#but i also feel like it has an eerie vibe that fits the party

[unfortunate-eggs]

what nature sceneary do u think matches the party's vibe the most? (ex. the beach, forests, rocky mountains, ect)

Oooo, that's a good question

I think I just really associate the party with Hawkins in general, so when I think of them related to nature scenery I kinda think of, like, an early autumn trip to a local river. There's still reminents of summer but its a bit chilly, it's the type of place where friends can have picnics and hangout but its not very out in the open so you can act as weird as you want. I feel like its the type of place the party might hang out in after its all over, you get what I mean?

[kimium]

I'm bored (and mentally need a break from fic writing) so I'm just going to ramble about the top three things per dorm in Twisted Wonderland that I enjoy. Because why not?

Top Three Things I Enjoy about each dorm

Note: This is just me having fun. You don't have to agree with anything I'm saying.

Heartslaybul

-Their entire aesthetic. I'm a Huge Alice in Wonderland fan. The book is one of my favourites and its imagery is top tier. From Twisted Wonderland I love the silly, borderline too busy clothing design of the dorm uniform. I love the card suit make up on their faces. I especially love the red eye makeup on Riddle.

-They seem like the nicest dorm? I mean, apart from Ace and Deuce bullying our player character in the prologue, in the end they're Yuu/MC's loyal friends. Trey is overall pleasant (and he can bake). Cater, while coming off as too much, is overall a fun, pleasant character. Even Riddle, who was a tyrant in his chapter, is a soft, kind-hearted person who is a little too rigid sometimes. He's learning and that's what counts!

-They are the dorm to have Tea Parties consistently. I love tea. I love desserts, but especially tarts. I'm sold on this dorm.

Savanaclaw

-I love the way they present the desert: harsh and dry, but also a paradise with luxury within. It's that juxtaposition that really sells me. Plus, it's different from Scarabia, which I appreciate.

-Jack. His entire personality as honest, straightforward, hardworking, and compassionate has sold me. I love him so much! He's such a great character, plus he's yet another character foil to Leona.

-Their dorm has a lot of accessories. From beaded necklaces and bracelets to leather bands and belts. I love it all. I also love how subtly colourful their accessories are (thinking of Leona) which adds a fun pop of colour to their mostly neutral colour palette.

Octavinelle

-Their lights. They have soft, gentle lighting in their dorm that look dimmable. I couldn't be more in love with it. I absolutely LOVE low/soft lighting. Plus, the clear fish tanks around their dorm give a soft blue light and that's so calming yet eerie at the same time. Which fits the dorm perfectly in my opinion.

-The music. Octavinelle has my favourite Twistunes hands down. I love the jazz theme and their Twistunes are the ones I've replayed the most.

-The fact that Azul, Jade, and Floyd give off mafia vibes to the point they're lovingly nicknamed the Fish Mafia in fandom. That's hilarious and I think it adds so much to their dynamic.

Scarabia

-They seem like the nicest dorm x2? I mean besides everyone basically holding Yuu/MC and Grim hostage for the entire first half of Book 4, everyone seems very pleasant. They feel like people who welcome others and are very generous. Definitely helps that Kalim is very giving and loves throwing parties. The tone has been set.

-Their aesthetic. I love their colour palette. I love their clothing designs with all the scarves and sashes and golden bits. I love the contrast in the dorm's night look with the cool blues against the reds, oranges, and yellows.

-The way they present the desert. In contrast to Savanaclaw, Scarabia's desert aesthetic is completely different. I love how they frame it as working with the land to find a way to live of it. I especially loved learning more about Kalim and Jamil's hometown in the A Firelit Sky event. It's probably my favourite event so far. (Second is the Fairy Tale Gala in case anyone is curious.)

Pomefiore

-The BALLROOM! It's so clean and I love how it hints there is a lot of natural light pooling into the room! I also love the crystal chandeliers, especially due to the "Hidden Mickey" in it. Yes, I say this even after I've been traumatized by KH3 "LOOK, A LUCKY EMBLEM" hunt.

-The dorm members. I've said this in prior posts but Vil and Rook are easily two of my favourite characters in the entire game. I am especially in love with their dynamic. My favourite ship in the game.

-Their entire story centered around a music/dance competition. I think it was a fun breath of fresh air to have a lack of battles in the story. (On the flip side, the amount of Twistunes nearly took me out ahaha.)

Ignihyde

-Blue flames. I love blue flames and think it's a fantastic design choice for any character. It also makes Idia's instantly recognizable to who he was "twisted" from.

-Technology is the base of the dorm. I'm always a big fan of taking magic and applying it to modern scenarios. I love the idea that magic can co-exist with technology as so often media likes to separate them and have them on opposite spectrums. It doesn't have to be like that!

-Ortho! Who is a bean and very precious. I really like his character and design. Super cute! Sorry I don't have too much else to say. Maybe once I fully play their Chapter I'll have more to say.

Diasomnia

-Malleus. Maleficent is my favourite Disney villain of all time, especially thanks to Kingdom Hearts so it makes sense I like Malleus so much. Beyond the superficial, however, Malleus is also a character trope I love: super strong (dragon!) to the point of being Over Powered but is actually a little socially awkward. I think the combination of those two character traits is very funny and cute. He's also So Excited to make friends. He's also not as scary as people think he is which is why his Lab Coat vignette with Deuce is so endearing to me.

-Lilia. Once again it's down to character trope. I am in love with characters who are older, wiser, and stronger than they act/appear. Lilia also has the top tier character design of "colourful hair underneath". That pink is so striking and makes for some great art.

-The main core characters of Diasomnia are basically a family. This provides a unique dynamic between them because the only other dorm to feature family is Ignihyde. Both dorms present the idea differently and distinctly. For Diasomnia I love that it's downplayed in public but privately us the player know it's present. Adds a fun perspective on their interactions with one another.

[ramp-it-up]

Damage, Pt. 2

Pairing: Rafael Casal x OFC Holly Woods

Word Count: 3.8 K

Warnings: 18+ Only, Minors DNI. RPF  Read at your own risk. Pining, angst, FWB, graphic sex, protected sex, talk of getting tested for STD’s, Krispy Kreme, and all the feels.

A/N: It’s my birthday and I missed Rafa and Holly, so I wrote my own deliverance. At this point, these two are so oblivious, it isn’t funny. This happens just after Last Christmas.

This December adventure began early that morning, as Daveed and Rafa taught your writing classes and then hosted a Holiday showcase for your kids. 

They donated their time and talents as a favor for you. It was so damn cute and thoughtful that you’d thanked Rafael and then kissed him under the mistletoe. Almost as if you were in a relationship.

Almost.

You weren’t in a relationship, however. You’d only shared two nights together, as friends who fucked, and you had an understanding that it wouldn’t be any more than that. Rafael and you had an agreement to service each other for the time being, no commitment, no feels. 

And who were you to him? He was a creative, a star who could jet off around the world in a moment’s notice for a glamorous affair.  You were just a school teacher who worked every day in LA. Rafael would never want you for his girl. So this situationship served a utilitarian purpose, not a romantic one. 

After the kiss, Rafael’s mind was whirring. He slowly backed away and checked the time, noticing that it was just after 9 pm. The night was young. He didn’t want the night with you to end. 

Rafael felt the urge to be with you again, but he didn’t want to push his luck. You were so dope and the fact that you didn’t know it made you even more so.  You were refreshing with your intelligence, adding to the facts that you did not give a fuck who he was, did not play to his ego, and did not want him to wife you.  

That last part was refreshing, but also troubling as he evaluated his feelings for you. But there were no feelings to be involved; you’d made that clear.  If he fell for you, you’d probably end it. You clearly didn’t want to be bothered with his lifestyle, and frankly, he didn’t deserve you. 

But he could possibly have tonight. It would be the last chance to be with you before you went to Houston to visit your family for Christmas, and the thoughts of you he’d had since Tuesday couldn’t wait another week.

You gathered yourself together and got your emotions in check.  You told yourself that you were just fond of him as a friend, but that’s where the sentiment ended.  You only had to repeat that to yourself about three times before your heart started to slow down.

Rafael smiled at you, crossing his legs and leaning on your desk while watching you work, finally getting your things together so that you could leave.  It had been a long day.

You were wearing your work clothes, white button down shirt, black pencil skirt and heels. Your Christmas cardigan had been discarded when you started cleaning up. That skirt was fit. ting.  Damn, that ass.  You were all covered up, but the clothes got him a little hard. 

You watched him watching you and gave him a smile that made his blue-greens light up.

“Did you have fun with my badass kids today?” 

Rafa laughed at your joke. He saw how much you loved your students. 

“They’re not bad. Some kids just need different ways to learn and show that they’ve learned. But you know that already.”

He shook his head at you. He could read you like a book.

“You try to pretend that you’re mean Ms. Woods but I know better. They wouldn’t love you so much if you were mean to them. Like young Timothy. He sure does love you a lot. You’re… what is it he called you?  His Cutie Pie?” Rafa looked at you with a cocked eyebrow. Timmy was his nemesis.

There was something in his voice that made you stop and look.  Could Rafa be jealous of a kindergartner?  Nah. But he was certainly worked up.

You smiled mischievously, walking towards him with some workbooks in your hand.

“I am ‘Mean Ms. Woods.’” 

You came close to him and leaned beside him to put the workbooks on your desk. Standing in front of him, your legs on either side of his, Rafael got caught up. He kept his hands clasped in front of him and eyes on you as you got close. But he couldn’t help but lean in, try to look down your shirt and kiss you on your neck.  

You stepped back before his lips made contact, teasing him.  The way he huffed and clenched his jaw got you going. That smoldering look and flashing green eyes always did.

You  definitely wanted to give him some, if he wanted, after what he had pulled off today for your kids.  You were happy that he seemed to want you too. But you were chilling. You wondered about other women in his rotation. 

You laughed a little and smiled, shaking your head at yourself.

“What?” 

Rafa smiled, seeing that you were flustered about something and hoping that something was him. He knew the cat and mouse game was just beginning.

It had been just three days but he was feening for you. Especially after seeing you with your kids this morning. You were something special. Someone he couldn’t let… He stopped his train of thought as you started talking.

“Timothy is a handful.  Mischievous, hella smart, quick witted. And a little charmer. He’s always trying to get a kiss. He has a ton of potential. Reminds me of someone else…” 

Rafael’s quick wit turned you the fuck on. Not to mention his face. And... Whew. Your thoughts were getting out of control. 

The way you were smiling at him made Rafa‘s heart leap. He tried to push the emotions down and just feel the physical.  But he did care about you. A lot. 

“Ok, enough about Timenstien.  Let’s talk about adult things…”  He just wanted to pick you up and carry you outta here the way you cocked your head at him.

“...Like the arrangement for benefits without borders. The tests, the shot… “ You just continued to stare at him.  When you licked your lips, Rafa put his hands in front of him to cover up his hard on.

You laughed again. “‘Benefits Without Borders,’ you should copyright that.”  

“Yeah, or call it, ‘FWB Raw’” Rafael had jokes.

You cracked up.  “I can’t with you, Rafa.”

Rafael’s face fell. “I mean your jokes, I can’t with your jokes. Sheesh.” 

You turned around to gather more books. Rafa fixed his face, but his eyes couldn’t leave your ass.

“Anyway, I already started the process. I went and was able to get an appointment Wednesday after school, so the shot should take effect next week.”

After the night you’d had Tuesday, you definitely wanted to experience that again. It was fortunate that your doctor had an opening on such short notice.

Rafa’s heart leapt when he heard that, but his face showed no emotion, just a cocked eyebrow when you turned back around.

“Word?”

“Word. Yeah, I’m actually leaving Sunday morning, Christmas Eve, and won’t be back until the 30th...So.”

“So…” Rafa’s eyes, they were changing colors on you. It put you off balance.

“So, if we go get the tests tonight, next week might be available for no barrier method benefits between friends  That is if you still want to….” You bit your lip. Rafa cleared his throat and you saw a smile playing around his mouth.

“Let’s think about the last time when that almost happened.” And he paused so you could go there. You had to lean on one of the children’s tables to think of the shower. You were most definitely wet right now.  

Rafa watched you as you had to open your mouth to breathe.Yes, he was definitely about to get some tonight. He wanted more than just sex, but right now he would take what he could get. Then your face changed to uncertainty.

“By the time I get back, you’ll probably have other plans for New Year’s weekend…”

Rafa was confused. “Nah, I’m going next door for Utkarsh and Naomi’s party… aren’t you?”

“Yeah, but you-- we-- might have dates or something.”

Ohhhhh. That’s what was up. Rafa nodded.  Shit.  You might have someone else in the rotation.

“Yeah, yeah, yeah. True that.  There’s a couple of people, I mean. A few.”

Rafa was lying through his teeth, no one in his phone could hold a candle to you. Sure, they were ready, willing and able. But they were not you. And you didn’t have to know that.

“See, so…”

Rafa mourned the lost vibe.  He sighed and ran his fingers through his hair, not caring how it looked anymore. You watched him and longed to have your fingers in his mane, but you were chilling.

“Look. The other night we said that this was a special deal between us. I don’t wanna tie you down.  We’ll just see how things go, I mean, you might hook up in Houston…” He watched you, waiting for you to deny it.

You didn’t deny it simply because you did not know how to say that the only one you wanted to take advantage of the situation was him. You just stared at him. When you didn’t say anything, he went on.

“...old flames, new boos, whatever.  The tests will be good information to have in any circumstance.  I say we go for it.”

"Let's get it!"

An hour later you were at the Krispy Kreme donuts on Crenshaw on the way to your place. You had already dropped your car off and were now chilling with the homie after getting tested for STDs. 

You were staring in the window of the bakery, watching the donuts getting that hot glaze now and licking your lips.  They were so tempting. You were thinking donuts and Rafa was thinking the same about your lips.

"I don't think these will help with my anemia."  Your little laugh was so cute to Rafa.

The only bad news you’d got from the blood tests was that you needed more iron. You were both clean and ready to go.

"Let's get some. That glaze does something to me. I just want to lick some of that creamy stuff from around that hole..." Rafa was staring at you while he spoke, the “Hot Donuts Now” sign casting an eerie red light on half of his face.

"You’re so nasty...." you giggled.

Rafael screwed up his face. 

"What? I'm talking ‘bout some donuts.  I don't know what you're talking about." Rafa felt irrationally happy being here with you. Because you were a great friend. Yeah, that was it.

You got a dozen and left on the way to your house.  You stole a donut while riding. You looked at him while licking your fingers.

You’d decided that you wanted to have him before you left, even if you had to use protection. After you ate the donut, you put your thumb in your mouth, sucked for a second, and removed it with a loud pop, still staring at Rafa.

