#happy with my history related tracks

[jamswhams]

I did like 40 one minute gestures today I feel like combusting

[deception-united]

Let's talk about writing fantasy.

Fantasy is one of my favourite genres, to read and to write. But the worldbuilding required and the existing tropes can make it difficult to craft a unique, compelling novel. There are a number of less-discussed nuances that might not always be at the forefront of writing discussions. Here are some tips to help you out:

Ground it in reality: Even though fantasy allows for boundless imagination, grounding your world in elements familiar to readers can make it more relatable and believable. Making it too otherworldly can make it difficult to understand or follow, and will likely make it much more difficult to interweave the explanation of your world and its society into the text seamlessly.

Consistency: Fantasy worlds can be complex, with their own rules, magic systems, and histories. Ensure consistency in your worldbuilding, avoiding contradictions or sudden changes without explanation. I find it helpful to keep a world bible or notes to track details and maintain coherence throughout the story.

Character-driven plots: While epic battles and magical quests are exciting, don't forget that compelling characters drive the heart of any story. Develop multi-dimensional characters with strengths, weaknesses, and personal arcs that resonate with readers (see my post on character development for more).

Avoid clichés and stereotypes: Fantasy often draws from familiar tropes and archetypes, but try not to rely on them too heavily. Subvert expectations and breathe new life into old conventions by adding unique twists or exploring lesser-known mythologies and cultures. Make it your own!

Magic has consequences: Magic adds wonder to fantasy worlds, but it should also have limitations and consequences. Consider the societal, environmental, and personal impacts of magic on your world and characters. A well-defined magic system can enhance the depth and realism of your story.

Worldbuilding through storytelling: Instead of dumping large chunks of exposition, reveal your fantasy world gradually through character interactions, dialogue, and plot progression. Show, don't tell, and let readers piece together the intricacies of your world as they journey through your story (check out my previous post on worldbuilding for more tips).

Embrace diversity: Fantasy worlds should reflect the diversity of our own world. Include characters from various backgrounds, cultures, and identities, and explore themes of inclusivity and acceptance within your narrative.

Conflict beyond good vs. evil: While the battle between good and evil is a classic fantasy trope, consider adding layers of moral ambiguity and complexity to your conflicts. Explore themes of power, redemption, and the consequences of choices made in the face of adversity.

Research is essential: Even in a world of imagination, research plays a crucial role in grounding your story in reality. Whether it's drawing inspiration from historical events, cultural practices, or scientific principles, thorough research can enrich your worldbuilding and add depth to your narrative. Even fantasy worlds and elements require some sort of basis to make them more believable.

Revise: Like any genre, writing fantasy requires extensive revision and polishing. Be prepared to revise your manuscript multiple times, seeking feedback from beta readers or critique partners to strengthen your story, characters, and worldbuilding.

Happy writing!

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[accio-victuuri]

THE MOON REPRESENTS MY HEART 🌙 + Friday Madness

i just think that me freaking about gg singing this song and leaving after that is not right. this song deserves it’s own post and the importance of the Moon’s symbolism between them should be repeated. personally, i was surprised cause i cpn’d about a possible interpretation of showing off moon photos when they do it, then i thought of this song. now you have gege performing it. the universe has clowned me once again. and you have him as performer #8. Bo. are you kidding me? yes, this is a CCP signed-off event. the song must have been an approved piece to perform live but that doesn’t mean GG did not have a say in picking this track. as for him being the 8th one, a coincidence. destiny can’t help but relate them to each other. lol.

you can say that it’s perfect for the theme of mid-autumn festival and it’s a well loved song — yes, that’s right. but we’re all cpfs here who have a long history with 🌖 and GG finally singing it now seems like a “sign”.

this song’s relevance started with a fake rumor:

I would like to add that the moon should be the one that Wang laoshi watched a video of. After watching it, he said, "Do you believe me, I can also dance this for you?" The background music was "The Moon Represents My Heart" I think it should be posted by Xiao laoshi, but this happened a long time ago on the stage, but it should be related. I don’t know about choreography. I was busy with other things at that time. This is what I know.

THIS HITS DIFFERENT NOW. imagine yibo dancing to this. i will lose it. 🤯🤯🤯

and it doesn’t help that xz had a teaser video released by BRTV today:

send the moon to you // "I want to take a picture of the moon for you but it never comes out”

this is why we love fake rumors, one way or another, the similarities come up or parts of it come true.

then the matching photoshoot prop. also their studios posting 5 minutes apart. yes it makes sense for them to post in the same time span cause the content released around the same time too. but xzs is 20:40. 8:40. 8= Bo and 40 on the clock points to 8.

Seriously, XZ. come here. i just wanna talk. you are being so loud today sir. 🤡🤡🤡🤡

AS FOR THE PERFORMANCE ITSELF.

Outstanding. As expected of GG. 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

There is something so soft and shy in the way he performed it. As if he is confessing to the person he loves how much he feels. This person knows — but not this way. Not this deep. This is him finally saying what his love is like.

He is also happy. This love makes him whole. It’s so nice to see him this way!

@rainbowsky already mentioned the way we are excited and crying because of it’s connection to Leslie Cheung which is the main thing in conversations. is this xz’s way of dedicating the song to the love of his life in public?

and the lyrics need no further interpretation, it’s such a sweet and simple song about one’s devotion.

so it’s not just xz singing this love song and us clowning. it’s years of clues and references — which now feels like a lead up to this “confession”. 💕

P.S: my main boxiao and moon post is obviously not updated for some time. so just search for “moon” on this blog for other references but y’all know tumblr will still not show everything.

P.P.S: i wanna bring back the moon landing watch. one of the strongest moon cpn out there that honestly feels like an urban legend now the way we never saw it again. lol. it was too loud they probably decided that wyb shouldn’t wear it again in public 😅😅😅😅

END.

[laura1633]

Fic list and introduction Thought I would add a pinned post as a bit of an intro and also to provide a list of some of my stories (which are contained below the cut). My blog is mostly Lestappen related although I do post other F1 bits and pieces from time to time. I am a huge Max Verstappen fan so I am always happy to talk about Max, although only in a positive sense because I want to try and keep away from negativity as much as possible on this blog. I also adore Charles and not just in a Lestappen sense. I love Charles' racing style and I love it most when Max and Charles are battling on track. There are various other drivers I like such as Oscar, Fernando, Alex and more.

My ao3 name is - LaurawritingF1 I have written far too many stories to list them all here but I have included quite a long list of Lestappen fanfics I have written below the cut. I have tried to organise them into bottom Charles, bottom Max, omegaverse, silly, cute and drama. Feel free to send my any questions you have about any of my stories but please know that I am really still practising and learning so please try and be nice. Also please check the individual tags on each story on ao3 as there is a large variety. It's not a full list and doesn't include the other pairings I have written for (inc Landoscar, Maxiel, Max/Oscar), all my other fics can be found on my ao3 page.

Feel free to send me any questions about anything x

********** Links to various ao3 fics:

Bottom Charles: Good Boy - Multi Chapters - Trainee sub Charles and soft Dom Max. All the gear, no idea - Large cock Max, Size queen Charles. My first time - Virgin Charles. Daddy - Charles accidentally calls Max daddy. Curious - Charles' first experience with rimming. Princess - Max giving Charles the babygirl treatment. Nice Guy - Max comes to Charles' rescue when he is handcuffed to the bed Jealous - Max cuckolds Charles and Charles realises he is jealous of his girlfriend My Pretty Princess - AU -Multi Chapter - F1 driver Max and Camboy Charles. Safe - sub Charles safe words out of a scene, Dom Max gives him aftercare. Two Minutes - Charles tied up and vibes whilst Max is in a meeting. Solo - Charles lets Max watch him masturbate. Keeping warm - Charles cock warming Max to help him relax. Wake up call Charles riding Max whilst the Dutchman is asleep Like a Prayer - Sexy Priest Max and sex in a church I do - Multi Chapters - Angst with happy ending - Sex in a church Save a Bull, Ride a Thigh - Charles rides Max's thighs after a padel game How to properly care for your boyfriend’s thighs; A lesson by Charles Leclerc Red - Angst - Max fucks Charles in front of Charles' boyfriend Two Things - A developing relationship told through sex. No way at all - Max and Charles in a M/M/F threesome but interested in each other.

Bottom Max: Sounds from above - Charles hears Max having sex in the apartment upstairs The Sweetest Deal - AU - Sponsor Charles/Driver Max - Babygirlification Favourite Activity - Developing relationship told through sex 50 shades of red - Charles praises Max and makes him blush Pretty Cute - Charles telling Max how pretty he is The Auction - Dom Charles/sub Max - Charles bids on a night with Max All Yours - Multi chapters - ongoing - Dom Charles/sub Max 5 times Charles helps soothe Max to sleep - inc non sexual bondage Picture perfect - Max and Charles get Grindr Fast learner - Virgin Max Knock Out - Charles walks in on Max masturbating Can't even get it started - Frustration for Charles means he can't perform You play the role so well - Virgin Max Your hands on me - Charles chokes Max as he fucks him Earn it - Bratty sub Max and Dom Charles Late night question - Max is horny so goes to Charles - topping from bottom Pretty in red - A history of Max's experiences wearing panties Still Pretty in Red - Max in panties (again) A not so private show - AU - Camboy Max / Driver Charles Feel nothing. Feel something. Feel .... Charles is upset and needs to fuck it out A Late Night Snack - Charles eats Max out. Sweet like sugar - AU - Sugarbaby Max and Sugar Daddy Charles Other: Misunderstanding - Hand job - Max is oblivious to Charles' flirting with him An outfit fit for a surprise Charles in a crop top and Max masturbating over his waist Practice makes perfect - Max help Charles practice his blow jobs Pens, fingers and most definitely cock … - Max has an oral fixation Fia approved stress relief - Charles uses a sex doll that looks like Max, Max watches You're Hot - Charles praising Max in front of the mirror and giving him a blow job The Impact of errors - AU - boss Max spanks secretary Charles Red, Don't leave - Max providing Charles with aftercare Coming together - Soulmates - AU Porn start Charles and F1 driver Max Omegaverse Stories - List can be found here Tentacles: Don't touch what isn't yours - Max fucked by a tentacles sex toy Beautiful, unique and made for pleasure - Max has tentacles

Cute: A million times over - Max wakes from an operation and hits on his husband Charles Carburettor - Max and Charles have to look after a baby doll as part of grill the grid Tomato Soup - Max helps Charles prepare for his dinner date. Compliments -Max'f girlfriend never compliments him but Charles does. Falling in love - Love Confessions through a game involving a series of questions Just Pretend - Fake relationship trope - Angst with a happy ending A Different Kind of Hook up - Max asks Charles back to his to cuddle Caregiver Charles and Cute Little Max - Fluff - Multi chapters- Age regression

Silly: Zombies - Max gets scared by a zombie movie whilst at the cinema with Charles Heartbeat - Max is dressed up as a nurse and it's really affecting Charles' health. A shower, a spider and ...- - Max and Charles scared by a spider

Drama: On the line - Angst with happy ending - Charles gets his drink spiked In the morning - Angst with a happy ending - Max gets his drink spiked. Birthday Drunk - Multi Chapters - Falling in love over a series of Charles' birthdays Like a cat - Charles has a panic attack and Max looks after him I wish you could have known the person ... - Angst with happy ending - Coming out Not quite ready - Angst with hopeful ending - Max is outed against his will Drag me to the show - Charles shows Max his dresses - Supportive Max A love song - Angst with hopeful ending- Max comforting a stressed Charles Hitching a ride - Very Dark themes - True Crime AU - Hitchhiker Charles Enough for now - Angst with a happy ending - Max pining for Charles Red and Blue - Soulmates - Asexuality - Angst with happy ending Holding on to you - Charles navigates his relationship with asexual Max

The other Lestappen pairing: Firsts - Multi Chapter - Virgin Arthur - Falling in love - Max/Arthur Leclerc Threesomes/Foursomes/Groups involving Max/Charles: A Handful of Winner's Medals - Multi Chapter - Max fucked by multiple drivers The Anatomy Lesson of Dr Wolff - AU Anatomical model Max - Max x multi drivers An Unconventional Surprise - Top Max, Bottom Pierre, Bottom Charles Sleepover in 816 - Top Charles, Bottom Max, Top/Bottom Oscar Two's company; Three's even better - Pierre/Max/Charles - Free use bottom Max A weekend away - Foursome - Max/Charles/Carlos/Lando Three - Max/Carlos/Charles - Threesome from three perspectives with a twist Both so good - Lando and Charles give Max a blow job The Show - Carlando are stuck in a closet and watch Lestappen fuck Naughty or Nice - Competitive Threesome for Max's attention- Daniel/Max/Charles Double Date - subs Lando and Max with Doms Carlos and Charles A Lot to Handle - Max is too much for Daniel to handle alone - Daniel/Max/Charles A Little Bit of Max Time - Poly Daniel/Max/Charles There are other stories on my ao3 page <3

[major-comet]

The Best Red vs Blue Watch Order Guide Ever. Of All Time.

