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#do you have any idea how many invisible perks each character has??
jellazticious · 1 year
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I have honestly been thinking more about that smash style platformer that scrapbooks all my ocs because of pizza tower lmao
look man, you get to play as Iya Sreverni after beating her in her portal. when you get to her bossfight playing as her however, you'll fight one or two of the saplings lmao
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violetnotez · 5 years
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Rookie |2|- Dabi x Reader
Omg guys! The amount of love I got for Part 1 makes me- ugh- just- THANK YOU! You guys make my day! I tagged as many of you guys as I could who asked for a Part 2, and also- we hit 400 lovely followers! YAY! I love all of you so much! <3
Dabi x reader
Genre: Fluff
Word Count:
Warnings: cussings, and again Dabi is ThIrStY
Summary: You had just come from school at UA, excited to finally spend another blissful evening with your new found friends, the LOV. But unknowing to you, Dabi has other plans for your night.
PARTS: |1|   |2|   |3|
(RULES | MASTERLIST| REQUESTS OPEN!!! :))
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You sighed, watching the clock move at an agonizing pace. Couldn’t this class go any faster? 
You hated this room, this school, these people around you, especially the teachers that tried so desperately to turn you into something you weren’t….
You checked the time again, and felt disappointment bubble in your stomach for what seemed like the 100th time: All you wanted was to meet up with the villains. They liked you. They accepted you for who you were, quirk and all. They may be dangerous and cruel at times, but who was to say that you weren’t the same way? You watched out for yourself: they just did the same thing.
After that very rough introduction between you and Shigaraki a few weeks prior, he had realized you had been serious about your intentions. All your information about Izuku was correct- what classes he took, what train route he would be on in the morning, where he would usually be at after school, his best friends, his worst enemies….every and any thing Shigaraki needed to know you had in that amazingly beautiful brain of yours. To Shigaraki, you were this blessing in disguise that he had been dreaming for for so long.
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You and Shigaraki were sitting at the bar, his piles of ideas for missions scattered across the top like a detective’s work table..
“So,” Shiagaraki drawled out, “what is this information you have for me?”
You sucked in a deep breath, allowing your mind to calm itself, to will yourself to remember every piece of information you had accumulated over the past few weeks.
“I’ve been watching Izuku for a while now,” you explained, “Since that attack on Class 1-A you created, I noticed how he always seemed to have some sort of run-in with you...so thats when I’ve been tracking him a bit. Keeping tabs: Where he lives, what train he takes, his friends, his enemies, his hobbies, his powers, his weaknesses…” you looked down at your drink, letting your words set in. 
The more you talked the more Shigaraki got visibly excited- all this information, finally at his fingertips! He smiled a craggly grin, perking up his head at the word weaknesses.
Dabi leaned across the wall in the adjacent hallway, invisible to you or Shigaraki. He looked at the hunched backs at the counter, listening in to your conversation. That pretty little face of yours faced Shigaraki, your shoulders all too close to him for Dabi’s comfort. He knew a pretty little thing like you wouldn't want anything to do with that dried out mummy of a man, but he couldn't help but feel some sort of angry possession over you. A pang of jealousy erupted in his chest, wishing he was the one sitting next to you.
“That’s not all I know.” You sighed, “UA is doing some...training camp in the summer. Only for the students, and at some secret location- so its very under wraps.”
“You think you can get us inside the camp then?”
You scoffed. “If I didn't think I could, why would I tell you?” You laid back in your chair. “Yeah, I can do it.”
Shigaraki smiled so wide it looked like a grimace, the dried skin looking hideously strecthed under the hazy lights.
“If this works out Demon, we may just have an open spot for you on our team.”
Dabi’s heart unexpectedly skipped a beat, a rare grin spreading across his scarred lips.
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The final bell rang, your eyes wide with excitement as you flew out the room as your teacher tried desperately to remind the class of some quiz the next day. You rolled your eyes. You didn't bother with school anymore: if you joined the League, what was the need of it? You’d be more than fine by yourself. You could give two damn’s now if you passed your classes: you just wanted out of this place.
You finally came upon the grand entrance of UA, pushing out the door with the rest of the student body. It was amazing outside- the sky was a fiery orange, red’s and yellow’s dancing in the sky as the sunset’s glow illuminated everything in its golden rays. You smiled, feeling the power of your quirk pulse excitedly in your veins, your hand tingling slightly, a memory flitting into your mind.
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You had just come from school, taking time to hang out with your new friends- the League. They had seemed to have been taking a liking to you, Toga loving having a new girl counterpart, Shigaraki now welcoming you with much less hostility after learning your importance, Twice seeming to forgive you for spraining his wrist, and Dabi- well- Dabi was a character. 
He was unpredictable, merciless, and cold yet...warm at the same time. He wasn’t afraid to play dirty, or be dirty, for that matter. He had countless times thrown you smug stares that made the heat in your face rise, or sexual innuendos that would make your whole body shiver. He wasn’t a clean man, Dabi, but hell was he attractive. 
“So Demon,” Dabi asked, sprawled on the couch with you, “what exactly is your quirk?” 
“Yeah, I wanna know!” Toga yelled out as she clutched her face, her eyes wide with hungry anticipation.
“Really? I haven't told you guys? I'm surprised!” you laughed, racking your brain to see if you had shown them. You surprised yourself- you had been around the League for two whole weeks now, and couldn't remember once showing them your quirk.
You rose from the couch slightly, Dabi feeling the weight leave from where he was sitting, missing the feeling of your body close to his own.
“Well….it’d be easier if I just showed you instead of telling,” you replied nonchalantly.
Dabi watched you with gleaming eyes, his eyes eating at you with the hopeful, slightly seductive look he always seemed to give you, a small grin on his face. You were wearing the same type of outfit when you first arrived to the group- black sweatshirt and matching black sweatpants. He had not once seen you without it; when he confronted you about it, you had blushed all so adorably he wanted to practically eat you up right then and there. 
Your main reason was that you met with the villains after school, and you would throw these clothes over so no one could see you walking to the villians in your UA uniform. So, now, as you reached down and pulled to lift the thick fabric of your sweatshirt, Dabi couldn't help but feel excitement erupt in his stomach 
His heart beat pulsed sharply, watching those delicate arms of yours become- finally- exposed, his breath hitching. You were wearing a simple black tank top, the curves of your body tightly contained. Your unmarked skin glistened in the light, making Dabi’s mouth water. He drank in everything about you: how your shoulder muscles protruded from your skin, each dimple and spot on your arms, the way your hair cascaded around your body and face oh so perfectly. Dabi noticed the delicate chain necklace resting on your throat, the tiny pendant fitted perfectly between the ridges of your collarbones. Something about that necklace drove him wild inside, imagining how it would feel to twist that little chain in between his slender fingers as you moaned out his name, him trailing kisses down that sweet soft skin of your chest. He licked his lips, trying not to get too overwhelmed as he followed the trail from your strap down to bust, the slight cleavage make him frustratedly hot inside.
All you ever did was tease him, and you didn't even know it.  It drove him crazy that you could do this to him.
You closed your eyes, unaware of the lustful dilemma Dabi was going through seeing you take off your top. You instead focused on your quirk, allowing its power to build, feeling a familiar warm heat grow in the pit of your stomach. It started to spread, a honey warm sensation sliding down your body, hugging your thighs and torso in it as it trailed its way up. When the sensation finally reached your chest, you heard a loud, in awe gasp from Toga.
You smirked, imagining how strange it must be to watch you transform: its not everyday you get to see someone turn into something otherworldly. You opened your eyes, looking down at your hands. Your skin was now fiery red, the color of a ripe maraschino cherry. You looked at your new friends, smiling sheepishly as you saw their shocked faces.
“WHoa! Your eyes! They’re  completely black!” Toga breathed out in awe, now sitting on her knees as she craned to stare at your new form.
“Yeah, it's a small side effect of my quirk-” you chuckled.
“I guess I now know why you call yourself Demon, doll face.” Dabi smirked lazily, drinking in this new you. “Your pretty damn hot like that.”
“Ew Dabi dont start that now- Im right here!” Toga complained loudly, not unlike a child seeing their parents kiss. Dabi sighed, rolling his eyes. He forgot-the little brat was still here.
Not going to lie, he was not expecting this: he had thought maybe you used some weird illusion quirk or maybe an elemental type quirk, but nothing like this. Your whole body was this red hot color, your skin completely pigmented to the color of a bright red lipstick. Your hair was crazy and wild from pulling off the sweatshirt, matching the fierce, dangerous gleam in your pitch black eyes. 
