#i adore the very few moments we have of blitz and via

[angstandhappiness]

So sweet

Ficlet: A gift 🪐✨

Stolas started suddenly from his seat on the couch when a small cardboard box was thrust into his line of sight.

He looked up to see Loona, still clad in her sleepwear, standing before him with her arm outstretched.

“Here, since you spend like eighty percent of your time in the bath.”

Her tone was a bit harsh, head and eyes cast aside as if she didn’t much care for him or what she was doing.

The first time Loona had interacted with him like this intentionally; some three days after the trial, Stolas had felt a severe wave of guilt and shame from her demeanor. Of course Loona would hate him. He had invaded her home, almost got her father killed, and had inadvertently placed himself within their lives.

Blitz, being the ever so perceptive one, noticed his mood sour that day and took him out to the patio once Loona had left for the night.

He explained that Loona took time to warm up to new people and that you had to look past her tone and facial expressions sometimes. Her body language was usually a better indicator of how she actually felt.

So now, as Stolas stared up at her, he discreetly looked to her ears, alert but casually so, and then to her tail, swishing softly back and forth. She was content, she was okay with him.

With reverence Stolas took the small box into both of his hands, ever so curious what would be in it.

He pulled the lid open to find another smaller box inside and took it out.

The color was of a galaxy. Dark blues swirling together with violets and maroons and dark greens. Sprinkled throughout were glowing white stars.

Turning the box to see the front he smiled widely.

It was a bath bomb. And not just any bath bomb but a space themed one. Loona had not just picked one at random. It was purposeful, her choice. A gift specifically chosen for him.

Stolas felt a pressure behind his eyes and tried not to let the tears fall but was completely unsuccessful.

“Thank you so much my dear…this is…this is a wonderful gift”

He saw Loonas tail move a little faster as she said, “yeah yeah. Just make sure you clean off the glitter from the tub when you’re done.”

With that she began to head back to her room but not before allowing him to see the gentle smile on her face.

Stolas held the box to his chest and wondered not for the first time how he had ended up within this wonderfully kind and caring family.

[goetialiker]

Quick Thoughts on Season 2 Episode 2

Spoilers if you haven't watched btw

Also for those unfamiliar with my blog, I'm not an anti, these are my genuine feelings on a show that is incredibly important to me.

I'm just gonna touch on a couple points rather than review everything since I'm very busy today, but I am pretty mixed on the episode which is extremely unfortunate given how I thought episode 1 was absolutely fantastic this season, and it has to do with how they treated information from previous episodes in this one.

Before we go on: love the Stolas human design. He's handsome. This is not surprising coming from a Stolas stan. Also, animation is still good. Not as good as some of the previous few episodes but it's still good!

Let's start with the bad. This very nearly completely ruined the episode for me: Stolas and Blitz. What the hell happened between now and the last episode that apparently completely wiped their relational conflict away? We are right back to episode 7 where Stolas is upset with Blitz for something but is nonetheless smitten over him. Before, that completely made sense for their characters. And you know what: if we were in a timeline where this episode happened before s1e7 I would've been fine. Yet, Stolas's anguish from last episode? Gone. Just, forgotten. We get *one* hint from last episode that doesn't even seem to fully address what happened.

"Well, he seems to like you sir!"

"Okay, my dick is good, but it is not that good, Moxxie."

Subjectively funny line, not enough to save my opinion on how they handled this. I get that Blitz and Stolas are demons who make bad decisions but even with that it just feels like there is so much discarding of previous material. I still think we're gonna have some conflict between the two, we are MORE than set up for that. This episode, however, worries me that they (Spindlehorse) are taking it way too casually, and when we reach a climax between the imp and the Goetia, we're either running into tonal whiplash or a dismissal of previous information. I'm worried, I won't lie. I don't like that tonal whiplash is the best option. I personally related to so much of what Blitz and Stolas were like with each other and if it's thrown out the window I'll be crushed. The plot here with Blitz being mistaken for a celebrity also felt weak to me. I mostly liked it for when Blitz had a crisis about Loona which I describe as a highlight below.

Next, the handling of the setting. It felt like a whirlwind of all the stereotypes I've heard of Los Angeles growing up in the Bay Area of California. It just wasn't very appealing to me comedy-wise. I don't think all the jokes landed as they usually have for me in the show. I liked Loona searching everywhere through Sinstagram and recognizing some of those landmarks I'm familiar with.

