#dirge of the desert

[aha-chuu]

Kaveh's Odd Desert Connections

Kaveh... Is weird. I hadn't thought that much about it until I very recently caught up with the Dirge of Bilqis quest (the new desert one with Jeht) and watched Ashikai's latest theory video. This post is just meant to gather my thoughts and share what I've learned.

So first what sent me down this rabbit hole was finding this during the desert quest:

In case you missed it in that wall of text, this record is addressed to "Mehrak". We know due to leaks that Kaveh's very cute briefcase is called Mehrak also.

Unfortunately,,, desert lore is like that and is pretty hard to untangle. These records recount the fall of Gurabad and the story of Liloupar - basically, they tell a story of a ruined civilisation from thousands of years in the past. Knowing the actual contents of them isn't really necessary to follow this post, because Mehrak (and by extension Kaveh) is only namedropped this one time out of all the records.

But we can theorise a lot just from this single mention. To me, there are two possible explanations for why "Mehrak" comes up in these records whilst also being Kaveh's present day briefcase. The first is mildly boring but kind of funny: there is no true connection between Kaveh's Mehrak and the Mehrak mentioned, Kaveh simply named his cute techno briefcase after a historical figure because he thought it would be cool. Kaveh is smart and does work on projects in the desert, so it is not outside the realm of possibility that he might learn of Mehrak and use the name. It makes him look a whole lot more nerdy, which I find amusing.

The second possible explanation (and pls do provide your thoughts if you have any other ideas) was provided to me by a redditer (PinkPrimrose05). Their theory is that Mehrak is in a similar situation to Ferigees, who I will remind you is the Jinni near the end of the Dirge of Bilqis questline. They were a person at a certain point in history, but has since been trapped in a mechanical construct. They cannot die until we release them.

(I apologise for the poor quality, Ferigees is inside that yellow mechanism.)

This has many more implications, since (if this is the case) Mehrak's current form does not really match the other ancient desert technology. Well, perhaps it has some similar patterning, but it definitely looks significantly more modern than other technology from that time -

(I could not for the life of me find a good model image for this, so sorry Kaveh's arm is in the way.)

Perhaps I should have mentioned this earlier - we know from leaks that Mehrak has some level of sentience, in that it has expressions (little pixelated anime eye reactions) and responds to Kaveh's instructions without necessitating verbal or physical inputs. This makes the Jinni idea seem more likely, since they also have sentience.

Okay, so maybe the briefcase has a rich history from the time of King Deshret. So what? Kaveh probably found it in the desert and repurposed it for his own needs - perhaps due to errosion Mehrak has no memory of its past life. Since the technology does not quite match, or at least not totally, perhaps Kaveh created the briefcase around Mehrak (as well as an architect he is also a student from the technology darshan, after all). Or maybe he just made additions. What does it even matter aside from being an interesting tidbit?

Well, then I watched Ashikai's latest video: https://youtu.be/h5rNMYwWjfA. It's not necessary watching to understand what I'm about to say, so I'll summarise some of her thoughts very broadly: she brings up the idea that rather than Alhaitham being the Deshret parallel as we all thought, it's instead Kaveh. If you would like to hear all her thoughts as to why that could be, I recommend watching the video.

This does not mean that Kaveh IS Deshret, or even that it's a reincarnation situation. Just that he could be a parallel, or have more connections/knowledge than we might realise. Kaveh is an interesting case from a meta perspective also, since he has had a strange amount of unnecessary story presence for an unreleased four star. He is in the archon quest and Alhaitham's story quest and in neither is his presence at all justified by narrative - Alhaitham's quest could easily end fifteen minutes earlier, and Kaveh adds literally nothing to the archon quest aside from some nice levity. Some lore relevant significance might explain this presence past just "oh, well Hoyo wanted fanservice".

Through the lens that their is some sort of Deshret -> Kaveh connection happening (and I say this so so loosely), his connection with Mehrak might have a more sinister implication. Deshret allowed, through his own ignorance, the Jinni he intended to protect on behalf of the Goddess of Flowers to be enslaved. He also lied about the Goddess' death to the Jinni, and it is largely due to their contract with him that their entire civilisation fell apart. An important note about Ferigees and Liloupar is that both crave an existence outside of their prisons - Ferigees purposefully trapped themself inside the mechanism but found the experience torturous, and Liloupar returns to Gurabad. If Mehrak is another trapped Jinni, Kaveh might be accidentally mistreating it.

However, I like the idea that Mehrak and Kaveh are friends much better. Its expressions are often positive ones, so even if it's forced to listen to Kaveh because he has its name, it doesn't seem too upset about it. Also, another part of Ashikai's video posits that Liloupar so quickly accepts the traveller because they have resemblance to Deshret (a whole other rabbit hole, watch the video if you want to know). In this same thread, Ashikai brings up that Kaveh looks very similar to the traveller, so I think that perhaps Mehrak (either knowingly or not) connects Kaveh to its previous master, which could explain why it listens to him so well.