Why were you so hot to him- even more so like this? Maybe it was because you looked so dangerous now? He didn't think he could hold in more of this sexual tension- he was ready to pounce on you right here. If god damn Toga wasn't there, he probably would. He was just so used to seeing you as this innocent little angel, somebody who had no idea what world they were truly entering into. Yes, You could hold your own, talk back, and stand up for yourself, but- he just loved how flustered you would get with him. The smallest pet name would make you go crazy, cheeks blushing and a stuttering mess. He could tell you were most likely inexperienced in many aspects of love, and oh how did he want to teach you. Every damn thing you didn't know. 
But now he couldn't tell- he just knew that with that red blood skin and all black orbs you looked like some other wordly being, straight from Hell itself. You looked like a sex goddess. And he loved it.
“My quirk is kinda rare,” you began nervously, tugging on the small necklace, “Its called ‘quirk bonding’. Basically, I don't just get a mixture of my parents quirk, I actually get both in their entirety. My mom is the one who actually looks like this and she had a fire quirk. My dad on the other hand had a mind quirk- he was able to look into people’s minds and see what their deepest, darkest desires were at that moment. Some people can actually have more than their parent’s quirks, like aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents….but those are especially rare- I just have the two.”
“Whoa….” Toga squealed. “So cool! Fire quirk- just like you Dabi!”
He ignored her voice, shock riddled in his stomach. Hell, you had a fire quirk too? He was surprised at himself though- he would have thought he would feel some type of intimidation from you for having the same type of quirk as him, plus another one on top of it. But he didnt feel anything like that- it was like he was almost glad to hear you had a similar quirk- it made him feel that maybe that meant you two were destined to be together: a sign of some sort.
“So, you can look inside people’s heads?” he asked, his bright blue eyes burning into yours.
Dabi tilted his head up at you, his tongue dancing upward to lick his top lips, a giddy sensation frothing inside him.
“what do you think I'd be thinking about princess?” he flirted, snickering as he watched your already red face somehow turn even more red.
Damn you for looking so cute. He shifted deeper into the couch, watching as you giggled nervously. 
You would be the end of him.
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 You looked over your shoulder, making sure no student was in sight before slipping into the dark alleyway where you usually changed into your baggy clothes.You had seemingly managed to out walk the sea of white and gray school uniforms you had been consumed in, allowing yourself to feel slightly safe. You let the memory wash over you, relishing the look on Dabi’s face in that moment. He always seemed to give you this sweetly dangerous look, as if a lion looking at a lamb. It made you shiver, but God was it hot. You knew it was bad for you to be having feelings for this villain, but how could you not feel some sort of way for him?
You heard a pair of feet coming up the street, the steps  making anxiety ripple in your stomach. Your breath instantly hitched, your mind going a thousand miles a minute: did you finally get caught? Was somebody out to get out? You flattened your body onto the wall next to you, feeling the rough stucco prickle onto your back as two loud school girls walked by, laughing and texting as they strolled by without a care in the world. You rolled your eyes at their ignorance for giving you such a scare, willing your heart to lessen its intense pressure on your ribs. You breathed out a soft sigh, a hand placed over your heart, feeling the beats like a kiss on your digits. Thank God, now you could finally relax-
“Didn’t think you were so jumpy doll face- if you're gonna be working with us in the future, you're gonna have to get more loose,” you heard a male’s voice chuckle out, a playful taunt as you whipped your head around, fearfully searching for the source of the voice. A pair of fiery blue eyes emerged from the shadows of the alleyway, Dabi’s characteristically lazy smirk making annoyance bubble inside you.
“What the hell Dabi!” you cried out, feeling your overactive heart scream against your chest, “you scared me!”
Dabi laughed, no guilt evident on his face.
“Im a villian, sweetheart- get used to it.” He was now standing dangerously close to you, his lean body towering over you. That sinful look was back on his scarred face, his lips curling into a bi-colored smirk. You felt the heat rise to your cheeks as you tried desperately to keep your stance and not melt under his intense gaze. You both kept up your staring contest, each side not wanting to falter.
“Its still not cool,” you retorted back, feeling your anger bubble away as you felt yourself get lost in those blue eyes. Damn him for being so dangerously pretty- you felt your eyes began to roam his face, following the separation between his smooth skin to the death purple, marred scars. The staples glinted like stars in the lowering sunlight, the sky turning a soft shade of indigo.
Dabi had been staring right back, loving the annoyed expression on your face- even if it was directed at him. He had no shame as he admired how sweet and innocent you looked in that school uniform, your curves slightly hinted at behind the thing white shirt and pleated green skirt. The short stocking you wore didn't help his imagination, his mind taking each article of clothing off one by one. It was such a stark contrast from your true quirk, he couldn't help but find it somewhat comical that you were on both spectrums: the most purely innocent to the downright sensual. He continued to gaze at you, noticing the blush creep up your cheeks, not minding if he was making you feel uncomfortable.
“Dont look at me like that,” your voice wavered, barely audible as heat flooded your body, Dabi’s ice blue eyes stopped scanning your body and meet yours.
If it was anyone but you, he would have instantly defended himself- he did whatever he wanted to do, damn what others told him. But you- you were different, he never wanted to intentionally hurt you, and by the way your voice faltered, you seemed to like that he roamed your body. You just weren't used to it- but that was alright, he’d make sure you got real comfortable with how much he adored you.
He took a step closer, your bodies a hair away from being pressed up against each other.
“Why’s that?” he asked huskily, his smirk growing dangerously.
Your mind felt numb- how could he do this to you? You felt like you couldnt even think straight- you were so consumed in those aqua eyes and the lingering scent of firewood that seemed to grow with each step he took towards you. God, he was downright intoxicating- you could drown in him forever. 
While your heart was loving the fact that he was outright flirting with you, your head was screaming with logic- he was villain, this could never work! This complicated your plans, not make them clearer! And he could be doing this to dozens of other girls- making them feel like they were special, and then ripping their hearts out to shreds. You wouldn't put in past him. You reluctantly stepped away from him, ending the trance you had put yourselves in abruptly. 
You spun around, trying to calm your heart, your head faced away from him. You needed to end this, now- you couldnt let this one man get in the way of your goals, even though you were seemingly falling for his charms.
You took a deep breath of cool night air, forcing yourself to get rid of the heat he had cause inside your body.
“Its rude,” you shot over your shoulder, your voice icy as you slung your backpack off your shoulder to dig for your clothes.
Dabi just merely rolled his eyes, his grin still on his face. You pushed him away, he could take it: He was angry that you ending the energy between you two so suddenly.
“Besides-” you added, “how did you even know I would be here?”
He leaned on the wall, his smirk now half as small, shrugging his shoulders lazily. “Just followed the wave of school kids, until I found your face in it.”
It sounded innocent enough, but in his voice, it sounded menacing, like a predator stalking its prey. A satisfying chill crackled up your back. You imagined Dabi slinking in the alleyways, following and watching your every move with those icy blue eyes. The thought made your body feel off balanced, your head foggy.
You contiued to not look at him, knowing full well that lazy smirk was plastered on his face.
“Well that was stupid-” you scolded him, “you couldve been seen.”
“Aw, you care about me? How precious,” he cooed at you mockingly, enjoying the way your back stiffen, knowing you reacted to his words.
It was so easy to make you react to him, even when you tried not to- Dabi found it quite fun. A game of sorts.
You rolled your eyes, hating how even when he was mocking you, he could make you feel so warm inside. 
“No, its just I dont think its smart to be sneaking around a whole building full of Pro Heroes that would arrest you in a instant.” You retorted calmly, trying to act as if his words didnt effect you in the slightest.
Dabi perked up his eyebrows, a little bit of annoyance bubbling inside him. He knew damn well you werent any better than him- you were probably a little worse. You were a spy for the League of Villians- you were practically in the belly of the beast every day. He knew you really meant no harm, but he didnt like to be questioned, especially by someone who was doing exactly what he was doing.
“Dont patronize me, Demon,” he sighed, his body relaxed but his jaw tight, “ you do the same damn thing everyday.”
Well that hurt. 
You stopped rummaging through your backpack, startled slightly by his lack of friendliness in his voice. It bothered you that he called you by your name you had told him, not by the sweet pet names he always called you by. You shook off the feeling instantly, letting it slide off your conscience- it didn't matter that he seemed annoyed with you. Damn him- you were only concerned for his well being.
“Maybe- maybe not. I’m just….careful. And I just want you to be too.” 
You chose your words carefully, not wanting to escalate the argument any further. You chose that time to peak a look at Dabi’s expression. To anyone walking by, he would have looked calm, relaxed even. But you observed him a little more closely- his jaw was clenched, and his hands stuffed in his pockets roughly. He was obviously bothered by your words. The air felt heavy enough to slice with a knife and the silence unbearable to deal with to you.
