#gonna do kris and then experiment with original art

[strawberrysniffer]

She's done :)

[nerdythebard]

#49: Wanda Maximoff, the Scarlet Witch [Marvel]

(Art Credit: Kris Anka) ---

Time to once again jump onto the bandwagon!

Happy Multiverse of Madness Day, darlings. Like I've mentioned before in my Doctor Strange build, I am the ultimate fanboy of magic and sorcery and the supernatural. Now, while the Scarlet Witch as we see her in the MCU is not necessarily my favourite portrayal, I can't deny she's pretty cool when written right. So let's see what kind of chaos we can brew with her.

Next Time: I was sitting in the diner, playing chess with my friend, Joseph...

So, how do we define a witch? Besides being made of wood and turning folk into newts (don't worry, they get better):

Chaos Control: Wanda's entire shtick is that her magic revolves around the chaotic forces of the universe. Reality warping, manipulating building blocks of existence, all the overpowered, difficult to control stuff.

Mental and Arcane Fortitude: Despite all of her trauma, all of her hardships, and fragility of her mind, Wanda showed determination and resolution. Especially in her latest fight with Chthon. It's not that easy to manipulate her anymore.

The Inevitable One: Wanda is a Nexus Being of Marvel Universe 616, which gives her the ability to affect probability (and therefore, the future) of her own reality.

---

Wanda's origin is a bit complicated. Once believed to be a mutant, she was actually experimented on by the High Evolutionary and therefore does not have the naturally occurring X-Gene. While a Variant Human would be a very good and safe option, we're actually going to try Half-Elf. We get a +2 to our Charisma and a +1 to two abilities of our choice (Constitution and Wisdom), 60 feet of Darkvision, ability to speak Common, Elvish, and one language of our choice, proficiency in two skills of our choice (Arcana and Insight), and the Fey Ancestry skill, which gives us an advantage against being charmed and immunity to being put to sleep via magic.

Wanda's life is filled with traumatic events and hardships, so we're making her a Haunted One. We get to pick two skills out of four (Investigation and Religion), two exotic languages of our choice (Abyssal and Deep Speech seem right), and the Heart of Darkness feature; because of all the unimaginable horrors we've faced, other people might be afraid of us or be sympathetic to us and try to help by giving us shelter or help.

ABILITY SCORES

Charisma will be our primary ability, serving as both our casting ability and a way to deal with problems if we're out of spell slots. Dexterity is next, Wanda is a capable martial artist and doesn't use weapons. Constitution follows that, it's important for any caster to keep their Hit Points high.

Wisdom will be next, Wanda's decision are not always reasonable, but she's getting better at it and recently has been granted forgiveness for her House of M actions. Intelligence is on the lower end, since nothing important about Wanda revolves around her academic prowess, and we're dumping Strength.

CLASS

We're gonna start with—

WILD MAGIC SORCERER! IT HAS TO BE WILD MAGIC SORCERER! IT'S ABOUT CHAOS AND RANDOMNESS! WILD MAGIIIIIIIIIIC!

Umm... Right, about that... It's definitely correct, but here's the thing about Wild Magic subclass; yes, it is chaos-themed, and if your game only uses official materials, then go for it. The thing with Wanda's magic is that it doesn't create random effects (except for the X-Men: Evolution cartoon) and her control over it is much better. Instead, we're going to focus on her probability and mathematics-related sorcery. Let's go!

Level 1 - Monk: Starting with some combat base. Monks get a d8 as their Hit Dice, [8 + Constitution modifier] initial Hit Points, no armour proficiencies but proficiencies with simple weapons and shortswords, and with one artisan's tool or musical instrument of our choice. Our saving throws are Strength and Dexterity, and we choose two class skills from the list (Acrobatics and History). Thanks to Unarmoured Defence our AC (when we're not wearing armour or holding a shield) equals [10 + our Dexterity modifier + our Wisdom modifier].

We also practice Martial Arts. While unarmed (with the exception of monk weapons) and unarmoured (and with no shield), we gain the following benefits:

We can use Dexterity instead of Strength for the attack and damage rolls of our unarmed strikes and monk weapon attacks

We can roll a d4 instead of normal damage (DEX or STR modifier) or our unarmed strikes or monk weapon attacks.

When we use the Attack action to make an unarmed strike or a monk weapon attack, we can then make one unarmed strikes as our bonus action.

Level 2 - Monk: With Unarmoured Movement, our speed increases by 10 feet if we're not wearing armour or holding a shield. We also gain access to Ki energy. We get a pool of Ki Points we can use to fuel some of our abilities. We start with three Ki abilities:

Flurry of Blows: Immediately after making an Attack on our turn, we can spend 1 Ki Point to make two unarmed attacks as our bonus action.

Patient Defence: Spending 1 Ki Point lets us take the Dodge action as bonus action.

Step of the Wind: Spending 1 Ki Point lets us take either the Disengage or Dash action as bonus action. Our jumping distance is also doubled for that turn.

Level 3 - Sorcerer: Time to make some magic. Multiclassing into Sorcerers doesn't give us anything new, but we unlock Spellcasting right away. Charisma is our casting ability, and we know how to cast cantrips and regular spells. Sorcerers know a fixed number of spells. We start with four cantrips (Fire Bolt, Friends, Mind Sliver, Prestidigitation) and two 1st-level spells (Chaos Bolt and Mage Armour).

Sorcerers also pick their subclass, their Sorcerous Origin, right away. Now, I know that Strixhaven content had been transformed into feats, but it has pretty much what we need. We're gonna pick the Mage of Quandrix Unearthed Arcana from 2021. At certain levels, we gain additional spells; here, it's the Guidance cantrip and the 1st-level spell, Guiding Bolt. We can also control Functions of Probability. Whenever we cast a spell (using a spell slot) that targets a creature, we can choose that same creature or another within 30 feet (including ourselves) and apply one of the following effects:

Diminishing Function: The target must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or roll a d6 and subtract the result from the next attack it makes before the start of our next turn.

Supplemental Function: Once before the start of our next turn, the target can roll a d6 and add the result to the next attack roll or saving throw it makes.

Level 4 - Sorcerer: We start dipping our toes into more sorcery manipulation. With Font of Magic, we start accumulating Sorcery Points we can use to fuel our spells or convert them into spell slots in case we run out. For this level's spell, we're gonna grab Detect Magic.

