#misc: transcript

[lsdunesarchive]

L.S. Dunes at the 100.3 The X Rocks Acoustic X Session (Boise, ID) | Part 1 | July 31, 2023

Transcript under the cut

Interviewer: Thank you very much, Big J. Yes, we are live in Studio 1X for Coors Light Corwin Ford, X Session with the band L.S. Dunes. Give it up guys! Everybody, applause. Go here. Thank you for coming in! Uh, welcome back to Boise. Last night, you guys played the Knitting Factory. Uh, tomorrow night, you're in Portland, a nice little day off, sorry that we had to suck up your day off with an acoustic performance, but thank you. Thank you for coming in. I do want to take a second to welcome some of you back personally as Anthony, Travis, you guys were part of one of the worst days of my life. Uh, nothing to do with you, by the way, but it was X-Fest 23, and you both were on the bill, and we had tornado warnings that day.

Anthony: I remember that.

Interviewer: Uh, and, so we had to bring everybody inside, and then, when we brought you guys back out on the main stage, the sewage had backed up into the... But Peter, do you remember that?

Interviewer: So, at our big station festival, you were playing to a crowd covered in fecal matter and thank you for coming back. I hope that wasn't the case last night, was it?

Anthony: It was very metal.

Interviewer: Yeah! It was indeed, it was indeed, but thank you for coming back. How goes the tour so far, by the way?

Anthony: It's fun, It's really fun. Shows have been wild. Everybody's having a really good time, kind of...

Frank: Less GG Allin than your past, I guess, performances...

Anthony: Not as much fecal matter, a little bit less...

Interviewer: A little bit.

Anthony: Just enough.

Interviewer: Just the perfect amount!

Frank: Everybody gets one pink eye.

Anthony: Just enough.

Interviewer: Well, I know one of, you guys have been working on the album Past Lives, of course, which is out now, came out in 2022. One of the big things was to get this out on the road, and actually play in front of people. I imagine the biggest hurdle scheduling and, once you actually got that over, has it been as exciting as you wanted it to be?

Travis: Absolutely.

Anthony: I think it's surpassed what I expected from it, I never thought it was going to, this band was going to be, like, such a fucking big monster... Oh, sorry for cussing... Goddamn!

Travis: Not again!

Interviewer: That counts too!

Anthony: I knew it was going to be a special, I never expected it was going to take up such a huge part of my life, and so willingly.

Interviewer: And so, when it came down to scheduling and figuring this all out for everybody, what did, it is just like, hey we're carving out the middle part of 2023, and that's the way it's going to go, or how was the actual process of that?

Anthony: It's just communication, honestly. It's really, like, everybody putting, you know, their previous obligations out on the table, and everybody trying to fit in between what we have going on with our other stuff, and yes, that stuff...

Frank: We really have great teams, I think, behind every band that we're in, and everybody's, kind of, working together, they know how important this is to us, so, you know, being open about the schedules, and things of that nature, and not trying to step on each other's toes is huge.

Interviewer: You know, there's a lot of words that, kind of, go into the description of L.S. Dunes; you throw in, you know, emo, you throw in post-hardcore, you can throw in rock, alternative, all that kind of stuff but, when it comes to a personal opinion, is there a particular way that you would describe yourself, or you just let the music...

Frank: Supergroup.

Tucker: It's rock 'n' roll.

Anthony: It's rock 'n' roll.

Interviewer: Yeah, exactly.

Tucker: Rock 'n' roll... supergroup.

Frank: 24-Carat Diamond supergroup.

Tucker: We're the Rolex...

Anthony: We're the Timex.

Frank: We're the Lexus made by Toyota of the supergroups.

Anthony: We're the calculator watch of supergroups.

Interviewer: Well, I'm a fan, and one of the things that I love about it, is the origin story of how the whole thing came together. You guys want to, kind of, give the cliff notes as to how this whole thing came together as one cohesive...

Travis: I feel like Tucker...

Anthony: We made it up, actually. The story is like a farce. We did... We're an industry plant. We're, we're put together by big, big wigs and suits that...

Travis: We're giving that up today?

Anthony: Yeah, I need to be honest with people. I'm feeling honest.

Interviewer: (...) But thank you, I appreciate the exclusive, but I mean, it really is, kind of, like, just a group of friends that wanted to jam and it turned into L.S. Dunes essentially.

Tucker: I think we had the itch to be creative, and we're all friends for twenty-some odd years, and it just all fell into place. And then it, kind of, presented itself as more important than we thought it would be, so we decided to keep scratching that itch.

[lsdunesarchive]

Transcript under the cut

INTERVIEW WITH DRUMMER TUCKER RULE, VOCALIST ANTHONY GREEN, AND GUITARIST FRANK IERO BY TOM OSMAN

"It literally feels like I'm 18 again,

to be honest with you," says Tucker Rule, drummer for L.S. Dunes, as the band gear up to release their debut album, Past Lives, on November 11 on Fantasy Records. Just a day or two before Tucker and his bandmates – Anthony Green, vocaIs; Frank Iero, guitar; Travis Stever, guitar; and Tim Payne, bass – had played their first concert together at Chicago's Riot Fest.

Having only had a handful of practice sessions together, the bandmates didn't know what to expect. As lero puts it, "When you have a new band, and your first show is outdoors, at a festival, people only know one of your songs, and you're on at 1 p.m... expectations aren't always the best."

They needn't have worried.

"It was honestly kind of amazing," says Rule. Green is similarly enthusiastic. "It felt like we had been a band for 100 years, and everybody just felt in the pocket completely." Iero chimed in, saying, "all expectations and pipe dream wishes were exceeded, 1,000%."