Dabi couldn't believe what he just heard- this was the first thing you had said to him that reciprocated some sort of feelings towards you. Even though you were being pretty nosy a few minutes ago, he couldn't help but feel exhilarated by your words. They were sweet and pure, and he really didn't know how to feel about it. Dabi was a man run by primal passion, and not really keen on the fluffy feelings of love. It was a hassle to deal with, especially with the wall he had around his heart, and he wasn't used to others expressing concern for his well being. But you just did right now, and even if it was intended to be friendly, it made his heart race and new, honest emotions bubble inside him he hadn't felt for years.
You sighed, feeling you had said the wrong thing as Dabi brooded in his thoughts.
“Just let me change, then we can go to the League.”
Dabi heard your voice and instantly shook off the feelings he was feeling for you, reluctantly rebuilding the wall up around him and plastering that lazy smile back on his face.
“No need to do that- Shigaraki has something for you.”
He walked past you, that agonizing smell of firewood drifting off his clothes as he pulled out a black, thin box from a hidden corner in the alleyway. He held it out, motioning for you to take it. You watched his every move, giving him a quizzical look as he held out he box for you to take. He flashed you a cocky grin, making a weak smile come out of you. You didnt know where the new found friendliness had came from, but you were just glad Dabi had gotten over your argument so quickly. You took the box eagerly, confused on what it could be. The box was thin, with a small silver latch on the front. You unhooked it, a satisfying “snap” filling the air as you opened the lid, a small gasp escaping fro your mouth.
“Your new villain suit,” Dabi smiled at your shocked face.”If your going to be coming out as a villain pretty soon, your gonna need something better than some voice changer and pajamas.”
You couldnt belive it- your own authentic suit. One that wasnt trying to covering you up. Back at UA, your hero suit was pretty mediocre- it completely covered up your body, except for one arm so you could activate your fire quirk. You felt covered up, as if they wanted you to look less menacing, as if your red skin was a curse. It was already a curse enough to have a quirk that changed your whole body- why couldn't they just let you accept it?
But this new suit- it was completely black, a reflective gray shine to the fabric as you shimmied the fabric in the setting sun. There were etheral black cut outs at the hips, tendrils of fabric like flames licking up to make the bodice. Matching cuffs with yellow orbs like moons were there to accent your arms, giving the ensemble a pop of color. It was exactly as you invisioned yourself to look like- powerful. Confident. Dangerous.
You gave Dabi a look of appreciation, his blue eyes watching your face with a look of humor. He didnt think youd get this excited over it- you practically looked like a kid on Christmas.
“They are not pajamas-” you finally retorted back after a few moments of admiring your new outfit, trying to keep your overwhelming excitement at bay, “ their sweats.”
Dabi laughed, not really knowing how that made a difference. “Whatever you say Demon.”
You continued to look at the costume, feeling a surge of appreciation fill you. You couldn't believe it- you were finally being accepted. After years of being alone, of suppressing your quirk because of the fear people had of you and your quirk's effects on your body, you finally found a group that actually liked you for you.
“This is really mine?”
Dabi smiled softly. “Who else would it be for? Dont ask questions- just take it.”
You gave a curt nod, smiling down at the outfit. 
“Ya know, I gave some ideas for the outfit to Shigaraki.” Dabi commented, a flirtatious tone in his voice
“Oh really?” you said sarcastically, “ I didn't even notice.” Dabi’s touch was definitely in the suit- he seemed to have a flare for black with gray pieces, which was evident in the material used for the cuffs. And how tight the whole suit was, you could definitely see him trying to convince Shigaraki for that little detail.
 “I hope you love it as much as I do.” He leaned in close to your face, those fiery eyes piercing your soul with such a lustful look you couldn't help but look away- it was so hard to keep eye contact with him.
You blushed again furiously, angry at yourself for instantly looking away. How was he so easy to control your emotions? You felt like this was just a huge cat and mouse game to him- he’d give you some space, allowing you to feel confident enough to banter and kid with him, and then he latches onto you, throwing in a comment that throws you in for a loop.
“Th-thank you-,” you stuttered slightly ,swallowing to regain your composure, “but Im confused- why wouldnt you just give me this at the bar?”
“Oh he didnt tell you?” Dabi smiled evilly, making your heart race. “We’re going out training tonight- just you and me.”
You internally screamed. What the hell Shigaraki?! He knew how much of a pervert Dabi secretly was- he didnt try that hard to hide it. So why was Shigaraki trying to screw you over by placing you with this man you were slowly gaining  feelings for?
“Shigaraki thinks it would be a good idea for me to train you,” Dabi continued, hardly noticing the terror erupting inside you from the thought of being alone with him, “ since our quirks are similar. Help you feel out how to work alongside the League once we put our plan into place.”
You simply nodded your head, trying to pretend you were cool and collected about learning this new information.
“Smart,” you agreed, “-alright, I’m in. I just need a place to change into my costume.”
“Oh, thats alright princess- I dont mind if ya do it right here. Matter of fact- I’d really love it if you do.”
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Was this good? Did you guys like it? Im debating whether to write a Part 3, so I’ll just base my decisions off of what you guys decide!
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REQUESTS OPEN/ Matchups closed/ Asks open 24/7!!!!
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Taggings:
@cin-midnight​ @ justaweaboonugget @ tinyweaselhoundpickle @ missalicebaskerville @ velvet-kissesss @ nekee-lilac02 @ placeoftime @ lillushx
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255940g · 5 years
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Holiday gift to @differentjasper. Happy holidays and I hope you enjoy!
Read on Ao3 here : https://archiveofourown.org/works/22012411
Holiday Truce Gift- Wes Weston study
I will admit this was supposed to be a character study of Wes Weston but then I saw a prompt on Tumblr about the lack of logical scars. Of course, the canon show isn’t really logical but they should have at least put vague lines there to show scars. We know scars can be kept on ghosts due to Clockwork. Be warned times passes quickly as I wrestled with this idea. 
Looking at my bedroom wall I couldn’t help but think of how it has changed through the past school year. At the beginning of the year, there were pictures of a few famous basketball players.
Then came the emergence of the Phantom or the Ghost Boy as he was called in the beginning. The change of the wall came slowly and then all at once.
It started simple with one sketch of Phantom that I commissioned an artist on Tumblr that I followed and admired. Then a poster dedicated to a few sightings of Phantom around town. 
By November, the first basketball poster came off to make room for more images of Phantom. I convinced myself that after I minimalized when I had more time-probably over Winter break- it would go right back up. 
However, I knew even then, in my heart if secret hearts, that I was trying to fool myself. When I furled it back out in the middle of February for the annual garage sale my parents insisted on doing, I threw it semi-carefully into the box labelled ‘Garage sale’.
It mattered even less when I quit the basketball team.  It seemed shocking to my parents yet they understood my decisions eventually. A week after quitting I saw a black-haired male transform into Phantom. It took another week of school for me to learn his name. Well, what I mean is, is that I heard of him but I never connected the person to the name. 
The person that transformed into Phantom was Danny always picked on by Dash Fenton. Who wasn’t to be confused with his older sister who Dash had a crush on. The Friday two weeks after I figured out who Phantom was would be the most accurate spot place where my obsession began.
Looking at the wall now, there is only images of Phantom, the enemies he faces, and a few pictures of solely Sam, Tucker, and Danny. I couldn’t help but feel a surge of pride and accomplishment of the detailed work that I have done. 
Each enemy has at least one detailed notecard with details on visible powers, personal info, and where and when they have attacked. A few even had who they were before they were ghosts. Take the lunch lady ghost as an example. It was easy to figure out who she was. A dedicated lunch lady that made the lunches the exact same way as they are now 50 years after her death. Of course, I had backups of all this data written down multiple times in different books and google drive just for same keeping.
Sam, Tucker, and Danny’s notecards were different. They had what they helped Phantom and Fenton with. When those two were eventually transformed into ghosts another notecard was added for their ghost half.
For Sam, it was when she managed to transform into a plant ghost. Not overly surprising that her ghost self had powers over plants when Sam adores her greenhouse and the plants inside there.
Tuckers ghost self was unusual. He didn’t get ghost powers for all that he has a ‘girlfriend’ in his beloved PDA. He was some sort of Egyptian Emperor. Either way, neither of them had ghost powers anymore and that is what had mattered to everyone at school, their teachers, and parents. 
Knowing that Fenton was Phantom doesn’t seem to have any perks for me. Danny took every opportunity to show off how blind everyone in town was. For the annual Casper High Halloween party festival thing that went on Danny dressed up as Phantom. The only difference was that Danny kept his human half blue eyes. That shit. No one even suspected a single thing. Not even Paulina who was self-proclaimed in love with Phantom! Asshole Fenton. 
Almost a full year later since Phantom first starred on the news.
Ok so in actuality it was the first full week of summer vacation when everything shifted. I was no longer joked and teased. In as much secret as possible other students came to me to hear my ideas and possibilities of Phantom and about Phantom. Finally, people were listening! Yet, at what cost to Danny?