So. You want to watch Red vs Blue, huh? Maybe you read my long post about how it's so weirdly incredible yet impossible to recommend and now you want to give it a shot. Or maybe you have seen the show before, but it's been a long time and/or you didn't watch any of the mini-series or anything and want to give it another go. Either way, looking at a show with a 21 year history is kind of daunting, and you have no idea where to start.

Well luckily for you, I've done the work for you.

This watch guide will cover all 19 seasons of the main show, most of the mini-series, and some of the PSA's and other such bonus content. There will be links provided for where you can watch everything I talk about. This Google Drive (from reddit u/Exitity, unsure if they also have a tumblr) has all of the individual episode uploads, and most of the stuff I'm going to be talking about, although I'm trying to use YouTube links wherever I can. Any links will be colored in light blue for additional visibility.

Couple of quick things before we begin.

When possible, watch the individual episode uploads rather than the "complete" editions. The "Completes", while they may provide a more streamlined viewing experience by cutting out all of the bumpers and outros and such, accomplish this by cutting out a lot of jokes. RvB has a lot of jokes that happen during the fade to black at the end of an episode, and a lot of those get lost in the edits. There's also some things that just straight up get cut for seemingly no reason. Side note, the DvD/Blu-Ray versions seem perfectly fine, and honestly are even better to watch than the individual episodes if you have them. They're like a best of both worlds - adding some extra music and such (ESPECIALLY in the first 5 seasons) that really helps make a nice presentation of the show. If that's an option available to you, I recommend it. Otherwise, stick with the individual episodes.

At the end of each entry in the list, I may present a Side Quest section. This will include anything I feel you should watch that isn't necessarily canon, but helps add some extra life to the series. This may include some behind the scenes stuff or a selection of the PSA's and the non-canon mini-series. This stuff can be really great for building out the characters in a way that doesn't necessarily affect the greater story, and can especially be good for interactions between characters that maybe don't interact much in the main show. Anything I put in a Side Quest is strictly optional, but will add to your viewing experience. Obviously, there's a lot more bonus material than what I'm putting here. I'm just putting down some of the highlights. And if you end up liking the PSAs and such then just know: there's so much more for you to explore.

Early RvB is very much a product of it's time, and sometimes you'll get hit with a line that stops you dead in your tracks. Adult-oriented comedies can always be a minefield, and RVB's roots as a show made for Halo fans in 2003 definitely don't help. However, while this is the most common in the first five seasons, it never really stops being an issue. The purpose of this guide is simply for watch order, but if you have any specific trigger-related questions about any season of rvb please feel free to shoot me an ask or even a DM - i'm more than happy to help.

Okay, let's begin, breaking it down by arc.

The Blood Gulch Chronicles

You may hear people telling you to skip the first five seasons of the show and just pick up with Season 6. Those people are lying to you and do not have your best interests at heart. The first five seasons are pretty much strictly comedy, and from Season 6 onward the show starts to explore deeper themes and stories while still falling back on that comedic foundation. Skipping straight to the deeper stuff doesn't work very well IMO, because those five seasons are spent getting to know the characters we're going to be following for the rest of the show. The stuff that happens in Blood Gulch never stops being important - whether it's side characters showing back up again later on, or laying the foundation for a lot of the moments and story lines that make some of the later seasons so special.

Anyways, the watch order.

Season 1

Season 2

Season 3

Season 4

Out of Mind - Mini-series

Season 5

Blood Gulch Side Quests

Tattoo Point/Counterpoint - Season 1 PSA

A Message to the Science Community - Season 2 PSA

Real Life VS. The Internet - Season 2 PSA

All of the deleted scenes, honestly, but This One in particular because asphodel and I quote it all the time.

The Outtakes/Bloopers - I'm not gonna put the link for these and the deleted scenes for every arc, but just know that you should watch them after every season/arc. There's some great stuff in there.

The Season 5 Alternate Endings

Either watch it Now, or after you watch the finale, but I highly recommend the 2003 Season 1 DVD Commentary. It's just Burnie (Church/Lopez/Vic) and Geoff (Grif), and it's really nice.

If you've ever watched any behind the scenes stuff for RvB or even rooster teeth as a whole, you have almost certainly seen This Clip, which is a behind the scenes of the voice recording for Grif and Simmons' lines in episode 1.

The Recollection

Recovery One - Mini-series

Season 6 - Reconstruction

Relocated - Mini-series

Season 7 - Recreation

Season 8 - Revelation

Recollection Side Quests

First! - Season 6 PSA

Small Rewards - Season 6 PSA

Rock the Vote and Rock the Veto - PSAs made to encourage RvB viewers to register to vote. Which at the time you could do on your xbox 360. These are here mostly as a "wtf" historical piece.

Halo-Ween - Season 7 PSA

Valentine's Day - Season 7 PSA

Fire Safety: Where There's Smoke... - Season 7 PSA. genuinely one of the best.

Holiday Plans - Mini-series

The Reach PSA series - Three parts total, only part one is linked.

Project Freelancer Saga

Season 9

Technically there's two mini-series that take place during Season 9 - being M.I.A. and Where There's a Will, There's a Wall. I really love them, and would recommend watching them after S9, but if you really want to roll into S10 you won't miss much. Weirdly there's a place later on that would be a great spot to circle back to these, but I'll save that for later.

Season 10

Project Freelancer Side Quests

This is a great spot to circle back to older side quests you may have skipped, btw.

The Season 10 Table Read BTS - Season 10 was the first time they ever did a full cast table read for the show, and it's cool to see a few snippets from it and hear the crew talk about it.

Matt Hullum Talks to Himself - watch this after M.I.A. it's a live table read of part of the script, with a focus on a conversation between Sarge and Doc (who have the same voice actor)

This 10 Year Retrospective that was put out around Season 10. Watching it now, knowing that they were about halfway through the lifespan of the show / company gives it a whole new perspective.

RT Oz - PSA

Remember Not to Forget and Voting Fever - PSAs made to promote the launch of Halo 4. Voting Fever is one of the Best Ever (and listen to the full version of That's How Voting Works afterwards!)

This Interview between Burnie and Trocadero talking about the music the band has done for the show. This playlist also has a bunch of other behind the scenes and other such bonus stuff from the DVDs and Blu-Rays, it's great to keep around.

The Chorus Trilogy

Season 11

The Chorus Journal Entries - Only three have fully machinimated versions, the last one is just the log entry. Bridges the gap between 11 and 12

Season 12

Season 13

Chorus Trilogy Side Quests

#1 Movie in the Galaxy - PSA

Getting Away From it All - PSA

#1 Movie in the Galaxy: 2 - PSA

Uh. I think the RvB Holiday Special goes here

Matt Hullum (Sarge) reading an excerpt from 50 Shades of Gray at a book signing.

Season 14 - Anthology

I get it: not everyone loves the Anthology format. I truly do recommend watching all of it at least once - or if you haven't in a long time. My only Side Quests are to say that this is the perfect time to go back to M.I.A. and WTAWTAW if you skipped them after season 9, and that if you skipped the #1 Movie In the Galaxy PSAs during Chorus, watch them now before the third one, which is in this season.

The Shisno Trilogy (seasons 15, 16, and 17)

Season 15

Season 16 - The Shisno Paradox

Season 17 - Singularity

Shisno Side Quests (this is taken from our survey data because it's been so long since I've watched much of any shisno-related stuff)

Hard Truths - PSA

Diversity - PSA

Cultural Appreciation - PSA

Lopez's Technical Guide to Empathy - PSA

Unreal Estate - PSA

Caboose's Guide to Finding Your Home - sequel to the Guide to Making Friends from season 14

RvB: Zero + Family Shatters

okay so here's the deal. If by this point, you're really just interested in the characters you've been watching for the past 17 seasons and not so much the story or anything - you may not get much from watching Zero. I do think it's interesting to watch, if only because I think it's got a lot of missed potential. Zero is not served well by being a season of RvB, I think I would have liked it a lot more if it were stand-alone, though that doesn't fix all of my issues with it. If you wanna jump straight to the series finale, you absolutely can. It's a pretty short watch, though, and I've heard that Family Shatters was better. I'll watch that one at some point.

Zero

Family Shatters - spinoff

Restoration

This is it! The series finale.

I'm not doing this with an other season (though I do recommend going back and watching all the teasers and trailers at some point), but before you watch the finale you should watch The First Trailer For It. I think it sets up the season really well, and helps make some of the rushed set-up exposition in Restoration make a little bit more sense. honestly this should just be considered the first scene of the finale. Then watch the finale, and then you are done with all of the main show of Red VS Blue. Go forth, and be free.

Final Side Quest

I'm putting anything that came out in the nebulous time between Zero and the finale in here. I'll come back and edit this once we find out what on earth is going to be on the Blu-Ray.

Offensive Driving

First Person Tutor

Moving Out

The Video RT Made to Announce Master Chief and Blood Gulch Were Coming To Fortnite. This played at the game awards and my soul almost left my body

This is also where I'll put QvsA, which is the Grimmons mini-series, though I haven't actually watched it myself yet. They're all on youtube.

My all-time favorite RvB fan edit - doesn't actually have any clips post-anthology, but I think the end is a great time to watch it.

If none of this makes sense, or you just have any questions at all - I am More than happy to help answer your queries. I hope this helps :) Also if any of the links are broken please let me know.

[kirain]

I know you've said you're not into shipping, but if you HAD to ship bg3 companions (you do, I'm saying you have to😝) which npcs would you ship them with?

Well, since you're forcing me. 😅

...This was actually harder than I thought it would be, since I don't usually consider ships. But I think I'm happy with my choices.

In my opinion, Lae'zel and Varsh Ko'kuu would make a fantastic couple. Personally, I prefer the ending where Lae'zel returns to the Astral Plane to usher in a new age for the githyanki, hopefully turning them from their violent and conquerous ways. To do that she'll need support, hence her call for rebellion. I like to think Ko'kuu would be one of the first to join her, as the Narrator tells us he's grown "tired"; likely of his people's brutal and callous ways. He's clearly diplomatic and maternal, as well as open-minded enough to trust an outsider with his young, so he'd be a perfect ally. As he becomes Lae'zel's righthand man during the civil war, they would naturally form a bond that blooms from respect and admiration to romantic. He would also make an excellent father to Xan.

This ship I don't think I even need to explain. Karlach and Dammon are absolutely perfect for each other. They respect each other, they like each other, they understand each other's struggles, and they're both kind, caring, optimistic people. Karlach not only fantasizes about Dammon in her origin run, but they also have an adorable handholding scene once he upgrades her engine. So in relation to her somewhat disappointing ending, I like to think Dammon discovers a cure for her condition and follows her to Avernus, where they break into Zariel's forge, construct a permanent upgrade that negates the deadly heat inside her, and then escape back to the material plane. After that, the two would become inseparable. They would start a new life in Baldur's Gate, with Dammon continuing his work as a respected blacksmith and Karlach becoming an avid defender of the city.