Overall, I find this connection very intriguing and I'm excited to learn more. There is definitely something there, but whether or not it will be imprtant I do not know.

[coneheadseekers]

omg a conehead-focused account, am I dreaming??

I was STARVING through Tumblr searching for content of my fav little conical blue guy who can't catch a break and then, out of nowhere, I see this account, and I'm dazzled- Are you even real? Please tell me you are and confirm the existence of conehead enjoyers.

Believe it or not, fellow conefan, you're not dreaming. You've simply left behind the unconely transformer rabble and entered into...

✈🍧The Cone Zone 🍧✈

Please enjoy your stay.

[sparknightdaily]

[bogleech]

bog please help me which specific book is this i'm interested

It's Dirge, the second book in a trilogy about how humans and thranx came to form a single integrated civilization, though technically there are four books about this history; one standalone novel about first contact, and the trilogy that begins 20 years later. I'm gonna quote their wikipedia synopses:

Nor Crystal Tears: "The story follows a Thranx, Ryozenzuzex (i.e. Ryo, of Family Zen, clan Zu, Hive Zex) who came from an odd-numbered hatching (thranx offspring almost always come in multiples of two) immediately making him somewhat different from his brethren. Setting himself aside as different Ryo decides that he has to know what is the secret of the new space-faring race that supposedly wear "their skeletons inside".

Phylogenesis: "Desvendapur is an anti-social Thranx poet native to the colony on Willow-Wane who believes he can find new inspiration for his poetry by coming in contact with the physically repulsive humans, an intelligent mammal race that is unlike the insectoid thranx."

Dirge: "The Pitar are a close human analog to humans, appearing to be perfectly human except for a wider variety of hair and eye colors (including blue and violet among them) along with nearly god-like physiques. Most humans almost immediately view the Pitar as perfect. This complicated matters for the insectoid Thranx who wish to form a closer alliance with the humans. Some xenophobic humans go so far as to invade the small Thranx colony in the Amazon, killing many of the insect colonists. While this causes a political nightmare for both humans and Thranx, it also brings together the human chaplain and Thranx spiritual advisor who form the United Church."

Diuturnity's Dawn: "In the third and concluding novel of this trilogy, an uncomfortable archaeological alliance of Thranx, humans, and AAnn, explores the well-kept secrets of the lost civilization of the Sauun on the frontier world Comagrave. After a series of accidents that occur where the AAnn are convenient for helping an injured or stranded human, the chief Thranx scientist starts suspecting an anti-Thranx conspiracy." The AAnn are major antagonists throughout this continuity; they're its "war-loving" race ala the Klingons but they're desert dwelling flesh eating "reptiles" (it IS acknowledged that things like mammal, insect, bird etc. are just human colloquialisms for convergently evolved aliens, though) who look down humans and thranx in part because we both look like and taste like their favorite staple prey. For some reason however an AAnn has never been officially illustrated outside an RPG module:

In case you want to know going in what the lovable bastard asshole dinosaur people look like.

[arisewanekosuki]

Traveler's little helper -Extra-: Aether x Fem!Reader

[Small spoiler from World Quest Series The Dirge of Bilqis.]

… - “Mmm... The scent of unknown spices from afar... A servant girl of the desert-kin, and a flying pet... You must be a Prince in exile, are you not?” the Jinn said, ‘looking’ at Aether, then she turned to you. You were ready to be called a servant too by her. -“And you must be then the Prince’s lover!” you didn’t respond from the shock,  Aether was the one to reply with a smile on his face. -“You’re right with that.” After that you come back to your senses and lightly slapped his arm. -“It’s not time to joke like that! And no, I’m not his lover! We all friends with each other!” you said to Jinn, not noticing the pout on Aether's face. Jeht and Paimon were standing there wondering, why you were called something better than servant and pet… and how you still didn’t notice Aether's feelings towards you.

[focsle]

Re-recording! Tho...idk how I feel about this mic. Whatever.

Poem written by Henry Glover, a former schoolmate of Samuel Comstock who orchestrated the mutiny on the whaleship Globe in 1824. And I put it TO MUSIC because I’m partial to bloody boat songs.

Stanzas under readmore.

His sun rose unclouded and brightly it shone In the pride of the morning and promised a noon Of glory and gladness; it sank to the flood In blackness and blindness, and tarnished by blood. Disowned and dishonored its last gloomy glare Was shed on the grave of young mutineer

Tho’ beardless his cheek, yet his was a soul That knew not a master, that brooked no control; Tho’ beardless his cheeks, yet his was a hand Acquainted with daggers; a voice to command, An eye that wept, a heart without fear, Were the pride and the boast of the young mutineer.

He lies on the beach of a lone desert isle, His dirge the green billows are chanting the while, As they in wild tumult, roll over his head, And wash the high rock, that marks out his wet bed; There lies with a heart that ne’er knew a fear, The mangled remains of the young mutineer.

