#no clue how Instagram works but I'll learn

[call-me-copycat]

Made an Instagram account after being persuaded by some friends - what the heck?! Why's it so hard to stay anonymous on there? I use a second phone number (and side email) and it still recommends me the people in my contacts for my primary one?

Maybe it's because I've practically been raised by Tumblr so the sudden switch is different, but I can't help but feel like an elder when trying to navigate it either (　³ω³ ).｡

I've never had the "popular" social media sites, I was raised to stay away from them - no one in my family said anything about Tumblr so that's why I started (and stayed) on here

I don't know... Instagram is scary!

[simonnebethel]

Writeblr Introduction

Just learned what a writeblr intro is so I'm gonna make one before I go to bed lol

I've already done something like this a few days ago but that was when I had no clue what I was doing lmao, so might as well make a more in depth one

About me:

20, she/her, bi

American

I write mostly fantasy and urban fantasy, and honestly i dont think i've ever written a story that was non-fantasy lol

Started writing when I was 10, but it was mostly Warrior Cats fanfiction on Wattpad lol. I went through a writing slump for most of highschool but last year I decided to get back into it since I'm not doing anything else lol

I like to read fantasy and classic lit, also anything with vampires. I also have a soft spot for slowburn romances where the main characters dont kiss until, like, the 4th book heehee

In love with anything gothic, vampire, and wlw 👩‍❤‍💋‍👩

I think one of my more niche interests is any early 2000s fantasy/sci-fi movie with a nu-metal/rock/alternative soundtrack like Queen of the Damned and The Crow. They are just...*chefs kiss*

My current stories:

A Chant for Blood (Formerly known as Account of Calamity)

Account of Calamity is a gothic victorian fantasy about a Grand Marshal, Karliah Helisende, and a blood-drinking fiend, Yorick Gwynplaine, who work together to investigate the mysterious portals that spawn dangerous creatures into the city of Isarnan, all the while Karliah is being haunted by the mysterious ancient temple that watches over her every move.

I'm currently working on the second draft, and I may start looking for beta readers once I'm finished, although I know I'm not far from finished with this novel. I also plan to make it a 4 or 5 book series, and slowly add a slowburn romance.

12/30/24 - Second draft has been finished!!

Looking for beta readers! Look here!

Our Demonic Hearts - The Craven Pact Series #1

Our Demonic Hearts is a urban fantasy about a cambion woman, Ana Kravens, haunted by her past. Taking place in a small Mississippi town, a man she went through a traumatic incident with, Beau Motloe, shows up on her doorstep one day with a deal; help him find his missing mother, and he'll give back the memories she lost during the traumatic incident. Her father, a demonic creature of unknown origin, wants nothing more than the Motloes dead, claiming that they were the very reason his daughter was almost killed 6 years ago. Ana goes against her father's wishes and accepts Beau's deal, suspecting that her father isn't telling the whole truth about that fatal night.

It is completed and available on Wattpad and Royal Road!! It was just a small project I had done for Nanowrimo, and has been edited at least once before being published. However, I plan to make it a trilogy and maybe have some spin-offs. This story is fairly new, but most of the characters are at least 5 years old and I love them very much <3

My Plans for 2025:

Finish my fantasy romance novel, To Hear a Lovebird by February 28(currently sitting at 48k out of an estimated 60k!)...and give it a new name 😅

Start the first draft of The Craven Pact #2, which is called Our Sacred Memories!

Down the road, I may start another short story...I am not sure.

Create a Instagram account for writing...I'm not sure. We will see.

Begin the next editing phase for my Victorian fantasy novel, A Chant for Blood! I am itching to get back to working on it. I have many plans for it.

What I planned for 2024:

Finish the second draft of A Chant for Blood and look for beta readers(In the beta reader phase!) ✅

Start the second novel of The Craven Pact Series(Outline complete)

Write a short story/novella or two taking place within the A Chant for Blood universe. My brain is currently exploding with ideas rn ✅

Write a short story about Ana Kraven's mom and how she met Marchosias, Ana's father. ❌

Plan something for Nano?? Idk where I'll be in November lol (Finish a project I started in february, which is To Hear a Lovebird!)(14/22 chapters done!)

I'm interested in following other writers and reading everybody's stories! I would also be interested in a beta read/beta swap ^^

Other sites I'm on:

Wattpad: LillithOfBees

Royal Road: SimonneBethel

Bluesky: Simonne-Bethel

18+ Writing discord!!!

[amityblightperchance]

1

The honest truth

My name is Taylor and this is the story of what I did, and why I did it. I had a friend named Este, who I met every Tuesday to chat.

One night, she talked about her suspicions about her husband, talking about the lipstick on his mouth, and the jewelry on their joint account. She decided to call him out.

I am a woman who speaks her mind so I said, "If it's true, do you have the money for a divorce? A survival plan if he tries something?", "Honestly no," she replied, "But I have the rage of 50 bulls."

I was worried but thought nothing of it. Later, leaving the Olive Garden she said,

" Don't worry Taylor. I'll be fine.", but I was still scared because, if that man can cheat, he can do just about anything.

Next Tuesday, I wait at a nice table with two glasses of wine for the two of us. After an hour, she never came. I obviously was worried so I tried her cell, nothing, texting her, nothing. So, I left and went to my car with a plan.

I arrived at her house about twenty minutes later and knocked on her door. Out came her husband, who looked suspiciously worried. "Hi Taylor! Why are you here so late?", to which I replied, "Is Este here?"

He looked like a cartoon character when you ask them their crush. "No, uh... I don't know where she is..." I was shocked. "Oh. Alright! I'll go back to Olive Garden to see if she's there."

In the car I quickly drove away with wide eyes. I'm not a liar so I went back to the restaurant and, of course, she wasn't there.

I called her husband, Mark again to double-check and got voice mail. It was 10:00 at night. He had to be asleep, right?

2

The denial

The next morning, I woke up to a voice mail from Mark, saying that if Este isn't back by 7:00 tonight, he'd file a missing person's report.

I groaned. Why did this have to happen? The stress was giving me a headache. I got out of bed, and made scrambled eggs for breakfast.

The thought of work at a time like this was awful, so I called in sick. Hartford Library doesn't need me today, right?

Not being at work gave me time to investigate what was happening in the Thatcher house. So I talked to Este's sister, Eve.

