#me and long winded rambling. name a more iconic duo

[ghostsandmirrors]

LIAXEE X AGGRESSIVE POSITIVITY, NAME A MORE ICONIC DUO (aka, I want to ramble about the big loud man because he makes me happy)

In order to understand Liaxee's present, and presence, one must understand his past.

He was born in Zonfer, a frozen and mountainous place. The cold winds that blow through the valleys between the mountains are often only shielded against by the shoreiec during long journeys or rescue attempts. The shoreiec are a species of giant, scaled horses. Their name directly translates to 'ice horse', though the creatures are, perhaps, the warmest things in the entire area.

Besides the residents' attitudes, that is.

The residents of Zonfer hold community as a central requirement for their existences. A lot of people from the area will have very practical views in stressful situations; people who are disliked will be tolerated for as long as is necessary. It is not unusual to see mutually sworn enemies helping each other in an emergency, because no one is willing to lose a member of the community over dislike or hatred of another.

Growing up in Zonfer means growing up with an extended family. It means that even if you're an orphaned only child, you have parents and siblings in the form of your neighbours and friends. You may be alone in the mountains, cold and trying to evade a blizzard, but your people will always find you and drag you home. As such, Liaxee was born into a huge family. He was lucky; his grandparents were still alive, and his parents didn't die during his childhood. He lost friends, non-biological parents and grandparents, but that's considered 'lucky' in a place that seems to actively try to kill its residents.

That doesn't mean that Zonfer's history is free of hatred or bloodshed, nor that it's hidden from the children. Learning history is the only way to prevent it happening again. Learning the patterns and signs is a way to hinder repeats. He learned about the murder of leader Grosh, about the wars of the past, about the battles, about the unclaimed and bloodthirsty ruler Jibrummahi (yib-rum-mah-hee), and about the dangers of Zonfer, of silence, of stillness, of distractions.

As he got older, he learned that others may not have truly learned from the past. Fights were far from uncommon in Zonfer, in a communial area where alcohol tended to flow freely, or in the clearings after an avalanch, and wars have always been rare but not impossible on Verrirmores. The smaller ones were barely worth noticing, but Latri tearing up Equite? Killing over the imagined slights of her sister? Destroying peoples' homes, lives, and families after her sister disappeared?

Liaxee could never forget the refugees from Equite as they turned up in Dargene. He could never forget the tear stained cheeks of Baimba, the last survivor, as they sat in front of the portal that saved them but hadn't been able to save their family, the shock slowly fading.

He could never forget his friend, the leader of Dargene's army, talking about how they hadn't been allowed to help with anger in his usually calm and collected voice, professionalism gone and replaced with anything but hopelessness. He never found out if it was an act for the sake of others or a determination to avoid wallowing. He didn't have to; his friend was beloved, no matter what.

Knowing the harshness of the world around them, the ability for everything to be snatched out from under any of the residents despite the best attempts of everyone to help, was what made the positivity click. It started in his early adulthood, preceeded by the angst of growing up in a place that was hostile to life. If the mountains wanted to take? He would have to cherish what could be taken. If the blizzards wanted to bury? He would have to hold tightly to anything or anyone he could. If the world was cold? He would be warm. He would be a burning fire in the ice and snow of Zonfer. He would (literally) be a shield in the wars to follow. He would be a friendly face in a sea of strangers and enemies. He would do these for anyone.

Well, except Hargscoth, who he would happily throw over the bar in Dargene's inn again to force him to shut the fuck up.

He doesn't like Hargscoth.

I swear these aren't improvised names. They're all written in various documents. I made them up, but not tonight! I have so much written down about Verrirmores.

When demons started a war in Mor? He might have struggled to keep that warmth, that friendliness, that positivity. War changes everyone, some in subtle ways.

Baimba, now called Girnber by friends and The Bringer by everyone, gained a very different lesson from that war than Liaxee. They learned to stay aware, don't be cocky, and be more careful because the leader of the army and the ruler of Verrirmores may not be there to save them next time.