On to the good! Speaking of Loona!! Holy shit! Huge highlight for me was Octavia and Loona talking. It's clear that fans wanted this, and while it's difficult for Loona to relate to Octavia on a royal level, Loona analyzing her own relationship with Blitz to relate to Octavia was a wonderful writing decision. Using that as a way to relate to Octavia while knowing so little about what's going on was great development for both Via and Loona. Some great shots during this scene as well. Loona's adoption was heartbreaking but also good development for her and Blitz. Love the moment after the Observatory with Stolas and Via as well.

Lastly, M&M doing cute shit and Moxxie trying to be a patron of the arts is adorable. I love that gremlin. Good B (C?) plot this episode.

You can probably tell that I'm mostly disappointed with Stolitz. And yeah. That really did affect my enjoyment of the episode. I'm worried about what we're gonna see in the future. I don't plan on dropping the show *at all*, this has been a comfort show for me and I'm just rolling through these waves of disappointment. You'll absolutely catch me rb'ing shit about Loona and Octavia hanging out, they're perfect best friend material. For Stolitz, it's gonna have to prove itself to me a little better going forward.

[100percentforsure]

Taylor and Emma Take the Mara

Again, things are volatile. We fly back to the Wilson airport to board to the Masai Mara, and without time to pull out cash, are whisked on to a plane waiting for us, and I SEE RICHARD!!! The plane is full of white people with southern accents and terrible dye jobs and tourist outfits. Emma and I are unhappy. We are going to the Mara for the migration - a national park with rules, regulations, way more animals, but also, way more people. This is expected. On a layover, I leave to use the bathroom and while I am running back, Giant Richard tells me “pole pole,” and compliments my necklace from Emma I have worn. Next thing I know I am crying to him too now and we are holding hands and hugging. I want to also add Richard to my posse of African’s I want to have around me all the time. I come back to the plane, can’t find Emma, get the attendant involved ‘WHERE DID SHE GO??” and upon further investigation, find her adorably sleeping with her other necklace in hand.

We land in the Mara and it feels like we are going to war - cruisers surrounding us waiting for pick up, guides in traditional outfits, a free for all. Our next guide, Vinnie, plucks us and our baggage out of the mix, along with a few other passengers who will BE IN OUR TOUR GROUP UGGGHHHHHH and we make small talk and assert ourselves and the alpha’s of the group (or as the guides call them “The Big Boys” - in our case, girls). At one point one of the guests in our group points out a hibiscus flower and Vinnie kills the engine for us to look at it. What the fuck, Vinnie? Emma and I shoot each other glances and just know. We know. We know that even though we are staying at one of the best camps in the Mara, we are not in Kansas anymore. The kid of the group is not even acting excited, despite this being his first trip ever to Africa, and Emma and I know we are not going to be able to do this.

The camp is a glamorous tent set up, overlooking the Mara River, with crocodiles and hippos feet away from you (and that sound like they are in your room at night). There is great food and staff (Lenny and Isaac), and we pull the camp director aside regarding our cruiser mates and try our hand at the negotiations we have come to love in this country. I will save the details but at one point I let him know “The gig ... is up.” They understand and the next morning after our balloon ride, we will have Vinnie to ourselves for about 7 hours of a combination I can only describe as bliss and hell. We settle into our room, have tea and cake, I call my family who are on an early morning walk, and have a passion fruit cocktail. At 4:30, we head out on a game drive with Vinnie who is driving about 5 miles an hour, which we give him infinite shit about, and see some wildebeast, zebras, and then a LEOPARD EATING A GAZELLE IN A TREE!! (Leopards can carry 3 times their weight up trees). When we approach, it is a murder scene of only the half eaten gazelle hanging (no Leopard), and about 30 cars with lenses propped, waiting for the right moment to click the shutter. Emma puts her hair up in a gorgeous wraps and we ask Vinnie how many cows our dowry would be worth. He says 18 for me, 19 for Emma if she wears her hair like that. We celebrate. Sure enough, the cub comes bouncing up adorably and greets his mom, who has been sleeping under the tree like a lazy bum the whole time. Up he goes for his snack, and eventually the rest of the gazelle snaps in half (they eat from the soft belly meat) and lands on the ground and a HYENA comes to eat it. We miss this all because of the stupid RULES OF THE PARK and learn from a family at dinner who is very proud of themselves for seeing it.