He almost pulled over to the side of the road.  But he was determined. "Hmmmm." Was all he replied as he tightened his grip on the steering wheel.

You put your hand on Rafael’s knee and moved it up a few inches to his dick. It was appropriately swollen. You smiled and started stroking it through his pants.  You felt it get harder. 

"I’ve been thinking about you a lot tonight. What you did for the kids was so… It was nice. On the other hand, I can’t wait for you to fuck my throat."

Rafa almost choked on nothing. You always surprised him and made him feel like an insecure, horny teenage boy.  But he wasn't going out like that. You were just a few minutes from your place.

"You know what. I'd love to see those tits right now."

“Right now? While you are driving?”

“I’m grown. Been driving since I was 15. I got this.”

You giggled, but reached up and unbuttoned your shirt. Your breasts were bathed in the moonlight, sitting perky and upright in your sheer black bra. Holy fuck. Your nipples were calling to him.

He'd distracted you from his dick, but his mouth was watering.  All he wanted was to fulfill your dirty fantasies. He reached your apartment and turned off the car.  You leaned back against the window. Rafael turned towards you, appraising you impassively. He had to use his acting skills to seem calm. Damn, you had him twisted.

"Touch them for me."

You licked your lips at his command.

"But I think I still have some glaze on my..."

Rafa just stared at you.

You did as you were told and pulled your bra cups down, freeing your breasts.  You started feeling and pulling on your nipples.  Your eyes were half closed in ecstasy as you started moaning and fogging the windows of Rafa’s car. He was right there with you as he palmed himself through his pants and feasted his eyes on you for a few minutes.

He leaned over and took over your breasts with his mouth. He licked and sucked each of them, making you wet all over again.

“Mmmmm. So sweet.” He looked up at you, his breath fanning your face from below.

You giggled. “It’s the icing from the donut.”

“Nah girl, it’s just how you taste. Like the sweetest ambrosia.”

Damn, his words. Rafael Casal and his damn words. You just stared at him, speechless.

Rafael drew in a ragged breath and reached over to pull your bra up and button your shirt just enough to be decent going into your apartment. It was so tender. But in a no feels kind of way.

“Let’s go on up.”

Rafa peered into your soul. Sure, you wanted him. But was it really just for friendship and occasional dick?

“Eager, are we?”

His voice did something to you. The soft tenor and the earnestness of his requests of you made you melt. How did he do things to you without touching you? You didn’t want to analyze it too much, so you threw the question back on him.

“You’e not?”  Your challenge threw him off. He chuckled to hide his nerves.

“Yes, I’m eager Holly.  I’ve been thinking about the last time since the last time. I want you.”

You closed your eyes and licked your lips, trying to center yourself. “That’s cool.”

You reached for your bag and moved to get out of the car.

“Hold on,” Rafa moved quickly to get out and go around to open the door for you, his chivalry not unnoticed by you. Again, the little things made you want him even more.  This was not going to be good for your heart when he decided to move on.

You led the way to your place and started up the stairs to your apartment before him.

It seemed as if that ass was going left to right in slow motion as Rafael watched it intently. He shook his head to see if he was bugging. When you glanced at him over her shoulder, he knew.

He grinned at you and looked back at it when you turned back around, catching a glimpse of a garter belt on your thighs through the slit in your skirt as you climbed the stairs.

Holy fuck! He had to have you. He rubbed his fingers right before reaching out to verify, then drew them back, because it wouldn’t do to fuck you outside on the stairs of your apartment building.

Rafa gave you some space as you opened the door, but as soon as you were inside, he pushed you up against the wall, hands everywhere.  It seemed as if he’d waited forever and not just three days. You had him addicted. 

You moaned as Rafael started kissing down your neck to your cleavage, dropping your bags on the floor by your feet. He saw a peek of your black bra through your shirt. He remembered the garter set and had to see the entire affect. He backed up, taking you in from head to toe.

"You wanna take those clothes off, or do you want me to rip them off?"

You smiled. "I guess I'll choose the first option."

You slowly unbuttoned your blouse, and peeled the skirt from your hips. It was so seductive that by the time you were done, Rafa had undressed as well, his thick dick in his hands, getting it ready for you.

You stood before him, in a sheer black lace bra and garter set, with no panties. The fact that you had been like that all day under your clothes made him get even harder. And you were looking at what he was holding and licking your lips.

"You hungry?"

"Yes. Please."

"C'mere."

Rafael laid you down on the couch. He turned your head and filled your mouth as he stood at one end of the sofa. He used his free hand to twist and flick your rock hard nipples through your bra. Damn, he loved it when you moaned with his dick in your mouth.

“You like that Holly? This what you wanted?”

You were ravenous, stroking off what you couldn’t fit in your mouth naturally. And you were busy, so you just nodded. Rafa continued to torture your nipples with one hand, but moved his other hand down to your clit, swirling insistent and concentrated circles around it.

You were so worked up that it did not take too long for him to manipulate an orgasm from you. “Damn, girl.” 

He was in heaven as you came with your mouth around his dick. Good thing, it muffled the sound. He was concentrating on not shooting off down your throat as he watched you, writhing in your garter set and licking his fingers, and then moving down to eat some of your delicious cream. 

Rafa held your hips down mercilessly as you fought your next orgasm.  He tongued you through it, taking all that you had to give him and successfully keeping you from running from it.

When he rose from between your legs, and wiped his face with the back of his hand, you looked as if you were going to sleep, your eyes vacant and rolling back in your head.  You were in shock from all the pleasure.

"Get that ass up."

You languidly obeyed and stood before him, eyes glowing and sexy ass lips smiling. Something in Rafael’s heart lurched and he couldn’t explain to anyone why. He was mad for some reason. 

Conflicted with different emotions, he just grabbed your waist and roughly turned you around, grabbing your arm and twisting it behind your back as he bent you over the arm of the couch.

You looked amazing in what you were wearing. He rubbed your ass before he smacked it, hard. Rafa was rewarded with a moan and an arched back. 

“Are you ready for this dick?” He smiled as he put the tip alllllmost in.

“Wait…”

Then he remembered.  “Shit.” 

He went into your bedroom, seeing your suitcase set up and mostly packed for the trip.  He brushed away the feeling that he had at what that meant and quickly went to your bedside table for a condom. He didn’t want to lose the vibe.

He came back into the living room to the sight of you still bent over, head resting on the couch cushion.  He stroked himself to full staff again, put the condom on, and lined up with your cunt.

“Still ready?” 

He didn’t have to ask as he heard your moan and felt you try to push back to take him.  He stilled your movement with this hand on your hip, wanting to prolong the anticipation.  His heart skipped a beat as you asked him for it.

“Please, Rafa, please give it to me…”

“Damn.”

He sank into you, none too easily. 

“Fuck, you’re so tight. And so wet. I love to see you cream for me, Holly. Can’t wait to feel it again.” He couldn’t wait until you returned, so that he wouldn’t have to worry about condoms. That is if you hadn’t…

He brushed the thought of you with another man out of his mind and slapped your ass, angry again.  You whimpering beneath him had him almost out of control.  You, it seemed, were on the same page.

“Oh, Rafa.  I’m so close already. I’m going to….” Rafa just kept hitting that spot, making your knees buckle. You were grateful for the support of the couch arm.

“Fuck, Rafa… I’m gonna c-c-cummmmmm.” You started pounding around him, and he grabbed the back of your neck.

“Fuck, fuck, FUCK, fuck, fuck.” Rafa had no other words at the moment.

You were screaming into the couch cushion as he emptied his cum into the condom, his hips stuttering and erratic in their rhythm. 

He leaned over you and onto your back after he was spent, for just a few moments. Then, he straightened up and made his way to your bathroom to get rid of the condom. 

Rafael washed up a little and looked at himself in the mirror. It was hopeless.  He brought out a washcloth for you and found you curled up on the couch.

“Let me..” Rafa approached you to clean you up, and you let him, trying not to register the intimacy and tenderness of the act.  He was just being a good friend.

When he was done, you thanked him and went to the bathroom, shaking your head at yourself in the mirror. You felt helpless and a slave to the feelings that weren’t supposed to be there.

You made your way back into your bedroom, took off the garter and hose, and pulled on some sweats and a tee.

In the living room, Rafa was dressed as well. And standing by the door. Your heart sank a little. But you smiled and went toward him.

“Thank you, that was just what I needed after a long week. You headed out?”

Why didn’t you just invite him to stay over?

“Yeah, I better go. You probably have a ton to do before you leave.”

Rafael didn’t know how to say that he wanted to stay, but if he did, he would wind up saying too much. “Can I have a hug?” He needed you in his arms, just one more time.

You smiled at him. “Is it even a question, after what we just did?”

You were sad that he didn’t want really to hug, he just wanted to fuck. He was just being nice, but that didn’t keep you from burying your head in his chest and squeezing tight as you went into his embrace. 

Rafael inhaled the scent of your hair and closed his eyes as he cradled you, holding you close to his heart. “You have a safe trip, and a good time with your people. Merry Christmas again, Holly.”

Your eyes welled up as you kept your head in his chest. “I will, Rafa. Thank you so much again for today. It was everything. Merry Christmas, Rafa. Have a good one.”

You lowkey wiped your eyes on his shirt before you looked up at him and smiled. You gazed at each other for a minute before he let you go.

“See you in a few days. You know, maybe.” He fumbled for the doorknob behind him.

You laughed and smiled, catching his heart. “Yeah, see you next week. Possibly.”

“Bye Holly.” He’d finally found the doorknob and was backing out of it.

“See ya, Rafael.” You were shaking your head at him as you closed the door.

You leaned against it for a long time as Rafa made his way to the car, and banged his head on the steering wheel.

You both were idiots in love. And you didn’t even realize it.

-------

Let me know if you liked it! Like, comment, reblog, please. 😁

Taglist: @braidedchallah @theatrenerd86 @sebastianabucknettastan @imatyoursurrvicesurr @riiyy @ivycomet @lonelydance @jbrizzywrites @delaber @honeysucklechocolatedrippin @janthonystan @anh1020 @sillyteecup @ohsoverykeri  @theselilwonders  @biafbunny @summerofsnowflakes @honeysucklechocolatedrippin  @wreakhavoconmacroissantdiggs  @einfachniemand 

[antiquom]

⌠ wolfgang novogratz. 23, heteroflexible, demiboy, he/they. ⌡ wait a minute, is zachary coltraine still in town? i thought i saw a flash of (flowers unexplainably blooming in arid ground, heaven, one last smile before betrayal)! last i heard they were working as a florist nearby. when it’s the (virgo’s)’s birthday on 08/23  i forget that they’re unsettling and celebrate that they’re generous. i hear animals by maroon 5 every time i think of them. ⌿ lis, 27, any, cst+ ⍀

DEATH TW, MURDER TW, WEAPON TW, VIOLENCE TW, CANNIBALISM TW

Zach grew up with loving parents who always raised their kid with their values and point of view about life. Homeschooled most of his life with a strong focus on arts and biology; because his parents always told him the most wonderful scenes belonged to nature--- always cruel and beautiful, and that he should always follow those steps.

He grew up in a big old victorian manor full of rooms and windows; the garden was also vast and healthy; but the house was far enough from the main town to hear the pleads of help from the visitors that entered the house but never came out. Zach was so young and never thought anything ill of it; he would even enjoy very luxurious and meaty meals the day after; but as so, Zachary grew up in a house full ghosts... both metaphorical and literal, and quick learned to make friends and peace with the spirits that roamed his home.

He was seven when the police finally found the Coltraines and in a rain of bullets, they fell in front of doe eyes who followed his mother’s body falling in slow motion. She looked peaceful and even relieved as one last sigh left her lips. Even she, who always lived lavishly, desired for all the horror to end.

They raised a child that was never really fit for social norms, specially in places like foster homes where sanguine games would scare children and caretakers alike, but a vast knowledge about flowers and animals would also leave them speechless.

Nonetheless, he was bullied heavily, until a calm and gentle child eventually exploded. The details of the situation were never released to the public, but afterwards, Zachary was sent to a place where he could be under constant observation.

He turns eighteen and the State fails in court to prove insanity. Zachary had become a model citizen and hadn’t hurt a fly since that unique incident years ago.   SO HE IS RELEASED.

He goes back home even against all recommendation. That home is the only thing he knows and so, he finds it, practically untouched by the tragedy in Centralia. Gardens are quick to revive under his careful hand and little animals quickly find refuge in his home. Ah, quite the fairytale castle, don’t you think?   But late at night, crying and whispering welcomes him home as well.   They hug him in asphyxiating attention begging of him to let their bodies go, to let them rest in peace at last.   But Zach plays deaf most of the times, for he fears solitude and the ghosts and ghouls that plague his home bring him memories of golden days.

So come on in to Coltraine Manor where flowers never wither and animals always play. Feel free to join in a perpetual garden party and if you are lucky, you will soon too, become a rose in the pot.

FUN FACTS

He likes to rescue birds from pet stores so he has A LOT and they are usually flying around in and out of his house.

Tbh think of this house like a fairy tale setting with pretty flowers and small animals hanging around bc of his garden.

But inside, if you pay cloooose attention, you can see the fainted dark smudges on the wall of blood that never came out and the bedrooms have a weird eerie vibe even when they have been repainted and redecorated.

He also has imitations of paintings and sculptures to decor the house, but there are no family pictures.

He has a collection of horror and snuff movies he usually plays while baking cookies or making flower crowns.

Zach usually has petals tangled in his hair or stuck to his clothes and he has a permanent flowery scent.

His mother used to call him “My little prince” so he kinda stuck with that and is always attracted to royal-ish stuff, he even has a crown tattoo on his upper back, under the nape.

He tries to keep himself fit to match the anatomy ideals of the great artists and he also has a weird habit of posing or moving in any way that could reference a famous piece of art, but he does this unconsciously. When he is happy his movements become very theatrical bc he is extra af and so were his parents.

Pinterest board HERE

Important facts to consider:

While in the foster homes, Zach always did his best to escape and always ran into the woods where his parents liked to go camping.

He was lost even up to a week one time and he spent so much time in the wild and that’s what taught him so much about nature.

Has uncanny climbing abilities and is able to recognize animal footprints and fur.

Will rarely invite you home and if he does, I’d be very wary if I were you.

The killer gene is starting to tickle him.

Doesn’t remember much about what his parents did or why they were killed and someone mentioning it or pushing on the matter could cause him to react violently or in an unpredictable way.

Stays super fit to meet the artistic standards of the Renaissance art.

Rumors say that his parents’ victims were missing some organs or pieces of flesh… make your own assumptions.