He lies on the beach, the cold waters beside, And dreadful and dark was the death that he died No mother mourns o’er him, no fond fair one weeps Where far from the land of his father he sleeps. But the rude swelling waves, and the sea birds career On the wet sandy grave of the young mutineer.

He lies on the beach by a comrade in guilt, His forehead was cloven, his best blood spilt. The cries of his victims have risen to God, And their wailings were quenched in the murderer’s blood. He fell without mourners, for none dropped a tear O’er the mangled remains of the young mutineer.

He lies on the beach, where the weeds and the shells, Mark the bounds of the sea, where in tumult it swells They scooped him a grave, and there laid him at rest And heaped the wet sand on his bare, bloody breast. And they rolled a huge rock and planted it there To mark the lone grave of the young mutineer.

In the years that are coming the seamen will tell Of murders and murdered, and murderer’s yells. The tale, the lone watch of night will beguile When they sail by the shores of that desolate isle. And their beacon shall be, as they thitherward steer, The black rock on the grave of the young mutineer.

[randomwriteronline]

One night, when all is over, when all can rest; when Kiina sleeps listening to the waves, Berix nursing the newest still unfinished project, Gresh not having any new scars to count, Click barely batting a wing; Ackar hears the voice of Mata Nui smile with such infinite love, and wakes up.

He sits up and listens again: if he strains his ears, if he forces himself to shut down the frantic beating of his heart, he thinks he can hear that voice again. He could swear he is talking, maybe humming, so close and yet so impossibly far away, even further than the resting place of the Ignika but somehow right next to him, tone filled with mournful joy, with an affection that brings one to tears.

Someone is out there, outside.

Someone is singing, outside.

He leaves.

One night, when all is over, Ackar forces himself to stumble out of town and into the cold, into the slowly receding desert which is giving way to life once more; he follows beneath the starlit sky barren of blue or green moons the sound, the song, the voice, an enthralled sleepwalker chasing desperately after a lucid dream he knows cannot be and yet so desperately wants to find, a spellbound seaman bewitched by a cannibal siren's serenade dragging his ship against the jagged cliffs upon which the object of his desire perches with monstrous arms outstretched so lovingly towards him.

He chases after the sound, the song, the voice: he could swear it's the same, the same deep and comforting sound upon whom he once laid his hand on to call 'friend'; he could swear it's the same, so sweet and so heartbroken, and his throat twists tight into a knot as he knows he will not see what he wants, yet he wants so badly.

He chases after the sound, the song, the voice: it splits but does not shatter. Like the hairs of a braid its pieces join together, tangle gently, form a harmony that no mouth can replicate.

He stops.

He looks.

One night, when all is over, Ackar watches and listens.

He knows them, he recognizes them: the twelve of them arranged in two concentric circles, only six of them singing, only six of them silent, their language so far beyond what his anatomy could comprehend or hope to produce, and yet he understands.

He understands from the inner circle's tight fists, their shaking shoulders, their shuddering chests as they struggle to breathe. He understands from the outer circle's solemn pronounciation, the anguish in their shining eyes, their longing and trembling voices.

He understands and hushes, and listens to their mourning song.

One night, when all is over, the Toa Mata mourn who they were fated to protect and instead failed.

One night, when all is over, the Toa Mahri mourn who they could not hold back from the choice of fate.

One night, when all is over, Toa Takanuva mourns all who he will never accept he could not die in the stead of.

Six voices raise, six lights like an aurora across the sky - two figures, mighty and wise and yet so powerless, dancing in their dirge with bodies composed of mourning songs harmonizing together - warriors burying a king, a peer, a friend, a stranger. Six more join, louder to the point of wailing, no composure, burning stars bursting as violently as their destructive end allows, children crying inconsolable the death of a hero, a peer, a friend, a sibling.

The Toa howl like wild hounds into the empty desert night in which no bloody star shines, in the heartbroken artificial language of their manufactured living people.

One night, when all is over, Ackar looks and listens.

In their twelve voices he hears yet another, at once earth and sky, enormously strong yet as light as the birdsong.

In their thirteen voices he hears Mata Nui.

In their thirteen voices Mata Nui smiles.

He smiles with such infinite love.

One night, when all is over, Ackar whispers: I love you.

One night, when all is over, the Toa scream: I love you.

One night, when all is over, Matoro booms: I love you.

One night, when all is over, Mata Nui smiles: I love you.

Ackar cries.

[asthmaticbee]

WIP Title Game

Rules: In a new post, post the names of all the files in your WIP folder, regardless of how non-descriptive or ridiculous. Let people send you an ask with the title that most intrigues them and then post a little snippet of it or tell them something about it!

Tagged by @theliteraryluggage!