Level 5 - Sorcerer: At this level, we can get Metamagic. By spending Sorcery Points, we can apply different effects to spells we're casting. We start with two Metamagic options:

Quickened Spell: By spending 2 Sorcery Points, we can reduce the casting time of a spell from Action to Bonus Action.

Distant Spell: When we cast a spell with a range of at least 5 feet, we can spend 1 Sorcery Point to double the spell's range. If the spell has a 'touch' range, spending 1 Sorcery Point makes the range 30 feet.

From our subclass, we get two spells at this level (Enlarge/Reduce and Spike Growth), and we also unlock 2nd-level spells and get Suggestion.

Level 6 - Sorcerer: Time for our first Ability Score Improvement. Let's put one point into Charisma and one into Wisdom. At this level, we get another cantrip (Message) and another 2nd-level spell (Hold Person).

Level 7 - Sorcerer: At this level, we get some spells from our subclass (Aura of Vitality and Haste) and unlock 3rd-level spells (Fly).

Level 8 - Sorcerer: We get a subclass upgrade. With Velocity Shift we can alter the velocity of other creatures. When a creature we see starts its turn or moves in within 30 feet of us, we can use our reaction to force a Charisma saving throw upon it (which it can choose to fail). On a failed save, we teleport the creature into an unoccupied space within 30 feet of us. We can use that reaction a number of times equal to our proficiency bonus per long rest.

At this level, we're gonna grab the Counterspell spell (or Haywire from the Modern Magic Unearthed Arcana if your game features modern technology).

Level 9 - Sorcerer: We unlock 4th-level spells (Banishment) and gain two spells from our subclass (Control Water and Freedom of Movement).

Level 10 - Sorcerer: Halfway through the build and we get another ASI. We're gonna grab the Magic Initiate: Warlock feat, to begin hearing the sweet, tempting whispers of Chthon. We learn two cantrips from the chosen class's list (Eldritch Blast and Toll the Dead) and one 1st-level spell (Hex).

We also get another 4th-level spell (Raulothim's Psychic Lance or Synchronicity if your game features modern technology).

Level 11 - Sorcerer: We get the final extra spells from our subclass (Circle of Power and Passwall) and unlock 5th-level spells (Creation).

Level 12 - Sorcerer: We get one more Metamagic option. With Empowered Spell, we can spend 1 Sorcery Point to re-roll a number of damage dice equal to our Charisma modifier. We have to use the new results even if it's worse than the original ones.

For this level's spells, we're getting a new cantrip (Gust), and we're gonna grab Synaptic Static.

Level 13 - Sorcerer: At this level, we unlock 6th-level spells and henceforth we'll be getting new spells every other level. For now, let's grab Disintegrate to turn our enemies into cubes.

Level 14 - Sorcerer: Time for another ASI. We're gonna capstone our Charisma to the maximum score.

Level 15 - Sorcerer: We unlock 7th-level spells here. Let's grab Teleport.

Level 16 - Sorcerer: We get our final subclass upgrade. With Quantum Tunnelling, we can alter the very composition of our own body. We gain resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage. Additionally, we can move through other creatures and objects as if they were difficult terrain. We do, however, suffer 1d10 force damage for every 5 feet of movement while inside a creature or an object.

At this level, we're gonna go back to 6th-level spells and grab True Seeing.

Level 17 - Sorcerer: We unlock 8th-level spells here. Time to make some cosy place for ourselves with Demiplane.

Level 18 - Sorcerer: Time for our final ASI of the build. We're gonna get a bit more nimble, by putting two points into Dexterity.

Level 19 - Sorcerer: We gain access to another Metamagic option. Heightened Spell lets us spend 3 Sorcery Points, when forcing a saving throw on a creature, to give that creature disadvantage on said saving throw.

We also unlock the pinnacle of D&D spellcasting, the 9th-level spells. And what else can we pick from that list other than Wish.

Level 20 - Sorcerer: Our capstone is Sorcerer 18, which gives us... nothing. Yeah, unfortunately, the subclass we're using was not built to include the Level 18 benefits, so we're left with absolutely nothing. Now, personally, if it was up to me, I would allow the player to grab another spell here from any level, but that's up to the DM. We're done here.

---

So that's Wanda Maximoff, the Scarlet Witch. As you can see, I went with the Marvel comics route rather than MCU... mostly because as much as I love them, magic in the MCU is no good yet. MCU Wanda has some potential, but her main power is still hurling energy balls and objects at people; come on, that's just lazy. Anyway, how did we do this time:

We're a good support caster, capable of using our subclass to both help our party and hinder our enemies. We have enough spell variety, with some focus on enchantment school, and reality warping ability of the Wish spell. We also have some spells that utilise Intelligence saving throw, with is not usually focused on.

Our AC is 15 (16 with Mage Armour), we have a +3 to our Initiative, 40 feet of ground speed, and the average Hit Points of 125.

Unfortunately, as you can see, we're pretty squishy and not difficult to hit by higher-level enemies. While our Wisdom is not terrible, we've not touched our Intelligence or Strength, so our best bet would be to get some magic items to fix that.

---

And that's the gambit. When you lot read this, I'm at work waiting to watch Multiverse of Madness the following day. No more spoilers, please ;D

-Nerdy out!

[mythicaldemigoddess-of-deltarune]

Susie, Kris, Two Frisks, Chara, Monster Kid And Flowey The Flower

---------------

Credit For Undertale & Deltarune goes to Toby Fox

-----------

I do have another drawing of this version of Undertale Susie,

which is in a crossover drawing.

(the only difference is that this drawing of Susie has black boots) 

but I will wait another time to post it up on here.

M.K. is called Monster Kid in the game,

the name Monroe is just a Fan Dub Name given to them.

Monroe is both a boy and girl name.

the last name Keidd is suppose to be M.K.’s Family Name.

I could of had their last name be spelled Keid

or have their last name be Kidd...

I will post this at the other place I post fan art at...

the Kris and Susie in this, are suppose to be the Undertale counterparts of the Susie and Kris from Deltarune.

I’m just gonna go watch Anime, and try to forget some stuff.

besides watching Anime, I do plan to watch a movie too.

I need to get something to eat too.

and later do some reading....

good thing about today, I was able to post that Tuckrif (Tucker x Grif) ship drawing over at the other place I post fan-art.