These observations are not those of giddy teenagers getting their first taste of the spotlight. Iero and his bandmates are seasoned musicians. Their shared credits include My Chemical Romance Thursday, Circa Survive, Saosin, and Coheed and Cambria – but there's a shared sense or excitement in this new project. lero compares it to being in hIs first high school band, while Rule describes them as "feeling kinda reborn."

All the members of the band have ongoing band commitments outside of L.S. Dunes. For Rule, this is not an obstacle, but rather something to relish. "In music, success is not necessarily measured by dollar amount," he reflects, "but by how much you're working." And indeed Tucker, lero, Green, and bassist Tim Payne all had various other live commitments around or during the Riot Fest weekend.

Green credits having children with sharpening his time management. "I'd argue that I get more done now with less time than I did with all the time in the world," he says. While Rule admits it's hard having so many schedules, he loves performing and making music – as do his bandmates. That's why we started this band." he says.

It was Rule who started the project of putting the band and album together. "It's kind of like my baby," as he puts it, though he emphasizes the band being a truly collaborative effort, with everyone having equal input. Iero has a similar take, describing his bandmates as "incredibly selfless and willing to adjust or edit in order to make the best songs."

Just as important, it seems, is a shared sense of fun and enjoying the ride. While Rule won't give away the meaning behind the band's name, he does give an insight into the mentality of the band, revealing their shared joke that the L.S. in L.S. Dunes stands for "low stress" – Though fans are left to speculate for themselves the real meaning behind the name.

The process of making the album started out remotely due to COVID restrictions–a process unlike anything the members had done before. The closest comparison Iero can find is when he made his solo record, Stomachaches, which he mostly recorded in his basement. Despite these isolated working conditions, the sense of low stress and enjoyment comes out in Rule's memories of that time. "Every day was like a holiday morning of getting a riff or getting a song or hearing Anthony's vocals. It really kind of zaps me back exactly to that time when music was brand new to us," he says.

The opportunity to collaborate was especially vital for Green, who was feeling "creatively lonely" at the time Rule called him, and he snapped up the chance to get involved in the project. That call was like his "prayers being answered."

There's a palpable sense of camaraderie and mutual appreciation between the members of the group, with Rule, Green, and lero all speaking in glowing terms of each other and their other bandmates, guitarist Stever and bassist Payne.

lero reserves his highest praise for Green, describing the vocalist as "fearless as anyone I have ever had the pleasure of working with," and of Green's performance on the forthcoming record Iero says, "I really feel like Anthony is at his finest to date."

To hear Green talk about his place in the band, you might think he was an untested young vocalist being given his first big break. "I can't believe I got asked to be in the band," he says, invoking the great vocalists of My Chemical Romance, Coheed and Cambria, and Thursday that his bandmates have worked with as though he were not fit to be spoken of in the same breath. For Iero, though, "There really was no one else in our heads to be the singer of this band."

"There's so much great, inspiring music by people who are fearless," says Green, listing influences from Björk, to Thom Yorke, to Nick Cave. "I just soak up inspiration from everybody that gives me chills like that." By Iero's account, Green could just as well be describing his own performance on Past Lives. As he comments, "There's a lot of riffing happening on some of these songs, and that fucking guy was never scared to sing over any of it!"

Cedric Bixler-Zavala – of Mars Volta and At The Drive In – was a particularly important influence for Green on the forthcoming album, not just in terms of his vocal style, but the way he "allows his body to move and flow with the music," throwing himself – sometimes literally – into the songs. Green describes his performance overall as "somewhere between him (Bixler-Zavala) and (vocalist and songwriter Leslie) Feist."

Green is not only open about his inspirations, but also the difficulties he's had to overcome in recent times. He describes a heroin relapse from a couple of years ago after being clean for several years. "I went on a run that ended up in me overdosing and dying," he remembers. After getting clean again, Green stayed sober, but that wasn't the end of his troubles. "I was also just miserable," he says, as he struggled with mental health issues throughout the pandemic.

Despite the lift the L.S. Dunes project gave him, Green continued to struggle. "Almost in a suicidal way, I relapsed again during the writing process of the Dunes record," he says. "It ended a bunch of personal relationships, and it was a big wake-up call for me."

Green realized that he had to start taking control of his mental health. Fortunately, his band mates were fully supportive, providing him with "nothing but love and appreciation and acceptance," he says.

Unsurprisingly, a lot of Green's personal struggles found their way into his lyrics on Past Lives. Though he poetically represented many of the painful sensations in a way that gave him emotional distance, it wasn't always possible. "There are some songs where it's very difficult to sing an emote and get inside them without getting put through the ringer," he says.

Overall, though, there's no doubt of the positive impact making and performing music provides Green and the rest of the band. "It's just something I need to do in order to survive," says Iero. "It makes me a better man, a better father, a better husband, and a better human."

Issue 64 New Noise Magazine L.S. Dunes interview by Tom Osman

[ltcolonelcarter]

any last words?

me? using gif experiments as an excuse to revisit my favourite minor dialogue pieces? never!

