#inspired by a whole bunch of posts this is like a whole genre

[aprofessionalwithoutstandards]

What if Demo was the sexually inexperienced one and Sniper was the slutty one. What if Sniper was the polyamorous one and Spy was the monogamous one. What if Heavy fucked his entire team just as much as Medic did. What if Scout topped. I can show you a beautiful world just take my hand.

[syrena-del-mar]

Dead Friend Forever Is More Than Just A 90s Slasher Film Imitation

Oh man, I went in thinking I would just get a whole lot of gore and murder, and instead I'm getting a buttload of social class distinction, parental issues, mental health crises, organized crime, and a highly-likely revenge plot line.

The thing about Dead Friend Forever is that it starts unassuming, almost like an copy of all other teen slashers from the 90s. A group of friends, up in a cabin and suspects to a potential murder, become hunted one-by-one. A cliche slasher plot if I ever heard one. Until it’s not. This show is taking up a very big corner of my brain, so I’m going to delve deeper into it.

If you haven't watched episode 6 yet, spoilers up ahead.

Pulling inspiration from 90s slasher re-inventor, Scream

The first four episodes really set up the expectation that DFF was going to be another slasher, seemingly particularly influenced by Scream (1996). Scream was a turning point for slasher movies, signaling a shift in from the movies of the 80s to that of the 90s. It was the first of many movies to allow for the characters to be self-aware of what genre they're working in, where the characters knew of the slasher-movie tropes and attempted to do everything right to survive. Scream is also the first slasher to truly humanize the killers, and I don't mean by making them empathetic, but rather the killers were human, so they made human mistakes. Prior to Scream, the antagonists in slasher films were usually this supernatural villain that was just murder-hungry. But in Scream, the killers are all just regular people and would often make mistakes on their way to kill the protagonists, like a normal human would. It's why Scream was scary, the killer could be anyone, it wasn't this supernatural being. And even when you're making the right choices to escape, you still end up dead.

In Dead Friend Forever, we're getting so many of the same tropes that Scream had subverted. The group is working understanding exactly what they're facing; Fluke warning to not pull out the stake inside Por, Top wanting to split up in the temple while Phee, Jin and Tan veto against it expressly stating it would be like the horror movies, White not wanting to be left behind in the cabin. They all know what they shouldn't be doing while there is a killer on the loose. Also, it's why there's these funny little moments of the killer in DFF (i.e. having to steal the motorcycle to get back to the cabin). I'm not completely convinced that there isn't any paranormal activity or at least some type hallucinogen-component at play, but the way the killer acts is very human-like. Not to mention the parallel of Barcode (arguably the most popular actor in the show) getting slashed in the first minute of the show, eerily similar to how in the opening scene of Scream, Drew Barrymore (the most well-known of the cast) gets killed immediately.

The Benefits of Series Format versus Movie Format

The series format is where I think Dead Friend Forever is really shining the most. @wen-kexing-apologist made an awesome post on the directorial direction this show is taking, particularly in how since the first four episodes we have very little context as to why the killings are occurring or even the state of everyone's relationship, we're freely able to form opinions on each character. Similarly, prior to getting to know what happened to Non, I also thought Tee was the better one of the group. But here we are, two episodes later and I find him to be the most detestable of the bunch (which says something, when Por and Top are competing in this category).

We're seeing and experiencing the absolute hell that this friend group had actively made (sans Jin and Fluke that suffer from the bystander effect) Non's life out to be. In a regular slasher movie, especially ones that model themselves after Scream, we find out why the Killer is doing what he's doing to the victims in the last quarter of the movie, but the emotional value is a little skewed. The little amount of time we spend learning about what the victims did to the Killer usually still leaves you feeling at least a smidge of pity for the victims and some joy that the Final Girl made it. Here, the mass consensus is that each and every one of them should die.

And it comes back to the luxury of spending several episodes in a flashback to what lead up to the killings after the game of cat-and-mouse has begun. We're introduced to Non as an outsider, where everyone, but Jin, has already formed a bad opinion of Non. They already have a brutal nickname for him (read @forkaround's awesome analysis on the term 'Greasy'). They already established that he's an outsider in the classroom, but they make an active point of only referring to him as 'Greasy' and Non just accepts it. We see the friend group frame him, causing him to spiral twice to point of suicide, proceed to prey on him into a money laundering scheme, get him caught in a criminal investigation, all while already undergoing mental health treatment. We're given that time to know and see the pain that Non is caused, the manipulation that he is put under, and ultimately the devastation that they've caused.

Dead Friends Forever is more than just another teen slasher, because it has time. And it's using its time wisely, giving us bits and pieces of information in the beginning before delving into something more sinister than the killer on the loose, the original five. Run-of-the-mill bullying has turned into framing, assault and other criminal activity, even murder. And yet, while Non is the one that has disappeared (or died), the other five have been able to make a life for themselves without suffering any of the consequences. It's showing exactly what they have done to deserve everything that is coming to them.

Final Thoughts

Man, Be on Cloud is truly blowing it out of the water with this show. I'm actually a bit sad that it's only barely starting to get the recognition that it deserves, because in my opinion, it's just that good, BUT I also understand why it's had a sleepy start. It's in an place, a BL in one sense, but not exactly a BL in any other. I've said it before, but no matter what you think of BOC as a management company, the stories that they tell are unique and they have the artists that are competent enough to deliver. Be on Cloud has, allegedly, allowed the writers take the reign on the show, even if this means messing with the couples, so even more chaos is going to occur. This is, frankly, exciting to see and experience the story as they want it to be told.

I said this when I first saw Barcode in KinnPorsche deliver that heartbreaking cry, that boy knows how to cry. He was a newbie and his stole that scene. Now this is his third show under his belt and his acting chops only continue to improve, I truly can't wait to see what more he is able to do here in Dead Friend Forever. I love that Sammon is also enjoying what Barcode has able to bring forth in Non and that all her worries have been eased. I truly think that Barcode is going to have an incredible career ahead of him, whether in music or in acting.

Ta, on the other hand, also deserves his share of accolades. I wasn't sure of how to read to Phee in the first four episodes, but with the information that episode 6 has given us? The picture has cleared significantly and now, having rewatched his scenes, everything makes sense on why he seemed to be conniving. Episode 6 had some of the strongest performances and yet the biggest gasp I made was in the last minute. The singular tear rolling down Phee's cheek after having to perform the two-finger method, to have Non throw up the pills, and holding him in his arms? Quite literally jaw-dropping.

Sammon has a strong repertoire of shows, so I have complete faith that she knows what she's doing for Dead Friend Forever. I hope this becomes as much of a cult favorite, much like Manner of Death and Triage.

Anyways if you need me, I'll probably be stuck thinking about PheeNon for the next week until episode 7 airs.

[flurrys-creativity]

Monster under the bed

Pairing: Jung Wooyoung (Ateez) x Fem!Reader; Genre: Fantasy, Supernatural, SMUT, PWP; Rating: nsfw, 18+, MDNI; Warnings: Monster!Wooyoung, invisibility -> able to use it like the Cheshire cat, body morphing, glowing eyes, smut -> consensual sex, tentacles, teasing, edging, slight breast play, pinning down, praise kink, unprotected sex; Wordcount: 1.761

Summary: Late at night you decide to do release your body from some tension. Being in the middle of a session you suddenly get joined by something or someone else.

A/N: This is another collab deal thingy with @sanjoongie She'll post a similar story with reversed roles some day too! Also thanks for @daemour for helping with inspiration and big shout out to @potatomountain for keeping me motivated with a bunch of Wooyoung pics!

Every person had an assigned monster under their bed - no matter how old they were. That monster feasted on human emotions at night. While most of them used fear or joy to consume, Wooyoung had discovered another possibility: desire.

He got his cue when he heard the first moan. Wooyoung stretched his limbs, using his ability to turn invisible and silently crawled out from under the bed. He licked his lips upon seeing your form on the mattress.

Wooyoung always waited to interact until you were too deep in your pleasure filled state of mind to actually realise there was something not human inside the room with you.

You had kicked the blanket away, knowing you’d feel way too hot with it. Your back arched already as you played with your nub underneath your panties. You had your eyes closed and kneaded your breast with your free hand above your shirt. 

Wooyoung watched you for a while, getting drunk on your soft moans and whimpers. You truly didn’t have to do much to get him painfully hard. He just had to wait a little longer to ask for your consent in a whisper.

Even though he did that, he usually didn’t reveal his name. Which meant Wooyoung wouldn’t hear you moan it. Tonight he felt mischievous though and might switch it up.

With his ability to change his physical form, Wooyoung transformed his left hand into several tentacles. He let them glide over your naked ankle, creating the first shivers running through your whole body. “I can help you”, Wooyoung whispered.

You gasped, hearing the ghost of a voice or maybe a mere fraction of your own mind playing with you. The voice was melodic yet teasing, followed by a low chuckle. How could your imagination create the perfect voice for your fantasies? 

“Do you want me to help you?” The voice brushed over your skin, making you writhe in excitement already. 

“Yes, please.”

Wooyoung chuckled again, letting the tentacles slither further up your leg and past your panties to get underneath your shirt. He grinned devilishly, relishing in your soft whimpers. 

You arched your back. The feeling of dozens of little suction cubs sucking along your skin from your chest had your toes curling and mouth dropping open.

“Do you want me to do more?”

The groan that came out of your throat felt foreign but right nonetheless. “Gosh, yes! I need more!”

Wooyoung sat down on the mattress next to you. “How about you’ll get rid of that shirt of yours, my sweet little human.” He silently watched how you hurriedly grabbed the hem of your shirt and pulled it over your head.