*Flashback*
I was both on my phone and watching the news displaying Phantom creating a small snow cloud over a portion of Amnity’s main and only park’s grass. Well, the small children seemed to adore having snow to help with the unusual heat of the afternoon. The news report changed to a ghost attacking another part of Amnity. Phantom quickly found out about the attack and first rushed over to the parents of the children then rushed to help the fleeing people there. I haven’t heard a name yet but I grabbed my supplies of notecards, pens, and switched to recording the audio of the news report to my phone. 
I knew that depending on what ghost powers this new ghost had it would take a few minutes or even days to defeat them. 
About 5 minutes later I watched as Danny was repeatedly beaten soundly and squarely. While the camera focused on the attacking ghost I took a few quick pictures to print out and size later. 
I was already taking notes on what powers the new ghost displayed. 
About an hour later I was highly concerned. Danny still was being beaten and unable to get many good hits to the new ghost. While I was watching my eye caught a small detail. Dany’s jumpsuit was coming off and apart slowly but surely. The next attack flung Phantom sailing backwards with his back to the camera above taping the report. 
It was only able to be seen due to the fact that functionally all of the tops of the jumpsuit was destroyed. There on his back were scars that looked all connected like lightening. From what I could see was that it was one scar that disappeared over his front. The scar was a bright red, there were thicker and thinner lines and all of the liner were jagged. 
The usual yapping by the reporter was cut off and there was silence. The eerie silence gave the report a feel for even more shock then what I thought possible. Once Danny crashed through a building-luckily turning intangible before impact so there wasn’t any more structural damage. The last things I heard and saw before the camera shut off was the attacking ghost clearly looking for Phantom and the reporter asking “What were those scars?”
The next time that the same report came back on it was showing how Phantom was now defeating the formerly attacking ghost. 
‘Damnit! I still don’t have a name!’ I thought furiousely.
At least the jumpsuit was repaired completely. Although it was clear to see that Danny was still in pain, but was giving his all. As usual, he was able to eventually able to defeat the ghost and it was quickly sucked into the thermos. Then, as usual, Dany turned invisible soon after making sure that there was no one stuck in any rubble. 
It wasn’t surprising to see another report of Phantom gracing the news. This time the topic was how and what those scars were and meant. It was made clear by the close-up -yet still a bit grainy- picture of the scars in the discovery of them.
There was a guest speaker who was a doctor -a forensic pathologist- speaking confidently on what those scars were and how they are gained a human body. 
With confidence, she declared when prompted “Scars like those will only ever appear on a human body due to electrocution. There is the argument that I know nothing on ghosts. This is true. I functionally know nothing on ghosts. What I do know is how human acquires scars. Specifically how those scars are kept on a dead body. With my 14 years of working solely on dead bodies and 3 years in the medical field I can guarantee with absolute certainty that those scars are both more numerous then what the camera picked up at that great distance and that they were caused by any kind of electrocution. Most commonly it’s by lightning yet, with circumstances being they are the only certainty is that they are electrocution scars.” 
Ms Doctor person continued describing attributes of scars. But I was still in a slight shock. 
I wasn’t taking any notes with only a single thought in my mind when did Danny get electrocuted. I didn’t tune back into normal time until commercials came on. I had more research to get to.
It took two weeks to track down Dany Fenton and research on scars. But I did. The only thing he confirmed was that he was electrocuted ad it was how he died. 
     In the months I was contacted quietly and secretly by classmates who asked to confirm. All of them were sombre and quite fearful. But hey I was being listened to. … Right? 
    By the time that school started Danny and Jazz were adopted by their godfather Mayor Masters due to their parents being negligent and more concerned with their in-home science lab both in the basement and above Fenton wors than the overall saftey of their children.
    In a semi-small town, any news is still news and reporters do need to find stories and get paid. 
    By November, Phantom seemed to have two mentors where he trained with his powers. The Guys In White warned the public to stay away at all costs because they were ghosts. Yet no one really listened.
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5am-the-foxing-hour · 6 years
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Fall of a Dark Kingdom
On the Headcanon that Virgil was the Leader of the Dark sides before he left. So this is mostly the dark sides: Virgil, Deceit and my headcanon off who the two sides Orange and Green could possibly be if the colour/rainbow theory is right.
Characters: Virgil, Deceit (he doesn’t lie that much in this one, but he is sassy), Pride (Orange) and Greed (Green), Logan, Patton, Roman, Thomas are mostly mentioned.
The four of them had been together ever since Thomas was born in the dark part of his mind, they had changed and grown, their names not something they saw important.
Virgil had formed first along with one of the light sides, being the fight or flight reflex he had formed from the darkness of Thomas mind at the fear when his mother first did the peek-a-boo on him, scared of Thomas’s parents disappearing.
Virgil and Patton had worked alongside each other at first, Patton being his happy bubbly self of infant energy and Virgil was the fear of being abandoned.
As years kept going, Virgil’s form grew more solid as more sides arrived along with Thomas growth. Patton stayed in the light parts of Thomas mind, taking care of Logan and Roman who had arrived not long ago, Logan was interested in everything, nicknamed curiosity and Roman saw everything as a wild creative dream, so many invisible friends were made, and they all went on adventures, but he pouted every time Virgil intervened with fear and caution.
Virgil on his end had gotten some more “friends” as well.
Greed had come quite early being the embodiment of “MINE”, it got them all in trouble several times and Virgil tried to make the green clad side to see reason, he wasn’t sure if he succeeded or not. He wasn’t the best at leading, but still he tired.
Pride arrived not long after Greed, the only problem was that he would ignore Virgil completely, despite how much Virgil tried to make him see reason. The Prideful orange clad side only listened to himself or if what was said was to his own gain.
Deceit came last, when Thomas learned that lying could get him out of trouble, or get more friends, but it made Virgil more stressed because what happened if they found out Thomas lied?! That would only make them in deeper trouble or lose their friends. But compared to the other two, Deceit was actually willing to listen to him, and he tried to wind down on the lying when Patton frowned at them both after one unnecessary big lie.
Virgil would never say it out loud, but amongst all the dark-sides: Green, Pride and Deceit, he liked Deceit the most. The yellow clad side with his scales was despite what he stood for, a calming presence, the other two could get to much at times, especially when they started to fight each other like wild dogs.
The two did try to fight him as well, but he quickly fought them off, showing them who was the strongest.
Deceit kept mostly out of it, he managing to slither away whenever the two dark sides started to clash.
Virgil wasn’t sure if it was because he didn’t want to get hurt, or if he didn’t want them to get hurt.
When Thomas started School Virgil knew he was changing again, growing stronger as he gained more traits than just fight or flight and fear, anxiety was the new one, and soon he was known as Anxiety and not Fear.
Deceit had come over to him looking unsure and clearly not all that happy one day, explaining to him that as long as Thomas believed he didn’t have anxiety… Deceit would have to keep Virgil hidden, like the other dark sides. Virgil had been unsure at first but he did trust Deceit on this so he let it happen. He worked from the shadows, a spike of fear here and a spike of fear there, but it didn’t make Thomas react to the situation as he wanted and he was growing annoyed.
But as Thomas grew older Virgil grew in strength as well and soon he had to tell Deceit to let him be seen, be known, he could not stay contained any longer. Deceit had given him a small frown at that unsure if it was a good idea, but sighed and allowed his grip that was hiding Virgil to disappear and Virgil let himself appear in Thomas’s life. Their host was not happy with this, constantly trying to get rid of him, but Virgil wouldn’t let himself be beaten.
Deceit had asked, after Virgil had had a bad argument with the fanciful Side, on if he wanted to get hidden again, Deceit was not blind to the clear pain the anxious side felt after each push back and scorning remark both Roman and Thomas said, not even Logan was from blame, Patton had said the fewest but he didn’t understand Virgil either.
But Virgil declined the offer.
Pride and Greed had grown stronger as well as Thomas grew, and Virgil had to make sure they didn't do something stupid, but it was clear they wanted more powers and a bigger say in Thomas decision making. Something Virgil and Deceit had come to a mutual agreement to not let them have.
Virgil wasn't sure what made him keep coming back to the videos Thomas made. It wasn't like he was wanted there, maybe it was to get away from Pride and Greed’s constant shuffles and arguing as the two kept fighting just for the fun of it, something he didn't see the fun in.
He had returned after Thomas was squealing from having been turned to a cartoon, to find the two dark sides fighting Deceit, who did his bloody best to get away from them and fight back, and Virgil just sighed all his frustration from having been forced to fly and being turned into the villain AGAIN letting his voice turn dark and distorted.