Published WIPs

and i come full circle; a leviathan reborn; palingenesis made flesh

when all my debts are paid and the score's been all tallied up

aria of pride and deceit

where daylight shatters and worthy perish (you alone endure the night)

The Truth Will Out (and you will pay your dues)

Death Eater Edward Elric, Spy Extraordinare, at your service

gloria of rubies and gold

vermillion dawns the day (of remembrance bittersweet)

and you crashed into my life (please won't you stay by my side)

dirge for the innocence lost

A Flame in the Flood

Published but on Hiatus/Discontinued

You wanted a nail? You get a whole fucking hardware store!

Dark Nebula

the blood of the covenant

Unpublished WIPs and Ideas

moving on from this liminal world

The Butterflywasp Effect

Pyrpolanthropy

and i will sail the savage seas to find you

moonlight pale; a speckle of sunlight

Ed and Sirius Azkaban Prison Break

spider lillies' serenade

oh death, dearest mine, will ye spare me yet again?

EdWin kids are classmates with the Golden Trio

Men in Black AU

Ed is Zuko's impulse control

For the Dancing and the Dreaming (and all life's sorrows and delights

so we step into war with blood on our hands

How Todoroki Became a Quirkless Rights Activist

follow me into the dark (to stand before the gates of hell)

of rivers and crossroads

threnody of a lost wanderer

hymn to alkahestry

ode to the desert sands

Pride takes over Ed the day before the finale

The Once and Future Morgen

TodoDeku childhood friends

Shouto's Diaries

A Day Early and Two Kids Short

Ageswap AU

you've seen the worst of me (and yet none of it matters to you)

Atlantis AU

Vampire RomCom

Soulmates AU

The other soulmates AU

a dead man's war report

golden lights and wild hunts

[wishing-stones]

WOULD THE BOYS™️ PLAY FFVII? WHO WOULD BE THEIR FAVORITE CHARACTER? (this is coming from a place of adoration- i’ve found another creator i like who also likes ffvii this means everything to me)

Oh my god hahaha, no, I have to do this one

I'm pulling from the expanded FFVII universe for all games up through Rebirth, and assuming everyone has played the various compilations and seen Advent Children (Complete) since they're a bunch of fuckin nerds

Just so everyone's aware, possible spoilers for Rebirth (through chapter 12ish) ahead

Killer is a hopeless Sephiroth stan, don't tell me you didn't see this coming. All that edge and charm, he's a hopeless fanboy. (And as much as he likes Villain Sephiroth, he also vibes hard with Sephiroth Pre-Nibelheim Incident, too. He knows what it's like to snap, even if you have a support system in place, and people who care about you.) He's actually awful about it. The man would be a member of Silver Elite if he could be.

Dust loves Barret, and even more so after Rebirth. He's the one piloting every game while everyone watches, so he's the nerd most invested in the story. Barret's fierce, family-driven nature and unabashed love for those close to him (and willingness to let people see how deeply he feels those emotions, if they're close enough to him,) resonates hard with Dust. After the scene in the desert in Rebirth, he had to set the controller down for a moment (and me too, tbh, his actor killed the emotion in that scene, I was crying hard.)

Axe really likes Tifa. She's a boss bitch who is strong not in spite of her insecurities and weaknesses, but because of them. She's aware of them, but doesn't let them bother her friends if she can help it, and he feels that deeply. She's doing her best, trying her hardest to protect what little she has left, and wow, if he doesn't understand that. She also happens to be pretty passionate about cooking and mixology, and he also greatly enjoys that.

Cross is a huge fan of Zack. He's energetic, he's upbeat and optimistic, and it's infectious. He's a very easy character to like, but what endeared Cross to him is his his drive to do everything in his power to save and protect his friends, and how, when he failed with Angeal, he wasn't afraid to let his grief show, doubly so around the person arguably most important to him. Zack's story is a tragic one, though, so he was a wreck at the end of Crisis Core (and then again at the end of Remake when it doesn't end quite the same way)

Baggs only pays attention to dialogue and cutscenes, but he's managed to follow the story enough to understand what's going on and who's who. He likes Vincent the most. His deep guilt and trauma are an intriguing story to him, although he's not quite sure how to feel about the ending of Dirge of Cerberus. He's enjoying Vincent a lot in Rebirth as well, and is amused at the sort of 'crotchety old fuddy-duddy' vibes he's giving off. Wonder why.

Nightmare, unsurprisingly, likes Rufus. He's also only paid partial attention to the games, mostly tuning in for cutscenes and important dialogue, but Rufus is a very intriguing villain for him, especially in Remake and Rebirth. Nightmare found himself nodding along to what was being said a lot of the time, and what really sold him was Rufus' interaction with Lodbrok in his office, where he proudly took the insult of being a lonely, selfish man who hated his father and wore it like armor. He owned up to his insecurities and weaknesses and defied they be used against him. Nightmare was sold.

And since Blue is a JRPG guy, he's played them with the stars, too;

Dream is naturally drawn to Aerith, and is gutted when she dies. He was inconsolable for the original, and was anxious watching Blue play Rebirth. He adores her, how gentle she remains no matter the adversity, how, in spite of that, she doesn't take anyone's guff, either, and how she's willing to maybe twist her words up a bit to get someone to do what she wants. No one quite expects someone so sweet to be able to manipulate like she can, and it's just a facet of her personality he enjoys.