"Have you noticed anything... off about Mark?", she confusedly replied, "No, not at all! Why?", panicking, I said, "Oh no reason!". Well that sure helped.

Not sure what to do, I went to see a movie.

It was 2020, so I had to wear a mask. After the movie, I had some lunch. And stalked the Thatcher's Instagrams.

3

The clues

After lunch, I drove past their house again. Mark's truck has new tires! And a woman moved in! This can't be real right?

On the news, I saw a report. Este Thatcher, 29, missing. He filed it. I sighed, realizing nobody would believe me, so I invited Eve over for dinner to explain.

Before she arrived I made spaghetti and meatballs and a tiramisu for dessert. Then waited.

She arrived just on time. 6:30. "Hi Taylor!! Thanks for inviting me! I needed to get away after hearing my sister was missing."

We had some wine and chatted before I brought up my suspicions. "Look, I know you might not believe me but please listen." And explained everything.

"Oh my god. What can I do? I need to help.",

to which I just said, "Help me prove that he did it."

4

The helping hand

Eve, now knowing everything was determined to help me. I appreciated it because, if I had someone on my side, things could go how I want it.

She stayed in the guest room that night, she couldn't be alone. Which I heavily understood.

For the next week or so, we regularly visited Mark, pretending to be consoling him through the pain of his missing wife. We saw right through him.

Through the visits, we learned that she confronted him as soon as she got home after she met me last, "Said she needed to leave to think things through", and that was the last he heard from her.

We decided to talked to the neighbor, Betty, who had a really tragic story. "I saw Mark put something of Este's size in the back of his truck!", upon hearing that, Eve loudly gasped.

We left soon after, shocked. "You don't think he..." Eve asked quietly on the drive home. "I do." I stated. The rest of the drive was silent.

I couldn't sleep that night, knowing exactly what he did. It was insane.

At around 11:24, I got up and found Eve crying. She knew too. "I don't understand! That stupid Aimee can't be better than my sister!"

"I agree.", I said pulling her in for a hug. No woman deserves this.

5

The sadness

I woke up and realized we fell asleep on the floor while we were talking, in denial and deep sadness. She was still asleep, and I was still hugging her. What do I do?

After about twenty minutes, she woke up. "Finally, you're awake.", "What happened?", she asked. A half second after that I saw the look of realization on her face.

"Oh.", she blurted, "Right.", You could hear every bit of sadness in her voice. It was heartbreaking.

After that, we both went to work. Me, to the library, Eve, to Starbucks. I worked my usual shift, from 7:00 to 4:00 and left.

I got home, laid on the couch, and watched Friends for a while. My favorite show would help.

Forty minutes later, Eve arrived. "Hi. I just had a long day. Ooh! Is that Friends?", she sat on the couch and watched with me.

After two hours, we got dinner. Takeout from McDonald's. We talked about things other than Este for a while. It was nice.

Later, we went to our bedrooms and I looked at my phone for a while. While doing that I made up a plan. I wouldn't do it. But would I?

Slowly, I fell asleep. My dream was about the plan. Why was it?

6

The plan

I woke up at 6:30. I had to tell Eve the plan. I would be crazy not to, but even crazier if I did.

"Eve... Eve!", "It's so early, Taylor... What's wrong?", "I know how to get justice." She instantly sat up. "... Go on."

"When I was fifteen, my father had me get a boating licence, and I used to be a maid so I can cover up a scene!", "Are you saying what I think you are?", "Why wouldn't I?"

7

The crime

I waited till midnight, I drove to the house, Stabbed about 3-4 times. Now the clean up I've been waiting for.

I take him out to the lake, and out on my boat. We don't go very far before I stop. I look around. No one can see this. No one's there, so I throw him in.

I sigh, what's done is done.

When I arrived home I was greeted by a smiling Eve. "I made a cake!", I guess justice really is sweet.

We ate the cake in celebration. Este was free. We had nothing to worry about.

And Mark, was rotting at the bottom of a lake. After all, no body, no crime.

The end

[jack-bytez-genuine-corner]

Dear Tumblr diary,

I had to make a Instagram and Threads in an attempt to follow con artists I've met and bought things from, but in doing so I have to interact with a social media that sucks and only wants to show me women "Working out" in the skimpiest attire imaginable with their gazoingas hanging out and not at all supported, which isn't just bad form that can get you injured but I'm gay and therefore am terrified of big boobs. Jokes aside it sucks as I already pine for the days when I first joined Tumblr and learned it had basically negative levels of coding for a recommendation feed but instead just drip feeds me content from people I already follow. Also you have to request to follow some people on Instagram? I'm not trying to be their friend I'm just trying to read any important updates they put out so I can toss what little money I can spare at them to keep them afloat. (As a side note I do have a fear of big breasts a little. I have no clue if that's a weird fear but I got it and I'll never understand it. I've started to learn to like big chested guys though so that's good but it's dumb.)

On another note I did a full body nude sketch of an anthro lamb that turned out VERY well. I don't really see many anthro lambs as so many artists draw them very cute and innocent and closer to the source but I just drew a dude and stapled a lamb head on him and I think it turned out very well for furry art and for my first full body sketch in over 6 years. I had to relearn all my 2D art stuff cause I got hit by some crap around my time in art college that made me hang up the pen until this last month ish.

I'm very happy that my friends, family and husband are all giving me much more of the support I'd like from art which is more than just "Ok" or "Cool" which definitely gives me that rush to keep going, but the core difference is that I'm far more accepting of my "Bad art" than I was even I was 18. Art to me is just about the process and making now and that brings joy, rather than grandiose ideals or dreams. I guess my pessism from having long COVID and brain fog has made me bury my dreams which let's me enjoy the present far more.

The Cult of the Lamb comic is insanely good so far and I feel like it's doing a great job of fleshing out every aspect of the characters but most notably I do like how terrifying and authority driven the lamb can be while also being extremely kind, really playing with both aspects of the potential read on the game's "Morality." I still have a couple con comic books to read ala Quested but I'm also going to read Kid Venom just cause I think more of these very western properties should hand them out to people in other countries to do their own spin. I talk about it with my dad a lot but getting an Idian film studio or Korean film studio to make a Star Wars movie or show would be really neat given just how much raw talent they have and how they might approach these concepts from a different cultural lens, especially since foreign stuff is taking off in the West due to how much desire people have to see and experience something new that isn't just made by us in America. Like get the people who made Monkey Man to make an hour and a half lone Jedi revenge story or something could be awesome.

