#counterfeit arcade

[izel-scribbles]

There's many ways to right a thing that's wrong  You smile, you move along  But I prefer a song

(click for hd // closeups + wip shots under the cut)

ughhhh. he's so. he is. favorite deplorable bastard man

the notes behind him are actually the first search result i found for "peggy gordon sheet music" lmaooo

[likealizardyousay]

joining the trend ehehe

[dullahandyke]

Oh dear, let me see those smoky eyes 'Cause you're a villainous thing and we can't have you living a lie Oh dear, let's remove those pretty clothes 'Cause you're a villainous thing, oh, and I don't think anyone knows

[ok-albumreview]

Counterfeit Arcade by Shayfer James (9/10)

BEST SONG: "For The Departed" WORST SONG: "Peace"

An album that feels like a collection of cool ass villain theme songs. Shayfer James somehow made a cohesive album of piano-driven music without the novelty of its flavor getting stale as it runs its course. While a lot of the tracks achieve the same level of greatness, I do feel as though some of the tracks don't quite stand with the rest. Still a great album with a unique flavor!

[winds-of-roses]

Genuinely, why is the album counterfeit arcade so goddamn relateable

[pigeon2555]

Big up my mans Shayfer James

[meggydolaon]

Tagged by @rubytactician 💗

rules: list your top 5 albums from your top 5 artists (can't have a repeat of the same artist) on a poll, so your followers can vote which album they think captures your vibe the best.

Tagging: @raineyraven @valla @laulink @notcatherinemorland @homunerd 🫶

just wanted to start with a fresh post but feel free to add your polls in the reblog if u wanna play along ^w^

[lookslikethatsallthetimewehave]

I miss the old Poptropica animation, where the characters would stomp on the ground angry, cry, get so mad their heads turn red and fly off, laugh, look proud, etc 🥺

Oh yeah! I remember. You can still make your character do that stuff in the arcade, but you don’t see it anywhere else anymore. New animation program and all that

My favorite is when a villain gets so mad, their face goes red!

Funny!

[weirdfishy]

screamminggg bc i just found out that shayfer james released a new album last month, shipwreck, and it's goooooddddd devils & rebels is my fav, but the intro !!!!!! the intro, welcome back misery!!!!! made me tear upppp

[torchthing-edits]

factkin (real people).

the coffin of andy and leyley. (personal comfort)

problematic sources/medias; anything that romanticises illegal activity (e.g. loli/shota [get the fuck off my blog], pro-contact paraphilias)

proship//comship or whatever its called

ddlg and whatever other names people use for it (ddlg and age-re/age-dre are not the same.)

live action sources/medias and roblox myths are on thin ice.

thats about it. through time i'll update this as i see fit.

i might deny requests related to sonic the hedgehog. i have nothing against it but it's just for my own personal comfort.

sources//medias:

baldi's basics in education and learning (classic remastered)

dc comics (batmanverse, arkhamverse)

roblox games (guts & blackpowder, phighting, regretevator)

town of salem

SOME roblox myths/args (it would be hypocritical if i didn't accept - ocean terror, the days union, the smiles family)

other:

objectkin.

conceptkin.

placekin.

song/albumkin.

'hearts, 'links, any type of other-s!

all alter- and nonhumans

supportive non-alterhumans are super welcome, too. i dont bite (unless you want me to).

age-re/age-dre.

original characters.

(legal) self-ship. feel free to ask about/for anything thats unlisted.

i don't really care what you do, just dont come here expecting me to immediately accept your request.

and use your manners too. thanks.

[torchthing-edits-archive]

factkin (real people).

the coffin of andy and leyley. (personal comfort)

problematic sources/medias; anything that romanticises illegal activity (e.g. loli/shota [get the fuck off my blog], pro-contact paraphilias)

proship//comship or whatever its called

ddlg and whatever other names people use for it (ddlg and age-re/age-dre are not the same.)

live action sources/medias and roblox myths are on thin ice.

thats about it. through time i'll update this as i see fit.

i might deny requests related to sonic the hedgehog. i have nothing against it but it's just for my own personal comfort.

i'll do anything thats not on the blacklist, but these are my favourites.

sources//medias:

baldi's basics in education and learning (classic remastered)

dc comics (batmanverse, arkhamverse)

roblox games (guts & blackpowder, phighting, regretevator)

town of salem

SOME roblox myths/args (it would be hypocritical if i didn't accept - ocean terror, the days union, the smiles family)

other:

objectkin.

conceptkin.

placekin.

song/albumkin.

'hearts, 'links, any type of other-s!

all alter- and nonhumans

supportive non-alterhumans are super welcome, too. i dont bite (unless you want me to).

age-re/age-dre.

original characters.

(legal) self-ship. feel free to ask about/for anything thats unlisted.

i don't really care what you do, just dont come here expecting me to immediately accept your request.

and use your manners too. thanks.