Liaxee learned that he had to be more positive. If he had to single handedly counter the pain and the nightmares and the trauma that people had? If he, alone, had to be a safe cave in a storm? So be it.

The world was already cruel and harsh. The world already treated everyone with hostility that hadn't been earned. The actions of others had already caused harm. How could he do the same? How could he believe that all anyone could have was harshness? Hurt? Grief and tears and trauma? Things could get better--they couldn't get much worse--and if things didn't get better by choice, then they would get better by force. Until that happened, he would be kindness. He would help whoever needed it and the world be damned.

Was it difficult to be good in a life that sometimes felt like it had only shown him the bad? Yes, some days more than others. Would he let it stop him, let it change him? No, because there was so much to cherish. There were sunrises and sunsets. There was the beauty of everything around him, of plants and of animals and of the world. There was a future to look forward to, to protect, and friends to go forward with. If people didn't agree? They could do so silently or be left behind; he was too busy to put up with or deal with them. He had others to focus on, his shoreiec to look after, and he didn't have the time nor the energy for those who refused to keep up, refused to do better, refused to be better.

The mountains and snows of Zonfer had tried to teach him to be solid and harsh to be unbreakable, so he became gentle and soft. The tides of life would take him somewhere, and his softness made it easier to adapt. That didn't mean he would ever take anything lying down--he likes a fight as much as anyone else in Zonfer--but it brought him to friends and places that he never thought he'd meet and see. It took him to Erestede, to Adkr, to Washdo, and, of course, to Dargene. It took him to the Lady, to the Bringer, to Renrait, to his beloved friend Nergale. It carried him through wars and death and destruction and hopelessness.

It led him to fighting Hargscoth, with the other mistaking him for someone who wouldn't punch him in the face.

He holds that memory with joy in his heart, because fuck Hargscoth.

[sereina-archive]

[ 👨‍🏫 ] how much does your muse care about image? how would they react if something personal got leaked about them?

headcanon meme | accepting

Even before Serena was born, she was thrust into the spotlight of the media. Grace was the most prominent and undefeated Rhyhorn Racing champion of the world, and the Kalosian media was especially ruthless about Grace's pregnancy. They would point blank ask her if she really did want to keep the child, if it would get in the way of her career, etc.

And it still continued when Serena was born. She was touted by them as a 'bastard child', as her father left long before Grace had even given birth. The abandonment and this scrutinization made Serena very self-conscious when she was young. She already was a child too perceptive for her own good, and though Grace tried to keep her away from the harmful words, Serena always knew when she was being talked about. It made her very self-aware, and she was very quiet for the most part around other adults. Everyone around her, save for Grace, seemed to be pushing her towards following her mother's footsteps and being a Rhyhorn Racer, and Serena instead excelled in Trainer's School, proving them all wrong.

To this day, Serena is still very conscientious about what she does and says, knowing full well her words can be taken out of context and spun to make her look bad. She wants to be a good influence and good role model, and that's the side she shows. As much as she wishes to tear into the media and expose them (especially after they suddenly turned around and treated her nicer, only after she helped save the world during the Flare incident), she holds her tongue.

As for the second part, it depends on what information leaked. If the knowledge of her connection to Yveltal was leaked, that would be absolutely world shattering to her. That information is something that could put both her and him in great danger. Frankly, she doesn't give a damn if people would likely think badly/differently of her about it, it's the fact that it could be used against her and him both that would send her into a paranoid spiral. Her bond with Yveltal is a highly kept secret, one that's reserved for the people she trusts the most.

The other secret that would ruin her is her ability to 'hear' and 'feel' Mega Stones nearby. That, too, is something that could put her in severe danger, and that power falling into the wrong hands could be very, very bad. This is also a secret that is reserved for the people she trusts the most in this world.