  “What do you think you're doing?! It's bad enough you two fight constantly , but for fucks sake, ENOUGH!” Virgil roared, Pride and Greed both scrambled away from Deceit who huffed for breath as he fixed his clothes and picked up his hat giving the two dark sides a hiss as he stalked over to stand at Virgil’s side, the Green and Orange clad sides hisses back only to flinch when Virgil snarled at them. “Enough.” he snapped before turning around to storm towards his room pulling up his hood over his head, a headache coming along.
  “What? You think that you're better than us just because you get to spend time with the light sides?” Greed growled.
  “YEAH!” Pride snapped as well. Deceit grimaced as he sent them both a disapproving glare. “You only get to see them and the Big boss because Deceit made you able to! WE WANT POWER TO!” Pride shouted, Virgil stopped walking and turned back to glare at them over his shoulder.
  “You better watch your mouth, Pride.” Virgil growled
  “Or what? You're gonna borde me to death?” the prideful side taunted placing his hands on his hips before baring his teeth in a growl.
  “Anxiety, don't.” Deceit hissed sending a quick glance at the anxious side, he knew what Pride was trying to do, Virgil ignored him as he lunged at the prideful side with a snarl.
Once the fight ended none of the dark sides were left unscratched.
Virgil growled as he nursed a broken nose and split lip in his room away from the other two. Deceit lied on the couch behind him, a bag of frozen peas over his eye to nurse the elbow that hit him in the face.
  “For being the leader you're pretty dumb.” Deceit huffed with a tired voice, scratchy from the shuffle.
  “Oh! don't you start!” Virgil snapped,  he was not in the mood for a lecture.
  “I’m serious! Why do you keep going back if they only hurt you?” Deceit tilted his head to give Virgil a better look. “Seriously, from the look of things i’m not sure if Greed and Pride are kinder than those three and i find that sadly amusing.”
The oldest dark side glanced back at the youngest and sighed, suddenly looking very tired and worn, anger blown away, leaving him open and vulnerable, a thing he would never let Greed and Pride see.
  “I don't know… I just… I thought I would be able to protect Thomas better if he knew me, but... I'm starting to think that I’m overdoing it…” Virgil huffed slumping against the couch, winching when his side shot out a flash of pain.
  “Don't let Greed and Pride hear you say that. you are the one who keeps them in check… mostly.”
  “I know.” Virgil groaned before he looked up at the roof “Maybe i just wants dad's approval.” Deceit snorted before winching when his ribs protested.
  “Don't you have that already? You know him the best out of all of us, you two basically grew up together.”
  “I knew him, but that was a long time ago… Now, I don't know, we’ve both changed a lot since the begging…” Virgil sighed closing his eyes. “I’m just so tired.”
  “Of what?” Deceit grunted as he pushed him up from the couch.
  “Everything.” Virgil mumbled.
Deceit hadn’t thought much of it, but then he suddenly couldn’t feel Virgil’s presence at all, and he felt himself grow cold, Greed and Pride seemed to perk up at the sudden lack of the anxious presence and began to snicker along themselves. Deceit didn’t dare think about what caused it.
But then it returned like a tsunami through the mind and Deceit sighed in relief.
Virgil wasn’t sure what made him stay with the light sides, he knew he still had his duties to the dark sides, but after he changed his clothes to the purple hoodie and shirt and he went to meet them, Pride and Green had snarled at him and laughed at how the light sides must have put lies of “care” into his head, Deceit has just glared at the two, he didn’t look at Virgil at all. Virgil wasn’t sure if it was because he felt betrayed or something else. Virgil wasn’t gonna ask.
He left to never come back. the dark sides slipped to the back of his mind as he got closer to Patton, Roman and Logan and even Thomas.
That is… until Deceit showed himself, trying to make Thomas lie to his friends, but Virgil knew the look in his eyes despite Deceit having disguised as Patton. and Virgil glared back, because how dared HE mess with Patton and put Thomas and the others at risk like that?!
But he was still the leader and he had to show Deceit that, so when the dark side asked if he wanted to lose the support of Thomas’s friends Virgil snapped back with a bite he hadn’t used to the deceitful side in years, and never used at Patton. he saw the surprise and hurt, but at the moment he could care less. Deceit stood where Patton was supposed to stand and he was not gonna let that slimy snake keep doing it.
The lie was out and had left, and Thomas asked if there were more side, Virgil forced his teeth together, as Patton said a hesitant yes, as if expecting Deceit to keep him silent.
  “The dark sides.” Roman said and Virgil loosened his jaw with a exhale through his nose. “I made that name up right now, pretty cool right.”
  “Very dark and foreboding thank you.” Thomas said, clearly still shaken by the whole experience.
Virgil sank back to his room and knew he wasn’t alone. he sighed before he turned to face the cough where Deceit was currently lounging.
 “What do you want?” Virgil asked.
 “Nothing.” Deceit said lying on his back throwing his hat into the air and catching it again.
 “Deceit.”
 “Anxiety. or should i call you Virgil now? You seem to suddenly care about your name.” Deceit grumbled, still not looking at Virgil. Virgil frowned slightly before he sighed.
 “How are the other two doing?” Deceit burst out laughing at that only to end up coughing and dropping his hat as he hugged around his ribs giving away a pained hiss.
 “Those ass holes are still kicking and screaming like always.” Deceit ground out as he slowly pushed himself into a sitting position, jolting when his hat was placed on top of his head again.
 “I’m sorry...” Virgil mumbled. Deceit stilled before he looked up at Virgil.
 “What in the world for?”
 “For leaving, and making you have to deal with those two ass holes on your own-” Virgil’s hand slapped against his mouth as Deceit twisted his wrist, Virgil gave him a glare but didn’t fight it.
 “I didn’t come here seeking your apologies.” Deceit said as he got to his feet, winching slightly as his ribs moved. “I came here to see how you were doing.” Deceit said letting Virgil’s hand fall to the side. “And from what i got to see today, they do care about you a lot more than i thought they did.”
 “I’m not so sure… i mean… what if they throw me out when they found out who i really am?”
 “You think they don’t already know? it wasn’t exactly a secret.”
 “Well… you know me, i worry about worrying.” Deceit shook his head with a chuckle before he reached over and ruffled Virgil’s hair, having to stand on his tiptoes to reach better, internally cursing his short size.
Deceit gave him a hard pat afterwards before he walked towards the door
 “You’re not that bad Dee, you could stay here, but don’t try to be Patton again you hear!” Deceit burst out laughing before he turned to look at Virgil over his shoulder.
 “And let those two run havoc in the dark parts of the mind? hell no.” Deceit laughed as he disappeared into the shadows,
leaving Virgil alone.
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doomedandstoned · 7 years
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TIGER TELLS TALES!
Kadavar's Drummer on the Band’s Past, Present, and Future
Interview by Jamie Yeats
Photos by Elizaveta Porodina
KADAVAR is a name that everyone into the underground stoner rock scene knows -- and for good reason. Three smashing records and relentless touring has positioned the Berlin band as one of the most influential of our generation. This weekend, the band continued its seemingly unstoppable momentum with the release of a fourth album: 'Rough Times' (2017 - Nuclear Blast Records). However, the most interesting development the band has made recently is the addition of their brand new, fully equipped professional recording studio. Over a five month period, the band built the studio from the ground up, wrote, and recorded what has become Rough Times. I spoke with the mastermind of their musical production, as well as the man behind the drum set, Christoph "Tiger" Bartelt, about the studio, the new record, and the future of the band.
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A lot of bands pay for studio time with a separate engineer. What was it that inspired you to record your own music and eventually build the new studio?
I love to go to studios for the sake of looking at gear and seeing how other people work. That's inspiring, too. It looks like less work, but I don't like to be recorded by anyone else as much as doing it myself. It can be hard to translate ideas, especially when you're stubborn like us. After seven years in a moldy basement, we wanted to take the risk and create a new home for us, so we could make our music without getting sick, you know?
With every record there's a change of paradigm.
You guys have been recording your own music since the first record. What has been the biggest help and the biggest obstacles along the way?
I have been working as a sound engineer since I was 18 years old. I started playing music and recording bands in the basement of my parents’ house. I've always had my very own approach of doing things. I guess that helped a lot to create our sound. I was at a turning point, as well. I tried to play music with a few bands, tried to start my own band, but hated the way other musicians thought about making music and about sound in general. I thought: "We have to go back a few steps with technique and the way we approach things in order to develop a good sound." Rock records, at least the ones that I like, weren't produced using ProTools, Beat Detective, and Auto-Tune. We wanted to play our music and turn up the fucking amps, you know? There's only one way to do this. When Kadavar was formed, we kind of were on the same page with this philosophy.
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How did you know that now was the time to build a fully equipped professional studio?
Like I said, mainly we had to make a move because our dirty old basement was making us sick. I had most of the equipment already, so we just needed a room big enough to fit all our stuff. We have a ton of cabinets and all that. (laughs) But as we spent quite a bit if money on producing Berlin, we said to ourselves: "We can go to a studio again with that money or use it to build our own. Let's do this now. Seriously."