You were about to grab your panties too, wanting to slide them off as well but something wrapped around your wrists and pinned your hands above your head. 

“Nah-ah-ah, sweet little human. I didn’t tell you to do that.” Wooyoung laughed quietly, his eyes shining with mirth. Especially when he heard your whining. Wooyoung held both your hands down on the mattress with his own hand and let the transformed one wander across your body.

He hooked the tentacles on the panties, pulling them slightly to tease you even more. He watched you squirm and wriggle your hips, desperately begging him to do more. Wooyoung let go of the panties and the elastic snapped back against your skin.

You softly yelped every time the elastic hit your skin, the pain combined with the pleasure filling your brain. The tingles spread through your body and pooled at your lower regions. You wanted to cum so badly.

Finally Wooyoung pulled the panties off, immediately rubbing along your folds as well. He bit down on his lower lip as he felt the slick covering his skin from where he touched your entrance. “You’re so needy, aren’t you? Do you want me inside of you? Do you want me to help you release the tension building inside of you?”

You moaned with every hushed word, agreeing with all of it and nodding desperately. “Please, need you! Need you inside!” You moved your legs further apart, being even more inviting.

Wooyoung pushed himself up, settling between your legs and grinning like a Cheshire cat. He eyed your form, wanting to hear his name from your lips. Without a second thought Wooyoung leaned down, his lips brushing along the shell of your ear. “If you want it that badly, beg for Wooyoung, my sweet little human.”

“Please, Wooyoung! Please, I need you! I need you inside of me!” By now you just followed what the whispers told you, not questioning a word as long as it meant you’d get to your release. Yet, you didn’t dare to open your eyes, afraid everything would vanish the moment you did.

Wooyoung groaned as he pushed inside of you, pressing his face into the crook of your neck. He inhaled deeply, feeding on the desire and pleasure you felt. 

You moaned and your fingers cramped up, unable to grab anything as they were still pinned above your head. “Wooyoung”, you whimpered, feeling a weight on top of you that moved along the thrusts into you. “Please.”

Wooyoung transformed the tentacles back into a hand, only elongating his nails like claws. He trailed them along your body, loving the way it created a pattern of red lines along your skin. He wanted you to see his work of art. “Open your eyes.”

Your breath caught inside your lungs and fear grabbed your heart.

“Be a good little human”, Wooyoung teased and stopped moving his hips all together. 

You wanted to be good, you wanted to be praised some more but your fear, it would all be gone in an instant when you opened your eyes, had you in a tight grip. Tight enough to momentarily forget the pleasure inside of you. 

“Don’t you want to cum? Open your eyes and I’ll make you cum.”

You inhaled shakily but nodded just as eager as all your responses before. At first your eyelids only fluttered a little, not opening your eyes that much. Your heartbeat sped up - even more so when you still felt something inside of you.

“Come one, little human”, Wooyoung chuckled, “I need more than that.” His grin widened even more. The fear mixed with your raging desire made him almost delirious. And he only wanted to increase all of that.

So when you opened your eyes, you only saw a glowing pair of eyes and a wide grin floating above your body. You gasped and blinked rapidly before your eyes jumped from one point to another - from the red lines on your skin to the glowing eyes to your spread legs and open folds to the grin and finally back to the eyes. “Wooyoung?”, you finally breathed out, watching how the grin got even wider than before.

“The one and only”, he chuckled before getting serious, his grin vanishing into thin air. “Do you still want to cum with my help?”

You swallowed harshly, your mouth had suddenly gone dry. All of this felt surreal and part of your mind told you to freak out but you stayed perfectly still. 

Wooyoung didn’t move either, his glowing eyes imploring yours and waiting for any kind of response from your side. He let go of your wrists and placed his hands next to your waist on the mattress.

He was about to pull out of you when you moved again. Your hand hit against his body as you simultaneously yelled out no. 

Wooyoung chuckled and shook his head, grabbing your hand and placing it on his shoulder. “That’s where you wanted to go, right my sweet little human?”

“Yes”, you breathed out. You carefully moved your hand along his shoulder and down his arm, feeling his toned muscles. “I want to cum with you.”

The cheeky grin returned. “With me, huh?”

You felt the heat spreading through your whole body and wanted to cover yourself but Wooyoung grabbed your hands and held them in place again - one pressed on the mattress next to your head and the other on his shoulder. You couldn’t see how he was doing it, only feeling it.

Wooyoung narrowed his eyes. “Never hide from me, my sweet little human. I want to see all of you.” With that Wooyoung started to move his hips again.

You moved your fingers to the nape of his neck, carding them through his hair and grabbing on to the strands when his thrusts became harder and harder. You heard him hiss and felt his face press into the crook of your shoulder.

You arched your back, moaning heavily from the pleasure. “Please, oh please. Fuck, Wooyoung!”

“I could give you more. Do you want more?”

“Uh-huh.”

Wooyoung snickered: “Great choice, my little human.” 

You gasped when you felt the shift inside of you, felt how his dick expanded and changed texture, rubbing along your walls in a whole new way. “Fuck!” A word you started to chant over and over again, while the tension built up inside of you.

“That’s it, my sweet little human, that’s it. You’re doing so good for me! You can do it. Cum for me!”

You came with a scream tearing through your throat. Your vision turned completely white for a moment, dark specks showing up on the edge of your view. 

Once your vision returned you saw complete darkness - no cheeky grin, no glowing eyes. “Wooyoung?” Your voice was barely above a whisper as you pushed yourself up, hoping to see him somewhere.

“Was it not enough?”

You heard his voice but struggled to pinpoint his location. Before you could ask though, you felt a hand cupping your cheek. 

“My sweet little human”, he purred, rubbing his thumb over your skin.

You closed your eyes and leaned into his touch, knowing farewell that his tone of voice meant goodbye. “Will you be back?”

He chuckled softly. “I’m your monster under the bed. I could be here every night for the rest of your life.” Wooyoung licked his lips, tasting the spike of your emotions. “So you like that idea, huh?” He moved his hand to the back of your neck and wrapped his fingers around there, pulling you closer until his lips brushed over yours. 

“I do”, you exhaled against his lips, unconsciously chasing the warmth.

“You’re such a good little human for me”, he grinned and closed the gap between you for the final kiss, even nipping at your lower lip in the process. “Until we meet again.”

© all rights reserved

Taglist: @xavi-in-kpopland​ @songsoomin​ 

[anthurak]

One thing that always feels so funny for me when it comes to the Rosebird Parents Theory isn’t when people simply disagree with the theory, but rather people apparently seeing the prospect of a ‘Raven is Ruby’s real father’ reveal to be this totally unthinkable thing and how could anyone ever think this could happen?!

Because once you get past the whole ‘two ladies making a baby’ hurtle, Raven being Ruby’s dad really fits into so many well-known fantasy/sci-fi tropes. Many of which RWBY notably has not done yet, or have already been tied to Raven herself.

I mean, the mysterious villainous and/or anti-heroic loner with ties to the family pulling an ‘I am your Father’ reveal on the protagonist? That’s a fucking CLASSIC. Hell, let’s consider a few things about Raven:

Big, intimidating helmet.

Clear Samurai inspiration.

Wields a katana-like sword that technically has an energy blade (dust=energy) which is generally RED-colored.

Possesses mysterious and terrible over-worldly powers.

Has a mysterious past tied to our protagonist’(s) family.

Was probably in love with our protagonist’s (apparently) dead mother.

Yeah I’d say Raven makes for a pretty good Darth Vader-expy.*

Beyond that specific case, we’ve already seen the story connect Raven to a BUNCH of ‘mysterious and angsty deadbeat dad who left their kid for unclear reasons’ tropes when it comes to Yang. Why not have those apply to Ruby as well? People have been clamoring for years about wanting to see Summer’s narrative dynamic with Yang explored as much as the one she has with Ruby, so why not have the reverse be true with Raven and Ruby as well?

After all, it seems that the story has now given Ruby a reason to seek Raven for answers just as Yang once did.

And as I’ve noted in previous Rosebird Parents posts, No I don’t believe Raven also being Ruby’s deadbeat dad would be somehow ‘redundant’. Particularly because the context is completely different: Yang has known that Raven is her birth-mother for most of her life, whereas Ruby would only just now be finding out that Raven is her birth-father. Far from being redundant, this would allow the story to explore two very different responses of kids to an absent parent: One who has had to live with the knowledge of that absent parent for years, and one who hasn’t and has to deal with this NEW information suddenly getting dropped on her.

Plus, as I alluded to earlier, it’s rather notable that RWBY hasn’t done some big ‘dramatic parent reveal’, given how much of a staple it is to the genre. And given how reimagining, twisting and flipping classic and well-worn fairytale/folklore/fantasy tropes (often via playing with gender-roles) is basically RWBY’s bread and butter at this point, I’d say giving the series heroine an ‘I am your father’ reveal from a woman would fit PERFECTLY in this series.

And if you’re going to ask ‘but how do two ladies make baby?!?’,

Raven can be intersex. Boom. Done.

Alternatively, magic.

As an aside, yes Summer being trans is a perfectly viable alternative. I just think logistically speaking, Raven being intersex and being Ruby’s ‘father’ makes a dramatic reveal a bit more streamlined. Also, the idea of Raven managing to be BOTH a deadbeat mom AND a deadbeat dad is just too funny XD

*Of course, this comparison gets even more fun when we consider Summer having her own Vader-parallels, ie; Summer almost certainly being taken by Salem and given what we can probably assume to be a Vader-esque makeover via grimm-hybridization in setup for a big reveal. So when we combine this with Raven, I think we can view what happened on their last mission as ‘What if Padme/Obi-wan got turned into Vader INSTEAD of Anakin?’ Like Raven in the present is basically Anakin doing Obi-wan’s traumatized hermit shtick, except all angry and edgy because it’s still Anakin.

