#plays in the aforementioned regions at night

[genshinmp3]

Gymnopedies of Lune from Pelagic Primaevality Arcangelo Chen, HOYO-MiX

[theseshipsshallsail]

THE POWER OF LAUGHTER

If Elio were a betting man - like those who spend their days playing endless rounds of bridge and briscola in the Silvestri brothers’ bar - he’d lay good money that aside from the obvious lure of his cock and ass, Oliver’s favourite part of his body is most certainly his torso: the smooth, pale expanse of skin that’s ostensibly non-exceptional save for the peak of dusky nipples and sparse trail of hair leading to the aforementioned regions below.

It’s the spot Oliver braces his head when they’re alone in the villa’s garden; readily discussing the final draft pages for Signora Milani. 

The area he nuzzles upon first awakening in the burnished light of dawn; sleep-soft and heavy and blissfully warm against him.

It’s where he’s placing a teasing kiss right now, in fact - chapped lips skimming the shallow dip of Elio’s navel - and given they’re both naked in bed after a night of self-indulgence, the sensation itself should probably err on the side of erotic. As things stand, however, he finds it rather tickles, so the hitched gasp Elio sputters is truly mortifying when paired with the ungainly giggles that follow thereafter. 

High-pitched. 

Jagged. 

Redolent of an out-of-tune violin. 

Quick as a flash, Elio cups a hand over his traitorous mouth, but it’s barely a second before Oliver’s peeling it away; eyes dancing in such brazen amusement it only serves to fuel the indignity.

“Don’t,” he says, thumb tracing idle patterns atop the thin knot of veins at his wrist. “I want to hear you,” he assures, levering up on his elbow, and Elio huffs in fond exasperation. 

“Why?” 

Oliver shrugs. “Why not?” he replies; turning the gentle benediction of his lips to the ridge of Elio’s knuckles, instead. “Call me maudlin -”

“I’ve called you far worse…”

“- but half the pleasure lies in knowing what this does to you,” Oliver explains, skimming the pads of ink-stained fingers in a looping figure of eight. “In knowing how much you enjoy it.” 

Elio scoffs, already arching into the soothing touch. “Surely I've made myself tragically clear on that point?”

“Bravely,” Oliver corrects, never one to let him put himself down. “You've made yourself bravely clear, Elio Perlman…”

And all at once he’s laughing again - swatting ineffectually at Oliver’s sun-bronzed shoulders as he doubles his attack. 

Grazing his stubbly chin over the freckles on Elio’s abdomen.

Scrabbling relentless digits between his eighth and ninth ribs.

Nipping careful teeth along the bony curve of his hip.

“I still can't believe I get to do this…” Oliver murmurs then - completely at odds with his confident demeanour - and Elio’s brain just about short-circuits as he wraps both arms around him: the newfound need to shelter and protect stronger than he’d ever deemed possible.  

Notes:

A bit rough and ready but it's been one hell of a week, and as much as I've sent my congratulations to the big man himself, I figured Elio would like the chance to express his pride too.

[would-this-pokemon-be-a-friend]

Not sure if you've done it before because blog searches just don't work but how would umbreon work as a pet?

[You may have seen it already, but I’ll take any chance I can to link to the post containing my index doc, which works much better than blog searches here! I’ll put it at the bottom of this post.]

An umbreon might make a good pet for some owners, but they are definitely one of the weaker options when it comes to eevee evolutions. It really depends on the owner and what they can reasonably handle.

To begin with, however, like most pokémon of the aforementioned category, umbreons are a decent size to be a house pet. At three feet tall they’re certainly on the bigger size when compared to many real-world dogs and cats, but that’s pretty reasonable when compared to a lot of the pokémon we cover here on the blog. Now, when taking into account the pokédex data on this species, it’s difficult to tell if they tend to be friendly. There’s no mention of them living with humans or other umbreons, and by all means they seem to be stealthy, solitary predators who prefer to hide and use ambush tactics when hunting prey in the dead of night (Ruby/Sapphire, Emerald). It’s said that when these pokémon move around in the dark, the curious yellow rings on their fur glow, “striking fear into the hearts of anyone nearby” (Silver). This could be an involuntary response on the observers part, in which case an umbreon would make a terrible pet, but I’d be willing to wager that this glow is not intended as sort sort of psychological attack since it also occurs when they are simply excited (Crystal).

Umbreon care seems like it would be fairly straightforward… so long as they are in a good mood. Umbreons, like other species in the eevee evolution line, are natural predators. This could make them pretty dangerous, given their size, so I would suggest an abundance of caution and a keen awareness of their body language and mood at all times. Given their highly active lifestyle in the wild, umbreons need a lot of play time and enrichment: a sedentary pet they are not. Be prepared to offer them lots of opportunities to get their wiggles out! Keep in mind that this species is nocturnal (Ruby/Sapphire, Emerald, Diamond/Pearl), and will thus need the most attention at night; they’d be best fit for a night owl’s household.

There’s one strange quirk about umbreon biology that really hurts their pet ranking score, and it’s not something that can be easily gleamed just by looking at them. When agitated or angered, umbreons can actually spray poisonous sweat from their pores (Gold). This is, obviously, a huge problem. Not even the best pet owner can keep their pet from *ever* getting agitated, especially during stressful events like visits to the vet. This could pose a huge problem, though we don’t know exactly the potency of this poison. While an umbreon may be able to control the spraying of their sweat, it doesn’t seem like they can control the sweating itself, which could leave furniture, pet carriers, etc. covered with poisonous material. This is a factor that would make this pokémon an ill-fit for many owners.

Umbreons are, like I said earlier, pretty dangerous even without this sweat. These are large, agile hunters, who can use physical moves like Bite and Assurance to take down prey as easily as they can use special moves like Dark Pulse.

Overall, while an umbreon could make a pretty good pet for some owners, they are generally-speaking not a great choice, especially when other options, like an eevee, are available in most regions. I’d suggest potential umbreon adopters consider the risks before jumping into an adoption.

The Index:

[bride-of-shadows-if]

Bride of Shadows - Dev Notes (Pre-Release)

Guess I'll start by talking about stats. IMO, they're one of the coolest features of interactive fiction. It's a lot of work to add unique scenes and variables for each stat, but it makes the game so much more rewarding both to play and replay. In Bride of Shadows, you start the game as a blank slate and then develop your character profile via choices you make in the prologue. Apart from what you'll see in the profile, there are also a few hidden stats. Here are a couple of profiles I made while playtesting the prologue.

This is how your stat screen will appear in-game, at least for the time being. The stats are dynamic, updating as you make decisions. The goal is to ensure that each stat is impactful in your interactions throughout the story, especially with your romance options.

Stats such as Beauty, Intellect, and Charm are common staples of the interactive fiction genre so I won't go into detail about those. A key stat that is fairly unique to Bride of Shadows is "Warmth." Because the story takes place in an arctic environment, you'll be in a constant fight for survival against the cold. Outside of the first night, most of the dangers of the cold can be mitigated by just staying with the hot immortal guys who know how to build fires and enjoy keeping you warm. Honestly, I'm not sure why you'd want to do anything else, but there are options to be an idiot. Once your warmth drops to "Freezing" you'll generally have 1 - 2 turns to do something smart, or it's Game Over.

Note the claws. You'll be playing as a shadow walker half-breed. It's a fantasy race that's a bit like a cross between a vampire and a drow. With considerable effort, you may unlock unique preternatural abilities, but you'll mostly rely on the aforementioned hot immortals who are pureblood shadow walkers. More on shadow walkers later.

Right now there are two character race variations. We'll be adding a third with the demo and then likely a fourth a little later down the line. With my husband doing the designs, it's something we can adjust quickly based on reader feedback. These are largely aesthetic, as you'll only see your picture in the Profile screen, although there will be minor variations in how you describe yourself and how others perceive you in various regions of your journey.

In this profile, a notable difference is "Faith." Our first profile's faith value is "Believer" while our second is "Devoted." As I've touched on in previous posts, you'll be playing as a priestess, a young woman who's lived almost her entire life in a convent. Following a brutal and untimely demise, you'll find yourself not in the paradise you were promised by your religion, but bound for eternal oblivion. Your only hope is a mysterious goddess who offers you a second chance at life, provided you do her bidding and bear a child.

While it's a fun narrative hook to put a sheltered priestess in the position of having to seduce hot immortals, it's also not something the story glazes over. Particularly during the first few weeks of your new life, you're going to struggle with doubts, regret, and even questioning the meaning of your existence. The higher your faith, the harder the emotional journey will be. However, the goal isn't necessarily to let your faith flatline and become a nihilist. Just because the faith you once followed proved untrue, doesn't mean there aren't other gods to find favor with. Faith offers a unique ability to explore the lore of the world and engage in more philosophical conversations with your love interests.

Last up is Shadowspeak. No matter how much of a know-it-all you are, you won't know Shadowspeak, and that's unfortunate because it's the only language Valdricht speaks. Or so Serax says.

Serax speaks your grating human language and is happy to translate, but his translations are kinda sus.

Along your journey across the arctic continent of Nazralt, you'll have opportunities to learn Shadowspeak from books and practicing with Valdricht, assuming he deems you worthy of his time. The more you learn, the better you'll be able to romance Valdricht, and eavesdrop on his conversations about you.

The demo will be out on January 10th. It'll contain the prologue and the first three nights of your story. After the demo is out, I'll be adding new nights each week. Nights will generally be 5,000 to 10,000 words of total content, you'll read around half of that depending on which choices you make. The censored version will be free on Itch with an option to donate. It will be the same as the full version, just without the explicit content. The spicy version will be on a Patreon or something like that, probably starting in February. I've never run a Patreon before, so I gotta chat with some other IF authors and figure out how best to set that up. As someone who's subscribed to a lot of iffy Patreons, I don't want to make one until I'm sure there's enough content to justify the subscription. The full game will span approximately 90 nights + a lengthy epilogue.