This ship was actually my friend's idea, and I believe she's planning on exploring it further on her own blog. As we discussed it, we both agreed Sebastian would probably hate Astarion and want blood, even knowing he had no choice but to follow Cazador's demands; over a century of misery and torment leaves little room for forgiveness. After his release, I think he'd track Astarion down and try to kill him in a blind act of revenge, but hesitate, failing the task. Still a sweet and delicate soul, he'd fall to his knees in tears, lamenting everything he's lost. Plagued with guilt upon seeing his broken state, Astarion would comfort Sebastian, knowing what it's like to feel nothing but fear and hatred. Things would be rocky at first, slow, messy—but eventually Sebastian would forgive Astarion, falling in love with him all over again. And with that closure, Astarion would finally be able to forgive himself.

To me, this ship makes the most sense (and may also be the sweetest), as Shadowheart and Nocturne already have a shared history and they've both suffered under Shar. When we meet Nocturne, she implies she's grown wary of following the dark goddess and her cult, but she's too afraid to leave. So after defeating the Absolute, I like to imagine Shadowheart rekindles her relationship with Nocturne, eventually turning her away from Shar and convincing her to leave the sanctum. With her once best friend's guidance, Nocturne would adjust well to the world outside, growing close to Shadowheart once again and rebuilding her lost memories, as well as making new ones. Together they would travel the world, forever wrapped in each other's loving embrace.

I fell in love with Exxvikyap the moment I met her, and I think she'd be perfect for Wyll. He needs someone who can match his excitable, charismatic energy—and she definitely would. Whether Wyll follows in his father's footsteps or follows Karlach to Avernus, at some point I like to think he'd return to Baldur's Gate. Once he does, he'd find himself visiting the Rivington General for a new weapon. As she helps him find a sword best suited to his fighting style, they'd strike up a conversation. Wyll would find her warm and bubbly personality both infectious and endearing, which would lead to him visiting the shop again. And again. And again. And again. Slowly, he would begin courting the sweet dragonborn woman, and she would happily accept his advances. Eventually she would quit, joining Wyll on his many adventures and defending the Sword Coast from any who would threaten to harm it.

This ship I waffled on for a while, because personally I didn't see it; especially since I think Gale needs someone who's compassionate and affectionate. But then I realised Rolan is both of those things. At least by Act 2. He's sassy and snappy and self-important, but he loves his siblings—to the point that he was willing to risk his career to stick by them at the Grove, and enough to risk his life by searching for them in the Shadowlands. He also saved the orphans, even though he whinged about it. He wants to be independent, but he later learns to accept help, which leads me to Gale. At some point, I like to think Gale visits Ramazith's Tower, looking for a book. He bumps into Rolan, who's struggling to cast an advanced spell that summons a hoard of angry mephits. Chaos ensues, causing Gale and Rolan to team up and reverse the damage. Rolan would beat himself up over the incident, but Gale would encourage him, teaching him the proper way to cast the spell. From that point on, their relationship would blossom in ways neither of them expected. Together they would find a perfect balance, propping each other up while also keeping each other humble.

[kaithonks]

So I’ve had some Thoughts about Jason Todd’s Robin

I guess you could say I’m still a little peeved about Robin lives, but it made me remember a story from a Class I took. I had the pleasure of getting to take a Comics and Graphic Narrative Class for my degree. The professor had a mind set to the class, in that he was not trying to show why comics are an art form, but how. Which meant we didn’t read Maus or Watchman, but we did read Heroes in Crisis. I do have thoughts about that, but that’s for another time. Any way, in class when we talk about Heroes in Crisis, Jason got briefly mentioned, with that someone mentioned his vote. And someone mention it was a landslide vote. I, of course, corrected that it was a very narrow margin of only 72 with some rumors of tampering. Which is about where I stopped myself, because it was getting too far from the original discussion. So I tried to circle the conversation back around, explain that,

“Yeah, I get a little carried away when Jason Todd comes up.”

The guy sitting next to me decided this was the time to say,

“No one cared about Jason Todd until he was the Red Hood.”

I realized now this was in jest, but my gut reaction was to tell him (a little louder than I meant) to “eat shit.”

I do regret saying that despite the laughs I got, and I did apologize to the class, though they told it was ok because “I was standing on business.” (The guy I told to 'eat shit' didn’t speak to me again till a like a month later, though)

So what’s my point with this funny little story? Well, I know I am coming from a biased perspective, but I still believe that there is some strong disregard for Jason’s Robin run, even among his fans.

He was only around for about 5 years, first appearing in 1983 and then ending with his death in 1988. Which is very short compared to Dick’s 40 plus year run as Robin, so really he wasn’t given time to be fleshed out in the same way. Some of Jason’s complaints at the time could have just been solved with time and not being written by someone who hated him, but that’s a recurring problem, it seems. Anyway, his death is a pretty pivotal moment in not only Batman's history but in comic history, so that can make his short run seem less important than how it ended. And what also doesn’t help is the almost instant back tracking on what Jason’s Robin run was really like.

So putting the Robins into boxes of happy, angry, smart, and girl is really regressive (Yes I'm looking at you Heroes in Crisis) as they are all their own characters beyond this very simple traits. They even overlap in places. And I’m saying this because I don’t think any one Robin was ‘the angry one.’ I think most of them as hurt kids who were using the identity of Robin to bring some light and levity, whether it being to themselves or to Batman. Or in a meta sense, that Robin is there for younger readers to relate to and bring a lighter tone to the story. And well in the 80s where Jason’s ran started comics were starting towards the darker gritty tone. I recommend people read “The Lives and Death of Robin: An Oral History of A DEATH IN THE FAMILY” By Joe Grunenwald to see a lot of the attitudes not only towards Jason, but Batman at the time. Jason came at a time when things were changing and well there wasn’t a desire on the editorial part to make Jason’s Robin work with what they want, because there was in incompatibility of what Robin was with the tone they wanted. And for all they claim that people hated Jason’s Robin, again the vote margin was very slim. And the published letters to the editor after, showed that kids of the time still claimed Jason as their Robin and were upset by his death. Beyond that, the Reddit thread r/comicbook had someone ask people about what they called for with Jason’s vote. There is quite a handful of people who admitted they didn’t think it would happen, so that's why they voted for his death. And of course there is a pretty vocal group saying they thought he was annoying, but in that they were also people who already loved Dick Grayson. He was their Robin. But as stated earlier, there are still those where Jason was their Robin, which is also in that thread.

Bringing it back, people definitely still cared about Jason when he was Robin. And even so many years later, I cared about Jason’s Robin. Jason’s post crisis Robin story is probably even more relatable today, with the growing of people barely able to scrape by.

Now many people point to The Diplomat's Son as a story where Jason’s character was whiny, and showed that “he’d eventually betray Batman”. But Jason through that story is trying to defend a woman who was sexually assaulted and was upset the man was going to get away. It’s always this I think of when people complain to me about Robin’s run. It also reminds me of in Under the Red Hood when Jason kills Captain Nazi. In my mind, it’s hard to frame these things as bad. Extreme? Yes, absolutely. But it speaks more to a character who was constantly failed, and faith in the system was broken. So the only way he saw to really help was to take it upon himself and make it permanent. Which when you consider Jason is only about 19-20 in Under the Red Hood. That’s heavy. But it’s only so heavy with the comparative of Jason’s Robin not completely having that faith broken and him having hope. If Jason’s Robin was also so extreme and angry, it makes the impact of Under the Red Hood, becomes almost nonexistence. It doesn’t mean anything if this is where Jason has always been, so neatly putting Jason as “always the angry Robin” and “always destined to betray Bruce’s morals” hurts his character.

Sometimes I feel that the people around Jason’s origins sort of stumbled into making a compelling character that wasn’t necessarily for them and don’t understand that, specially the way they talk about “my Batman”. They weren't the kids at the time of Jason’s Robin (maybe weren't really planing for young readers) and did a lot of blame shifting around Jason’s death. Which is strange to say the least, and this is where the back tracking on his run really starts. He didn't die because he just ignored Batman, but because he wanted to save his mother, who lied to him about the Joker. Still, they said after the fact, that “he didn't listen.” That isn't really what happened, it's an over simplification that's detrimental to their own story.

Now, a whole another conversation could be made about comic demographics and who Jason is for, past and present. But that’s getting a little too far from my point, that I feel to this day it's ignore that people did truly care about Jason’s Robin. People still do. Without Jason’s Robin, we wouldn’t have Tim’s Robin, or Steph’s or Damian’s. Jason is still an important character with in Batman, as Red Hood and as Robin. You can’t claim to love any later Robin run without paying respect to the fact Dick set it up, Robin, and Jason was his first successor. His death does overshadow a lot, even if it wasn’t permanent. And you can’t say you like the Red Hood without respect Jason’s time as Robin and how he’s changed. So Yeah. Jason Todd, Robin, is influential and shouldn’t be so easily dismissed.

[outofangband]

Textual significance of Morwen being accused of witchcraft

Aka the essay draft I’m posting earlier than I should be because I wanted to post this on my birthday

my tag for this topic is word ran among them where there are way too many posts. I’ve written at length about the implications in universe and real life connotations but here are some thoughts on why Tolkien chose to include this detail in The Silmarillion and The Children of Húrin

This is my first draft of this, written as bullet points. I’m going to make a more essay style version with more sources. Pretty much all of these I have posts about, and as I said, I’m very fixated on this topic so I’m definitely looking forward to elaborating a lot of this

I actually have studied the history of witchcraft accusations and their sociopolitical contexts for years and I’m so happy it’s going to such great cause :/

cw: discussion of misogyny both in universe and historical

It’s also worth mentioning that while these accusations didn’t exist in the very first drafts of The Children of Húrin, such as the book of lost tales version, they exist in pretty much every version that Morwen herself exists in as Morwen (that is, not in the book of lost tales versions or versions of The Lay where her name is different)

-It makes Morwen’s situation precarious when her survival is needed for the plot and the doom; she’s hated and feared and shunned but not directly attacked due to that fear. She’s alive but in danger, poverty and isolation.

It also puts the reader in fear for her. Good things do not happen to women who are accused of witchcraft

Witch hunts and witch trials are events that bring cruelty, paranoia and betrayal. The invoking of this adds to the bleak atmosphere of post Nírnaeth Hithlum. The phrasing, “word among them” or rumor ran among them, depending on the version , adds to this atmosphere of paranoia and whispers, and not knowing who to trust.

-It highlights the regressive beliefs of her accusers*. and emphasizes certain aspects of Morwen’s character. Morwen is very clearly not a witch. She is however a severe and intelligent woman who canonically challenges the men around her.

She’s also presumed to be a widow. Historically, especially when women were thought to be the property of their husbands, it has often been unmarried women and widows who were persecuted as witches*

The exact reasons given in the text are somewhat vague. “But so great was the beauty and majesty of the Lady of Dor-lómin that the incomers were afraid and whispered among themselves that she was perilous and a witch skilled in magic”, “proud and fair as a queen she was…Witchwife they called her and shunned her”. These descriptions alongside other descriptions of Morwen’s personality and countenance can easily track with commonalities among women who have historically been accused; she is fiercely independent, blunt in her words and proud.

“These were women given to speaking out, to a bold tongue and independent spirit. It is no surprise that such unwelcome, even feared speech, could be mistaken for wicked enchantment”Mona Chollet wrote in a recent nonfiction book on the history and legacy of witch hunts.

-Morwen specifically being related to the elves (“he had thought that he looked in the fell eyes of an elf”, “word ran among them that she was perilous and a witch who had dealings with the elves”, “Witchwife it is but elf friend in the new language”) also is used to show how deeply Melkor has managed to turn human and elven populations against each other

I cannot say if Tolkien intended this but this aspect mirrors a common theme in witch hunts historically. I talked about this before but many if not most accused women were accused of either obtaining their alleged powers through communion with non humans or otherwise engaged with them.