Other than all that I'm about 3.75ish years into Long COVID brain fog with zero relief coming so that sucks as it made me quit college right before I had my associates while stopping me from working at all. Given how shtty the job market is with scams and fake job listings I can't really tell if that's a blessing or a curse. Hopefully I won't be like this forever, but I guess it's fine if I am too.

I'm wishing you all the best,

Jack

[thelaurenshippen]

oooh interesting question! thanks for tagging me @holliwoobz!

I have complicated feelings about the word "creator", but I have complicated feelings about nearly every term used to refer to what I do, so it's no better or worse for me than any other. this question could just as easily have the word "artist" or "writer" or "podcaster" and I think my response would be equally ambivalent. in any case, I'm not sure that I have a strong definition for feeling like a creator - on the one hand, I felt like a creator the moment I put pen to paper and wrote my first story and on the other hand, I still don't feel like a creator at all, because I don't feel fully successful as one. I make my living from a patchwork of things, and creating is, in many ways, the smallest contributor to that patchwork.

but there are a few moments that stick out to me in the "oh shit I'm really doing this" feeling -

the table read for @thebrightsessions - hearing Julia, Briggon, and Anna give voice to these characters that had been only in my head was deeply surreal and rewarding

seeing fanart for the very first time. I remember it SO vividly. it was on instagram, in march of 2016, pretty much just after our second season began. it was a few doodles of chloe and I remember thinking "if this is it, if this show completely falls apart tomorrow, I'll be satisfied, because someone felt moved enough by it to make their own art"

recording the season 3 finale of TBS, the safe house episodes. those were the first episodes we ever recorded in a studio, not my bedroom (the only other episode we recorded in a studio in the first 4 seasons of TBS was the musical) and it was a full, 8 hour recording day, with pretty much the whole cast at, like, a real, fancy-ass studio that I dipped into my measly savings to cover and I sat in the parking lot for a full hour because I woke up at 6am and by 7:30 I just had to get out of the fucking house even if the session didn't start until 9. I had not one single goddamn clue of what I was doing, had never directed anything in a studio, had never tried to block anything before and, sure, we'd rehearsed, but I felt entirely unprepared. and then, you know, not the most emotionally chill episodes ever, so by the end of it, I was wrung out. but I got back into my car that evening and thought about how ten hours earlier I'd had to stare at the steering wheel and concentrate on not throwing up and now I was driving home having done it and done it well and maybe I really could make something of myself in this medium

and even now, having written hundreds of episodes of audio drama, directed even more than that, having worked with big companies and produced indie shows from other creators, having been hired to consult as an "expert", invited to speak at conferences and to college classes, I still sort of feel like I'm going to throw up every time I'm about to walk into that studio. I constantly have that feeling of "well, I made something that some people like, but that was a fluke, I'm not really a writer".

part of this is, of course, just your garden variety imposter syndrome that I'm not sure any of us ever truly get rid of. but the other big piece, the lesson I learned a few years into making shit and having it go somewhere, is that you never really arrive. you're never done, you've never made it. I long for the day that I'll be able to just write and make things and have that be enough to pay for my life and, god forbid, actually contribute to my retirement account, but I know that that level of stability won't necessarily mean I finally feel like a creator, like that's my job, like that's who I am, and like that's enough. but every day I do create, and that's the important part. so that's the feeling I try to focus on.

Audio drama creators: what moment made you feel like you were *actually* a creator?

[idiskeda]

Recent PxTones

You can tell I've been enjoying some reggae and anything of the sort recently

I'll send a link to what this is based off later, but for a clue, it's something I improvised on the game Wii Music. You might recognise a tiny bit of the chorus of Sukiyaki... I haven't listened to this one with headphones on yet, so I have no idea how the panning goes. I hope I did ok xD

This one's vaguely based off the rhythms some kind of Japanese folk (I'm sorry I don't know any specifics). I'll send a link to what this is based off later, too. Inspiration from the "Mari on painkillers" scene from Joshiraku, as well as a video by this one cellist on Instagram who has played the cello like a bass/guitar.

Fun fact: the track was originally going to be all in major, but I thought it would sound pretty badass if I made it harmonic-major (or whatever the scale is called, I forgot but it's one of my favourites) instead

Stil a work in progress. Hope to fix up the volumes in some parts, as well as speed it up a little (and also adjust the pitches of the drums near the looping part). If you listen carefully to one bit, you can find a small reference to a Mendelssohn piece that I'm trying to learn on the piano! :D Also, it was here where I really saw how reggae (possibly) was a huge part of the roots for (at least, 90s) hip hop.

[wool-and-wanderlust]

I have been meaning to catch up on this blog for a while, but the more days that pass, the more like a chore it seems. But I'm realizing how many details I'm forgetting by not writing things down daily, so I'll try to be better at this.

July 12: After some work on the farm in the morning, we had a last-minute gather for a neighbor scheduled for the afternoon. I walked along a bottom fence line while people above me (out of sight) pushed sheep on ahead. The most important thing is not to get too far ahead of anyone else, because if you do, the sheep won't want to come past you and it messes up the whole flow of things. But it's difficult to guess how fast the others are going. I thought I was being conservative with my speed, but when I looked behind me at one point, I could see a group of sheep being pushed up towards me. If they saw me, I was at risk of messing up that flow. So I climbed over the fence and crouched down so the sheep wouldn't be scared to go past me, and thankfully they didn't see me and ran right past. We pushed the sheep down into a valley, and someone else had to drive down and open the gate. We had to wait a while for them to open it, so three of us had the job of holding the group of sheep there at the bottom and prevent them from running back up the hill, which was not an easy task...! Once one sheep starts breaking back up the hill, the rest will follow in a hurry. We/the dogs had to chase them back down a few times. When they finally opened the gate, we turned them and walked them down to a farm at the end of the road. We got them into a pen, and when we were finished, 5 farmers there stood chatting for a while. Between the topics and the thick accents I usually don't have a clue what they're talking about, so I was just entertaining myself by staring at the sheep and looking around. I noticed one of the gates to the field was open, which didn't seem like a very good thing...so I interrupted them to ask if it was meant to be open, and they all leapt into action to close the gate before the sheep noticed it was open. Not to give myself too much credit, but I'm pretty sure we all would have just left if I hadn't noticed it, and the whole afternoon's work might have been for nothing!