Has good vision at night.

DO NOT TRUST HIM. If you see him in the middle of the football field or near the entrance of the woods very late at night, do not approach, do not call his name, stay quiet and move very slowly backwards never turning your back to him. Keep your hands wherever he can see them so he doesn’t feel threatened and never expose your neck. Don’t make fake wolf or puma calls, HE WILL COME. Don’t neglect your pets, he will get really mad and you will never see it again.     DO NOT UNDERESTIMATE HIM.

Needed connections/plots:

Neighbors (can be either comfortable or uncomfortable with him around)

Friends

Best friend

Unrequited love/Silly crush (could go either direction)

Someone to teach him about life

School tutor. He knows A LOT about art, biology and PE but sucks at p much else.

People who don’t trust him

Enemies of any kind (maybe they lost someone at Zach’s parents’ hands)

Someone who knows who his parents are.

Maybe he babysits someone’s pet bc he is good with animals.

Someone with common interests.

Honestly I suck at making these but if you think of anything else or want us to brainstorm just lemme know!

[trashcreatyre]

I'm gonna explain one of my TMA playlists bc I've been wanting to do that for several months, and how else am I supposed to procrastinate my animatic project at one in the morning?

(here's the link to the playlist bc I think its pretty slappin')

General:

Body Terror Song By AJJ-

I know that it could technically be a flesh song, but I feel like its a bit more vague than that? if that makes sense?

The Afternoon By Lemon Demon-

there's gonna be a lot of Lemon Demon songs in this lol- This one is also pretty vague, but for some reason it kinda reminds me of Michael specifically? I don't 100% know how to describe it.

thrifted youth By dalynn-

Most of the descriptions/reasonings in the general section are pretty simplistic and vague huh? I guess it just kinda fits the vibe? I might be saying that for a lot of the general ones-

Aurora Borealis By Lemon Demon-

this one reminds me of the season five, kinda feels like a jmart song. (also you'll probably notice that there's not much in the ship theme in this playlist. I like to keep my ship playlists separate from my more general ones, don't know why.)

Under My Skin By Jukebox The Ghost-

just kinda fits the vibe y'know? other than that I don't really know.

Turn the Lights Off By Tally Hall-

i can't actually remember why I put this one specifically- that's a bit unfortunate-

When He Died By Lemon Demon-

This one mostly just fits the vibe, makes me think about the really old Victorian era statements.

Ancient Aliens By Lemon Demon-

again, fits the vibe.

She Doesn't Sleep By Anthony Amorim-

Feels like a random statement tbh. also reminds me of Not!Sasha too.

Nightmare Fuel By Lemon Demon-

funky song- fits the vibe- I don't know what more I can say-

Everybody Loves Me by OneRepublic-

I don't remember actually???? I think It was an Elias one??? but thinking about it now that doesn't really make much sense???? I'm gonna keep it tho, fits the vibe, at least it does to me.

Bloody Nose By Jack Conte-

fits the vibe :)

Christmas Kids By Roar-

I think I saw an animatic to this one time? now I can only think of the season one archival staff,,,, my beloveds,,,,

La nuit en matin By OH MU-

imma be honest, I have no idea what this one's actually about, but It lowkey reminds me of the intro music during end of season three- y'know, the clown vibes :D

9 to 5 By Dolly Parton-

Archival staff moment

American Healthcare By Penelope Scott-

I guess it could technically be seen as an End themed one? but I put it on bc I felt like it fit the vibes (are you getting sick of reading vibes? i'm getting sick of typing it)

Butch 4 Butch By Rio Romeo-

mostly just the rat filled piano line,,,,,, and also it fits the vibes to me.

Oblivion By Grimes-

Kinda feels like a statement?? In a way?

Murders By Miracle Musical-

the vibes. hopefully thats the last time i type that for this-

oh yeah woo yeah, we're onto the specific Entities now B) lets start with the one that probably has the most, if not, it sure feels like it-

The Spiral:

Spiral Eyes By Rewenge-

yeahhhh,,,, I know it doesn't really fit the vibes all that well, But the title fits and I like it so-

The Distortionist By Ghost and Pals-

this one is SUPER obvious, but it fits REALLY well in my mind.

Out of Her Head (Outerlude) [From The Film Possibly in Michigan] By Korban Baxter-

I can literally picture this one- I lowkey wanna do an animatic of this one one day.

A Crow's Trial By Vane Lily-

OKAY- so this last one is because it's the song from an absolutely GORGEOUS animation/animatic by Akidachi on YouTube, I ADORE this animation. please watch it omg-

again, I'm like, 90% sure that The Spiral has the most songs on this playlist, definitely not a bias or anything. next up is the mf uhhhh-

The Corruption:

Spiral of Ants By Lemon Demon-

no explanation needed.

Maggot By Slutever-

Mostly just the name, but it's a good song too so-

Sick On Seventh Street By Sarah and the Safe Word-

fits the vibe title and actual song wise.

in retrospect under my skin probably could be here-

The Web:

Redesign Your Logo (Bonus Track) By Lemon Demon-

Feels like a very web song,,,

Boris The Spider By The Who-

Spider,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Spider Dance By Toby Fox-

Yes,,, like from undertale,,,,,,,

i think thats it for the web (i swore there were more,,,,)

The Lonely:

Nobody By Mitski-

C'mon, you didn't think I WOULDN'T put this one on, did you?

This December By Ricky Montgomery-

idk what it is exactly about this one, just,,,, feels correct?

Blue Jay Way By The Beatles-

MANNNNNNN- i love this song, my mom hates it- that's unrelated- but I always just feel like there's fog or like, an eerie sea, or something- while listening to it. it feels very lonely-

I'm a Member of the Midnight Crew (1909) By Eddie Morton-

I have no idea why spotify suggested this song to me, but I will never not find it funny. Anyway- reminds me of the crew on Peter's ship :)

The Stranger:

Rattlesnake By Kabaret Sybarit-

Idk, feels like smth Nikola would sing at jon- idk how else to explain it-

A Mask of My Own Face By Lemon Demon-

pretty self explanatory lolll

The Slaughter:

War Pigs By Black Sabbath-

war.

The Hunt:

The Hunter By Slaves-

maybe this one is because it's because it's litterally called the hunter, and that they say hunter a bunch, but it is fun to listen to-

Teeth By 8 Graves-

I cannot remember my reasoning at this current moment-

The Flesh:

Body By Mother Mother-

the lyrics do be fittin doe

The Dark:

Everything Goes Dark By The Hoosiers-

i mean- everything goes dark- what more do you want me to say-

Dr.Sunshine Is Dead By Will Wood and the Tapeworms-

i think its mostly the song's vibe and the title.

The End:

The Trick to life By The Hoosiers-

the trick to life is not to get too attached to it.

Memento Mori: the most important thing in the world By Will Wood-

remember death.

YOOO OKAY NOW WE'RE ON THE ONES THAT I HAVE ACTUAL THINGS TO SAY ABOUT NOW- at least for the most part-

Characters:

i think i'm gonna go from least to most for this- (spoilers, Jon has the most ones because I care him)

Cryptid Hunt- Demo By Averno, Sushi Soucy-

this one makes me think of the WTGFs,,,,,

You're at the Party (Bonus Track) By Lemon Demon-

makes me think about Micheal Shelley,,,,,,,

Saint Bernard By Lincoln-

Alice "daisy" Toner moment-

Mary By The Happy Fits-

mary keay,,,,,,

there used to be a gerry one too, but the more I heard it in the context of the playlist and him, It just didn't fit,,,,,

Ew it's Elias/jonah time-

The Fine Print By The Stupendium-

capitalism- jk- kinda- Idk, just feels like it fits because he really just kinda,,, doesn't care about his employees-

How Bad Can I Be? from the lorax-

I had to-

Boss 3 from the terraria soundtrack-

Listen- I don't know why- but- it has elias/jonah vibes- the vibes are fowl, but the song is good.

Ruler of Everything By Tally Hill-

Panopticon/eyepocolypes time-

Ayooo it's jon time- I really hope I can write out my thoughts in a way that makes any kind of sense- /foreshadowing

A Sadness Runs Through Him By The Hoosiers-

Goddddd,,,,, he's just kinda filled with sadness and survivors guilt, just like, all the time huh?

Home By Cavetown-

the lyrics are just- very him- like- I just gjbdjgsflkjns-

Broken Crown By Mumford & Sons-

frick- the foreshadowing was accurate- the best I can describe it is that the lyrics just???? y'know??? hhh why am I like this sometimes-

Sweet HIbiscus Tea By Penelope Scott-

i'm willing to bet that he never wanted to be the main character-

Honey I'm Home By Ghost and Pals-

I saw a Jon centric animatic to this one time- I can't for the life of me remember who by, But everytime I hear the moth lines, my brain goes ":0" Because I remember there was a time when people kept drawing moth jon- I don't know where that came from but I thought it was very cool.

Who Are You, Really? By Mikky Ekko-

I'm like- actually starting to get frustrated with how poorly im articulating my thoughts right now- this just isn't funny anymore-

Sleep By My Chemical Romance-

I'm not actually sure why for this one- I just remeber putting on my black parade CD, hearing this, and being like, "damn, that do kinda be jon tho-"

I hope you enjoyed my ramblings- tbh, all this sounded and read out better in my head. My words might not make sense, but I do like how the playlist is. also im very tired, maybe this would've been written better if I wasn't struggling to keep my eyes open lol. I'm gonna fall asleep now- or maybe i'll post a spiral themed doodle dump again, who knows. I don't know.

[visualcommunicationswithjack]

The next area of visual communication I wanted to look at was album covers. Album covers are really expressive forms of art and create strong connections with us and create feelings of nostalgia when we see them. 

This class has made me naturally start to look at all forms of visual communications both old and new around me and critique them. I listen to music everyday so have started to notice album cover art and design much more.

Nas - Illmatic

The first album cover I have such a connection with is “illmatic” by Nas. This is Nas’ debut album released way back in 1992 and is considered on of the greatest rap albums of all time. I really like the strong imagery used in the cover. I feel the picture of a young, probably more innocent Nas faded in to the picture of a Queens street in New York where he grew up has a really cold, eerie and nostalgic feel to it. It also is maybe a reference to his upbringing and how he grew up in the streets and it shaped him in to who he is today. A lot of his music does speak about struggles in the streets and growing up in New York. 

I think its a pretty cool typeface he uses for his name and the album name. You’re eye is naturally drawn to the name of Nas. The highlighting of “ill” in white is very clever too as his best friend “ill Will” was his first DJ when he started so it is a tribute to him. A very old but really cool piece of visual communication.

Friendly Fires - Pala

The second album I have shared is “Pala” by Friendly Fires released in 2011. They are an indie rock band from England. They make a lot of upbeat and uptempo music. I like the use of the colourful tropical parrot on the album cover. I feel this really represents them and this album in particular. They even have one song called Hawaiian air on it so the parrot fits in with the summer and tropical vibe of the album. I really like the black background in contrast to the bright colours of the bird. 

I also think the typography is really nice. Sans serif, white coloured text makes it easy to read and the album name Pala layered underneath the bands name with lower opacity is a sweet touch also. Another visually pleasing album cover.

Tame Impala - Currents

The third example I have shared is “Currents” by Tame Impala which was released in 2015. Tame Impala is the psychedelic music project of Kevin Parker. Currents album uses a lot of synthesizers and the image of vortex shredding I think represents this psychedelic dance, funky and alternative style Parker has in this album and it’s like his music is the ball and its disrupting the straight lines of the “normal” continuous flow of life or music that you see. I like the use of the colours in the imagery. 

The sans serif album and artist text is also nice and highlighted by a vibrant yellow. This all adds to the visual stimulation the album cover gives.

Bloc Party - A weekend in the city

The final example I have is “A weekend in the cty” by Bloc Party which was released in 2007. I could have dedicated this whole blog post to Bloc Party really, they have so many awesome album covers with beautiful imagery and typography. 

This one is probably my favourite though. It just represents the band and their music so well. They are the type of band you listen to at 3.am or when walking home at night or on the bus home. They have such a chill style of rock that is really soothing on this album and I just love this image. The sweeping lights of the headlights on the motorway accompanied by the empty basketball courts just conveys this peaceful night scene. I can just imagine this dead quiet atmosphere on the courts with the whizzing of traffic above. This powerful imagery accompanied with nice simple sans serif album and artist text in the top corner. Just a beautiful album cover. 

Four different styles of album covers but all ones I have strong connections with.

[bessmarvins]

Ghost of Thornton Hall: A Playlist

I present to you my first Nancy Drew playlist! GTH was the easiest for me, since I just played it and I just love a lot of songs that made me think of it.

Some of these songs were chosen simply for the titles, some for the lyrics, and some just because they fit the ~vibe~ of the game. I tried to order them in a way that would flow with the story line as well.

Keep reading for a track list and some explanations. Warning: Spoilers (duh). 

Hope you guys like it! Let me know which one I should do next.

1. Georgia - Vance Joy

Started with this one simply because the game takes place in Georgia and I think it’s a sorta sad song.

2. Ain’t No Sunshine - Bill Withers

I felt like this had to be included--it could be about Jessalyn or Charlotte; both women were considered the brightest lights in the Thornton family, and they lost both of them (albeit one only temporarily).

3. Work Song - Hozier

This one has themes of death, but also is literally a “work song,” modeled after songs slaves would sing working in the field, which ties into the history of Thornton Hall.

4. Harvest Moon - Lord Huron (cover)

I love this song, and the term “Harvest Moon” reminds me of the deep south and farming too. The Harvest Moon occurs in late September, and this song gives me overall fall vibes. 

5. If I Die Young - The Band Perry

Pretty self-explanatory: Charlotte died young. It’s a sad song, and it’s country-ish which fits the setting. 

“Dear, sweet Charlotte, please come back.”

6. Scavenger Hunt - The Lowest Pair

I discovered this on the “Southern Gothic” playlist on Spotify (which happened to contain three other songs I already had in the playlist, so I must be on the right track) and it caught my eye because of the scavenger hunt Jessalyn and Addison try to complete in the game; Charlotte left a scavenger hunt for us too. Listened to it and thought it fit right in!

7. The Yawning Grave - Lord Huron

More death, surprise! The imagery in this song definitely made me think of the Thornton Family Cemetery. This is a super dark song that just feels like it was made for the Thorntons: 

“Oh, you fool, there are rules I am coming for you Darkness brings evil things, oh, the reckoning begins”

8. Young and Beautiful - Lana Del Rey

This is another eerie song, and it made me think of Charlotte and her final birthday party.

