. I would say that getting the gig was definitely helped by me having grown up in Alabama. That shared experience of our home state is an important part of who we are as a band. So I have Al to thank for getting me in the band, or on those rare tough days, I joke that I have Al to blame. MO: On that note, Al Gamble, Memphis and Alabama legend plays keys for you guys, I'm a huge fan of his other work, what's it like playing with him? JM: It's great having an elder like Al teach us kids how they used to play back in the day. Haha, I kid, of course, because Al is kind of my kindred spirit in the band. We are about the same age and both have 3 kids and have both been in this business a while longer than everyone else. He gets such amazing sounds out of the organ and is so tasteful. It's a real treat sharing the stage with him every night.

MO: How are the horn arrangements created in the studio, is it all written/charted out? JM: We usually write the parts together in the studio or in rehearsal. Even if someone jots something down, we usually end up changing things around. Both Allen and Chad have great taste and are very musical, so it makes things easy. We all have a similar philosophy about horns and aren't really moved by horn parts that are too complicated and complex. It's nice playing parts that we all have a hand in creating, it makes them feel like ours. On some songs the horn part is written along with the song and is an integral part of it. On other songs, we came up with the horn part after everything else was recorded.

MO: What about live? There's more jams than on the records (by the way that new horn feature in your show is spectacular). JM: Yes, and thanks. Chad and I both love to improvise and the whole band felt that the show could use some more of that to change things up. Me and Chad's "duel" is one of my favorite parts of the night because I never know what's going to happen.

MO: I've interviewed some of your bandmates, Browan and Chad previously, when did you feel the explosion happen with SPBB? You guys went from small bars/clubs to theaters pretty damn fast. JM: Well, the first weekend I played with the band ended with a stadium show opening for The Rolling Stones, so I didn't really experience those small shows with the band in those early days. However, my previous band was together for 13 years, and we spent a lot of time touring the country in a van playing small clubs, so I can certainly appreciate how we've been touring now.

MO: What's the best moment of being in the band so far? Stones? International traveling? JM: For me, the best moments are individual moments during shows when I get goosebumps and the crowd is going crazy and feeling it also. Recording "Burning Rome" all together live to tape was pretty special. That first Birmingham show I did with them at Sloss Fest was also pretty memorable.

Thanks Jason that was awesome.

You can catch Jason spreading the Sax love with St. Paul & the Broken Bones in a town near you. Tour Schedule

-JS