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

July 13: We had an early morning gather for the neighbors today, and it could not have been a more beautiful morning. The sun was shining and while it started out cool, we had all taken our jackets off by the end. The problem with this weather is when the sun is out, you're baking, but when it's cloudy it's freezing and it could rain at a moment's notice. I wore waterproof trousers for this walk but didn't need them, and instead was roasting. Oh well — better safe than sorry.

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July 14: Did some painting today in the holiday let, and we went down to the other town to check on the sheep we dropped off there last week. We had to make sure the electric fence was still in good shape and that no sheep had escaped, were having health issues, or had died...The sheep were all where they were supposed to be, but sadly one of them had died of maggots. We had to move the dogs into the cab of the truck so we could put the dead sheep in the back, and the dogs didn't smell great but probably weren't as bad as the dead sheep would have been...I also learned how to drive a standard today by driving around in some fields, and later learned to drive the Manitou and move silage bales. The controls are a little complicated and not intuitive, so I tried my best but it didn't go great! I tore a few of the plastic coverings and dropped one...They were very patient with me though. It kind of feels like a video game and I can't help but want to get better at it.

Here's a short Instagram video of the last few gathers.

[beatsfortheillperth]

Words with Jetson

Our next interview is with a producer and rapper out of a beautiful place known as Tauranga, in New Zealand, This creative is known as Jetson.

He happens to be one of my cat, Rain's personal favourites for sleep time and regardless of the amount of thumping bass Jetson's music creates and picture frames it knocks over, I understand why he sleeps so sweetly.

Probably a lot to do with the fact that bass has rhythm, just like the sweet sweet words Jetson correlates with his word-plays in tracks such as "Milk" and "SENSEI". Not only impressing cats, Jetson has made moves and connections beyond the long white cloud, proving isolation doesn't always silence brilliance. Jetson brings words any generation can hold some sort of relevance to, words that allow one to notice life moves fast and slow and sometimes you just have to chill and become an observer rather than an instigator.

This is something I feel Jetson has accomplished with his rather low-key approach to releases and interviews.

Jetson is a natural, a true prodigy of sound and a sharer of moods, and to me, is a reminder that with a little bit of passion and persistence, great things can happen, whatever your field.

Jetson’s collective and label - Chill Children is evidence of that, as through it , Jetson is able to work and release with producers and beat-makers all over the globe.

emo the optimist, BACKWHEN, fuyu, eets, and junyii are just some of the diverse talents working with Chill Children and everyone on the catalogue are game-changers that make music that’s anointed in chills. 

Creators that push boundaries and portray emotion through sound in the most soothing way, one must check Chill Children.

So with that I hope you enjoy rare words with the nuance wonder, and in his own words.

Sit back, relax, get baked, create, f**k it.

Enjoy and much love.

Hey man thanks for the opportunity to share words. Let's start with a few random quick questions to get things going. Favourite Beverage: Lemon water. Favourite thing to do in your down-time: Make music/skate. Views on Reincarnation: It will be cool if it is true but I guess it doesn't really change anything if it is 🤷‍♂️ Favourite Food: Sushi. Favourite Album of All Time: Tribe Called Quest - Midnight Marauders A song to break it down to: Ethereal & Playboi Carti - Beef A song to chill to: Durand Jones & The Indications - Cruising to the park Do you prefer Sunrise? or Sunset? Why?: Sunset, because I'm never awake for sunrise. A childhood memory in regards to music: I remember saving up to buy Graduation by Kanye West and listening to that shit front to back for weeks straight. Favourite Place to be: Probably on an island.

Thanks for that, so let's start by asking what inspires you to produce and not only produce but continually produce, what to me is an array of tunes fitting so many genres?

Do you have a set of goals in place when you release a track or do you just hit upload and just hope people are feeling your sound?

What I like to listen to is constantly changing so I like to challenge myself to try and make the things that I'm inspired by.

I like to think that you never know what you're gonna get when you listen to my music but I've still got so much to learn and experiment with. I just try have fun with it and not think about it too much.

How long have you been producing music, and what did you find was hardest to get the hang of when it first came to producing beats?

I had no music theory knowledge or anything when I started making beats (I still don't have much) so there was a lot to learn right away.

Probably the hardest thing that I still battle with is knowing what you should release, what you shouldn't etc. It's hard to balance knowing when something is finished and when it still needs work.

Could you give a quick run-through of the process you follow when it comes to making a beat?

I try to change my process as much as I can to keep things fresh and fun for myself. But I really enjoy hearing a sample somewhere like keys, a quote or a rapper I want to remix, then I start working with that piece and see where it goes.

I'll mess around with the beat for a while and sometimes a track comes out. It can take one day, it can take months. Just depends.

Oldies are always goodies in my books and I have to mention your "bumps from 2014" mixtape, it truly is something special.

What inspired those little bumps? What were you doing back then? Also, can you remember the mood you were in when you made them?

I'm glad you like it haha. That was when I really had no clue what I was doing in terms of making beats, I was making all of those 'off the grid' in Ableton so I was placing drums in random places, I had no idea what bpm the samples were or anything. I really didn't know wtf I was doing, just going off of a vibe. 

My mood was really just being excited about making music, I was living in the basement at my mum's house blasting beats on the speakers all day.

[bumps from 2014] - https://soundcloud.com/sleepgodd/bumps-from-2014

You are also a rapper. My favourite NZ rapper to be more precise so thank you for the vibes you create. How did you find out you had it in you to rap and how old were you?

Damn, I appreciate that ✌️ I started rapping with a friend of mine, Jesse aka j cafe when we were around 20. We'd sit in my room smoking weed, and free-styling over beats on Soundcloud all night. 

Then we decided to make a track, so we found a beat and jumped in the closet to record some vocals on the laptop microphone.

We put it up on Soundcloud and I've been addicted to making music ever since.