I’m a shipping dirtbag,

and Tuckrif is my new ship of Peanut-butter & Jam.

also Amazon better stop overdoing it with the Prime,

it’s not fair fans of SVTFOE can’t get the DVDs to have be send to their homes through the mailing.

Star Vs The Forces of Evil, Wander Over Yonder and any other Series that is still on Prime Only, Should Just Hurry and get to DVDs so fans can buy them.

I think before I watch some Anime, I will just watch Helluva Boss.

I think I will watch Ah My Goddess either tonight or tomorrow.

I think I can relate to Urd from Ah My Goddess,

because of my spiritual heritage.

no matter how many times someone reincarnates,

the spiritual heritage is stuck with you.....

for all your lives, past, present and future.

sometime when I feel really down, I think I would like to try to just lay down on the floor like how Blooky does in Undertale.

but the bed will have to do for now.

right now I’m doing okay, was feeling a little down a little bit ago.

I’m listening to Born Without A Heart by Faouzia.

so after I listen to that song, maybe a few times....

I will go watch some Anime, and I don’t care what Little Light Studios says....I still should try to watch their full videos....that talks about Anime and another video that asks if Disney Safe for Christians.

I wonder if it’s just me that is viewing the Little Light Studios,

as Toxic-Religious, it’s no wonder I want Mother/Goddess to get custody of me....even though I still believe in God and even Jesus,

and there are some friends and family that don’t act the way some toxic-religious people do.

but seriously I can’t stand when humans get all toxic-religious,

a person can be semi that way, so long as they don’t become the full thing that ends up hurting someone and causing tears.

I had a bad experience with a toxic-religious person a few years ago.

as I had explained before.

maybe it’s a good thing that I found out I am really a

Neo-Christian/Ma-Acolyte.

one of the things I really can’t stand

that some toxic-religious people do, is force convert.

converting to a religion should be of someone’s free will and heart.

plus you don’t have to go to church to prove your faith.

going to church can be optional.

I have to stay in the Aroaceflux, Gyno-Agender and Neo-Christian/Ma-Acolyte Closet with my family.

I did want to tell my Mom that I’m a Ace, but that didn’t go too well.

like I said before, I had to pretend I wasn’t after asking her thoughts about Asexuality and well I had decided not to tell her.

once I got into my room, I cried my eyes out.

there is different types of Aces, some will be Heteroromantic

or Biromantic or Panromantic, everyone has a different type of Asexuality/Sexuality/Romantic Identity.

I think things becoming better and more people becoming accepting,

might have to do with The Divine Mother/Goddess.

but that is just my view on it.

but yeah I have to stay in the Ace, Bigender Identity and New Found Religion Closet.

I still love my family, but I know I can’t come out of that closet.

I know even if I do, they wont try to do what some aggressive families do to try to “fix” someone who comes out of those closets.

they might still try to “fix” me, but still have love for me.

but the whole “fixing” wont truly make me happy.

even if there might be some positive videos from that Little Light Studios....they still shouldn’t bad mouth Anime or even Disney Movies.

I still need to check that video that talks about Disney,

but I don’t want to right now.

but if they misunderstand the Frozen Movie, then here is a clearing up.

an Act of True Love, doesn’t always have to be Romantic

and can be Family type love, which is even shown in that Maleficent Movie, where it was Maleficent’s Motherly Love for Aurora, that saved Aurora.

so of course the kiss from the Prince in that movie wouldn’t of worked,

because they didn’t have a deep bond and connection,

the kiss from the Prince would of only worked if the two of them got to know each other and fell in love, they had just met after all.

sure in some cases it can work like in the original disney’s sleeping beauty movie.

but in the Frozen I and Maleficent Movies,

both show that a true love’s kiss or a an Act of True Love,

doesn’t necessarily mean the romantic type of love,

and can be platonic family based love.

like a sister love or a mother’s love.

it does appear that there is a video called "All Are Welcome In The Church, Even LGBT" as one of Little Light Studios’s videos.

I can only hope it is full of something positive.

so I guess the first video I will try to fully watch, will be that one.

but not now, because I really don’t want to watch

any of their videos right now.

still want to wait a week or so before I watch any of their videos.

 even if there might be some positive videos from them.

I still don’t like the negative that is a bunch of pony spit.

in theory I think that the green color magic in disney,

represents the negative feelings, while the gold color represents the positive, pink could be a perfect balance of the two.

I want to try not to let toxic-religious people get to me too much.

I think I will watch Red Vs Blue, before I watch Anime.

 anyway so long as I don’t think about some stuff that make me feel bad, I should be good.

hope some of you like this drawing,

and now I’m gonna go get something to eat.

and even though I did a drawing on the day that red super-moon was suppose to happen, I ended up sleeping through it when it did finally happen.....might of been a good thing I did.

probably didn’t miss much.  

 fantasy & dreams is my sweet escape, and I know I’m a real weird gal.

see ya later and stay safe everyone.

[elsanna-shenanigans]

February Contest Submission #5: Welcome

words: ca. 3,100 setting: mAU lemon: no cw: no warnings apply

<I would like to acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the land in which this story was written and shared, and pay my respects to their Elders, past, present, and emerging, for they hold the memories, the traditions, culture, and hopes of all Indigenous Australians. I acknowledge that this land is, and always will be, the land of the Jagera/Yuggera people, and that sovereignty was never ceded.>

*

“A snake made the world?”

Anna inhaled, then exhaled through her nose. Kristoff scratched idly at his stubble while they waited for their coffees to be made, standing around the uni café.

“It’s a mythos, Kris,” she said after a moment. “Just like Christian God, or Allah, or- I dunno. Whatever specific being any other major religion thought made the world.”

“But a snake.”

“Rainbow Serpent, actually. And it’s really interesting, if you bothered to listen.”

He opened his mouth to retort, but was cut off when their names were called and two coffees placed on the counter. Anna took the chance, moving forward and grabbing her own cup and a few extra sugar packets. By the time Kris had caught up to her, she’d already dumped two into her drink, gently stirring it with a paddle-pop stick.

“I did listen,” he said, clearly intent on continuing the conversation. “And doesn’t the story go that the land and shit already existed but the big snake made mountains and valleys and stuff?”

Taking a sip of her drink, more to waste time than anything, Anna had to concede that he wasn’t wrong, per-se. He was just missing all the nuances of the topic, though!