[sailoryooons]

Lights | Episode 0 | jjk (m)

❀ Pairing: Idol!Jungkook x Producer! F. reader

❀ Summary: Meeting Jungkook was a chance of fate. A moment frozen in time, eyes meeting across a room full of lights. The more the two of you advance in your career, the more lost in the lights you become. What if you never find your way back?

❀ Word Count: 583

❀ Genre: Heavy angst, Idolverse, strangers to lovers, eventual smut

❀ Rating: 18+ Minors are strictly prohibited from engaging and reading this content. It contains explicit content and any minors discovered reading or engaging with this work will be blocked immediately. 

❀ Warnings: Nothing really in this chapter, vague references to being a kid growing up in a competitive environment, reader being a little poetic about her childhood.

❀ Published: September 28, 2023

❀ A/N: Hola, in honor of 3D I decided to post the prologue of this thing I have been working on while on hiatus as a cool project to inspire myself to write again. I have no idea what I’m doing, but I am writing this story as though it were sort of a ... famous person tells all. 98% of the story will be in the present tense and we read it as if it's happening, with small interludes of present-day where reader is reflecting on her life in an interview with Namjoon. I have no idea if I will stick with it, so please be patient and let me write this at whatever pace works best for me. And remember - there are going to be very dark parts of this series, and Jungkook and reader both are going to have very ugly moments. If that’s not your cup of tea and you do not like to see characters epically fail and sometimes reveal the ugly parts of themselves, this fic is not for you. 

❀ Disclaimer: All members of BTS are faces and name claims for this story. This is entirely a work of fiction and by no means is meant to be a projection, judgment, or representation of real-life people. Any scenarios or representations of the people and places mentioned in works are not representative of real-life scenarios. This series in no way attempts to paint a realistic depiction of idols, or the industry, or draw comparisons. None of the scenes or elements in this series in any way reflect how I perceive the music industry and do not represent any opinions as a whole. This is not intellectual commentary, it is just straight-up fiction. 

Series Masterlist | Masterlist | Ask | Lights Playlist | Tag Lists | Next Episode |

“In omnia paratus. Ready for anything,” you scoff, shaking your head. “Seems like a pretty big ideal for a teenager. You have to understand, we all felt that way. A bunch of kids working for the same dream, ready to push, shove, claw our way to it.” 

Namjoon adjusts his glasses and nods. His long legs are crossed at the ankle as he leans back in his seat, the perfect picture of poise. His glasses are low on his nose and he’s dressed in a warm cardigan today to fight off the chill of Autumn. 

“Was it really competitive?” he prompts, fingers laced together. “What was that like?”

“It’s hard to say. I viewed it through the lens of a kid at the time. I guess to me it would have felt like a game - be better than everyone else, get a reward.”

“And now, through the lens of an adult.”

You heave a sigh and blow out air. You're in the comfort of your home up in the hills, a fireplace crackling to your left. The production crew thankfully didn’t fuss with your living room too much. It was perfect the way it was, muted tones and lived in, not some minimal, sterile space like Seokjin might have or the maximalist terror of Taehyung’s estate. 

“Now,” you venture, slowly stringing the words together. “I think it was where I learned to take no prisoners and to do whatever I had to do to win. Being that close to your dream, and meeting the legends you want to imitate while living in constant fear it might be taken away… it creates a feral desire in you. Feeds the monster inside the kid that has just started to wake up.”

“Would you say that’s where the hardship began?”

You shake your head. “Not the kind that we’re here to talk about. It wasn’t like - I wasn’t a child star, you know? I was still relatively normal. It was school and working on dancing and singing and all of these things because I wanted to produce music and it was hard, but it wasn’t… It wasn't cruel. It wasn’t dark.” 

“When would you say is when it first really started to turn for you?” Namjoon asks, leaning forward a bit. “The first moment you can remember that you might have taken that first step towards everything.”

“In omnia paratus,” you murmur again. You think about that night, gaze unfocused. You no longer see Namjoon, but rather a shock of shaggy, black hair, doe eyes filled with promise, and an arm full of tattoos. “Ready for anything but Jungkook, apparently.” 

Namjoon raises his brows. “So the night you met Jungkook?”

“In nihil paratus. I was ready for nothing, least of all the likes of fucking Jeon. That was the first night my management ever asked me to do something extreme. So I did.” 

“Tell me about that night, then.” 

You remember it so well. You’re not sure how out of all the memories, this one seems so preserved. Crystal clear and sharp at the edges. You remember the tight, white shirt Jungkook was wearing, tucked into dark jeans paired with boots. His tattoos were stark against his shirt and his hair was wavy, a little damp with sweat. 

Jungkook had looked at you from across the event floor, an ocean swimming with swaying bodies and flashing lights, cryogenic fog hanging in the air. You’d just walked in, careful not to trip in your stilettos as you walked down the steps. Nervous. Near cracking under pressure.

And then you looked up, right at those round, dark eyes. 

In nihil paratus. You were ready for nothing. 

[fumiiyumiis]

☆~°•Taki as your boyfriend•°~☆

• Genre: fluff

• warnings: none :3

• not proofread, please don't copy

• inspired by @/3vergr3en's post

☆°☆°☆°☆°☆°☆°☆°☆°☆°☆°☆°☆°☆°☆°☆°☆°☆°☆°☆°☆°

Takes you to practice with him

Loves to have you in the studio while he dances and have you do dances with him

Occasionally both of you film dance covers for tik tok

afterwards he likes to sit with you and look for more covers to try

"y/n baby, what about this one?" he says showing you his phone.

Skin care dates

weekly skin care dates with face masks and snacks

Sitting on the bathroom counter applying the face mask to your boyfriends face

"Takiii hold still!" You laugh

He srunches his nose at the feeling of the mask on his face

"It's feels so cold."

Always has to be holding you in some way

Taki's love language is physical touch, and he loves the feeling of having you in his arms.

In public, he has his arm around your shoulders or waist, letting everyone know you're together.

In private, though, he's much more clingy.

Following you around the house holding your hand

Sitting with his arms wrapped around you on the couch or in the bed softly stroking your hair.

"You're so cute Y/n."

Definitely kisses the top of your head or tip of your nose while he's cuddling you.

Loves kissing you

Kisses your hand when you're holding hands.

Good morning and good night kisses.

Kisses you goodbye before he leaves for anything.

Sulks when he can't kiss you when you guys are apart.

Kisses the top of your head when hugging.

Absolutely loves taking pictures of you

Takes a bunch of candid photos.

Has a new photo of you as his lock screen every week.

Looks at all the photos of you when he misses you.

Thinks you look cute doing anything.

Can't resist pulling out his phone to capture every moment of you.

Has a whole separate folder for just pictures of you.

fumii•°~☆

[childotkw]

Can we hear a bit about your original stories? I just started writing one and it is So Hard just to come up with the characters and their environment so I wanted to hear how you came up with those if you didn’t mind

Very interesting question! For me, a lot of my ideas come from wisps of inspiration from tropes or other concepts.

Characters and worlds and environment go through some pretty intensive edits in my head, so the roots aren't always obvious - and often I smash together multiple ideas, carving and chopping and smoothing things out until I have something workable that gets me excited.

(Buckle up, this post might be a long one)

Coming up with a concept

I'm not sure how it might work for other people, but I am constantly on the look out for inspiration for stories - asking myself 'what if this happened?', 'how cool would it be if this person had to do this thing?', or 'how could this trope work in a different genre?'.

Keeping myself open to these kinds of outlandish and sometimes hilarious thoughts means I've trained my brain to constantly churn up interesting concepts and ideas. Some barely have life breathed into them before I'm moving on. Others cling to me and live in my head for years.

The point is, be on the hunt for interesting ideas, and let your imagination have room to run free. Don't get boxed into an idea in its infancy. Let it grow crazily, let it get wild, before you break out the pruning tools. You're human. Let your mind have fun. Let your imagination explode.

Coming up with a character/s

So when I'm thinking of a character to inhabit my crazy new concept, I tend to go for vibe before anything else. I ask myself things like:

What kind of character do I really want to play with? Good, bad, morally grey? Cool, morally grey it is.

What species do I want? A god, a human, some fantasy creature? Human.

What type of human? A fighter, or more cerebral? Both? How 'bout a strategist? Okay that works.

And I go from there. I basically build a vague construct before worrying about things like physical description, name, age, gender, sex, etc. Those come later, once I've got a vibe I find interesting for a main character. Then comes the fun part.

Bringing concept and character together

For this to work, I've gotta figure out how these two elements to interact. To do that, I ask myself a whole bunch of questions.

How does my shiny new character fit in this world? Are they a grand figure or are they a nobody? What do I want them to do? What challenge would be interesting to watch them overcome? What can only they do? Why should my audience care about this random little guy?

This is normally where plot comes to me in fits and bursts, and once I have an idea on the overarching aspects, I start hammering out the finer details. This is where I really let my imagination out to play. I go wild, spinning off in multiple different directions, chewing on ideas and concepts and finding what works best for me.

Here you can also start developing things like other characters, relationships, dynamics, worldbuilding (e.g., currency, religion, factions, hierarchy, magic, science, how the bloody postal system works, etc.).

An example (through a conversation I regularly have with myself)

So, here's an example of an idea I've been playing with the last week.

Coming up with a concept

Okay! I've been inspired by the Old Guard, so I want to explore immortality and the idea of humanity and what life actually means. But how do I make this concept even cooler? What would make being immortal hard to conceal in a modern world?

