#its been so cool seeing the band evolve

[mothsantics]

journal 10: 09/12/2023

listen to hollow eyes by camping in alaska

[goombasinastack]

splatoon 3 hot take turned impromptu essay

was stuck offline in splatoon 3 because internet was actin up and i realized how pretty the photomode splatoon 3 filters are compared to the actual game

i was taking photos on brinewater and thought. damn. this game looks fine but i miss how VIBRANT splatoon 1 was! i wish i could play sploon 3 with this photomode filter on all the time. and brinewater is the best map for this because of the sunset lighting! so i went to one of the worst offenders mapwise for general color—undertow spillway. it is a warm gray mess:

for someplace underground, it’s WAY too warm of a tone—even if there are skylights, they aren’t very well defined, as they’re off in the background—they’d be better with some light shafts to pop out more, imo.

so here’s undertow with photomode filter #6 (this would’ve been a video but tumblr limits to 1 video per post):

and i think this looks a lot nicer, colorwise! the icky warm gray is shifted to a soft pink—and while that’s still not in keeping with the lack of obvious skylights, it works better than warm gray.

so then i opened ibis x paint and got to work on a filter that would hopefully help elevate the entire game’s look:

on top is photomode filter #6, in the middle is the original screenshot, and on the bottom is my proposed filter.

i upped the contrast, brightness, and saturation a bit, then added a 5% pure magenta (#FF00FF) overlay layer on top of that. then i added a slight gaussian blur to emulate antialiasing, which nintendo refuses to do for some reason!

and i wanna play splatoon like that! i miss the vibrancy and intricacy of splatoon 1…

incoming splatoon 1 essay‼️

not only were the colors eye-bleachingly bright, but the overall game feel was much more immersive—especially in ink physics. you could paint trees, and the ink would drip down through leaves as if it were rain… ink splatter would respond to the movements of platforms, keeping its intertia as it dripped! you could see the textures of surfaces through the ink, as if it were an actual liquid instead of a layer of thick oil. 3 doesn’t have any of those special touches.

there’s also the music… 1’s ost feels so much more WEIRD and experimental than the later games, and that really helps cement that this is not human society—this is a new thing—which tracks for splatoon 1, as it was so zany nobody had ever seen anything quite like it before! splatoon 2 follows this sheer melting-pot of brashness and creativity with evolving and varied styles—where once was punk and weird samples in Squid Squad is now groovy rock in Wet Floor, jazz in Ink Theory, and also whatever Sashi-Mori was. also i <3 chirpy chips. splatoon 3’s music goes back to that punk, but i feel that it loses some of the charm and creativity of the first two games. C-side is pure metal, and hardly uses any weird instruments. there have sparsely been other splatbands involved with regular battle music—Yoko&tgb call back to the jazz of Ink Theory which i love! Off the Hook’s new tracks delve into a new style in piano rock. but the main band kind of falls flat to me. :(

let’s talk stages. in splatoon 1, stages were wildly different from each other, including skateparks, construction sites, underpasses, malls, sewage plants, and other locals that are culturally underground. the rest of the trilogy moves away from this in a story standpoint, as ink battles evolve from punky, diy competitions into full-fledged championships in 2 and 3, with advancing battle infrastructure as time progresses. that’s fine, and honestly it’s cool to see that kind of worldbuilding! but in 1, each stage was designed about and influenced by the area it represented. Arowana Mall is a straight line with high vantage points on the second/third story because it’s a mall. Pirahna Pit features convenyor belts that shuffle refuse around because it’s a trash plant. Blackbelly Skatepark has so many hills and valleys because it’s a skatepark, for goodness sake. splatoon 3’s original stages have some of this charm, but it feels lost in ambiguity. why doesn’t Mincemeat Metalworks have small moving platforms on cranes or other heavy machinery? Idk, have some grates and one-way drops, and a car on a post. why isn’t there any water incorporated into the stage design of Brinewater Springs? Idk, have 2 paintable walls and a tetris piece. 3’s original stages have little to no connection between their locals and the geometry, which make it feel same-y compared to previous games.

maybe this is because of the inflexible philosophy of the designers—or their corporate oversight, maybe. for stages, you need to make a straight line or tetris piece with few routes to push, in an effort to promote the game’s main premise of Chaos. for music, you need to make punk songs that aren’t too weird so they don’t drive away the parents. maybe the little ink touches could have been missing because development was rushed?

i honestly dont know why it happened out this way—perhaps the splatoon team just needed more time to cook, in order to squeeze out that extra 20% of game feel? or maybe it was that speculated corporate oversight, i dunno. things WERE missing on launch—notable exceptions being X rank, online tableturf lobbies, and no more than three salmon run maps. i know we’ve yet to even get the DLC but for being about 75% of the way through the game’s content lifespan, but splatoon 3 feels incomplete. there have been improvements, yeah! i just wish there could’ve been more. i would rather have waited another year for splatoon 3 if it were polished that much better, y’know?

i honestly feel like splatoon 1 captured that creative, no-holds-barred mantle of Chaos better than 3 does. 3 feels… flanderized, in a way. the curse of trilogies, perhaps? writing about it more, it feels like not only have the in-game sports of turf war been ripped out of its seedy home and thrust into the spotlight, and gone “mainstream” (see: massive squidsport companies investing in multimillion battle lobbies with holograms and lockers [sunken scroll about that!], flying coffee machines that grant you brief invincibility, new rules and techniques that allow squid surges and rolls, etc.), but also the Real Life Physical Video Game Cartridge of Splatoon has been popularized massively with the sequels on the Switch. maybe i’m not missing the “vibrancy” of splatoon 1 when i look at the colors and photomode filters of splatoon 3, but instead the inherent punkiness and counterculture inspiration that i see in the original.

fuck capitalism, i guess!

[bleaksqueak]

Hello, I just wanted to ask, did the veil have similar fashion to the outveil (our world(?)) before wards started being invited into the veil? I assume that it will probably get explained (or has already been explained sorry) how long wards have been invited into the veil (from the very start maybe?) ..did fashion evolve similarely to ours at the same time? It just made me curious how the uniforms for reapers and students dont seem very modern with the coat and capes and all (or maybe its just for them to look kinda cool, or maybe similar to the university cape uniforms in portugal, or the student uniforms are supposed to mimic the reapers, which its true that some military uniforms still look like that) Either way I really love the uniforms and the sigils they wear, these details in worldbuilding are so cool

Picking this one to answer first since I was swishing the reply around in my head while I was stuck in bed the first time...

So, going back to what the good Prof. Addams here said, the worlds were not always split. There was a point, far back in history, where the difference between magi and human clothing were practically indistinguishable. There would be differences of course, but this would be like the differences between a professions' choice of uniform, nothing drastic for the region. The worlds did at a point split apart, though, and the evolution of fashion would go on their separate ways until importers and wards started to more frequently bring outworld fashions back with them. The Rothsraine uniform definitely carries some modern world elements to it, but the overall shape and silhouette (a traveler's cloak with stylized moth wings) has its roots in the veil's original split path which originated from the ancient magi and their professional garbs (for lack of a better way to put it). We'll learn more about the history of the school and its founder, but one fun thing of note is that the founder of the Reapers as a whole, the organization, is the very same magi who founded the island, its community, and the schools built upon it. So, while school uniforms for studious magi may differ from school to school in the veil, Reaper uniforms are always to follow the same standards. Small details may vary here and there (trim embellishments, buttons), but their sigils, glyphs, and cut never change through the ranks. Form follows function. The Rothsraine school uniform is aesthetically similar to the reaper (cadet) uniforms due to their same originating point, making the Rothsraine uniforms a slight bit more militaristic looking than other school uniforms in the veil would be. With all that said, and back to one of the original parts of the ask, it wouldn't be completely unheard of to see something like a tacky band shirt or a graphic tee, either. Between outworld trips, importers and certain styles catching on, they're definitely around... I know at least a certain member of the cast is prone to wearing them. (And I believe the cold open to chapter 1 has Audric pointing out Elias is wearing a tacky winter sweater under his coat... Lyra's a ward and you know she'd love cute/novelty things like that.)