“Look, I just thought it was cool, is all,” she said once she’d finished the mouthful of, frankly, fairly mediocre coffee. Nice and sweet, though. “Like, out of the seven-hundred-ish tribes– uh. Mobs. Most of them have an origin story that’s so similar. Across the whole country! But the languages they use are completely different – did you know the name of the language is traditionally based on their word for ‘no’? I just… thought it was cool.”

“It is cool, Anna,” Kristoff said, shooting her a small smile. “And I know learning about all this stuff means a lot to you.”

Swallowing again, though more from the dryness that had suddenly appeared in her mouth, Anna nodded. “Well, Mum isn’t around to teach me this stuff anymore. But I don’t wanna miss out and regret it forever.” Suddenly, she perked up. “Hey, did I tell you? I’m going to a thing today!”

“A thing?”

Nodding – so emphatically that she spilled her coffee, the brown liquid sloshing over the side of the cup and landing with a splat on the floor – she grinned up at her friend. “Yeah! It’s this traditional Indigenous show-thing? I can’t really remember what it’s about, but it wasn’t too expensive and they’re doing everything – a Welcome to Country, and stories and bush tucker, and I think they said a corroboree at the end?”

“That sounds really cool, Anna,” Kris said, just as his watch beeped at him. “You’ll have to tell me all about it. Uh. After class.”

Sighing, but this time with a smile, Anna waved him off – spilling her drink again in the process. “See you later, dude,” she said. She probably had to start getting ready, anyway.

Throwing the remnants of her coffee in the bin, Anna made her way back home. A forty-minute bus ride home, only to take a quick shower (how fortunate the drought of her youth had trained her in the art of 3-minute washes…) before heading back out again. It was cooling off, but she knew the evening wouldn’t get cold by any stretch of the word. It smelled like it was going to rain, and she heard the kookaburras again as if to confirm the thought.

Kookaburra laughing means it’s gonna rain, she thought to herself. 

It was another forty-minute ride on the bus, and Anna felt herself becoming giddier and giddier with excitement. It’s one thing to learn about this sort of stuff in class. Now, she gets to experience some of it.

Even the first few splatters of rain on the window of the bus can’t dampen her mood.

*

By the time she arrived, the small drizzle had turned into a full-fledged shower. It wasn’t a storm – it felt a little early in the season (or late in the year) for that – and it would probably pass soon. She was glad she wore closed-in shoes, though, because it turned the earth into a sticky, muddy substance that stuck to everything.

There was only one other girl her age, and though Anna didn’t want to seem too invested, she was also cognisant enough to recognise that she’d rather interact with her than with any of the other people. A glance at the assembled crowed, standing under a large tent as protection from the rain, only confirmed her suspicions: there was at least one tour group, mostly made up of retirees; a school group, probably from the city’s Boys Grammar school, judging by the pretentiousness (and the uniforms). And the girl.

Not that she needed to worry about it. It was very much a group thing in that they weren’t asked to find partners or actually even talk to each other – not at first. First it was a respectful silence – and for Anna, a respectful reverence – as an Elder stood before them to give an official Welcome to Country. He described the land, before White colonisers; the shape of it, the boundaries between Turrbal Country and Jagera Country; the Meeanjin people, who weren’t able to claim Native Title for the land that still was theirs. Even the private school boys were silent, weren’t even fidgeting. Anna had to blink a little harder than usual, and she didn’t stop until he’d finished his piece.

No one clapped, but then, they weren’t supposed to.

A sudden flash of anger overtook her, and she had to face the ground just so she wouldn’t ruin this moment for everyone else. Why had her mum kept this from her? Why did she have to go searching, find out herself? How could they have grown up, let her grow up, not knowing a thing about her heritage??

“Hey, you okay?”

Jerking her head up, Anna found herself having to blink once more to force the angered tears away. The girl she’d noticed earlier was standing in front of her; everyone else had moved on, walking over the red land and towards a building.

“Y-yeah,” she responded. “I’m just…”

“It’s a lot, isn’t it?” The girl looked over her shoulder at the crowd. “C'mon, I don’t think you want to miss this next part.” With a quick, but sincere, smile, the girl turned around and began the return to the group. Anna followed, a few steps behind.

“I don’t?”

The girl shook her head. “I’m Elsa, by the way.”

“Anna. Nice to meet you.”

Elsa just smiled at her, slowing down enough to let Anna fall into step beside her. 

*

Elsa was right: she did not want to miss this.

Once they regrouped, everyone was led into a darkened room. There was a star projector in the centre, a surprisingly real-looking, but definitely fake, fire built around it. They’d lit incense, or something, and when the door behind Anna closed and she was asked to sit on the floor, she found it really easy to imagine being here, back in the long ago.

It wasn’t the Elder who spoke this time. Another man, several years younger, came to sit in front of everyone. He had no shirt on, but his chest was painted in various pigments of ochre and white, only just distinguishable in the dim light of the fake fire and stars (and, Anna realised when she turned around, the fire exit sign). Elsa was sat behind her; she lifted her eyebrows once, still smiling, and Anna hurriedly turned back to the speaker in front her her.

And boy, did he speak. He told the story of the Rainbow Serpent, who carved the mountains and the valleys, and who tickled the frogs until they laughed, and the water that had been kept in their fat bellies burst and filled the tracks that had been made. He spoke about the animals that followed the Rainbow Serpent, who obeyed her and were rewarded by becoming human; those who did not would be made stone again.

But he spoke of other stories, too, ones she hadn’t heard before. He spoke about the Three Brothers, who were found mixing with women of another skin-group – a serious offence – and found their lives forfeit, as there were strict rules around marriage and mingling. Another person came up after that, a young woman, who told the story of Mundiba and they Honey, which was a cautionary tale against greediness and selfishness, as he had been asked to collect honey but had kept it for himself. A spirit had grown suspicious, and upon witnessing Mundiba taking the honey, had sung to the trees to trap Mundiba, where he had perished.

The last tale that was told, just as the retirees were losing focus and the boys began squirming, was the tale of the two wise men and seven sisters. Another origin story, Anna thought, and enjoyed it all the same because it spoke of people who weren’t people. This story, the audience was told, was from Wong-Gu-Tha country. 

In the beginning, it says, the Creator sent two spirit men, Woddee Gooth-tha-rra, to shape Yulbrada, the Earth. They came from the far end of the Milky Way, and were tasked with making the hills and valleys. They made the cliffs and the oceans, the plains and the mountains. And when their work was almost complete, the Creator sent seven sisters, who were stars of the Milky Way, to make the land beautiful with flowers and trees, springs and billabongs, and all the birds and animals and all the creepy things.