[wheelercore]

Henry's monologue about how people hide behind a "silly little play" ie conformity is actually a mirror to Jason's monologue about how Eddie hides behind DnD (a role-playing game) his true motivations of devil worship. Both are predators, with Henry self identifying as a "predator for good" and Jason being covered with the Hawkins Tigers (nocturnal predator) imagery. In fact, UD monsters are shown to mostly attack at night, making the comparison of Jason to Henry even more obvious. The mirroring here to make the point that while the satanic panic targeted those who were different and "broken" (people like Eddie and Henry), the same people who did that targeting, like Jason, take part in their own little roles that they hide behind. In fact, Jason's dialogue earlier in the season about how there are people who get so involved into DnD that it makes them do horrible things is just complete irony because Jason himself becomes so consumed with playing the role of the "hero", just as he was consumed by being the popular perfect jock, that by the end of the season Lucas declares him (and normalcy) a "psychopath". Anyways in this essay I will be making this about the wheelers-

[ladyjmontilyet]

creative cloud is so stupid. i just installed it to see if it could fix the transcription error i was having (it couldn't) and now in order to uninstall it i have to first uninstall my pirated copies of photoshop and premiere because these programs "depend" on creative cloud

bitch, i didn't buy them from you

[flu5zn]

⠀✼⠀⠀.⠀⠀⠀،،⠀TAG DIRECTORY.⠀

the only people i 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞 to be with now are 𝖆𝖗𝖙𝖎𝖘𝖙𝖘 and people who have 𝒔𝒖𝒇𝒇𝒆𝒓𝒆𝒅: those who know 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗯𝗲𝗮𝘂𝘁𝘆 𝗶𝘀, and those who know 𝔴𝔥𝔞𝔱 𝔰𝔬𝔯𝔯𝔬𝔴 𝔦𝔰, 𝚗𝚘𝚋𝚘𝚍𝚢 else interests me.

[re-dracula]

Welcome to Re: Dracula

We're a bite-sized audio adaptation of the horror classic. Think Dracula Daily for your ears!

Re: Dracula takes the famous horror tale, breaks it up chronologically (every entry of this epistolary novel has a date), and sends the story directly to your podcatcher as it happens. Every time something happens to the characters, Re: Dracula will publish an episode, in real time.

This audio drama is a faithful adaptation of the story we know and love, featuring a full cast to tug on your heartstrings and sound design to keep you on the edge of your seat. Content warnings will be present at the top of episodes, where needed.

We're currently working on a adaption of Carmilla, funded via our Patreon and set to air spring 2025.

Places to Listen:

Re: Dracula Website: redracula.live

Podlink (Links to all the apps!): pod.link/1679833472 

Spotify: open.spotify.com/show/6Mu1ME2CmFi7MpU0YrXcpx 

Youtube Channel: www.youtube.com/@redracula

Megaphone: cms.megaphone.fm/channel/BDA1314847644 

More Links:

Patreon: www.patreon.com/redracula

Ad Free Feed: bloodyfm.supportingcast.fm/products/re-dracula-1

Merch: store.dftba.com/collections/re-dracula

Website: www.ReDracula.live

Bloody Disgusting Website: www.Bloody-Disgusting.com

People are saying...

"I consider this to be the best adaptation of the work out there."

"Above and beyond in every single level."

"If I could I would eat this podcast."

"Dracula has never been more frightening."

"Nobody touch me I'm in a glass box of emotion."

"11/10. Flawless. Perfection. It did not have to go that hard but by the gods it was worth it."

Re: Dracula debuted at #2 on the fiction podcast charts, has seen over two million downloads, and was featured on Tumblr's 2023 year in review. Tor.com called it "a spectacular podcast."

Other Fun Stuff:

Transcript Folder: drive.google.com/drive/folders/1DJjLkhbax-HSyxszufNGQRXXOv8EBQIz 

Patreon Store (Digital Merch): www.patreon.com/redracula/shop 

Spotify Music Playlist: open.spotify.com/playlist/13uD34J7xQrTl9Ym8VbDmn

Youtube Channel: www.youtube.com/@redracula

Tal's Ko-Fi Shop: ko-fi.com/talminear/shop

Re: Dracula Tea (proceeds to charity): www.adagio.com/signature_blend/blend.html?blend=210196

Notion Template (by bluefireferrets): bluefireferrets.gumroad.com/l/Re-Dracula-Notion-template

Zazzle (silly merch): www.zazzle.com/store/re_dracula

Tal's Bandcamp (misc songs): sidequesting.bandcamp.com/ 

Newt's Bandcamp (misc songs): newtonschottelkotte.bandcamp.com 

[lsdunesarchive]

lsdunes: Go watch the Grey Veins video tomorrow and see us out on tour this summer 🦂 #TuckerThursday #FrankFriday

(L.S. Dunes Twitter | June 8, 2023)

Transcript under the cut

[Video ID:

Tucker: What's up, y'all? It's Tucker, and it is, in fact, Tucker Thursday.

Frank: Tomorrow is Frank Friday.

Tucker: Damn right it is.

Frank: I'll be celebrating by doing fucking nothing... Except watching the Grey Veins video!

Tucker: Hell yeah! Grey Veins video, out tomorrow.

Frank: Watch the video!

Tim: What are you doing?

Tucker: Also, July tour, July, August... Go watch the video, come to the tour. Let's go!

End ID]

[lsdunesarchive]

Transcript under the cut

THE GANG'S ALL HERE...

Post-hardcore DILF supergroup L.S. Dunes are having a whale of a time playing away from their main bands. As Frank lero, Anthony Green and co. hit London, we got in the van with them to see first-hand how they're just a bunch of mates kicking out the jams...

WORDS: EMILY CARTER PHOTOS: PAUL HARRIES

Tucker Rule has an unusual bodily comparison to make when asked to describe an L.S. Dunes show. It is, says the drummer, "like a yawn".

We're not gonna lie: that doesn't sound especially exciting, given we're sat in front of the best new supergroup on the planet right now...