Apart from weekly content updates, we'll be periodically adding new illustration cards and developing features that are already established in the demo code. Right now, we have these nifty chat boxes in place of speech, such as:

So for this particular scene, Serax is thoroughly clothed and regarding you with a concerned expression, so the illustration doesn't make a lot of sense. We're going to make at least a dozen different illustration cards for each guy and a handful for supporting characters. We want the expressions and clothing to match the scenes, to the best of our ability. We also want unique profile illustrations that match the clothes you're wearing, since you're cute and the guys like dressing you up. Those will get added periodically. The illustrations take a long time to do and Mr. Mortish has a day job, cause someone's gotta pay the internet bill. We'll also be adding a dynamic heart system so you can gauge each love interest's level of attraction to you. That'll most likely be out with the demo, or if not, by the end of January.

You might recognize the interface from other IFs you've read. This awesome template is by Becky on Itch. Later, I'll be making a custom template for BoS, but for the time being this template is super versatile and I haven't had trouble implementing all the features I wanted, like the moon phase you can see in the top right corner.

The moon phase will dictate the more carnal aspects of the story, such as libido and fertility, but also nuanced stuff like how well you can see during the night. Being a shadow walker gives you excellent night vision, but not even Serax and Valdricht can see much on new moon nights, which means you'll all have to hunker down in your tent or a village for the night and find some way to keep busy.

Probably the last thing worth mentioning right now is that it's an M/F or M/F/M story. You can choose between forming a deep, poignant, and intense bond with one love interest, or if you enjoy suffering, go for both! Be warned, if you romance them both, it becomes less of a love story and more of you acting as a referee between two violently possessive immortals who hate sharing you. There's also lots of biting. It'll have some top-tier spicy scenes though, so it's worth it if that's your thing.

That's all for now! I'm going to get back to writing. Thanks for the follows. I hope you'll enjoy the story as much as I enjoy writing/coding it.

-Mortish

[toiletpotato]

I was tagged by @ayin-me-yesh for this fun little game, thank you friend!

🌟 get to know people game 🌟

current time: 8:44 AM - 8:55 AM

anything you've been doing lately: summer term classes

anything you intend to do later: work on aforementioned summer term classwork

anything you recently watched or played: finished american born chinese last night, fascinating show, I hope it gets renewed (it's on Disney+ if you have it). I've been playing on Duolingo lately to keep Spanish in my working knowledge.

anything you want to watch or play: I should probably check in on my Animal Crossing town on my 3DS soon. I found my brother's Game Boy Color and he has Pokémon Red for the normal Game Boy so I'd like to figure out how to work that.

anything else you'd like to say: i hope you have a lovely time of day wherever in the world you are!

I have tagged these folks, but only do this if you want to! @hinsaa-paramo-dharma @screamingfurby @afc-agitprop @surgeon-of-games @tsupertsundere @notbroadwaybound @bundle-of-glitter @paldea-region @not-quitenormal @emo-and-dumb @mymind-is-a-sunless-space @bi-one @a-rubber-duck-quack @the-blue-fairie @hummerous @fangirlofallthefandoms @thatgordongirl @garammmasala @villanuele @theinfinitedivides @kaagazkefool and anyone else who wants to answer these questions!

[deadcactuswalking]

REVIEWING THE CHARTS: 29/06/2024 (Coldplay, Charli xcx/Lorde, Post Malone/Blake Shelton)

Her second week for her second #1, Sabrina Carpenter stays at the top of the UK Singles Chart on an otherwise… interesting week, reflected in pretty much aspect, so… welcome back to REVIEWING THE CHARTS!

content warning: language, misogyny, alcohol

Rundown

As always, we start with the notable dropouts, songs exiting the UK Top 75, which is what I cover, after five weeks in the region or a peak in the top 40. This week, we bid adieu to a surprisingly small selection of “Feather” by Sabrina Carpenter, “Gata Only” by FloyyMenor and Cris Mj, “As it Was” by Harry Styles and of course, since we haven’t fared well at the Euros, “3 Lions”.

As for our notable gains, since we don’t have much in the way of returns outside of Disclosure’s “You & Me” featuring Eliza Doolittle back once again at #65, we see boosts for “Mind Still” by Sonny Fodera and blythe at #68, “NIGHTS LIKE THIS” by The Kid LAROI surprisingly up big to #47, “Kisses” by BL3SS and CamrinWatsin featuring bbyclose at #44, “the boy is mine” by Ariana Grande at #39 off of the remix with Brandy and Monica (cheap idea, bad execution), “KEHLANI” by Jordan Adetunji at #29 which is a decidedly unslizzy occurrence, “DEVIL IS A LIE” by Tommy Richman at #21, “Not Like Us” by Kendrick Lamar riding the high of The Pop Out at #14 and really, the biggest story: Chappell Roan. Not only are “Red Wine Supernova” and “HOT TO GO!” up to #40 and #33 respectively, she gets her first ever top 10 hit with “Good Luck, Babe!” hitting #7.

As for the top five, we see much of the expected. “BIRDS OF A FEATHER” by Billie Eilish is at #5, Eminem’s “Houdini” is at #4, Shaboozey’s “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” is at #3 and of course, both Sabrina Carpenter songs in the top 10 stick to the top two: “Espresso” at #2 and the newer “Please Please Please” at the top spot. As for what’s below it… thankfully not a lot in sheer quantity but a lot of interest so let’s try and make sense of it.

New Entries

#69 - “Tears” - Perrie

Produced by Ido Zmishlany

These “extended” versions are a bit ridiculous recently: personally, I’d prefer my songs come complete in the package and I don’t have to find booster packs. With that said, the aforementioned extended version of this newest single from Little Mix’s second-to-most recent solo breakout, Perrie Edwards, is very good. We’ve had a lot of smooth, lounge-esque 80s pastiches on this show, but this delves so fully into glitzy synth-funk that it’s really admirable. The groove, though a bit plastic and muddy in the mix as you kind of expect from cheaper UK pop production, is undeniable and the easy guitar melody has been in my head persistently since I first heard it. Most importantly, Ms. Edwards actually plays with the instrumental and its composition as a vocalist, she doesn’t just sit afloat in the way many other singers would, and that includes, say, a Dua Lipa. The weirdly fast-paced tumble of a chorus displays that messy breakup so well and rings alarm bells in the posturing that she’s really over it, guys, she’s totally not been thinking about him, within the verses, but she’s still rightfully angry and the chorus isn’t that awkward of a tumble that it can’t carry the same swagger the instrumental from Mr. Zmishlany commands. It’s no surprise to me that this guy has worked before with people like Shawn Mendes and Sabrina Carpenter given how breezy of a listen it is, though Perrie doesn’t stumble over her own writing in the way those two do: she shares the command of the song with the funk behind her. It truly is a brilliant pop song, yet it turns out to be the one that’ll probably flop. I understand that the Little Mix girls have had, so far, very ephemeral solo stardom, but the quality is really there for a lot of them, so it’s a damn shame that the girl group fame hasn’t rubbed off more than it probably should have.

#60 - “misses” - Dominic Fike

Produced by Dominic Fike

Ah, Dominic Fike. I remember when I knew that one song which was a pretty good song, and never even needed to think about him for a second song, let alone an acting career that I couldn’t care about but have heard… not so great things regarding, as well as of course pushing out some of the most insufferable indie pop of the last few years, of which some has been covered here. This new track… okay, are you fucking kidding me? This is one minute and 14 seconds. I get Fike has gained virality more for his demos than his completed songs, and that sometimes this is valid, but you can tell how inauthentic and tacky the “distortion” here is, and the fact that it’s all packed into barely more than one minute shows me two things: 1.) the writers and producers are lazy, 2.) they’re chasing some of that success he got from dumping some, at least honest and interesting, demos onto streaming services. Oh, and a third thing: it was written and produced solely by Fike himself. That’s not particularly impressive, of course, when it’s somehow completely forgettable despite being so concise and insistent on drilling that one chorus melody into you, but he also devolves into vocal riffing midway through over an unchanging garage rock plonker that couldn’t pick up any momentum if it tried. And of course, because it’s Fike, I don’t need to tell you that the lyrics are condescending towards women. Calling her his “miss” is already off to a rough start without some needed context, and he doesn’t grant us that, instead going onto consider the relationship dead and reassuring her that she’ll be “grieved” - as if the woman in any given relationship actively wants their ex-boyfriend to grovel about them instead of just going their separate ways - before pinning the blame on her because he’s just a man who loved too much too quickly, right? The verse later basically berates her for being useless, and that when she’s not with him, she’s misguided and invisible, despite the fact that she’s so beautiful, yeah, piss off. This is a barely-constructed song with nasty attitudes on an album seemingly full of these shitty, malformed interludes and I don’t see any value in it sticking around.