[daeeeeeb]

the music in rwby

i feel like i could talk about rwby's ost for HOURS. not even like, how the lyrics represent a character and/or their situation (thats a whole other post) but how everyone composing them NEVER MISSES!! every song is just absolute banger after banger ranging from full on songs with vocals by casey lee williams to just scores that are used on the episodes of every volume (that you can just listen to!! and i think that rules.) every song in every volume hits the soft spot in my brain that makes me smile (bmblb from vol4), makes me cry (forever fall from vol6) and gets super fuckin hyped n pumped up (die from vol2, especially the part with casey just full on screaming the lyrics) and to be honest theres a lot of songs in the albums that fit those 3 criterias but those are the ones i could remember as of late i also love how much the casey has evolved as a singer (i've heard that she's been singing for RvB since she was like,6) from vol1 where she was, i think, 12 and her voice was plenty AWESOME to listen to already, then came vol8 and shit went DOWN. the opening kicking off with "we said GOOODBYYEEE" goes so goddamn hard its unreal. every opening in this series goes incredibly CRAZY and its not even funny like every second of the songs in the series are so damn well composed with the catchiest beats and best lyrics ever (specifically lamar hall, he raps so damn fast in big metal shoe, vol6) by the way, jeff HOWLING in some songs he is wonderful, like caffeine (vol2) or the vol3 opening. hell, songs where its just him doing the vocals are incredible too even if there arent that many, like bad luck charm in vol4 orr not fall in love with you in vol3! ill be honest, i dunno who composed what and who did this n that but im ASSUMING most of the guitar parts were just jeff, like the swell and heavy guitar in touch the sky, vol7, that ones gives me summer (not the character) vibes and it slaps. i love the solos sprinkled around the songs as well and im glad to see them still present and incredible as always in the vol9. (RED LIKE ROSES PART 3!! absolute PEAK. i listened to it for like 3 seconds on borrowed earbuds and it felt like heaven on my ears) the whole of volume 9 was incredible too, checkmate is incredible with the flow of the lyrics and the doots and the BASS, oh my god the bass. its really cool knowing martin de lima, from ok goodnight (the band casey sings in!! check them out, i need to listen to more of their songs aswell, awake sounds HEAVY and im all for it) composed some of the scores for vol9 and i hope there'll be more of ok goodnight in future volumes (greenlight vol10) didnt expect to have written so damn much but thats ok. what im saying is : music goes hard, goes cool and makes me happy. hope it makes you happy too :)

[honourablejester]

Homebrew Magic Items: The Viscous Rings

Three Viscous Rings for the Oozing Kings …

Viscous, NOT vicious, although the wearer may vary. Heh. So. I love oozes? And I wanted some vaguely ooze-themed magic items. And as I was thinking about it, it evolved from a single item that likely did far too much, to a set of three linked magic items on a theme of slimy things.

RING OF GREASE

Wonderous Item, Uncommon, requires attunement

This broad, flat brass ring has a thin line of a shiny black material running around the centre of the outer circumference of the band. Although it looks like enamel or perhaps a dark stone of some kind, this band is actually an imperturbable line of magical black grease. While the wearer is attuned to the ring, they gain a +2 bonus to skill checks involving the use of thieves tools or tinkers tools, as the ring gently loosens stiff components and eases the control of moving parts. In addition, the ring has 3 charges, and regains all spent charges daily at midnight. As an action, the wearer can expend a charge to cast the grease spell from the ring, without any verbal or material components.

(Note: I was browsing tools to see what ones would reasonably be affected by a ring of WD40, going broadly with thieves and tinkers, musing about jewellers, before my sister pipes up ‘what about bard’s tools’, and it takes me a minute to get innuendo most of the time, so it took me a second to throw a dirty look her way. So, you know. Make what allowances you will).

RING OF SLIME

Wonderous Item, Rare, requires attunement

This strange ring is made from an unknown greenish metal stained deeply with a darker green verdigris, and appears to have been less cast or carved and more simply cooled straight from a molten state into a strange, drippy circle. When worn, it gradually stains the finger of the wearer a permanent green around the band. This stain can only be removed by application of a lesser restoration spell or other similar magic. The ring has 4 charges, and regains 1d4 charges daily at midnight. Once attuned to the ring of slime, the wearer can use a bonus action to expend a charge and coat themselves and their equipment in a thin, greenish sheen of slime, extending from the ring. This slime lasts for 10 minutes, and grants the following benefits:

All checks made to grapple or restrain the wearer have disadvantage, and the wearer has advantage on all checks or saves made to avoid or escape grapples or restraints.

The wearer gains a +2 bonus to AC, as attacks slide off the coating of slime.

RING OF OOZE

Wonderous Item, Rare, requires attunement

This oddly beautiful ring appears to be carved whole from a piece of slick, clear, polished crystal or glass, but in truth is carved from a piece of petrified ooze. The ring has 6 charges, and regains 1d6 spent charges every day at midnight. While attuned to the ring, the wearer can use an action to spend a number of charges to summon one of the following ooze: gelatinous cube (2 charges) or black pudding (3 charges). The summoned ooze manifests in an unoccupied space that you can see within 60ft, and disappears at the end of 1 hour, or when it drops to 0 hit points. The ooze is an ally to the wearer and their companions. In combat, the ooze shares the wearer’s initiative count, but it takes its turn immediately after theirs. It obeys the wearer’s verbal commands (no action required). If the wearer doesn't issue any, it will move towards and attack the closest non-allied creature it can sense.

THE VISCOUS RINGS

If a single wearer becomes attuned to all three of the Viscous Rings simultaneously, they gain the following additional benefit:

As an action, the wearer of the three Viscous Rings can cause themselves and all their equipment to enter an amorphous state. While in this state, the wearer gains blindsight to a range of 30ft, and can squeeze through a space as narrow as 1 inch wide, carrying all of their equipment with them. This state lasts for 1 minute, unless the wearer uses a bonus action to remain in the amorphous state. Once the wearer has existed in this amorphous state for 10 minutes, either continuously or in separate 1 minute increments, they cannot enter this state again until they finish a long rest.

[providenceriskofrain-bigthighs]

A Silent Observer (Chapter 2/2: Together, in spite of it all)

Originally posted: December 25, 2022 Rating: Mature? Relationship: Gabriel/V1 (GabV1el) Warnings: Body horror, trauma, references to the suicidal themes of the previous chapter Tags can be found on AO3. source

V1 awoke with a jerk, their audio processors still ringing after what they had done to escape their nightmare. Their gaze darted back and forth, the golden light emanating from their lens reflecting off of metallic surfaces in the room—most notably the armor of Gabriel, which was neatly placed in a row in the other corner of the room. The wall was cracked and the drywall was peeled due to its age. Gabriel’s chest rose and fell slowly nearby the machine; despite their sudden movement, he was still sound asleep, his hardlight wings folded against his back beneath the blanket he’d pulled over himself earlier. Carefully and silently, V1 slid off of the bed, trying not to awake their… whatever Gabriel was to them at this point.

Their hand reached out, fingertips caressing the sharp edges of the damaged, aged float glass which sliced through the cold breeze that permeated the barely-stable building that V1 and the archangel had taken up residence in on the surface for the time being. V1’s cooling systems sighed as they leaned in anxiously. A crumb of old, dried paint landed on the back of their hand, and for a second, they panicked, thinking it was more sand, but they quickly recovered as they processed the image of the desolate, post-apocalyptic cityscape that gleamed in the moonlight. 

Tiny insects fluttered, replacing the birds that once soared high in the skies. Vines crept between the cracks of some structures; many were dead, some still managing to survive, even if only barely. Clumps of bacteria built up on the trunk of a neighboring dry tree’s trunk, and the larvae of some evolved cockroach descendant fed upon the bacteria as if it were an expensive gourmet meal. Though civilization was gone, reduced to nothing—rended apart—and much of the life on Earth’s surface had disappeared—with some of that being V1’s fault—everything was still so calming up close.

If only other species hadn’t been caught in the crossfire of mankind’s—frankly well-deserved—slaughter. 

The crescent moon hung high in the blackened heavens, accompanied by vivid splashes of bright stars and the colorful violet bands of the Milky Way galaxy. The artificial skies of Hell couldn’t hold a candle to what the surface had to offer on a night like this. Storm clouds visibly began to roll in, the distant glinting of snowflakes entering V1’s sight in the form of tiny, barely visible pixels. The intricate icy powder began its descent outside of the room’s window, flake by flake, and the machine turned around to wake Gabriel up, only to see a familiar figure standing beside the bed—a phantom, one might call it. A hallucination, another might. It wasn’t real, yet it felt pretty close, especially standing among things V1 knew were truly there.