"It's very infectious, you know what I mean?" Tucker elaborates. "When I yawn, you're gonna yawn. The energy is infectious, and we're all having the best time onstage – and it shows! And people catch that vibe. When you're up there just having a good time and you don't even know why, there's no way that someone in the audience won't also be having a good time. You're gonna see a bunch of dudes up there that are literally having a ball."

Reclining next to him in a dressing room at Camden's Electric Ballroom, two of Tucker's bandmates – guitarist Frank Iero and bassist Tim Payne – burst out laughing at the initially-alarming description. But they don't even need to outwardly agree, because the joy that radiates from L.S. Dunes (completed by Anthony Green and guitarist Travis Stever) is indeed contagious. They smile, and you naturally do the same.

"Any time we're together, it's just the best," agrees Frank. "Honestly, my favourite thing to do is just hang out with these fools! People have to knock on the door and tell us to stop laughing so loud, that's really how it goes.

It's the second night of the band's first-ever UK headline tour in support of excellent 2022 debut album Past Lives, and having "been around the block" a few times before, grins Frank, this stint on the road already feels unique for these five emo and post-hardcore superstars.

"These experiences are like a one-in-a-lifetime thing," he enthuses while tucking into a pre-show sandwich. "As people, we can take that kind of stuff for granted, and that's something that we really shouldn't do. Because every second is brand new. So with these shows, it does feel different. It's really fun, and it's invigorating, and it bolsters that creative spirit. And I think it also adds to the camaraderie in the band."

And a real, proper band is exactly how the five members of L.S. Dunes are treating this.

"I think people just assumed that this was a side-project, a one-off thing," Frank shrugs of Dunes' surprise formation in lockdown. "And we never said that. It's very much a priority when we can do it. And we've got other projects that are also priorities, but I have three kids and l don't love one more than the other. Sometimes one has soccer practice, and this one has dance recital, you know? You just make time, and you love them all."

As well as their on and offstage enthusiasm, this is completely evident in L.S. Dunes' busy tour schedule. While the band could take things easy and simply ride on the coattails of their other massive groups (My Chemical Romance, Circa Survive, Thursday, Coheed And Cambria), they're out there doing signings, meeting fans and generally putting all the necessary work in to promote this music that has quickly become so special to its creators.

"We all come from other bands and we've been doing this for a long time, but we also know that we do have to treat this like a new band," Tucker stresses. "You don't want to rely on our other bands or our past at all. We treat this like a new band, and we're grateful for every experience that we have. And if people want to come and see us and take a photo, then we have to do it because this is brand-new for us, too."

"Absolutely," nods Tim. "We're lucky enough to be making music that's resonating and having an impact with people in a way that, when you see it happening, you're really taken aback by it. Seeing what music has done for us, and what it's doing for us now, and what it's doing for other people… any time you can have a way to interact with people on a deeper level – when you can really personalise it – that really cements, 'This is why we do this.'

"Even today when we were meeting a bunch of people, there's no pretence," he continues, referencing a sold-out signing session at Rough Trade Soho. "People aren't coming in with any expectation of what's cool or what I'm supposed to do. We're lucky enough to have made a record where it was really just making music for the sake of making music, and everyone that we've met so far seems to be in it for the same reason. There's just a connection there that's really amazing.

"I feel like this record deserves that work," adds Frank. "I love the record so much, and I feel very fortunate that multiple times in my career I've felt: 'This might be the best thing I've ever done. And I feel very fortunate to be in another band where people have a very strong personal connection to it. That's not something you can manufacture or prepare for. It just either happens or it doesn't, and it seems like it's happening. And that's fantastic."

Shortly before they flew out for this UK tour, L.S. Dunes were in rehearsals. The band were supposed to be practicing their 11-song setlist (which features everything from Past Lives – all the recorded material they have so far), but they couldn't resist getting started on more new stuff.

"Right before we flew out, immediately it was like, 'Let's not practice, let's write a song!'" chuckles Frank.

"We wrote a new song in a four-hour span when we should have been rehearsing," Tucker adds.

"It was like, 'Well, I guess these shows are gonna be what they are because we had to write this fuckin' song…'" continues Tim.

"It's really good, though!" winks Frank.

This is all part of the fun of L.S. Dunes. When inspiration strikes, they eagerly go along for the ride. But what if another member is busy on one of their other projects? No bother, they'll keep chipping away anyway, and no egos will be hurt. Simply: they just love working on this band in whatever form they can.

"We chase everything, which is really, really fun," grins Frank. "And I feel like that's how you find the great stuff – even if you're chasing a riff that's like, 'Eh, that's not that great of a riff...' you'll get there, because it's not going to stay the same from inception to fruition. This is really just about the craft of songwriting and musicianship, and that's what intrigues and inspires me."

"We never really stopped writing music," adds Tim. "We recorded and then we got ready for shows, but it's always just been, 'Oh hey, I've got this idea!' We're always working on things and talking about music and art. Once we can really dedicate our time and focus to that and get in the studio, we'll do it."

And while their tantalising live show is on the shorter end of things for now – given the limited material they have released – the band emphasise that fans are absolutely still getting their money's worth.

"When you sit back and think, 'This is every single finished song that we have,' then it doesn't feel like we're short-changing anyone," Tucker says. "This is literally all of the material that we have, that we can present at the moment. And it's a rollercoaster – last night I came offstage with tears in my eyes, no lie. It's a ride, whether you're in the band or not."

"You definitely feel spent after that," nods Frank. "It's an emotional ride, and some of these songs are really heavy – not so much in the music, although yes there are some heavy riffs, but I mean the subject matter. It's a lot to take in."

Even so, for Frank it's not enough.