What were some of your fears or reservations about such an endeavor?
Well, money, of course. You never know how much it'll cost, even if you plan ahead and do your best to save money. And the work and time, too. Time was short and we did it all ourselves. It had to be finished ASAP so we could go ahead and start writing. It was a pain in the ass.
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How do you feel that your path as recording artists and touring musicians has affected the music itself?
Both are crucial to progress. With every record there's a change of paradigm. Things you want to do different, things that matter at that very moment. This is, of course, microscopic and maybe invisible to outsiders, but you always want to achieve something special and it's an ongoing learning process. Same with live shows. We still learn new details in each song. It keeps evolving in micro steps. The idea we once had in the studio is in a constant shaping process, it never stops. It's a very slow process, like waves on a stone. But playing live has always been the most important thing for Kadavar. We have become the band we are today through performing a lot and learning what works in front of an audience. When I'm in the studio and we write songs, I always try to imagine how it will feel to perform a certain idea.
We wanted to sound more rough and raw and antisocial again.
Now a couple questions for the recording geeks out there. Being the drummer of the band, and the engineer, what are some of your favorite miking techniques for the kit?
I like to have a really dry and natural sound to be safe and then I go crazy on some extra signals. I always use a SM57 top and bottom. Then I place Overheads in order to get a good balance of the set, but the snare drum needs to be right in place. I use AB technique whenever I want a tad more room ambience or I place one mic right above the snare drum and one to my right hand, when I'm sitting, so it captures the attack and the resonance of the floor toms. This sounds tighter than AB. I always use a kick mic outside the kick, because I hate when it just clicks. And I always record one or two trash signals that I can smash with a limiter or run really hot through my Siemens board.
Do you prefer recording to tape or digital, and why? Anything you dislike about either of the two forms?
When we demo, I don't use the tape machine. It's just too much of a hassle when you just want to save ideas and listen back. I sometimes like to edit a few parts together so I can show the others how the structure could work better. This is way easier in digital. When it comes to the album production, we always record analog, because it sounds better. Especially when you hit all tracks in the red. That's when I get that nasty grin in my face and the others know I start to love it.
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What are some of your favorite devices for tape recording, or programs for digital recording?
My Tascam MS-16 recorder has been fixed up again. I'm so glad it still runs. I've been using it for various productions, our first records being two of them. It has a very distinct sound, more so when pushed too hard. Gear needs hate it because of the bumpy frequency response. It's my favorite device.
Your sound is very distinct. When Kadavar comes on, the listener knows it's Kadavar. However, each album progresses your sound into new territory. Which direction do you see the band going with this next release and with other releases in the future?
It's our aim to evolve a little with each new record. With Rough Times, maybe the biggest change was the new studio, going back to using my gear and questionable knowledge about recording. (laughs) Even if that's just a coincidence, we wanted to sound more rough and raw and antisocial again. I use the word antisocial as a term that refers to sound only. There has to be at least something unpleasant about listening to our music. Not all the time, but here and there, you know? Rough Times is, more than our previous albums, somehow a concept album and the lyrics are with all their diversity all somehow related to the title. The music is really diverse, too. We have some brutally heavy tunes on the record, there's psychedelia and space rock references, garage and punk vibes as well as completely new territories, like a very southern sounding track and an atmospheric spoken word track. We need to keep our core substance and write smashers but experimenting will also be a part of future records!
The city has a strong heartbeat and it forces you to go out and party every day.
Between opening a studio, recording your own albums, and touring with Kadavar you must keep very busy, but what do you do with moments of free time?
When those stressful periods like album production or a long tour are over, I don't do many other things. I mean, we rehearse every day and I've got to work a couple hours on the computer to keep the business running, there's a lot of promotion right now. Other than that, I have a newborn daughter, so after work I spend my free time at home or outside. I've got a record collection, I like to take photographs, and I am a passionate beer drinker.
Do you have any aspirations or plans to create art beyond your work with Kadavar?
I'm dreaming around here and there are many things that I'd be interested in, but Kadavar is a very time and energy consuming project. I can't really manage to do many new things at the moment, so I just keep those other ideas in my head for now.
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Do you feel that being located in Berlin has affected your art and your career? What are the perks and what challenges do you face there, if any?
I have answered this question too many times when we released Berlin, inevitably. (laughs) It has changed for me since then, maybe. These days, Berlin is for home and family and friends. The Moloch it has been for us, the endless nights we've spent over more than ten years, and all those interesting characters that we've met along the way have forever influenced us as a band and as individuals. Those times are over and I hold them dear. We were in a swamp of night pleasures and it's important we had a phase like that. It's hard to get out of and we've seen a lot of people leaving because they couldn't take it, you know? This city is dangerous! It's not easy to really settle down and get comfortable here. The city has a strong heartbeat and it forces you to go out and party every day. But, like I said, those times are over. We can party enough on the road. When I'm home, it's different now.
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Since the first Kadavar release, the scene of underground stoner rock, doom metal, and occult music has exploded with all kinds of new bands and styles. When you started out did you ever foresee of how far Kadavar would come or how far the scene as a whole would develop?
I've seen some bands coming. I've seen the big players entering the market. We thought that thing was over when we entered the scene, to be honest. Graveyard had already released Hisingen Blues and the hype was massive. We got hyped before we had even released a single song or played a show. It was like that! We showed up in bars, more than anything else. I enjoyed playing with the guys from the first second, so I was positive we could reach some people and play small shows in Germany. But I had not foreseen that I could quit my job and live off playing in a band. Many bands can make a living now, which is great.
What advice can you give to aspiring musicians and recording engineers?
Don't hire a manager. And don't trust anybody. Apart from that, I have found that learning from your favorite musicians has worked better than music school, and doing things differently teaches you more about "the right way" than just following the books.
What's the best way to get our hands on the new record?
The best way to get our record is directly at our show, because that's how we make our money! But I'm also somebody who supports record dealers and small shops, so wherever your buddies work, I guess!
You guys have been touring Europe a lot lately. Will there be more extensive world tour with the release of 'Rough Times'?
It's our plan to make a world tour! We've got a couple legs together already and other territories are still being discussed, but there's going to be news very soon!
Follow The Band.
Get Their Music.
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operationrainfall · 4 years
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If you follow my ramblings here at oprainfall, you’ve probably noticed I’m a fan of retro and indie. So of course I’m also a big fan of the fine folks at Tribute Games. Their artistry and attention to detail is really impressive, and I have personally bought most of their games with my own money, plus one that I got as a review copy. And though all of their games definitely have a bit of a sadistic streak to them, I am often beguiled and enamored by these fine tributes to retro gaming. With the upcoming release of their latest title, Panzer Paladin, I thought it’d be a good idea to finally try my copy of Flinthook. Was this adorable space pirate just the thing the doctor ordered to sate my appetite?
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First things first, Flinthook’s story is told visually. There’s no written dialogue describing the plot whatsoever. All you know is you’re using your Goo Compass to hunt for bounties that have something you want. That said, you’ll come across an assortment of quirky characters that do trade tales with you, and you’ll also find relics and lore that provide a bit of context. What this means is I wasn’t certain about a few things in the game, such as the nature of the titular captain Flinthook. At first he just appears to be wearing a white hood, but whenever you lose, an animation plays with his spirit detaching from his body, then reattaching. As such, I think of Flinthook as a space ghost (no, not that one), and will maintain this belief until the game convinces me otherwise.
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Despite most of the tale being told visually, you can still infer a lot about the game. That’s because the art everywhere in the game is bursting at the seams with personality, from the lowliest scalawag to the meanest buccaneer. You can tell when Flinthook himself is determined, frustrated or even downcast just by looking at his face. I can’t say nice enough things about the aesthetics in the game. Tribute always has amazing art, but this might be their best yet. It’s bubbly, full of complex details, and just jubilant to look at. Which is a good thing, because Flinthook is also ridiculously hard.
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Now, I tout myself as a platformer pro. And if you talked with any of my circle of gamer friends, they’d probably back that assertion up. But Flinthook isn’t just a platformer, it’s a rogue platformer. You never know what each area is gonna throw at you, you just know it’s gonna hurt. There’s hazards aplenty here, from swinging mace balls to spike traps to laser lattices and much more besides. Most areas also have lots of moving parts, like conveyor belts or disappearing platforms. You’ll often be dealing with one or more hazards in each area, not to mention enemies. There’s a great diversity of space pirates to contend with, from enraged starfish to bomb spewing parrots to gun-slinging dastards. One thing that makes all of them a challenge is that almost every enemy can shoot through surfaces you can’t. Not to mention they’re often protected by shimmering bubbles or red barriers that can only be dispelled temporarily by your handy Chrono Belt. Fun fact, any game where slowing down time isn’t that much of a game changer is a hard game. But I digress. The true challenge in Flinthook isn’t the hazards or the enemies, but navigating around them. Which brings us to the “hook” part of Flinthook.