Back at the lodge, we are met with our hot air balloon guy, Joseph to suss out plans for tomorrow’s 4am wake up call and share insider information (Emma, you know what I am talking about). At this time, Emma and I have decided the only way to deal with all the tourists is to get drunk on wine. We are eventually seated for dinner across from each other where we will clear the air with everyone who thought we might be lesbians. Myth busted! Lenny pours more wine. We sit with a progressive British family who have great stories of travel, taking a car cross country in the US and then dumping it and not allowed back in the states, and their three adorable, one especially flirtatious, boys. The youngest one is the sweetest, softest, roundest boy of all time ( “Ned”...) who I love the most and find myself just smiling at. More, immeasurable wine poured by LENNYYYYY. There is a girl there who only eats pasta and butter for the entire trip and I find myself equal parts appalled and jealous. Wine. People find out who Emma worked and the floor is now ours, which is about the same time, coincidentally we leave early because we 1. are brats 2. have slept an average 4 hours of the entire trip 3. are now blitzed and are waking up at the butt-crack of dawn 4. Don’t like anyone there to begin with.

I try to sleep to the sound of what sounds like hippos being murdered in the night and am awoken finally at 4am by our wake up call for the balloon, which is just an African man with fresh pressed coffee letting himself into our tent via the giant zipper. We find out about 4 different kind of animals trapsed through the camp that night, which we never know if it is a tall tale or not, but appreciate Isaac and his spear and flashlight nonetheless. We get in the covered cruiser with Joe, wrap ourselves in shukas, bounce around while suffering exhaustion and only the plausible negative effects of the quickly guzzled but not effective coffee. “Taylor, this might be the time.”

After an hour of torture, we get to Governers camp and a river with a string across it. “Are you guys sisters?” Emma asks if this is African’s way of tongue in cheek asking if we are gay, WHICH WE ARE SICK OF, because of course we aren’t sisters, and I guess they really just do think we are sisters. We get in a gondola and a guy pulls us across the string and it feels like we are going to the enchanted castle. We are so, so sososo tired. We walk past some camp quarters and get to the balloons, hear some rules, drink more ineffective coffee, and then realized how incredibly blessed we are because the only people we have to share a basket with are Spanish tourists. A language barrier. No small talk. Just us, our Australian captain, our hot air balloon, and 14 pleasant strangers. We find out there is going to be a crash landing which we did not know about, and watch the balloons heat up and expand. It is so beautiful. The men in jumpsuits, the anticipation of the flight, the contrast of their darkness with the fire behind them. In a row, the balloons one after another heat up, expand, fill with people, and take off. And then it is our turn. With a translator talking all the while, we tuck into our basket and take off. We are lucky to be able to witness one more balloon after us, see it from above and become smaller as we drift away, the sheer size of it minimizing in seconds. It is so overwhelming, and of course I am crying.

For the ride, you are a bird. Everything is quiet, it is peaceful, and you are perfectly focused soaking up every single single second of the miracle that you are somehow in the sky. You go as high or as low as you want.  Everywhere you look is beautiful. The colors of the balloon, the fire, the morning light on the skin of happy people’s faces, the trees and animals below. We don’t see trees like that ever. Ever! And then the basket gently spins. You get different views and perspectives and then the sun is rising and you cannot believe how lucky you are and what you did right in this life or another to have an opportunity to experience this, ever. You are so thankful.

We see wide open plains, forests, the Mara River. We see hippos (who make natural sunscreen), plains game, crocodiles, giraffes. We realize the last balloon to leave has somehow passed us, we realize that we are going both higher and lower than all the other balloons. We realize we scored the best captain with the tenure to do these maneuvers and also is keeping us in the sky the longest. We love him.

It’s time to land. The basket scoots a couple times on the ground and then tips, we are howling all the while. We find out later there have been plenty of animal encounters during this portion of the flight - one of them requiring all passengers to get back in the basket and take off again (lion!). We are gathered by Joe and head to an open plains breakfast with champagne and sausage and crepes, hear incredible stories from our captain, and get sold on a rhino encounter GUARANTEE FOR THE DAY. We don’t see a rhino, because the rhino runs into the forest. We will make Vinnie take us to see baby elephants basically the entire day instead.