#41 - “Wave” - Asake and Central Cee

Produced by Magicsticks

Nigerian singer Asake, who I’ve praised before on this show but mostly in the lower rungs of the chart and off of it entirely, is finally getting a real UK push, given the Cench feature, and whilst I liked “Lonely at the Top” largely for lyrical and performance reasons, this if anything is more of an exhibition for his producer, Magicsticks, as this is a genuinely unique instrumental here. It’s got an Afrobeats rhythm for sure, but not only is the drum pattering shakier but it’s accompanied by what I can only describe as a groan stick, which follows as weedy a melody as the later flutes. This is largely a chill song about relaxing and flexing, but the flatter sense of groove that exists here, the way the drums never embrace their full punch into long after Asake had meandered beyond the chorus, and only when Central Cee comes in, and still in a slightly staggered, stuttering way, it’s a really interesting decision that works out very well. It almost reminds me of Brazilian funk sometimes, especially with its cacophonic approach and that later screeching synth. As for content, it doesn’t really matter, but I do wish there was a little more substance or at least a less generic Cench verse, but really, the weird note the very busy and tense instrumental carries when placed against the Afrobeats genre’s use of choir vocals is really fascinating. It doesn’t fully hit, but it’s a risk that is pulled off by ensuring other elements of the mix, like Asake’s drowned out vocals or the general blandness of Cench’s cadences, are kept to the sidelines, which doesn’t lead to a fuller song but still an interesting one that is still developing on itself with extra choir harmonies and even uglier synth fuzz at its last moments. Maybe it’s not one I’ll go back to - it’s not particularly catchy - but it’s an interesting way to grab a different audience’s attention.

#37 - “us.” - Gracie Abrams featuring Taylor Swift

Produced by Aaron Dessner, Gracie Abrams, Taylor Swift and Jack Antonoff

So, Gracie Abrams, daughter of J.J. of course, released her let’s-pretend-it’s-adebut record, The Secret of Us, and surprisingly to me, despite pretty much no traction before this, it went to #1 on the albums chart: here is your golden ticket as to why. Not particularly this song, but the idea of Taylor Swift being behind this specific young singer and project, as well as making a direct appearance, absolutely helped. It also makes perfect sense considering that both of Abrams’ prior songs I had heard that charted were basically less self-realised Taylor Swift leftovers. She even got both Dessner and Antonoff on here because of course, and well, firstly, I don’t understand why this is a duet - and barely at that. Abrams derives from both her own older tracks and Taylor’s to create some unsubtle metaphors and oddly fragmented verses about a former relationship, and Taylor is here for decoration as far as thematics are concerned as there isn’t a clear attempt at implementing her vocal presence into the narrative. That’s… fine, if not lazy, but once you get to the lyrics themselves, it’s all kind of a shambles that apes Taylor’s style of writing without actually making all too much sense. I would appreciate the fantastical, forelorn imagery of “Babylon lovers hanging lifetimes on a vine”, if she didn’t ask her ex if they “miss[ed hers]”… what exactly could they miss here? If the point is that the vine represents a “lifetime”, then in what sense does it make for someone to “miss” a “lifetime”? Abrams could say that the relationship felt like a lifetime, or took a lifetime out of her, that would make sense, but it gets confused with the use of the Babylon imagery - also, the hanging gardens of Babylon are disputed to have even existed at all, but not in a concrete way where we know exactly what it’s being confused with or who exactly fabricated it, so “Babylon lovers” and the “vine” conceit feels like a cheap use of imagery without really understanding its origin, especially since Abrams makes “us” - I.e. the relationship - solid and established in that chorus.

The verses may be a bit of basic word salad, but when you try and make connections between certain ideas, they start to break down - what does being 29 years old actually have anything to do with being welcoming or open with your younger partner? If you’re going to include the “so”, there should be a connection but it’s never explained. It gets worse and worse throughout the song also: I know the “prophets”/”profits” homonym was probably just an inescapable cliché for our gang of four - even if it actually muddles the flow of that bridge - but what actually ARE the “false profits they make in the margins of poetry sonnets”? Who’s “they”, book publishers? How are the profits in any way “false”, or the exact “margins” of a sonnet relevant? Oh, and thanks for specifying “poetry sonnets”, not to be confused with the other types of sonnets that aren’t poetic, all zero of them. You could argue that part is purposefully meaningless as it criticises the guy for his misunderstanding of literature, sure, but I think to pull that off, one needs to 1.) show an understanding of the unnamed poetry he supposedly misconstrued and 2.) not, in your own poetry, express yourself in obtuse ways acting as rhythmic filler.

If you’re going to bring up Robert Bly and the irony that this guy gifted you his work without understanding its reference to masculinity and not representing the values in Bly’s work, how is this guy in any way “incomparable”? You just made a comparison! The condescending lyric from Taylor that he never “read up on” any of the literature he cared about and that he “could have learned something”, sounds really hypocritical in this song full of adding complexity and faux-poignant takes or, well, comparisons into a song ultimately lacking any nuance, because what does adding any of this meaninglessness really contribute to the general picture Taylor will paint of any ex-boyfriend in a typical song? I’m a sucker for detail lyrically but detail that actually gratifies the listener for looking carefully, not punishing them once the cracks are realised. This sounds nit-picky but is genuinely incredibly distracting for a song wherein I’m supposed to reeled into the narrative on display… and Hell, I’m always being told that Taylor is one of the greatest songwriters, so I’m not sure why I can’t nit-pick for every detail.

Obviously, this is not my only problem with the song. Dessner’s acoustic guitar is twiddly and oddly tense as well as feeling copy-pasted throughout the song, Abrams sounds like a BTEC Lorde on a chart week where we get the real deal taking genuine artistic risk - more on that later - and the chorus is a sludge of a lead vocal melody covered in feathery vocal layers that really emphasise how little is being said. If I were right-wing, I’d probably take even further offense in the sheer amount of pronouns Abrams is shoving down my ears, and honestly, I still am, because outside of the bridge, what is “us”? Why should he miss that? The bridge has all the plastic cinematic swell of a video game trailer, full with swooshing effects and some of the worst drums I’ve heard in pop this year just because of how staggered and dire they feel, they really contribute to a complete tonal clash with the supposed electricity and pure emotional feelings that the two sing about. I know this review is incredibly wrong for a song I don’t really like, but I did come into this with the idea that it’d probably be a good fit for the two to collaborate given Abrams’ influences and the potential for a really interesting narrative as a result, potentially playing off of that dynamic… yet what I get is a white, null void of platitudes that shatter at any scrutiny. Sorry, Swifties… or Abramites I suppose - this is one of my least favourite songs of the year so far.

#34 - “Pour Me a Drink” - Post Malone featuring Blake Shelton

Produced by Louis Bell and Charlie Handsome

Post Malone has yet to truly convince me on the straight-up country pivot. Sure, elements of folk and country have been vaguely reflected in his music for a while, if much lesser than the pop rock influences that have practically always been there and still largely are, but his producers are still his main guys - which I guess I can respect - and he decided Morgan Wallen wasn’t a seasoned enough veteran of Nashville so he went and bagged Mr. Gwen Stefani for the feature on yet another country drinking song… and I guess it’s fine. It’s exactly what you’d expect from a 2000s country-pop track, particularly one with some more organic fiddle but more canned drums and rock instrumentation, and I realise that I’m just describing a Blake Shelton song. Bizarrely, he fits less here than Post, who is a natural fit in his warble for this kind of casual country radio sing-a-long. Much like “I Had Some Help”, which this very much resembles, there’s a quicker pace to some of the songwriting, especially the chorus, that Shelton finds himself a bit behind sometimes, especially in that rough first verse to chorus transition. The second verse has some cool idea of chemistry between the two but it seems very forced. I can’t imagine a situation where Blake Shelton would be calling Post his “buddy” at an old bar as Post is trying to get with some girl. I think something is missing there, optics-wise… as well as a proper bridge, or any real harmonisation between the two, which also has no reason to be a duet, really. That really shows to me that Post or his label have little confidence in his ability to sell country, by lodging these veterans onto the track without any thematic relevance, and also not realising just how charismatic Post is on his own. I can imagine the dumb grin on his tatted-up face as he records the song, I’m not sure I can really imagine Blake Shelton feeling anything at all. I also don’t really buy either of these guys trying to “keep up with the Joneses” - you ARE the Joneses, fellas - but that’s beside the point of the song. It’ll work in the right context, but it’s not like there’s not plenty of these types of songs and the inclusion of Blake Shelton here detracts from it quite a bit too.

#28 - “Girl, so confusing” - Charli xcx

Produced by A.G. Cook

Yeah, I prefer the solo version. Whilst it’s clear that Charli is talking about someone, probably Lorde, on “Girl, so confusing”, which is now confirmed, the more self-contained story of Charli misunderstanding cues and overthinking certain interactions she has with women in general, as well as the more specific showbiz talk, is much more compelling to me than knowing that it’s just about one woman in particular. That doesn’t mean the Lorde version can’t be that as well, but when I first listened to BRAT, “Girl, so confusing” really resonated with me, in part because of the anthemic nature of the chorus, with the scattered vocal stuttering very much in A.G. Cook’s wheelhouse, but also because, I mean, yeah. It is confusing sometimes to be a girl, and that general thesis, as well as applying the lyrics in the verses to everyday interactions, is something I can get behind and see a lot of value in, especially since it uses such a universally humanising statement to bring the album’s themes back home. Unfortunately, here comes Lorde, coming off the strength of her worst album, and making a song already about her… not very easily about anything else.

I’ve said this before with acts like Doja Cat and Ye, but when it gets too absorbed in gossip, I tend to tune out, and I can’t find many universalities in Lorde’s new contributions, to the point where that main lyric starts to sound closer to “It’s confusing to be Lorde”, which I don’t doubt but I also don’t care about hearing unless I spin a Lorde album, which, well, I do. I love Melodrama. What I don’t love is the awkward implementation of Lorde into the Auto-Tuned club-pop cacophony. She gets to the point - are you sure this is still Lorde? - but it’s through a breathless delivery that name-drops specific elements about Charli that take the song even further away from universality for the sake of the “moment”. I didn’t even realise people cared about a Lorde and Charli feud, one I didn’t know existed until this album dropped, and I honestly doubt this lasts much longer thanks to what is arguably a novelty aspect. I still do like the song, and yes, I will count the original in the conclusion because the Official Charts Company doesn’t credit Lorde, but I wish I could connect to it much more, and the way a lot of people really are gravitating to this viral moment at least gives me some solace in knowing it did do that for other people. The funniest end result for me would be if the song is actually about Marina and the Diamonds and this was all grade-A trolling.