"I wish we had more songs!" he groans. "There's things that we have in our back pockets, but as we all know, in this day and age, as soon as you play a song in front of anybody then it's released. That's just the way it is. So I get really leery about doing that when we're not finalised on a song.

"I always think about how, for better or for worse, there's old Radiohead songs that I remember me and Mikey [Way] freaking out about when they would come out – they'd play these songs and never release them, and we'd be like, 'Oh my God, I love that song.' And then they'd finally release this song after a while, and it was different. And I was kinda like, '(Sigh) I like the old one.' You know what I mean? So that feeling of not showing somebody your work until you're done with it has always stayed true with me. I don't mind a couple of things surviving out there, but I want to know that I'm done with it before I show it to people."

So more new music is unquestionably on the way, then. But what about shows? If they could do what they wanted, what would a dream L.S. Dunes gig look like?

"Oh man... jeez! I would like to fill the stage with flowers," says Frank. "That would be awesome."

"That would be better than having live scorpions!" jokes Tucker, referencing the logo on the back cover of Past Lives.

"For me, it would really just be more," Frank adds, a touch more seriously. "If schedules weren't an issue, we would just be on tour for a month, two months, whatever, just going to every city."

For now, of course, they're doing what they can. As they start to prepare themselves for their 8pm stage time (for the guitarist that means actual stretching and warming up, whereas everyone else continues to keep things relatively relaxed, as is the Dunes way), Frank, Tim and Tucker look around at each other and seemingly can't believe their luck.

"There's an energy about this band that's just different than anything else I've done," Frank says. "And it's not better or worse, it's just different. There doesn't seem to be a lot of pressure on us when we play. Somehow, some way, it's just genuinely more fun than anything else! I don't know why. My Chem is really fun too, but it's a different kind of fun, and there is a pressure when My Chem takes the stage. Any pressure with this is just internal, and wanting to play really well."

"This is a full-time gig, but we definitely call it 'Low Stress Dunes'," Tucker grins. "And we try to keep it that way. This is a place where it's safe and fun.

"We're in the honeymoon phase," he adds, "and I think that the honeymoon phase will stay."

LS Dunes in Kerrang! Spring 2023

[delta-orionis]

I made an updated ref for my iterator OC Three Stars Above Clouds! Not much has changed since I designed them earlier this year, but I figured it was useful to make a more detailed ref sheet (primarily for my own convenience).

I’ve included some extra biographical info as well as my region map for TSAC’s internals, as well as what their can looks like from the outside, and the inside of their puppet chamber.

I have an in-character ask blog for TSAC over here. Give it a look! I love exploring their character and I'm having a lot of fun.

Some additional links:

TSAC's original ref (contains an extended backstory as well)

TSAC's region map (contains descriptions of the subregions and connections)

TSAC's facility grounds map (details their surrounding area and explains the purposes of each section)

TSAC's general tag on my main blog (misc. info and musings)

A transcription for the text in the images plus some additional notes can be found under the cut.

[ First image - a standard character reference sheet ]

Three Stars Above Clouds

Experimental mountaintop iterator created to catalogue and study celestial objects. Iterator of the Institute-Metropolis of Zenith*. Director of the Zenith Stellar Observatory Consortium and Lead Archivist of the Zenith Data Archives. they/them

Three Stars Above Clouds is an iterator- a massive biomechanical superstructure and supercomputer designed by the "Ancient" civilization to search for a true Solution for Global Ascension.

Three Stars Above Clouds ('TSAC' for short, occasionally 'Three Stars' or rarely just 'Stars') was created by a Firmamentalist** splinter group of Ancients who believed that the Solution could only be found in the sky. TSAC was created to be an advanced stellar observatory, meticulously cataloguing and analyzing all manner of night sky phenomena, as well as a home and institute of learning for the researchers, scholars, and priests of the Firmamentalist sect.

[ Second image - A drawing of TSAC facing away from the viewer, next to an extended description ]

TSAC might not share all of their creators' beliefs, but believes their assigned task of recording and studying the sky to be of upmost importance. They take this responsibility very seriously and value it above all else.

As a result, they are quite reclusive, always too busy with work to talk to anyone. Before the Global Ascension Event, the majority of their social contact was with high-ranking researchers and priests from Zenith, as well as brief, professional conversations with other iterators in their field to discuss theories and compare data. Because all of their social development was in a formal academic setting, they have a polite, professional, almost robotic tone (even by iterator standards).

Despite this, TSAC is not actively antisocial. They enjoy talking to others, and enjoy education in particular. However their intense focus on their work and sheltered upbringing meant they very rarely initiated social contact, only responding if spoken to first. After the Global Ascension Event, TSAC became even more reclusive, choosing only to listen to broadcasts and rarely speaking publicly, if ever.

In the absence of their creators, TSAC was no longer in charge of managing everyday life in the city of Zenith and found themself with free time for the first time in ages. Their self reflections during this time, combined with the worsening decay of the global iterator communications network, made TSAC realize that they barely knew their fellow iterators, and they decided to try and get to know them before they lost the chance.

---

*Zenith is the name of the city atop TSAC's can. It is home to several colleges, research institutes, and observatories.

**The Firmamentalists are the name I came up with for the group that created TSAC. They share much of the same religious beliefs as the rest of Ancient society, but believe that the Solution can only be found by searching the sky (aka the firmament). I'll assume that Firmamentalists or other like-minded splinter groups created other similar astronomy-focused iterators.

The Firmamentalist society of Zenith places a focus on education and the acquisition of knowledge, and considers anything related to learning holy. To learn is to better understand the nature of the carnal plane, as well as how to ascend beyond it. Three Stars Above Clouds was created to aid them in this task.