V2 stood, motionless and soundless, his left arm severed from the shoulder down with wires and flesh hanging in the same way they did in V1’s nightmare. His expression couldn’t be discerned at all through the damage dealt to his visor. Viscous blood continued to leak from the wound in his chest. Gabriel rolled onto his stomach as he slept, his wings outstretching—unintentionally pushing the blanket away—to obscure V2. When they finally folded again, the phantom was gone, as if it was never there in the first place. 

The archangel startled himself awake, his body shivering thanks to the cold breeze that brushed against his bare skin. He fumbled for something warm, eventually finding a hooded cloak he… ahem, borrowed, from one of the Councilors he ruthlessly assassinated. Gabriel pulled it over himself, momentarily hugging his own waist for warmth before using a belt—specifically the one he’d otherwise use for sheathing his swords—to hold the cloak more stably in place once he wrapped the soft fabric around himself, making sure it wouldn’t end up leaving his body so exposed. It had sleeves, thankfully, which was nice.

Meanwhile, V1 stared into a mirror, running their finger between the tiny cracks as they looked at themself closely. They felt the side of their head, where they’d shot themself in the dream, and found no sign of injury beyond a faint twinge of pain that still lingered on even after the nightmare ended. Then, Gabriel seemed to suddenly appear out of nowhere behind V1, startling them.

“You couldn’t sleep well either, machine?” the angel spoke softly, his palm landing on V1’s shoulder. He still wondered what he was to them, especially since they couldn’t speak, but he decided that was unimportant information—at least for the time being.

V1 shook their head as they leaned their shoulder into Gabriel’s hand, purring faintly.

“Ah… nightmares? You’ve been having a lot of those lately.”

A short delay. The machine eventually nodded slowly, their multitude of glowing wings lowering and folding together behind their back as the fiery orange-yellow light within them dimmed just the slightest bit. V1 suddenly whined and collapsed into Gabriel’s body, burying their face in his just-barely-exposed chest and tightly clutching the fabric that covered much of his body. His semi-corporeal wings phased through the cloth, curving around him to meet V1 in a double-embrace consisting of his wings and his arms. 

The archangel’s hand gently caressed the plated metal over V1’s spine, drawing a series of nervous, sensitive flinches which quickly faded into relaxation as V1 tightened their grip and metallically whined again. They couldn’t help but interpret any sort of touch as a threat against their survival, because that’s how it always seemed to go. They sought this feeling of comfort—of understanding. They had spent so long dealing with their pain in silence, repressing and forgetting it as much as they could—and it worked; at least, until the amnesia barrier broke down as it usually did, opening the floodgates back up and sending them into a silent downward spiral that stretched on and on, from the end of the New Peace all the way to the present day—with no end in sight. 

V2 would’ve never understood, even if V1 could speak. 

They were far too different to connect properly with one another’s life experiences.

Gabriel seemed to understand, though. That was something special about him. Even without words, he expressed a sort of empathy that he’d never felt before. He wasn’t entirely sure what to do—he wasn’t too skilled when it came to feelings, especially not his own, and the Council had hammered into his head that it “[wasn’t] okay to be empathetic towards an individual who was below you.” It sucked, because he had always found it easier to connect emotionally with non-angelic beings. He always stood out, even though he didn’t usually want to. Some enjoyed his energy and his unique behavior, while others hated it with a passion, calling him a “freak” and other, far more derogatory things.

He took a moment to try to figure out what he wanted to do. His touch seemed to be doing something, though, at the very least, so he kept it up. V1 moved slightly, climbing up Gabriel’s body to clutch onto his waist with their knees as they buried their face beneath his jaw. Gentle vibrations could be felt emanating from within their chest as their vocal processor gave off a purring sound. The tips of Gabriel’s wings and halo shifted to a pale gold. Although he enjoyed V1’s presence, he was still deeply concerned about them.

More so than he’d ever been for them before, honestly, and that was really saying something when he was constantly concerned for their safety and health.

“You… uh… You don’t seem to be doing good lately. You can write something down, if… you’re comfortable explaining,” Gabriel hesitated slightly, struggling to find the words he wanted to use because he didn’t want to accidentally make anything worse.

V1 loosened their embrace, slid down, and pulled away before materializing an old notebook and pencil from one of their wings. They turned the pages and adjusted their grip on their writing utensil before gesturing at an old drawing of V2 and… crossing out the left arm while trembling. 

‘Dead,’ they wrote; ‘My fault.’ V1 took a moment, their pseudo-breathing quickening and growing erratic. They turned to another page and swiftly doodled the same distorted image of V2 that they’d been seeing for a while now. ‘See him always there,’ V1 continued to write.

“You two knew each other in the past?” Gabriel tried to draw inferences from what was being provided. V1 nodded in confirmation while mimicking a sigh. “And now you’re seeing things because you feel… bad.”

Another nod. V1 whined again, tucking the notebook away.

Gabriel wrapped his arms around the machine, picking them up and holding them close. “I’m so sorry you have to go through this,” he spoke quietly as he rubbed V1’s back. “Does this place—does it remind you of that?” 

He tried to be a voice for V1; they couldn’t speak, so he’d try to help them by hypothesizing, utilizing the information they tried equally as hard to provide. This theory was correct; V1 confirmed it by nodding again before burying their face. Their wings twitched and shivered.

“Would going on a walk help you feel any better?”

V1 purred, running their hand down the archangel’s side and wiggling free from his embrace.

Gabriel took V1’s hand in his. He could still hear the Council speaking distantly in his head, but as always, they weren’t real; they were just the voices of his unneeded guilt. He was happy here—he was happy with V1—and if anyone disapproved of that, well, that shouldn’t matter as much as Gabriel’s religious guilt acted as though it did. 

“Do you need to wear anything?” Gabriel thought he might as well ask. 

V1 shook their head ‘no’ and lifted one of their armor plates while gesturing at it to have Gabriel feel the faint mist that rose from one of many vents that hid beneath the machine’s surface to remove excess gas. It was cold. They were actively chilling the components within them because their vitals thrived better in low temperatures, despite deeply enjoying the warmth of an embrace. Gabriel gave a gentle ‘ah,’ in response and grabbed some gloves for himself. 

They were thin, black leather gloves plated with a golden steel—the ones he often wore alongside his armor, to protect his palms from any damage the friction from his blades’ hilts may cause. They blended in with his skin, almost; or rather, they would if not for the fact that they reflected light differently. While they weren’t the warmest gloves out there, and were built more for protection, they’d do for now.

The front door creaked as Gabriel pried it open. Snow seeped through the cracks of the heavily damaged level above them, generously coating the deep red fabric of his cloak’s hood and the faded blue metal of V1’s chassis. Yellow and blue light—from V1 and Gabriel respectively—reflected off of the snow, creating a beautiful display of colors that seemed to surround the two like a(n) (un)holy aura. 

The Father’s light was completely gone from the latter, now replaced with V1’s apparent ability to share the energy they extracted from their violently obtained fuel—as well as the occasional scraps of barely-edible stuff the two would stumble upon. The situation wasn’t great, but at least they had each other. 

V1 seemed excited for something. Their hands were jittery and shaky, as they often were whenever they were feeling happy. They reached out to lock arms with Gabriel, or at least, as best as they could despite being so short compared to him. Quietly, the archangel let himself be guided down the tattered stairs at the side of the building, his wings unconsciously spreading to his sides in response to the internal fear that he might fall. 

His boots and V1’s metal soles crunched satisfyingly against the blanket of snow covering the dry, long-dead ground. The light of V1’s sharp wings intensified; the snowfall around them glinted with beautiful, fiery tones while the machine loosened their elbow-lock and lurched forwards, leaping into the frost playfully. Gabriel smiled beneath his helmet and decided to join in, his robes flowing in the breeze as he followed along with what V1 did. Powdered snow—kicked up by his impact—flew from the thin yet growing piles and landed on the machine’s body.

V1 shook it off before bending down to construct a few snowballs and tucked them between their arm and their chest for the time being as ammo. They took one out of their stash and lobbed it at Gabriel just as he was standing back up, hitting him dead in the center of his armored face and sending him staggering back.

“What the fuck was that for?!” he momentarily snapped until V1 demonstrated how to create a snowball—dropping their stash in the process—and tossed it in no particular direction. “…Oh. It’s a game.”

The machine nodded and gestured to represent throwing an object.

“Like this?” Gabriel asked, giving himself a moment to wind his arm up dramatically before tossing at V1. 