Link to j cafe’s Soundcloud here - https://soundcloud.com/j-cafe

Cover art for Jetson’s 2019 rap release - bluntscraps

Album cover art by Takuroh Toyama

When did you first start rapping in front of others? What did it feel like in the beginning compared to now when you perform live?

I was insanely nervous the first time I ever did anything live and that feeling really hasn't left me lol.

Except now I know how to deal with nerves a bit better and actually enjoy the whole experience of doing something live.

I definitely think I'm a lot better now than my first time doing it, but I still kinda suck 😂 Staying on topic with your rapping, material-wise you have mad skills, your music is forever helping me chill out so thank you.

When did you start writing down your words and turning them into structured songs? Do you have any other artists that inspire your writing style?

When I was younger I really liked the flow of rappers rather than what they were actually saying.

Dudes like MF Doom and Earl Sweatshirt really influenced me at the start wanting to come up with lines that were catchy and different.

To form an actual track I usually just mumble over beats to get the flow, then I start placing words in the spots where I think they fit.

Does your family know you make music? If so what do they think of it, any dance parties in the Jetson Family Household? 

My immediate family all know and support my music. My mum used to have one of my tracks as her ringtone for years lol.

No jetson dance parties yet, but seems like every year more people in my extended family know about my music.

You were also a member of NZ Duo, Chill Children of which you rap and produce with yet another kiwi talent, both having low-key approaches when it comes to presenting yourselves through social media. What happened with that?

Me and J Cafe started Chill Children as a rap project in the early days but we moved to different places in the world and started doing our own solo projects so things sort of stopped happening with it.

I still credit those times with really getting me started on music though. He's still making dope shit and we'll probably link up on a track soon.

So then it became a sort of collective community, and through your Chill Children Soundcloud, you allow a platform for other artists to have their music heard.

Much Love on the concept, What inspired you to start sharing other artists music and what keeps you sharing? I'm very grateful btw, too many gems.

I work on music a lot with my friend emo the optimist (aka kodama) and we always wanted to run a label/collective kind of thing so we could release music from artists that we really liked.

After me and Jesse started doing our own thing, Chill Children seemed like the perfect place to start doing that.

It's one of my favorite things to work on as we have a hand in working with the artists on every release. I just love that we're able to share so much music that we really like with the world.

Check Chill Children here -

Bandcamp - https://chillchildren.bandcamp.com/

Soundcloud - https://soundcloud.com/chillchildren

Instagram - @chillchildren

Any new Chill Children material we should keep an eye out for?

We always have new music from new artists dropping so definitely follow our instagram/twitter if you want to stay updated on it.

We're currently working on a phonk compilation with guys like DJ Yung Vamp, Genshin etc. It's gonna be crazy 🤯

Back to your solo releases through your alias Jetson. What made you want to start putting out your material alone? Also, do you have a favourite Jetson release?

I really felt like I had to release music solo to see what I could do.

I've learned so much about myself through that process, became more confident and a better musician.

Probably my favorite rap track I've made is called 'Escape'.

Not many people have heard it but it's on Spotify and other places.

My favorite beat I've made is probably 'dylan rieder'.

Have to ask, are you working on any new releases we should keep an ear out for? If so, what can we expect with your coming releases?

I just released an album on Bandcamp called THROWED TAPES which was really influenced by DJ screw and other phonk producers.

I'm working on a lofi R&B tape for Bandcamp, a lofi beat tape, and I really want to release a rap EP.

Who knows when those will come out though haha

Taking it back a little to your rapping again I have to mention "Milk". What inspires the words in this track?

Also please share the story behind your track "Melancholy"? The words are somewhat mesmerizing, thank you!

With milk, I just heard the beat from bsd.u and really wanted to make something weird that just followed the flow of the beat.

On melancholy I tried to think about what I was saying a little more. The instrumental is so introspective and smooth I knew I had to come correct on it.

THROWED TAPES By Jetson, released August, 27, 2020

Musical Recommendations?

junyii - emo the optimist - knxwledge - j cafe - jesse james solomon - the smiths - dj yung vamp - shuggie otis - hm surf - alicks - MIKE - baccyard - meraki soul - steve hiett I could go on for days though lol

Creatives to keep an eye out for in music and art? Takuroh Toyama (photography) Moebius (visual art) Steve Hiett (photography/music) Any Last Words?

It really trips me out that people enjoy something I love to do so much.

So just thank you for vibing with me, I have a lot more to share ✌️

Support Jetson here -

Soundcloud - https://soundcloud.com/highimjetson

Bandcamp - https://jetsonbumps.bandcamp.com/

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/artist/2bkf2PmiVyfCqg2uzIFIqJ

Twitter - https://twitter.com/jetsonbumps

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/jetsonn/?hl=en

Milk by Jetson (Production by bsd.u)

[roswelldetails]

RNM 2x08 - Say It Ain't So

EPISODE SUMMARY:

JAMIE CLAYTON GUEST STARS — Despite promising Liz (Jeanine Mason) that he’ll take things easy with his new heart, Max (Nathan Dean) sets out to find Cameron after learning that she’s gone missing. Michael (Michael Vlamis) grows concerned about Maria (Heather Hemmens) after a surprising discovery about her family history leaves her vulnerable. Elsewhere, ready to move on, Alex (Tyler Blackburn) goes on a date with Forrest (guest star Christian Antidormi), and Rosa (Amber Midthunder) makes a decision about her future. Rachel Raimist directed the episode written by Eva McKenna & Christopher Hollier (#208). Original airdate 5/4/2020. 

DETAILS:

Rosa's secret identity:

"...Cousin Rosalinda from Arizona. My mom married a minor league baseball player, but when he got relocated to a team in Florida…"

"Okay, you know what, let's just go with, they're dead."

This is a Twilight reference.

Rosa about the Mean Girl's art in the cave:

"That reminds me of Stephen Powers before he sold out."

Stephen Powers is a former street artist who went commercial. Some examples of his older work here:

Other examples of his newer, more commercial work here:

By the way, speaking of the cave:

And this is some fabulous visual storytelling right here:

Max is working at the Wild Pony. Temporarily, of course.

"Turns out debt collectors don't care if you've been half dead in a glowing pod for a few months."

So much for the headcanon that Max "I've been driving the same car since high school and am a homeowner before 30" Evans is good with his money. 😆 Debt collectors don't show up that fast… not that I know from experience or anything.  😳 *backs slowly away*

Iris refers to the cave as the go to hang spot for all the artsy weirdos. So it isn't like it was specifically Rosa's cave/hidden spot.