[ethicaltreatmentofcowplants]

transcript + more info

berenice: aha! she'll never find me here watcher: you mean 'here'? "in moonwood mill, my most favouritist of worlds 'here'?" berenice: ahhhh! i mean, i didn't do it? i've been framed. it was the full autonomy, i swear... watcher: did you just sign up for deanna's bachelorette? berenice: maybe... yes? watcher: do you even *like* other women? berenice: i like other women! i have other women... friends?? watcher: *SIGH* watcher: berenice, this kind of stuff just doesn't happen in real life berenice: what kind of stuff? watcher: he will never like you back like that berenice: he? who's he??? watcher: don't be obtuse, i can see your moodlets berenice: well this isn't real life because i'm a pixel! silly you, watcher...

BERENICE "BERNIE" SMALLS

Young Adult • Ciswoman (she/her) • Physics Major (incoming senior)

TRAITS: genius, overachiever, cringe, paranoid, socially awkward, creative (bonuses: mentally gifted, always welcome, morning sim, night sim, storm chaser)

MISC: Valedictorian and championship chess captain at Copperdale. Actually wants to catch lightning in a bottle someday.

(This is a mischief interaction. She's not evil - just a disaster.)

By day she’s a straight A student, freelance programmer and budding Plopsy empire builder - and a shoe-in for valedictorian to the point where most would happily bet their own mother’s mortgage on it (yeah, please don’t actually do that).

By night, however? A cheater cheater pumpkin eater! Well, not quite (the pumpkin eating allegations however are indeed true).

Her secret? She’s a spellcaster. Her other secret? Plentiful needs potions - and lots of ‘em.

Yes, you too could manage the highest GPA in the school plus every extracurricular that didn't throw you out on your rear end (she and that dungeon master still aren’t on speaking terms), tutoring, plus a fulltime job and another part-time job, had you the equivalent of 24 usable hours in every day.

Obviously this isn’t illegal, as the greater pixel world doesn’t know about spellcasters (see: my legacy heir who still freaks out over her spellcaster husband, brother and her three children). And there’s nothing stopping anyone from washing down caffeine pills with red bull that doesn’t actually give you wings (though Berenice could attempt a potion for that). Aaaand it could be argued that werewolves who can recharge extremely quickly with a wolf nap and vampires who don’t need to sleep at all should not occult their way through Foxbury's hallowed halls. 

But there’s a difference between being thought of as just that amazing, and being thought of as significantly less amazing, because any fool believes that they can achieve what Berenice does with all that extra time she has.

Why is she entering this competition? A very good question. Well, it may be called ‘Dating Deanna,’ but this dumb smart girl has a completely different York in mind. Namely Deanna’s brother Joey, who she’s had a massive crush on ever since she met him one summer holiday in Tartosa.

"I've got this!" "I don't got this..."

She therefore signed up on a whim, and while hindsight is currently coming down on her like a tonne of bricks, she’s too obstinate to pull out now. Bernie Smalls, quit a thing? Never!

PERMISSIONS

All in - feel free to message me!

In terms of romance with other contestants, as she's a 'troll' concept have at it. Maybe not woohoo though since she's still trying to determine her sexuality.

She would be very open to flirting - and well, anything else with Joey. Will she get the opportunity? I highly doubt it but this experience can be a moment of growth for her 😆

(iou a sfs zip after dinner and other adulting!)

@changingplumbob's dating deanna bachelorette challenge (i am so sorry deanna)

[todaysdocument]

Translation of the Diary of Japanese Serviceman Taroa Kawaguchi Detailing Combat Activity on Saipan

Record Group 407: Records of the Adjutant General's OfficeSeries: World War II Operations ReportsFile Unit: 327-INF(165)-.020 27th INF DIV Misc Hist'l Saipan 165th INF RGT, 11 Jun - 7 Jul '44

The following diary translation is forwarded for your information. It furnishes an interesting insight on the character of the Jap soldier.

Diary belonged to Tarao Kawaguchi, of the Mekahara Unit which in turn belongs to the Homare Unit 11945 (43rd Div. Hosp. Unit). Diary was found 19 July at TA 260 G.

June 11, 1944:---

Second air raid since landing on Saipan Island. Same as before. The enemy bombing was carried out in large pattern bombing and received terrific bombardment right after noon and toward the evening. The raid occurred while we NCO's were cooking and didn't have a chance to take cover in the air raid shelters. Altho our AA put up a terrific barrage and our planes intercepted them, it seems that the damage was considerable. Cheran-Kanoa and Tinian area was burning terrifically.

JUNE 12, 1944:---

Same as yesterday, the enemy bombers appeared. Spent the whole day in the air raid shelter and it seems that I have Dengue fever.

JUNE 13, 1944:---

Also today the enemy bombarded. Each squad dug air raid shelters by order of commander. In the afternoon enemy fleets appeared off shore and commenced furious naval bombardment. Seems as if the bombardment was concentrated around Charen-Kanoa and Garapan. The hospital was hit and burning. During the night our second company supplied material to the hospital. Lt. Chura and 2nd Lt. Yamaguchi of the hospital units are high spirits. We carried the patients and the supplies to the air raid shelters.

JUNE 14, 1944:---

Toward the latter part of the day naval bombardment and bombing was prevalent. Today we teansferred to the air raid shelters on the left side of the valley. In the evening, prepared to move medical supplies and tents. Commenced moving at twelve O'clock. However, it was very far so it took us till dawn. On this day the enemy landed and the time has come at last.