I have…way too many posts about this specific connection

-I also definitely want to do more about what exactly the lore is for witches in first age Beleriand, what it’s believed they are and what it’s believed they can do

-Morwen being feared by the occupiers mean that she is largely left alone by them. She’s still suffering, we know there were times that she and Niënor nearly starved, and its implied she faces harassment and intimidation but despite the doom on Húrin’s family, she is able to resist being driven from Hithlum for decades.

Morgoth canonically sews dissent, mistrust and prejudice. The prejudice of the occupiers here has the potential to interfere with Morgoth wanting to use Húrin’s family to hurt him. This fits neatly into Tolkien’s themes of evil hindering itself.

-It highlights her as a cultural outsider. It is specifically Morwen, a refugee and exile who is accused of having sinister powers and alliances with an enemy. I think this is especially interesting because, in the earlier version of The Children of Húrin, the occupiers were comprised largely of men from Hithlum

-It adds to the power of her character and makes parallels with other confrontations and struggles with villains that members of her family have. It’s easy to parallel for example the lines about Húrin not being daunted by Morgoth’s eyes or Niënor staring down Glaurung with the encounter between Morwen and Brodda. And while it is true that he might not be quite as powerful or dangerous as Morgoth or Glaurung, if he kills or hurts her, she’s going to be just as dead or traumatized as she would be if he were a god or dragon. Her courage is extraordinarily powerful and harrowing. Does this make sense?

Anyways happy birthday to me, thank you for reading all of this and for your patience with my rambling which I have done so much of on this topic and will continue to do more of

End note: I wanted to add another note about how the position Morwen is in can also be used to show Aerin’s bravery in helping her; Aerin takes great risks to help her people and the danger she faces for her aid to Morwen is even more extreme; she faces extreme physical abuse for it. But I have several posts about this already and I think it deserves its own post

Sources

Fearless Wives and Frightened Shrews: The Construction of the Witch in Early Modern Germany

Mona Chalet, Stacy Schift

[1ore]

Scuttling into ur askbox like a little beetle

i think i recall you reblogging/posting things about geography and culture + human effect on it - I vaguely recall a piece of art where it showed a blurred out, cropped piece of people fighting, and focused instead on the flora in the scene.

ANYWAY! getting back on track. seeing that piece inspired me to take a course this semester called "people and the land: cultural geography". and the whole reason I came to your askbox was to ask if you had any suggested reading materials? We'll get stuff in class ofc, but I am curious to see if there's any bias of materials on the prof's side vs someone else.

Phew that was a long ask. thank you o/!

That sounds like Liz Anna Kozik’s piece : D So happy it stuck with you! I love her work!!

As for your ask, what an awesome class! Land-human relationships are my bullshit, and I really enjoyed my own cultural geography class.

Thinking back on my schooling, I would say about 70% of my classes fell in with the “everything is awful and humans are the worst” narrative, and the other 30% made time for land-human relationships other than the extractive hellscape that most people currently live under. So, full disclosure, when I think of “bias,” that’s what I think of. You grow up in the miasma, it’s hard to imagine that there’s any other way of living. It’s also hard to say without knowing the professor, but I think, in general, it’s good to be mindful of who is or isn’t telling the story.

ANYWAY. All that in mind, here’s some articles about people-land relations that I think are neat:

The Environment and Society portal - I like their digital exhibits especially. I remember enjoying Oceans in Three Paradoxes and The Northwest Passage. Great place to wander around and pick a random article that catches your eye.

Of Deserts and Decolonization: Dispelling Myths About Drylands – obligatory desert propaganda. An article looking at how colonial mindsets about deserts disrupt existing relationships and hurt both people and land, and also how those attitudes shape environmentalism/conservation/etc. still today.

The Miracle of the Commons – lovingly challenging the Tragedy of the Commons with a creative solution to poaching and human-animal conflict in South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia. Great article to sit in discomfort about (productively!)

Biodiversity: The Variety of Life that Sustains Our Own – Contains one of my go-to examples when explaining how humans can be good for land and biodiversity, the story of Quitobaquito Springs (and its sister spring Ki:towak, though the author doesn’t mention it here.)

The Environmental History Timeline - just fun to look at, especially the further you go back. It’s funny to spot where a young branch of history is trying *really hard* to reframe how academia thinks about the past, by bringing the invisible landscape forward:

2700 BCE —  Epic of Gilgamesh describes vast tracts of cedar forests in what is now southern Iraq. Gilgamesh defies the gods and cuts down the forest, and in return the gods say they will curse Sumeria with fire (or possibly drought). By 2100 BCE, soil erosion and salt buildup have devastated agriculture. One Sumerian wrote that the “earth turned white.” Civilization moved north to Babylonia and Assyria. Again, deforestation becomes a factor in the rise and subsequent fall of these civilizations. (Perlin, 1991). 2700 BC — Some of the first laws protecting the remaining forests are decreed in Ur, Messopotamia. (Grove, 1995).

^^^ fucking around and finding out forever and ever and ever.

[cherrylng]

Muse - Matthew Bellamy interview [ROCKIN'ON (July 2001)]

Origin of Symmetry - full track commentary

“We all think we are the centre. It's not true, if you look at the universe, there are so many different things, aren't there? And yet each person's view of the world is centred on themselves. That's why we interact with others in a very chaotic way. It helps us to evolve.”

Interview: Erika Yamashita / Photography: Yoshika Horita

"I want to understand." In the end, I thought this was the only word that could describe this album. I want to somehow make sense of this chaotic world and life, scattered like thousands of particles of light flying by at blinding speed. The extraordinary mass of these thoughts is what makes Muse's music. So, even though their imagination and thoughts reach beyond the universe and into other dimensions, and are wrapped up in profound and enormous concepts, in the end, the origin of these songs are very simple everyday feelings, such as being happy that your music is getting through, or having a good memory with your lover, or feeling sad or angry. Kerrang! magazine gave Matt's conversations the sharp expression "out-of-the-box philosophy", but it's not just random words that come out of his mouth, but his mind spins wildly on the spot, following his own larger context. But the fact that he is secretly fed up with his love of theory and analysis, and calls himself a megalomaniac, is strangely credible. It's a strange balance, as if there's another you watching you doing "extreme" "excessive" and "intense". Just like his existence, everything can be explained in many ways. Below is Matt Bellamy's commentary on "Origin of Symmetry" as of May 9th, 2001.

“When you're on stage, it's hard to see what's actually happening in front of you. So actors and performers learn to close their senses to the audience and concentrate only on their own inner world, but I could see, on several occasions, what the people in front of me were experiencing…… It was so intense that it almost swallowed me up.”

You said that themes such as the purpose of life and the reason for existence were always in your mind, and now you've come to the point where you've made an entire album out of them. Do you think that these questions have become even bigger in your mind than before? 「Yes. I've always wondered why I'm doing what I'm doing…… We all think we are the centre. Of course that's not true, and if you look at the universe, isn't there an enormous number of different things out there? But still, each person's view of the world is centred on themselves. That's why we interact with others in a very chaotic way. It's because it's more beneficial for evolution. It's the same with the universe, where various elements merge and interact to create stars and various life forms…… Well, so (laughs), I think the purpose of existence is probably to learn and experience as much as possible from each other. One of the things I try to do in my music is to bring in different influences. Not just recent rock and pop music, but also ancient church music and classical music using the piano. It has to do with the history of Europe itself. That's related to European history itself. I think that incorporating various eras means…… you know, recognising the history of our evolution that has brought us to this point. Rather than shutting the door and keeping it to ourselves.」

Yeah. But is that why you incorporate elements of different kinds of music? You just like that sort of thing, don't you? 「(chuckles) Well, it just comes naturally. But later, when I step back and think about it, I realise that this is what I'm doing.」

And you're the one who always thinks about it. So how did this grand concept solidify as the title for the album? 「That's the thing, yeah. The title was a possibility even before we started making the album. But I wasn't sure what it meant. But when I finished it, it just seemed perfect. I looked at the songs lined up and thought. It's a collection of a lot of different things. And for me, this music is the ‘origin of symmetry’. It has a meaning that crosses over experiences from different times and spaces. I don't think there is such a thing as true individuality. I'm a collection of other people's ideas, music and things I've heard in my life. But this music is me, an interpretation of everything I've ever seen. That's why I named it "Origin of Symmetry", because it's the only personality that comes out of me, this collection of things. I wonder if that makes sense, cough cough…… Sorry, I have a cold that's affecting my bronchi, cough……」

Water, drink some water. You're talking so fast. 「Ahaha. Well, the meaning of this phrase keeps changing in my mind. I've developed it into artwork too. It's about how different people interpret the words. I chose this picture for the front (pointing to the album cover) because it can be read in two ways, for me. The many sticks standing up look like football goal posts, or maybe communication antennas. If it is the latter, it means that a lot of people are trying to communicate, but they don't see each other. It's like they're standing next to each other but they're using technology to communicate with each other. If this is a football goal post, you want humanity to evolve into something better and win like in football. But it looks so meaningless and ridiculous. Well, anyway, it's quite a meaningful picture. And this one here (pointing to a row of black figures lined up at the entrance of a giant box), the little red mark here is "chaos" (laughs), and people are going into the box of chaos one after another. But I like all of them. I had about 20 pieces made in total, and I chose from among them.」

Are they all well-known artists? 「No, some of them are well-known, but most of them are students. I asked a design work company called Blue Source to introduce me to a lot of people. Some of them I've never done work with before. Look at this picture of Roxy Disco.」

Oh, I see. So I'd like to ask you some questions about the album as a whole. First of all, let's start with the opening track, "New Born". Although the title is full of hope, referring to a newborn baby, it's also a metaphor for ‘a state of zero where wounds and pain can spread endlessly’, isn't it? Where did you get this image from? 「The image in my mind is like the film "The Matrix". You're cut off from this reality and born into another world, and you have to adapt. In a way, it's about the fear of being completely absorbed in technology. At the beginning of the album, when I say ‘link’, I mean a literal physical connection, like having a cable embedded in you and trying to make contact with the world. It's connected to the possibilities of the Internet 50 years from now. You connect directly to the neural pathways. And like a baby being born from a woman, you go beyond the limits of your body and become a new person. But in the chorus, I sing about wanting to get away from that. Destroy this spineless creature and show me the real thing. Because depending on how we evolve in the future, we might move away from the physical body. That's not necessarily a bad thing. Anyway, this song is about how evolution will change us. Maybe we'll disappear, maybe we'll be replaced by something we created.」

There's a line about ‘seeing too much at a young age’, is this a feeling that comes from your own experience? 「Hmmm, yes…… Too much at a young age…… cough cough (laughs). Well, I don't think I saw too much…… When I sing this, I imagine the part in "2001: A Space Odyssey" where there's a huge flash of light and you look dazed. You know, when you see so many things at once and you're stunned. So…… It's like a feeling of things shifting and moving. I'm desperately trying to make sense of all the things that are passing by me at such a rapid pace. I think that's what it feels like to have seen too much at a young age.」

I see. You've been playing this song live for quite a while, but did you change the arrangement or your playing before and after recording? 「No, on this song and "Plug In Baby", we wanted to capture the reality of how we play as a three-piece band. There's a bit of overdubbing, but it's almost exactly what we've been doing since last year. We've played "Darkshines" and "Bliss" at festivals a few times, and they've changed quite a bit.」

About that song "Bliss". It's a surprisingly honest portrayal of a longing for innocence and purity - was there an inspiration that made you sing so much? 「Yeah…… It's hard to see what's actually happening in front of you when you're on stage. There's a lot of people in front of you, listening to the music and looking at you. It's hard to get into it. That's why actors and performers learn to close their senses to the audience and concentrate on their own inner world. But I've seen it a few times, what the people in front of me are experiencing…… and it's so intense that it feels like I'm being swallowed up. Not because there's a lot of people, it's just a very small handful of people. And then there are people who tell me that they really felt something in the music. That's what this song is about. That feeling that you've really achieved something. That this music could really mean something big to someone. And that…… That makes me really happy (laughs).」

(laughs). You mentioned briefly the other day that when you were performing this song, for the first time you felt the joy of giving without taking anything away, and I wonder if you meant exactly what you just said. 「Yes, yes. When you're on stage, you're often in a state where you're giving everything away. Some performers get more and more negative about that. They think, wait, maybe I shouldn't be exposing myself so naked. But I've only ever felt positive about it. I know that if I give everything I have inside me, the good and the bad, all the feelings of being alive, I know that somewhere it will bring me into contact with someone. That's enough for me, I don't have to take anything. It's like I'm going to survive forever. That I can leave something behind me.」

I see. Do you think that the perfect innocence you celebrate here is something you can have one day? Or do you feel positive just knowing that it exists like a ray of hope, even though you can't reach it as long as you are who you are? 「Yes, I think it's important to have hope that there is such a state. For a long time I didn't think so. I thought the opposite, negatively. I still have that kind of negativity in me, that sense of reality, the lightness and meaninglessness of my existence. But I'm always trying to move away from that. (realised how serious his tone was and couldn't help but notice) Hahaha…… Well, I manage to find hope and try to stay positive.」

Music is a big help with that. 「Exactly. Music is an expression of that, I guess. You get away from the negativity and believe that there's something there.」

"I can't play like a classical pianist, but I wanted to try my hand at it, at the coexistence of intense emotion and difficult technique. I don't think there have been many bands that have done that in recent years. Especially after Nirvana."