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I really love the hook mechanic, at least in theory. Wherever you see a golden ring, Flinthook can use his mobile Quickhook (a tiny anchor) to grapple from it. You can’t hang from them, but you can maneuver all around by launching yourself from the right angle. The trouble is, the game is built around this mechanic, which means you’ll often have very little floor to speak of. Instead, you’ll have wide open spaces covered in spikes or lava, and have to use those nifty hooks to swing safely through them. Keep in mind, each mission tends to be more challenging than the one before it, and often the early areas aren’t that easy. I’m not trying to complain overmuch, but I do want fans of platformers to realize Flinthook is not playing around. It can and will kill you repeatedly. However, you do have one thing at your disposal to help even the odds – upgrades.
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As you go on raids to hunt for treasure and find your next bounty, you’ll gain experience. As your level rises, instead of increased stats, you’ll unlock more upgrades at the Black Market. There’s a wide range you can buy, from extending your base health to new subweapons and more besides. You’ll also come across perks as you play, little cards that provide big benefits. Some examples are dealing more critical damage or making you immune to electric shock. The amount you can equip at one time is determined by the size of your meter, which itself can also be extended at the Black Market. Though none of these perks is gonna make the game easy, they do make it more fair. I had a lot of trouble with the third boss in the game, a gelatinous space baron. To deal with him, I equipped perks that increased the amount of damage I dealt to bosses, as well as extending the duration of my Chrono Belt’s slowdown, letting me deal with the lack of floor in his arena. Even then, I had to try multiple times to beat the good Baron, and even then, I did so with just a mere fraction of my health left. But there’s a special thrill you’ll get whenever you beat one of the game’s hardcore bosses. It’s just enough of a rush to keep me coming back for just one more try. That said, I’m nowhere near ready to take on the final boss yet or the harder versions of previously beaten bosses I unlocked.
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It suddenly occurs to me that I’ve neglected to talk about the sound design in Flinthook. If I wasn’t already impressed by the artistry here, I was definitely impressed by the music. I don’t normally get that excited by music in games. I’m usually fine so long as it doesn’t get in the way or ruin the mood. Here though, the music is completely outstanding. It’s very memorable and catchy, while being somewhat evocative of classics such as Mega Man. But that’s not to say it’s derivative, it really isn’t. There’s a jaunty pirate energy in every tune, and it really makes the experience that much more unique. I’m really, really impressed by it, and it’s another reason I find Flinthook so hard to put down, despite how soul crushing it can be.
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I will say, much as I’ve grown to accept the difficulty in this game, there’s one thing I’m sad about. When I first saw the images from Flinthook, I assumed it was a Metroidvania. Mostly cause there’s a minimap that populates as you explore areas. While I don’t necessarily still want this game to be from that genre, I do hope Tribute eventually makes a proper one. Cause Flinthook is great how it is, but it shows that the developers have the chops to make a really amazing Metroidvania one day, if they so choose. Unless Panzer Paladin is secretly from that genre, but I suppose that answer will reveal itself soon enough.
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Now I can forgive a lot, but the following issues made my time with Flinthook less pleasant. Though I’ve grown accustomed to all the hazards, I’m less forgiving of the fact many of them are practically invisible til you’re right on top of them. A good example are the spike traps. Sometimes you’ll see a thin gray banner that tells you where they are, but more often you’ll be on what you assume is safe ground, hear a click, and get skewered. I also wasn’t a fan of the inconsistency of combat rooms. Generally you enter one, get locked in, the klaxon sounds and then foes appear. Sometimes, however, the foes will be there before the klaxon sounds, and will get in a cheap shot or two before you realize it. Also, I hate the bubble wizards. They just sit in corners of rooms mumbling eldritch spells that shield all the other foes with bubbles. You have to kill the wizards to take away those bubble shields, and that can be a hell of a thing in cramped quarters. Oh and the purple ghosts can also go to hell. The fact you can’t damage them at all, and they just float around hurting you is a pain. Other than these issues, I can pretty much forgive everything else. But these make bad situations overwhelming.
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All in all, I am glad I finally found the time to play Flinthook. Sure it’s incredibly difficult, but it’s also really engaging and hard to put down. And yes, I know rogue games often are super difficult, but I just feel the difficulty here is tuned a little too high in favor of your foes. That’s not to say it’s impossible, but you should expect to die a few dozen times as you play. It’s just important to know you’ll eventually unlock things that make the game marginally easier. If nothing else, you’ll get great replay value out of the game, with optional challenges, infinite raid mode and lots of main game craziness. I just hope that Panzer Paladin manages to strike a slightly more balanced tone by the time it releases.
IMPRESSIONS: Flinthook on Switch If you follow my ramblings here at oprainfall, you've probably noticed I'm a fan of retro and indie.
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jxniel · 7 years
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PROMPT WEEK:  7/31 - 8/6  KR:DAILY / IDEAL TYPE
COMPLETION POINTS: 3,154 OBJECTIVE: ( x )
When it comes to an ideal type, Seo Ah doesn’t mention much. Of course, she is bound to answer when interviewers and fans ask, but she tends to keep it simple and vague. Mentioning names gives a portray of the character she’s looking for in a man. However, tastes change over time. At first, it was Haruma Miura, then Gary, then Song Joongki, then Lee Seonkyun, and the list goes on. As long as they have a lovely voice, full lips and a seemingly affectionate nature, Seo Ah may consider putting that person among her ideal types-- As long as they meet other requirements she deemed pointless to reveal to the public.
Tall OR Short
Seo Ah’s height isn’t so challenging for a male to be taller than her. The image of a guy towering her is quite appealing, actually. Not only does it provide safety when the man’s taller, there is also the endless possibilities of recreating cute scenes of dramas or animes-- yes, the soloist’s a fanatic of that type of romance. Secretly, of course. Reality doesn’t really cooperate with fiction.
Cute OR Sexy 
Or charming would be a preferable adjective. Seo Ah considers cute herself. In that case, a balance would be greatly appreciated: someone to counter her cuteness with a dash of handsomeness or even manliness. Even if she did write a song about a pretty boy, she did mention her ideal type wasn’t quite that. It is a male who is kind-hearted and affectionate towards her, has full lips and a nice voice. 
Long hair OR Short hair
Tricky question. It all depends if long hair suits the person. In all honesty, Seo Ah’s safe bet would be short since not many males can look stunning with long hair or a little ponytail behind their head. Also, short hair is the most common hairstyle for males. 
Hoobae OR Sunbae 
Seo Ah seems to favor older men than younger ones. Although age isn’t a factor she deemed major to consider, she simply leans towards older ones since their behavior matches what she is looking for in a man. The aspect of being taken care of goes hand-in-hand with age to her-- though, with her past relationships, and the last one being a younger guy, the singer learned to appreciate the perks of dating people of various ages. And she didn’t dislike being a noona. Nonetheless, older males have a more mature and attractive image. 
Long legs OR Pretty smile
The lips are a part of the body the soloist might focus on more unconsciously. A pretty smile would definitely be advantageous to the guy. Since she has thin lips, Seo Ah desires to be with someone with fuller lips. Again, she tends to give opposite traits to her ideal type as it brings the attractiveness she finds in what she doesn’t have.
Commoner OR Celebrity
A commoner would be nice, she would admit, but she’ll prefer someone who knows the ups and downs she goes through on a daily basis, the hardships of her job and the consequences of dating a singer. A commoner would probably have an idea, but it’s still a theory, and theory doesn’t always apply to reality and its endless restrictions. Therefore, Seo Ah believes a relationship with a celebrity is easier-- in terms of understanding and having a common lifestyle, that is.
Banmal OR Jondaetmal  
She wants to be close to the person. Being in love with someone, she would like to be comfortable with them too. Banmal is a form of affection to some level. It shows how the couple is with each other, how close they are, how they can speak informally without the burden of etiquette. The respect projected with banmal is different from jondaetmal, but that’s the beauty she seeks and not an invisible wall limiting her ways to a romance she desires. But it all depends on the comfort zone of her lover. She would definitely not force them to use banmal-- with time, surely, it would happen.
Traditional OR Nontraditional
Seo Ah isn’t the girl she appears to be. She is cute and behaves just as her appearance shows, but the more you know her, the more her tongue tends to be sharp and her honesty knows no boundaries. So, rather than to stick to traditions, she would want to try things. She would want to know the person and then find ways to make their days pleasant for both. She would prefer spending days with her loved one in the most casual way (and possibly staying home) than to go to the most popular places for couples. There might be days when she wants to do things like ordinary couples, but do not expect her to be materialistic. Items bought to represent a relationship, their prices, she doesn’t care. And don’t expect her to memorize all the couple dates. Monthly, maybe, but it’s not required to celebrate them every single time. All she wants is a genuine smile and to feel loved in return for the love she would give wholeheartedly.