It's the first time we've seen this particular cave other than in 2008 flashbacks.

Iris Sanchez & Rosa Ortecho. Flower, Mexican family name. 😭 The hint is there!

Also 👀 from:

The iris earned its name from the ancient Greek Goddess Iris, a messenger to the gods who was thought to use the rainbow as a bridge between heaven and earth...these flowers were named to honor the Rainbow Goddess and bring favor upon the earth.

Mimi made Maria take back the necklace.

"She said that it was too late for her and that I needed it more."

Michael has seen the necklace before, but he didn't know what the flower was when he fixed the clasp and returned it to her in 1x10.  It was 1x11 when they learned of the existence of the anti alien pollen. Michael reminds us:

"I know this flower.  Its pollen has a paralytic effect on alien abilities."

Once Maria takes it off, she can name every card Michael pulls from the deck.

Maria lists off a bunch of necklace facts from past episodes that fandom has previously noted...

Her powers were heightened when Michael had the necklace in 1x10. 

She wasn't wearing it when Noah invaded her at the gala.

And she wasn't wearing it at Woman As Warrior in 2x02 when she sensed that Isobel was pregnant.

"Kyle said you aren't an alien."

Fact. Kyle did say that.  It doesn't mean that it's a fact that Maria doesn't have alien DNA in her though.

Kyle determined that her blood doesn't carry the alien protein that's in the Pod Squad and Rosa. He is making an assumption that the protein is tied to being an alien.

He said he ran other tests, but the results would take longer to come in. 

Also, just a personal theory, what else do Rosa and the Pod Squad (and Noah) all have in common? They all spent significant time marinating in a pod full of goo. Rosa (10 years), Pod Squad (at least 50 years), Noah (60 years). Kyle has not studied any samples of alien biology from an alien who didn't spend time in pod goo. It's possible the protein is related to the pod goo, moreso than the alien biology. Again, just speculation on my part.

Maria confirms that her mom started getting sick when she was 18, just after she passed the necklace on to Maria.

"If this prevents you from having more episodes, it probably stops the neurodegeneration process too. It's not kryptonite, Maria. This is preventative medicine. Keep it on."

In 2x06 it was established that in addition to Sanders' place being a junkyard and a mechanic/auto shop, they also do tow truck service.  Now that comes into play again as Michael was hired to bring Cam's car back to Roswell for the investigation into her disappearance.  He brought it to the junk yard first though to give Max and Liz an hour to check the car for clues before the sheriff's department comes to collect it.

Max is smart too, in his own way. He quickly identified that "Agent Powell" was driving a rental car and that her gun wasn't government issue. 

However, it's only when he sees her tattoo (which Cam told him about in 1x07) that he confirms that she's actually Charlie Cameron!

(10 points to fandom!)

Max & Liz's conversation with Charlie is mostly just reminding us what we know about Charlie and Jenna's relationship. 

Liz indicates that Jenna had been looking for Charlie for months.  Charlie responds that she didn't want to be found (both things we learned in 2x04 through Cam's discussion with Jesse Manes.

Max indicates that Jenna thought that Charlie hated her, a call back to us first learning about Charlie and the matching tattoos in 1x07.

"I worked on a controversial project a while back. A lot of dangerous people want to know what I know."

(Again, stuff we learned in 2x04).

They learn through Cam's text history that she was looking for Jesse Manes (which we already knew, because...2x04).

"I'm just a guy standing in front of a tourist trap asking a history buff to shoot him with high velocity paint."

Tongue-in-cheek reference to the movie Notting Hill.

"So, you're cool playing war? Doesn't bring anything up?"

"Oh, yeah, my PTSD triggers are a little more complicated. Suffice to say, this war zone is the only place that my family actually got along when I was a kid."

"Yeah, some of my old platoon buddies actually play in leagues."

"I didn't know that you served."

"Yeah I wouldn't go bragging about it to a guy with a Purple Heart. I might have googled you."

New information… both that Forrest served, that he looked into Alex (which could be innocent OR sketchy…).

And of course this is the first open discussion about Alex's PTSD issues.

Cowboys versus aliens paintball… Alex is the cowboy, so Forrest must be the alien.

The call that interrupted Forrest's attempt to kiss Alex was from the hospital. Hence why Alex goes there to see Jesse.

"Look, if I had a little lucky charm that could stop people like Noah from messing with me, I would have that surgically implanted into my décolletage."

Have to admit, I wasn't sure what décolletage meant, so in case anyone else isn't familiar: 

"These abilities are a part of me. I'm not gonna just throw away the chance to learn about who I am. That make sense to you?"

"Yeah, actually, it does."

"You've gotten stronger this year, right?  Can you teach me to train? Learn how to control it all?"

"Look, it took a lot of practice before I could do anything without puking and guzzling acetone to kill the pain.  And you can't practice, because according to Kyle, every time you do it eats your brain."

"Look, I'll stop before it goes that far, okay? I know the signs. Besides, if you help me, maybe I can help you. There must be something that you want to know about your future."

"What about my past?"

Max meeting with Jesse at the Crashdown. This is super interesting because it's the first time Max has sat down, face to face, with a hostile human who knows he's an alien. 

"My uncle used to bring me here. That was back when it catered to a more civil clientele. People who actually respected the history of this town."

This is likely foreshadowing what's to come next week, based on the promo pics released.

Again, similar to the scene with Charlie at the junkyard, much of this exchange between Max and Jesse is just reminding us of stuff we learned in 1x04.

"The last time I saw her she came to me with questions about her sister.  And I told her that the people most interested in Charlie's device were a black ops group based out of Los Alamos. They're called Deep Sky. This is their logo. Paramilitary. And I told Jenna that what she was getting into was gonna be dangerous. But apparently she didn't listen.

Note: in case any of you are unaware, in Los Alamos there's a US DOE lab that has a long, sketchy history of weapons development.  Makes perfect since that it's where a paramilitary organization interested in Charlie's research would be based there.

The Deep Sky Logo

I compared this to a number of screenshots of alien symbols (like the ones we saw in Jim Valenti's letters in 1x12) and there were no matches.