In contrast, "Space Dementia" is the epitome of negative presence. 「The word itself is a state of mind that astronauts get into. My brother used to read those books. When they went to the far side of the moon for the first time and came back, some astronauts couldn't calmly grasp the situation. I think that's what it is…… But even so, Dementia is originally supposed to be the conceptualisation of a high level of dimension. It's quite interesting, don't you think?」

I see. It's always a learning experience (laughs). By the way, what is ‘Height’ at the beginning of the song? It's not a spelling mistake on the lyric card, is it? 「Oh, that. I'd like to keep that a mystery.」

(laughs) I see. Okay then. 「It has a very specific meaning for me personally…… Hmmm, well, but I'm not going to say any more about it. It came out like a misspelling in a letter I got from someone, but it had an impact. The letter itself was heavy, but the most important part had a really strange spelling mistake, like ‘H8’. I think they wanted to write ‘Hate’. Well, there's a…… I remember it was a letter that my girlfriend wrote to me, and it kind of reminded me of that (laughs)."

I understood it well enough. But still, the song's unusual excitement is just delirium, isn't it? 「Haha, yes, it's outrageous, especially towards the end of the frenzy. It's an explosion of all kinds of sounds.」

With songs like this, do you decide on a theme or lyrics and then develop the arrangement with that in mind? 「The lyrics and the music were done at the same time. The title came at the end, and I thought about what exactly I was trying to do here. This song is about pushing my physical limits on the piano. I was influenced by Chopin's very complex piano music. It's hard to explain how I feel when I listen to that kind of music……」

Yes, yes, how does it make you feel? Listening to that kind of music. 「I don't know how to say it, it's an amazing feat of genius, isn't it? (laughs) It's not so much Chopin himself, but the technique of playing that kind of music. You can feel the human struggle, the way he forces himself to do impossible things until he reaches his physical limits. You can hear that in the music, emotionally and physically. I can't play like a classical pianist, but I wanted to try my hand at it, at the coexistence of intense emotion and difficult technique. I don't think there have been many bands that have done that in recent years. Especially after Nirvana. It's not cool to have great technique. Well, that's why I wanted to propose it. Sometimes it makes sense to go for technique.」

So there can be an emotional context? 「Yes, very much so.」

How does the studio process generally work? Do you record the basics of a song on a demo tape, and then listen to it together and develop it? 「Um…… (laughs) …… No, I write everything. I don't make demos. We all get together in the rehearsal room and I play on the guitar and let them listen to it and say, "See, this is it" (laughs). That's how most of this album was made.」

So you could have made it on your own? 「No, because I can't play the drums…… (laughs) I don't mean that, it's more a question of limitations. If I did it all by myself, it would be too much. Maybe when I'm older, it might be possible. But for me, the limitation of three-piece makes me a little more…… realistic.」

Ahahahaha. 「If I was left on my own, I'd end up with an orchestra or something like that. I mean, I have to put together a bunch of big, outlandish ideas into a form that can be played by three people. This can be quite difficult, and that's what I like about it. If I had to do it alone, I would quickly turn into Frank Zappa and lose my head…… Hahaha …….」

It's too imaginative, it's annoying. That makes the next title even more scary, "Hyper Music." First of all, the repeated shouts of "You know that I don’t want you and I never did, I don’t love you and I never did" are intense. Is it such an overwhelming subject? 「(laughs) Yeah, maybe. These lyrics, well, they're influenced by the energy and anger of the song. It's a song about being hurt by someone and just letting it come out of your mouth and saying it back. The reason why I put it on the album is because the lyrics are similar to ‘"Space Dementia." The chorus is completely different, but the hook says something similar. It's about philosophising about everything…… (laughs) It's about self-loathing in a way. About using your head all the time. But, hehe, it's not that serious. It's just a song about being really angry.」

(laughs). Next up is "Plug In Baby". Sorry to be so persistent. 「Ahahahaha.」

Where did you come up with this word itself? 「A long time ago, when the lyrics were still just the chorus, we were trying to decide on a title. Then Dom and I were chatting about it and it just came out of nowhere. I think it's probably a bit of a ‘Matrix’ image as well……. (laughs)…… It's about how we use technology. It might be potential now, but in the future it could be a great situation, you know? What was it called the other day, this song?」

The explanation you came up with last month was “exposing God's deception”. 「Yeah. (laughs) That's still alive, though.」

I also thought you were actually talking about the guitar. 「Oh, that! But it wouldn't have been wrong for me to say that, would it? The guitar is my technology and my tool. That's how I'm trying to make contact through it.」

Yeah. And there's a very ambivalent kind of love affair with it, the whole thing. You love it, but you also see its limitations. 「Yes, it is. Guitars and rock bands are a kind of amplification of human beings through the power of modern technology, aren't they? They amplify the character by using big, loud instruments. If you took away the electronics, it would be a very quiet acoustic song, even our songs. But we have to keep amplifying it with technology to the limit…… In the end, what we're doing comes down to the fear and anticipation of technology. It brings us endless joy, but at the same time it brings a sense of detachment.」

Don't you think you want to stop amplifying and see how powerful it is when it's all stripped back? 「You mean acoustic? Yeah, yeah, I'm sure I'll do it. Someday. But right now, I want to learn as much as I can about the new things I can get and use them to their full potential.」

You've said before that some of the stuff you've recorded with John Leckie is like a combination of three songs, and "Citizen Erased" is a perfect example of that. Especially the slow ending with the drastic change of tune. I named it the "Layla" development. 「Hahahahaha.」

Was it originally a fragment of another song? 「……I remember very well how it came about. I was going out with a girl who lived in London. She went to school there. I didn't see her very often, and every time I went to see her I always forgot to take my guitar with me. So I decided to leave my acoustic guitar at her place. I played it a bit when I had time, and I came up with a lot of ideas. At some point I put them all together and this is the song. The short part at the end is…… Hmmm……」

There's a sad sense of release, like the curtain falling after a battle. What feelings arise inside you when you sing this line: "Wash me away / Clean your body of me / Erase all the memories / They'll only bring us pain / And I've seen all I'll ever need"? 「(frowning) Unbearable pain.」

Well. 「……No, no, hahahaha. I think the feeling here is like it's melting away. Because I've realised how much pain I'm causing the other person. No, not pain…… For example, let's say there's someone who loves you very much, but you can see that it's causing trouble. And you love them so much, but then you summon up the courage to ask them to forget about you altogether. And then you force yourself to be cold towards them. Because you know that in the long run it's better for them. But it's really painful for you to do that…… Hehehe. You get it.」

So whenever you sing this part of the song, that's how you feel? 「Yeah. Yes, I do. I think about it.」

I see, so that's why the song is called "Citizen Erased". 「Yes. I was desperately trying to summon up the courage to do it, all the way up to the ending. It's like I was telling myself to hide my feelings and act, you know I have to do it.」

I don't know if it's okay to have it explained to me like this (laughs). But I understood it very well, finally. 「Really?」

Let's move on to the next song. "Micro Cuts". This one has an acrobatic screaming falsetto, and the vocals through the vocoder sound like something from the other side of a dream, reminding me of the dream you told me about the other day, where you had a lot of blades piercing your brain. 「Well, it's a dreamlike state, isn't it? I wouldn't call it a real experience. I'm killing people at the beginning of the song . I haven't done that yet (laughs). But you can imagine, I wake up with blood on my hands and a dead body on the floor and the police are outside shouting my name and I realise what I've done.」

You must be feeling a lot of guilt. 「(laughs). But then, as it says "destroying puppet strings", you realise that this was actually someone else's doing and you had no control over it. And then the next thing that comes up is that maybe this is the source of the problem. "Micro waves me insane". Because apparently the government is using microwaves to control people. Hahahahahaha, that kind of song.」

"The song was originally electronic, moody and slow, but then Dom and Chris and I looked at each other in the rehearsal room and we were like, "Let's go!" (laughs). That's another limitation of a three-piece band, but I prefer it. It really bothers me to do something so far removed from three-piece guitar music. I don't want to forget who I am originally."

Well, to be honest, the moment when I can finally relax here is the ninth track, "Screenager". After all, the energy level of this album has been rising all the way through. Did you think it was going to be such a wild and excessive album from the start? 「(laughs) Yeah. I did it consciously. I mean, some of the songs were actually written acoustically. Believe it or not. "Micro Cuts" is like a Spanish folk song, with a very complicated guitar style and a much slower tempo. The singing is less violent and more feminine. The song "Citizen Erased" was very mellow. This one is electronic, moody and slow. But then Dom and Chris and I looked at each other in the rehearsal room and we were like, "Let's go!" (laughs). But, you know, that's another limitation of a three-piece, and I prefer it that way. That's the muse. If I wanted to do something radically different, I would change the name or do something else. But really, I'm also a bit concerned about doing something that's so far removed from so-called three-piece guitar music. I think we're pushing the boundaries, but…… I won't say their name (pointing to Radiohead on the cover of RO's June issue), but their last album was completely electronic. I don't want to forget who I am originally…… Anyway, "Screenager" has a very raw sound and lyrics, but I wanted to make it fit into the album. I thought about that and what the song was saying, and I put a lot of those electronic arpeggios in there and gave it a modern sounding title. Well, it's about the distortion of self-perception caused by TV. The TV screen we look at every day is like a mirror. We become convinced that we want to be what we see on it.」

Could this be the song you mentioned before? It uses the perspective of a girl who wants to look very different from herself…… 「Yes, yes. I knew a group of girls from my hometown, and some of them would constantly cut their own arms. At the time, I didn't understand why they did that. They were my friends and they seemed very decent. And I kept thinking about it, and I thought maybe it had something to do with what I'm talking about here. Those kids had zero contact with the outside world. They were intensely averse to physical contact with others…… Maybe they can't have any emotional connection with others, and yet they have to go to such lengths to feel that they exist. I guess that's what it's all about.」

The song structure of "Darkshines" is rather reminiscent of "Showbiz", but is this a relatively old number? 「Yes, it's one of the oldest ones on the album. I wrote it around the same time as "Plug In Baby", just after the debut album, but the chord progression had been there for a long time. So yes, it's very close to the tone of the first album.」