[darklight-owl]

shayfer james

I’m listening to him now DAMNN THIS SHIT GOOD OOOOOOOOO

[unnamed-atlas]

Every musician trying to kill me at once I see

[incorrectbatfam]

The batkids mess up in their mission and now they want Damian to accept the blame for them (Damian is the youngest of them all, Bruce will never get too angry when is the youngest apologizing) how the batkids bribe Damian?

Steph: Heeey Dami, I might've done an oopsie on that Croc case. Do you mind taking the heat for me so I don't get benched again?

Damian: No.

Steph: Oh well. Guess I'll have to eat all these vegan waffles by myself.

Damian: Never mind, I reconsidered.

———————

Duke: 'Sup.

Damian: What do you want?

Duke: Just someone to go to the arcade with tomorrow. I heard they have a Cheese Viking VR simulator.

Damian: I believe my schedule is open.

Duke: That's awesome! Too bad Bruce might make me clean the basement tomorrow after that botched stakeout.

Damian: I will take care of Father. You just make sure we are first in line when the arcade opens.

———————

Tim: I messed up the Riddler mission.

Damian, on his phone: How unfortunate.

Tim: Can you take the blame? I don't wanna miss Kon's birthday on Saturday.

Damian: You know my rate.

Tim: *grumbles and writes a check*

———————

Cass: Take my case?

Damian: I thought you already caught the suspect.

Cass: Wrong person.

Damian: What will you do for me?

Cass: Clean litterbox.

Damian: Deal.

———————

Dick: Hey, Lil' D, can you do me a favor and gently let Bruce know that Two-Face skipped town before I could get to him?

Damian: Your Rogue, your problem.

Dick, pulling out a kitten from behind his back: Okay then, I guess I'll take Mr. Fluffykins back to that cold shelter.

Damian: Hand me that creature this instant and I will talk to Father for you.

———————

Barbara: I need you to distract Bruce while I recover some files I accidentally lost.

Damian: *holds out his hand*

Barbara: *sighs and hands him a sketch pencil set*

———————

Jason: I need you to convince Bruce that the explosion at Port Adams was not my fault.

Damian: Absolutely not.

Jason: I knew you'd say that, which is why I came prepared.

Jason: *reveals a bunch of knives under his jacket*

Jason: Take your pick.

———————

Bruce: Wrong, wrong, wrong. Everything is all wrong and I want answers NOW.

Steph: *nudges Damian forward*

Bruce: Damian? Would you like to say something?

Damian: *glances back at his siblings before looking at Bruce*

Bruce, crouching down: Son, whatever you tell me, you know I'll always love you, right?

Damian: Brown's waffle mix was expired, Thomas lied about the Cheese Viking simulator, Drake's check bounced, Cain used the wrong litter brand, the kitten Grayson got was someone else's lost pet, Gordon's pencils were counterfeits from eBay, Todd's knives were plastic, and everyone failed their missions this week.

The batkids: *collective groan*

[arialice]

Hey malevolent fans, let me tell you of the most malevolent coded album, Counterfeit Arcade by Shayfer James.

So many of the songs either in lyrics or vibes remind me so much of this show, so in a few words I'm going to attempt to explain my thought process about each song (be prepared, it's long)

Weight of the World - I don't have much to say about the lyrics. They kind of fit.

"That's just the weight of the world/We do what we must to stay alive/That's just the weight of the world/And we'll all be the weak and the weary sometime"

The instrumentals, tune and vibes is what really makes this song shine for me. Piano (obviously), the general deranged vibes and so on.

For the Departed - reminds me so much of part 20, thought I can't personally decide who's 'singing' the song. It lowkey works from both John's and Arthur's perspective.

"Save yourself/I am far beyond repair/They will bury me alive/But I'm not inclined to care"

More inclined to think Arthur because of the lines:

"Now I must finish what I started, oh-oh/I'll write a symphony for the departed/And I have no time for second chances/So I survive on bourbon, blood, and backward glances, oh"

"And so, the scene begins/Your cries become the wind/A desperate plea best left unheard/Then my contrived goodbye/A poet's pantomime/A drunken jester's final words"

Where we belong - this song. It's literally malevolent in a song. This is the most literal one. I would quote the entire song if I could, but here's some key lines:

"I know we're far beyond the point of no return/Let's say we light a fire and be the first to burn"

"Do you recall the day when we went wrong?/Time is flying/Ease your weary mind, we'll be alone"

"There's a freight train coming, barreling around the bend/There's a red light flashing, oh, ladies and gentlemen, this is the end/I do believe that we've a lesson left to learn/So take your seats, your salutations, and your turn"

"And on the way to our salvation, we'll be making plans/To overthrow the king and pick apart the promised lands"

L.V.S (Your Lady Waits) - makes me think about Oscar, specifically BlindFaith. Very much "you are my reason" vibes. I think it's the overall softness of the song, the emotion in it is so palpable.

"Oh, the mountains bow before ya/Oh, the clouds are open wide"

"Oh, and we, my friend/Will meet again"

"Upon this Autumn morn/Your laughter lingers on"

Villainous thing - This song is so, so, so obnoxiously Kayne to me, as in it feels like a song thats meant to be sung by him. The kinda cheery tune mixed with the lyrics sell it for me.