Although it completely missed, V1 still intentionally gave an over-exaggerated fall and a single “ha” to express their enjoyment and their amusement. Gabriel couldn’t help laughing as well; a hearty, genuine laugh as the gold upon his wingtips intensified to match the joy he felt just by spending time around V1. Eventually, after spending some time trying to teach Gabriel how to properly throw a snowball—adjusting his hands’ positioning, demonstrating how to tightly pack snow together, et cetera—the machine tugged on his sleeve, their wings and hands once again trembling with excitement. They were asking him to follow.

“You want to show me something?”

V1 nodded in response. They did. 

“Well, I’m excited to see what it is, then,” the archangel enthusiastically said as his wings folded timidly behind his back, trying to hide the happiness that shone right through them. The disembodied, hallucinated voices of the deceased Holy Council told him that this was wrong, that he shouldn’t feel like this—just the usual bullshit they spewed again and again in his head. He did what he could to ignore it, but he couldn’t help feeling that faint, lingering pang of guilt regardless. 

As the two walked quietly through the cold, dead city—accompanied only by the snowfall and the occasional flitting of insects—V1 recalled something that was, for once, acceptable; peaceful. 

The memory started out weak, with only mere bits and pieces of different vague sights and smells drowning out their usual thoughts, but suddenly, in the midst of their longing for things to have gone right in their life, V1 was pulled deep into the now more-vivid-than-ever memory. 

2101, December 24.  11 years ago.

It was V1’s first Christmas, shortly after V2 had enlisted their help in decorating his fake tree. 

In all of their decades of just barely surviving between rare sustenance—as it was difficult for V2 to sneak past those who were guarding V1’s holding cell whenever he found blood to give them—and a buzzing, lonesome silence that frequently crippled them to the point of them losing their mind and hearing faint noises that reminded them of the war… V1 had never thought to imagine that they might be able to live amongst a world like this. 

V1 reached out, inverting their hand. Snowflakes landed gingerly upon their palm, their wings twitching and flickering in response to the cold. In some areas, the weather almost agonized the machine. Despite their internal components being constantly chilled to negative temperatures—in both Celsius and Fahrenheit—their joints and their artificial muscles felt as though they might break. They tolerated it, though; they’d felt worse pain before. Way worse.

A warm finger tapped at their shoulder, snapping them back into focus. V1 turned around to see V2, whose singular image of an eye shifted to express happiness. The war-machine’s lens flickered off and back on to mimic the same look in response. 

“I’m going to be bringing you with me to meet some friends. Is that alright?” V2 asked, his head tilting.

V1 nodded and anxiously held onto their younger-yet-slightly-taller brother’s arm firmly, refusing to let go. 

Decorations made of tinsel and illuminated by LEDs hung from the wooden poles that held up power cables. Trees, stockings, wreaths; those that passed by took many of these things for granted, while V1 frequently stopped to take a good look at them—as if they had mere moments to live, and wished to spend however long they had left by admiring what they’d never had the privilege to experience. V2 respected that, slowing to a stop whenever V1 did the same to give them a chance to explore the holiday at their own pace. 

A miniature fake sleigh led by unmoving plastic reindeer—the frontmost of which had a bulbous nose that glowed a bright scarlet red—sat in front of a grocery store. V1 rushed over to it, startling V2 with their sudden movement as the red one did what he could to regain his bearings once V1 let go of his arm to hop up onto one of the reindeers’ backs.

V2 shook his head. “I’d recommend getting down from there. Don’t think those were built to handle being ridden by anyone, much less our heavy metal asses,” he stated as he gestured for V1 to come down.

The blue machine chirped and hummed in a disappointed manner, hanging their shoulders as they climbed off and sulked back over to V2.

“That’s Santa’s sleigh. Well, a plastic replica of it, at least,” V2 explained. “Don’t remember most of the deers’ names, but I know the red-nosed one is… uh… Ralph. Yeah, Ralph.”

V1 tilted their head. They didn’t know who this ‘Santa’ was.

“Oh. Yeah. You don’t know who he is.” The red machine awkwardly placed his hand behind his neck. “To put it simply, Santa is… er, according to human folklore, he’s a jolly old fellow from the North Pole who delivers gifts to people all across the world. I’m still not entirely sure if he’s real or not.” V2 shrugged. “Apparently, though, he doesn’t give anything to us machines because we don’t have souls, so there’s no way to judge if we’re ‘naughty’ or ‘nice’.”

Curious individual, V1 thought to themself as they nodded to V2 before gesturing for the two of them to keep going. They walked past the sleigh decoration, and soon enough, the cold breeze filled V1’s scent processors with an unfamiliar yet sweet and warm smell. They knew full well they wouldn’t be able to consume whatever it was they smelled, but lord, did they at least want to taste it. 

“Almost there,” V2 announced, only for the flashback to suddenly be interrupted.

“Machine,” Gabriel’s voice snapped V1 back into focus as dead, leafless bushes rustled in the background. “I believe there’s something there. It might be good to check it out; perhaps it has some usable blood.”

The machine perked up at the mention of that crimson ichor. They drew their piercer revolver—twirling it as they did so—and lightly flexed their left hand in the meantime, clenching and unclenching it rhythmically as they prepared themself. V1’s knees bent in anticipation, their body twitching from excitement as they approached the source of the noise with their gun just barely raised. Soon enough, they saw something and immediately shot it dead, the blood splattering and spraying from the newly formed corpse to their metal skin. 

Crimson drenched the tip of their revolver’s barrel and their arms. They wiped the blood from their weapon before putting it away, and immediately went to ripping into the corpse brutally—almost in an animalistic manner—to use as much blood to their advantage as they physically could. Supplies were low even on the surface, Hell was rapidly devolving into machine-on-machine violence with little to no blood to be found, Gabriel had grown reliant on the same energy after the Father’s light was ripped from his being, and V1 didn’t know what was left to harvest beyond what little managed to survive after global annihilation. 

Violent fuel coursed through V1’s ‘veins’ as they nuzzled up close to Gabriel, allowing energy to exit their artificial form and enter the archangel’s body. They tugged on his arm again to guide him, running to the ginormous, decorated dead pine that still stood tall despite its damage and its decay. 

“Oh, you’re really excited, huh—“ Gabriel suddenly paused himself when V1 gestured for him to stay put.

The machine followed the path wire that entangled itself within the branches of the tree to a dead battery, then connected their hand with it, charging the battery just barely enough for the multicolored lights to shine as long as they needed them to. Though nowhere near as glorious as it would’ve been back when it was maintained—with a number of broken bulbs that didn’t work in the slightest—it still lit up the obscured, dark and snowy environment regardless. 

“Machine—V1—this…” The archangel couldn’t properly articulate the words he wanted to use. It was beautiful, and Gabriel felt honored that V1 even wanted to show this to him in the first place. It seemed to be a special place to them, especially with how they expressed themself. 

V1 clasped their hands together and bounced lightly.

“It’s… I didn’t think something like this would still work after this world had experienced such decay…” Gabriel stepped forwards, reaching out to touch the glowing bulbs. “It’s wonderful. Thank you, machine, for—“

He was suddenly interrupted as one of the machine’s wings glowed bright, materializing something V1 had apparently been waiting to give him. It was a sheathed blade they made with their own two hands, created from the scrap of machines they’d fought with for the sake of their survival, painted with various dyes and glazes they’d managed to retrieve from the ashes of rotted craft stores, and wrapped with a pale blue bow. 

The hilt and guard resembled a golden cross, in honor of the design upon Gabriel’s helmet. The leather sheath, although roughly put together, was clearly designed with care in mind; it was dyed a deep navy blue, messily trimmed with gold paint and accompanied by a little bit of equally messy handwriting obscured by the bow. Gabriel untied it, handing the fabric to V1, who continued to bounce and flap their hands with excitement as they watched the archangel uncover the message they left. 

He could feel his face warm up beneath his helmet as he read the writing V1 had written for him to read. 

“I LOVE U <3,” it read. 

He failed to find the words to respond. Did they really…? 

Was it true? Or, was he just misreading what their messy handwriting intended to communicate?

Gabriel tried to bury his hopeful emotions as much as he could. He unsheathed the sword just to take a look at it, only to find a heart of orange and blue painted near the base of its blade; the colors of V1’s wings and his own respectively. 

“O-oh—“ Gabriel looked at V1, awkwardly holding the weapon and its sheath in either of his hands. Why was it so hard to say what he wanted to say? “I…” He could feel his throat lock up as his heart raced. “I love you too, machine,” he said quietly yet genuinely. 