#25 - “feelslikeimfallinginlove” - Coldplay

Produced by Max Martin, Oscar Holter, Bill Rahko, Daniel Green and Michael Ilbert

So, Coldplay are releasing their second weirdly-stylised, Max Martin-penned space album of the 2020s. Sure. These guys can do anything they want at this point and whilst it frustrates me that they don’t take the risks they have with that freedom, or at least in more compelling ways because there definitely are some… choices on the last few albums, some genuinely experimental and out-there, I know I’m not going to find that in a lead single, and hey, the band’s given us some great music in the past, with singles and deep cuts so there’s a level of expected quality and polish to everything they put out. Unexpectedly, however, I love this song. Yeah, I was surprised too, not been a fan of much Coldplay for a while, but this reminds me of the muted Ghost Stories, where its swell came from a genuine push and struggle to express those emotions, rather than the careening easiness of stumbling into orchestras or guitar overdubs like they usually do. If there’s any song in particular I feel that it’s reminiscent of, it’s probably that record’s big single, “Magic”. The difference here is that this is far from a divorce record, it’s a childishly lovestruck anthem, but one that starts with a piercing, glittery distortion that peters away for Damon Albarn-sounding synths and flickering drum sequencing that is as monotone as Chris Martin’s pained attempts at “la-la”s. He’s so tedious in his delivery that he ends up having to harmonise with a pitch-shifted version of his own vocal take, and all of that is a compliment, this is a really interesting song in terms of where it lies emotionally: he’s in love, but seemingly some of that love is coming out of a pity, a hand being lent to a guy who considers himself born to destroy everything good that comes to him. This is his one attempt to pull on those hands in full sincerity, acknowledging that it’s probably a mistake for him to do so but putting his heart and hope where his hands are: in the trust of a new partner who lets the windows open in spite of all that. Fitting for a Glastonbury performance, there are some lush synth and stringwork in the sing-a-long chorus, and it’s definitely a sing-a-long chorus given the simple melody and platitude lyrics that still do reflect some of the song’s conceits - “You’re throwing me a lifeline” is a great lyric to add to ensure that’s still embedded within each crack of the song’s premise, and yes, he rhymes it with “lifetime” and this time, it makes sense. I don’t usually say, “Take notes from Coldplay,” but we might have to start revising their back catalogue. There’s a certain restraint to the song’s true capabilities too - it’s in full slow build-up Coldplay territory of course, but all we have to really reflect on that other than the expected instrumentation is a guitar line so far to the left channel that it’s borderline communist, and a sputtering of lovestruck gibberish from Mr. Martin that’s honestly kind of adorable. It reminds me of when he performed lyrics from the Crazy Frog live on television as part of an instrumental break, it’s a cute and endearing way to end the song. Surprisingly enough, I do thoroughly enjoy this new Coldplay single. Been a while since I’ve said that with as little hesitation.

Conclusion

It’s tough. Who wasted my time the most? But whom did I clearly at least have something there to tussle with and find some value in outside of novelty? As controversial as this probably is, I’m ultimately going to grant Worst of the Week to “us.” by Gracie Abrams featuring Taylor Swift, because at least Dominic Fike’s vapid garbage is as transparent as it is, and yes, “misses” gets a very close Dishonourable Mention. As for the best, it’s also pretty evident here that it’s a toss-up between a few great songs, but ultimately I’ll actually lend it to Coldplay for “feelslikeimfallinginlove” because it sounds great in what might be a more unique emotional balance than the others, though I’m still giving a tied Honourable Mention to the girls, those being Charli xcx for “Girl, so confusing” and Perrie for “Tears”. As for what’s on the horizon, we’ll see whatever tangible impact Glastonbury and Headie One have, as well as that mess of a Camila Cabello album, Jason Derulo’s team-up with two prominent English DJs and maybe more K-pop than you’d think. Time will tell, however, and for now, thank you for reading, rest in peace to Shifty Shellshock - sugar! baby! - and I’ll see you next week.

[microwave-core]

Roxie Posting

Sorry that I've been sitting on these for awhile. I haven't had a ton of motivation to write recently, but I really enjoyed writing these once I finally sat down to finish them up!

First thing that comes to mind, Roxie is a night owl and has an absolutely terrible sleep schedule. She spends most of the night at the Virbank Gym, and other venues around the region when she’s traveling, so she ends up tucking in during the early morning hours, typically sleeping in until noon, if not later. She goes to sleep at more reasonable hours sometimes, but she won’t be happy about it.

She isn’t against cuddling, but it usually doesn’t end up happening, likely because your sleep schedules don’t line up all that well (or maybe they do, I don’t know). If you settle into bed with each other, she’s actually a bit clingy, wanting to be held close, but she tends to sprawl out once she’s asleep, and also shifts around quite a bit. At the very least, it’s easy to get out of bed once you wake up.

Roxie’s style in outfits isn’t particularly set in stone, but her hairstyle is. Letting her hair down doesn’t happen often, much less in public. She usually only lets it down at home, typically when sleeping or showering. Even then, though, it’s not too uncommon for her to fall asleep with the ponytail holder still in. Her hair itself is pretty flat and a bit thin, and doesn’t tangle easily. Surprisingly smooth, nice to brush and card fingers through. 

Music is obviously her passion, and she loves inviting you out to spend a wild night at the club, letting you watch her shred and sing her heart out, taking pride in you watching her work. At some point during the night, she’ll stop in between songs, pointing to you in the crowd, claiming that the next song is dedicated to you. Although, all of the songs are when you’re there to hear them.

She’s not on stage all night, taking a break or two to just relax her voice and fingers and bask in the night’s glow. She loves the club’s fiery aura, but she also loves the cool air of the night. A bouncing joint gets hot, temperature wise, quickly, after all. She’ll seek you out in the crowd and pull you out to sit in a nearby alleyway to unwind, chatting and laughing, before stepping back in. 

If you manage to stay the whole night without heading home early, she’ll gladly walk back home with you, obviously tired, yet satisfied. Always complains about the sun coming over the horizon. The sunlight, though faint in the early morning, is too much for her dark-adjusted eyes. 

When she goes traveling for league business, she asks you to join, obviously. Traveling with a partner is way more enjoyable than flying solo. League work is just work, but once she’s off the hook, she’s walking into the nearest club or bar. Whether she plays a few songs or just vibes in the crowd depends on where she goes and on how drained she is from the aforementioned work (although the prospect of music seems to give her a second wind). She drags you along to the place, and you’ll have to drag her back to wherever you’re staying at a reasonable time.

Roxie owns tons of different guitars. Her iconic black and purple, Scolipede-inspired bass is her favorite, but she has many others. Some of them are relatively normal, but she has other pokemon-inspired one’s, including some other Venipede line inspired ones that came before her current. Loves bold colors, flashy patterns, and unique shapes. Has commissioned Burgh at least a few times to sketch up designs for her. She also plays and owns a few different instruments, but bass is her one true love.

Would absolutely love it if you played an instrument or sang. While she’s clearly very rock and punk in her style, she’s more than willing to indulge in other genres if it means jamming with you. Loves all types of music, whether she admits it or not. To her, the perfect date is just the two of you lounging at home, donned in comfy clothes, while mindlessly prattling out beats together. The compliments on your skill will be endless. Would love to teach you guitar if you didn’t play it already, making for a surprisingly good teacher.

Greatly encourages you to follow your dreams or pursue your hobbies, but also advises you to not just up and leave everything else. Especially if you have an important job that would greatly disturb the life of others if you just suddenly stopped, like her old man did once.

Speaking of her old man, she complains about him from time to time, but she does care about him a whole lot. Holds the whole “suddenly abandoning being a ship captain to star in movies” thing over his head, if that wasn’t already obvious. While she does find him embarrassing, she does introduce you to him once you’ve been together for a while.

She writes all of her own songs, and is usually pretty good at it. When she’s facing artist’s block (or writer’s block? I think both technically apply in this context), she gets incredibly frustrated. She’ll pace around her home, pencil in hand, room covered in crumpled up and torn pieces of paper, until inspiration eventually strikes her. You might have to step in and force her to take care of herself if it goes on for too long, although it might be easier to help her find the inspirational spark she’s in need of first. She can be damn stubborn at times.

The lyrics of her songs do tend to be pretty simple. The intricacies of her work stem from the notes. Loves to inject solos, guitar riffs, and heavy basslines into all of work. She doesn’t stay in the spotlight all of the time, though, giving her bandmates the time in the limelight with their own solos. They’re just as important to their performance as she is, and so she wants them to be recognized for all of their hard work and skill.

Roxie doesn’t just take pride in her music, she takes pride in her strength when it comes to battles, too. Her beloved, toxic babies put everything they have into each and every battle. Whether win or lose, she’s proud of them. Her confidence isn’t arrogance, however, as she’s more than willing to acknowledge another’s strength if they beat her. She likes a challenge, and throws herself into any battle, even if the odds are stacked against her.

Along with inviting you to her gym when it’s a bumping club, she also invites you to listen in to the band’s practice before the night hits. Not only does she take comfort in your presence and value your feedback, it also gives you the chance to watch her face off against any challengers that stumble in. What can she say, she likes to show off in front of you.

She’s… not the most romantic person in the world, but she is passionate. Don’t expect her to come up with elaborate date ideas, nor a wide diversity in the one’s she does propose. She’s fine with going out to restaurants or to see movies if you want, but she’s unlikely to suggest those ideas herself. Most of her date ideas boil down to clubbing, concerts, and walks in the moonlight. 