How about instead of a modern world it's a futuristic society where everything is captured on some form of phone / camera / recording - and that makes dying and coming back to life extremely difficult to get away with. Where it's getting harder and harder to be able to cover their tracks, where falling through the cracks of society is damn near impossible with instant identification and other such measures.

Nice, nice. What else? How does the immortality work?

From the moment of their first death, the person now has increased healing and cannot age; though they can physically change (i.e., gain or lose weight and muscles, grow their hair and whatnot). Injuries heal at a rate relative to the seriousness of it - even amputations.

How does amputation work though? What if they lose their head? Does a new body grow or does the body grow a new head?

I'll have to iron this out but maybe it depends on the largest body piece? So the body would regrow the head, but if the body was completely blown apart, then whatever piece was biggest would become the 'main' one that the rest of the body would regenerate from?

What causes the immortality?

(I have an idea but wanna keep it a secret for now 😉)

So how does this world work then? It's futuristic - but how futuristic?

I'm thinking we've just achieved space travel. There's a colony on the moon and one being developed on Mars. We're spacefaring but it's not quite to the level of say, Star Wars or Star Trek. No aliens yet either! We've also got rudimentary robots running around, but they're machines more than fully autonomous. Basically, it's that time just before a massive technological leap in human history. We're on the verge of realising a lot of 'sci-fi' technologies.

Coming up with characters

Who are our main characters?

I was thinking of using Helen of Troy, since she's a mythological / historical figure that I've always found really interesting! So instead of her dying way back in the day, she actually became immortal during the Trojan War and has been enduring through the last 3500ish years as best she can.

The other main character I was planning on focussing the story around was Aethiolas - Helen's (disputed) son and former Prince of Sparta. I thought it'd be cool to explore an immortal mother and son dynamic, where almost 4000 years of sorrow and bitterness have tangled their relationship into something complex and...heartbreaking.

So what are they both like?

Helen has turned towards pacifism, whereas Aethiolas is and always will be a warrior. Helen is a leader - usually calm and collected and capable of commanding respect. Aethiolas, for the longest time, acted as her second in command and is quite a confident person. While Helen might long for the past, Aethiolas looks to the future with excitement and fascination.

Helen's group have become more observers, whereas Aethiolas takes an active role in shaping history - joining causes that speak to him and seeking to bring positive change into the world.

Aethiolas is viewed as reckless and dangerous to their way of life, killing humans who threaten him without hesitation; whereas he views his mother and the others as too rigid and afraid of change, and far too morally righteous and superior. A common argument between them would include lines like -- "Just because we can't die, mother, doesn't mean we should allow ourselves to be killed."

Helen views their immortality as a punishment. Aethiolas views it as a gift. But there is still love and loyalty between them. Despite everything, Helen is Aethiolas' mother, and he cares for her. And she for him.

Bringing concept and character together

How do these characters fit in with the world now?

Well, Helen is in charge of their group of immortals; whereas Aethiolas has become more of a 'lone wolf'. While he and his mother have had a falling out, and they fundamentally disagree on the use of violence and interacting with the world, Aethiolas still acts as the group's sword and shield. He doesn't live with them but he protects them from threats and they rely on him when issues crop up that do require swift action. There's some hypocrisy there, and it is one of the major points of conflict between them.

The story would likely kick off with several new immortals being born - and in a rather public and difficult to cover up manner. This has the risk of dragging all of the immortals into the spotlight, and prompts them to have to quickly decide whether living in the shadows is even possible any more.

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

This became very long and rambling, but this is essentially how I create ideas from scratch. I'm super tired atm so it might not be super coherent! But if anything particular jumps out at you or you want me to focus in on something, please let me know!

[oswaldsleftbicep]

Hi!

I just saw that you have 0 requests, so imma give you one:)

How do you think would the boys insta profiles look like? Like their posts oder their stories..

You can show it with pictures like you did at that other request.. if it is easier for you;) Greetings

the boys and their insta profiles!

the way i ran to pinterest as soon as i read this ask-

i decided to go with instagram since that's the social platform i use most, also i have officially decided that the brothers' last name is morningstar lol

all images found on pinterest!

genre: other

cw: mature themes in ricardo's, language

❧ he's basically a social media influencer

❧ he posts about the places he travels to and the shenanigans he gets up to with his friends

❧ on his stories he'll post his friends' content, little updates, and any memes he finds funny

❧ he'll also boost any social movements/local efforts, uses his platform for good

❧ wanted to make a dark academia aesthetic page but that was too much effort

❧ also thought about doing a book review page, but that was also too much work

❧ ended up getting a lot of attention from lucia's fans who comment on his posts thinking it'll get lucia's attention?? so levy has the word "lucia" banned from his comments lmao

❧ his stories are full of historical content, and he absolutely follows a "this day in history" type page

❧ most people think his page is some sort of arg, cryptic mystery

❧ his followers have tried to reverse image search his post, thinking it's ai or from a video game, but it's completely original and taken by mefy

❧ where is this place? why did he take it? why does the caption only say "time is running out"? why is he verified??

❧ added to the mystery is the fact that the year on the post is years before instagram was launched mefy hacked the app to do that, he just likes fucking with people

❧ had kurt help him set up his account lol

❧ all of his captions are complete sentences, it's very old man of him

❧ posts mainly about nature and his garden, and he'll show off anything that kurt makes him

❧ on his story he'll post inspirational quotes

❧ only has this account to keep an eye on lucia and kurt

❧ he also follows levy, mefy, and oswald

❧ mefy doesn't follow him back

❧ doesn't intend to post anything ever, he just doesn't see the point

❧ goes live a lot to do readings and horoscopes once a week

❧ keeps his regular posts to a minimum, but posts a lot on his story about space, nature, and astrology

❧ lowkey the only reason why he's got so many followers is because lucia beefs about him a lot on his page

❧ now there's a whole team lucia vs team mikael feud going on in their mini fandom

❧ lemme hear you say thirst traps!!

❧ the only reason he's so famous is because he's hot and an asshole

❧ every now and then he'll post his gun and if it gets taken down within a week, he'll let a random follower choose his next tattoo

❧ he's technically also a social media influencer, but for all the wrong reasons

❧ the link in his bio leads to his other socials, paypal/venmo, and an only fans

❧ ricardo lowkey talked him into getting an account so he can cyberbully him

❧ doesn't know what he's doing; looked up "profile pictures" and picked the first one he found amusing

❧ same thing with his singular post, and the caption is simply "this is funny"

❧ his followers are mikael, ricardo, oswald, and lucas, whom he follows all back as well as a cat meme page

❧ another influencer who got famous for his pretty boy aesthetic and howl pendragon vibes

❧ none of his followers know his location, and they cannot for the life of them figure it out; it's similar to mefy's page where all his posts are completely original, but nobody knows where they were taken

❧ also uses his platform for good, and the link in his bio leads to a bunch of activism resources and articles

❧ this is his main page, just a bunch of middle school shenanigans

❧ has a spam account that's really popular at his school; it's basically a school meme page with regular memes sprinkled in

❧ he also secretly runs his school's shoot your shot page

❧ complaints about his job on his story but always forgets that kaim follows him lmao

[yukidragon]

I always wonder about the time-line in mafia au with Bo and Jack

I know in aphrodesia they have cellphones but what about the mafia au?

What year do you think it is?

I think the year itself is meant to be ambiguous for Aprhodesia, as well as the other series by SnaccPop Studios. That's likely why we don't get exact ages for the male leads in their bios, and only Jack is given a birth year due to the year of his death playing an important part of the story.

I'll admit I don't know a lot about the lore of Aphrodesia yet, but I do know it definitely takes place in an alternate version of Earth. There's a lot of fantastical and sci-fi elements, including robots and angels becoming crime bosses in the city of St. Valen's. I don't think it's meant to really reflect our Earth's timeline, but instead be its own thing based off aesthetics, kind of like fantasy worlds tend to be based off of medieval aesthetics.

In that spirit, I don't bother trying to give the Mafia AU an actual year. This is an alternate Earth, with alternate events that mean the timeline as we know it on our world no longer really applies.

I mean, the clothing that Bo and Jack wear in the original piece of art Sauce made that started this AU is pretty timeless, in my opinion.

Isn't it so nifty? Full credit to Sauce as always for their stunning art and being cool with me using them in my rambles. In the spirit of supporting them and the rest of the team who makes such awesome visuals and ideas for us to play with, why not consider joining the SnaccPop Studios patreon? There's a whole bunch of artwork there that you can only see by joining.

Remember, don't share anything privately posted on the patreon. Doing that only hurts the team. Instead, just encourage others to sign up as well, or just spread word about these fun games and audio dramas they're making.

Anyway, this picture, as I recall, was inspired by this comic drawn by Rain over on twitter. As you can see, it's a different sort of crossover, but it has the same vibe of the Mafia AU.

Sauce then did something of a genre swap with their characters. Here we have Jack and Bo as a crime boss and wise guy respectively in an Aphrodesia-esque setting. This picture's sister image was Jambee wearing a kids-show appropriate thief costume, complete with a black and white striped shirt and domino mask, as if he was an antagonist character to the SunnyTime Crew.

While this AU is a crossover between Something's Wrong with Sunny Day Jack, DachaBo, and Aphrodesia, I don't worry too much about sticking close to whatever timeline any of the three actually have, or their original continuities. This crossover is about being inspired by some stylish art and letting whatever urge feels fun to me when it comes to pulpy mafia crime drama indulgence, with a nice splash of sci-fi and fantasy elements thrown on top.

As such, the timeline itself isn't all that set in stone yet. Even the original ramble's timeline of events when it comes to Alice's influence on the world isn't completely solid, as expanding the King family's lore changed some things in this follow up post. This universe, as well as its timeline, is very much a work in progress.