9. Ghosts - James Vincent McMorrow

I wanted something a little softer here. This is another obvious one for the title, but also it’s generally a creepy, sad song. 

10. Devil’s Backbone - The Civil Wars

To be quite honest, I was looking at The Civil Wars for a song for this playlist because of their name and the role the Thorntons played in the Civil War, but this song fit pretty well. It’s creepy af.

11. The Chain - Fleetwood Mac

One of my FAVES-this song has a southern rock sound, and it’s a little dark.

12. Way down We Go - KALEO

I think this song just meshes well with the atmosphere and the other songs. Plus it makes me think of crawling down underground Thornton Hall into the tunnels.

13. Make it Rain - Ed Sheeran

Discovered this one on the “Southern Crosses” playlist on Spotify, which also had some of the songs I chose. The playlist is described as a “collection of songs and stories steeped in struggle, hope, darkness, light, sin and salvation,” so that’s spot on.

A line that stuck out to me:

“When the sins of my father Weigh down in my soul And the pain of my mother Will not let me go”

Made me think of Clara, especially if you subscribe to the incest theory.

14. Arsonist’s Lullaby - Hozier

Fire. That’s it.

Just kidding--there are lines about hearing voices, which made me think of the ghosts, and I really listen to this from Clara’s perspective. Lines that I think are the most relevant are “But my peace has always depended on all the ashes in my wake,” and “Don’t you ever tame your demons, always keep ‘em on a leash.”

I put this towards the end to fit with the fire at the end of the game.

15. Second Chances - Gregory Alan Isakov

Ending on a happy-ish note--Clara gets a second chance to tell the truth and do right by Jessalyn and Harper (if you choose to save her, of course.) Harper gets a second chance to rejoin her family. This song sounds bittersweet and has some folky southern vibes.

[humble-wayside-flower]

Right Side Wrong (X)

Songs for Marin and Matthias Magwood // City With No Sky Pt. 2  (Marin on the left, Matthias on the right)

*~*~*

I’ll Be Your Mirror - Lowland Hum (A song for parallel universes and for someone who is so different but also very much the same)

When you think the night has seen your mind That inside you’re twisted and unkind Let me stand to show that you are blind Please put down your hands ‘Cause I see you

Secret for the Mad - Dodie (Sort of my song for Marin <3 You have to go through the hard stuff to get to the better stuff, but someday this will all make sense) 

I’ve got a secret for the mad In a little bit of time it won’t hurt so bad And I get that I don’t get it But you will burn right now, but then you won’t regret it

Close to Home - Vienna Teng (Home, Home, Home. It’s important to them both, but especially so to Marin. Learning to let go of the physical home, but also maybe the ideological home, and trying to build a new one, while stumbling upon the way.)

Lay your head where they hold Hide the demarcations of your soul And play your silent scream role Harmonize your own worth to what you show Normalized and nowhere close to home

O Magnum Mysterium - Morten Lauridsen (”The singing is slightly discordant, not quite right, unsettling to listen to. Through the making of music that sounds as pained as they feel inside do the priestexes of the Silent One grieve their dead… The dissonance resolves into a more traditional chord; the voices finish in something still sad, but more at peace.” --This is the song I’ve imagined in this spot from the moment that session ended. While it isn’t really a mournful song, there was never going to be another one that fit this part better in my head.)

Latin Choral Piece

Can’t Go Back - The Crane Wives (The ever present mantra, it’s not fair. It’s not fair because this was my home too, and my friend too, and no you don’t get to kick me out of my own home, I won’t leave. Except you do, and you do.) 

Cause you can’t go back, darling The time has come for moving on You can’t be always trying to dig up What you’ve already buried You’ve got to carry carry carry on

Prelude - Tessa Violet (A song for Nora. For two people with walls they haven’t fully broken down. A song for wanting to know more about who a person is behind the things a person does. A song for offering friendship, and a song for hesitance that is hard to get past.) 

I’m insecure Of that I’m sure Don’t need a counselor or seminar to see And even when it’s only you and me There seems to be Somethin’ that you keep behind your teeth

The Loneliness Waltz - The Ballroom Thieves (A song for Raye. For two people in the same boat, even when the oceans are different. A song for wanting other people to want you so badly that you never quite learn to stop giving yourself to people who are not paying attention. A song for picking yourself up again and again anyways.)

We are frivolous with our hearts Watch them bend till they break Then we pick up the parts Yeah, we give, we take We save and condemn And we live just to love again

We’re Not Different - Lo-Fang (A song for Yani Shae. For the weird sensation of looking at a person, and feeling like you’re looking at a distorted mirror. The same but different. Different but the same. I have a lot of thoughts about Yani and Marin and the act of having faith in a deity that is all about random chance, but that’s a whole other post.) 

You look at me but don’t see what I see I’m different But we’re not different Take this plant To feel how I feel Now we’re different But we’re not different Not so different

Leviathan - Dirt Poor Robins (World Eater Vibes- Adara Style. Tbh, the song I wanted to put here wasn’t on spotify, so this was the next best choice. A song for an entity that is threatening all of reality, but no one has ever seen it, and also you only really know it exists because your parallel universe selves told you it did. A song for world destruction as a ticking time bomb with a broken read out.) 

Here I lie in the dark and deep For a thousand years I’ve been asleep Far removed from the walls that rage Undisturbed by the earthquakes And I wait, I wait

Saint Bernard - Lincoln (A song about faith, and about losing it, and finding it, and losing it, and keeping it, and knowing that you’ll never really be able to extract it from yourself without cutting out a vital part of yourself. Marin is struggling with the loss of her home, but even more so with this loss of purpose. She’s just pushing forward and hoping for something to grab onto again.) 

I said “Make me love myself, so that I might love you” Don’t make me a liar, ‘cause I swear to God When I said it, I thought it was true 

In Darkness - Lowland Hum (A song for parallel universes, for someone who is very much the same, but also so different)

Forest of my mind Calm and slow and know comfort of the darkness Knowing you I am more myself but not a self I know; One from somewhere else

Guiltless - Dodie (I have a lot of thoughts about Mattie and their family, and the worries that come with growing up in an environment that is not affirming of who you are and that upholds the status quo to a fault. How do you figure out what parts of you are really you, and what parts are the ones you need to let go or outgrow?)

Oh but I’m not bitter, I’m just tired No use getting angry at the way that you’re wired And I could never let you know (Ooh, you’d never get it) And now I’m the one who can’t let go (Ooh don’t say it’s genetic)

The Hymn of Acxiom - Vienna Teng (A song for being cursed, and the ever present inkling that you are not quite alone in your own head. A song for being cursed, and abruptly understanding in the most gut wrenching way that you are absolutely not alone in your own head, not one bit.) 

Somebody hears you. You know that. You know that. Somebody hears you. You know that inside. Someone is learning the colors of all your moods, to (Say the right thing and) show that you’re understood

Nox Aurumque - Eric Whitacre (I cheated a little bit on this one and used a different composer, albeit still a Latin choral piece. I liked that this piece had an eeriness to it that contrasted with the lighter nature of O Magnum Mysterium. Also the title translates to Night and Gold, which seemed fitting.) 

Latin Choral Piece

Curses - The Crane Wives (The world eater is the one that burns, but their walls are still unstable. Will their friends still be here when the walls burn down? They hope so.) 

Every word I say is kindling But the smoke clears when you’re around Won’t you stay with me, my darling When my walls start burning down, down, down? 

Honest - Tessa Violet (A song for Sheridan. A song for two people who just want to be wanted, who have problems with self sacrifice, and who are learning that you need to lean on other people. It’s okay, their shoulder is here.) 

Here’s the truth My strength ain’t bein’ honest I mostly work from wanting to be wanted And if there’s somethin’ else, well I don’t know if I got it, got it And come the night, I’m never really solid

Trouble - The Ballroom Thieves (A song for Raleigh. For two people who can’t stop getting into trouble with each other. In many ways the two are complete opposites, but in another life they might not have been so different. For the boy who welcomes trouble with the smile of an old friend.) 

I’m terrified of my heart Its hunger for whatever it may want The way it stops and starts Yeah it may saunter into war Trouble doesn’t keep a civil score

Silver Peak - Lo-Fang (A song for Lukas. It took me ages to decide on one for him, and I’m still not totally happy with this choice. I feel like it captures the danger that his helping our party has put him in though, and the frenetic energy of everything that went down during the cult ceremony. I am so sorry that you got sucked into this world eater and blood hunter stuff. You’re a cool dude, and thank you again for the fork.) 

Instrumental

But Never a Key - Dirt Poor Robins (World Eater Vibes- Aillgate Style. It’s all about the fire imagery baby. And the imagery of someone slowly coming undone at the seams. A song for the slow ascent of a burning god that could unravel all of reality. A song for not being sure how to stop this yet. A song for being afraid of losing control of your body and mind again. Also that good good warlock shit.) 

You’re wound up too tightly  So frayed and unsightly  Pulling on your own strings You’re unraveling How can a cure now be found? With no outside threat Just a fire in your chest And you’re melting All over everything 

How I Survived Bobby Mackey’s Personal Hell - Lincoln (This song isn’t quite perfect, but the frenetic energy of it feels really right, especially in the aftermath of the cult ceremony. Mattie is looking for answers, but they’re also just looking for distraction. And control. Some control over these magic powers they suddenly have access too would be great too. A song for anxious waiting.)  

Nothing says I miss you quite like “I’m running out of time” Nothing says I hate you now like Getting sweat stains on a knife I am killing time with a razor blade

[sarcasm-and-references]

hi! here is the spotify link for my Trollhunters playlist in which i chose one song to represent each episode, listed in order:

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7mdB5Vss7D0jAAS2S1sbPP?si=RGdbyHgvQY6PUCM_djbRYQ

full list of why i chose each song + some disclaimers under the cut (very long)

first off: it’s named pretty inconspicuously because this is my personal spotify and i didn’t want my friends figuring out what it was

okay so i’m a musician and i love the use of music in media, so i will often draw connections between how i feel listening to a song and how i feel watching a film or tv show

as a result, i’ve compiled a playlist and an explanation for 52 songs (one to represent each episode of Trollhunters). it’s in order but you could also just shuffle it for a generalized Trollhunters vibes playlist

one final thing: this is by no means a definitive list, and it is heavily biassed because of my taste in music which means it is mostly alternative or indie pop and rock music (there are also a few explicit songs, just a warning) so just to put that out there

alright, here is the complete list of why i chose each song:

Becoming: Part 1

Mr. Blue Sky - Electric Light Orchestra

Nothing too specific, it just gives off the vibes of morning, a small town, and the start of something big. I think the lyrics work a bit too but the sound and energy are perfect in terms of cinematic elements so full send on this one.

Becoming: Part 2

Could Have Been Me - The Struts

Chances are, you know this song if you’re a tik tok cosplayer or have seen any video of that sort. This choice felt right in terms of both lyrics and the music itself. It’s very hopeful and it talks about wanting to make something of oneself. I tend to associate this song with Percy Jackson and there are some parallels there. Kind of a modern-day heroism feel, which is definitely fitting for this show and the episode specifically.

Wherefore Art Thou, Trollhunter?

I Wanna Get Better - Bleachers

This episode seems to me like more basic exposition and is just setting up the first arc of the story, so I chose this song not completely for the lyrics (although I do think they fit for Jlaire in terms of Claire and Jim’s interaction but I’m trying my best not to focus too much on them). I think the sound and energy is pretty good for this song, and if you strip the song to its most simple interpretation, it’s clearly about wanting to improve.

Gnome Your Enemy

I’m Just a Kid - Simple Plan

Ha-okay this choice is a bit of a joke because of the angst but honestly I do think it fits for the gang’s first mission and Jim’s attitude and reluctance towards trollhunting in general.

Waka Chaka!

Killer Queen - Queen

Yeah this is mainly for Nomura and her introduction. Not much thought went into this choice but as I make this list I’m finding that episodes that I choose a song for often end up with a song for a character that’s featured (dw there’s not too many of these).

Win Lose or Draal

Centuries - Fall Out Boy

Jim’s first real fight; showing off everything he’s learned so far. Being a moral person and not ‘finishing the fight.’ A hero in the making.

To Catch a Changeling

Brother - Kodaline

So I think this song could definitely be used to represent Jim and Toby, but I wanted to take the chance to choose a song for the protective trust that Draal starts to build with Jim. Obviously this episode is much more than that, but I see that scene where Jim is reflecting Draal’s fighting moves as the unofficial start of their brother-like relationship. So yes, I did pick a song because of one small scene.

Adventures in Trollsitting

Hey There Delilah - Plain White T’s

This one is a bit of a joke but Jim is definitely simping for Claire in this episode by volunteering to babysit so I have chosen a song to fit with that. (Also, wOw this explanation makes it VERY clear I’m gen z).

Bittersweet Sixteen

100 Bad Days - AJR

Lyrics specifically fit here. Yes, a lot goes wrong in this episode, but the relationships are strengthened (Blinky and Jim) and it’s sweet in the end.

Young Atlas

Number One Fan - MUNA

Not gonna lie, I wanted to sucker punch Jim in this episode. This song choice is kind of satirical but really just for being confident and self-assured. Lyrics fit for the chorus and parts of the verses.

Recipe for Disaster

Carmen, Suite No. 2: VIII. Habanera - Saint Petersburg Orchestra of the State Hermitage Museum Camerata

Wow that’s a long title. Okay this is the only choice that has no lyrics/is classical on this list, but that is mainly because I chose it specifically for Strickler because he seems like a classical music kind of guy (maybe it’s a changeling thing @ Nomura). Also this is a pretty recognizable piece (in my opinion) and I also think it would sound pretty epic and would make for some great cinematic effects if played during the fight in this episode.

Claire and Present Danger

Seashore - The Regrettes

Originally, I was going to go with a song that fit the heroism arc in this episode but! I focus on Jim a lot in this playlist. Instead, this song is a choice for Claire and where she is in the story (finally being brought into the action). I’ve always loved her for being feminine and badass at the same time, so this song is somewhat a choice as an anthem for her (especially her being so headstrong and determined).

The Battle of Two Bridges

Young Volcanoes - Fall Out Boy

Teenage recklessness and power. Reminds me of adventures and young adulthood, plus the whole modern heroism again. I think this song also correlated with a high-stakes battle which is exactly what happened in this episode. Plus? How sick would it be if there was a fight and the strikes and dodges were coordinated with the beats in this song??

Return of the Trollhunter

Kids in America - Kim Wilde

More for the vibes in the beginning when it feels like it really should have been a new season. I think the lyrics fit pretty well here too. Fits with Claire joining the team and the heroes starting to come into their own.