Anna had to stifle a little smile when the woman said that. Not that she had to – the woman was smiling, clearly enjoying telling the story, perhaps more than Anna was enjoying hearing about it.

The sisters were making the Honey Ants when they became thirsty, and asked the youngest to find some water for them all to drink. She dutifully took her dish and went off, in the direction her sisters had sent her, to find water.

The Woddee Gooth-tha-rra were in the bushes, spying on the women, and followed the youngest went she went for water. They did not hide, and she fell in love with the two spirit men, and they her. The six sisters left became worried because the youngest had been gone so long. 

They had all been warned by the Creator that, should such a thing happen, they wouldn’t be able to return to the Milky Way. The youngest sister remained on Yulbrada with the two men, and became mortal. They became the parents of the earth, and made the laws and the people of the desert.

The woman fell silent as she finished her story, and Anna was left thinking. It was a creation myth so similar to Eden, but different. People came from the Heavens, but it wasn’t a punishment to remain on earth. They weren’t cast out for the knowledge they gained, but instead had to embrace it. It was love that made the people, not the wrath of any god.

It was a comforting thought.

*

After the stories, they were treated to a didgeridoo player, as well as a demonstration of spear-throwing, weaponry, and warfare stuff. They returned outside, the storm having passed and the remaining clouds providing just enough cover from the would-be blistering sun Anna was less invested, but the school boys definitely perked up. Actually, regardless of her open interest, she still found herself perking up. The storytelling, while interesting, had little action and more atmosphere. This had action.

She found herself sitting next to Elsa again, a question burning the tip of her tongue. When there was a short break while some of the boys asked questions about the weapons, there was a window to actually ask.

“How did you know I’d like that?" 

Elsa hadn’t been paying attention, naturally, and looked a little surprised when she turned to Anna. A smile graced her face; she looked comfortable.

"Everyone does. Even the kids, even if they thought it was a little boring.”

“Well, you were definitely right,” Anna said, an easy smile lifting to her own face. “Have you been here before?”

Before Elsa could answer, their attention was called for the next activity. A small wave of disappointment urged through Anna – she wanted to talk! – before she chastised herself. She had come here to learn all this stuff, even in this vaguely touristy way. She did not come here to make friends.

But… perhaps that would just be a happy bonus as everyone was led to a fire-pit and she realised that the next activity was lunch. An activity in which everyone was able to – nay, encouraged to – talk to everyone else.

Anna wasn’t going to talk to the school kids, and she held little interest in talking to the retirees. She didn’t even have to seek out Elsa; the other woman had left a spot next to her open, and was already looking at Anna and smiling.

They didn’t speak until after the food had been distributed: damper and dukkah – and a plate of different dips and chutneys on the side; skewers of kangaroo, crocodile, and emu; as well as more typical roasted meat. Potatoes and gravy, and all flavours she’d never tried before.

“This looks amazing,” Anna said to herself, eyes as round as the plates in which the food had been served. There was a light laugh from next to her, and she turned to find Elsa smiling.

“It tastes even better,"  she said. "And I know because I have been here before. Only once or twice, but it was enough to get me to come back.”

Anna thought back to how much this had cost her – well worth it, but it wasn’t cheap either – and then to the woman next to her. “It’s been amazing so far,” she agreed.

“And it gets better and better. This is probably the best one I’ve been to.” She said it without taking her eyes from Anna, who felt her cheeks burning. Was this woman flirting with her?

And then Elsa bit her bottom lip, still smiling, and nodded towards the food. “Go on, try it. I bet it’ll be the best you’ve ever had.”

Okay, yep, definitely flirting. Probably as red as a beet, and a shade that couldn’t just be blamed on the sun, Anna ducked her head and focussed on the damper. It came apart easily in her hands, and she dipped it in some of the… chutney?

“So, is this your first time here? What made you want to try it out?”

Elsa asked the questions just as Anna lifted the bread to her mouth. She’d definitely taken too large a bite, and probably looked silly. A possum in the headlights, with bulging cheeks and wide eyes. With some difficulty, she swallowed.

“Y-yeah,” she said, reaching for her cordial. “My um. My mum passed away recently and when I was going through her stuff I found some pictures and documents about where I- where she came from. Wanted to… reconnect, I guess?”

Elsa nodded along as Anna spoke. “I’m sorry for your loss,” she said, and she actually sounded like she meant it. “How are you finding it?”

It was impossible to tell if Elsa were talking about the death, or the discovery, so Anna chose to focus on the latter. “Well, I was really excited at first. I wanted to learn the language and talk to the Elders – I’m already doing Indigenous Studies at uni, so the chance to learn about it all from a personal perspective was really nice.”

“But…?”

“But Mum was Nunukul, so there’s no more language. I know they have the Quandamooka centre over at Straddie – uh, Minjerribah – but I don’t know if that’s the same. Jandai is not my people, or my language.”

Elsa nodded, taking another bite of her food. She was already half-finished, while Anna had been so focused on talking she’d barely started.

“I know what you mean,” Elsa said when she swallowed. She spoke slower than Anna, more thoughtfully; it gave Anna a chance to catch up with her food, at least. “My father is Tjungundji, so all I really have for that is some stupid word lists by old white people, sealed away in Canberra and gatekept by those same old white people.”

A bitterness seeped into her voice; a tempered fury that Anna was]s only just learning exists in her, too. A righteous anger over how much had been taken, not just from her, but from her people, and all other peoples who had been here before.

But she needed to look for the positives. She didn’t know much about Elsa’s mob, but she had been researching her own. She was lucky enough that not everything was taken or destroyed.

“It’s amazing what we’ve been able to recoup,” she said softly, thoughtfully. “I don’t think my grandma, or even my mum, really, could have imagined that their culture could be separated. It’s why they didn’t pass it down. But it is; it’s here and alive. Even though no one speaks Nunukul anymore, and it wasn’t really written down, we have the songs and stories of those people, even in English. I know the snake is my totem, even though I’m terrified of snakes. And I just think it’s amazing how much we’ve been able to put back together even after it all shattered. Things like this, today, are amazing, honest attempts at reconciliation.”

Elsa snorted gently, a smile on her face. “’Reconciliation’, eh? That’s the buzzword of the century.” Anna laughed and nodded. 