Middling with affection. She’s not averse to it, but she doesn’t always actively seek it out from you, unless you’ve been apart for a long time. Kiss her on the forehead, and she’ll melt into your arms.

She’s most certainly a little spoon.

Her love language is definitely words of affirmation. She’s not writing sappy love songs or anything, but she’s good with her words, and knows how to string them along to fully articulate how she feels in the moment. 

Now, if you’re in a relationship for long enough, then she will actually write a, if not multiple, love songs for and about you. They aren’t overly sappy, like said above, but they are a bit cliche, as they detail everything she loves about you, and how proud she is of you, and everything she’d do for you. These tracks are for private performances only, though, made for your eyes and ears alone.

In general, she’s a pretty good punk girlfriend. As long as you aren’t looking for the overly romantic type, have a love for music, and don’t mind wrangling her in now and then, you’ll get yourself a loyal partner who will, quite literally, sing her praises for you.

[ava-core]

me, a bethesda shill: so what if my courier six was an elder scrolls character

May Bell, Deathbells: Daughter of Coldharbour

headcanons under the cut!

so i also used to play so much skyrim back in the day! it was also my first ever game that i played (around 2016?) and it was a hilarious initial experience because it took me five playthroughs to realize succubi weren’t actual members of a real race in elder scrolls lore…rip my older cousin’s copy i borrowed that used to run with 200+ mods

ANYWAY! lore-wise, there were so many opportunities i could take here, but something called to me seeing may as…undead. this is mainly centered around skyrim, btw!

but of course, may is a vampire in tamriel. not just any vampire, however: she’s a vampire lord, ghosting about lord harkon’s court in castle volkihar as one of the senior keepers of the library.

i considered making her a daughter of coldharbour, but i remembered in the middle of my thought process train going choo-choo did i remember what it takes for women to be daughters of couldharbour…poor may already has so much trauma as the courier in fnv. i will spare her a similar fate in terms of her origin here in tamriel :’)

still, even for vampire standards—already within these folks who outright drink blood and cannibalize as rituals and habits—may is an odd egg. she keeps to herself, eats in the dungeons instead of with the others, and idles either in the dusty tomes of the library or silently beside feran sadri’s side doing alchemy. in short, may retains her reclusive nature even as an all-powerful vampire lord.

she’s also most proficient in alteration and illusion magic, as well as alchemy. she’s also better than most in destructive magic, but she’s the most adept in the two aforementioned schools of magic. she also practices restoration magic on some of the wounded vampires who go out into the mainland.

she’s also good with one-handed weapons, but prefers to use staves or daggers.

no one really knows where she came from; just that harkon put her into court out of nowhere, and that she was a necessary part of their strategy-making with a big mind like hers. she was, after all, a former priestess of Julianos—the divine in charge of wisdom and logic. that’s all they knew about her. they don’t even know what region she’s from. short: breton? but her features are peculiar, not like any breton girl’s…

in this vein…boone, i see becoming a dawnguard soldier, a valued one, in fact: his skill with a crossbow makes isran weep for joy. almost.

for him, i can imagine him being a former imperial guard who moved to skyrim because both his wife carla and child died during labor. he’s a full-blooded nord, of course

he has this one-track mind against vampires: as creatures of the night, they’re not really deserving of compassion and kindness as the suck the life out of their victims and constantly terrify the populace with their cruelty; it’s why he signed up with the dawnguard. they looked promising eradicating the scourge of vampires (basically the way he sees legion, but a smidge less personal since vampires had nothing to do with his wife and child’s death)

DO YOU GUYS SEE WHERE I AM GOING WITH THIS…

so can you imagine when boone tries to play hero and rescue a captured dawnguard brother in volkihar castle, only to be kept as well

he spits in the eyes of the vampires, cursing and muttering profanity at his captors…

until he meets the most captivating young woman dressed in a sleek dark gown of velvet…and when she speaks, her fangs protrude.

imagine falling in love at first sight while also knowing this is the enemy. how could he: this is a vampire, just like one of them, with her big, sharp teeth and irises of dark red; how could he not, with her unique, beautiful face and the fact that even if she seemed like she was doing grunt work feeding the humans in the dungeon she wasn’t disgusted by them or looked down on them

when after a few days, may sees boone’s uniform, she asks about the sun emblem. awkwardly. boone spits in her direction, and may sighs.

it’s only a day after when may comes back to feed the humans when he says he’s dawnguard. weirdly enough, may had never heard of them before. he tells her they’re here to rid the world of the plague of vampires

may only sighs. she doesn’t get mad, get angry, or be disgusted at the thought of being wiped out. instead, she nods her head. “yeah, i get that.”

it intrigues boone. of course he can’t sweet-talk her into getting information about her out of her, but the least he does is stop growling at him.

after a while, boone also notices may’s face. as beautiful as it is, she didn’t look like anyone he’d ever seen in tamriel.

all she murmurs as she feeds him is, “i’m akaviri.”

a foreigner in strange lands. a vampire, too. but why volkihar? why here? why couldn’t she have just been a priestess he could carry in his arms to mara’s temple?

boone, after months of trying to decide whether to kill or kidnap this strange, beautiful vampire who’s been helping him infiltrate the volkihar castle: i didn’t say you could feed off anyone else

JUST A LOT OF THOUGHTS RINGING IN MY HEAD

[addictedtostorytelling]

thanks for the tag, @valueloyalty!

(also, thank you for your very kind words about my fic in the replies, too! i'm so glad you enjoy my stories. ❤)

last song: started with "16 carriages" by beyoncé and by the time i finished writing this up i was on "long wave" by dessa

favorite color: either pink or a deep teal

currently watching: renegade nell and abbott elementary

sweet/savory/spicy food: spicy

relationship status: single (and happy about it because aroace)

current obsession: watching documentaries about the bone wars. childhood paleontology interest reactivate! also reading every american regional gothic story and theory book i can get my hands on 'cause i'm teaching a course on it fall semester.

last thing i googled: "barefoot prehistoric runner faster than olympic sprinter australia"

currently reading: as i lay dying by william faulker 'cause that's what i'm teaching in my lit class right now, plus that old ace in the hole by annie proulx and never whistle at night: an indigenous dark fiction anthology edited by shane hawk and theodore c. van alst jr. for funsies (and the aforementioned regional gothic course prep)

—aaaaaaaaaand my blog is where ask games go to die, so if anyone has a hankering to play, just consider yourself tagged and @ me, okay? please and thank you!

[genshinmp3]

Truncated Verse from Pelagic Primaevality Yijun Jiang, HOYO-MiX

[legend-collection]

Yuki-onna

Yuki-onna ("snow woman") is a spirit or yōkai in Japanese folklore.  She may also go by such names as yuki-musume ("snow daughter"), yuki-onago ("snow girl"), yukijorō ("snow woman"), yuki anesa ("snow sis'"), yuki-onba ("snow granny" or "snow nanny"), yukinba ("snow hag") in Ehime, yukifuri-baba ("snowfall hag") in Nagano. They are also called several names that are related to icicles, such as tsurara-onna, kanekori-musume, and shigama-nyōbō.

Yuki-onna originates from folklores of olden times; in the Muromachi period Sōgi Shokoku Monogatari by the renga poet Sōgi, there is a statement on how he saw a yuki-onna when he was staying in Echigo Province (now Niigata Prefecture), indicating that the legends already existed in the Muromachi period.

In legends from the Ojiya region of Niigata Prefecture, a beautiful woman came to visit a man and became his wife from the woman's own desire. This woman was reluctant to go into the bath and when she was made to go in anyway, she disappeared, leaving only thin, fragmented, floating icicles (see also tsurara-onna).

Pic by Irenhorrors

In the Aomori and Yamagata Prefectures, there is a similar story about one called the "Shigama-onna." In the Kaminoyama region of Yamagata, a yuki-onna would come visit an old couple on a snowy night to warm herself by the irori. When late at night the Yuki-onna would again go out on a journey, the old man would attempt to take her hand to stop her, when he noticed that she was chillingly cold. Then, before his eyes, the girl turned into a whirl of snow that exited the house through the chimney. Also, it has some points of similarity with the kokakuchō; and on the night of a blizzard, as the Yuki-onna would be standing there hugging a child (yukinko), it would ask people passing by to hug the child as well. When one hugs the child, the child would become heavier and heavier until one would become covered with snow and freeze to death. It has also been told that if one refuses, one would be shoved down into a snowy valley.

In Hirosaki in Aomori, it is said that there was a warrior (bushi) who was asked by a yuki-onna to hug a child similarly, but the warrior held a short sword (tantō) by the mouth and hugged the child while making the blade go close to the child's head, which allowed the warrior to avoid the aforementioned phenomenon. When the warrior handed the child back to the Yuki-onna, the ghoul gave many treasures as thanks for hugging the child. It is also said that those who are able to withstand the ever-increasing weight of the yukinko and last all the way through would acquire great physical strength.

In the Ina region of Nagano Prefecture, Yuki-onna is called "yukionba", and it is believed that they would appear on a snowy night in the form of a yama-uba. Similarly, in Yoshida, Ehime Prefecture, on a night when snow is accumulating on the ground, a "yukinba" is said to appear, and people would make sure not to let their children outside. Also, in the Tōno region of Iwate Prefecture, and on Little New Year (koshōgatsu) or the 15th day of the first month, a yuki-onna would take many children along to a field to play, so children were warned against going outside. It can be thus seen that yuki-onna are often considered the same as the yama-uba, sharing the similarity that they are fecund and take many children along with them.

In the Ito region of Wakayama Prefecture, it is said that there would be a one-legged child jump-walking on a night when snow accumulates, and the next morning there would be round footprints remaining, and this would be called the "yukinbō" (snow child), but the one-legged snow kid is thought to be the servant of a mountain god.