Okay so breakfast is over and Vinnie shows up alone, (TG for Rekero staff), but the joke is on us because Vinnie takes us around the entire fucking national park for the next 8 hours with no breaks. Again, most of it is us pointing to baby elephants, but still, it is extremely tiring. We crawl up into the front seat, trying desperately to recreate a semblance of what we had with the boys, but just can’t seem to spark a flame. I crawl into the back seat as I can feel my energy tapping out; Emma knows exactly what is happening and lets me be me, and explains to Vinnie what I need. He takes us to some wide open spaces that I will always be thankful for - in the delusion of exhaustion and clarity that comes with complete surrender, I realize feeling this small and fabulously insignificant in this world, that my problems don’t matter, and that I am a very small piece of this great big puzzle that has so much more than my problems - is exactly what I have been looking for. It’s breathing space. It’s one of my favorite moments.

We get back to the camp at 3. They have saved us dinner. We are dragging. Dragging in new ways. We can’t even speak English anymore, formulate a thought, we can’t ask for what we want. Emma drinks regular water so you know she’s on deaths doorstep. I leave to the bathroom and miss the migration. Emma can feel her legs start to go and says “Taylor, if I were to fall right now, I would cry. Almost anything, at all, right now will make me cry.” We eat, we decide we are NOT going on the game drive, and nap instead.

Upon our wake up, we hunt down Lenny. Lenny is our age, very thin, has a doll like face, and is from the same tribe as Isaac. HE IS FUNNY. He tells us about the drinks, (“A croc... on the rocks....”), we make fun of how he always says my name (imagine I am getting in trouble, like “Taaaaaayyyllooooorrrrr.....!”), and tell him to meet us in the hideaway reading tent so we can get the juice. We also do ask for a croc on the rocs which is basically a White Russian with Amurulo. While he is there we start to get PERSONAL. What do you like to do, why this, why that, why do you have these scars. Lenny has these three little scars on each of side of the bridge of his nose, so faint you can barely even see them. I think they are fabulous. He tells us when he was little, he cried a lot. Maasai believe the cuts there, will make you stop crying. Vinnie confirms later its because your SALTY TEARS pour into the OPEN WOUND and it hurts so bad that you STOP CRYING. We are shocked. The Maasai are so tough its ridiculous. We count the burn scars on his legs and arms (toughening), and realize Lenny is pretty unbelievable. He tries to talk to us about soccer but we don’t care. We ask him why he is Maasai but doesnt have a “J name” but find out his name has been Jalenny, not Lenny, this whole fucking time. He points to his bracelet as proof. It says “J-A-L-E-N-N-Y”) He tries to give me said bracelet but it snaps when while he is removing it and then we just have to look at each other, wincing while beads roll off into every direction into the jungle.

Paul comes in to help set the table and we notice he has a very, very cool beaded belt with alternating Kenyan and American flags. “I got this when Barack Obama was president.” The manager comes in, we agree to a sundowner, and some outspoken, uninvited person tags along who is getting on my nerves and I say I have to go get a sweater and just leave. I will find my melted croc on the rocks there, hours later. Emma comes in after getting off the phone and is now trapped, which was incredibly poor form as far as friendship goes on my part.

We have our last dinner, which Vinnie comes out for (”Vinne... do you.... like to play video games...??”) and we sleep well and wake up for out last game drive, see some cheetahs and a “big boy” lion that walks behind our car, and have a beautiful last meal outside. We run back to the camp to hug everyone goodbye, but mostly Jalenny, and make our flight to the Island of Lamu.