Your songs have a Latin and other non-Anglo-Saxon folk music feel to them, but do these minor-chord melodramatic tunes come out instinctively? 「Yes, I suppose it does. I was attracted to that kind of sound when I was travelling around Europe about five years ago. But that was before that. It's something I remember from my childhood or…… My parents used to play that kind of stuff. No, it could be something more interesting. Like, my previous life is calling to me. Ha, ha, ha.」

(ignored). By the way, is "Darkshines" literally a dark and mysterious glow? 「Yes. It's like the dark side of things, a dark but powerful and strong charm that can't help but attract people. Yeah…… (laughs)’

On the other hand, "Feeling Good", a cover of Nina Simone's song, is dark and dramatic, but the song is about a positive feeling in a beautiful landscape. When you feel "good!", is this the sound that rings in your head? 「Yeah. Yes, that's right. It's certainly dramatic, but don't you think there's something very sexy about it? The original is like that too. I've always liked it. And…… Well, I personally had my reasons for choosing this song. She…… Um (hesitates), she loves this song and plays it often. Yes, and there's something very sexy about it. …….Hehehe.」

I see. The Japanese version of the album includes a bonus track called "Futurism", which refers to the view of life that emerged at the beginning of the 20th century, that "the future is more valuable than the past or the present", right? 「Yes, yes. But this is a thoroughly negative song about humanity. I mean, I didn't write it intentionally, but like "Hyper Music", there's a lot of anger spewing out. I named it "Futurism" because I'm trying really hard to counteract it. So the title is a positive belief that although you don't see anything now, in the future you will have meaning, purpose and happiness in your life. But it's the opposite of what the song is saying.」

I don't understand how this "not now, but the future" is a positive belief. 「Well, maybe it's about believing that you'll find it someday, even though you'll never actually find it.」

Hmmm. Sounds like a child's trick. 「Hahahaha. I guess so…… Oh, but here's what I think. In order to come to a conclusion to hold a belief, you have to draw on the knowledge you have acquired, don't you? The problem is that there is an infinite amount of knowledge out there, so I don't think you should reach a conclusion. Or rather, until the moment I die (laughs). That's what "futurism" means to me.」

Oh, that makes sense. Now it's time to close the album with "Megalomania". From the very beginning, it's as solemn as a religious book. 「But it's directed at God. I don't have any serious Christian faith, but this is what I think. I think that all this Catholicism, all this Pope stuff, it's all about human intervention and trying to draw the power of God. I think the church is weird, and if there is a church, it should be within each person. That's what this song is about. The first line, "Paradise comes at a price, that I am not prepared to pay", means that I'm not willing to live according to Catholic norms. The second part, "The good news is she can't have babies", is about religion and the issue of contraception, and in contrast to God's teaching of being fruitful and multiplying, he thinks life ends when he dies. And in the chorus, he says that God is just a man in a disguise.」

Hmmm. I can't keep quiet after listening to this last number, but even if you don't know Pink Floyd, do you know Queen and actually like them? 「I don't know them that well.」

Hmm (laughs). 「I'm telling you the truth. I'm not lying. I mean, I don't know the album names and song titles in detail. I'm sure I've heard a lot of the songs, but I haven't listened to them for years and years. My mum used to listen to them a lot.’

Oh, I see. So, do you have any particular thoughts about Freddie Mercury as an artist? 「Hmm, he's good. Or something? (laughs) Well, the only thing that comes to mind at this moment is "Bohemian Rhapsody". But if I had to say, I think he was someone who understood the history of music, the history of classical music. He had a feeling for it and tried to interpret it and incorporate it into rock music. I like that about him, I do.」

What happened to the song that you said was born out of a deep conversation with your mother? 「Well, we recorded it, but it didn't make it onto the album. It doesn't have a title. There's another outtake from the album, which will be on the B-side of the next single "New Born". It's called "Shrinking Universe"……」

(burst of laughter) It just keeps going. 「Hahahaha. And the first one I mentioned, I think it's a really good song, but I'll probably re-record it soon. It's not bad, but I feel like it could be better.」

It didn't feel like it was part of this album? 「Exactly. How should I put it…… It wasn't big enough. Hahahahaha.」

I thought that would be the case anyway. 「But the next album, our future albums, will be completely different. We'll make it as humble and simple as possible. Hahahaha.」

(laughs) Well, the showcase gig in July, we've had a great response to the ticket giveaway in this magazine. It's definitely going to be a big hit. 「Yeah. I hope so, I'm looking forward to it.」

Well, thank you very much for the rare day off. It was a long day, wasn't it? 「(laughs) Yeah.」

Translator's Note: The best way to appreciate this particular interview, is to listen to Origin of Symmetry while you read it. Let yourself get immersed into it and appreciate the album once again.

I've actually been procrastinating on finishing this interview for various reasons, but I got myself to finally finish it by doing various stuff continuously to get myself back into the mood and see it done. So that took time, but I finally did it.

Please do support me with my ko-fi! ☕

[recreationalfanfics]

*bust in the door with Sinor Chonker in my right arm and a cup of cold brew coffee with churro creamer in my left hand*

Okay hear me out on this!!

Having Jeb and Oct with us is cool and talking to our favorite night guard through the mirror is an extra, but what if we could able to talk with the other crew with said mirror and talking to hysterical figure and introduce them to our friends and having to translate with some of them while in conversation as if it's a normal Tuesday

Like Huns being the awesome warlord be bit protective over mc and looking at Sebek and in translation if he did anything that we didn't like hell glady fight him

Or our favorite Pharaoh man ( who I have a childhood crush like come-on ) happily talk to us and seeing our new friends went to king mode on some because he wanted mc to feel safe and not get in to trouble with them

Talking with historical figures and talking about what they did in their time out is the open be both comedic and to the tw guys be horrified on some stuff out in the open ( like if a WW2 soldier making a joke about ww2 related stuff ) or give really organized military stuff to help mc with stuff like school work or their work around the school

I don't blame you for the crush on Ahk, Rami Malek is so fjwjfjejfj-

- BUT YEAH, TONS OF OTHER PEOPLE DEFINETLY USE THE MIRROR TO TALK TOO, not just Larry and Nicky but Teddy and Sacagewa like to make sure you're okay.

- I like to think some of the Twst Boys know what Attila is saying as he threatens them to protect you but like, others just think he's super cool looking and you try to soften his translation so they aren't so violent.

- BUT ALSO, ATTILA AND HIS HUNS LOVE MAGIC SO THE BOYS KINDA WIN THEM OVER EASILY but don't get me wrong, they're still very worried for you.

- You can also use them to teach the guys about history from your world. Like, you're telling them about cavemen and showing them and the cave guys are just super hyped to see you until they see that Ace has a hand on your shoulder and being the big brother figures they are, they just freak out and Larry is all: "How about we move onto Teddy next!?"

- I like to think that Teddy would definetly give Leona a pep talk or something. Like, Teddy having to deal with not being the real Theodore Roosevelt kind fits with Leona not being the crown prince and stuff and while their situations aren't the same, Teddy giving Leona some enlightenment.

- ROOK ENJOYS MOMENTS TO MEET ALL YOUR NEW FRIENDS, SO HE CAN SEE ALL THE BEAUTY. He 100% would be super flattering to Sacagewa and Ahkmenrah and how they must've been the pinnacle of beauty at their time and Sacagewa just being polite and Ahk being super awkward but happy to be there. ALSO, SACAGEWA AND ROOK EXCHANGING HUNTING AND TRACKING TIPS AND YOU'RE JUST THERE LIKE: "PLEASE DON'T-"

- They are exposed to more darker parts of your history and while not everything is sunshine and rainbows, when they hear about the wars and the atrocities, you just tell your dad to maybe move the mirror but they're also just so fascinated by how people from your world may not have magic but they definetly have the wits to create some serious fire power. Like, they couldn't fathom how wars without magic would be like and now they know and it definetly gives them a new look on your world.

- ALL OF THE EXHIBITS MISS YOU THOUGH. Dexter stealing the mirror from Larry so he can have you all to himself and throwing a tantrum when another of the Twst guys try to look at him. He seems to like Floyd though which is really concerning.

- You even show them things that you might have in common with their world. Such as European history, Persian history, and African history and it really sticks out to some students who are there like: "Wow, those buildings look similar to the ones we have here!"

- All of the exhibits definetly all try to tell you goodnight before morning, scold Jed and Octavius if they gave you any trouble and you tell them goodnight and watch from the mirror as the sun rises and they all go still. You miss them a lot and while it's fun to introduce the guys to your world, it only makes you ache for it more.

[greenygal]

Due South s1 recs, part 4

The Blue Line

Thirty-Seven Percent, by Luzula (Fraser/Mark Smithbauer, one-sided)--In which Mark causes a sexuality crisis in teenage Fraser, which he addresses by secretly reading the research of Alfred Kinsey. Because Fraser.

Astray, by Sproid (Fraser/Mark Smithbauer)--In which teenage Mark is very enthusiastically into Fraser.

Five Times Benton Fraser Hugged Someone and Meant It, by jaywright (Fraser/Victoria, Fraser/Ray K)--The Mark section of this is so sweet.

Special, by DesireeArmfeldt (Fraser/Mark Smithbauer, unrequited)--In which Mark feels guilty and therefore does not sleep with Fraser in Chicago. Angst and woe!

On the other hand, in these stories Mark absolutely does sleep with Fraser in Chicago:

Old Friends, by Ultra_Chrome (Fraser/Mark Smithbauer)

Our Track Record, by Luzula (Fraser/Mark Smithbauer)

Second Chances, by Lomelinde (Fraser/Mark Smithbauer)

What We're Thinking, by Sproid (Fraser/Mark Smithbauer)

In which Ray just wants Fraser to be happy after Mark leaves:

Hockey Night in Chicago, by dmarley

Too hot for this kind of thing, by belmanoir (Fraser/Ray V)

Five Things Benton Fraser Lost in the Apartment Fire, by ifreet--So...all those carefully collected trading cards? Yeah. I'm so sorry.

Interlude, by china_shop (Fraser/Mark Smithbauer, unrequited)--A vacationing Fraser asks Mark to look over a promising local kid; there's a little reminiscing--Fraser’s grandmother has the best line in the story and she’s not even in it--a little hockey, but no actual sex. Sorry, Mark.

Hawks and Hands, by Dira Sudis (Fraser/Mark Smithbauer, Fraser/Ray K)--A lengthy Fraser/Ray K AU in which most of the characters are in hockey (although Ray V is still a cop). Filled with sex, hockey, and a slow-growing mystery about the death of Fraser's father.

Ice, by twistedchick--So this is my recs list, and if I want to rec a Sports Night crossover about a romance between Dan Rydell and Mark Smithbauer, then I will! Fraser does turn up in one section to be very charming, but I am genuinely here for the Dan/Mark.

***

The Deal

Father Confessor, by Keerawa (Ray V/Angie, Ray V/Fraser (one-sided), Ray V/Stella)--This is an outside POV fic that runs from Ray's childhood through post-canon; I'm putting it here because it has a fair bit about Zuko, including Ray talking about what happened to Marco Mitrani. (Warnings for Catholic homophobia.)

All the other recs deal with the events at the end of the episode (no Frannie, that's for next ep)

Weight, by sdwolfpup

Most powerful is he, by mercuriosity

Regret, by sdwolfpup

Odd-Numbered Nights, by MSSalieri

****

Heaven and Earth

(note: I feel that “Heaven and Earth” should be before “An Invitation to Romance”, and it’s my list so it will be!)

Layaway, by Keerawa--Frannie discovers why she's not what Fraser wants.

During Frannie’s confrontation with Ray, she hears what’s underneath the words:

Conversation, by Aimee (Fraser/Ray V)

Heaven and Earth, by amosanguis (Fraser/Ray V)

Conviction, by china_shop (Fraser/Ray V)--“Ray was forced to admit that not only did he have a type that included guys but, even worse, he had the same taste in guys as his little sister Frannie.”