In the village of Oshika, Tōhaku District, Tottori Prefecture (now Misasa), it has been said that a yuki-onna would come during light snow and say "Koori gose yu gose" ("Give me ice, give me hot water")—"gose" is a dialect word for "give me"—while waving around a white wand, and she would bulge when splashed with water and disappear when splashed with hot water.

In the area around the Kumano River in Yoshino District, Nara Prefecture, the "Oshiroi baa-san" or "oshiroi babaa" is also thought to be a type of Yuki-onna, and they are said to drag along mirrors, making clinking sounds while doing so. These characteristics, that of waving around a white wand (gohei) and possessing a mirror, are thought to be the characteristics of a miko who serves a mountain god that rules over birth and harvest.

In Aomori, it is said that a yuki-onna would come down to the village on the third day of Shōgatsu and return to the mountains on the first day of Rabbit, and it is thought that on years when the day of Rabbit is late in arriving, how well the harvest does will be different from before.

In the Iwate and the Miyagi Prefectures, a yuki-onna is thought to steal people's vitality; and in Niigata Prefecture, they are said to take the livers out of children and freeze people to death. In Nishimonai, Akita Prefecture, looking at a yuki-onna's face and exchanging words with her would result in being eaten. In Ibaraki Prefecture and in Iwaki Province, Fukushima Prefecture, it is said that if one does not answer when called by a yuki-onna, one would be shoved down into the bottom of a valley. In the Fukui Prefecture, they are called "koshi-musume" ("passing girl") and it is said that those who turn their backs to a koshi-musume when being called by one would get pushed into a valley.

In Ibigawa, Ibi District, Gifu Prefecture, an invisible monster called the "yukinobō" is said to change its appearance and appear as a yuki-onna. It is said that this monster would appear at mountain huts and ask for water, but if one grants the request, one would be killed, so one should give hot tea instead. It is said that in order to make the yukinbō go away, one should chant "Saki kuromoji ni ato bōshi, shimetsuke haitara, ikanaru mono mo, kanō mai" (meaning "A kurujo in front and a bōshi behind, by wearing these tight, nothing is possible").

The Hirosaki, Aomori legend about a yuki-onna returning to the human world on New Year's Day (Shōgatsu) and the legend in Tōno, Iwate Prefecture about yuki-onna taking away many children to play on "Little New Year" (koshōgatsu)- looking at the days on which they visit, both legends offer insight on how the yuki-onna has some characteristics of a toshigami. The story of how when one person treated a yuki-onna with kindness on a blizzard night, the yuki-onna turned into gold the next morning; illustrating how even in old tales such as the Ōtoshi no Kyaku, the yuki-onna has some relation to the characteristics of a toshigami.

Yuki-onna often appear while taking along children. This is in common with another yōkai that takes along children, the ubume. In the Mogami District, Yamagata Prefecture, ubume are said to be yuki-onna.

They often appear in stories about inter-species marriage, and stories similar to Lafcadio Hearn's Yuki-onna where a mountain hunter gets together with a woman who stays the night as a guest and eventually births a child. One day the man carelessly talks about the taboo of getting together with a yuki-onna, resulting in the woman revealing herself to be a yuki-onna, but not killing the man due to having a child between them and warning, "If anything happens to the child, you won't get away with it" before going away. These stories can be found in Niigata Prefecture, Toyama Prefecture, and the Nagano Prefecture, which came about as a result of many stories about mountain people where those who break the mountain taboos would be killed by mountain spirits. There is also the hypothesis that the yuki-onna legend was born from a mixture of paranormal stories of mountain people and the paranormal yuki-onna stories.

Old tales about yuki-onna are mostly stories of sorrow, and it is said that these tales started from when people who have lived gloomy lives, such as childless old couples or single men in mountain villages, would hear the sound of a blizzard knocking on their shutter door and fantasize that the thing that they longed for has come. It is said that after that, they would live in happiness with what they longed for in a fantasy as fleeting as snow. There is also a feeling of fear, and like as in the Tōno Monogatari, the sound of a blizzard knocking on an outer shōji is called the "shōji sasuri" (rubbing a shōji), and there is a custom of making children who stayed up late go to sleep quickly when a yuki-onna rubs a shōji. From real sayings such as the shōji sasuri, it is said that things that one longs for sit back-to-back with fear. Also, winter is the season when gods would come to visit, and if one does not pay respects, terrible things will happen, so even if it is said to be things that one longs for, one cannot put too much trust in that. In any case, it can be said to be related to the coming and going of seasons. Nobuyoshi Furuhashi, scholar of Japanese literature, stated that the novel Kaze no Matasaburō is also probably somehow related.

There are various legends about the yuki-onna's true identity, such as a snow spirit or the spirit of a woman who fell over in the snow. In a setsuwa of the Oguni region of Yamagata Prefecture, a yuki-jorō (yuki-onna) was originally a princess of the moon world, and in order to leave a boring lifestyle came down to earth together with snow but was unable to go back to the moon and so appears on snowy moonlit nights.

Yamaoka Genrin, an intellectual from the Edo period, said that yuki-onna is born from snow. It was supposed that if there were a lot of something, a living thing would come forth from it, giving birth to fish if the water is deep enough and birds if the forest is thick enough. Since both snow and women are "yin", so in places like Echigo it is said that yuki-onna might be born from within deep snow.

Among Japan's traditional culture, Yuki-onna can be seen in kōwaka such as the Fushimi Tokiwa (伏見常磐), which can also be checked in modern times. In Chikamatsu Monzaemon's Yuki-onna Gomai Hagoita, the story is about how a woman who was deceived and murdered became a yuki-onna and took revenge as a vengeful ghost. The bewitching and frightening aspects of a yuki-onna are often used in such depictions. Old tales and legends like these have been confirmed in Aomori, Yamagata, Iwate, Fukushima, Niigata, Nagano, Wakayama, Ehime, among other places.

Yuki-onna appears on snowy nights as a tall, beautiful woman with long black hair and blue lips. Her inhumanly pale or even transparent skin makes her blend into the snowy landscape (as famously described in Lafcadio Hearn's Kwaidan: Stories and Studies of Strange Things). She often wears a white kimono, but other legends describe her as nude, with only her face and hair standing out against the snow. Despite her inhuman beauty, her eyes can strike terror into mortals. She floats across the snow, leaving no footprints (in fact, some tales say she has no feet, a feature of many Japanese ghosts), and she can transform into a cloud of mist or snow if threatened. 

Some legends say the Yuki-onna, being associated with winter and snowstorms, is the spirit of someone who perished in the snow. She is at the same time beautiful and serene, yet ruthless in killing unsuspecting mortals. Until the 18th century, she was almost uniformly portrayed as evil. Today, however, stories often color her as mere human, emphasizing her ghost-like nature and ephemeral beauty.

In many stories, Yuki-onna appears to travelers trapped in snowstorms and uses her icy breath to leave them as frost-coated corpses. Other legends say she leads them astray so they simply die of exposure. Other times, she manifests holding a child. When a well-intentioned soul takes the "child" from her, they are frozen in place. Parents searching for lost children are particularly susceptible to this tactic. Other legends make Yuki-onna much more aggressive. In these stories, she often invades homes, blowing in the door with a gust of wind to kill residents in their sleep (some legends require her to be invited inside first).

What Yuki-onna is after varies from tale to tale. Sometimes she is simply satisfied to see a victim die. Other times, she is more vampiric, draining her victims' blood or "life force." She occasionally takes on a succubus-like manner, preying on weak-willed men to drain or freeze them through sex or a kiss.

Like the snow and winter weather she represents, Yuki-onna has a softer side. She sometimes lets would-be victims go for various reasons. In one popular Yuki-onna legend, for example, she sets a young boy free because of his beauty and age. She makes him promise never to speak of her, but later in life, he tells the story to his wife who reveals herself to be the snow woman. She reviles him for breaking his promise but spares him again, this time out of concern for their children (but if he dares mistreat their children, she will return with no mercy. Luckily for him, he is a loving father). In some versions, she chose not to kill him because he told her, which she did not treat as a broken promise (technically, Yuki-Onna herself is not a human and thus did not count). In a similar legend, Yuki-onna melts away once her husband discovers her true nature. However, she departs to the afterlife afterward the same way.

[nesswritings]

Mine, Forever

Oikawa clears his throat, breaking the silence. “I’ve been thinking, and I finally have a task for you. You know Ushiwaka, correct? Since you failed to take me out, I’m hoping you can take him out.”

a/n: My piece for @inarizahki's mafia collab. Thanks Sunny for the slight peer pressure to do this, it reminded me how much I love writing and mafia au's. Sending my love to you <3 <3 <3 word count: 2.2k

Warnings: stockholm syndrome, dub-con, general mafia topics (violence, guns, blood, etc.), death mentions, slight yandere oikawa, alcohol and drugs mentions, nsfw content at end

Shit. The bullet missed, hitting the man’s shoulder instead of going clean through his head. Below there already was a commotion, curses and directions being shouted out by someone. Time was limited, and you had to get back before you got caught. Karasuno was expecting you back safely, though the assassination was a failed mission. Survive, get back, and recover from this shock, then you could try again. Stairs in the back, the gun left behind so you could leave quickly.

But arms caught you as you emerged from the door at the bottom, your instincts already kicking in. The grip was too tight, and there were others there. Outnumbered, and stuck in this position. Your eyes rested on the muscular man you had attempted to take out, his slumped form against an alleyway wall as another man pressed a blue handkerchief against the wound. But that sight was short lived, your chin forced up to take in a new man, a man who didn’t seem to belong with the rest of Seijoh.