Mudslinging

What’s Up Danger (With Black Caviar) - Blackway

This one was fully for Angor Rot and his first real introduction. He’s presented as an obvious and looming threat. While this song’s lyrics fit more with the more badass side of modern heroism (connects to Jim showing off his skills), I think the sounds fit with Angor and how he has begun to raise the stakes. This also may be a result of me associating this song with teenage heroes since it’s from the Spider-man: Into the Spider-verse soundtrack.

Roaming Fees May Apply

Welcome to the Jungle - Guns ‘n’ Roses

What can I say? The gang finds themselves in an unpredictable situation. It’s an adventurous episode to say the least. I feel like this song is used for action movies somewhat often so I’m throwing it in for this episode.

Blinky’s Day Out

Hooked on a Feeling - Blue Swede

This is almost completely a comedic choice. Barely any thought went into this one, and the lyrics have nothing to do with it. It is purely for the good vibes that always accompany this song because I feel like Blinky’s time on the surface was (at least initially) a “good vibes” situation. The apparent simplicity of being human can feel that way.

The Shattered King

Never Gonna Give You Up - Rick Astley

I’m using this episode to focus on Toby. Although there’s not much character development in this episode specifically, I think Toby deserves a better arc and I do want to give him at least one song. While I think there’s a lot more to Toby than he lets on or that which is shown in the show, he’s often used for humor and is basically the stereotypical funloving best friend. He seems like he’d enjoy a feel-good, upbeat, “classic” song, and there’s silly dancing in this episode so danceable song! (Also if the show were more accurate to today’s teens, I wholeheartedly believe Toby would be a meme-lover).

Airheads

Little League - Conan Gray

I absolutely love the simplicity of this episode, even if it’s just filler, but I have indeed found a way to make it angsty. This song choice is fully for the lyrics (though the sound isn’t completely wrong for the feel of the episode). I think this show gets progressively more emotional throughout the seasons, and, at this point, the kids are competing for Spring Fling nominations while Toby and Claire deal with a ridiculous problem. Something about this episode just seems to represent naiveté and this song talks about longing to return to childhood and innocence.

Where Is My Mind?

Hotel California - Eagles

Seeing as the obvious choice might have been Where Is My Mind? by Pixies, I tried to branch out here. This episode is honestly eerie because the characters face their worst fears but never discuss them or understand why/how it happened. For me, the vibe was a sort of mellow rock song and a dreamlike state. Thus: Hotel California. If I think about it enough, the lyrics work because of the sort of ominous false sense of security that I imagine using this song for in a story. Ultimately though, it’s the sound and energy.

Party Monster

Candy - Robbie Williams

This is solely for the vibes just because it feels like a party song to me for some reason. Sorry I didn’t put much thought into this one. Also though? This song and its lyrics low-key remind me of Mary and this is one of the few episodes in which she was featured somewhat prominently.

It’s About Time

Blitzkrieg Bop - The Ramones

Definitely not for the lyrics, I think it’s just the sound and the energy almost completely for this song. For me, it just seems very high-energy and almost tense because of a fast heartbeat? I can just imagine this song playing as Jim is racing through town as quickly as possible. It’s a bit stress-inducing, honestly.

Wingmen

Victorious - Panic! At the Disco

High energy, but this is more of a simplistic choice to go with the fight scene and the progress we see from Jim as far as his training goes.

Angor Management

Carry On Wayward Son - Kansas

I chose this song as a representation of the dynamic that we see starting to form between Strickler and Jim. They’ve become unlikely teammates and Strickler is obviously a guiding figure for Jim, but I wouldn’t necessarily say he’s a father figure yet? Lyrics play into this choice a lot.

A Night to Remember

Just Like A Movie - Wallows

Specific to the dance scene. Nighttime lit up by emotion; bright kind of vibe. I thought about some other songs like Don’t Take the Money and Reckless Love (both by Bleachers), also Electric Love by BØRNS (didn’t choose that because I don’t really want to support BØRNS but I won’t get too into that). Ultimately, I think this one works best both with lyrics and overall sound. I’m a sucker for Jlaire so I had to focus on this part of the episode and how cute it was (sorry (not really tho)).

Something Rotten This Way Comes

Lessons - mxmtoon

Thinking about what you’ve learned and how to move forward in the present. Correlates more with where the story is at in this season finale, not as much with what exactly happens in the episode. Definitely a choice made for the lyrics (although Jim probably should have listened to the part about patience).

Escape from the Darklands

Hero - Weezer

Any upbeat, modern rock music for me always seems to fit the vibe for teenage heroes. I think the lyrics hit the nail on the head for characterizing Jim in this episode. He feels a huge responsibility and fear, and isn’t sure he can live up to it. Also I love him but going into the darklands alone? Not the smartest.

Skullcrusher

Off She Goes - Bad Suns

For Claire and her development in this episode. The emotion she has to use and how she pushes herself. The vibes are there but the lyrics in the chorus are what mainly influenced this choice.

Grand Theft Otto

Weightless - All Time Low

Not too sure about the sound with this one but I like the lyrics here for the dual plot of the episode. I think the whole thing with having a hard time and struggling but also not giving up hope resonates pretty generally with the trollhunters, but also specifically with Jim in the darklands and Claire and Toby (& Blinky) getting stuff done because they’re determined to save both Jim and AAARRRGGHH!!!

KanjigAAARRRGGHH!!!

Highway to Hell - AC/DC

This one is kind of a joke but kind of not. Seeing as this is the episode that the rest of the group goes to the *Darklands* to save Jim, I think the lyrics unironically fit in a humorous way. Can’t go wrong with classic rock either. (Can you tell I was struggling with this one?)

Homecoming

Life on Mars? - David Bowie

Okay, this is kind of just an excuse for me to throw this song in here, but it reminds me of a ragtag team of heroes who don’t necessarily win but live to see another day (probably because of this song’s feature in American Horror Story: Freak Show). Lyrics not so much throughout the song as a whole, but the vibes are definitely there in the chorus. A joke song that came to mind for this (for obvious reasons) was My Boyfriend’s Back by The Angels.

Hiss Hiss, Bang Bang

Sophomore Slump Or Comeback Of The Year - Fall Out Boy

Mostly for the vibes, correlates with the energy that Jim has after finally coming home. Also, lyrics fit pretty well here.

Hero with a Thousand Faces

Istanbul (Not Constantinople) - They Might Be Giants

I was searching for so long to find a song to match the chaos and hilarity of this episode (idc if it’s filler I love it so much), and realized only something just as obscure would work. The song and the episode have virtually nothing in common other than they are both ridiculous and I love them for it (sorry if that’s disappointing but hey). Also ever since I saw The Umbrella Academy use this for a fight scene I’ve loved the idea of this song in shows/movies with heroes so maybe this could fit with when Jim fought Hunter!Jim.

Just Add Water

The Kids Aren’t Alright - Fall Out Boy

I love this episode for the irony of the flour baby assignment. The main group is just dealing with so much more than health class homework at this point and yet they still take it so seriously. I chose this song partially because I really wanted to fit it in this list somewhere but I also think it correlates with the characters being so heavily involved in this dangerous, heroic life and still flying mostly under the radar in their small town. They’re going through a lot yet no one seems to notice.

Creepslayerz

I Wanna Be Sedated - The Ramones

This one is for the eagerness that Eli and Steve have to fight the ‘bad guys.’ They’re excited to form a team and I think their dynamic works with this. Also I love their dynamic so much we need more of them.

The Reckless Club

I Was a Teenage Teenager - Green Day.

Really just a fun loving song about kids being kids. Considered Don’t You (Forget About Me) by Simple Minds as a Breakfast Club reference but figured I’d try not to make it too easy.

Unbecoming

Generation Why - Conan Gray

Correlates with ordinary life, lack of adventure and wanting something more (both sound and lyrics).

Mistrial and Error

Run Boy Run - Woodkid

Purely for the scene in The Deep where Jim fights his greatest fear. The lyrics are perfect and I could absolutely see this song playing as Jim faces The Deep.

In the Hall of the Gumm-Gumm King

Revolution Radio - Green Day

I think high energy fights + the neon color palette and destruction in Trollmarket fit perfectly with the energy and sound of this song. Obviously also the epic portal escape at the end. I didn’t want to use Children of the Sun by Thomas Bergensen (although that’s a super good song and the instrumental version, None Shall Live, is used in the episode) and thought this one’s lyrics fit well with the team’s resistance/rebellion and renegade status.

A Night Patroll

Next Up Forever - AJR

This is not particularly chosen for the lyrics, but I do think they fit more or less. Correlates with this being the start of season 3, the tension is getting thicker and the stakes are rising. The vibe here is not necessarily being ready to take on responsibilities you know you have to, and being nervous to do so. (I am definitely focusing on Jim a bit much here, but the show is too).

Arcadia’s Most Wanted

Young and Menace - Fall Out Boy

Although the team has been acting as heroes for a while, this is their first time defeating regular crime - the first few phrases of lyrics fit with that the most. Figured it goes with underestimating teenagers. Also I’m noticing while editing that there is a ton of Fall Out Boy in this playlist.

Bad Coffee

The Reckless and the Brave - All Time Low

I chose this one for one of my favorite team-up dynamics: Jim, Toby, Steve, and Eli. The energy and the lyrics in this song I just think are perfect for this group and I think could also correlate with the whole grave sand training thing Jim did in the beginning (‘reckless’ & ‘brave’).

So I’m Dating a Sorceress

Love is Dead and We Killed Her - Doll Skin

Purely for Morgana’s raw badass energy. That’s it, that’s the explanation.

The Exorcism of Claire Nuñez

Rubi - Doll Skin

Specific to Claire, could also be seen as her possession but leans more into her own personal power. Lyrics are definitely important but I think the sound also fits Claire's character.

Parental Guidance

The Times They Are A-Changin’ - Bob Dylan

Not for the energy at all because I can’t really pinpoint that but! lyrics are important here and (even though I think it’s self-explanatory) represent the parents’ reactions.

The Oath

The Ghost of You - My Chemical Romance

The lyrics for this one definitely work - about pain and grief but also moving through it. Definitely chose this one for Draal but his death was the main event of the episode so that feels justified. I think the sound is a bit intense for the energy of this episode but I’m really pushing the angst and sorrow with this one. At least I didn’t use Another One Bites The Dust by Queen >:).

For the Glory of Merlin

Yesterday - The Beatles

This one is a bit of a stretch and it was difficult to choose for a while but I personally see Merlin as a morally gray character (although i wasn’t a fan of how he talked to Claire and manipulated Jim but anyway) and I think he’s got a very complicated past. He mentioned that he used to have a pure heart and I found that very interesting so this song is an ode to who he possibly used to be with its lyrics. Also they literally step back into a frozen moment in this episode in time so this felt fitting.

In Good Hands

California Friends - The Regrettes

More for the sweet relationship building that this episode does, and the potential of a closer friendship (the kind we see in D’aja Vu in 3Below). This song is arguably more about romantic love but I think it could work with platonic. (Also Arcadia is literally in California and we need a sunshiny song amidst all the angst in this season).

A House Divided

Ribs - Lorde

Ha-yeah, sorry guys but I had to do it. Quite obviously specific to the bathroom scene and especially the montage right when Jim steps into the tub, about loss of childhood and memories, growing up. I think a lot of people know and have cried to this song, much like a lot of us cried watching this episode.

Jimhunters

Untitled - mxmtoon

Slowly growing up, having to deal with changing relationships. Dealing with hardships while lonely is clearly a big part of most of this episode, but the song correlation breaks off a bit towards the end; the lyrics focus more on pushing through on your own while the episode talks about counting on one another in difficult times. I think it also plays into being a bit fearful of the future and having to adjust to new situations while remembering the past.

The Eternal Knight: Part 1

Don’t Stop Me Now - Queen

The vibes that go with the battle of the bands and also the onset of the fight when everything is getting more dangerous. Also the part of the battle before Jim takes on Angor Rot and Gunmar, where all the trollhunters, creepslayerz, and citizens are fighting together.

The Eternal Knight: Part 2

Time of Our Lives - Tyrone Wells

I know we’ve all heard this in fan-made edits after a series or show ends, but there’s a reason everyone uses this song. Feels like a very nice culmination, specific to parting ways with those you love after shared experiences. Really just for the last scene. This whole playlist idea came from me listening to this song in an edit and getting emotional so there’s that.

[ruffled-serpent]

Lair Review for Denutena

@denu-rising​

Overall, you seem to have accumulated a lovely amount of “eyeburners” and pastel dragons, sprinkled with a few surprises here and there. Before diving in too deep, I can already appreciate how fun your designs are. So let’s get to it!

Razzle

Not only is Razzle a fun name for such a fun looking dragon, but what i really enjoy about this particular eyeburner is how well you’ve matched up the blues. That azure glimmer belly with the mage, sylvan, and wooly tail is such an excellent focal point for this dragon. It just naturally lines up with the female nocturne pose, and I feel like you’ve done a great job here.

Fantasia

the color palette of Fantasia reminds me of a beautiful sunset. the yellow fading into the purples and eventually into the sliver of black you’ve incorporated into her outfit is blowing me away. I particularly enjoy her little mage hat and the black cat “familiar”. Her lore is as equally as interesting as her outfit. Dream magic is such a neat concept, and I like how you kept it light and fun at the end.

Periwinkle

I’m living for Periwinkle’s pastel witchy theme. I want to point out how great a job the accent does by lightening up that tail. Overall it lends in nicely with the sky secondary. The Pastel lace item here is PERFECT for this dragon. The pinks and purples fit exactly with his tertiary and primary, while the blue is a very close match, yet still fits in with the accent and secondary nicely. 

Firefly

Firefly is such a nice warm pastel dragon, but what I really like about him the most is how you added in green as an accent color. The greens let us admire the dragon in pieces instead of getting lost in the ocean of oranges that we would otherwise be exposed to. Great work here with Firefly

Unnamed

This dragon gives me selkie or mermaid vibes. I can really appreciate your efforts here to “make it pretty”. I adore the accent you chose here as it’s matched so well with both her shades of blue. And I love how you meshed the golds of the accent in with the eerie cyan set, golden seraph items, and mane. Even the subtle greens in the horn apparel match her wind eyes! I can’t get enough of this dragon.

Hobo

Hobo is a beautiful genone. Even though the blues don’t match exactly you’ve made such a lovely gradient out of it. The nightshroud was such an excellent way to tone the more saturated blue of the glimmer down, in fact I didn’t even notice that it was an apparel item at first, I thought that the strap was a part of some kind of accent. I digress. The combination of the shroud and the glimmer give us just enough color that matches with the deep purple we see in the face of this tundra. It’s so beautiful and subtle that I could just sob. Hobo is such a perfect looking dragon.