June 15, 1944:---

During the evening the Unit Commander and a large part of the NCO's departed for the Saipan Shrine for the treatment of patients, 1st Lt. Kruieda performed bravely and courageously treating the patients under terriffic naval barrage, and he should be considered as the ideal model for the medics section. We administered medical aid to one patient and it was the first time we carried out medical aid since landing on Saipan Island. Under terrific naval bombardment, so impressive ceremony for our country was carried out at the Saipan Shrine. During the night transferred the patients to the 3rd company on top of the hill. Upon returning departed immediately for the ricks.

JUNE 16, 1944:---

Due to the movement of the previous day I was tired so rested in the air raid shelter.

JUNE 17, 1944:---

I and the other NCO's plus five men were ordered by the commander to secure medical supplies. Today the enemy planes are in their glory (strafing and bombing at will).

JUNE 18, 1944:---

The patients are coming in ever increasing numbers. During the evening, transported some medical supplies to the pharmicists section. Today, the strafing by enemy planes was terrific.

JUNE 19, 1944:---

Today the order was given for the distribution of duty. I was placed in the pharmicists section commanded by 2nd Lt. Yamaguchi. [full document and transcription at link]

[lsdunesarchive]

Transcript under the cut

LS. DUNES HEALING OLD WOUNDS THROUGH MUSIC IN PROVIDENCE, RI 07/15/23

L.S.Dunes, we can familiarize them as the "Super Handsome Group" known all over the globe. The incredible band has received an overwhelming amount of support just in their short time getting together and creating music for the world. But the word "Supergroup" just doesn't quite describe them. They are more than their success. The members of L.S. Dunes consist of all the right amounts of love, heartbreak, compassion, respect, friendship, rock, and a strong, strong love for music. And these members include My Chemical Romance guitarist Frank Iero, Thursday drummer Tucker Rule, Thursday bassist Tim Payne, Circa Survive lead vocals Anthony Green, and Coheed & Cambria guitarist Travis Stever.

The most thrilling sound to one's ears, the drum beat to "Bombsquad" firing up and opening the set around 9pm Saturday night. Tucker Rule's crushing drum strikes made an enthusiastic entrance for his band mates. The crowd is wide-eyed with anticipation and excitement. The room is bursting with eager fans. The energy was held high throughout the entirety of this song. There wasn't a point in time where the crowd was still, and the room was silent. The emotion everytime I see this band play live is a rollercoaster. Observing the people in the room with you, you can clearly tell that these songs create an emotional, safe, and realistic space for the fans. The feeling you get watching L.S. Dunes perform live is chilling and heart-racing.

A moment in time where you almost can't help but feel a rush of adrenaline and emotion is about three and a half minutes into "Grey Veins". This was only the fourth song off of their set, but it didn't stop the emotional fans. The Microphone gets extended out into the crowd when the audience takes over and sings back every single lyric. Hundreds of voices singing "Stop trying to make it seem like you made a difference, you don't have to believe in anything. The catch is it isn't just sung regularly, It's sung in a harmonizing, confident tone. Almost like the crowd has been dying to sing that one part the entire time. I could feel around me that everyone was so in the moment, the many voices echoed off of the four venue walls. But the real tears won't appear until you hear the mesmerizing guitars to "Sleep Cult".

"Sleep Cult" was a phenomenal 2022 release brought to life at shows. In Providence Saturday night, L.S. Dunes ended their show with "SIeep Cult" off of their album "Past Lives". They balanced out their setlist perfectly with the transition from "2022" into "Sleep Cult". Both of these are well structured songs that seem to be a hint towards mental health advocacy. The fans gathered in close, swaying themselves slowly to the melody raising a light in the air. Tears flooded the strand on this specific song. Anthony Green repeatedly and beautifully sang the verse "I'm sorry that I wish that I was dead" Which touched so many lost souls. The build up on this was stronger than ever. It seemed that he had sung this part more times then previous shows and in the released version. It was a super spiritual way to wrap up the night.

It doesn't end just yet! The Providence show was packed with fun memories, key highlights, and special information. During the hour- long set performed by LS. Dunes, they spared some time for laughter. This band in particular is especially known for cracking a joke every now and then and having positive interactions with their fans. From Anthony Green putting a balloon into his shirt, to Frank lero saying "No whoop whoops", they classify as a goofy, talented dad band. Just released this summer, their new song "Benadryl Subreddit" has already made show setlists and seen a few crowds. It is currently streaming everywhere and has reached almost 200,000 listeners on Spotify.

I've always been a strong believer in music, it has gotten me through a lot of rough patches. I respect music artists of all genres. But for me personally, to really feel a connection to reality and life in the real world, it needed to be the kind of music that screams into my headphones about midlife crises, heartbreak, insecurities, mistakes, life and death, and the more "scary" things we face. The Iyrical structure in every song off of the bands debut album "Past Lives" perceives this. Sharing a room with music artists that have influenced positive energy at every venue they have played for their entire lives makes me feel honored to be standing where I am. Capturing moments that the band, the fans, and myself will remember for a lifetime.

Review and pictures by Aryzona Kurtz

SUNRAY MAGAZINE ISSUE 26

[variousqueerthings]

ways my transcription has failed to hear the word "transmasc"

trans mass: Catholic trans

trans mask: vigilante trans

trans masque: trans at a Venetian ball

trans misc: all things related to trans

trans mess: trans and going through life as best as we can

[the-oracle-of-the-lost]

misc Gallifrey transcriptions

so a few years ago i started making transcriptions for the Gallifrey audios and i was intending on doing the whole series but i ended up not finishing because joint pain/migraine issues. since i'm unlikely to actually finish (and since i saw a post asking if there are any transcriptions up), i decided to share what i had.