In general, Serena is not one to talk freely about her life. Many things are kept very quiet, and she instead focuses on talking about her passions instead, like Mega Evolution, pokemon rehabilitation/conservation, and modelling. Those things are absolutely no secret, and they do help shed a bit of light on her as a person without revealing everything about her.

[moxfirefly]

Nobody necessarily asked for these but it’s been a meh few days and I figured I’d write some shit to keep busy (a little stuck on request but a bih is managing)

So I give you, some random headcanons for the guys

Michelangelo

I like to think that this orange lad while the fun type of bf that has you in stitches nearly every minute, has his serious moments

Similar to Don he’s painfully aware that he isn’t normal and while he can be somewhat vain that boy has got some self conscious thoughts running through him all day. Especially with his s/o

That gives way to some depressive episodes 🥺 (hug him pls)

He’s the second best cook of the four (Raph being 1st place) but he’s the best baker though.

Loves being competitive in games with Raph but enjoys playing co-op more with Donnie

The only time you can catch him really concentrating is when he draws. Boy really gets lost in it. Goes without mentioning, yes he draws his s/o and has gifted them some pretty dope ass pieces

Heaviest sleeper, a bomb can go off. You’ve often almost violently shake him which leads to Grumpy Groggy Mikey™️ and he complains cause on the random days he manages to be up before you boy wakes you up super soft and sweetly

Besides Donnie he’s got seniority when it comes to picking the playlist they use for doing chores.

As I’ve stated and will die on that hill: Touch is his love language. He still likes to snuggle up to his bros or give them hugs. He’s basically attached to the hip with his s/o.

Fancies himself a bit of a style icon

He remembers perfectly the firsts: first kiss, first time, first fight, first makeup, first everything

Him and Raph are the dynamic duo but Mikey loves being coddled by Leo because big brother and littlest brother™️

But he feels most comfortable talking about unusual or somewhat embarrasing things with Donnie cause he always hits him with the “yes it’s perfectly normal because *long winded biology esplanation*”

Doesn’t like to cry in front of his brother but breaks apart with Splinter

He Loves™️ the sound of his name when it comes out of his s/o’s mouth. In every sense of the word, angry, happy, surprised, lustful etc

Donatello

Being a genius has its perks but man can it have its downsides.

He’s just ridiculously aware and that leads to many thoughts and those thoughts can turn very negative

He gets depressed pretty easily but he’s got that Keep on Keep Going attitude towards it. His s/o can catch on pretty quickly and there’s a struggle to reach him when his head is too clouded.

He is the Fix It type in all sense of the words. So he’s the bf that will listen to your problems and he’ll try and find a way around it to help you or at least give out a better point of view.

Which means he’s a great listener, like seriously he loves talking and he rambles but he loves when you do too

Loves to be caressed honestly. If his s/o runs a hand down his arms or thigh, if they caress his cheek or run a thumb across his lips.

He reads all manner of things tbh, from repair manuals to romance novels

Goes without saying, gamer boi. He loves doing mods, always wants to play on expert mode, smart sarcastic burns when he’s playing online and somebody is being an insensitive prick

He’s actually a really good sexter. He’s nervous physically cause self image issues but with reassurance etc he gets lowkey cocky

No necessarily the best cook but he’s not bad either. He does like to make you breakfast in bed.

Serotonin hiiiiigh when they bring him coffee

He loves late night drives, usually takes a Raph with him but once he gets his s/o it’s the two of you driving around New York. One some ocassions Raph tags along too

While they get along pretty good, him and Leo can butt heads a lot. It’s not a dick measuring contest like Leo and Raph. They just argue and Donnie gets a smart mouth and Leo well he can be a dick.

Regardless they make up pretty fast.

Leonardo

He’s got a smidge of OCD. He’s very particular of keeping things in a particular order that he knows and nobody really understands but it makes him happy.