Elysia

Elysia looks like she’s enjoying herself in a lovely celestial tea garden filled with these beautiful pastel roses and butterflies.The accent you’ve given her really makes the purple tones in her mist primary pop, and breaks up her mint wing in the loveliest way. Elysia seems so soft and gentle with this accent, it lets me play with my imagination a little, and allows for a great potential in visual storytelling

Silky

Silky takes my love of matching colors and runs away with it tbh. She’s stolen my heart. You’ve done and AMAZING job in layering the silks. And the use of the antique lace on the hip to make the upper leg seem occupied is so masterful. I enjoy how the stars on the silks match so perfectly with the lace. What a stunning pastel space themed dragon.

Flutter

Flutter has such a fun design! He looks like he’s about to attend a masquerade party where he’ll no doubt win best costume. The layering of the starsilks and jester’s gloves are a stroke of genius that I haven’t seen done before and I’m definitely taking notes. The mane helps bring the lighter pinks of his wings and blend them into the deeper purple of his glimmer. I love the use of gradients here. Flutter is definitely the life of the party. And fantastic job on finding such a perfectly matching familiar too!

Serenade

It’s no secret that I love the color leaf, and I know just how bad the struggle is for finding good apparel for said color. That being said I think you’ve done a great job with serenade. The glowing green clawtips are a great way to incorporate that green into the outfit. The accent also does a remarkable job of blending that leafy green into the robin primary. I also love how you added a visual piece to your snippet of lore by equipping her with the forejewels.

Honorable mention: Unnamed

I love this funky fairy bog mermaid. Her colors complement each other so well and the accent is such a fun addition to the dragon. The starmap gene, reedcleft resonance, and mane give this dragon such a whispy aesthetic that I just adore.

[elliepassmore]

Tithe Review

4/5 stars Recommended for people who like: faeries, fantasy, urban fantasy, Changelings, Unseelie Court, switched-at-birth, quick reads, multiple POVs I'll say this from the get-go: Tithe definitely reads like an early-2000s book. I don't know if I can pinpoint exactly why it reads like that, but even without knowing the exact year it came out, I could tell it was probably pre-2005, definitely pre-2010. Just something to keep in mind when opening the book. I liked the eerie, small beach town setting Black has going on in this one. There was a good mix between creepy and woodsy and normal that I liked about the town Kaye is living in, at least for the time being. When Black described the Glass Swamp, I could really see the creek and trees and scattered bottles to the point where I wanted to draw the scene. I also really enjoyed the description of the Unseelie Court, the setup of it being filled with roots and stalactites and weird veins of crystal made the place seem that much more Other. Kaye was...I don't necessarily want to say trashy, but...there are ways to write characters who drink and smoke and stay out late and party and drop out of school, all from a young age, while still having them come across as classy and someone you'd want to sympathize with. I've read books that set this up quite well, so it's nothing against that (I get it, school sucks and sometimes vices are the only thing that seem to help in life), it's more of how Kaye's characterization comes across. Clary from TMI drops out of school (and Simon does too, for a time), and actually, so do most fantasy/sci-fi MCs. Likewise, most MCs in YA novels drink or smoke or do drugs or are around those kinds of things and the authors pull it off because they write the characters and those scenes as being more than just about that. The problem, I think, is that Kaye still feels like a child for a good bit of the book, and it isn't until that passes that those qualities of her that were poorly setup in the beginning begin to seem like they fit into a scene as something other than the starring role. Aside from her initial immaturity, I really liked that Kaye just... believed in Faeries from the get-go. She'd grown up with them, believed in them, and there was none of that shock and catatonia that can sometimes come from reveals like that. Black did a good job of having a character new to the world without making her completely green. It also gave us a good reason for whyKaye trusts some of the people she comes across and the things they say. It isn't just out of nowhere or out of a lack of anyone else to turn to, it's been setup so that we know that she knows these people and has known them. *SPOILER* Though the length of time it takes to finally reveal that Kaye's a changeling was a bit much, half the book, by my estimates *SPOILER END*. Corny was a good side-character. He started out as being the surly, obnoxious older brother of Kaye's friend, Janet, but then he ends up being more integral to Kaye's journey and to the plot than Janet is. As surly as he starts out being, Corny actually turns out to be a pretty cool, accepting guy. He's the first to actually see Kaye and he pretty much just rolls with it, accepting everything she says no matter how weird or out there it seems. He's a great friend for Kaye and even has some of his own arc in this one (I believe he get's more of one inIronside). I feel bad for what he endures at the hands of other Faeries, and am uncomfortable with some of the insinuations of what occurs between him and Nephamael on that first night (and really the ones after, but it comes closest to being explicitly stated then), and I'm not entirely sure how I really feel about it beyond 'uncomfortable.' Roiben's an interesting character and I wish we got to see more of him in this book, or even more of him from his POV. He seems like a character with such internal divisions, but we don't get to really see this explored in this one (again, from what I understand, he, like Corny, has a bigger role/arc in Ironside). In this one he seemed, for the most part, to be around to be Kaye's love interest. This may be one of the parts that really feels like an early-2000s book to me, since the romantic aspect of the book wasn't built up too much. It was very much a case of girl-meets-fantasy-boy and they argue some, have mixed allegiances, they kiss a little, they argue and have mixed allegiances some more, girl's a little jealous, more mixed allegiances, and then suddenly they're with one another. I can see where the romance could've been built up, there are traces of it that I think should've been amplified more, but as it is, there's not really a lot of sense to Kaye and Roiben, no matter how cute they are on the last page. Overall it's a pretty good book, even with the heavy early-2000s vibes it has going on. Kaye and Corny were solid characters, and the other faeries were intriguing enough to make up for most of the rest of it. Likewise, I thought the settings were great and I really enjoyed the way Black turned the 'new to fantasy world' trope on its head. I'm also going to pop in here and say I also really enjoyed Kaye's mother, Ellen, as a side character. She seems really chill and open-minded and, though she cares deeply for Kaye, also acknowledges that Kaye needs to be able to make her own decisions in life (though, for the sake of reality, kids really can't drop out of school until they're 15/16, not 14, even with parental permission, which I know because I considered it in 9th grade too, lol).

[vapormaison]

2019 Best Vinyl Pressing 1/4: 魂のための歌 by 憂鬱

Preface: Throughout the month of December, Vapor Maison will be nominating  “BEST OF” albums of 2019. Slots will remain open for this month’s releases. Categories include Best Vaporwave Release, Best Future Funk Release, Best Re-Release (V & FF), and Best City Pop Re-Release, among others. This is one nominee for best Vinyl Press.

Author’s Note: For the writer’s ease of writing and readers ease of reading, I’ll be using the transliteration of 憂鬱:Yūutsu, and the translation of “Soul’s Song” in lieu of “魂のための歌”. I’ll maintain the Japanese track listings for easy reference. Apologies to Purity, a maiden as tedious as she is cruel.

Are the merits of a vaporwave album on vinyl even worth reviewing?

 Obviously, you’re reading a vaporwave vinyl review — creating a sort of circuit — so in the strictest sense of the word, yes, — but naturally, a follow up question must be asked by any smart music consumer. If so much of vaporwave, and by extension future funk, is centered around digital manipulation of either computer programs (vocaloid, electronic loops, midis, drum kits, etc), and pre-existing digital rips of j-pop (by definition most of future funk) — what’s the point of a vinyl press? Pressing mp3s onto vinyl is pointless — as no amount of “warmth” from a vinyl-based Hi-Fi system will ever make up for a low-quality source. What’s more, the indie releases of these tracks can make it hard to justify an expensive vinyl mastering session. In my most unfortunate purchases, I’ve had MP3s outperform certain 45s.

But sometimes, you can get just the right format, just the right mix and master, and it just makes your hifi set sing. You, as a Vaporwave/Future Funk/Chillwave/etc. enthusiast, can certainly approach the sonic repro quality of lore — that Platonic form of an “audiophile’s album”. How can I prove this? Look no further than Soul’s Song by Yuutsu. Point blank, full stop. This is the one of the rare vapor records for a true audiophile. In this next section, I’ll be giving my thoughts on the album’s tracklist. In Part 2, you can join me for a trip into Hi-Fi World for a discussion of Vapor-Vinyl’s legitimacy.

PART 1: THE MUSIC

小さい鳥 opens the album with a moody, synthetic mandolin-like twang and elegiac Vocaloid vacillations extended in a sort of melancholic embrace that brings you — willing or otherwise, into the arms of this project. The arrangement of the loops are of particular note here, with the layering of additional sonic flutters that culminate in an anti-climactic crescendo that leaves you as sad and disappointed as the album no doubt wants you to feel.

それは愛を返さありません ends up being the most “atmospheric” of all the tracks, a listening experience I’d describe as a fitting background track for a KEY visual novel — eerie, haunting monosyllabic Vocaloid chants of comprising the long, long hooks. While running at 5:24, it definitely feels longer — perhaps created by a symphonic discord between vocals and music at intermittent portions of the piece. I’d characterize this piece as the most experimental of the album, deftly playing with my expectations more than any of the others.

闇 is incredible — and without a doubt the highlight of the tape. Because it departs from the simple string looping and gives us something more — something resembling a tragic and contemplative harmony, however discordant, and one that builds into lyrically what I consider to be a genuine contemplation of spirituality and the other world — a natural place, topically, for an album titled “Soul’s Song”. A sort of hollow computerized synth also left me considering — was this song about the soul of the Vocaloid program itself?

The digitized horns, eerie synths, and what I could best classify as the crackling of amplifiers introduce the thirty-eight second interlude of 変更 and serve as the riser to the climactic shift of the EP beginning in おやすみ. This four-minute piece deftly blends electric and analog strings and brings the vocaloid program to its emotional and sonic heights, really making the high-end pop in a for a surprisingly refreshing experience.

We conclude the album with a hybrid piece ネコチャン which captures the electric energy of おやすみ, the distorted samples of 変更 and adds a fleeting feeling of warmth with that familiar sound of tennis shoes on a waxed gym floor, evoking nostalgia that never was of doldrum days in a Japanese high school. The album fades out, with our familiar vocaloid’s calling out of Neko-chan, melting away like memories.

PART 2: THE VINYL LISTENING EXPERIENCE

When re-starting this review blog in earnest over the past month or so, I made a point to get my best gear serviced. I couldn’t claim to be fulfilling my broadened duties without having a fully-serviced, properly functioning kit. One of the more essential and dreaded refurbishments was getting my KEFs over to the local stereo shop wizard for a re-foam. I’d be without my workhorses for a week: an audiophile Alexander without his binaural Bucephalus. In the meanwhile, my backup speakers — a pair of Cambridge Audio SX-50 bookshelf speakers that I use as computer monitors, stepped up to the plate as pinch hitter.

I provide this anecdote for a reason: the very afternoon I dropped my KEF’s off at the shop is also the afternoon I received my copy of Soul’s Song by Yūutsu.

Admittedly, I can’t say I was particularly hyped for this release, or very eager tor receive it in the post. The previous evening I had been sleeplessly experimenting on a DJ set of city pop for the journal’s launch party at my alma mater. I was decidedly on an upbeat, caffeine-fueled kick of positive thoughts and big dick energy. Success had triggered the dopamine receptors, and the idea of sitting down for a serious listening session of an album that many BandCamp users had dubbed as “peak sadwave” seemed like an unnecessary vibe check.

But— being a self-appointed music blogger— a craft which I imagine has real pretensions about it somewhere, I buckled —a serious listening session was attempted.

And I was utterly blown away.

***

A final word on gear. The Cambridge SX-50s — and Cambridge Audio in general— do have a bit of a cult-following among guitar enthusiasts in various audiophile spheres. I also am familiar with a listening bar in Nagoya (where I studied abroad for a semester) that uses top-shelf Cambridge Hi-Fi gear solely for Vocaloid listening sessions!

Suffice to say, I was not actively thinking about either of those two facts when I first let the needle drop, but when the twangy synthetic guitar loop and the eerie vocalic chants of それは愛を返さありません began, a sudden wave of melancholy set in and brought my mind back to a lonely winter spent in that basement bar after breaking up with my girlfriend. And to the Cambridges. At that time, I became intimately familiar with how an upbeat, poppy — sometimes even jazzy track— accompanied with Vocaloid vocals could really make those speakers sing. And it was happening right now, as I was cuddled by the warmth pouring from those drivers in spite of the cold sadness of the arrangement. That dichotomy was on full display as “Ya-aa-mi” invocations of 闇 reached its penultimate hook.

In may respects, these Cambridges were and still are petty. I had previous experience with them butchering a poor quality vinyl of the Luxury Elite/Saint Pepsi Late Night Delight EP two years ago. My KEF’s usually take it upon themselves to run cover for a bad release. Cambridge-chan couldn’t be bothered. On a bad day, with a bad play, they’ll seem like the most clinical JBL studio monitor — but here they were, absolutely singing. This album was making them slap — metaphorically. And that’s when I realized what a magical press this was.

Five days later, the KEFs were securely hooked up to my amp again. The first vinyl to be put through the paces was, of course, Soul’s Song. Again I was impressed. The exquisite layering of this album can’t be expressed enough — and while the SX-50s brought out the synthetic string and vocals to the fore, my 104s filled in the rest of the sonic picture. I felt as if I was being re-acquainted with a piece of sculpture upon viewing it from a different angle, or witnessing a church’s mosaic in person after seeing a small reproduction in a well-printed textbook. This is a pressing far and above the previous standards I’ve set for vaporwave.

***

As any Vapor Vinyl review would be incomplete without a brief take on the overallＡｅｓｔｈｅｔｉｃ of the release, so I’ll just start by saying that I really enjoy the three-tone front end. The lavender, beige and white undeniably make this a very “Aloe” release, who tend to make things easy on my very nearsighted eyes by never making the cover too busy. This is perhaps with the notable exception of VR 97’s recent cassette release — not a trend, I hope!

I do have to admit I’m getting a bit tired of pink vinyls, though — and Soul’s Song unfortunately now joins a very crowded pack. I suppose if you were being pedantic, you could compare the “pinkness” of the album vis a vis the 2nd pressing of Macros 82-99’s Sailorwave (fuller, more saturated), or even the “bubblegum” first pressing of Vektroid’s Floral Shoppe (just naming two iconic releases) — but I think this release would have been fine (and moved units) as, say, a picture disc — making use of the powerful, emotive cover art to its fullest extent. In short, it takes something unique and then commodifies it to the point of exhaustion. While I suppose this criticism could be leveled at all of the genres I cover— I think generally speaking Vaporwave and Future Funk (to a lesser extent) treads this line of “capitalist critique” and “modified consumption” rather adeptly.