V1 jumped at him, tightly wrapping each of their limbs around Gabriel’s body as his weapon clattered against the cold ground. Gabriel hugged V1 back, his wings curling.

Just as V1 began to relax for once, they saw an ever-so-familiar figure standing a distance away from them and their (still, what the hell was Gabriel to them?) with an ominous energy to it. V2 stared back, his flickering wings trembling and his exposed flesh dangling in the breeze, but this time, he seemed to express approval. He nodded slowly, before fading into the darkness as he was obscured by Gabriel’s halo when the archangel changed his position to lean as much into V1’s affection as possible. 

The two were starved of good things over the courses of their lives. Now, though, they had each other, and felt like they could be at peace in spite of the post-apocalyptic world they lived in.

The snowfall began to pick up. Gabriel lovingly—he was finally willing to admit that was the way he felt—caressed V1’s back, taking a moment to regather his bearings before speaking again.

“Shall we head back now?” he asked. V1 nodded in response, Gabriel sheathed his blade and carried it carefully in his left hand, and the two joined hands once more.

[dongpound]

i demand to know more of your oc's (also im trying to catch up on your space au fic its been so long since i last read it)

OH MY GOD IT DIDNT GET EATEN BY TUMBLR

Anon™️ I’m using your ask as like a sticky note of oc ideas specifically Tundra dude there’s SO much I’m so sorry I got into the hyper focus zone

Tundra’s name is actually Alejandra Citlali Osorio-Cruz and through the series she’s just about to turn 16 in season 1 and roughly 19-20 by Season 5 (give or take how the fuck you think time works in 2012 bc I think it takes place over 3-4 years season 5 included)

Tundra came about as a nickname when she was a kid and got super hyper-fixated on professional wrestling and like. She made an entire persona and lore. Alec started using her wrestling name as a silly nickname and it stuck.

Yes I did come up with a stupid cute reason behind the name Tundra bc I can not handle the fact I chose such a BAD oc name for a LION but like I can’t change it NOW!! I MADE HER IN LIKE 2015 SHES TOO OLD TO CHANGE IT

Xever did just think for the longest time Tundra WAS her name. He also just assumed that Alec and Chris adopted a child for fun.

Her bio parents Ixchel and Alejandro were really good friends of Alec and Chris for like. Well over a decade. Ixchel and Alec especially. Ixchel was an actress (like I would say their worlds equivalent of Selma Hayek) and Alejandro worked in music production.

They didn’t have a ton of family they kept in contact with, so Alec and Chris were named Alejandra’s legal guardians if anything happened to them. They sadly died in a plane crash when Tundra was around 1.

This feels like SOOOO edgy and silly to me now but like I literally can’t see Alec and Chris adopting a kid any other way than the guilt of losing their friends pushing them to do it. WHICH SOUNDS BAD. AND LIKE IT IS. However they still love and raise Alejandra as their own, if anything Chris is like. Somewhat distant bc he still has his career but Alec’s like “fuck yeah I get to raise a kid again” and kinda slips from the spotlight. Which is fine by them , they’re like 600 years old they can just have messy fun in the public eye another time

Tundra goes fucking THROUGH IT emotionally through the series. Like goes from would do anything for Chris and Alec (especially Chris who. Again. Was distant and she desperately wanted his approval) to the point where like. She’s yknow. Mutated, to growing resentful of them when Hachi enters the picture (especially when she has to take care of him) to like. Low key betraying the foot and joining the mutanimals in season 3. And then having to deal w Chris being resurrected temporarily in season 5 after a really chill and happy 2 years with her mom and little brother like it’s a LOT.

In season 1 she’s very much a “mean girl” stereotype and slowly evolves into Cool And Gay (but still a little better than you)(she. She gets that from her upbringing.)

Tundra and Karai are seen as like a duo/bffs up until season 2 after the whole “I’m not shredders daughter” thing happens. They grow distant (obviously) until season 4.

So like Alec and Chris are NOT the best parents and like. They did totally just let Tundra take Hachi to live w her and the Mutanimals in season 4. She’d already been in space w him for 6 months and the poor kid really didn’t want to go live in the woods. I have such a specific scene in mind for this and I want to write it out so bad. Anyway tundra basically becomes a teen mom for a little bit. Eldest daughters am I right? *plays class of 2013 by mitski*

Tundra has a modified mini van which she does haul all of her friends who can fit in. Apologies to leatherhead and slash . No she doesn’t have a license

She also has a bike. These two vehicles she did canonically find on the side of the highway and she convinced Donnie and Casey to help her fix them

Tundras in a punk (? Maybe more Pop punk ) band called The Muties (my other characters Jack and Spinstra are in it. also Mondo. Sometimes Raph fills in on drums if Spinstra can’t make it). Tundra and Jack switch off on vocals, she’s usually on bass. They started up in the down time between seasons 4 and 5. They play in Moira’s Menagerie (a mutants only bar and hall) every week on Fridays. Alec comes to nearly all of their shows and also they bring Hachi sometimes when they practice and he’ll play his DS.

Alec will also force their friends (I.e. Apep, Anton, Ivan and Xever) to come watch Tundra w the promise of drinks and she thinks it’s embarrassing every fucking time bc they’re SO LOUD and OBVIOUS and god she could just DIE (but also. Having the support makes her happy)

Alec WILL slam back 3 tequila shots and go on about how talented their daughter is.

Chris got to see her play once. And it was when he was resurrected. And Tundra, frankly, was not thrilled. Another one I wanna write

[jetstarred]

what i listened to in march 2024!

total: 8 albums top 3 albums: preacher's daughter (ethel cain), call me if you get lost (tyler, the creator), the michigan left (queef jerky) click read more to see full reviews ^-^

preacher's daughter - ethel cain (2022) - fav song: gibson girl - this is a very beautiful and haunting concept album. i really love the story that's explored here of a girl with religious trauma running away from her family and falling in love with a man she meets, only to be murdered and cannibalized by him. the songs shift through the same group of emotions; longing, fear, regret, hope, and pensiveness. there's some moments that really pull deep at my bones and make me cry. this is more of a country/folk album than i'm typically used to but the rock elements that are included and the grand production are familiar enough for me to enjoy stepping out of my comfort zone. i'm very excited to see the next part in the supposed trilogy of this story. - rating: 9/10

deathmetal - panchiko (2000) - fav song: cut - this is a pretty good shoegaze-y album full of a lot of typical teenage angst. it benefits from the poor mixing and diy garage sound, which makes it feel like a group of friends just got together to make music about their problems. what really elevates this album is the story behind it. this album being so underground and essentially "lost media" that was eventually found and led to the band having a huge resurgence in the past few years is so cool. the rot versions of some of the songs also add a very unique found footage-esque vibe to the whole album that almost makes it feel as if it was part of an arg. overall i think while the content of the album is alright, the fact its so widespread now is a testament to the dedication of music lovers. - rating: 7/10

laisser vivre les squelettes - daïtro (2005) - fav song: laisser vivre les squelettes - i was surprised by this being french (for some reason) but honestly i really liked the sound of it. while i don't love music where the vocals are mainly screaming, this was still pleasant to listen to for me. the music was enjoyable, especially the guitar and the drums. the only complaint i really have was the long spans of just music, which became a little grating at times. the ending of the last song was nice though i liked how it faded out. while i probably won't reach for this album again, it was still very nice to listen to more skrams music and get a feel for what it is. - rating: 5/10

isn't it wonderful - sugar cherry (2023) - fav song: october sky - this a really nice shoegaze-y indie bedroom pop album. its very short and sweet, with the album carrying a lot of feelings of nostalgia and not quite angst. its more so like yearning. as the side project of rozey (someone who hasn't release a lot of music but i like a lot) it was really nice discovering this and the album going in the more lo-fi noisy direction that rozey's been going in with his newer songs. admittedly a lot of the songs sound very similar because of the lo-fi atmosphere but there's enough distinctive elements in each song that can make them stand out after repeated listens. overall i really enjoyed this album! - rating: 7/10

call me if you get lost - tyler, the creator (2021) - fav song: lemonhead - i really like the loose concept with this album. the visuals are very strong so i wish the concept was tighter, but i get that this is tyler's "i made it" album. which i can give him a pass for bragging so much in this album. i think he deserves it. the music in this album is very similar to what's in flower boy and igor, with it very clear this is the style tyler's adapted and evolved as his own. there's much more rapping in this album than in igor, which causes this to be a nice mix of the two previous albums and even cherry bomb. overall i think this album is a very solid follow up to the massive hit that was igor and i am excited to see what tyler does next and if he tries to pivot to doing something new and different. - rating: 8/10