Also it's an excuse to have Jack be touch starved and need to have very intimate (and especially spicy) contact with his sunshine as often as possible.

In essence, the year is modern day, only modern day in this world isn't the same as our world. We have cell phones, computers, and the internet, but also some classy retro-style aesthetics for clubs and the like. Or at least that's how it is in my version of this AU. Others might take it a different way.

On that note, why don't I give a shout out to some of my fellow artists who have also played with this particular crossover?

Glassy Shards over on twitter has a really cool take on this AU, giving Bo this creepy "glitch" ability that allows him to no clip through realities. Her take on Bo is pretty creepy and intense, as you can see in this delightful art here and here.

Fun fact: it was actually Glassy's audio dramas that made me inclined to have Bo be more promiscuous, violent, and rebellious in my version of the Mafia AU. The audio dramas are really well done, which makes sense considering she was Bo's original VA. I suggest giving them a listen here, here, and here if you want to hear Bo be a very scary alpha on the hunt.

Lilith Rose on twitter made a fun comic, which really pops in her colorful and distinct art style. It's just another day in the city of St. Valens with some goons getting pummeled, and Bo falling for his puppy. Check it out here, here, here, here, here, and here. Oh, and a cute piece of art that isn't part of the comic, but Bo in suspenders and Lilith in a dancer outfit are just so cute.

CheriiHoney on twitter and here on tumblr also has an adorable comic for this crossover. Jack is lovestruck, and Bo is just dumbstruck. There's also this very delightfully spicy follow up picture of Jack being so yandere for his sunshine and Bo is still annoyed by his boss, hahaha.

I'm sure there's plenty more takes on this crossover out there. If you have any favorites I missed, feel free to tell me in a reblog. Also, consider checking out these awesome artists and leaving a kind word or two. It was Cherii's birthday yesterday, so you could also consider giving her a belated happy birthday as well.

One thing that always tickles me about this AU is how much we've inspired one another when adding to it. It's almost like a community project. Rain inspired Sauce who inspired so many others. We're paying it forward artistically, which is why I wanted to shout out so many of my fellow artists in this post who have given me so much inspiration. You're all awesome. Keep on creating. 💖

@channydraws @earthgirlaesthetic @sai-of-the-7-stars @cheriihoney @illary-kore @okamiliqueur @kurokrisps

[goodbysunball]

August 2024: Habitual socialite

Another delay-ridden post, this one gestating for about a month now, or at least mid-July's when I took the picture above.

Lucky for you there's a fix: Doug Mosurock, formerly of @still-single, is back up and running reviews at Heathen Disco. Doug's the real deal, an obvious influence on this withering Tumblr blog, and his short/sweet review digest, delivered once or twice a week, is well worth a (free, for now) subscription. The onslaught of reviews have hipped me to that CHBB reissue, and I'm sure there'll be a bunch more.

Onto the records, heavy on the punk and hardcore this round ---

Bad Breeding, Contempt LP (Iron Lung/One Little Independent)

Bad Breeding are back to crash your dinner party, armed with exhaustive pamphlets and not letting up on arguments about housing crises well past the point of decor. They have been singularly adept at cataloging the damaged, bleak, backwards, corrupt and blind state of the world, and have done so across a set of blistering LPs and their accompanying essays. Exiled is still my favorite, but I thought the band stumbled a bit on the follow-up Human Capital. The long tracks on Human Capital feel every bit their length, but listening back today, I think "Joyride," "Arc Eye" and "Straw Man" buoy the album with ease around the title track and "Rebuilding." Contempt could be considered a much sharper version of Human Capital, ripe with feedback, near-metal riffing and righteous fury as before, but still extending track lengths with mixed results. The best part of the album, and maybe of Bad Breeding's discography to date, is "Liberty" into "Discipline": the former cold-worked into a frenzied noise over two pummeling minutes, and the latter doing the most with drums, feedback and barked vocals, fighting desperately against being swallowed whole. While they don't touch that peak again on the album (and not many could), "Temple of Victory" and "Vacant Paradise" are furious pounding tracks that, when isolated from the album, pack some real heat. Over the course of the record, the band's relentless sound can wipe out distinctions between tracks, or worse, as on the second half of "Guilded Cage / Sanctuary," drag the momentum to a complete halt. Those minor quibbles shouldn't deface what is an album full of the mid-tempo, bass-heavy, feedback-laden hardcore I'd prefer to hear, and in any case "Guilded Cage" fuckin' smokes. I'd take an album full of "Survival"s or "Retribution"s if it meant more punks railing against the systems in place as Bad Breeding so fervently advocates, rather than against like-minded (or not) peers. Maybe Contempt is asking too much of the discerning public, or maybe the earnestness is a turnoff, because the record can feel easy to dismiss as too reflective of what we can read about or experience without much effort every day. But there remains a fire within the record that feels vital, even if it's not the soundworld I want to enter every day. I think it's one of the best records of the year, not because it has to be, but because the band clawed and teared their way there, producing a ferocious album/package that digs deeply into the late-stage capitalist system we all suffer from. Contempt's not the solution, but it might well inspire it.

Klonns, Heaven LP (Iron Lung/Black Hole)

The most recent Deep Voices post had an interesting dive into perfection vs. originality in music, and Heaven is swinging for perfection in a genre more often satisfied with filth and murk. Here's a rare hardcore record that sounds polished, barely smudged with experimental touches on the edges, and emerging fully formed and fun as hell. Now labeling their sound "The new wave of Japanese hardcore," Klonns are near-bulletproof across Heaven, so much so that I somehow don't mind when they pull out a "GO!" vocal command every track. Gruff, raspy but still intelligible vocals sit comfortably on top of near-metallic riffs and drums that flash just enough to make sure you keep a distance. The resulting sound is roomy and comfortable, like an old hoodie, but with the sleeves cut off and reeking of VFW hall floors. I'll point you straight to "Beherit"/"Realm," the breakdown on the former serving as a primer for the guest vocals of Sailor Kannako ripping apart the end of the latter. The bruising riff at the end of "Nemesis" or the finale to "Replica" sound like a finely honed point rather than emulation: this is a band focused on what makes hardcore vital to them and executing it nearly flawlessly. The electronic intro/outro portions are nice touches to bookend an LP's worth of evidence of what a supportive punk scene can produce when everyone's aimed in the same direction. Sick and wildly unpretentious LP, beautifully packaged and bursting at the seams with music that begs to be experienced live. Maybe someday, but for now, this'll do.

Osbo, s/t 7" (Blow Blood)

A "gritty, modern classic of a hardcore record" you say? I'm as numb to label write-ups for their own records as anyone at this point but that's still a bold gambit to throw down, along with the Cold Sweat RIYL, but Blow Blood rules so here I am. I don't really think many have come close to Blinded except for that way under-appreciated Pious Faults LP, but the sound and attitude on Osbo earn that Cold Sweat comparison. I'll leave it to the real hardcore scholars as to the rest. The band previously released a demo back in the first wave of the Covid pandemic, which I am forgiving myself for missing, but might have to cop after hearing this EP. The vocalist is what sells it here, going full ugly for the duration, the kind of hardcore that would've lit up message boards back in the mutated reign of bands like Twin Stumps or Mayyors. Still works today, especially as a companion to that Bad Breeding LP, feral and ugly hardcore sagging under its own weight, probably causing the rooms they play in to sway like a ship in rough waters. I think "Say It to My Face" is the best track here, but it's hard to deny the nearly side-long "Time," a plodding, abrasive four-plus minutes that basically serves as a perfect showcase for the band's strengths: bass up front, uncomfortably ringing guitar, and the finest "AUGHHHH" I've heard in a minute. That track's worth the price of admission alone, and the artwork/design is aces, too. One hundo copies only, so go scoop yours from Sorry State (they still have the demo tape, too) posthaste.

Shop Regulars, s/t LP (Merrie Melodies)

Another fine recommendation from Matt K.'s Yellow Green Red here, the debut LP of Shop Regulars after a handful of limited, self-released cassettes that you or I will assuredly not own. That's just as well, because the LP's got plenty to unpack. The band sounds like prime Julian Casablancas fronting Horse Lords (or whatever rigidly asymmetric rock band you'd like) covering the Fall, all disjointed rhythms and knotty guitars paving a path for the most unbothered vocals. You'd be forgiven if you're conjuring visions of bands like Dirty Projectors or other lauded indie bands that felt like homework to listen to from that ill-fitting descriptor, but it gives twice what it takes and even tiptoes into spine-tingling on the 11+ minutes of "Emerson Run Down." The two guitars calling back-and-forth in the middle of that track gets me every time, even though you know where it's going, and it sounds like the rest of the band falls into place in real time and thankfully captures it all on tape. The whole record has this loose-but-tight feel, which in the wrong hands can feel very annoying, but here it's anchored by the performances of the patient vocalist and the drummer ready to fill any available void. Doesn't mean the drummer has to work overtime: the restraint on "7 Winds," which utilizes repetition like The Double, chases the spiraling cut-short guitar riff ad nauseam. There is a bed of real feeling here, not the robotic core that bands trafficking in uncomfortable time signatures, repetition and overlapping movements often do. It all makes Shop Regulars surprisingly durable, even helping me maintain a cool head in unbearable traffic earlier this week. Somehow a portion of the 200 copies are still readily available from the link above, but I can't imagine that'll be the case for long.