Long, Slow Drift, by Belmanoir (Fraser/Ray V)—An amazing look at Ray's POV on this episode, placed in the context of his history and family relationships, and of course his feelings for Fraser.

“All he knows is that when he tries to think about dreaming, he gets a sudden urge to duck.”

***

An Invitation to Romance

subatomic particles bursting in the air, by facingthenorthwind--A look at some things Fraser might have been thinking in the garbage truck scene.

A Searching and Fearless Inventory, by Nos4a2no9--A consideration of a different reason Fraser might not drink. Not otherwise related to the episode, but it's an interesting idea and I'll take this excuse to include it.

[transsunwukong]

randomly thought about something that hasn't really occurred to me before: the difference in how yang expresses her confidence depending on who she's with. we all know and love her attitude when she's dealing with some stupid asshole, but that's more of an intimidation tactic than anything else - it's just her style. what i wanna talk about here is more about who yang really is when she's not putting up a front. not consciously, at least.

it's apparent in a lot of moments, but i wanna highlight this by comparing 4 specific scenes, all about the concept of (her) strength:

in v4c9, she has her talk with tai after their sparring match. it's pretty clear that yang and her father have a lot of mutual respect for each other in spite of their complicated history. i feel like tai is the only person who can really get away with criticizing yang on something so personal and essential to her identity as her fighting skills, especially with how much of an inspiration he's been to her on that front.

and she listens, because she knows he's right (even if she's sad and a bit sarcastic about it) - but also because, at this point in the story, she's still recovering from the lowest low of her life and her dad is currently the only one she can seek solace in. that's what this scene is all about! you can tell she's not happy with letting her guard down and being lectured/psychoanalyzed like this, but this is the one place where she can do so guilt-free.

her time back in patch is as much of an opportunity to reconnect with her family and sort out everything she's been dealing with alone in her head, as it is a literal recovery and training period. it's sad to see yang like this, but she's not really self-deprecating here - she just finally has a breathing room, and someone there to listen, who already knows and understands her better than she does herself sometimes, which i think is a really important part of it.

in v5c14 and probably one of my FAVORITE scenes in the entire show, it's the other way around, as yang is the one confronting her other parent. this scene beautifully mirrors her previous conversation with tai and shows how much she took it to heart.

the whole back-and-forth between yang and raven is so good. there's just something so satisfying about yang finally tracking down her mom, being the one to ruin everything she's planned up until now, standing her ground and calling out raven on her hypocrisy and cowardice in such a tense moment without letting her feelings get the better of her - and ACTUALLY getting through to raven. "yeah, i'm scared, but i'm still standing here. i'm not like you, i won't run." what else can i say?

and of course it's not until raven has left and yang retrieves the relic herself that she falls to her knees and cries. this isn't yang putting up a front to scare someone away, this is yang taking matters into her own hands because she knew she was the only one who possibly could. this is yang choosing to be the bigger, braver person, knocking some sense into someone who failed at that responsibility her whole life, because there was no other option.

even though she WAS terrified and heartbroken, raven didn't -deserve- to see her cry.

in v6c7 after That Whole Ordeal, everyone's still a bit on edge. this is such a small blink-and-you'll-miss-it moment, but i think it's still relevant to point out.

"especially since some of you are clearly stronger already." it's no coincidence that the focus is on yang here, when maria talks about her guilt as a failed hero/role model for the next generation, but it's even more important how yang reacts to it.

for one, yang can relate to maria's guilt (even if she really shouldn't have to). we know how important it is for her to be viewed as someone strong and reliable - as a protector of the people, as a friend, as a teammate, and ESPECIALLY as an older sister (this just in: self-destructive hero complexes aren't just limited to the team leaders!!). despite how much ruby looks up to her, there's still a part of yang that won't forgive herself for not always being the person ruby needed her to be, and the same can easily be said for her other loved ones. especially here in v6, when she's still not really There Yet when it comes to the old team rwby dynamic. it's a complicated time.

she says nothing, but you can tell she's interpreting this like it's pointed directly at her. when yang feels exposed like this, she tends to either dodge it with humor or lash out, so in a way it's refreshing to see her just kinda....sit on this, silently and out of view, even if it's not necessarily a good thing to sulk about.

and of course there's this little bit in v8c9, courtesy of ren and his WONDERFUL AND HILARIOUS VIBE CHECK ABILITY!!!!

yang, jaune and ren are all -friends-. not necessarily teammates or family, but very close friends who understand each other. and they may be in some deep, awful, super scary shit at the moment, but that's nothing they're not used to. it kinda does feel like Just Another Situation With The Bros.

of course yang tries to lighten the mood! that's what she DOES with her friends, and they know this! i don't think it even OCCURS to her that the others might take it the wrong way, or pick up on why she's doing it. i don't think that she, in the moment, really thinks about why she's doing it, either. this is yang after all! confident, cool, funny, bright and happy yang. right?

so when ren of all people is the one to call her out on it, it catches her off guard so badly that it takes her a few seconds to even process it, and then she can't help but sigh and smile. it might have been a little embarrassing for her, but above all i think it's actually a relief for yang to be seen like this, especially from someone so unexpected. a less outspoken friend who she might not be as close with as some of the others, but who can therefore genuinely relate and sympathize with her anxiety in this moment without making her feel too self-conscious about it.

it's nice. it's just really cute and nice.

[howtosingit]

Tag Game: 911 Lone Star Fandom Edition

Tagged by @rmd-writes and this is probably the first tag game I've done in... *checks calendar* I can't count that high 🤷🏻‍♂️

When did you first start watching Lone Star? Who or what introduced you to the show?

I've been watching since the pilot premiered on Sunday, January 19, 2020 🙃 I actually was still watching OG 911 at that time with @emisfritish and we were trying to decide if we wanted to watch the upcoming spinoff or not, so we checked out the trailer. Saw that first little clip of Carlos Reyes and that moment of Tarlos getting down to business in 1x02 and I was suddenly way more interested in LS than I had ever been in OG (sorry not sorry). And though she never really joined the LS fandom, I do still get to experience @emisfritish watching LS episodes for the first time (even if it's sometimes months after they air) and it's one of my favorite things.

Which season is your favorite?

Season 3, for sure. Best viewing experience of any season, really strong storylines, so much more Carlos than the previous 2 seasons (combined), the full tarlos arc from exes to fiancés and all the really good growth for them in-between those two moments... I don't know that the show will ever reach those heights again, but I'm so glad I got to experience every moment of it in real time.

[Seasons best-to-worst, imho, are: 3, 4, 2, 1]

Who is your favorite character? (Bonus: If you answered TK or Carlos, who is your favorite besides them?)

LOL such a mystery, my favorite character is obviously Caleb. Love that dumbass. (Real answer: my top 3 characters are Carlos, Grace, and Judd.)

Top five episodes. Go!

Oh goodness, okay...

Push Bad Call Saving Grace Riddle of the Sphynx Donors In Sickness and In Health (sorry I know that's six but rafa is just so fucking good)

If you could pick any character to be given a "begins" episode, who would it be and what would that episode look like?

First I will say that I'm really happy that we don't do "Begins" episodes with LS because I remember wanting to skip so many of those when watching OG (never grew attached to any of the characters, maybe I'd like them better in LS but let's not risk it) and I think there are more organic ways to incorporate backstory into the narrative than to say "here's 45 minutes of backstory!"

ANYWAY For a very long time my answer was uncontestedly Carlos Reyes, and I would still love to get every single moment of his life from his birth until now, but also... I don't know, I think at this point in the show we've gotten so much of Carlos's history (through what is sometimes messy writing, sure, but we still got it) that it feels selfish to keep asking for more when a character like Paul still feels really undervalued on the show. So, maybe Paul? But, also Carlos because... I'm me 🤷🏻‍♂️

What is a scenario or storyline that you would like to see in season 5?

Honestly, I would like to see Carlos have to face the consequences of his actions in the s4 finale. I love him, I would die on every damn hill for him, and I fully tracked his rationale for why he did what he did, but it was still really messed up, and I would love to see him battling with those decisions and what they mean for him at the top of the season. I'm not against Carlos struggling and messing up sometimes (two of my favorite episodes are "Cry Wolf" and "In Sickness and In Health"), but it's a way more interesting narrative if we actually see him confronting his mistakes rather than them disappearing into the unknown like most of the consequences on LS... Also, Rafa would destroy scenes like that and I always want to see Rafa at the top of his game.

Would also love to see him get a different job but that seems unlikely and we'd lose that glorious utility belt strut

What do you think is going on in this still?

I do think it's most likely related to Gabriel's murder. It could be an update on where the Rangers are at in the case, it could be them calling Carlos in to assist with something (undercover Carlos mayhaps?), or maybe Carlos got suspended after what he did last season and this is him receiving a call from his boss with an update on his job status... honestly, no idea, but it's making me want to know things so fuck you tim minear

We all know about the elusive 5x05 spicy scene that has been teased, so what is your prediction for how it could possibly top 1x02?

See, I thought elements of the 2x12 sex scene were better than the 1x02 sex scene because there was all of this added intimacy and emotion between them, which just makes every touch and kiss and look and breath that much deeper and richer and sexier. Like, that look Carlos gives TK after taking his shirt off while straddling TK's thighs? That's sex right there. So, honestly, I don't know what they're going to go through between 5x01 and 5x04, but as long as the 5x05 scene contains all of that context that makes the moment about them and how they feel to be with each other, it's already topped 1x02 in my opinion. Rushed, casual, fun sex is great and hot and obviously I didn't hate it, but the combination of lust AND love? You can't ever beat that.

Where was the Tarlos honeymoon in your mind?

You know, I honestly don't know... I haven't really thought about it. Their honeymoon has kind of been a non-thing for me, so I hope wherever it was it was peaceful and exactly what they both needed.

Shoutout one of your favorite fan creations.

I know this says one, but there are so many different types of creations and I won't be able to mention all of them (it's been FOUR YEARS OKAY) but I want to try to share a range...

I absolutely have to start out with all the incredible work that @reyeslonestar gave this fandom: I have this one printed and framed, but I also love this one and this one and this one and THIS ONE. Also love this one by @whatsintheboxmh so much. I also love these two NSFW pieces by @a-kinkajou (but the AO3 links seem to be broken so you'll have to look at the SFW versions here on tumblr and just trust me).

ALSO I really love fanvids and in particular this one and this one (SOBBING) and this one and THIS ONE. While I wish I could list every gifset that has sparked an emotional response for me, it would be impossible, so I'll share this one (@maxbegone) because it makes me smile, these two because the vows are ev-er-y-thing (@danieljradcliffe), and this one because the Carlos Reyes Strut is also everything (@evanzbuck).

I mean, the Teacher AU. It's the teacher au. You don't understand, it's THE TEACHER AU (@three-drink-amy). I'm already so in love with Call Me, but that's no surprise since it's from the writers of iconic works like these (@welcometololaland @rmd-writes) The Knave verse is beyond iconic at this point (@liminalmemories21). This Carlos begins fic is really beautiful (@freneticfloetry) and this early fic has one of my favorite Carlos characterizations ever (@singerofsimplesongs). I'm always down for a firefighter!Carlos AU (@reyesstrand) because the man should be wearing turnouts.

Tagging: I'm not going to tag anyone because I think this game was going around a few days ago and I missed the train, but if anyone likes the questions and wants to answer, they should!

[anthracite-writes]

TWST Imagine - MC becomes a Teacher in NRC instead of going back to their world

GN! MC || TW//CW: angst if you squint, mentions of homesickness, implies reader is a no-mag so... do with that as you will, this is practially a self insert yourself story - not at mage-oc one || Pronouns used: You/You're (just to keep it open for the readers)

A//N: Okay, I want you to stick with me on this one. I may be tripping and thinking that I’m cooking with this one but… but just hear me out. Let me cook, okay? Or maybe I'm just tripping balls with this one.