the michigan left - queef jerky (2023) - fav song: farward - as every queef jerky project, this is full of bangers. nick and dev have perfected making good comedy rap that has experimental elements. some of the bars included were really clever while others just made me laugh really hard. the production choices are reminiscent of jpegmafia but in a direction that makes the music have a sort of "contained chaos" atmosphere to it. and some sections really reminded me of breakcore which is a genre i've been listening to more recently. i dig it a lot and i'm soooo excited to hear what they release next. (i'm also legally obligated to disclose i fuck with this album more than any of their other stuff bc of the inclusion of riley from hivemind on every song. sorry america) - rating: 8/10

scaring the hoes - jpegmafia & danny brown (2023) - fav song: shut yo bitchass up / muddy waters - i don't know that much about rap so take what i say with a grain of salt. this album sounds very much like a throwback to older rap but updated with new styles especially that of breakcore and the general experimental hip hop peggy and danny brown are known for. i really enjoyed the production on this and honestly i think the two rappers work really well together. i was already familiar with peggy's music prior to listening to this but i haven't listened to much danny brown. this album def convinced me to go give some of his stuff a listen. the production on this album is really good and i fuck with it a ton! - rating: 8/10

once, but never again - supercollider (2023) - fav song: anyday - this album is very much inspired by shoegaze, taking elements from that and other genres like garage rock, post-hardcore, and post-grunge. its very much a diy album, with not great mixing and vocals that are very poorly recorded. all of this adds to the noisy atmosphere that gives way to the angtsy vibe of the songs. while i didn't love every song on this album, i liked the overall vibe and what they were going for. i see real potential in this band and i'm very interested in listening to their newest album. (after looking at the playlist for the album inspo, i'm not surprised at the presence of mbv, slowdive, deftones, and have a nice life) - rating: 6/10

[multi-lefaiye]

!!!!! multi!!! im glad youre back!! ive missed seeing your icon on my dash! ive been working so much on my silly little stories with my silly little guys, idk if ive told you about them but its my time traveling story, im finally beefing my characters and getting to know them better! ive been using a prompt list for june and forcing myself to write something for this story everyday and its been going really well!! (i can tell you more if youd like) i keep making everything really sad and tragic tho..... dunno whats up with that lmao. is there anything youve been working on recently??

RUNS AT YOU hiiiii!! :D yeah yeah!!! i never like. reallly left but i'm not gonna pretend i haven't been a bit MIA lmao......... have not had the energy to engage with people that much lately. BUT today is a new day and i am beating the sleeby boy allegations.

YEAH YOU'VE TOLD ME A LITTLE!!! oh that's so fucking cool OMG i'm so excited you're having so much fun with them and developing them more! i love your little guys okay they mean SO MUCH to me!!! and OHHH YES YES HELLO??? okay, if you don't mind, can you PLEASE send some of that my way??? or if you want please feel free to tag me in it if you post it! because i love your stuff so so much and i want to go off the shits.

and regardless, you're always welcome to come into my inbox and talk to me about what you're working on. at all times. i encourage you to do it!!!!! also that's so real. something about giving fictional people problems........ intoxicating.

but yes yes!!! so like i said i haven't had much energy to work on stuff lately, but i do have some things i've been bouncing around! a big thing is a tftgs fanfic character study i'm tentatively titling "in case you don't live forever," centered around jack and his relationship with his ex-girlfriend sabine.

sabine is such a fascinating character to me for loads of reasons, many of them being the fact that we learn basically nothing about her. she is the epitome of a character who haunts the narrative, at least in my opinion, and this started as like... me exploring what i think she was like. what kind of person she was. it then evolved into an exploration of what might've happened if sabine had *lived* and gotten to be happy.

so it's an au where she and jack run away together and start a new life in a new state. it's super emotional and tender and sweet and writing it is really cathartic and healing for me. i'm also using it as an opportunity to explore concepts that are tried and true multi-lefaiye classics: mental health, trauma, queerness, and how they all blend together at times. most of all, though, it's about healing.

i'm including an excerpt under the cut!

It’s just after two in the morning on a Saturday night in mid-2007, and for the last time, Sabine Lemoyne stands alone in her childhood bedroom.

She’s had this room since she was eight, and the decorations haven’t changed much in the following decade. The walls are the same soft, muted purple she adored growing up, plastered with posters for old movies and bands she hasn’t listened to in years, and it nicely complements the pink shag carpet beneath her feet. Her immaculate bedspread is bright and cheery, covered in colorful illustrations of grinning flowers and vibrant greenery. Her favorite childhood stuffed animal, a little pink cat named Eevie, sits on the desk across from her bed, watching her with vacant glass eyes.

Her room has always brought her some modicum of comfort, a sanctuary of peace and solitude in a tumultuous world, but now, standing in the mausoleum of times long since passed, it feels stifling. She can’t breathe in here.

Sabine has to leave. And that’s exactly what she intends to do.

The duffel bag on her bed has been packed for days now, and she’s only just finished packing the backpack leaning against it. Inside the duffel bag, she’s packed clothes, books, and an extra pair of shoes; the backpack, meanwhile, holds her toiletries, six hundred dollars in cash, and two laminated folders. Inside one folder are two bus tickets, set for departure in one hour.

[ilikereadingactually]

Because Internet

Because Internet: Understanding the New Rules of Language by Gretchen McCulloch

i've been wanting to read this book for ages, and my instinct that i would enjoy it proved totally true. it's a book very much of its moment (it came out in summer 2019) and McCulloch knows and embraces that, and it was actually fascinating to read a few years after the fact because even in that short time, i can already see how internet language and my own informal language have continued to change.

according to the internet speech cohorts outlined in the early chapters of the book, i am a Full Internet Person, maybe a little bit on the cusp of Old Internet Person, and i haven't felt so specifically seen since that article about the Oregon Trail Generation. but everybody's in here, pre-internet, post-internet, you name it, and the book lays out language evolutions over these waves in fun and smart and readable ways. why do boomers use ... at the ends of their texts?? why did emojis catch on?? how do memes evolve??? why do multiple question marks and almost no capitalization feel different than if i wrote this like i was about to turn it in for a grade???? go forth and read to find out!

the deets

how i read it: i read this one as an ebook on Libby, which was deceptive because there were a lot of endnotes and back matter! it was a quick read, for nonfiction, which often goes slower for me.

a line i liked: tag yourself im "kept the same username for decades even"

Those who joined the internet to meet new people kept the same username across platforms for years, decades even, so that their internet friends could find them. But for the internet users who joined in order to hang out with people they already knew, screennames were a way of performing identity, rather than obscuring it: your username might honor a favorite band or movie quote, and could change a few months later as your pop cultural allegiances shifted.

try this if you: think linguistics is cool, are an Internet Person, or want to spend hours thinking about what your top emojis say about your emotional expression (maybe that's just me?)

[inlifeasindeath]

sabine wren’s introduction scene in ahsoka was absolutely dope. the music lol… so crazy and immediately something fresh and different. eye have noticed they have been doing this a lot lately with music in newer star wars tv material… leaning in towards in-universe music in moments where it makes sense, outside of and alongside the iconic magical OST’s.

of course this tracks all the way back to the og cantina band and jabba’s palace bands but it’s really cool to still see this element continue to evolve in modern material. andor did this, where in one occasion it played some electronic dance music that was peculiarly similar to what we might hear on our own earth. and now ahsoka has sabine riding her speederbike at absurd speeds while she’s listening to some cool space girly pop punk, with clearly-heard electric guitars and real drums, while she’s fucking around w the local authorities.

it’s bold decisions like this, to draw blatant relatable connections between star wars and our own world, that i have come to really enjoy about star wars overall, and i think some of star wars core strength is at its best when it makes attempts to have its depiction of life feel as relatable to our own.

like why wouldn’t music itself, yes even music made in a galaxy far away, why would it NOT have the same exact qualities that make us -trapped on earth- feel that we can relate to it so much ?

[f3ralblog]

Why Everything Isn’t and Shouldn’t be “Jazz”

I came to Pittsburgh and learned more about jazz music than I had ever anticipated learning, thanks to the rich history in the region and the stories the music itself tells. Musicians like the great Roger Humphries, Dwayne Dolphin and Ahmad Jamal who both exist in history and propel the music today. Artists like Mary Lou Williams, Stanley Turrentine and Billy Eckstine who exist through performance and the retelling of stories, in a language that can be heard, felt and explored universally: jazz.