[devils-gatemedia]

It takes something a bit special to tempt us out from our rural idyll in Devon to the hustle and bustle of London, but when we heard that the closest Nothing More were coming to the South West was Dingwalls in Camden, we had no hesitation in making the trip to see them. We first came across the Texans at Download 2014, when they appeared half way down the bill on the smallest stage. They were one of those “Nobody else we want to see, let’s see what these guys are like” bands that you encounter at a festival. Unlike most of those, they blew us (and the ever-growing crowd) away with a set full of energy and innovation. After the set, we chatted to them as they signed autographs, still dripping with sweat, and added them to our list of bands to look out for in the future. Three years later, we have seen them twice more, supporting the likes of Shinedown and Halestorm. This brief visit to the UK shows that the promise we saw in them has been more than realised, as they arrive on the back of three Grammy nominations, and having provided the background music to the trailer for a Hollywood blockbuster (the new Planet Of The Apes film).  I will admit to just a little bit of a “thing” for vocalist Jonny Hawkins, and the evening started rather well when we encountered him just outside the venue and received a smiley “Hi” which I returned in an embarrassingly fan girl fashion. 

Even though we were close to the front of the queue, the tardy door opening meant that the first band, Psycho Village, came on stage to a small crowd, when they could have started with a full auditorium. The Austrian band features vocalist Daniel Kremsner supported by what are described as a “touring band”, and have a surprisingly mature stage set up of two video screens streaming lyrics, statements, and video, as they power through a brief set that shows great potential for such a young project. Songs like “Without You”, “It’s Okay” (sung from the now far larger crowd), “Can’t You See?”, and massive set closer “Half Caste Symphony” all generate warmth in the chilly crowd. They certainly raise the energy levels several notches as Kremsner and his band deliver a set that hints at a bright future.

Sandwiched between Psycho Village and the headliners, we were treated to the bludgeon of Londoners, In Search of Sun. I wasn’t prepared for quite such a blitz of sound and power (In Search of Sun sounding like a laid back Caribbean vibe!) Opening with “Mega Piranha”, they took no prisoners. A blur of action, they ripped the small stage up, and already the front rows of the crowd were dripping sweat as they were carried along. There is an intriguing funk to their sound as well as power. A musical complexity rather than pure power. Vocalist Adam Leader leads them through some crackers. “Say It Like You See It” had the ‘tog up at the side of the stage nodding along, “Elevation” ramped the funk up another notch with some complex rhythm from drummer Sean Gorman, and the climax of “Bad Girl” brought all the elements of the set together, thanks to guitarists Rory Kay and David Mena Ferrer and bassist Faz Couri flowing through a beauty of shade, power and melody. Take a listen to their recent album “Virgin Funk Mother”, and see what you think. 

Finally, the road crew brought up onto the stage an almost steampunk apparatus of a pair of floor toms, on to which is bracketed a contraption of Gigeresque complexity. The lights go down and we are catapulted into the headline set by the sight of Jonny Hawkins, stripped to the waist and barefoot, pummelling the living daylights out of that second drum kit as the band power into “Christ Copyright”. It’s an astonishing opening to a set. From 0-60 in a blink. The crowd are going bat-shit crazy, and Jonny is soon stood on the drums or pressing to the very edge of the tiny cramped stage against a sea of adoring arms. “Let ‘em Burn” with Jonny’s scream of “Everybody”, and “Mr MTV” with a huge bass line from Daniel Oliver follow on before the crowd has a chance to draw breath. It’s clear this is something special. An “I was there” moment. A gig that’s honestly going to live in the memory for a long time. 

It’s back to the new album for “Don’t Stop”, and Jonny screaming the lyric “Like a shotgun in a fist fight”. The sophistication of the song writing is made gloriously clear in this track, as it moves from screams, to soft vocals, harmonies to clear lead lines, simple rhythms to levels of complexity, courtesy of drummer Ben Anderson. “Don’t Stop” leads into another of the unique elements of a Nothing More show, as Oliver straps his bass into the “Bassinator” and the band play a bass solo. That’s right, the band play a bass solo as Oliver and guitarist Mark Vollelunga both attack the same bass, quickly followed by Hawkins, who beats out a rhythm on the strings with a set of drumsticks. It’s far and away the most visual bass solo I have ever seen, and ends with the bass scything around in a vortex of feedback. “Go To War” has bought Nothing More to a much bigger audience, following it’s exposure via the Planet Of The Apes trailer, and helped them top the mainstream rock chart in the US. It’s a song of light and shade. Jonny’s soft vocal introduction to each verse being ripped to shreds by the huge hook of a chorus. 