NOTE: this was written all at once, apologies if it's all over the place and has errors.

You've been keeping track of the days since your arrival in this magical world and when you've become an honorary student in Night Raven College. And it's fairly obvious that you won't be going home anytime soon.

As much as you wanted to go home, you knew in your gut that the Crowley isn't going to make any quick process anytime soon. It just made the wanting to go back to your world just hurt more. Yet, Twisted Wonderland has grown on you - the more you stay here in this magical world, the more you felt like this was home. Going home to your world with no magic would make it feel as if you were a fish out of water - unfamiliar territoy.

The thoughts of knowing that you'll most likely be stuck here after your most friends' have graduated from NRC and gone off in their own life made your throat tighten... You'll be left behind.

But then it hit you.

---

"I want to become part of the staff," You said, slamming down a pile of notebooks and papers onto the Headmaster Crowley's desk, making the man jump.

He cleared his throat and looked you in the eye, "that... was sudden, Y/N. Why would you propose such a idea? You're essentially part of the staff as a care taker of the school" Crowley said through a smile, "I promise Y/N, you won't be here forever-"

"I know. But I want to make use of my time here, and not as a caretaker for school grounds." You said bluntly, "I know that I will most likely say here on the campus. I want to be of use rather than being just an errand runner or a grounds keeper. I want to be a faculty member, a professor."

Crowley puts his elbows on his desk, resting his chin on his clasped hands as he took in your words, looking you up and down before speaking. "A professor? Are you qualified to teach back where you're from?"

You feel your cheek heat up at his question, "N-no..." You stuttered out, regaining your composer as you spoke to stand your ground. "Qualified or not, I think I can be a professor."

"Oh? And what exactly would you be teaching? I hope it's not magic related considering your case."

"... World studies."

Crowley let out a laugh, "World studies? I'm afraid that Professor Trein is already covering that-"

"That's not what I meant." You cut the man off, "I mean outer world studies - not just here. Yes, that may include this history of places here and I'm highly aware that Professor Trein ais the head of the History department of this school. I've already talked this over with him and he's more than happy to support this idea. I come from a completely different world, and I wish to educate the students here about my world where there is no magic. I want to educate the students here on my world, if that's okay with you".

Crowley looked at you intently, "...alright, but this is completely untouched territory, you are aware of that."

You nod, "Yes, I'm aware. That's what the pile of papers and notebooks consist of." you said, gesturing to the stack on his desk. "This is everything I could remember from my studies back in my world, though is limited considering every curriculum in my world is different from place to place so it's extremely bias. But what I have here would be everything I'll be teaching... well, want to teach that is".

The room fell silent as you anxiously waited for an answer, "Listen, I'm not looking to be paid here. I want to be useful during my time here as you find a way back for me. I know all the friends I've made during my time here will move on without me and I'll be stuck here till you can figure things out in my situation. so please... do consider my request. I know it might be odd having a no-mag in your faculty and a teacher. But just please... consider it."

Crowley closed his eyes in thought, taking in your words before opening them with his usual smile when he gets an "a-ha" moment, "Well, I think this is a wonderful idea you have proposed to me. It may also give me more in-site on where you do come from. Though, it may take some time to refine your course. But that is something to worry about when I get there. I'll bring this up in the next director meeting and I shall keep you updated."

---

It was a new school year - the friends you've made greeted you in the hall as you made your way to the classroom. You approach the door and take a breath to slow your racing heart and thoughts before stepping in, seeing some familiar faces in the room.

You clear your throat, a soft smile creeping on your face - "Alright students, settle down. I'm Professor Y/N, and welcome to Outer World Studies."

[accio-victuuri]

THE STORY OF THE 85 LOGO 🏍️

Since Yibo was spotted on the race track, the conversation around the logo is picking up again. This has been discussed so many times before & in bits and pieces but I want to give it a go and make my own version of it’s history. It’s a mix of the logo itself as well as the cpn speculation surrounding it’s origin. I’m not gonna talk about other related designer zz candies, this is only for the logo.

I used this video by R背靠大树好乘凉W as a guide on the timeline but i did my own fact checking and added a lot more points especially with Parts II-IV of this post.

I. THE ORIGIN

11/10/2018, Yamaha Racing Team weibo account posts the first look of the 85 logo. At this point, everyone already knew who this is supposed to be. It’s also cute how the time it was posted had the timestamp “28” which is Ai Bo, another clue.

“ driver number 85 is coming soon! “

1/19/2019, The same account officially shared that Yibo will be joining the MLT YAMAHA team for 2019 and Tracer 85 was born. Yibo also reposted this and replied with :

Happy New Year to all! ! ! ! ! racing career has begun! ! ! ! ☺️☺️☺️Please call me driver Wang Yibo! ! ! ! ～～～～～

1/29/2019, the draft for Yibo’s Tracer 85 racing suit was released by the weibo account. It prominently features “85”.

Now a key player in this whole designing mystery is DAINESE a company that describes themselves as: Dedicated to producing the most effective safety solutions in every arena where athletes continually push the human body and mind to surpass their prior achievements. From our motorcycle racing origins to alpine skiing, mountain biking, competitive sailing and outer space. So they posted about the racing suit itself as well as the helmet. Again, both things featured the 85 logo, along with other symbols that is an entirely different cpn on it’s own.

It’s so obvious that a professional company will make this for WYB. Even if we CPN that the logo was made by XZ, or even a rough sketch of it and passed on to Yibo, down to this company’s team to refine. There is just no way that XZ will write his name down as the owner of it, if we didn’t have that BTS video of their conversation about it then we won’t have a confirmation. Even if we have that video, there is still the probability that XZ didn’t follow through.

Then someone asked the company itself about the origin of the logo and they said WYB brought it himself.

The logo of No. 85 is not designed by us, it is brought by Yibo himself

Thank you for your support

If you look at the original post for the racing suit, the comments are all wf being so prissy about who designed it. I know that this post is supposedly about the 85 logo but the suit is a huge part of that. Also I think it’s about time to clear up the fact that cpfs are not trying to discredit anyone who made WYB’s gear. Why can’t we just be happy that he has a cool moto suit with the 85 on it? We are. We really are. It’s just that analyzing the elements within it is something that CPFs love to do. Not even for the relationship part of it but just to understand him better. The thing is, I don’t look at it and think only about how “handsome” yibo is. I also wanna know what it means. The details. This is something that represents him as a racer so I will naturally be curious about what’s on it. Not to say that so/os are shallow or anything, It’s just that we are two different kinds of fans. Our brains don’t work the same way. That’s fine. I wish people will one day accept that we all approach fandom in different ways. If you don’t like something— then ignore it.

So the conclusion here is, 85 was not an idea/logo made by the company DAINESE. Yes, they produced the gear and finalized everything. They were hired by YAMAHA to do so. However the one who drew that logo on a piece of paper is unknown.

Our best guess is Xiao Zhan. 🫶🏼

II. IMPORTANCE OF 85 TO YIBO

85 represents Yibo’s birthday, August 5. But it’s really became his “identity” when Tracer 85 was born. Even if he wasn’t racing, this number became a recurring theme & design with his endorsements. For example when he did a collab with Miniso, the goods had 85 on them.

He has moved to the “Panther” more recently but 85 and 0805 is still very much a Yibo’s thing. There are even endorsements that have 85 on the price they sell his items for ( example is Richora ).

So using 85 is not a spur of the moment thing and goes beyond his racing career.

III. OTHER SIGHTINGS ( of the logo )

Aside from the race track, the most important way the logo was incorporated was through merchandise. Whether it’s the custom phone case that only Yibo has —

or the infamous 85 cap which was repped by yinzheng. the sus part here is yibo commenting, only acknowledging the post but then yz had to reply back with : lemons grow on lemon trees, under the lemon tree there’s me. which means he is jealous and then yibo had to reply back with a series of emojis that makes things more suspicious.

sure, yinzheng can mean that he is jealous of the merch. that yibo has his own now and that the whole tracer 85 now goes beyond being a racer. but the cpf explanation to this is that he is jealous that wyb has someone that made this amazing logo for him too. it's really so cool to have your own designer at home.

a fan favorite would be this cap, released by Day Day Up in their WYB goods line back in 2020. What’s interesting is, the number of pieces available for it’s initial presale was 1005. LOL. 1005 is October 5, of course, XZ’s birthday. I think the number of pieces for a presale though not entirely up to yibo, may still be influenced by him. It could easily be 8500 pieces just to be meta but no. Why 1005? Is it a nod to the guy who made the 85 design? Plus if this logo was owned by Yamaha or Dainese, then why was it allowed to be used commercial by a completely different entity. Our answer is that it’s Yibo.

It’s curious that the cap received this special treatment, because out of all the merch sold in that line, it is the one that had the 85 logo in it’s original form. The rest had their own iteration of 85 but the cap is the closest to the “logo”. This is why a lot of fans, and CPFs specifically wanted to get it.

My favorite memory from when this line came out was the loud speculation about the logo and it’s connection to XZ. There were even talks of 🍤 buying something cause if XZ is the designer, then it’s also a XZ merch. This is the same year when 🍤 was going around SDC3 filming cause XZ was supposedly there. So yeah. This cannot be confirmed and no shrimp will ever admit but it was definitely a rumor going around that time. Looking back, that CPN was beneficial ( in a way ) to shrimps because it casts XZ in a good light. They know XZ’s capability so they can sort of agree to it. Not that we need so/o fans validating our opinions/speculations, but it’s a possible explanation to their reaction. Compared to motos who were angry with the association and insulted XZ. Implying that he isn’t capable, they can say that cause they don’t know XZ.

IV. Connection to Xiao Zhan “the designer” and candies

Turtles pointing to XZ as the designer is not only rooted in CPN, but the fact that making logos was his previous job. Even before the leaked video, it made sense to the community because after all, this is what XZ is good at. He’d done it for years in school and as a professional. There were photos of his previous work that leaked and he also talked about logo-making when he visited the bilibili office. Where he shared how frustrating it was to work with clients. More recently, in one his vlogs, we could see him explaining his thoughts on a visual logo for XZ Studio.

( video is about xz the designer, mostly talking about it during xfire / xnine days )

So his capability, closeness & familiarity with WYB at the time of the logo’s conception is key. CPFs are very familiar with how XZ makes art and logos for himself so to us it’s a rational speculation to think XZ had some influence on this.

There is another talk about Yuehua being the one who made it. They do have people who can make those right? However it was pointed out that with how they make logos for their other artists, it’s unlikely. They did claim the rights to the Panther, but the identity of the artist was left blank on the application. No one ever did claim ownership of this Logo or the Panther in public. Why wouldn’t they? It’s free promotion.

CPN Clues:

• 85 read as 28. Ai Bo + the Z.

• The Z is really my favorite clue 🥺🥺🥺🥺

• How it looks very similar to the M skateboarding logo. Which can also look like a 85.

• Some other explanation on what the 85 could mean. It’s XZ’s style to have hidden meanings aside from what you actually see.

• The minimalist design that screams XZ.

The 85 logo talk and cpn have really been in full swing when EVISU released those photos and I hope BXGs ( especially big accounts on the bird app and beyond ) will rein it in with the Xiao Zhan association. We already know how hostile the environment is so it’s best to not use his full name. It’s actually a common CPF way of doing things, not using their full names in our posts. As excited as we all were, the whole point was that tracer 85 is back, not the CPN. I know it’s tricky to find a balance with how our brains are wired, but you will learn. It should always be them as individuals first.

85 logo and all other “designer GG” is one of those CPN that is very popular and widely circulated in the bxg community — and with good reason. However, it is in no way to take away 85 from Yibo. It’s him. It is his brand and it will always be his.

This is one in a couple of “yizhan mysteries” out there that keeps the BXG flame alive 🔥. These (alleged) silent collaboration/s between them are so great because it shows how well they work together as a team.

-END.