I love the music. Unequivocally - it speaks to me on a level that very little does. It’s intellectually stimulating, emotionally charged and present-facing by its nature. Improvisation, as a form of expression, changed my life.

But when I read the word “jazz,” in publications or in descriptions of music, I can’t help but believe that the word has been diluted. The work of countless Black artists, and over a century of art, has morphed into a catch-all for music that isn’t well understood. Or soothes you during your morning commute. Or literally just contains a saxophone.

An entire American history, forgotten.

There is music that is jazz, and there is music that is not. If it’s confusing for you, great, because this train of thought haunts me daily. I don’t think I can easily define jazz music. I hear with my own ears the influence of jazz in music today and every day. The general understanding, though, is that music that developed from jazz deserves a cavalier shove under the same umbrella. That could be fine for all of the other genres. Not that it is, but that it could be.

Not this one. Not the pioneering, uniquely American achievement that is jazz music.

Pittsburgh loves its generalizations. WDVE and rock music? Synonymous - everyone knows that! They just know rock music, you know? Media and journalism - same thing right? Television news is completely unbiased! Their sources - infallible! Indisputable!

Not this one. Not the pioneering, uniquely Black American achievement that is jazz music.

My band, Feralcat and the Wild, has been called jazz. And well...I don’t think that’s quite it. More like a hyphenate. It’s easy to hear that jazz music has inspired so much of what I make. I just don’t think my work fits into that same umbrella. The wisdom of all of his past lives are available to him, but ultimately the impact Aang makes is on his present. Yes, I’m comparing myself to the Avatar, the Last Airbender.

It’s like I keep getting pulled back into a meeting that I’m desperately trying to escape from.

I think I wish, like any lifelong learner would, that more folks saw what I see in the music. I see innovation, and a bold, never-ending legacy of evolutionary storytelling. In my own lessons, I implore my students to dive into the details of the music; an effort to develop critical thinking and a historical context for the impact of black Americans on music in the 21st century.

I immediately think of Robert Glasper, who popularized blending hip-hop with jazz and soul. He has gone on to win several accolades for his work, which both takes clear direction from and diverges from “jazz.” Glasper doesn’t call the music he creates “jazz”. In a NYT interview with Nate Chinen, writer of the book Playing Changes: Jazz for the New Century, Glasper said “A lot of the time I prefer not even to say ‘jazz,’ because technically I do more than that.” He, like so many contemporary artists who have studied jazz extensively, works within his medium to ultimately evolve from jazz music.

Might I suggest using descriptors like “jazz-inspired” or “jazz-influenced” instead? Maybe use more specific sub-genres to create a clearer picture: free jazz, jazz fusion, bebop, swing, post bop, and cool jazz are all wildly different means of describing improvisational music based in jazz harmony.

Perhaps go deeper, and try to understand what about the music you’re listening to made you think of jazz. Are there rhythmic feels derived from Carribean and African musical traditions? Is there noteable individualistic expression? Are there references to the “Great American Songbook?” Use those words to describe the music you’re hearing; unless you can draw a clear line between the sounds you hear and the legacy of Bird, or Miles, or Lady Day, or any historic jazz figure. Even then, be that specific.

Jazz is dead - reborn, not resurrected.

If it lives, it lives to preserve history. If it lives, it is through its everlasting impact on the evolution of the arts.

[thisaintascenereviews]

Wage War - Stigma

Now that the fifth album from Wage War, Stigma, has been out for the last few days, it’s been interesting and frustrating to see the discourse with this album, but it’s not surprising. The discourse that I’ve seen when it comes to Stigma is really from metalcore fanboys that love their first two albums (mind you, they’re from almost a decade ago), and they’re both oddly shocked and angry that they went into a more radio-friendly / Octanecore sound. They’ve been doing that for the past five years, especially with 2019’s Pressure, so I’m surprised people are just now realizing they’ve been doing that. 2021’s Manic was very similar, but had a nu-metalcore influence that was really cool. Manic was actually my favorite Wage War record, but Wage War is a band that I’ve enjoyed for years.

Yeah, Wage War is one of the first modern metalcore bands that got me into the genre again after being so disillusioned by the genre in the early 2010s, and I’ve been a fan of them since. I’ve actually quite enjoyed their pivot into more radio-friendly territory, and Stigma is arguably their most radio-friendly yet. Why do we automatically think it’s a bad thing, though? Wage War has always had a knack for catchy hooks, and they utilize them well here. Honestly, Stigma is one of my favorite albums of the year, especially when I haven’t loved a whole lot of metalcore and heavy music itself throughout 2024.

There’s a lot to like here, whether it’s their knack of catchy hooks being utilized even more so, or their sound being more evolved than ever before. Vocally, these guys are on top, and I’ve always loved both their harsh and clean vocals, but they’re both truly wonderful here. Songs like “Magnetic,” “Blur,” and “Is This How It Ends,” really showcase this. Instrumentally, they’re interesting, too, and it’s evident from opener “The Show’s About Topic Start,” where the band moves into an industrial / Rob Zombie type sound that even has a few danceable beats on the record here and there, but it’s really energetic and a ton of fun.

Some people may be put off by the change in sound, but I welcome it, personally. I love the danceable moments on this record, or the really low vocals that remind me of Korn, but this album still has its fair share of breakdowns and heavier moments. “Tombstone” is one of their best songs, and I’ve seen the argument that this song feels so out of place, but I don’t know about that. I think it helps that this album is so short, at only 31 minutes, it’s a very brief listen. It never feels like it goes on longer than it needs to, and because of its length, it begs for multiple listens, at least not feeling so exhausted after listening to it. It’s not an album I get tired of, and I’ve been enjoying albums like that a lot more lately.

Stigma is easily going to be this band’s most divisive record, and for good reason, because I can see if it doesn’t work for you. The Octanecore sound is in full force here, including some industrial moments, and the “sellout” accusations are sure to follow, but I’m not one to accuse bands of that, or even care. Look, as great as their early albums are, they’re also very generic and by-the-numbers metalcore albums that don’t do anything different or new, whereas their later albums are more interesting and catchier. I really love this record, discourse be damned. It’s a fun metalcore record, what can I say?

[musicarenagh]

“Rictus of Rage” Discusses “Emotional Journeys and Musical tributes”. The new song by Rictus of Rage “Silent weapon for quiet wars” expresses deep sadness about the death of Jeff Watson but also sounds very sincere in music sense. This is more than a tribute to Watson; it is also the story of the relationship between the singer and his friend, Mickey Masser, on the musical road that resounds in these haunting lines. The depths of societal reflections are where rictus of rage draws his inspiration from. From childhood, music was very important to them, becoming in many ways part of lifelong addiction combined with recollections of air guitar practices and in search of happiness. Although Rictus of Rage’s family is not musical, the song ‘Crazy Train‘ which is sung by Ozzy Osbourne started his journey into music and pushed towards a music career. They have learned by themselves in many musical aspects, they are constantly evolving their artistic process taking on emotions and versatile influences which reach across several genres from country ballad to doom metal. Their style continues to be organic with the core remaining despite playing with it. Their sound is difficult to categorize – proof of the varied impact on their taste in music. Join us as we get to know more about Rictus Of Rage. Watch Silent Weapon For Quiet Wars below https://youtu.be/UteYYrvS7zo Follow Rictus Of Rage Reverbnation Facebook Twitter Youtube Instagram What is your stage name Rictus of Rage Is there a story behind your stage name? Jeff was reading a book with a character named Rictus in it. He wanted to name the band that, but we found out there was already and band named Rictus. I suggested we put of rage at the end and go with that. Where do you find inspiration? Everywhere. It is all over if you look for it. Rictus of Rage primarily get most of its inspiration from news and society. What was the role of music in the early years of your life? Music has played a big roll in my life. I look back and music has been almost an obsession for me. My earliest memory’s are playing air guitar and listening to my brother and sisters albums. Just studying the music\lyrics and artwork. I always accompanied music with trying to have fun, being the life of the party and girls. Are you from a musical or artistic family? Not really, My family loved music and there was always music playing in the house. That was really the extent of it. Who inspired you to be a part of the music industry? Hearing Crazy train from Ozzy is what made me want to play guitar. Once learned to play all I wanted to do was play music for a living. How did you learn to sing/write/to play? I taught myself everything. What was the first concert that you ever went to and who did you see perform? I went to see Metallica. How could you describe your music? Man, I’m not sure how I would describe it. It is all over the place. I have so many influences. One song will sound like a country ballad and the next will sound like a doom metal song. Depending on if you listen to my old band Hand Over Fist or my Solo work or Rictus of Rage it can sound like completely different styles. Describe your creative process. I wish I could. I don’t have a set process. It comes in various ways. Sometimes something I see will spark inspiration. Sometimes it could be sitting in my living room playing guitar an something cool just comes out and I work off of that. It comes from everywhere if you are in that zone. What is your main inspiration? I know this sounds generic, but emotion. Whatever I am feeling at the time I roll with. What musician do you admire most and why? I don’t think I could narrow it down to one. I admire so many musicians for different reasons. It could be the style of playing or musicianship, it could be how they have influenced or put their mark in music history. I am just a big fan of music. I don’t care what genera it is. It could be pop\R&B Metal\Hard Rock Rap\HipHop. If it is a good song it is a good song. I don’t care the genera or artist that did it.