However, fandom has already noted that the logo matches Trevor's ring in 2x06 (see that episode's details post for the photo).

"Charlie Cameron's mind is a unique specimen. Kind of like you. And there's always someone in the shadows waiting to crack those open."

"What did you do to Jenna?"

"I told her the truth. Which is more than you ever did. You're kind of a wolf in sheep's clothing, aren't you?"

"And what are you? Do you feel like a hero? All those people you tortured, all those people you killed. Turns out none of them were an enemy.  They were refugees. So you're not just a murderer, you're a failure."

"Yeah, I know. I am. But I tell you, something shifted in my brain when I had the stroke.  All the hate's gone out of me. All the fight. Caulfield is over and my son Flint has been reassigned. Look at me. I can barely walk."

Liz and Charlie in the car:

"Waitressing's really got to blow when you've grown a fully functioning heart muscle in a lab.  Or are you not the same Elizabeth Ortecho who co-authored a 2013 paper on cellular reprogramming? Some people build model trains; I do my homework.  Your boyfriend seems more like the train type."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"We've discovered new worlds and changed the course of mankind from a microscope. Should I go Netflix and chill with my boyfriend or stay in the lab, architecting the future?"

"No offense, but if it's true that you've been in prison and in hiding, it does not seem like you've seen much of the inside of a lab either."

"I went too far.  I thought I was building something with real value. The thing is, anything that has the potential to create real change, it scares people. And anything that scares people is inherently dangerous no matter what your intention is."

"You could start over. Get a new identity, work at a research university."

"I've done extraordinary things. Everything ordinary is ruined now."

More exposition that we already know as Max catches Charlie and Liz up on what he learns from Jesse.

"He said Cam is headed to Los Alamos to investigate a group called Deep Sky. Does that mean anything to you?"

"No. Let me reach out to some of my military contacts, do some recon. Give me a day, we'll go from there."

Liz and Michael, in the lab, on The Science:

"I'm looking for the sample of yellow pollen."

"The stuff I swept off the floor after throwing it at Noah? I don't know. I didn't see it while we were packing up."

"Well it was here a few months back.  Did I miss an experiment where it grew legs and a fondness for the outdoors?"

"Could have been accidentally thrown away. Sample was too oxidized to be of much use, and I've been trying to get my hands on fresh flowers, but it's impossible. I think they might be extinct. Why are you freaking out?"

"Because I have a math problem. There's only one flower in Maria's necklace, but there are two DeLuca women and apparently the flower is the key to preventing their illness. This is everything from the Caulfield drives and the experiments done on Maria's grandmother. A lot of it was lost in a lab fire in the '80s, but…"

"I'll take a look."

(Aside… 👀 Lab fire in the '80s. I have a feeling that's more foreshadowing.)

"I just want you to see if anything done could be undone. I don't want you to, like, Dr. Frankenstein it. The experiments were very bad."

"My days as an alien scientist are officially over."

"Why don't I believe you?"

"'Cause it's hard not to think about the far-reaching implications of this kind of research. You don't get sick on this planet. If I could figure out why, I could eradicate all illness."

"But you can't. Because that would expose us."

"Which I would obviously never do. It's over."

Arturo's text to Liz:

Have you seen our little mouse?

"Rosalinda" is late for her first shift.

Isobel and Maria go to Michael's trailer and Isobel shows Maria the newspaper clip of Michael's mom to try to trigger a vision.

"It's not working. And I don't feel great going through this stuff without Michael knowing."

"Why not? One day this palace might all be yours."

"It's not working.  I have a business to run, and you need to go Instagram something."

"Says the social media revitalizer. Listen, word to the wise, every time Max saw Liz in a skirt and tried not to pop a bulb, he wound up setting off a fire alarm. Everytime I push myself too hard, I miss time, or wind up accidentally realizing that my mom still thinks about her ex-boyfriend Rocco, like, in vivid detail."

"Okay, where are you going with this?"

"Effort doesn't equal control. So if you want to do this you're gonna have to embrace your inner ice queen and let it go."

"I'm not great at letting things go."

"Yeah, I know.  That's hard…"

Maria's vision:

Triggered by a t-shirt hanging in the trailer.

Louise is hanging laundry

Walt runs up to her and gives her a little windmill with her name on it. (Initially I thought her name was pressed or punched into the metal, but on second viewing, it looks like it might be puff paint or something similar.)

Walt runs off to find Nora and Louise goes back to hanging laundry.

After the vision Maria's nose starts bleeding.

Max goes after Charlie to stop her from turning herself in.

I wonder if his tire screeching action guy driving is supposed to be emphasizing to the audience that he's not being as cautious as he should be? 

Deep Sky said that if Charlie "...wasn't at Sutter's grain depot by 11pm, that they would torture (Cam) to death."

Charlie heard on the call:

A train rolling by

A demonic laugh

And somehow that's enough for Max to magically know exactly where Cam is.

Alex and Jesse at the hospital:

"Hey, they said that you mixed whiskey with your medications.  That's not like you."

"What the hell are you doing here?"

"I don't know. I mean, you're my father. I can't seem to shake you."

"Yeah. I failed."

"Yes. But in what way specifically?"

"Uncle Tripp. I let him down. I never could figure out what he needed of me. And tonight I went to the bunker.  And I keep trying to crack the code."

"Liz said that you spoke to Max Evans. She said that you were half decent to him. Is that what this is about?"

"One of them killed Tripp, you know."

"An alien? Yeah. Then he hunted them. He dragged them to a torture chamber. I'm not surprised one of them…" 

Jesse slams his cane.

"He was the best man I ever knew.

Jesse tries to stand and falls into Alex, then continues to walk away.

The location that Deep Sky is holding Cam looks like a rodeo or horse arena or racetrack with a big grandstand.

There are nearby train tracks, and a warehouse where a mechanic repairs old carnival rides.

As Max and Charlie are scoping out the area you can hear both sounds softly in the background.

The sniper was watching and shooting at them from the grandstand.

Charlie is shot in the leg.

"Let me go get her."

"No. Deep Sky wants me alive. Your brain is worth considerably less to them which means it'll be splattered all over the dirt."

(Oh the irony...confirming that Charlie doesn't know that Max is an alien.)

"If anything goes wrong, call Liz. No doctors."

Max does shoot the sniper!