Ink likes Reeve and Cait Sith, by extension. The one guy in the evil megacorp who wants to do good, who cares about the people, and who, despite having to occasionally follow orders or else, he really wants to help fix things. He just... can't directly intervene sometimes. Hm. That's a familiar story. He also enjoys the dichotomy of proper, upright, sensible man in a suit, and a reliable department head.... to... well, Cait Sith.

Blue, similar to Cross, loves Zack. He doesn't quit, no matter the adversity, and smiles through it all. He's proud, he's honorable, and he's just an upstanding guy all around. blue was devastated at the end of Crisis Core, but every moment that he was in Remake and Rebirth, he was over the moon.

All of them, all of them absolutely detest Hojo. It's actually one of Dust's "Don't Get Me Started" subjects, he will go on at length and in-depth about how everything wrong in the world of FFVII circles back to him (he isn't wrong).

[ichayalovesyou]

The Music of Vulcan

Relevant Kir'Shara Article: What Does A Vulcan Listen To?

Songs from T'Khasi

Songs created by Vulcans, primarily in Vulkansu

Nadordatoran na'o T'Khasi (Tribute to Vulcan)

A mourning dirge for the Vulcan home world composed after it's destruction in the Kelvin Timeline, performed by T'Prion.

The Ballad of Solkar The Slut

A chiding parody ballad recounting the historical event referred to as "First Contact", specifically the handshake transpiring between Ambassador Solkar and Zefram Cochrane. Written by @yel-halansu and performed by @axelastralis

Falor's Journey

An excerpt of the musical epic known as "Falor's Journey" performed by Tuvok (played by Tim Russ) from the Voyager episode "Innocence" in Federation Standard via Universal Translator.

The Works of Sidzhan T'Gai & T'Prion

Sidzhan T'Gai's youtube channel consists of 7 original compositions in various Vulcan musical traditions and styles performed by T'Prion. The titles consist of I'kushizhau Etek Salan (Now We Shape The Wind), Ken-tor Rik'faiyan, Dvel (Choice), Sochya (Peace), IDIC, Kaiidith (What Is, Is), Fmak t'Sochya (Sanctuary of Peace). For more information go to Vulcan Legacy.

Earth Songs in Vulkansu

See the Vulcan Linguistics Post for translation tools!

Ki'orentor (You & I Have Learned)

A poem written by Leonard Nimoy in 1981 and shared on Twitter a few days before his death, translated here into Vulcan (with English subtitles).

How to Save A Life

Original song by The Fray, translated and performed by Denatonia, title translated to "Remembering A Friend" for lyrical restructuring purposes.

Aluk-kumsu (The Wellerman Song)

A translation of the New Zealand whaling shanty that took the internet by storm earlier in the pandemic, translated and performed by myself.

Rom-halan Mahk (The Parting Glass)

A translation of an old Irish drinking song into Vulkansu by myself, since dedicated to Nichelle Nichols and all beloved Star Trek actors now departed from us.

Inspired by Vulcans and Vulkansu

Songs of T'Khasi

A five playlist Masterpost composed by myself of short playlists meant to depict the grander overarching history of Vulcan. From when they first evolved into thinking humanoids in the unforgiving T'Khasi desert, to their ever changing and enlightened future among the stars.

Aluk-kumsu (The Wellerman Song)

A translation of the New Zealand whaling shanty that took the internet by storm earlier in the pandemic, translated and performed by myself.

Pon Farr: An Amok Time Tribute

A fan re-interpretation/playlist recounting the events of of Star Trek: The Original Series' "Amok Time", each song depicting a particular chapter in the narrative.

Vulcan Performance at Unifision

Theoretical waxings on the various stylings of performance from Federation worlds at a United Federation of Planets "Eurovision" instigated by @goddamnshinyrock and @swordfern. With particular description on the Vulcan performance by @aceofwands. Fanart depiction can be found here, created by @sleepysnowfinch!

Click Here to Return to the Vulcan Masterpost (Coming Soon!)

[exactlycleverpirate]

Journey Seeker

Spoilers for the Journey Seeker Secret Times for Rafayel.

Journey Seeker Myth:

O winding path where dirges lie,

Plundered treasures bring tears, anguished and wry.

When islands in the sea turn to deserts of sand,

Divine fishtails turn to stumbling legs by chance.

Gales replace the waves and erase the Traveler’s traces,

The Follower’s gaze weighs heavier than iron braces.

Yet the Traveler’s heart’s weight is lighter than sand,

Where to find,

Where to divine?

O…Great…Blue…Sea…

The price that is paid, only the Traveler can say…

As golden sands recede by Tempest’s might,

Songs of the Sea blanket the Land’s desperate plight.