The main thrust in the previous paragraph, I should qualify, is not a specific criticism of Aloe City Records, however — I think they’ve done a fine job generally. If I could make a list of three releases that justify a special edition vinyl — this is certainly one.

For audiophile vaporwave/chill-wave fans, I’d encourage you to snap it up while you can.  You can even buy it ethically — it’s still in stock on Aloe City’s band-camp page. It’s in my mind — without doubt — one of the best presses of the year.

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Top 50 Songs of 2019

1.  Julia Jacklin - Head Alone

Lyricism, pace, snowballing, power, catchiness. Pure catchy and melodic, angelic, lovely, lusty.

2. Cate le Bon - Sad Nudes

Her voice, always, a thing of intelligent beauty. 

Interesting subject matter.  Reclaiming nudes?  Is it sad to take nudes? I feel like it’s empowering but not also.  I hate the thought of men requesting nudes.  My sister and her peers get this a lot and I don’t like it.  It confers power to the voyeur (often deeply unattractive comparatively!) 

But then it could be seen as empowering also, if it’s just for yourself taking it.   For centuries, people want to see themselves depicted in narrative and photo form - is this what makes us human?  Fascinating.  

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

As a tenuous link between Cate’s track and Julia Jacklin, Julia also has a track named ‘Body’ which explores a past relationship.  It reflects on a relationship that ends.  These next lines are powerful:-

‘I’m not a good woman, when you’re around’  (Cat Power’s - Good Woman also explores this, what defines this?  Why do people make us feel like we need to perform the role of a ‘good woman’ - why do we feel bad, if we are angry or negative or depressed?  I think says a lot about the social construction of femininity being tied to ‘goodness’ I think it harms us sometimes, comparing ourselves to these ‘selfless’, good women that are also beautiful, hard-working, intellectual, but not too intellectual, and always sensitive to men’s needs over their own. 

Back to Julia’s perfect lyrics:-

That’s when the sound came in.  I could finally see.

I felt the changing of the seasons // All of my senses, rushing back to me.

Go your own way // Watch me turn my own head.

Eyes on the driver, hands in my lap, heading to the city to get my body back. 

I remembered early days // when you took my camera

Turned to me, 23, naked on your bed.  Looking straight at ya.

Do you still have that photograph? Would you use it to hurt me?  Well I guess it’s just my life and it’s just my body.  

I guess it’s just my life, and it’s just my body.

That feeling of intrusion, I can relate to massively. Sometimes you feel alienated by your own body and that it is “just a body”, and that you’re not really valued for anything but your body.  I think it’s more of a female experience. 

3.  Sharon van Etten - Seventeen

Strength, defiance, powerful, connectivity, ageing.  Ace lyricss, “I used to be 17, now you’re just like me”.  There is such beauty and wisdom in this song, “i see you so uncomfortably alone / I wish I could show you how much you’ve grown”   “I used to be 17, I used to be 17.”  Love the way she signs “la la la” oh gorgeous simplicity but with this intelligence and edge.  “I know what you’re gonna be, I know that you're gonna be”   “Afraid you’ll be just like meeeeeeeeee”  (Och, sad/sweet/reflection, feeling old but with the responsibility and confidence that comes with it.  Sounds a wee bit like Patti Smith on the extended high notes on “meeeeeeeeee” so feisty.  How we are all basically that under confident, anxious 17 year old, even when we’ve grown and learnt all these life lessons.  

4.  Sault - Up All Night

Opening bongo drums and bass, slick and classy, draw you in. Such a catchy tune.  “no time for sleep”.  Such an exciting weekend song, makes you feel excited.  I like the kind of declarative “shut up you need to shut up” entwined with “don’t stop the beat again”  I can’t work out if the male vocals are referencing vulvas, if so, hell yes.  “And I will walk alone” Such feistiness and catchiness.  At around 2 minute 32, it picks up volume into some kind of psychedelic and calediscospic drop that just keeps building and I feel like I am in a 70s movie walking along the pavement, euphoric and bombastic.  Then drums again.  The drums, vocals and bass are the strength of this track.  

5.  Faye Webster - Room Temperature

Wonky, sassy, hubby, intelligent, sarcastic, bittersweet breakup sass.  

6.  Buzzy Lee - Sundown Queen

Purely for the most gorgeous, romantic voiced line of the year:-

“In the seventies, we’d be in love”.

7.   Ada Lea - The Party

Another brilliant female vocalist.  “Ditch the party, in your beat up truck.  You’re always leaving when the night starts”.

Fave line - And the moon was a strange shade of green, orange, was i wrong cause I couldn’t tell the difference at all?

At all, at all, at all.

Stood on the porch, watching you get away.

Second fave line:-

And the night, that night was a pure shade of honest, or something Was I wrong? 'Cause I couldn't tell the difference At all, at all, at all, at all

So it’s kind of like the moon and the night verses, are similar, in tone of voice or enunciation and I really really like this.  

8.  Grace Ives - Anything

Lovesong, post-modernity.  Like a future scape, electronic, tinny, flimsy but with a depth to the writing, also a boom boxy 90s feel. 

Rhyming.  

Electronic.  “Holding hands, silence sigh”  “I can’t think of any way to move, I look you in the eye”.  

“I’m right here, I wanna love you.  I wanna fight”.

“I would do anything, anything, anything to keep you in my life”. (Oh my life)

“That’s the way it’s got to be from now on”.

“I’m gonna talk, I’m trying harder, I’m sleeping less”.

“I would do anything, anything to keep everything above my chest”.

“Chest” it’s the way she says it.  Dark, light, sarcastic.  Kind of reminds me of Cher or someone with a deeper vocal range.  

“That’s the way it’s got to be from now on”.

“Oh that’s the way it’s got to be” (highness, lightness)

That is the way, it’s just the way it’s gotta be (guaranteed to get in your brain all day).

Also, a mention for her song Mirror which is brilliant.  It’s like a song we might have heard when we were 13, but so much better and sassier.  It has this 90s r+b feel, but is smart and weird, “I think I think about it too much right now, I didn’t know what I was about, I think I finally got it f- figured out”. 

Mirror, mirror on the wall

Money, move me along

Heart, in the air

Baby, I don’t care 

Also another mention for Butterfly

It’s so sexy and her high range is amazing.  

9.  Ztella - Samba

Do I like samba songs because I spent my late childhood/early adolescence in a dance hall in Bolton doing the samba with various girls from places in Bolton I didn’t know.  Yes, I am pre-disposed.  

But this song is fine.  It’s fit as.  Exuberant.  Classy.  Mid summer evenings.  Breezy holidays, sun sea air catching your neck, and making you want to dance.

10. Brijean - Show and Tell

Those hazy female Californian vocals I like so much like Mama Cass.  So slick and lovely, also a few 70s funk whistles and synths as the drop comes in.

11.  Babii - Seizure

12.  Jorge Albrecht - Only Gonna Break Your Heart

Those male/female vocals, laced, layered with back and forth woozy bass, similar to some other songs I like such as Marilyn by Them are Us Two and Soft as snow (but warm inside) by MBV.

13.  SASAMI - Pacify my Heart

Classy, sad, melancholic, fresh, zen, neutral, complexity.  

14.  Weyes Blood - Picture be Better

All the Joni vibes on this record.  Sad sad reflection on wanting to be redeemed and seen in a better light.  I love her voice, production, depth to the lyrics.  I like how her voice is in a lower key than most, lyrics flowing with such intricacy yet also stripped back and melodic.  

15.  Noname - Song 32

Sweet rhyming style, super feminine and confident flow, so slick tho, could be any male rapper.  “I am the Kennedy’s out for lunch” nice reference to history.  “Diddy money” oh yes, talking about this commercialisation of rap backed by big business (1 person monopoly).  Also, what I like about this track is that it reminds me of being younger and in the summer listening to pop and rap and r&b in the garden, only it’s a kickass female rapper who is smart and funny.

16.  Big Thief - Not

So fulfilling to listen to, belting it out and feeling angst.  

17.  Planet 1999 - Spell

Dream like 90s vibes, lush harmonies are so light and airy and then the bass and drums kick in.  So melodic, I feel like I am feminist Barbie listening to this.  Beautiful vocals.    

18.  Lightning Bug - Vision Scraps

Distortion opening, reminiscent of MBV.  Sweet hummingbird vocals, laced with distorted guitars. Nice drums. Having to really listen to the words. Break in the distortion at approx 2 minute

19.  Carla dal Forno - Dont Follow Me

20.  Teen Body - Dreamo

Twin peaks synths and guitars open the song.  Lovely MBV drone guitars on the 2 count, lovely, dreamy.  Then vocals begin so angelic and beatific, i love it.  Could be a much clearer Blinda Butcher vocal.   Hazy, woozy, wavey and repeat.  Male/Female vox interplay I like, so reminiscent of MBV.  MBV being the best archetype.  Male vocals, a little too high in pitch to be as good as Kevin Shields, however, still this track is very pleasing.  “I could have told you that”

Nice wee break in the track at 3 minute 34 secs.  

21.  James Massiah - Natural Born Killers (Ride for Me)

Trippy, bubbly, spaceagey, acid vibes, dystopia/utopia cityscapes.  Danceable, intelligent and jocular.  

22.  Sandy - Not There

23.  Mount Eerie - Love Without Possession

24.  Easter - Muscle

It’s no wonder to me that Easter is a novelist because her word play engulfs you in these romantic, callous, cruel, visceral, trippy, sexual double entendres and European flaneur narratives.  

While the (heart) beats are 90s Euro beats but with a finesse and style no one rivals. Also, about the drums and electronic synths - they really punctuate the spoken word lyrics, it feels like a marching band or something - so taut and percussive.  

I’m going to eventually write a list of my favourite Easter lyrics and this is such catharsis, they bring me joy.  Smart and critical but trippy and fun.  Decidedly adult.

“Back to the studio.  Holding my crotch.  Laying it down”.

“Sadness is an evil gas inside of me”.  (I can totally relate).  

“like a pack of miniature Russian figure skaters on a suicide mission across the frozen lakes of the world to find true love” Oh my, the imagery, startling and beautiful.  Think about also trafficking of Russian women?  Is this what she is referring to?  Or Russian athletes?  Intriguing.  

“A future where each pussy gets a puppy when she hits the floor”.  What does this even mean?  Cats reigning supreme.  Women/femininity to be rewarded for action or inaction?  Fascinating.  

“I fall asleep on these sticky sheets to dream of you and how we’ll meet, again one day to fuck, and eat, and drink and kiss and never sleep”.  Holy cow!!  Gut punching eroticism and obsession.

25.  Okay Kaya - Ascend and Try Again 

Great guitar, slow melancholic and then the singing starts which is just gorgeous and reflective. 

“Ascend and try again” (I like the lyrics, I want to ascend to be honest).

Her voice feels so comforting with this depth and clarity that shines through.

Definite ear worm you can’t stop singing. 

26.  Sandy (Alex G) -  In My Arms

27.  American Football - Every Wave to Every Rise

28.  Sleep Over - I don't want to hide

29.  Molina - Venus

30.  EDDYEVVY - All for Me

31.  Fauness - Soon There Will Be No Summer

32.  Infinite Bisous - Island

33.   Aldous Harding - The Barrel

This song is catchy, but slightly off beat, you don’t know where she’s going to go with it, left-field, jarring.  I wasn’t sure about the vocals initially, but each time I listen, I enjoy it.  

34.  Free Love - Everyone

35.  Eartheater - Concealer

36.  Hand Habits - Placeholder 

37.  Erika de Casier - Good Time

38.  Aya Gloomy - vs Reality

39.  Fee Lion - Re(Visit)

“I love you but I cannot think about you anymore”.  Pulsating bass and catchy distorted synths.  Vocals are beautiful.  “Time to erase our time”.  Breakup contemplation.  Becomes more intimate yet intense, picks up tempo but vocals are more stripped “I am walking alone, feeling fine on my own”.  REPEAT.   Pertinent.  More explained.  “I knew you, oh how I knew you, oh.  I kne-ew you (lovely enunciation” Can we really stake claim to having known someone once?

“All I have is time, time to erase our time”.  When you just want to erase someone so much and it takes a long time because the way you think is so merged with that person.

Ultimate power track.  Deriving power.  Gaining strength.

“Feeling fine”.  One last declaration of strength.  

40.  Equip - Shop (New Inventory!)

This is the song I want to soundtrack my weekly shop so I can imagine being a vaporwave, nintendo or anime character going about the shops, similar to kick ass Negative Gemini, but instead I will reconcile I am a boring nerd (while listening to sick beats, yo!)

41.  Pearly - Too me

Self-composed/self-control

Post-rock with Julee Cruise angel vocals I love.

42.  Mount Kismet - Teenage Fantasy

43.  Prince Rama - F.A.T.E. bought us together

44.  Space Drum Machine - The Mauskovic Dance Band

Infectious, brilliant sitar sounds and synths, makes me want to dance.  Light, breezy, melodic holiday song that sweeps along at pace.  

45.  Ariana Grande - Ghosting

Such a sad melody and lyricism, that sounds cinematic its perfection.  Woozy synths and sirens, that engage the listener straight away.

“I know you hear me when I cry

I try to hold in the night”

Sadness, her voice is stunning.  

“Baby you’re doing so well” Her voice.  Oh so beautiful.

“We’ll get through this, we’ll get past this, I’m a girl with - a whole lot of baggage” (I can identify).

I dunno what this song is about - a couple becoming stronger

The strings, the synths becoming more orchestral.  

‘I know that it breaks your heart when I cry again”.

46. Lana del Rey - California

I could have put any track off Normal Fucking Rockwell to be fair as her songs are ace.

47.  Elena Setien/Mary Lattimore - Wreckage of the hunt

Beautiful harp offsets beautiful vocals.  Lovely and classy.  

48  Blue Hawaii - All that Blue

“Give me sunshine too, oh yeah”. 

49.  Xavibo and Aleesha - Last Call

Best line “some drunk cop might pull me over’.  I like how American people are contextualising this in regards to people of colour being pulled over by inept cops.  Worrying it still happens though.  I guess as well, you wouldn’t really expect a hyper feminine female pop track to be referring to this though - which is great. 

50.  Automatic - Calling It.

Nice drums and guitars, kind of 60s sounding, building and building.  Then female sass vocals, loud and joyous.  “Emotions always out of reach”.  The guitars have this throbbing kind of swagger I also like on a track by Maraudeur named ‘Computer Dreams’.

“A picture of your changing face / To hold it all together”.