Sin Tax, Abnegation 7" (Miracle Cortex)

To the point: here's a 7" record packed with hardcore played at the pace of grindcore, draped in the sneering, smoldering frenzy of first-LP Kriegshög. Sin Tax have dropped my favorite 7" since Healer's Resurgence EP a few years ago, taking the torch of Straightjacket Nation and driving straight toward Valhalla. The vocals take a page out of DX's book, which I'm guessing most don't do because of health or safety concerns, and the band cuts all fat and likely into some blood vessels in service of making this as lean and feral as possible. Only "Dog Eat Dog" lets you come up for air, but good luck getting past all the flailing arms, let alone the razor-wire riff of the title track on the first side. Flattened me the first time and now probably the twentieth time I've listened to it; shouldn't be surprised given as it's from the label that released that under-the-radar Execution 7". Still available from the label for about $20 shipped to the U.S., and I'm available to tell you how dumb it is to spend that money elsewhere. "YOU ALREADY PAY."

[opinated-user]

transcript of the clip LO posted: "some make the argument that star was meant to be this way because it's inspired by anime, but that's a statement that need qualifying. which anime? well, sailor moon obviously. but that sentiment is found on any of the other shows. anime is a pretty wide medium with many irons and many fires, but the phrase anime inspired always narrowed it in small niche and culturally embarassing side of it that even Japan doesn't like to be reminded of it" (source_not_found) "when someone says anime inspired they never say that they were inspired by hello kitty or hamtaro or that silly one where everyone is sharply dressed and ridiculously buffer" (an image of Jojo Adventures) "no, it's always this shit that no one in their right mind would be caught with."

the last part of the clip shows this:

let me debunk this clip piece by piece. 1. you literally just said that SVTFOE is inspired by Sailor Moon, the anime that really popularized and cemented the magical girl genre for the public. although it wasn't the first one, it's the one everyone immediately associate whenever "magical girl" it's mentioned. to say that SVTOFE is inspired by Sailor Moon it's already saying that it has magical girl elements and many conventions of that genre baked into it. that's what it means. even the less knowlegeable people in anime will know what Sailor Moon is and if you tell them "this is inspired by Sailor Moon", they would know what it means. the fact that you insist that needs more "qualifying" and go on this completely incoherent rant talks more about your own ignorance than anything. "this show about a magical princess that comes from another dimension to earth in order to fight bad guys was inspired by this other show about another princess from another world that comes to earth to fight bad guys" is not a confusing statement at all, so i'm confused as to what you thought was necessary to "qualify" here? LO, when people say that your video are becoming worse because you lack structure and keep pulling words that don't end up connecting to any central idea, this clip is an example of what people mean. this whole rant was entirely unnecesary and it didn't help your point come across. any editor would have told you to either remove it entirely or worded it a lot different. by your response i can see that you think you were doing something there. i promise that you didn't.

2. LO, Japan is not embarassed by anime. i actually don't know from where you took that one. otakus were seen as embarassing because they were our equivalent of the incel stereotype that doesn't interact with people and lives indoors all day, but even that's changing. anime by itself was always part of the cultural expression of the country. they treat Evangelion like here in the west we treat Mickey Mouse, they plaster the images of those characters everywhere in the most populated areas. similar to how you have the "baby sister" you decided to romance in baldur's gate all over your tumblr, while trying to insist you don't have incestuous attraction to your younger sibling. but at least they don't do it to flaunt their incestuous attraction. you keep projecting this image of Japan being embarassed and annoyed by the existence of anime without any evidence or even an attempt to explain how that makes any sense. the anime industry is huge, it's one of the cultural products that Japan more profits with because they can export it to the rest of the world and the rest of the world wants more of it. in what planet does it make sense that they would be "embarassed" by something like that? 3. do you want to know why nobody ever says that something was inspired by hello kitty or hamtaro, LO? that's because Hello Kitty doesn't have an actual story. it's an cutesy aesthetic around a bunch of cute characters that a company made in order to sell cute merchandize. there was to my knowledge only one show made with Hello Kitty, but i believe none of that had anything to do with the official canon of the character. if you think about it, Hello Kitty is kinda like Barbie. it's a recognizable icon completely by itself. there can be stories made with it, but Hello Kitty will never go through a character development moment and will never change. she will always be just a cute kitty, just like Barbie can be whatever is the most convenient for Mattell in any given moment. as to Hamtaron, it was just a slice of life anime about cute animals. it was cute, indeed. but it didn't do anything new that thousands of other people weren't doing after or before with their own spins on it. here, a list of anime/manga that were exactly the same as Hamtaro without being directly inspired by it because nobody really invented the "slice of life story through the perspective of a pet" genre. it took me one google search to find, there's more if you want to see. if you're so desperate for more content "like Hamtaro" it was always that easy to find. ... more so, again, what does this have to do with SVTFOE or literally any other show that isn't about cute animals being cute? about Jojo's Bizarre Adventure and nobody ever was inspired by it in the west... you have to be joking with that one.

here are videogames inspired by JJBA: https://www.thegamer.com/best-jojos-bizarre-adventure-video-game-references/#bayonetta

other manga and anime it inspired: https://www.cbr.com/jojo-bizarre-adventure-anime-manga-inspirations/

shows in the west that it inspired/have direct references to JJBA: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gHhNUVtozKY one of the shows mentioned is Monkey Kid, which her wife watches. do you know why you don't hear that something wasn't inspired by this, LO? because nothing of the shows you watch had anything that could be inspired by JJBA or you wouldn't even understand the reference in the first place. one of the other shows that also had references was Amphibia... which LO refused to see because *checks notes* it had a plot.

4. the two things i circled in red are not even anime. they're games. the one with two girls hugging and looking up with fear is Rape Lay, a infamous game about raping underaged girls and their mother until you get them pregnant and they either kill you or you force them to have babies. the other one is Doki Doki Majo Shipan, a game whose main objective is that you have to undress and touch the bodies of different characters in order to find a "witch mark". many of those characters are underaged, but a few are adults and you play as a highscholer so it's still not better.

i just want to ask the following. why did you bring two games, two infamous games about touching or raping underaged bodies for that matter, when talking about SVTFOE at all? just why? what was the thought process here? how does this make your point any more clearer? how it does examplify better that "anime inspired" is bad when you don't even show anime and is instead games? anyone should seriously question why you brought this games up at all when talking about a show that was made by Disney. a show about a underaged magical princess of another world. why did your mind ever went to those games when talking about this? you just exposed, with no warning mind you, a bunch of your audience to these games to discover by themselves. you did that. and that was bad and you should feel bad about it.

[pixels-art-stuff]

What to do when you keep having bad art days?

Regarding a comment on this post

First of all, it's normal to have a few bad art days every few weeks, but I don't want to give you a "just deal with it" answer, so here are some things you can consider or do that might help. @stardestroyer81

First a few questions you can ask yourself:

Have you had a lot of stress lately? Art is a way to relax, but if you have a lot of stress, you might just not be in a mindset to calm down and relax, so your art turns out bad, because you are in a bad mindset while doing it. (I will propose solutions a bit later)

Do you take enough breaks while creating?

Are you getting back into art after a long break?

If so, do you expect yourself to be instantly as good as before the break, without warming up first?

Are you actively trying to learn something new?

Are you unsatisfied with your art style?

Are you using all the tools at your disposal?

Depending on your answers there are a few things you can do.

You can let off some steam, do some sports, play a video game, go outside for a walk, change the scenery and get new, less stressful input. Than get back to your art and do some warm up sketches. Set a timer for 1-2 Minutes for each drawing. They will turn out shitty, but they are just to loosen up your wrist. Start drawing after doing 10 really quick warm up sketches.

Breaks are super important. Make sure to stretch, drink enough water, eat enough and get enough sleep. I know it's standard advice, but it really makes a difference. You are not a robot. You can't concentrate without fuel and you can't concentrate for infinite amounts of time. I know, I will ruin my art, when I don't take a break every 90 Minutes, because that's when I start making mistakes.

After a long art break (what's long depends on the person, but for me going a week without making art makes me rusty) do some warm up sketches as well, preferably in the area you are most interested in. Learning how to do Portraits? Draw the head from different angles and try to get the features roughly right. Draw individual parts of the face seperately, to study them and than try to put them, where they belong on the skull. DON'T BEAT YOURSELF UP! If it doesn't look right, try again, preferably with photo reference.

Lower your expectations. You are no old master. You are still learning. Don't compare yourself with other people, but compare yourself with yourself. That's why it's good to keep old artworks and look back on them every once in a while. I have come a long way since middle school and those old portrait studies I did back than are a great reminder of how much I've grown.

If you are actively trying to learn something new, don't beat yourself up if you don't get it right the 30th try. I needed to practice drawing the face for a whole year, before it didn't came out wonky anymore and I still screw up every now and then. Just search for some good drawing instruction videos and practice a bunch with pictures you find on the internet or take yourself. You will get good with a little bit of time and patience.

Do master studies. Your masters being the people you get inspired by AND whose art style you are trying to emulate. If you would like to draw like loish, try to break down how loish does art and copy that process. If you would like to paint like picasso, look at his art and try to break people down into forms. Learn a bit about the history of different art genres and see what you would like to include in your own art. If you are young and just starting out, you will not have a defined style yet. I certainly don't. But you can learn from everything and everyone and you will develop your own style and voice over time.

Use everything you can to help you learn and produce art.

There are no rules in art.

If you are working from photo reference, but can't get it right for the life of you? TRACE IT! You are allowed to trace something, if it helps achieving the end goal. If you are trying to learn how to do it without tracing, do it anyways, but in a specific way. What I usually do is:

Draw the thing I want to draw without tracing, trying to break it down into parts, trying to get the proportions right.

Put the image I try to recreate/use as reference under it with lower opacity, to see my sketch (you can do that with a window and a printed out image, if you are working traditionally)

Use another layer over my sketch and use a different colour to correct my sketch by tracing over the parts I got wrong.