Azure waves caress each fin,

Children of the Sea rejoice, spirits akin.

The Traveler…

The Traveler’s…

One’s journey ends at the shore.

Rafayel in is the Traveler. MC (Or Amund?) is the Follower. 

I'll probably do an analysis of this at some point to connect it to what else we know, but for now, here is the myth for anyone who wants to read it.

[th3-0bjectivist]

The Salvation Day Interviews (2 of 2) with musician Anthony Tadlock

     Dear listener, this is part 2 of 2 of my Salvation Day Interviews with Anthony Tadlock, A.K.A. t-underneaththeradardancing on Tumblr. For reference, Part 1 is here. Without further ado let’s start picking T’s oddly poetic and musical brain once again...

    Mr Tadlock, SD’s style of music seems quite distinct and doesn’t sound exactly like any other band I’ve heard of. When you two record music, what is the specific style you’re aiming for? Do you and Ms Vita Rhie Quintanilla align on any favorite influences that heavily sway your sound? Do you two enjoy the same type of music outside of SD? How much does classical or modern music affect your own expression as musicians?

     whether we are recording - playing live - just fucking around (what passes for "practice/rehearsal ") we dont actually aim for a style - early on we talked in general about "goals" we agreed that what we aim for is transcendent magic healing - and we will settle for being in tune and not sucking - influences many and varied but both agree if on a desert island - and could only have one album it would b miles davis "kind of blue" - we both enjoy a wide range of music...

     everything we hear - have heard - from classical to punk rock influences us - we also play a fair amount of "covers" live - a typical example would be "i know places" which is a kind of dirge by lykke li - vita had never heard it before - it was a staple in my live performances at the time - vita listened to what i had done w it and it became a staple of early performances having morphed into almost a stax type r&b - like many songs we play - we worked out the arrangement during performances with little or no discussion about arrangement

     I find that some of the most effective musical groups out there are duos. There’s just something that seems more concentrated and concise about a duo’s ability to wrap an album in a tight bow. Compared to other musical projects you’ve worked on in the past, do you prefer dealing with one single other creative mind… or many others… and what are the disadvantages of both from your point of view? When you’re playing guitar and she’s singing, for example, how do you deal with the inevitable issue of adding percussion to ‘enhance’ a track or live performance?

    at this time there are actually 3 members of SD - the 3rd is london - he plays guitar and bass - is engineering / producing our next project - at various times we have had a 3rd musician join us for a song or 2 - and there is maggie umber the artist, who created our web site - a video and some behind the scenes stuff - which is not precisely answering the question - i understand about duos though - with 2 minds/ souls it is easier to keep the connection - the unspoken - and be as 1 - with the whole being more than the sum of - it was only in making the album and making hard choices / dealing with forced choices and realities that i realized my true role / gift as a guitarist/musician is being a catalyst for magic to happen - to digress - often at open mics - peeps play along from their seats - impromptu collabs occur - sometimes the whole place becomes the stage - today im gonna prob play 1 song w the host/emcee - we have played 2x together - 1st time was cuz someone who had someone die that they were close to requested she play hendrix purple haze and she asked me if i could - tho i have heard the song countless times - the last time i played parts of it - i was maybe 15 - but it’s a simple structure - i said give me a minnit - went outside tried out chords as i remembered and something resembling the guitar parts - spent maybe 5 minutes total - came back in and said yah sure but u have to sing - no rehearsal - loose and nothing like note for note - ffs i dont play anything note for note or exactly the same way twice –

    anyway - it’s like that w vita - she often asks - can we play xxx - i say sure - look up chords if i dont know and ...w vita it has been consistent magic from the start and while not effortless by any stretch - we both put everything we have into the music as we play - whether we are loosely playing in my dining room / her living room - out in the street - onstage - sometimes we think there is no audience and a neighbor will later say they liked it - or look up on the street and realize we have attracted a small audience - in terms of the limitations - especially when vita isnt playing guitar - partially i am accustomed to playing solo just me and guitar - have developed different strategies for compensating / filling holes in the sound - that said we have wanted a percussionist from day 1 - on the album and ep we used synthesized drums / percussion which can be hard cuz we are a bit quirky - so in some ways salvation day will always be vita and t at the core - tho our 1 performance w london was ez and in some ways our best - and playing w him is ez and natural - unfortunately no recording

    I have but one final query and it’s a general one, so buckle your fuckles. I’m curious Mr Tadlock, what do you think of the state of modern music? When I listen to Salvation Day, I hear a group that is 100% genuine. You’ve got an interesting story and your entire act and delivery is sincere… when I turn on modern radio I just hear utter nonsense. Nonsense that is often dumbed down by multimillion dollar corporations that are trying to turn the talents of others into a saleable product. Do you think the vast majority of modern music is even healthy for people, and is there a conscientious effort on your behalf to keep the presentation pure with Salvation Day?