Independent OR Dependent
Her past relationships taught her a lesson: when abuse is involved or when there is a need to end things, she has to know that prior to being taken care of by someone, it is to be done by herself. She wishes for her lover to be the same. She doesn’t want the person to be attached to her to an extent of reminding her days when her ex-lover used threats along the lines of “I can’t live without you.” or “If you leave me, the world around me would cease.” She doesn’t want to hear those words anymore. She doesn’t want to feel responsible for what can possibly happen to the person even if those words were lies. Yes, to love someone requires a level of dependency, but due to being hurt while loving someone and to seeing a lover die at a young age, she learned to keep some distance-- or to simply accept that things can’t always go the way she wishes them to be. Although she would still love to the fullest, so there won’t be any regrets later on.
Pale OR Tan
The only exception to her rule of opposite traits is surely the skin tone. Of course, she wouldn’t mind the male to have a darker skin color, but it’s simply due to the standards of beauty established in Asia. The typical compliments for paler skin seem to reverberate in her mind, influenced by her own experience (due to having a fair skin as well) and by the manhwas/mangas she read. It’s a naive thought, but something that was ingrained in her at a young age.
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gotsevenheaven-blog · 7 years
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Best Tv Shows Ever
'Lost' 2004-10
A cosmic mystery trip so complex nobody has ever really figured it all out – a band of castaways trapped on an island following the crash of Oceanic Flight 815, having a smoke monster and also the enigmatic group called the Others, several time lines, the Seventies back-story of the Dharma Initiative, each episode filled with clues to be argued over for years to come. Lost proved there was a broad audience around who needed their Television to be more unpredictable and difficult, not less – and Television would never be the same.
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'Star Trek' 196669
The Star-Ship Business took off having a five-year mission: "To discover odd new worlds, to to locate new life and new civilizations," and it succeeded in making the most beloved of sci fi franchises, not just inspiring many spin offs but also codifying fanfiction as an art form. Gene Roddenberry's original sequence stays the basis, with William Shatner's awesomely pulpy Capt. Kirk, Leonard Nimoy's logical Mr. Spock, Bones, Sulu, Uhura and Scotty. They speak to strange and inexplicable lifeforms – Romulans, Gorns, Joan Collins. During its three years, Startrek suffered from low ratings until NBC pulled the plug, but thanks to the most doggedly loyal of TV cults (remember when "Trekkie" was an insult?), Roddenberry's vision lives long and prospers for this day.
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'The Daily Show' 1996-Present
The fa-Ke news show that became mo Re credible as opposed to news that is real. Comedy Central started The Daily Present when Jon Stewart took over in 1999, but it hit its stride. The Daily Present got more politically abrasive as the news got progressively worse. Stewart had the rage of a man who had signed on at the finish of the Bill Clinton years, only to finish up with an America significantly more scary and more ugly for, as well as the anger showed. "It is a comic box lined with unhappiness," he informed Rolling Stone in 2006. While the franchise struggles on without him, Everyday alumni John Oliver and Samantha Bee keep that hard-hitting spirit on their own displays.
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'Friends' 1994 2004
A team of twenty somethings in New York sit around complaining about their day jobs, their sex lives, their screwed -up households. It's a formula countless sitcoms tried to get right on the years (great try, Herman's Head), but it took the Central Perk crew to get the best mix of personalities, from Lisa Kudrow's flaky folksinger to the schlub-fox romance of David Schwimmer's Ross and Jennifer Aniston's Rachel. Even at the time, it was absurd how luxurious Monica's West Village apartment and large was, and also the storyline where she's banging Tom Selleck just gets more abdomen-turning the Blue Bloods stays that are lengthier on-the-air.
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'South Park' 1997-Present
Trey Parker and Matt Stone touched America someplace special and deep, and also you got to respect their authori-teh. Year after year, this cartoon began, Matt Stone informed Rolling Stone, "we'd view success as finally acquiring to the point where we get canceled because no one gets it." So here's to not exactly twenty years of failure – and hopefully 2 more.
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'The Tonight Show With Johnny Carson' 196292
Heeeeeeere's Johnny! There's a cause Carson stays the template for each and every late-night host, after ruling The To Night Show for three decades. Like a TV answer to Frank Sinatra, he epitomized Rat Pack cool, and his monologues were a sound track to generations of Americans boozing every night themselves to slumber. Nearly 2-5 years after he signed-off (and more than 10 years after he died), Carson's the ghost king who nevertheless haunts evening. When he abdicated in 1992, Letterman and Jay Leno started battling for his throne and never quit. (In his last display, Letterman cracked, "It looks like I am not planning to get The Tonight Show.")
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TV Series Third Watch
'The Sopranos' 1999-2007
The crime saga that slice the the history of Television kicking off a golden age when abruptly something seemed possible. About how much you could get away with on the little screen together with The Sopranos, David Chase smashed all of the rules. And he developed an American antihero in James Gandolfini's New Jersey Mob boss, Tony Soprano, presiding over a crew of gangsters who also double as dads and broken husbands, guys seeking to stay using their murderous strategies and dark recollections. As the late, great Gandolfini told Rolling Stone in 2001, "I noticed David Chase say one time that it's about people who lie to themselves, as we all do. Lying to ourselves on a daily basis and the mess it creates." What an inspiring mess it is. Since it transformed the world, this specific poll was run away with by the Sopranos. Chase confirmed just how story-telling ambition that was much tv could be brought to by you, and it didn't take long for everybody else to rise to his challenge. The breakthroughs of the next few years – The Wire, Mad Guys, Breaking Poor – could not have occurred without The Sopranos kicking the door down. But Chase had a difficult time convincing any network to battle a story of a guilt- gangster who goes to treatment, while his mother plots to kill him. "We'd no idea this show would appeal to folks," he told Rolling Stone. "The display really unexpectedly made this kind of splash that it screwed all of US up." The Sopranos kept heading for the long bomb over six masterful seasons on HBO having a wild mix of blood shed and humor. When FBI agents tell Uncle Junior which mobsters they want him to finger, he says using a shrug, "I want to fuck Angie Dickinson – let's see who gets lucky first." The Sopranos is full of damaged figures who linger on in the long term parking of our national imagination – Edie Falco's Carmela, Dominic Chianese's Junior, Michael Imperioli's Christopher, Tony Sirico's Paulie Walnuts. E Street Band guitarist Steve Van Zandt became Tony's lieutenant Silvio – Chase spotted him on early Bruce Springsteen album addresses. (As Chase told Rolling Stone, "There was something about the E Street Band that looked like a crew.") It might not have been possible without Gandolfini's slow-burning intensity – he was the only actor who could deliver Tony's angst to life. But the writing, directing and acting went locations Television had never reached before. Where Christopher and Paulie Walnuts get lost in the woods, realizing the Russian gangster they tried to whack is nevertheless out there-in the darkness, the Sopranos arguably hit its innovative peak with all the well-known Pine Barrens episode. They shiver in the cold. ("It is the the fuckin' Yukon out there!") They wait. And worry. The Sopranos never solved this mystery – for all we know, the Russian is still atlarge, yet another key these guys can not shake off. On The Sopranos, family loyalties flip, both in the streets and a T home. Beloved characters can get whacked a T any moment. It kept that perception of danger alive proper up to the final seconds. And not quite a decade after it faded to black in a Jersey diner together with the juke-box enjoying "Do Not Stop Believin'," The Sopranos stays the standard all ambitious TV aspires to fulfill.
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'30 Rock' 200613
Alec Baldwin said it best: "You are truly the Picasso of loneliness." He's a point. The Liz Lemon of Tina Fey is one gal who spends her evenings working on on her behalf evening cheese playing Monopoly alone or viewing the Life Time movie My Stepson Is My Cyber-Husband. But Fey created her a timeless heroine -space experience at The Girlie Show to the backstage antics, having a crazy- deep bench that included Jack McBrayer, Jane Krakowski and Tracy Morgan. And Baldwin chewed up the role of his life, turning what might have been a generic sitcom boss into the only guy worthy to stand-by Lemon.
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'The Office (U.K.)' 2001 03
Ricky Gervais created one of TV's most agonizing comic tyrants in David Brent – a bitter, awkward, pompous ball of vanities terrorizing his workers at a London paper organization. He fidgets, fondles his tie, cracks dreadful jokes, plays guitar ("Free Love Free Way"!), invisible to anyone except the longsuffering office drones who have to put up with him. This mockumentary raised the cringe level of sitcoms every where, spawning the remarkably great U.S. version (also on this checklist) while paving the way for the glories of Parks & Re Creation and Peep-Show.
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