DROPBOX LINK

included are: Weapon of Choice, The Inquiry, Lies, Pandora, Mindbomb, Disassembled, Annihilation, Evolution, Renaissance, Ascension, Intervention Earth, Enemy Lines, Unity, and Beyond.

please note that the style conventions i use to transcribe these very much changed so some are written a bit more amateur-ish than others. i'm also sure there are typos because i've done zero proof-reading of these since i last made them i have really shit audio comprehension so there are a few muttered lines that i simply do not know what they are saying. also because this was originally going to be a personal project, i have a bunch of stupid in-jokes in there. from my memory most of them are about commenting on how much i love the sound of the swishy doors in s1-6 and also me pointing out every time one of the writers/directors was voicing a background character by writing their name in instead of a character name.

also MAJOR NOTE for people who haven't listened to the series before – these transcripts CONTAIN SPOILERS for future episodes. this mostly applies to season 1 so hopefully without spoiling anything – i'd very much recommend listening to all of s1 before you look at any of the transcripts.

feel free to share the link/add these transcriptions to various gdrives that collect Gallifrey transcriptions but just be mindful of where you're posting for copyright reasons <3

(also tagging – @autisticstevenuniverse and @gotyouanyway)

[gatheredfates]

Hello my lovelies! 🦈 You might be asking yourself 'Sea, this is weird, You don't update during the week!' and you would be correct. I was supposed to push this update out by the end of my long weekend as an addition to this; however, due to a bunch of irl stuff I won't go into here, it was delayed. I have endeavoured to rectify it now rather than waiting out the week so peoples' resources are properly showcased. This will not be a common occurrence!

However, as of today (06/04), the following resources have been added to Sea's Community Compendium for XIV Creatives.

FREE COMPANY / COMMUNITY FOCUSED / EVENT SPACES

The Final Fantasy XIV Tumblr Community — A public Tumblr community where you can share FFXIV content and meet other players.

*NOTE. Tumblr communities are currently in beta and cannot be joined/applied to directly at this time. You will need to request an invite from @spotofmummery in order to join. When communities are out of beta, the disclaimer on the Compendium will be removed to properly reflect its public status.

LORE

The Rabanastran Record — A resource on Dalmascan lore, history and additional notes incorporating missing information via FFXII content. Is regularly maintained and updated when new information is given in game/lorebooks or on request. Created and maintained by @stalwart-spirit on tumblr.

Pandæmonium Raid Series Transcript — This is a full transcript of the quest dialogue, battle lines and NPC dialogue from all of P1-12! Created by @divinitymanifest.

MISC

FF14 Battle Portrait Tutorial — Have you ever wanted to create a battle portrait for your WoL similar to the ones you see in Endwalker story events and dungeons? @twitter-sakuranokaze has put together a guide on just how to do it!

CHANGELOG

A 'lore' checkbox has been added to the google form to better reflect the update to the Compendium's sorting. It was the one part of that change I forgot to do, so it's now up-to-date!

Free Company / Community Focused / Event Servers has not been updated to Free Company / Community Focused / Event SPACES to better reflect Tumblr communities and potentially encompass other smaller communities not easily covered by Large-Scale or Misc.

Bookmark links to certain resources have been added/amended. Again, not sure why they broke... but they're working now!

Want to submit? You can either fill out the google form here, send me an ask with the relevant information contained on the Compendium, or join my Discord at SEAFLOOR (21+ only)!

Is my space suitable for the Compendium? Most of the time, yes! Below the read more is some more information/stipulations. Again, all the below information is accessible on the document! 🐡

Below are the following things I do not accept on the Compendium:

Personal/Single-Character LFC ads.

Content intended for or can be used for bullying, harassment and OOC gossip. E.g. ‘Secrets’ blogs, receipts, callout posts, etc. This does not include in-character tabloid blogs used to generate RP.

Communities that do not have an RP/writing element (large-scale exempt).

Anything I find personally distasteful or goes against the spirit of this project.

Common-sense rule applies.

FAQ.

I want to put my community on the compendium but we have an application process. Is this okay?

Yes! Just note somewhere in your application that's a requirement. The only thing that is mandatory for the Compendium is that you must be open to new members or have a public-facing/accessible facet. There's no point advertising a community if no one can join it in some way!

I want to put my community on the compendium but I only have x number of members —

Also totally okay! People don't start with large communities. Activity is a must but, whether your server has two or two thousand members, if you're looking for new people to join, I'd love to help you find people.

I want to put my community on the compendium but I worry its too niche?

Okay, and? If your Eorzean Fishing Alliance has four members but you roleplay every second weekend, I still want to know about it.

What resources/communities can I add if I'm not the owner of them?

Mutual consent is extremely important to me, so anything that isn't a large-scale community OR a publicly accessible resource must be endorsed by the owner/admin/moderators in order to be added to the compendium. I operate under the assumption that a resource posted to a public space (tumblr, googledocs, youtube, etc) is open to all. A large-scale community is one with a significant member count or openly advertises itself as being accessible to everyone for whatever purpose it serves. If in doubt, please get in touch with me. I'm happy to contact your community owners for you!

How active does a community need to be?

If you find a community has not been active in about two/three months, send me a message and I'll take a look at it. Communities have ebbs and flows, especially event spaces that may take hiatuses depending on member interest/life events. I'm not strict in my implementation provided a space isn't dead. If a link or anything is broken, absolutely contact me about that.

I have [insert a question not stated here]?

No drama! Send me an ask or use the #Compendium channel in my Discord!