     the state of modern music ? idk tbh - it’s a scattered and confusing landscape - like always - much of wat is out there is crap - but then again - i lissen to 60s station on sirius when on road trips w the unpoet and much of what i hear is pretty crappy and i love the 60s lol - same same modern music which i get sporadic exposure to via tumblr instagram and youtube - hearing while in cafes or in ride shares - SNL ... and every once in a while an absolute gem is heard so is "mainstream " pop /commercial music "healthy" - fuck if i know - i remember 1st listening to top 40 am radio in 1st grade - loved the chipmonks (Alviiiiiiin!) singing witch doctor - a one off "flying purple people eater " lots of "novelty records " when previously listened to moms opera and frank sinatra - beatles werent on the radar yet but beach boys - mostly vacuous but fun - have gone thru phases - only listened to jazz and opera for almost a decade - have compulsively listened to 1 album or artist for periods - was any of it "healthy" maybe - it fomented trance and being outside myself - sometimes music is entertainment - sometimes just background for a lot of people - but also a way of coming together - a way to express confusing/conflicting emotions - i could critique modern music as being cookie cutter and meaningless - but no more than say doo wop dang a langa ding dong indeed or has there ever been anyone more transgressive than little richard then again chuck berry stooping to my dingaling ffs

     so did we do we trynna keep it "pure" w salvation day - fuck yah - i mean how fucking audacious (pretentious) to call it Path of Sacred Art - i thot our producer understood and they did sorta but - and i love our album but at one point i almost walked away from it - the process slowly grinds - yah rough edges r smoothed but - a case in point - the epitome of early salvation day - the sacred art side was/is "reincarnation" something went terribly wrong in the studio - after spending waaaay too much time recording vita's guitar - and too much autotune on her vocal - her guitar track had a "glitch" making it unusable - by the time that was discovered vita was in davis again - covid was just about to go into the lock down phase ...it was expedient to hire a classic trained studio musician that the producer knew and could record studio quality on his laptop

     and tbh i still am not sure how much of the electric on it is actually me or if some was replaced w same studio guitarist - little dramas like this went on for months during the mixing process and much of the email text exchanges w producer were late night sleep ruining drama - in the interest of ever getting the album finished - vita - whom i gave ultimate decision making since they are her songs - deeply personal - she has literally shed blood (read her book) during the writing of performing recording , allowed almost all of her guitar to b scrapped - replaced by same studio musician - tho to said musicians credit - she did a good job of re creating vita - and if some of my guitar - we only talking about a few notes - was also replaced - she faithfully re created - tho i did go in studio one day a couple weeks after recording was "finished" and laid down a lot of riffs / repeating lines / solos and i was sooooo stoned i truthfully dont remember - in those daze because of intense constant pain - i used what in retrospect were enormous amounts of thc and cbd - no other drugs or alcohol but i was high 24-7 and rarely got as much as 3 hours sleep a night - anyway - so yah we did our best to keep it pure - and there is nothing cookie cutter about the album

     T !!! JFC !!! Thanks so much for your time and your FANTASTIC riffing here on Tumblr. Listen to Salvation Day here on YouTube or here on Spotify. Their website is here. If you liked this post, please spread the word about SD and consider reblogging this set of interviews. And if you haven’t done it yet, scroll to the top and middle-bottom of this post and smash play!

[songbirds-and-bows]

FFXIVWrite2024 - Day 20: Duel

The dust - and blood - were things that were settled later, Koke thought as she stared at the fight she caught the notes of while walking.

The streets were long deserted. The ruins were loud, though, Koke shifting and moving as if the streets were still crowded with bodies and voices and people forming a rough circle around the two souls who slowly, regally, drew weapons on each other.

Her fingers longed to pull out the lute on her back and to play the song that she heard but her eyes were held more than her horns and she had learned, over the turns, the important lessons.

She waited, listening instead to the song.

It was an old feud that these two were locked in, time and again, and their battle played out from sun to sun without break.

What was it like, for the only thing left in a song to be how much it hated another…?

Her tail flicked and she leaned forward. No, not hate. Her eyes closed as she bowed her head, listening to the funeral dirge that played.

This was all they had left, and their last moments together.

Even though she left the lute on her back Koke listened to their song. The clash, the blood, the cheers, the rage, the impotent grief. And then, quietly, in ruins with no one living left to hear, she sang them the words they hadn't given to each other - a final goodbye, a moment of forgiveness, and a peace as the last sounds of the battle finally began to fade.

[sparknightdaily]

[greighish]

Alone Again (Naturally) by Gilbert O'Sullivan, one of my favorite songs.

The first half of the original song is about suicidal ideation brought on by a broken heart after being left at the alter and feeling forsaken by God. The latter half is about the author's grief over his father's physical death and his mother experiencing death of the spirit over the loss (of someone who was not kind to her) followed by death of the vessel and the author's greater grief over losing his mother twice; a sense of desertion, once again. It has the feeling of a little ditty shared by someone whose soul is tired. The juxtaposition.