What I like is the merging of guitars with synths to make these future/retro narratives that are existential and narrative based.

[sarahscreamsboutstuff]

Sarah’s Top 10 Quarantine Songs

Being in quarantine has given me the chance to explore different music options. Before quarantine, I was mainly listening to power metal, but being isolated definitely gives more time to browse different artists.  Here are 10 great songs to jam out to, whether in quarantine or not.

10. Violet by Moyka

I wasn’t expecting to like this song, because of how electronic it was.  I had a huge dance phase when I was twelve, but I quickly got tired of the genre as a whole.  However, Moyka’s vocals really fits in with the electronic vibe, and I found that this song helped me focus on my daily tasks.  If you enjoy dubstep, then you probably will like this song as well.

9. Line Without a Hook by Ricky Montgomery

This song has been around for a while, but I’m a bit late to the party.  The emotions that this song stirs up for me is very special.  Whenever I feel alone, I put this song on and I feel less lonely.   I heard that this song can also make people break down, so I’d be careful listening to it.  But for me, I feel nothing but positive vibes.  If you’re into acoustics, this is a great song to chill to.  

8. MORE by K/DA (ft. Madison Beer and (G)I-dle)

As soon as I heard this and the video came out, I immediately wanted to become an Akali main.  I can’t properly describe how good this song is, it’s that good.  All I can really recommend is to watch the music video and listen to the song yourself.  I can pretty much guarantee that you won’t be disappointed.  The music video is very flashy and glamorous, but can also trigger epilepsy at the beginning.  Be careful if you suffer from epilepsy.  If you’re a k-pop fan, this song is for you.

7. Malibu by Kim Petras

Malibu is one of my favorites.  Just like the song implies, this song is the definition of summer pop.  This song takes you back to bright sunny days by the water, hanging out with friends, and having a good time.  Overall, Malibu has such an exciting and youthful vibe.  Kim Petras does a great job in capturing summer’s energy.  If you aren’t a winter person, Malibu might take you right back to your comfort zone.

6. White Winter Hymnal by Fleet Foxes

I admit that this song has been an ear worm that has been stuck in my brain for the past decade.   However, I revisited the song in quarantine and the song’s meaning was a lot darker compared to when I last heard it.   I always interpreted this song as a day in the snow for a group of kids.  When I relistened to this song during quarantine, I realized that this song is about someone (Michael) being beheaded, and his blood is staining the snow.  White Winter Hymnal still gives me chills, but it’s definitely a dark beauty.  If you love folk music, then you’d probably like this song.

5. Bae City Rollaz by Yung Bae

Like Malibu, Bae City Rollaz makes you feel good.  I love how Yung Bae utilizes sound.  The 4D audio in the beginning gives the illusion that you’re spinning, which is really satisfying for me to listen to.  Bae City Rollaz embraces that it’s a remix and turns a funky, yet sad song about a woman reminiscing about her lost love and dying youth into a song that you’d hear in a roller rink.  This song is so easy to dance to, and is overall a fun bop.  If you like Japanese Pop or Future Funk, then this is a great song to check out.  

4. Queens Everywhere by Cast of Rupaul (Season 11)

I was catching up with Rupaul’s Drag Race during quarantine, and Season 11 was where it was at.  Although I prefer other Rupaul songs over this one, I absolutely LIVE for Miss Vanji and Yvie’s verses.  I catch myself randomly saying “I’m Yvie Oddly and oddly enough-” way too often.  The song itself also slaps, especially the beat.  It’s practically screaming “VOGUE TO ME,” much like Call Me Mother, another song by Rupaul.  Queens Everywhere is an empowering song that can make anyone feel fierce.   

3. Rise of the Chaos Wizards by Gloryhammer

No, not Sarah placing power metal in the top three because it’s her favorite genre!  Too bad, this song snatched my soul straight out of my body.   Paul Templing carried the song by metaphorically setting his fingers on fire with his guitar solo.  It’s so easy to forget that this song was supposed to be cheesy, and a parody of Euro Power scene.  I listen to this song while doing homework, to wake up, and to sleep.  I have no shame in saying that this song has spent most of its time in my “Recently Played.”  If you love cheesy sci-fi metal, then all of Space 1992: Rise of the Chaos Wizards album is a jackpot.  

2. Burn in Hell by Twisted Sister

I’ve always had a soft spot for Twisted Sister and Dee Snider.  He’s the original rebellious glam clown prince of the rock genre (yeah, move over KISS).  Best known for calling out Al Gore’s secret BDSM fetish in front of Congress, and his anti-conformist song We’re Not Gonna Take It, Snider has been the face of not taking bull for over 30 years. Even though many people have used the We’re Not Gonna Take It anthem for political reasons this year (on both sides of the political spectrum) and is the best known song by Twisted Sister, Burn in Hell (in my opinion) is the gem of the Stay Hungry album.  It’s gritty, grungy, and the song suits Dee Snider’s voice very well.  When I’m angry, this song helps me direct my anger in a healthy way.  If you like angsty anthems, Burn in Hell is a perfect pick.  

1. Stossgebet by Powerwolf

Powerwolf is my absolutely favorite band of all time.  The Sacrament of Sin is by far their best album, and I love every song on the album.  It was very hard to choose just one to put as my number one quarantine song.  I did listen to Venom of Venus the most out of all the songs (781 times), but Stossgebet is such a joy to listen to.  I love almost the eerie choir vibes it gives off, the brief calm acoustic before the final climax, and the...interesting...lyrics.  Karsten Brill’s powerful voice entrances me to listen to every one of Powerwolf’s songs.  I recommend them as a whole, but Stossgebet is a good start.  If you’re into gothic power metal, then Powerwolf is the most obvious option! 

[livegrenade]

alright time to listen to that five leak :^) (how i feel about the songs [we haven’t heard yet] under the cut; “ratings” are how i feel about the songs)

bad moon:

creepy vibes at the start, a demonic voice kinda thing.

kinda sounds poppish. reminds me of chase atlantic and palisades. chill and creepy. i dig it. i love funny’s part. some electronic elements.

7.5/10

ghost beach:

i’m feeling a ton of the neighbourhood vibes (reminds me of female robbery in terms of the instrumental and the way the lyrics are said). this is “danny’s song”. absolutely great.

8.5/10

broken record:

charlie’s anger in his verse makes it so good omg. switches to a “hopeless” kind of mood in the chorus. lots of emotion in j3t’s verse too. i love the tune going on in the verses but not a fan of the tune in the chorus. 

6.5/10

nobody’s watching:

sounds like a song on the radio. instrumental especially. i don’t really think jdog fit in this song. gets really repetitive. not really into it.

4/10

black cadillac: 

eerie and dark mood. j3t’s verse is aggressive, like dead in ditches and undead angry. jdog’s verse references bitches and also mentions live grenade ayy. b-real’s verse is the third one, not bad. a chorus with funny is always a good chorus. 

8/10

pray (put em in the dirt):

HEAVY. j3t’s aggressive as fuck. danny in the chorus is a great addition to the song. there’s this “now is your time to die” thing that’s a bit weird but when you hear the outro it kinda fits. they pulled off the whole “electronic vibe” much better here than in does everybody in the world have to die.

9/10

cashed out:

instrumental sounds great. it has hardcore trap vibes. you’d definitely play this song at a party. not my thing but it’s not bad.

7/10

riot:

the “war child” of the album; misleading edgy title is actually a party song. chorus is screaming “let’s start a riot” with danny and jdog. charlie’s voice is autotuned. instrumental isn’t anything special. sounds like a coming in hot v2. 

5/10. gotta be in a certain mood to get into it imo.

bang bang:

*clap clap clap* bang bang bang. beginning is alright but J3T’S PART. HOLY SHIT. guitars kick in full blast. kinda don’t like the chorus at all (they say “bang” twelve times per chorus) but the way danny says “like a bullet” is sooo good.

6/10

your life:

ok so i’ve already heard the 1m 30s snippet before so let’s see how it sounds in full. guitar sounds great. the gang vocal thing going on is great too. great song for the end of the album.

7.5/10

so favorite songs from this list: pray (put em in the dirt), ghost beach, black cadillac

[fighterxaos]

Last time in Ultraman Geed, Ultraman Belial appeared before his son! In their first confrontation, Ultraman Belial defeated his son, Ultraman Geed, as Chimeraberos. Belial absorbed Geed into its body, and fled to the moon. Now, Laiha and the others plan a rescue mission to save our hero. However, will they be in time to get back the Riku they lost, or will encounter a Riku ready to be Belial’s heir?

  Summary:

News broadcasts promote people to wonder if Belial and Geed are connect, while the others plan to rescue Riku. Meanwhile, Riku struggles with Belial’s brainwashing; Belial promises to be the father Riku never had all to have the perfect heir. Laiha eventually tells Zero about the voice she has been hearing, and Zero realizes it is Ultraman King. Zero explains if Laiha seeks to talk to King, go to where his lifeforce is the strongest at the epicenter of the Crisis Impact. Laiha then proceeds to the location, as Belial breaks through Riku’s first mental barrier. However, Reito and Zero arrive to battle Chimeraberos to rescue Riku, but Zero is unaware that Riku is in control.

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Laiha arrives at the location, and meets Ultraman King who teleports her spirit into Belial’s illusion. There Laiha manages breakthrough to Riku, and restores him to be the hero he truly is, Ultraman Geed. Riku escapes and proceeds to battle his father, while Laiha prepares to send her Little Star to him. Using the Wrecking Burst, Ultraman Geed thrusts himself and Chimeraberos all the way back to Earth and Japan. Out of the impact Riku assumes Solid Burning, then Acro Smasher before becoming Magnificent; with each form seemingly rivaling Belial. With bystanders cheering on Geed, and the arrival of the Little Star/ Ultraman King Ultra Capsule, Riku transforms into Ultraman Geed Royal Mega Master!

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Belial becomes enraged by the new form, and rushes in! However, Riku currently overpowers Chimeraberos, and makes quick work to defeat him. With his defeat set in Belial proclaims Geed will never escape his family roots, or fate. Yet, Riku assures his father that he will choose his own fate! AIB appears with the kids who have Little Stars, and they pass the Little Stars onto Geed before he leaves. Back at the Nebula House, Laiha and the others throw a welcome home party for Riku. At the party, Riku explain how he came to name his Ultra form, which leads to Moa’s paranoid setting in due to how Laiha is currently acting. Meanwhile, Kei Fukuide stumbles around an alleyway like a homeless bum…

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  My Thoughts:

This episode is wonderful, and nearly perfect when comparing it to modern Tsuburaya standards! One can only expect my issue with this episode is the pacing which luckily enough it is not too fast, but it makes one think these two episodes were originally written as three. At least that is what I feel from having seen both episodes individually, and back-to-back a few times. Now, I feel the Godola infiltration should have been the entire set-up to part one, with Belial arriving to end it. Part two would follow Geed’s and Zero’s battle with Belial/ Chimeraberos, as well as Belial beginning to corrupt Riku. Whereas, the third part would pick-up somewhere during Zero’s rescue mission, and Laiha meeting Ultraman. From that point onwards, Laiha’s interaction within Chimeraberos would have been longer leading into the conclusion. Yet, I can easily look pass the pacing issue because it is still my personal preference.

  The episode has several interesting aspects that do not exactly touch on the action, but either passing dialog. First off, the Crisis Impact’s epicenter occurred at the hospital where Laiha was born; that location immediately seems very eerie especially since Laiha should have been born before the event. However, Laiha’s birth is proven to have been after the Crisis Impact, since Ultraman King saved her life; this revelation helped to discount some fan theories that Riku was made as Belial’s ace in the hole, and things occurred six years prior with memory loss due to the restoration. The full explanation even provides why Laiha was patient zero, and solidified her fate with Riku. The second thing I like is the setting in which Belial tries to persuade/ brainwash Riku; it sets the mood wonderfully and almost makes the viewer want Riku to temporary fall to the dark side…  at least for maybe an episode or two. The next aspect I enjoy is Belial’s references towards Father of Ultra, and Ultraman King, specifically Father of Ultra who he calls by his actual name, Ken. The final interesting piece is when Riku attempts to explain why he named himself Ultraman Geed; it is just laughably stupid and a knock towards the production.

  I saw this in a Godzilla Movie!

Now, as for the action goes, it was incredible! The Hero Club staff that watches Ultraman Geed, and myself literally thought the entire battle was fit to be the finale; the choreography accompanied by the insert track, “Fusion Rise”, literally sets that mood. Ultraman Zero exhausts himself battling Chimeraberos, only to have Geed escape and continue the fight. Then Ultraman Geed blasts Chimeraberos, and himself back to Earth via his Wrecking Burst; it was nearly like how Godzilla flew in Godzilla vs. Hedorah! It was a spectacular moment leading into the cascade of Geed’s forms being put on display. Seeing Acro Smasher again is cool, but not personally my favorite part of the fight; however, it is used to transition to Magnificent’s appearance. Just seeing the quick deflection of Chimeraberos’ attack, only to walk through the explosion as Ultraman Geed Magnificent is empowering! Once Riku becomes Ultraman Geed Royal Mega Master, I do find it hard to take the appearance seriously since the form heavily inspired by Ultraman King; King’s face is just a little goofy, and campy due to the facial hair. Yet, the new armor plating, skeletal designs on the bodysuit, and cape makes his physique heroic. The fight is very one-sided, but continues to give off that finale-vibe even though there are eight episodes left in the series. The entire tokusatsu-aspect is just phenomenal, so please check it out!

  Never the less, as I said earlier this episode is a nearly perfect masterpiece! People will love the intense battles, the wonderful music, and overall story. Also, I think viewers will enjoy how the episode tries to approach certain family values, family-ties, and destiny. However, moving forward one will have to wonder what is going on with Kei! Kei is an exhausted bum living in alleyways, and has a mysterious glow about him. Could the glow seen on Kei’s back be villainous Little Stars hinting at Belial’s new form? In addition, what in the heck is going on for the villain from the Ultraman X movie, Zaigorg, to appear in Ultraman Geed? … Guess those all questions to be answered in the next episode review!

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Guess who’s back? Back again! Zaigorg’s back! Tell Ultraman X!

Ultraman Geed Episode 17 – The King’s Miracle! Time to Change Fate Review

Last time in Ultraman Geed, Ultraman Belial appeared before his son! In their first confrontation, Ultraman Belial defeated his son, Ultraman Geed, as Chimeraberos.

Ultraman Geed Episode 17 – The King’s Miracle! Time to Change Fate Review Last time in Ultraman Geed, Ultraman Belial appeared before his son! In their first confrontation, Ultraman Belial defeated his son, Ultraman Geed, as Chimeraberos.