“I like to think it’ll keep getting better. Two years ago I’d have never even thought to do this – Indigenous history was just a boring subject in school. But next week I’m getting a snake tattoo, which is terrifying, and it’s been designed by an Indigenous artist and it’s something on me that they can’t take away.” She sighed. “We need to stop taking so much away.”

They fell into silence for a moment, finishing up the meals on their plate. It was a thoughtful silence, comfortable, before Elsa broke it.

“So, you’re terrified of snakes and tattoos. Why are you getting both? Why not choose another design?”

She asked the question so sincerely, honestly. That was all that was really needed, Anna realised. A genuine desire for understanding that, as wonderful as she believed Australian culture to be, she often found sorely lacking. The “she’ll be right” attitude that blinded people to problems. To truths and solutions.

“Because,” Anna said, smiling. Elsa looked right back at her, the expression mirrored on her face, and regardless of the flirting earlier, Anna thought that, at the very least, she had made a friend. “A snake made the world.”

[andhumanslovedstories]

Recent country songs that have made me literally gay gasp as a gay woman, in order of how much they make me want to write an essay on gender and queerness

HONORARY MENTION BUT JUST BECAUSE I THINK THIS IS TECHNICALLY AMERICANA NOT COUNTRY (but genre is fake) AND THIS SONG ISN’T RECENT (2014 and I’ve been listening to it faithfully since then) BUT I ONLY RECENTLY LEARNED IT’S A COVER AND THAT’S MADE ME RECONTEXTUALIZE IT: “Murder in the City” by Brandi Carlile, a cover of The Avett Brothers where she changed the words “make sure my sister knows I loved her/make sure my mother knows the same” to “make sure my wife knows that I love her/make sure my daughter knows the same” which fucking. fucking gets me. Especially since the first time that I heard this song, I assumed it was from a man’s point of view because of that line, and then I learned that Brandi Carlile is a lesbian and I was caught up in my foolish heteronormitivity, and then I learned it was a cover and thought oh okay I guess the song is originally from a man’s pov and it’s cool she covered, and then I learned she changed those lines to make a song that already feels deeply personal to her to explicitly include her love for a woman and the family they’ve made together. And that’s just. It’s all just a lot. 

3) “Fooled Around and Fell in Love” by Miranda Lambert featuring Maren Morris, Elle King, Ashley McBryde, Tenille Townes and Caylee Hammack, because the first time it came up on my spotify, I saw the title and was like “hey dope I like this song” and then I heard the first line was still “I must have been through about a million girls” and I realized none of the words or pronouns were getting changed and I was getting the song I’ve always wanted and deserved: a high production value, high energy, big girl group tribute to being a lesbian fuckboy who Fooled Around And, oops can you believe it, Fell in Love. 

2) “If She Ever Leaves Me” by The Highwomen, sung by Brandi Carlile who is, as mentioned, lesbian, but since I’m apparently still chugging my comp het juice, I was still trying to figure out if this song--a classic “hey buddy keep walking, she’s my girl and she’s not interested” song with an interesting element of the singer being aware the relationship might not last anyway--was gonna be explicitly queer. And then there’s the line, “That's too much cologne, she likes perfume,” and I was like OH HOHOHOHOHOHOHO!!! 

This is immediately followed by the lines “I’ve loved her in secret/I’ve loved her out loud” which is also deliciously queer in this context, with this singer and that juxtaposition, but the line that really fucking got me is my favorite of the song: “If she ever leaves, it's gonna be for a woman with more time.” This is two women in a complicated relationship. This isn’t just a “keep walking, cowboy” song, it’s a song that uses that framework to suggest a whole ass “Finishing the Hat”** relationship, and that’s so interesting to me. Like a song that isn’t just explicitly about two women in love but one that conveys very quickly a rich history between the two of them. And in a genre where the line “Kiss lots of boys, kiss lots of girls if that’s something you’re into” was revolutionary representation.

(Fun fact, “Follow Your Arrow” was partially written by Brandy Clarke, another country lesbian! Another fun fact, so is basically every other good country song. Brandy Clark, please write a big lesbian country anthem, I know it will immediately kill me on impact.) 

To quote one youtube comment, “”lesbians how we feeling??” and to answer by quoting some others, “As a closeted baby gay in the 90s, who was into country, this song would have changed my life”, “I just teared up.  So many happy tears, as a gay woman raised on country music,  this is something that's definitely been needed.  Thank you Brandi. Thank you highwomen”, “This song means more than I can say in a youtube comment”, and “Lesbians needed this song :)”

It’s me. I’m lesbians. 

**ANOTHER HONORARY MENTION EXCEPT IT ISN’T RECENT AND IT ISN’T COUNTRY SO I GUESS THIS IS JUST A MENTION, BUT I AM INTERESTED IN THIS SONG--“Finishing the Hat” by Kelli O’Hara. A very good Sondheim joint, that’s about making art, the costs of its obsessive and exclusive nature and the incomparable pleasure of putting something into the world that wasn’t there before. It’s such a traditionally male narrative that I’m thrilled to find a wonderful female cover of it. I’m not even fussed about her changing the gender from the lover who won’t wait for the artist (except that the shift from “woman” to “one man” sounds so clunky) because there’s value turning this song into a lament of the men who won’t love artistic women. But I do also wish she’d also recorded a version that kept the original gender so it would be gay. OKAY BROADWAY TANGENT OVER, BACK TO COUNTRY. 

1) “Highwomen” by The Highwomen, ft. Yola and Sheryl Crow. I can’t even express the full body chills the first time I heard this. Like repeated, multiple chills renewed at every verse of the song. This really closely parallels my experience with “Fooled Around and Fell in Love” up there, because when I started it I was like “oh dope I know what this cover will be” and then the lyrics started and I was like “OH MY GOD I DIDN’T.” In the case of “Fooled Around” it’s because I was amazed that they kept the original words. In the case of “Highwomen” I fucking transcended because they changed them. 

So I grew up on Johnny Cash, obsessed with a couple of his albums but largely with a CD I had of his greatest hits. (Ask me how many times I listened to the shoeshine boy song. Hundreds. Johnny Cash told me to get rhythm and I got it.) And my FAVORITE was “Highwayman” from the country supergroup he was in, The Highwaymen. The concept of the song is that each of the four men sing a verse about a man from the past and how he died. It’s very good. The line “They buried me in that grey tomb that knows no sound” used to scare the shit out of me. I didn’t expect to have a song that targets so specifically my fear of being buried alive in wet concrete. 