Put the corrected sketch as reference to the side and try to draw the thing again, using the reference image and the corrected sketch as reference. (It's easier the second time, because you can see the parts you got wrong on the first try and can try to avoid making the same mistakes.)

Take your own reference pictures of things. Try to recreate a pose you want to draw. You will understand the pose better if you feel the movement of your own body and the position of your own muscles while striking the pose.

Use guidelines and reference pictures and probs and tools.

Again:

There are no rules in art.

And if nothing of what I've written is helping at all, maybe you just need to take a break. Some days off of doing art. That's okay as well. Refuel your creative energy by gaining different experiences. Go outside with some friends and have some fun. A change of scenery can make a lot of things better. (that said, look around your room. Is it a mess? Mine certainly is. And a cluttered space can also lead to a cluttered mind and influence your art badly.)

I hope any of this helps. This got longer than expected and I could keep going, so if you have any questions or need some recommendations for learning materials, feel free to reach out. I'm happy to help, when I can. :)

[randomvarious]

Today's compilation:

Out Patients 2 2001 Future Jazz / Acid Jazz / 2-step / Deep House

Oh my goodness, folks. Last week I made a post about UK drum n bass label Hospital Records' foray into stuff that they weren't typically known for with a 2000 release of theirs called Out Patients, but today I'm back with Out Patients 2, which came out the following year, and actually turns out to be on a whole different plane. I mean, I thoroughly enjoyed a lot of the stuff that was on the first installment of this series, but this near-exclusive crop of 11 songs here is just incredible—everything is a flat-out banger.

Now, while both of the first two volumes in this series are primarily comprised of future jazz joints, the secondary genres are a bit different. Out Patients provided a bunch of broken beat and a couple drum n bass tracks, but for this one, Hospital gives us some acid jazz, stuff with 2-step breaks—which they'd successfully utilize in their dnb output as well, as they played an integral role in the whole liquid dnb wave—and a couple fantastic pieces of deep house too.

And the deep house tune that happens to close out this whole shebang, "Shinobi," by Japan's Jazztronik, really just might be one of the greatest pieces of deep house that I've ever heard in my damn life. This is, like, a deep house track with different movements, you guys: a long, tribal open; followed by an extremely smooth section with a funky bassline, bleepy and snaky synth work, and leading flute improv; a little Brazilian breakdown; and then a tribal closing. Such a sublimely varied excursion that I can't believe Jazztronik didn't actually first save for one of his own releases.

But I'm really not even sure that "Shinobi" is actually my favorite track overall on here anyway, because what Hospital's founders, London Elektricity (who also operate under the alias of Future Homosapiens), managed to cook up with their remix of UK acid jazzers Izit's 1993 tune, "Bird of Paradise," is the one song on this comp that *really* left my jaw scraping the floor 😮. This is just such a totally unrelenting, 8-plus-minute barrage of fierce, uptempo, and transcendent acid jazz-dance glory that's already a certified bop in the early going before Nicola Bright-Thomas even opens her mouth. And when she gets to doing her Brazilian-inspired scatting, this thing hits a different level, but then it manages to climb even higher in the second half with an absolutely deadly combination of peppery flute and ring-dinging hi-hats added to it all too. And unlike everything else on this album, this one wasn't actually an exclusive when it appeared on here; Hospital sublabel Galactic Disco put it out on a 12-inch in 1998. And would you believe me if I then told you that that release only has a 3.64/5 rating on Discogs with this unreal stunner on it?! That's not a good rating at all by Discogs' standards! What are people even thinking?!?

Really blown away by this whole thing here. Another dispatch that especially excels at music that its premier dnb label is not really known for releasing in the first place. Some other labels of a future jazz-and-lounge-type bent could only hope to ever put out something that sounds as consistently good as this 😤🥺.

Landslide - "Hear My People" Pulcinella - "A'Bboss" Swell Session - "Speak" Audiomontage - "Come With Me" London Elektricity - "Unreality" Les Gammas - "Fez" Solid Roots - "Samba Sun" Izit vs. Future Homosapiens - "Bird of Paradise" Danny Byrd - "Changes (Yukihiro Fukutomi Remix)" Future Homosapiens - "Talkbox" Jazztronik - "Shinobi"

[kuwdora]

Okay, a late entry for the January posting meme... January 21 - what's one of your favorite fandom related memories? lyntergalactic

I have so many favorite memories, it’s very hard to pick one….. but it is Festivids Eve so I’m gonna talk about my excitement about this vid exchange. Cause it’s my favorite moment right now because I feel like I’m staying up late with milk and cookies waiting for Santa to arrive. I have so many great memories and VID RECS in this long post.

Festivids started in 2009 as a vid exchange for rare fandoms. Which was great because I think a lot of vidders really needed this so we could celebrate and get exposed to a whole bunch of new small and rare fandoms, unheard of media and literary sources that hadn't been really been vidded before.

Each year there’s a guest-the-vidder post, and @bingeling has been great about organizing live watches on discord. Sometimes I miss a few vids here and there during the initial weekend of go-live because it’s SO MANY VIDS, but then I always catch people’s recs or vid posts in the following weeks.

It’s just a joy to keep finding new things that I never realized I wanted and needed in my life because there’s so many interesting media and books out there to make vids for and people’s imaginations and technical skills continue to blow my mind.

Way back in 2009 when I signed up for the very first exchange I got assigned to Sol-se and matched up on the source/fandom that I had introduced her to: Little Mosque on the Prairie. We literally spent weeks months and years talking about Little Mosque on the Prairie, being a fandom of two. AO3 was in its early days yet so there wasn’t even any fic, okay. So when I got matched up, made the vid, the guest the vidder post happened and everyone guessed it was me. Everyone likes to claim that they made all the vids so I said that I indeed did make it, of course I did. Yet I was still able to cast doubt in Sol-se’s mind about whether or not I had made it because?? Who knew, maybe there was someone else who happened to get into the show and make an awesome vid for it. It was very fun hypothesizing with her in DMs about who could have made the vid if it wasn’t in fact me. It all comes back to love.

The first vid I made for Festivids in 2009: All For Swinging You Around.

Little Mosque on the Prairie. Ensemble. LOVE. Y’all I had bought Little Mosque DVDs through the CBC website back in the day and was still learning how to rip things. Aspect ratios. Scan lines. It was a TIME I do not miss. Though I do still have the DVDs and probably could rip them better now.

My other favorite memories from festivids is (aside from all of the vids) are the vids made for ME over the years!

2009 When You’re Strange by colls, a Sanctuary vid featuring music by Echo and the Bunnyman. A++ song choice and Amanda Tapping’s face will always inspire me. Sanctuary did so much with so little and this is such a great vid for a fantastic lil’ genre Canadian show.

2012 Meant to Fly by e-transitions. This is a Modern Family vid focusing on Manny, Gloria and Jay who were my favorite of the extended family on that show. Manny in particular is my favorite! This is Nicki Minaj’s Starships and it’s super sweet and endearing look at family coming together and reaching new heights together. And shenanigans. All of my favorites things.

2013 Fame by chaila (also on tumblr here). This is a vid for the show Transparent and focuses on Maura. Do you know what it’s like to get a gift from someene whose fanworks you have loved and admired for years?? I was so blown away by the cover chaila found for this vid. Mree’s vocals are so evocative and still has this powerful determination in the vocals. It’s really, incredibly moving. I was so lucky to receive a gift like this.

2015 Simple Machine by sol-se. This is for a 2014 webseries called Caper which I can’t even remember how I found. I think I was on an Amy Berg kick and was trying to watch everything she’s written for. The vid focuses on Penny who is an inventor who created a super suit and of course a white dude came along and tried to take credit for all of her inventions and hero’ing, so that’s what this vid follows. The show was incredibly dorky and sweet. Superhero fanfic, low-budget staffed with people who were able to call in a lot of favors for cameos along the way. The show also has Beth Riesfgraf and Harry Shrum, too! Along with a few others.

And of course Solvi delighted in being able to make me a vid for ANOTHER SHOW where we were a fandom of two. :D the vid is great and I have a strong affinity for Guster’s music because I listened to so many of sdwolfpup’s vids with that music when I first started vidding.

2019 I GOT SIX VIDS in 2019. I pretty much cried when go-live happened because??? How??? I guess I just had really appealing requests that year. So let me tell you about them.

Little Lion Leo by turquoisetumult. This is for the AMC version of Humans which is a parallel present/scifi show based on the Swedish version of the show Äkta människor. I had actually vidded Leo for the Swedish version but I really really adored Colin Morgan’s portrayal of Leo Elster. Mumford and Sons is such a mainstay in vidding circles and for good reason: the musicality is so gripping and the vocals area always so intense and lovely. That means it’s perfect for Leo and his angst and pain. THE BLOOD! The feelings. Trying to survive with his synth family in a world that wants to end them.

I just rewatched the vid and I immediately want to rewatch the show now, omg. Gemma Chan was extraordinary in the show and the show had a fantastic approach to discussing the the ethics and actual legal standing of artificial humans that I hadn’t other shows touch upon that well.

Raising Hell by bingeling which is a vid for the movie Ready or Not which was one of my favorite movies from 2019. Samara Weaving and that wedding dress getting progressively more fucked up throughout the film as she fucks up the that shitty family?? Kill the bad rich people, those fuckers.Beautiful. Cathartic. This is on top of the well-known fact that I fucking love Kesha’s music (I’ve vidded Kesha 9 times since 2010). Bingeling’s editing here is punchy as hell and this SONG!!!!!!! It makes me crack the fuck up, especially with the lyrics at 1:49. It’s perfect. My heart. My heart. Kesha! Everyone is trying to murder her and she murders them instead. Badass woman with a wedding dress, bandolier and sneakers.