A total change of atmosphere follows with the acoustic “Just Say When”. If you want to sample the increasing maturity of their song writing, this is a great way to do so. It’s a sad lament, but tuneful all the same. “Do you Really Want It?” rips us back into the world of sweat and energy with another huge chorus, followed once again by a lull as a melange of “I’ll Be OK” and “Here’s To The Heartache” slow the tempo down and once again, showcasing the sheer depth of song writing talent. In terms of lyrical meaning, few songs are as powerful as “Jenny”, which is a modern classic if ever there was one, and it sends the crowd into yet another surge of energy. The energy generated by the crowd must now be powering half of Camden Market!

The songs to finish the set are “Ocean Floor”, “This Is The Time”, and “Skrillrex”, and  we are treated to a cut down version of the Scorpion. An extraordinary sight even in its reduced form (it would decapitate the front row in its full form), it is a twisted, metal apparatus, designed and fabricated by Oliver in his garage, that enables Hawkins to play with a wild variety of feedback and howling sonic effects. He then announces that they won’t be doing an encore. They believe the idea of leaving the stage just to come back on is false, and so they will just play their last song with every ounce of energy they have left in their bodies; and so they do! The set closer is another stunning piece of Nothing More theatre, as a drum is set up either side of the stage and all four band members hammer out “Salem”, before we get the insane choreography of Hawkins playing drums in front of and to both sides of him as they are tossed and turned in the air. 

As always, following this set of draining intensity, the band are pretty much straight out to meet the fans, and after one last lingering gaze at my crush, we are off out into the night, heading to a sleepless night due to the adrenaline still coursing through our veins. Jonny announced during the evening that they would be back in the summer for a longer tour. If you haven’t encountered Nothing More, do yourself a favour. They are going to be huge. It’s taken a long time to get where they are, but there is no sign of them stopping. Get yourself to see them the next time they are here, and if you see a small blonde looking longingly at Jonny’s chiselled torso, come up and thank me for turning you on to what could turn out to be one of the biggest bands on the planet. 

Review: Danielle Kemp

Images: Rob Wilkins

    Live Review – Nothing More – Dingwalls, London It takes something a bit special to tempt us out from our rural idyll in Devon to the hustle and bustle of London, but when we heard that the closest Nothing More were coming to the South West was Dingwalls in Camden, we had no hesitation in making the trip to see them. 

[impsandstars]

Ficlet: A gift 🪐✨

Stolas started suddenly from his seat on the couch when a small cardboard box was thrust into his line of sight.

He looked up to see Loona, still clad in her sleepwear, standing before him with her arm outstretched.

“Here, since you spend like eighty percent of your time in the bath.”

Her tone was a bit harsh, head and eyes cast aside as if she didn’t much care for him or what she was doing.

The first time Loona had interacted with him like this intentionally; some three days after the trial, Stolas had felt a severe wave of guilt and shame from her demeanor. Of course Loona would hate him. He had invaded her home, almost got her father killed, and had inadvertently placed himself within their lives.

Blitz, being the ever so perceptive one, noticed his mood sour that day and took him out to the patio once Loona had left for the night.

He explained that Loona took time to warm up to new people and that you had to look past her tone and facial expressions sometimes. Her body language was usually a better indicator of how she actually felt.

So now, as Stolas stared up at her, he discreetly looked to her ears, alert but casually so, and then to her tail, swishing softly back and forth. She was content, she was okay with him.

With reverence Stolas took the small box into both of his hands, ever so curious what would be in it.

He pulled the lid open to find another smaller box inside and took it out.

The color was of a galaxy. Dark blues swirling together with violets and maroons and dark greens. Sprinkled throughout were glowing white stars.

Turning the box to see the front he smiled widely.

It was a bath bomb. And not just any bath bomb but a space themed one. Loona had not just picked one at random. It was purposeful, her choice. A gift specifically chosen for him.

Stolas felt a pressure behind his eyes and tried not to let the tears fall but was completely unsuccessful.

“Thank you so much my dear…this is…this is a wonderful gift”

He saw Loonas tail move a little faster as she said, “yeah yeah. Just make sure you clean off the glitter from the tub when you’re done.”

With that she began to head back to her room but not before allowing him to see the gentle smile on her face.

Stolas held the box to his chest and wondered not for the first time how he had ended up within this wonderfully kind and caring family.