(If you haven’t heard the song, by the way, listen to this version to properly appreciate it as a piece of music. If you have, watch the fucking music video holy shit this is a work of art oh my GOD.) 

So I was predisposed to love this cover before I even heard it. But then I heard it. And they rewrote the song to be about historical women. And it’s like. There’s layers here okay. 

Neither the Highwaymen nor the Highwomen are signing about famous people. This isn’t a Great Man tour of history, it’s about dam builders and sailors and preachers and mothers and Freedom Riders and also Johnny Cash who flies a starship across the universe, as you do. 

In the 1986 version, it’s a song about the continuity of life--the repeated idea is “I am still alive, I’m still here, I come back again and again in different forms.” The highwayman is all the men in the song. He reincarnates. The song is past, present, future. The title is singular, masculine. The same soul, expressed through multiple voices, multiple lives. 

In the 2019 version, the title is plural, feminine. Highwomen. This song is about women. Each verse asserts the same motif as the 1986 version--“I may not have survived but I am still alive”--but there is no implication of reincarnation. Each woman is her own woman. This version has a final verse that the previous versions lacks. The singers harmonize. It’s not a song where one voice replaces  another, the story of this One Man progressing through time. It ends in a chorus of women saying “We are still alive.” 

We are The Highwomen Singing stories still untold We carry the sons you can only hold We are the daughters of the silent generations You sent our hearts to die alone in foreign nations They may return to us as tiny drops of rain But we will still remain

And we'll come back again and again and again And again and again We'll come back again and again and again And again and again 

Another fun fact! The first time I heard them sing “We are the daughters of the silent generations” I died! But luckily I came back again and again and again.  

This is a song about the continuity of history. It asserts that women’s historical lives matter and that they continue to matter, long after they died. This is a song about legacy as well, the legacy of nameless women who worked to protect the ones they loved and make the world better. They don’t die by chance. They are all hunted down by political violence, by racism, by misogyny, for stepping outside their prescribed roles. But, as Yola (who btw fucking CRUSHES THE VOCALS ARE YOU KIDDING ME?????? HOLY SHIT MA’AM) sings as a murdered Freedom Rider, she’d take that ride again. And at the end of the song, she joins the chorus but does not disappear into it. Her voice rises up out of crowd. And the crowd calls itself “we”. These women are united but not subsumed into being One Woman. This is about Women. 

And then, outside the song itself, there’s the history of this song about history. It’s originally by Jimmy Webb and was covered by Glenn Campbell. This cover inspired the name of the supergroup that covered it, the group with Willie Nelson, Kris Kristofferson, Waylon Jennings, and my man Johnny Cash. And it’s like holy shit! What an amazing group to collaborate! Hot damn! 

Then, it’s 2019 and here’s The Highwomen with Brandi Carlile, Natalie Hemby, Maren Morris, and Amanda Shires. The name is obviously riffing on The Highwaymen. Shires set out to form the group in direct response to the lack of female country artists on the radio and at festivals. And they name themselves after a country supergroup, and they put out this song, a song connected to massive names in country music, and they center all of this on women and womanhood and the right of women to be counted in history and to make history and to talk about the ways we have mistreated and marginalized women, in a group that started because one woman was like hey! we’re mistreating and marginalizing women! 

I just think this is neat! I think there’s a lot here we could unpack! But this post is 100 times longer than I was planning and work starts in a bit so uh I’m gonna go get dressed and listen to The Highwomen on repeat for the next hour, “Heaven is a Honky Tonk” is another fucking bop that improves on the original, it would be dope if they’d collab with Rhiannon Giddens, okay byyyyyyyye 

[thelocalshooter]

The Local Shooter Vs. Malick McFly

05/07/2018

1) (LS) Hello, how are you doing today? First and foremost for those who don’t know which I hope some do, who are you? What do you do and where are you from?

(MM) I’m doing good man! Just living life and making the best out of what I can right now. I feel immensely blessed for my opportunity, s/o The Local Shooter. As for who I am, I’m a rapper and producer that was born and raised in Phoenix and moved to Mesa when I was like 13.

2) (LS) How are you feeling the music scene in Arizona so far?

(MM) Honestly, the music scene in Arizona is doing better than it ever has before. I came up when the only people that were relevant were like Futuristic and Sincerely Collins. They’re cool and everything it’s just that the ‘scene’ then was kinda boxed in from what I could see. Now it’s like hella artists that are hungry and trying to get it. I could name a bunch right now if you want me to that forreal need their shine. That being said, I kind of feel like an outsider due to some situations, but it’s cool because I’m still going to put on Arizona as much as I possibly can.

3) (LS) Describe your sound, and also who are some early influences that drove you to make the music you make today?

(MM) My sound is really just an amalgamation of all my experiences being put into song. Production wise, I just wanna make some shit that sounds like radiation or toxic waste or something. Some of my early influences were Bone Thugs n Harmony, Clams Casino, Bjork, Prodigy from Mobb Deep, FKA Twigs, etc. For Fuck Everyone But I Luv Bjork, I wanted to bring back the unadulterated, sample-heavy and collage-art style of making beats into Soundcloud mixtapes from the beginning. I was listening to DJ Shadow’s Endtroducing alot while I was recording/producing and that album really influenced the sequencing of FEBILB.

4) (LS) We see you have some what of a rep in Oregon, actually bitcoinboofpack was the one to really push me to interview you, also we see you have production done by Chief P; how can you explain your whole connection with artists out there and what affiliation do you have with them?

(MM) My Oregon folks is out here!! Haha, I met Chief Paulina thru Bitcoin and I met Bitcoin thru his bro dannyboifresh, who I just came across via soundcloud. I really rock with them because the music they make isn’t something one could easily box in. It’s like their creativity is uninhibited, which is something I’m a big fan of. Chief Paulina and I did that one joint on Fuck Everyone, called “Garbage Pail Kidz.” Paulina sent me the beat and I fell in love with the weird ass double bass rhythm and hopped on it. He broke all the layers down for me one day via Facetime and I loved it even more because it’s a combination of all types of elements into one off-the-wall ass beat. He’s a god at this shit.