"Welcome, won't you come inside?/Oh I fear the passing year did not deserve you"

"Soaked and shivered from the rain/You have always been a delicate disaster" - singing about Arthur

"Waste no worry for the world/Let it be a tragedy of love and glory/While they wait by gates of pearl/We'll be building palaces in purgatory" - makes me think of him pitching the the deal with John in like a reverse psychology way. "Oh I'm sure Arthur is fine you can keep building your empire here in the Dark World, king."

Battle Cry - Works in general considering the 'monster of the week' trope this podcast sometimes falls into.

"Hear my battle cry, hear that mighty sound/They've come before and many more will try to strike me down/Hear my battle cry, hear that mighty roar"

The second verse is what really stands out to me though.

"I met a stranger on my way to here from God knows where/He won my lover in a dirty game of solitaire/He stole my crown and placed it crookedly upon his head/He turned around, I took him down and this is what I said" - again, thinking about part 20 (can you tell its my favorite?) The 'stranger' is The King/Hastur/Yellow/Whatever. 'But he's not a stranger?' He kind of is. After Arthur and John are together for so long, even the King admits that he doesn't know why his other half would pick Arthur. John himself had been making small steps at redemption, and just those baby steps made him pretty duffrebt from the King.

"You'll sacrifice the truth to justify your sins/But I don't need an excuse to let the darkness in" - again Arthur and the King. The King does 'bad' shit simply because he wants, yet when Arthur does something moraly 'bad', he has to justify it to himself.

Peace - Very part 31, aka Arthur's Scratch induced nightmare.

"I'd rather live alone than live a lie/I will never deserve peace" - the confessions we get from Arthur about how he felt about Bella

"I spoke to the ghost on my way to asleep/But the boards in the floor called my footsteps a thief" -reminds me of the argument with James. My line of reasoning is that James is the 'boards', and he's calling him a thief because he 'stole' Bella's life by stepping into it, marrying her when he didnt love her, if that makes sense.

"I will never deserve peace/I will never deserve peace/I will never deserve peace" - general self deprication

Diggin' Up Hatchets - makes me think of Larson or in general season 3. A little bit cult-y. It's mostly tune and vibes but the lyrics kind of work

"We're diggin’ up hatchets today/And sharpening the blades/In case, a stitch of hope remains/In this hell that we've raised"

"Hey! We're witnessing the waking of the dead/We’re ripping all the wires from our heads"

"We're burying mercy and grace/In unmarked shallow graves"

"There’s a plan for us lunatics and liars/We have faulty gears and wires/They can't save us, but they’ll do the best they can"

Under the Willow - John theme song in my mind, can't convince me otherwise. Song about discovering one's self and purpose.

"Mother, mother, I think I found my soul/While I was hiding under the willow"

"I've been the portrait of despair/Despite this hat and badge I wear/I've been a captive and a coward" - 'hat and badge' in this case is the crown and robe of the king

"I met a wise man under the willow/Lover, lover, look for me no more/I've been right here under the willow" - Arthur, obviously

"I've been a bastard and a fool/Rewritten nearly every rule/But I believe I'm worth redemption" - the redemption line alone is perfect.

Godspeed - the Jarthur divorce song. Arguing with someone but knowing that in the end you'll find each other again.

"There’s many ways to hide a heart that bleeds/But I prefer the ease of rolling up my sleeves" - might be imagining bit I sweat once John told Arthur that he wears his heart on his sleeve, if not I apologize.

"You’ve got some nerve to be coming/around with that card up your sleeve/And those thorns in your crown" - I think 'card up your sleeve refers to a plan, a secret, which John had many of

"Funny how the night is not as long,/when you depend upon/The dark before the dawn" - John deceiving Arthur many a times. Works well with the repeating line "I used to be someone that you could belive", Arthur starts ignoring and going against John (see, the entire thing with Oscar)

"Good luck, godspeed, I know I’ll see you again/I’ll always call you a friend indeed" - They always get over it and play nice again, until the next argument of course.

Have a Seat Misery - Coda and Intermezzo vibes. Short and sweet. Reads like a conversation between Kayne and Arthur.

"Have a seat, misery/Lord how I’ve missed you/Don’t go crying to me/That I kept you away for too long/Just put your feet up, friend/cause I read all your postcards/And in a way, I am happy to say/That you’ve never been gone"

"Let me light that for you/Seems your hand’s a bit shaky/We’ve got damage to do/And I know you’ll need smoke in your chest/So have a seat, misery/And don't ever mistake me/Of all of my friends, you know/You are the one I like best"

Conclusion/TLDR: Counterfeit Arcade by Shayfer James is, to me, THE malevolent album. Are some of these conclusions a stretch? Probably considering some of the lyrics I didn't present do actually go against the messages of the show, but I had fun writing this and the good(things matching up really well) outweighed the bad(some contradictions). Also go listen to the album or just Shayfer James in general