Expert folder of clothing so everyone rejoices when it’s his turn to do laundry cause that mofo does some orgami like shit to everyone’s boxers

He reminds everyone to eat fruit and veggies, can’t be pizza every night

Yes he can be a hardass but he’s honestly an absolute softie with those he loves. He’s very attentive with everyone’s needs, especially Splinter

Rooftop star gazing, he likes to decompress and sometimes that means going somewhere by himself. When coupled up he loves doing this with his s/o and it’s a nice way to get some time to themselves

Listen Leo is boyfriend material, he’s husband material. It’s stupid how perfect he is when it comes to being someone’s partner. He remembers the little things like really dumb things that always guts his s/o.

He’s thought about if anything were to happen to him he’d want Raph to step up. Even if they argue and bicker and fight he knows Raph would set the world on fire if it meant protecting his loved ones.

Is learning Japanese and he so wants to see it someday. Has gotten pretty good at speaking it but reading it is still a little hard.

Has snuck into a flower shop after hours to get you a bouquet, it’s cool he leaves the money on the counter

When Casey and April had their first Big Fight™️ and she showed up and started bawling, everyone thought Raph was gonna end Casey but in reality it was Leo, that boy was seething if Donnie hadn’t played mediator it was gonna be ugly

Leo hates to see somebody he loves cry cause somebody was just being an ass

He loves game night and movie night

While he takes his leader duties seriously this boy will sleep away a day away. He’s tired af get him a blanket pls.

Raphael

Grumpy boi lives to exercise and lift weights but he does have other things he enjoys. He loves sneaking out an making his away around the city from rooftop to rooftop

As stated, best cook in the fam. This man takes pride in that. So as his s/o trust me you’re gonna be well fed

Although he will never admit he can’t fall a sleep without you like once y’all start dating and sleeping over he needs you there.

Mikey gets on his last nerve but Christ if anyone messes with him. Raph is ripping their necks. That’s his boy, he’ll always protect him, which is why whenever Leo starts going on Dad Mode he always sides with his little bro.

Sure he’s got his anger issues but honestly he’s probably one of the most sentimental of his brothers. So yeah cry angry but he’s just a ball of emotions and he doesn’t know how to manage them sometimes but he’s trying

He’s protective of Mikey but lord is he protective of April. Like honestly he gave Casey the big brother ‘if you break her heart I’m breaking ya neck’ speech and he fucking means it

Also, he’s really close with April. Those two are always talking and goofing about. He sees her as that little sister (or more so big sister) and he likes having a sister.

He’s super close with Donnie, they’ve often felt like outcast in their own ways. Raph likes helping out, he’s pretty handy.

[stopreadingthisanddance]

2016 top albums

Here we are, last list of 2016. Top albums of the year with a few honourable mentions. Most of the albums on this list are fairly accessable, if not full on mainstream, so if you haven't listened to them and you're worried they'll be weird, I'll give warning in my short reviews of them. As with my to EPs list, i'll include a link to the full album stream (if i can find one) and one stand out track.

Honourable Mentions:

Do What Thou Wilt. by Ab-Soul was an album I really did not expect to like nearly as much as I did. It's a pretty weird and paranoid album that gives me the impression of Ab-Soul being nearly constantly strung out and panicked about everything, and yet he's got great beat selection and (mostly) strong lyrical prowess. There are a few songs that get a bit preachy, or a bit lost in the rambling mind of a paranoid man, but the hits are high. If you're looking for an interesting hip-hop album check it out. Standout track: Raw (Backwards)

RTJ3 by Run The Jewels would have been higher on this list had it not come out on Christmas. I simply did not have enough time to fully process it as a full piece of music, and thus have nothing truly insightful to say about it. RTJ are gods though so I mean listen to it if you haven't, and if you know about them and haven't listened to it yet WHAT ARE YOU DOING WITH YOUR LIFE?! If you haven't heard of Run The Jewels than check this one out, and go back to RTJ 1 & 2 and loop around, because you'll see some real lyrical and production growth. This album gets political, but it's delivered in a way that is awe-inspiring so I can't even get mad at it. Standout Track: 2100.