Did your style evolve since the beginning of your career? I don’t think I have evolved my style too much over the years. I tried to do that on my first solo album, but I think it was a failed experiment. After that I kind of went back to what I know. Who do you see as your main competitor? I don’t see anyone as a competitor. Music is subjective. Not everyone has the same taste in music. Everyone that makes music does it the way they feel it should be done. No right way or wrong way, just the way they do it. You put it out there and hope people see and hear your version and relate to it. What are your interests outside of music? Right now it’s relaxing. I don’t get much down time, so when I do I try to relax. What is the biggest problem you have encountered in the journey of music? People trying to tell you how to think and what to do. Egos and people that are doing it for the wrong reasons. If you could change one thing in the music industry, what would it be? Get away from worrying about a bands image and get back to the bands music. Labels have spent too much time on how to market a band and the image instead of worrying about how good the music is. They have ruined the creative process. We have lost so many good bands and songs because of that. What are your plans for the coming months? I still might do some solo work, but since Jeff passed away last year Rictus of Rage will be no more. Do you have any artistic collaboration plans Nothing in the works right now. What message would you like to give to your fans? Want to thank all of you that have supported us and encouraged us. I wish Jeff was here to see the result of what we made together. With that said I hope you continue to listen and keep his legacy alive.

[private-bowling-ball]

i keep talking about this but the 4kids yugioh dub is so bad and i like the noises that my keyboard makes so im gonna start ranting and blabbing about yugioh gx and stuff, i dont kow what will come of this i cannot forsee it. in the yugioh gx 4kids dub they got rid of a WHOLE ASS SEASON!!! and i was like, "they fucking killed judai? that make no scense?" bc 4kids doesnt kill people i think and also the 4kids on piece dub, im not even going to say anything i hate it way too much i cannot express it in words. and also a little bit gay i think bc yubel is a spirit and therefore has no gender so is gender nutreal or non'binary i dont know muck about the lgbtq community and differences between certain things sorry. but they cut out the entire season 4 wich gives alot more johan who i have a massive cruch on and i bet that whoever is reading this f anyone does than they'll be like wouldnt that make you gay? well im a gay 16 year old male and im actually bi wich means i like both genders and i laugh when i see torture and gory scenes in anime like when kaneki was being tortured by yamori i just thought the concept of a toe bucket was funny bc he was putting kanekis toes in a bucket i really like typing about things on my mind and it feels really good bc i like the keyboard noises and i already said that but no one is gonna read this so aklso hwenebver i watch a anime i set my heart on a ship at the very beginging if their's anything promising and then i see the chareters evolve a nd see if it would still work or work better and i thing that in bl animes should be more direct some times and when the seaon two of yuri on ic ecoems out im gonna fucking die bc the people making it might make ships more cannon and my gay ass gets to see more of pilitski and is it just me or when yuri is wearing his glasses does he look kinga like fiuery from fma and fmag im aware that i spelled his name wrong but i dont know how to spell it so that sucks for me i keep writing about loosely related topiccs and i looked into yugioh gx 4kids dub more and i found out that they were dubbing it wthout paying or without concesnt and then htey got sued by the original company making the yugioh anime so they had to cut off seasson 4 and give i ta shitty ending and i really hate sho hes a stupid asshol and hes stupid and also theirs a guy in beyblade name sho i think and he did a thiing with his hair one time and that made my 9 yer old self feel gay wich i am 16 now i just watched that when i was nine and i was denying tthat i was attracted to a male charecter and i ememebetr when i was twleve i watched death note for the first time and i thought misa was hot and i was thibking that ii wanted to band her so bad, i was a really impure child wich i sitll am a minor but my best frieng jessie s two years older than me so he isnnt and also yknow judai from yugioh gx? well hanako from toilet boung hanako kiuns blue ghosty orby thingy is called haaku-joudai or somehing like that and i fing hanakos mental state very interesting to rad about and im buying the manga nad im so damn exited i read it onling eaarlier on crunchyroll nd i dindnt finish the manda but ive seen he anime three times and i noticed that hanako has the same sub voice actor as izuku midoriya from my hero acedamia and i thought that that was cool and i should stop ive been writing for over tn minutes and i keep a little record of my anime ants and me typing about stuff on my phone wich is difficult to type on bc its an old flip phone wich reminds me of this old show i used to watch aboutdragons that ate flipphoes and i forgot the rest but im using my family's computer rn and im not on my account so i should fuck off by :)

[sciencestyled]

Science Education: A Whirlwind of Wonders and Whys

In our merry band of enthusiasts, we've always been fascinated by the marvels of science education. It's like a never-ending storybook, where each page reveals a new surprise, a twist, or a delightful conundrum. Let's spin the globe of science education and see where it takes us, shall we?

Science education isn't just about spouting facts or memorizing the periodic table, although, let's be honest, who doesn't love a good element joke? It's about cultivating curiosity and the art of questioning. From the tiniest atoms to the vastness of space, it uncovers the secrets of the universe in a way that's as exciting as finding a hidden treasure in your backyard. It's like being a detective, but instead of solving crimes, you're unraveling the mysteries of life, the universe, and everything in between.

The potential of science education is as boundless as the universe. It opens doors to careers that haven't even been invented yet. Imagine telling someone a hundred years ago that you could be a data scientist or a renewable energy engineer. They'd look at you as if you had two heads! Science education is the launchpad for these futuristic careers, equipping learners with a toolbox filled with critical thinking, problem-solving, and the ability to adapt to the ever-changing technological landscape.

Now, let's talk about the impact of science education, and no, we don't mean meteor impacts, although those are pretty cool too. We're talking about the kind of impact that changes lives and shapes futures. It's about empowering people with the knowledge to make informed decisions, whether it's about their health, the environment, or the latest tech gadget. Science education doesn't just fill your brain with facts; it gives you the lenses to see the world differently.

As for its importance, well, where do we start? In a world brimming with misinformation and "alternative facts," science education is the shining beacon of truth. It teaches us to seek evidence, question assumptions, and not believe every conspiracy theory we stumble upon online. It's like having a built-in nonsense detector. Plus, in a time when climate change is knocking at our door, understanding science is no longer just nice to have; it's a necessity for survival.

Let's not forget the wide array of examples that highlight the wonders of science education. Remember when you first saw a volcano eruption in a science fair? Or when you learned about the birds and the bees, and no, we're not talking about the awkward talk with your parents. These examples show how science education isn't confined to the four walls of a classroom. It's everywhere! It's in the stars we gaze at, the food we eat, and the air we breathe.

Who is the audience for this fantastic show? Everyone! Science education isn't just for the nerds in lab coats (though we love them too). It's for the young, the old, and everyone in between. It's for the artist who wants to understand the science of colors, the chef interested in the chemistry of cooking, and the kid who wonders why the sky is blue. Science is for all, and education makes it accessible to everyone.

Now, let's address the elephant in the room. Science education can be tough. There are times when it feels like trying to solve a Rubik's cube in the dark. But that's part of the charm! The challenges make the victories sweeter. Every time you understand a difficult concept, it's like winning a mental marathon. And the best part? There's always more to learn. Science never stops evolving, and neither does its education. It's a lifelong adventure in learning, exploring, and growing.

In conclusion, science education is a kaleidoscope of opportunities, adventures, and eye-opening experiences. It's not just about learning facts; it's about learning how to think, question, and explore. It prepares us for the future, empowers us to make informed decisions, and keeps us in awe of the wonders of the world. So, let's raise our beakers to science education, the unsung hero in the saga of human knowledge. Here's to more discoveries, more questions, and a whole lot more fun!