“You hurt Iwa-chan, sweetheart,” he cooed, ignoring the flinch from the nickname. Oh, that wouldn’t do, his eyes tracing over your outfit. It was easy to catch the small snag of the patch, pulling at the collar to truly take it in. A smirk set on his face, lithe fingers tearing the patch off the fabric before it was handed off. “Ah, so cute and clueless you’ve been involved. Don’t worry, they’ll pay in a different way. But you. You’re mine, princess, and don’t you ever forget that.” Dark words from a pretty man, words that only made him smile as he caught you off guard. But the rest understood, a murmur coming from Mattsun. “Don’t worry, I won’t let your pretty head hit the ground. So just relax.”

You sit up in the bed, your breath racing and your heart pounding in your chest. Only a dream, it was only a dream. No, it was a dream of the night you had been caught, the night Karasuno had been raided and the bloody massacre on the base. Oikawa had promised you’d pay in a different way, but you weren’t sure how that would happen. You weren’t used for sex, you weren’t on the streets trafficking drugs. No, you were stuck in this small room daily, with meals delivered and the blinking red light of the camera being a reminder that someone was always watching.

How long has it been? Days passed slowly and blended together. You would see Oikawa most days, though you refused to talk about Karasuno and who you were. But, despite the challenge, the company was nice. At least a week of being here, you knew that much, but the world would be different if you ever left.

The knock interrupts your thoughts, sitting up as you see the aforementioned man walk in. Two trays instead of one, the suit sharp with the light blue accents. Meant to seem less intimidating, and to show that they had a sense of style, Oikawa had once told you. A useless fact that stuck with you, the tapping against your cheek snapping you out of your thoughts for good.

“Eat up, princess.” Oikawa left little room for debate, settling at the desk with his eyes pointed at you. His gaze drops to his phone, glancing over the latest update. Iwaizumi would heal with time, though a nasty scar from the bullet would remain. Oikawa clears his throat, breaking the silence. “I’ve been thinking, and I finally have a task for you. You know Ushiwaka, correct? Since you failed to take me out, I’m hoping you can take him out.”

Ushijima, a man you knew simply by name. Larger than Seijoh, far more terrifying, and a beast of a man to mess with. Rumors always spread about that man, whether it was about how he tortured someone or his latest acquisition. Someone like him was far beyond your paygrade, your fork dropping onto the plate as you processed the request. “I can’t.”

“Oh, you can. And you will.” Oikawa didn’t bother with finishing his food, leaving the half-touched plate on the desk. “I’ll send someone for you soon. Until then, be good.”

Another typical day, outside of that small taste of freedom. Even if you weren’t to be trusted, your hands bound with rope, you were out of that room. A small taste of fresh air, finally able to see where you were. The Seijoh headquarters, luxurious and full of their distinguishing light blue accents. You follow behind closely, almost in shock at being led into Oikawa’s office. A meeting in progress with his closest men and an invite from the leader. His lap, with little choice.

Boring, dreadfully boring, but the interaction was nice. Though they continued on as though you weren’t there, it gave your mind a break from thinking over your mistakes. No, your focus was on the warmth of Oikawa, the gentle swirl of his fingers on your thighs. The touch was enough to distract you, your head resting against Oikawa’s shoulder. Far more gentle than that night, almost as if he cared. Maybe he did. It was a bad mindset to let yourself fall into, but if he cared, there was no reason to let your guard down a little.

“You’re dismissed for the day. Iwa, make sure to get some rest.” Oikawa accepts the grunt from him, waving off the men without a care in the world. His focus was on you, his new pawn to use as he needed. “You’re staying, sweetheart.” His hands move to keep a tight grasp on your waist, leaning forward to let his cheek rub against yours. There was so much he could do, so much he wanted to do, but trust was a little more important. Establish that trust, then he would be able to have his way with you. “You’ve been kept in that room for far too long, haven’t you? You can spend your days by me, if you’d like. All you have to do is listen. Deal?”

He wanted you to be on board with the Ushijima plan. Maybe he thought you were dumb, but you weren’t, your eyes locking on the map on the wall. Pins marked where various fights had been, a giant red X over where Karasuno had once been. Your home was gone, and there was no return to those you considered family. “It’s a deal.”

You had freedom, though in an unconventional way. Oikawa was glued to you, or you were at his side. Like a master and a dog, though you were granted alone time once you were brought back to your room in the evenings. The freedom helped you to keep track of the dates, to keep track of time, and to learn more about Seijoh. Members, the history, what their plans involved. Oikawa trusted you, or you would meet your end after you completed what he needed you for.

The plan was in place, and the night quickly approached. Everyone was counting down the hours until the fall of Shiratorizawa, until Seijoh would be the ones in charge of the entire region.

“Your dress, your highness.” Makki’s teasing voice was the only one in the small room, your eyes looking at the bag. Oikawa had mentioned a party, but dressing up? You stand from the bed, the dress revealed. Black and silky, bound to be tight and short on you. And, of course, jewelry with blue accents, as if being with Oikawa wouldn’t expose you. “Thanks, Makki.” Your fingers run over the material, looking at the mafia man who didn’t budge. He was going to help you get ready. This was beyond embarrassing, a groan leaving your lips. “Make it quick.”

Tight enough to show off your figure, yet loose enough for Makki to strap the pistol to your side and give it a teasing pat. Everything was almost too good, letting him escort you out to the main entrance. Seijoh was gathered, and more than ready to go.

“Thanks, Makki.” Oikawa offers his arm out for you, his plan for the night set in place. Keep you next to him, entertain you, and have you take out his enemy during the deal. “Come along, princess, we don’t have all night.”

The drive was nearly silent, sandwiched between Oikawa and Iwaizumi. You were his precious gem, his special girl, his hidden tool, compliments he had showered you with in the past days. When the car stopped outside the venue, you could feel warm fingers intertwining with your own, a squeeze following. “Just wait for my cue, cutie, then a bullet to the head. Do a good job for me, and we’ll get you out of that stuffy room.”

Heart beating fast in your chest, you allow him to help you out, knowing how the evening would progress. Mingling, staying glued to his side, looking pretty. Inside and outside of Seijoh were bound to be the same, and the least you could do was behave. If Oikawa was playing nice, you would as well. Being led around while nursing various drinks and small appetizers was relaxing, only required to give a smile and accept the occasional kiss or dip of fingers underneath the dress slit from Oikawa. A tease, but no one noticed, or they didn’t dare to say anything to him. Fear and tension were in the air, but for unspoken reasons.

By the time Ushijima shows up, you were escorted away, as Oikawa claimed that their talks weren’t suited for ladies like you. Iwaizumi stands next to you, his presence both comforting and terrifying as you steady the shot. Your finger itches to pull the trigger, adrenaline already coursing through your body. So long without an assassination, without a task to complete, and it was coming to backfire. As Oikawa’s hand rises in the air, your finger moves to hover over the trigger, pulling as soon as his fist closes.

Bang. The smell of gunpowder and commotion follows the noise, your brain already guiding you through your old process. Wipe the gun down and get the hell out of there. Iwaizumi stops you before you could run, cocking his head towards the back. Even if you had shot him, the resentment must have passed by now. One of his hands rests firmly on your back, the other grabbing the gun, leading you away from the chaos and out into the fresh air.

You scramble to sit up on his bed as Oikawa finally arrives, blood spatters on his white shirt and a streak across his forehead. A smile graces your lips as he presses closer, the smell of blood strong as your lips meet. Sweet, gentle, until Oikawa got hungry, your hair spread along his sheets in an instant and his teeth nipping lightly at your lip.

“Good fucking girl, aren’t you?” The words make your heart flutter, the streak of blood in your vision for a moment as his lips move to suck on your exposed collarbone. Your head was heavy between the pleasure and the alcohol from before, soaking in the praise from Oikawa. “Took care of Ushiwaka for me. You’ll be mine forever, won’t you?”

You feel the fabric of the dress being bunched around your waist, a moan slipping from your lips as his fingertips tease your clit. “Yeah, yours forever.” You were too occupied in how his fingers danced over your clit, unable to see the smirk that graced his lips. Panties were pushed aside, fingers finally entering your wet cunt. Your hips bucked as his fingers thrusted brutally into your sweet spot, back arching and pussy tightening around them. “There, please Tooru, there!”

“Patience.” Oikawa would spend his entire night ruining you, learning every inch of your body, marking what belonged to him. You were of Seijoh now, and he had no intentions of ever giving you up. But he could give into your demands, feeling you were worthy of a reward. You did what he asked, his thumb rubbing your clit as his fingers continued to hit the spot that made your toes curl. He hums softly as you tighten around his fingers, slowing his pace to a gentle pumping and glancing at your fucked out face. “Not yet, darling.”

His hand is gentle over yours like always, guiding it to his clothed cock. You bite your lip, looking up at him with wide eyes. Expected, yes, but your thighs were still shaking and it was hard to focus when those fingers continued to work your cunt open.

“I love you, cutie. You’ll do it for me, won’t you?” Oikawa leans closer, letting his fingers curl up and his lips press against yours. He soaks up the cry that leaves your mouth, only pulling away when you begin to nod frantically.

Your hands undid his slacks, pushing them down enough. Maybe not a large cock, but intimidating enough in the tight underwear. “I’ll do it, Tooru. Anything for you.”

“That’s a good girl.” His fingers pull out of your cunt slowly, dragging along the dress to clean them. It was time to take matters into his own hand, fishing his cock out. “Don’t be a brat. We have forever together, cutie, you and me.”

[fapangel]

D+6 Update @4PM

google docs

Northern Front

Summary: Little information to go on; likely a regrouping in effect, assume prior dynamics in play.