IV by BadBadNotGood is ostensibly a jazz album, but with heavy features and even heavier draw from hip-hop. If you're not usually into jazz, check out the band's albums (I) & (II) as you'll find interesting jazzy renditions of modern hip-hop that might suit you more. But, if you can appreciate a good jazz track then you'll find some real gems here, and most impressively a really good use of features that really push some tracks to the surface. This spot was almost used for Anderson .Paak's latest slot but I connected more with this album than his, although both are good. My one critisism is that parts of this album sort of fade away into background music, but tracks like Lavender and Confessions Pt. II really grab the ear. Standout Track: Up

Top Ten:

10. Simple Forms by The Naked & Famous is a high energy synth-pop album that really shows what a band can do with emotion and nostalgia. This album reminds me a lot of CHVRCHES debut album, and I love it, full of fantastic instrumentation and emotionally charged lyrics the New Zealand hailing band is the perfect soundtrack for punch dancing and summer nights alike. Standout Track: Higher.

9. Freeform Jazz by Uyama Hiroto is a gorgeous blend of Jazz and hip-hop production that brings back heartbreaking memories of Nujabes. Very few producers can come close to the talent and emotion the late-great did, but Uyama Hiroto manages to almost touch him with this album, full of gorgeous keys and brilliant lyrical features is big cities personified. If you're into jazzy hip-hop and want a good, mostly instrumental, album, you'll be doing yourself a favour by checking this out. A brillant usage of drums, keys and wind instruments manages to balance attitude and class beautifully, and is perfect for late night tales and mid day woes alike. Standout Track: Waltz For Real World.

8. Rojus: Designed To Dance by Leon Vynehall is a beautifully produced deep house album with heavy influences from UK house, offering the same style in a more danceable tone that his previous offerings. Certainty a thematic album with a dedicated begininning, middle and end, Vynehall offers a large selection of tracks that stand alone, together or work brilliantly in a mix. I hadn't heard this album in full before I'd heard all the tracks in various mixes, and as an entire single sitting music I fell even more in love with it. It starts out slow and builds steadily towards a full on funky dance album in the middle before curtailing itself off towards a slow walk home in the middle of the night. Standout Track: Blush.

7. Social Housing by Marquis Hawkes is a ride through the legendary birth of US house music, Chicago. Heavy infuences from disco, funk, soul and classic Chi-house are peppered all over this album that it's hard to beleive it was made in 2016. It's full of classic samples and drum loops for the house aficionado, but more importantly it's danceable and fun for anyone that listens to it. A brilliant use of samples and even smarter synth-usage lets each track feel unique and still part of the pack. The intro is placed a bit awkwardly, but it's a good enough track I can't really hate on it. Standout track: Feel The Music.

6. Coloring Book by Chance, The Rapper is a gorgeous example of a brillant merging of soul, gospel and modern hip-hop. This is the album that a young Kanye would make if he was just starting out now, and it's covered in the same eccentricities and brillance that one of his albums is covered in. Chance and his features deliver some brillant lyrics, full of meaningful content and well produced bangers, and are only let down by some experimental and occasionally flawed production. I loved Acid Rap a lot, and while Coloring Book isn't as catchy as his last project, it is no less impactful, and it really shows off the lyrical prowess of Chicago's latest prodigy. From the banger singles like Mixtape and Angels to the more soul and gospel influenced tracks like No Problem and How Great shows off the range that Chance has gained since his last project. He's even got a few hip-house influenced jams on here, although a shallow homage he clearly is trying to get in touch with the musical roots of his city and it shows. While nothing will quite connect with me like Lost did off his last project, it's still a better album than most artists will ever put out. Standout Track: All Night(Ft. Knox Fortune).