Pity Party by winterevanesce. This is also for Ready or Not. Phenomenal song choice. I have no idea who the artist is and never heard of her before but that doesn’t matter. This song was made for this vid. The editing on this vid is orgasmic. I literally am slack-jawed each time I watch this vid. I cannot emphasize that enough. I love it when people know exactly what I want and need in my vidding soul.

The Middle by turquoisetumult. This is a Fleabag vid! Featuring Fleabag and Fleabag/Priest. It’s a poignant cover of the song, too! It’s so sweet and makes me ache so much for Fleabag because heyooo, shit is hard, esp when you tend to fuck things up along the way. I love how this vid makes want her to do better and have better things in her life. That hope! So good.

When We Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? By starlady. Star Trek Discovery, Mirror Philippa and Michael. This is to Billie Eilish’s song “Bury a Friend” which I had never heard before but it is dark. It is sexy. The tone of the song and the synth-y beats and clicks drive me up the wall with the editing in the vid. Philippa’s sinister competence. That confidence. Starlady and I go way, way back and of course she could make me something that hits ALL OF MY FUCKING BUTTONS. I have long been vocal about how much I love Star Trek and women. And villain women and anti-heroes. Hhhhhnngh. Dark sexy vid of my Empress.

You Should See Me in a Crown, by AurumCalendula. Star Trek Discovery, Mirror Philippa. TO BILLIE EILISH. Because Billie Eilish's music screams Philippa! lmao. Everybody knows exactly what my fucking type is and I AM HERE FOR IT FOREVER. This vid features more of the Mirrorverse episodes and Philippa and HHHHNNGHHHHH. I am so loved by being seen because y’all know me so well. Aurum’s editing always has me glued to the screen. I am also here for Philippa’s face, oh my god. NOTE: Click on the dropbox link in the end notes to stream it. Aurum’s got all their videos private while dealing with some copyright strikes on their account (ugh YouTube).

Those are just the vids made for me. There are many more vids that I have recced for festivids over the years and so much more to come!

The 2023 Festivids Collection currently has 137 fanvids and 111 fandoms right now. A bounty!! Barbie vid! Bottoms1 Cycling RPF?! Vids for books! Hong Kong action films! Janelle Monae and musicals. And more omg.

Festivids. Featuring lots of great fannish memories and great vids. Highly recommend. It's also been a great way for people getting into vidding to make their first vid, too! I love this exchange.

[babiebom]

Dead by Daylight killer ideas

A/N: this is like if they could add new killers and survivors to the game without worrying about copyright and stuff <3 keep in mind I’m not a person that comes up with game ideas I am trying my best

Tw: murder, cursing, blood. Typical dbd things

Genre: headcanons

Dbd Masterlist

The Other Mother and Coraline

Obviously Coraline would have to be aged up but like this is the idea that popped into my head at 3 am and what inspired me to make this post.

The other mother could have similar powers/perks to the others.

Like she could have a hand that detaches like in the movie that she can use to attack players like Charlotte and Victor.

Or like the dredge she can change the world(make it all white and empty instead of dark like in the movie)

If there is something that could make her slower or something it could be closing well openings and stuff so she can’t teleport or something.

I like this idea bc you can curb stomp the hand like you can stomp victor.

Her mori can be sewing buttons into the eyes of the survivors <3

The map could be the pink house and the outside like where the well is? The garden and everything. A very cute map tbh it’s the other worlds version of the house and garden though, like the flowers all glowy and stuff. The circus upstairs and stuff.

I only remember the beginning song and the other father song and the music from the twin old ladies doing their musical circus bit. So one of those instrumental

William Afton and Micheal Afton

Added trauma because they’re father and son :)

William will be in his suit and not just a man

His perks could be like the missing children haunt the survivor and cause like exposed or hindered or something

Hitting him with a pallet doesn’t work as well as it does for other killers

When he gets hit he says some dumb shit like “I always come back” or whatever other lines he has.

But also survivors can cause his springlocks to go off by doing very specific things. Like getting bucket of water, or convincing the ghost kids or something

His mori could be summoning the purple Bonny suit (bc I’m pretty sure his is yellow/golden?) and stuffing the survivor in it after stabbing them a bunch.

The map could be the fnaf 1 building? Like the building that’s in the movie? I think it would be cute to run around the Chuck E. Cheese like place.

Chase music is Join us for a Bite instrumental

Peaches and Cupcakke

This one is more of a JOKE because I thought it was funny

Obviously Peaches would be the killer

Idk what her powers would be (maybe killing you with her coochie or something idk)

She would be the worst killer because she would have no strength or anything it’s literally just her.

Her mori is killing you with her STANK.

Chase music is cpr instrumental because it’s funny

Johnny Slaughter and Ana Flores

Obviously the game already has Bubba in it, but I don’t mind also adding Johnny

I chose him specifically because I think he is the main killer among the family, like the whole game of tcm happens because of him kidnapping Maria

Which is why I chose Ana as his survivor counterpart (and not bc I main her)

His perks could be just like in Tcm where he can see footprints to your last known location for a couple of seconds

Or to make it different scratch marks last longer and glow brighter/you can’t really confuse him with the scratch marks because the glow brighter the closer they are to you idk.

Literally Tcm already did the work for me bc he already has the perfect mori with spinning the survivor around to face him.

Map could be the slaughterhouse specifically because even though we don’t have the sawyer house in dbd we have max’s house which is VERY similar set in the south and a two story house on farmland. It would be stupid to make the same type of map.

I think the chase music would be very…rock n roll-y? Like not a specific song but heavy guitar and drums. Probably a banger.

M3gan and the aunt lady

Forgive me I forgot the aunts name and I don’t feel like looking it up

Only added this because I thought it would be funny

I have no idea what her perks would be at ALL

But her mori would be her tiktok dancing at you then killing you with a sword because it’s funny

The survivors can stun her by powering her down if they get the remote to cut her off.

The map would have to be either the aunts house including the lab OR the lab that she works at with stairs and maybe a working elevator to make it more chaotic. You can’t get outside on the second map, the exit games are the exits of the building, but it has multiple floors.

Chase music is whatever song they used in the movie but instrumental

Max Jagerman and Pete Spankoffsky/Stephanie Lauter

If ANYONE has watched Nerdy Prudes Must Die they would understand this.

Another good killer would be Grace Chastity and the character she aggressively sings at in the end.

This one comes with two survivors like some other killers

I would’ve said one of the lords in black but I think they would rival the entity bc they are literal gods

Anyways Max’s ability or perk could be teleportation. And I think there’s like a perk that makes things harder if the killer is near

He could have like a tweaked version of that

Or being able to see the auras for a couple seconds of survivors who are too scared if they could work something like that in specifically for him

Like how holding ringu’s tapes for too long is bad or being in dreamland is bad when you don’t wake up for mr burnt bitch.

Survivors can hide in lockers to hide their auras because it’s obvious since he is a literal bully

Mori could be him forcing the survivor on the very piece of wood that killed him. Or one of the ways that he killed Jon and Lauren’s characters.

Map is Hatchetfield High School.

Chase music can be instrumental of Nerdy Prudes Must Die or Literal Monster.

[ardate]

Your top 3 songs of this year?

Those are always so difficult but, nonetheless. Here's three songs I discovered this year that throttled me (/pos). We're going crescendo, starting off strong and ending with my most favoritest of this year.

Greta Van Fleet - Stardust Chords A friend has bestowed upon me the grand gift of the discovery of Greta Van Fleet via their album The Battle at Garden's Gate. It is, undoubtedly, an album that works extremely well as a unit, and its power is such that it convinced even my friends who aren't into listening to full albums that this one was worth the trouble. Musically, there is a lot of inspirations from classic rock of the 70s, obvious to those well acquainted with that genre, but of course much modernized to end up with an incredibly clean and refined sonority in the end that truly elevates it to new heights. Stardust Chords is for me one of the brightest highlights of this incredible piece of art, with those soaring vocals that grip your bones and send you ascending with them. -

Këkht Aräkh - Wanderer Is there any surprise? The ukrainian songwriter shook everyone with his sudden inclusion of rap-like diction and rhythm within his new song, clearly apparent in his music video that mixes classic rap moves within traditional BM aesthetic - and all of it, song and video, enshrined within his usual romantic melancholy as he sings about love and loneliness, as always. And it is masterful, and deeply moving. -

Les Chants de Nihil - Clarté de la Pluie Of course, I already rambled about this one in past posts: this is my absolute favourite discovery of this year. I had explored their discography in the past ('Là où nous étions les rois' being my fav song of theirs for a bunch of years now), but somehow had never taken the time to check out that particular album, and. What a punch in the chest. This album (namely, La Liberté Guidant le Fer) is a unique masterpiece that works at its best as a Whole, but still, I cherrypick this specific song because it carries itself strongly on its own. It sweeps you into the wet streets of an unknown city, under pouring rain - and as the singer, overtaken with old age, screams about his upcoming end and his willingness to meet it in peace, you're left with your heart bleeding through your chest.

BONUS (More like I originally wrote this one for the first of the list and then remembered about Greta Van Fleet but didn't want to delete all my good writing talking about this cool band so i'm giving it to you here):

Hypno5e - Acid Mist Tomorrow Discovered this band in february of this year with the release of their newest album, Sheol, but if I had to share one song it'd be this one - Acid Mist Tomorrow, introduction to the album of the same name from 2011. It's also an excellent introduction to the band as a whole, I believe, because of its concentration of their signature sounds - the sudden, brutal, heavy metal phases, intercut with soft and tender light guitar adorned with voice samples, only for it to start and stop and start again, like a pulsating energy. If you're not shy in the face of experimental sounds, you might appreciate Hypno5e's grandiose and complex artistry.