5) (LS) As we stroll through your souncloud we see you take a big hand in producing your album “FEBILB”, are you taking a spin at producing too? Is it something new to you?

(MM) Production is my first love. Rapping is cool but making beats has always held me down through alot of shit. I ain’t start recording my raps til 2016, so my way of dropping music was via beat tapes when I was like 15 and 16. I have a couple playlists on my soundcloud of songs I’ve produced for other people in and out of Arizona (whose work you should also check out).

6) (LS) We see you’re managed by Kris from “NOVICES” now how did you two meet being that he’s not even from Arizona and he’s in a whole different lane creatively?

(MM)  Kris is my guy! He’s originally from Canada and I met him because of my kinfolk Jacob (me and that fool go wayyy back). Me and Kris linked to shoot a couple videos back in December, one for “Bitch I’m Suffering” and one for “Leatherface” and we’re planning on doing a couple more this month. He’s got a great aesthetic sense and his brand NOVICE just speaks to me in ways I never thought clothing could.

7) (LS) Also on your album we see you only have two features, where you planning it like that? Are you on not big on features? Whats your whole process on finding an artist to work with? How can we get a MALICK MCFLY collab?

(MM) The reason I only have two vocal features on FEBILB is because a lot of the people I had in mind to work with were busy during the recording sessions of the album. I knew from the jump that I was going to have Freddie Xealot at the climax of the record and that iLL SHOGANE would pop up to say hi though. I wouldn’t feel comfortable if those two weren’t there. I tend to meet a lot of artists either at shows or on social media and if the chemistry is there, sooner or later a song between me and that artist will be spoken into existence. To get a Malick McFly collab, just hit me up or something, I don’t bite or charge for verses so rock with me :))

8) (LS) What can we be expecting from you in 2018? Any more music? Any more shows? Can we squeeze something out or are we just gonna have to stay on the look out?

(MM) Fuck Everyone But I Luv Bjork is getting a heavy remaster as we speak because I want to expand on that record’s ideas. I definitely will be dropping more music this year, though probably not on a regular basis. As for shows, nothing’s confirmed yet (b/c these hoe ass mfs do NOT wanna book me) BUT when I get on that stage, y'all will know what’s happening. Stay on the look out for new shit though ;)

9) (LS) Are there any specific artist you want to reach out to work with? Or do you just hear what you like and see where it goes from there?

(MM) I really want to work with JupiterXVI, Tango, and Snackbirdy right now. I’ve worked with Jupiter in the past and I really regret not getting him on FEBILB. I’ll link you to each of their soundclouds if you’re curious about their music. I’m definitely going to be working with my Pink $aturn kinfolk in the future. New music with everyone I’ve worked with previously (dem all my folks so it’s only right).

10) (LS) So for the last question we just want to know, as a person and as a creative what else do you have planned for yourself and your career? Are you gonna solely stick to music or are you gonna see if you can slowly get in your hands into other areas of art?

(MM) My plan is to get a big enough platform to be able to do more than just rapping and making beats. Shoutouts to Pink $aturn for helping me with that regard. I wanna elevate where I live whether its via music, art, architecture, design, anything I can possibly get my hands on.

The Local Shooter Vs. Malick McFly

[minebot45]

Webcomics I Enjoy

So some of you will eventually ask “Hey Minebot, what kinds of webcomics do you like to read?” To that, I say I read a variety of internet-based comics, more than I could list here without breaking someone’s browser. But if you want specifics, then here goes.

xkcd by Randall Munroe It doesn’t really matter where you begin on your webcomic journey, but xkcd is a good place to start. And no, that’s not an acronym, it’s “just a word with no phonetic pronunciation”. Describing itself as “A webcomic of romance, sarcasm, math, and language”, it provides readers with what to expect from a typical webcomic, most notably geek humor. Some of the jokes you might not be smart enough to get (the creator actually worked at NASA for a while, and it shows), but thankfully that viewers-are-geniuses area is limited to only about two-fifths of the comic. Some good ones are “Faust 2.0”, “Types of Editors”, and “Porn Folder”, which I think finds a decent middle ground between geek humor the normal-people humor. And then it gets visually insane such as “Click and Drag”, “Hoverboard”, “Pixels”, and “Time” (link doesn’t lead to the actual site because of how the comic is presented). Going back to more comprehensible stuff, we have “Baking Soda and Vinegar”, which geologists are sure to get a kick out of. Hope to see how you like it and the comic as a whole!

Dinosaur Comics by Ryan North Dinosaur Comics could be considered the epitome of the “cut-and-paste comic”: not only are the panels the exact same across all strips, but also in the exact same LAYOUT as well, and only the dialogue changes from comic to comic. Standing at over a thousand strips, the copypaste nature of the art doesn’t seem to bother fans.

MS Paint Adventures by Andrew Hussie Well, some of y'all knew this would be here. MS Paint Adventures is a unique brand of webcomic because the stories are mostly reader-driven; that is, there’s a suggestion box underneath each update where you can submit a command that might be picked. The individual adventures are worth checking out as well: • Jailbreak: The original adventure, where the player is a prisoner trying to escape from an incredibly illogical jail that is completely devoid of pumpkins. It began as a game on the Penny Arcade forums, and one of the rules was that he had to pick the very first suggested command for each move, no matter how unfunny or preposterous. It was abandoned until September 2011, where it was finally capped off with an ending. • Bard Quest is a curious case. It was an experiment where every panel had branching paths à la a choose-your-own-adventure book. It has since been abandoned altogether unlike Jailbreak. • Problem Sleuth: Bringing Hussie’s work into the limelight, Problem Sleuth concerns the antics of three especially hard-boiled detectives (the titular Problem Sleuth, Ace Dick, and Pickle Inspector) in their attempts to foil the dastardly plots of Mobster Kingpin and to escape from their offices. Parodying various point-and-click adventure game and JRPG conventions, it’s definitely worth a read. • Homestuck: Well, this one was definitely inevitable. It’s Tumblr and it’s webcomics; eventually Homestuck fans are just gonna grow out of the fucking mildew. Where to start? Well, Homestuck has an extremely complicated plot, and really, that’s all I’m prepared to say with certainty.

Cyanide and Happiness by Kris, Matt Melvin, Rob DenBleyker and Dave McElfatrick You know me (sort of), I like a good dose of offensive humor now and then. And that’s what Cyanide and Happiness does: remind me that it’s possible to make anything funny.

(to be updated later)