5. Atlas by FM-84 is a trip into the synth-powered-drug-fueled goodness of the 80s. If you haven't heard of synthwave, it's pretty much the music that soundtracked the 1980s and is full of huge synths, a fantastic use of reverb and uses more modern production techniques. Remember that Ryan Gosling movie Drive or the ultraviolent drug trip that was Hotline Miami? It's the music from those icons, but with more depth and better production, at least on this album, and also speicific to this album is the much more upbeat tone of it all. It's easy for a lot of this genre to get lost in the depression of drug addiction that is such a baseline for this aesthetic, but FM-84 manages a hopeful and innocent summery tone throughout. Standout Track: Running In The Night(Ft. Ollie Wride).

4. A New Start by Pete Hurt Jazz Orchestra is a true contemporary jazz masterpiece. I can't find a stream for this album so if you are into jazz music I'm sure you know where to find it. Not an album for everyone, but dear god does it have both brilliant song naming, as well as fantastic performances and even better composition. Born out of a currently thriving UK Jazz scene, this big band recording is full of chemistry and solo performances alike, and manages to bring the very best of modern jazz while adding his own touches. Pete Hurt only takes on personal solo, but his ability to convey his feeling and appreciation of all that has come before him is no small task. Standout Track: Barefoot Samba.

3. Holy Ghost by Modern Baseball is a contemporary offering emo-rock band that wears their influences on their sleve. From the first rift this album bleeds late 90s and early 2000's pop-punk from blink-182 and their kin. I loved their last album, but felt like a lot of the tracks sort of lacked the strength of others, and while they keep a similar angsty and emotionally fueled tone, they've matured musically and possibly thematically depending on how you want to look at the songs. Full of cheery guitar rifts and lyrics about fading love, depression and loss the Maryland based band doesn't live out their welcome in this 27 minute album, and yet gets across their points in short, (mostly)radio friendly tracks. Great choruses that you can sing-a-long to and brilliant rifts that you'll be humming along to for weeks, with great & relevant lyrics like "Days like this I miss listening to records//Making coffee together//Snow globes and Jersey sheets//I tried sleeping in our bed without you last night//That didn't work at all, cause I couldn't sleep" and "Locked your love in a screenshot//They all work that way" show that even if it is just suburban depression that fuels the band's music, it's personal and that matters. Standout Track: Wedding Singer, that god damn opening rift.

2. Nothern Lights by Zeds Dead showcases the impressive range this Canadian duo has cultivated since the early days in 2010s with their huge dubstep and trap bangers with Omar LinX like Rudeboy and You & I. With pop-influenced hits like Blame and the savage throw back to their early hip-hop & dubstep sounds in DNA with Jadakiss & Styles P, they manage to maintain a consistent theme throughout an album packed with wide reaching genres. To me, Zeds Dead will always be great to listen to alone, and even better in a packed venue, and the attitude they bring with massive drums, a fantastic use of varied synths and a nice touch of samples will be forever. They've progressed from just slamming up the volume on their tracks to persuading the listener to do it themselves, and have managed to create a distincitve sound while distancing themselves from the sloppy production of their younger years. Standout track: Slow Down (Ft. Jenna Pemkowski).

1. We Got It from Here... Thank You 4 Your Service by A Tribe Called Quest. The supposed last work of hip-hop legends manages to hold onto it's past while being current in ways that seem impossible to predict. Always political, the collective manages to celebrate Phife Dawg, feature legends like Andre 3000, Busta Rhymes and Elton John, mixed in with contemporaries like Anderson .Paak and Kendrick Lamar into a seemless composition of jazz influenced 90's hip-hop. If you can't feel it from the opening rift, then I can't explain it, an album that will last for ages. Standout Track: Dis Generation, not a full song but at this link will last. Besides, listen to the whole album c'mon do it.

aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand done. Hope you got something from this, cause I did. Music is almost always better together, don't forget to dance