The title is also the chorus, if you can call it that. It only stands alone once in the whole song, and it's almost like an afterthought. Every other utterance is sung with little more than a breath and no musical change between it and preceding verse, though it might be better to call it a pre-chorus. I love unconventional structures.

I also love covers...

FULL YT PLAYLIST

AWOLNATION f. Midland - A music box on its last leg. It has the overlapping reverb quality AWOLNATION is fond of. Feels more like psychosis and less like grief.

Pet Shop Boys f. Elton John - Sounds exactly like what you'd think a collab between them would sound like. I like the high hat and the rain. I love Elton's voice. I also love that he sings the line "I was cheerful, bright, and gay."

Sarah Vaughn - Very lounge. Sad lounge. Genderflip for the first half. My BFF hates her voice, or rather her vocal arrangements. I don't share her sentiments.

Shirley Bassey - No genderflip. Not lounge. More like mid-seventies movie theme song. Is that a clarinet? Some versions really try to bring Big Band back for a minute. I'm always fascinated watching her sing, her gestures and the way she contorts her mouth...

Neil Diamond - A guitar diddy. His tone along with the cadence is almost matter-of-fact.

Ray Conniff & The Singers - How should I say…? Very "I was popular in the 60s but now it's the 70s" White? I mean that observation-ally, of course.

Andy Williams - A little Spanish guitar... and bongos. It's Andy Williams, so a variation on the very 70s White theme.

Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass - Maybe a little too happy? Jaunty? I think that's a marimba. But if I didn't know the lyrics, I'd say it was par for the Herb Alpert course.

Esther Phillips - That voice! Local bar singer. She put some soul on it. I like the strings. Better bongos, well better percussion all the way around. I can't help but think of her when I listen to early Erykah Badu.

Bobby Darin - They couldn't decide which flavor of lounge they were going for. From piano bar to wannabe bossa nova; they really ran the gamut. It has its merits, but the changes are somewhat distracting.

And then there's…

Nina Simone - She definitely put her stamp on it. Musings on her father's dying, their relationship while he was alive, pity for her mother who mourned him, and honesty with herself (if not with others) while in a child's grief after his passing. Leave it to Nina to inject a bridge that's reminiscent of a funeral dirge. And that slightly giddy piano phrase.

Just when I needed him most He was already a ghost And for all my life there were promises And they always have been broken

[twodiamondhoes]

Bookbinding anon here with another Dirges question! (maybe spoilerific??)

When Old Scratch takes Tango into Hell, the initial imagery I had was of fire and brimstone. "..the air that buffeted him didn't stink of coal, but of sulfur and flame."

But then there were the descriptions of crystal stalactites and stalagmites, of "the shock of cold air on his face", that made me back up and wonder...

Is Hell a twisted version of Deep Frost Citadel?

Do you ever read something and then have to sit down and go "FUCK that would have been so good!"

That was me with this ask XD

I love this question though, and I have taken the opportunity to geek out a little bit under the cut!

Man, the idea of Hell as a twisted version of the Deepfrost Citadel is incredible and I so wish I had done that. However, I was actually pulling from Dante's Inferno and his descriptions of the 9 circles of Hell! I found a very fun graphic on Reddit while I was editing that I drew some inspiration from while writing about Tango's descent and escape. (Link in image, credit to u/BaronVonBroccoli lol).

Now, this isn't exactly how Hell is laid out in the Dirges setting, and there's a lot of different theology/mythology stuff that is being covered as the side-stories unfold, and that is spoilerific, so I'll be keeping that closer to the chest for now ;)

But my reasoning for pulling from Dante was that I figured if I was pulling bits from the Mythos and from American folklore and some other places, I could weave in some stuff like this to make the myth-crafting more fun and have some extra depth to it.

So yeah! Tango hit the top of the stairs to the "third circle" (Gluttony), got some extra chutzpah shocked into him, and made his escape!

HOWEVER

That is not where the crystal stalactites and stalagmites come from! The entrance to Hell is actually based on...

These bad boys! (image credit to NatGeo, link in image)

I really wanted an eerie feeling to the entrance, and thinking about how, to the right eye, in the wrong light, these could look absolutely horrifying was really really fun. There's obviously no permanent entrance to Hell, but the idea that Nick would purposefully go out of his way to drag Tango all the way to the Chihuahuan desert just to be dramatic felt very on brand for him.

For the record, in that image those scientists are in ice-cooled suits because the interior of those caves are hot enough to kill a man :D

Fun! and perfect, imo, for a grand entrance to a place of torment. If Tango hadn't already been dead by the time they got there, by the time they reached the entrance to Hell, he would have been.

(I highly encourage a read of the article, the caves are so cool!!)

Anyway, I hope that answered your question! Perhaps not as much of a hc tie-in as the Deepfrost Citadel would have been, but the lore-crafting of the afterlife in the Dirges setting has been some of my favorite, and I'm very excited to get to start sharing it with folks! (Now, if only writing didn't take so darn long...)