And then uses his powers to knock out the power (and instantly feeling it in his heart when he starts to use his powers!!!!!!) which, as @angsty-aliens very eloquently pointed out, is absurd because there was a big red lever that would have done the same thing. *facepalm*

Cam on her kidnapping:

"The last thing I remember is this weird sound. It made the hairs on my arm stand up. And this bright light, and the pain in the back of my neck like you wouldn't believe."

Cam's burn is fractals.  Like Liz's burn from Max's powers in 1x03. Top is Liz's fresh burn in 1x03, bottom is Cam's not-so-fresh burn in 2x08. Keep in mind, we don't know how long Cam was missing for.

Rosa and Iris at the "art show".

"So you said you're from Roswell?"

"Oh, I was from Roswell.  I got out and went to art school as soon as I graduated. I work for an artist now. I help her run her gallery. Yeah, I used to want to be a painter, but then I realized I loved curating art way more than I ever loved making it."

👀 I wonder what this says about Rosa's internal motivation. If Iris is the life she wishes that she had, does she not want to be a painter? Or is that her internal insecurity rearing its head.  Like, she can't even dream about that possibility because it's what she really wants above all else.  Which is why Iris then motivates her to paint and prove to her inner self that she is an artist? 

Speaking of which, here's Rosa's painting from the episode. Mucho gracias to @rosaortecho for giffing it for me since it wasn't cap-able in a single shot.

Iris's assessment of Rosa's art:

"This piece is you outrunning your demons. This is amazing. That's what you have to do.  You have to capture them and rattle the cage.  This is art. This is what you're meant to do, Rosa!"

Rosa's hallucination starts to fall apart as they dance.  She starts coughing and having trouble breathing.

"Your star sign's just out of whack."

Play on lyrics from God of Wine by Third Eye Blind, which was heavily referenced in 1x02. 

The direct quote is "your star sign's out of whack" and the next lyric is "a fraudulent zodiac"

Which, of course, is what Rosa had written on her hand before she died in 2008 and is a reference to Ophiuchus, which was Noah's zodiac obsession.

And then Liz finds her overdosing in the cave. 

The coughing in Rosa's hallucination was from smoke inhalation.  Because while passed out she started a fire with her powers.

Feels like a good time to point out that it's the same cave that she died in back in 2008, and she would have died there again if Liz hadn't found her. 😭

At the hospital Rosa tells Liz that she wants to go to rehab, but she knows she can't since she can't control her powers. 

Liz gives her Maria's necklace to borrow since it will suppress her powers and allow her to go to rehab.

Alex and Forrest at the Wild Pony:

"I still have my dad's voice in my head telling me that being seen with a man in public is an embarrassment. To my name and my uniform."

"Well, there's nothing like a dad voice to mess up a perfectly good date."

"It's also just that...I mean, Roswell's so conservative. This bar is filled with cowboys. If you want to go someplace private…"

"Look, I like you. But I don't want to climb into somebody else's closet."

"I cannot tell you how badly I want to be done with this frickin' closet."

"But you're not. And that's okay. Really. Listen, if that voice in your head ever shuts up, give me a call. Because between you and me, making out with a hot guy in public is only made hotter when it pisses off all the bigots and homophobes."

Charlie took off and left a note for Jenna. According to Jenna it says she's gonna disappear again and not to look for her.

Arturo is taking Rosa to a rehab center that Kyle set her up with "a few hours away".

Max tells Liz "let's go home." So… did she move in with him??

Liz says no though.  She says she has to open the diner and cry alone.  But instead she goes to the secret lab.  

Both Max and Liz were evading the truth a little bit here.  Liz didn't tell Max that she wanted to go to the secret lab.  Max didn't tell Liz that his heart did wonk out after using his powers and he did overdo it going after Cam. Bad Echo!!

Liz goes back to packing the secret lab up initially, but then her eyes fall into the Caulfield folders, and she stops. 

She unpacks her stolen equipment (genetic sequencer?), puts on her lab coat, and sits down to start reading the file.

Isobel brings Michael beer as a peace offering, since she's coming to admit that she helped Maria trigger a vision.  She thinks Michael will be mad, but he isn't because he and Maria already worked it out.

So Isobel tells him about the vision and seeing Louise, and specifically about Walt giving Louise the windmill. 

Michael immediately reacts, goes to a shelf, and grabs a similar windmill.

Turns out Walt is Sanders.  He pulls up in his car and Michael immediately confronts Sanders.

"It was you. You're Walt. You're the little boy in the photo.  You knew my mother."

And Sanders nods.

10 more points to fandom.

Max goes to Charlie's hotel to confront her about turning herself in to Deep Sky.

The windmill in both scenes. Until I put this together I didn't think they were the same one (because Louise's name isn't on Michael's. But other details (like the word weight on one of the legs) are the same.

"You think Deep Sky needs to have Jenna by the throat to kill her? Okay, the only way that I can protect her is from the inside."

Then the "abduction scene" happens.

It mirrors what happened to Jenna in 2x04, only to Max and Charlie.

MUSIC:

1.  Hole "Celebrity Skin"

2.  Lukas Nelson & Promise Of The Real "Die Alone"

3.  Shelly Fairchild "Worry No More"

4.  Marc Danzeisen "Some Things Last Forever"

5.  Joey Sykes "Sign Of The Times"

6.  I AM ORFA "Like That Look"

7.  Danny Ayer "Set Us Free"

8.  Hamish Anderson "Trouble"

9.  OMC "How Bizarre"

10.  Muscadine Bloodline "Movin' On"

11.  Little May "Hide"

[best-boi46]

So

I will not be deleting my tumblr. Ill stay active on here as long as I can. But for those who are abandoning ship I want ya to know I got other places now. I just made a t witter account for this blog. I have no idea how to properly use t Twitter cuz I've always used this but hey. I'm old, I'll learn.

Also a part of being old mean I have no clue how to link so sorry about that😓

I also have an Instagram. I post all my art there not just trolls. But I'm very active on there.

I'm working on other places to but for now ima just try to keep these up.

I WANNA KEEP ALL Y'ALL AS FRIENDS!! The thing that hits harder than Tumblr imploding is the thought of losing my tumblr family. I wanna keep in touch with you guys and keep our community going even if we on diff platforms. 💚💚