* The much-reported massive convoy from Belarus seems to be stalled. Given the amount of equipment and personnel present this is no surprise; cat-herding will be required before a new assault can be conducted. With Russian attempts to encircle the city still apparently struggling to fight their way south – and with prior precedent regarding their vulnerability to flanking attacks in this area and its terrain – it’s likely that the major roads into Kiev will remain open as defenders move materiel into the city in preparation for the likely encirclement and very hard fighting to come.

* Information on this front seems sparse overall today and late yesterday. Only statements I can find regarding the fighting in the countryside east of Kiev are from Ukranian military/government officials who indicate their forces are fighting for towns at Pryluky and Nizhyn – naturally, crossroads. Given that the Kharkiv area/region has seen more videos of abandoned or captured supply trucks than any other – and considering how conducive the woodier, more varied terrain is to ambushes – we can presume that if the Russians bypass these towns, as they have preferred to do in the past, that they will continue to suffer the same supply interdiction issues. Their utility in the assault on Kiev is questionable, past being able to encircle the town to easy passage from the east.

Southern Front

Summary: Getting worse, but still, incredibly, holding.

* Kherson area: Better than has been reported. Seeing a lot of doomerism about this on the discord, for understandable reasons. Resistance in Kherson is, incredibly, still active. Russian troops apperently bypassed Mykolaiv and moved north along the N11 highway but were promptly ambushed and destroyed in the town of Bashtanka. I was not expecting such ambushes in this area, as the terrain is incredibly flat, level, and open – ideal tank country; that should play to Russian materiel advantages in artillery and armor. Judging by the truck with the towed field gun, this was not a recon element, either.

* Ukrainian officials claim they are committing their MI-24 Hinds to this area; continuing the trend of aggressive deployment of their limited air assets on this front. Given the incredible importance of the area, and the unfavorable defensive terrain outside of major cities and the Dnieper river itself, this makes sense.

* Reported artillery duel at Severodonetsk with “rockets lighting up the sky” last night and a video claiming to be Russians entering Starobilsk 45km north-east of there seems to indicate high mobility fights (counterbattery employment and the simple speed of advance from Dontesk.). More recently video of civilians blocking Russian troops (a recon element) in Kupiansk have been seen – which is 100km north-west of the aforementioned towns and only 100km east-southeast of Kharkiv. Those troops are likely from the north-eastern forces probing south to find a way around Kharkiv, but the speed with which towns well north-west of the old Donbas line have apparently fallen indicate to me that Ukranian eastern forces (on the Donbas line) are making a fighting retreat – or at least falling back in good order – likely to anchor a new line around the southeastern flank of Kharkiv.

* Combat reported in the vicinity of Vasilievka, 40km south of Zaporizhzhia. Russians at least this far north here. (This has not been geolocated.)

* Russians confirmed to be assaulting Poltava; in the form of two videos of abandoned tanks – whether out of fuel or simply deserting crews crews is unclear. (These have not been geolocated but preponderance of reports favors this. Multiple pictures of civilians in Poltava organizing support services; food etc. have been seen as well.)

* In addition, Russians in Kherson have been seenlooting stores for food.

* These events together indicate that supply exhaustion is affecting the southern push out of Crimea. This is of vital importance, given the criticality of defending crossings over the Dneiper river, the Russian army’s dependence on rail transport for logistics, and the intact rail line into the south via the Kerch strait bridge through Crimea. Regarding this, the widely reported TB-2 drone strike on a large Russian fuel tanker trainwas, incredibly, localized to a railway in Crimea by commercial satellite photography. This would mean the aircraft is operating in an area where an S-400 battery is almost certainly active. Barring more info the TB-2 should be suspected to have LO properties from certain angles at this point in time. The importance of this strike cannot be over-stated; it shows that Russian logistics in territory they solidly control is not beyond reach of Ukranian strikes. While Ukraine only had six TB-2s at beginning of hostilities, the fact that airframes are already being delivered by NATO means that Turkey may be willing to (quietly) deliver more.

* Maruipol is now under proper assault but defending forces seem well equipped with artillery and are making use of small, likely commercial drones to spot their attacks. Given the Russian’s have mostly not deployed their storied ground EW capability (more on this later) we can expect to see more low-cost, high effectiveness tactics like this. (More on this below.) If fanatic resistance in other Ukrainian cities are anything to go by Mauripol will hold for quite a while yet.

Analysis – state of Russian forces now and future performance

(Skip to “conclusions” if you’re lazy or an officer)

It is a fool’s errand to try and link every sighting of completely abandoned tanks and even high-end SAMs, butthis incident deserves note as the vehicle is fully functional – the Ukranians start the engine and drive it away without problem. Videos of farmers hauling away abandoned IFVs with their tractors are already making the rounds, but thisshows civilians with heavy equipment (cranes and flatbed tractor-trailers) removing a pair of SA-8 Gekos (one of the better and more sophisticated mobile SHORAD units with a limited capability for missile interception!). Not only are vehicles like this lighter than tanks and thus possible to move with lighter and more common civilian equipment, but they make a larger difference than a single tank does given the problems a persistent SAM threat causes for airpower and the relative shortage of such systems in the Ukranian OOB. Furthermore, the units being abandoned include Tor (SA-15) and Pantsir (SA-22) systems, among the most useful, sophisticated and brand-new surface to air systems in the Russian inventory. Additionally, all but the SA-22 are already present in Ukrainian stocks. For example, while only six SA-15/Tor systems were re-activated before the war, Ukraine has many more of them in storage that they did not have money to re-activate; thus there should be no shortage of spare parts and ammunition reloads, and there’s even operators trained to use the systems. Examples of deliberate recovery efforts being made on Russian vehicles, mostly SAMs, often by farmers with tractors are now so common I have lost count.

In addition, supply convoys are being intercepted and not only destroyed, but outright captured, esp. in the Kharkiv region where Russian efforts seem to be coming to grief quite frequently, for instance this truckload of280mm Smerch rockets. With the long range of this system and the relative low ammo stockpiles Ukraine has for it’s small number of launchers, captures like this weaken the Russians while strengthening the Ukrainians. This fuel truck reportedly ran into a tree after swerving to avoid civilians in the road, and this convoy was apparently ambushed, with one truck destroyed and another loaded with MLRS rockets captured.

The troubles of Russian forces go significantly deeper than ammunition supply, as well: early reports that Russian frontline troops were using cheap, civilian radios without encryption is now confirmed beyond a shadow of a doubt; thousands of people are listening in to unsecured Russian field communications using web-linked radio receivers and crowd-sourcing the intelligence collection from it. One unit in particular, Buran-30, has become famous for the frequency with which he gets lost and has to call for help from other units who are also lost. This is the likely reason why Russia has almost completely neglected to deploy its formidable ground EW systems (one was spotted yesterday moving towards Kherson, likely as a counter TB-2 drone measure.) Worse, POWs are reporting that they have no long-range radios to contact their headquarters whatsoever. Radios are not a logistical concern like ammunition, fuel, food, and other consumables that must be channeled into a fight by a constant (sometimes literal) pipeline; they are basic and vital pieces of common kit. To constantly be broadcasting unit movements in the clear, with United States ELINT assets hovering all around the nation, feeding that data to Ukrainian ground troops, is staggeringly incompetent and ill-prepared.

NextI wish to draw attention to something I’ve dubbed terrain attrition; i.e. the losses incurred by accidents crossing terrain. These happen in any military and are a major reason training with armored vehicles is important, but Russia seems to be having more problems than normal. Multiple videos of Russian tanks that drove off small (or over destroyed) bridges have been seen. More vehicles have been seen abandoned by the side of the road for unclear reasons. A video showing two abandoned T-80s that collided had a tow chain hooked between them; likely one had broken down. Multiple sightings of mud-bogged and abandoned vehicles have been seen as well; the S-22 above being one good example.

Due to good OPSEC by both sides’ uniformed military most OSINT so far has been civilian sightings of combat from (usually) a safe distance, and almost all of it has been of combat’s aftermath. Videos of the Russian advance into Kherson yesterday gave a rare look at Russian infantry actually maneuvering, and displaying incredibly lackadaisical attitudes about it. I initially took this as indication that UA had withdrawn from Kherson to the crossroads; we now know that is incorrect and that the city was still occupied at the time. Given overall performance of the entire Russian Federation Armed Forces over the past several days and persistent evidence of outright desertion, not just of individual vehicles but of entire OPs, vehicles included, the quality of regular Russian troops, including infantry,should no longer receive the benefit of the doubt.

One last data point: commercial imagery is now available of Ozerne Airbase in Zhytomr Oblast, showing the impacts of what were probably opening-day salvos by Iskanders. Incredibly, it shows the majority of the seven weapons deployed missed their targets. Tellingly, every impact seems offset from their likely intended target by the same distance, and in the same direction. This is highly reminiscent of the 2019 Indian Air Force strike on a terrorist camp in southern Pakistan which apparently missed the mark becausestrike planners misunderstood the intricacies of coordinate systems and as a result, missed their intended targets because the elevation data was not correct.

Conclusions

Let me paint you a picture. You have a military force that is suffering from high rates of desertion and abysmal morale, having persistent supply problems even in areas where intact railheads are not far to the rear, and have poorly trained troops who cannot conduct proper bounding overwatch movement in uncleared and suspected hostile cities, nor, apparently, can drive or service their vehicles properly, neither when negotiating tricky terrain or dealing with bogged-down machines. On an operational level this force is relying heavily on completely unsecured comms that are easily jammed by enterprising civilians broadcasting with their own radios and is feeding a constant stream of troop movement ELINT to enemy allies, giving hostile forces both indications of your maneuvering and easy artillery targets. Worse, your lower level maneuver elements often lack longer-range radios, leaving them unable to contact HQ. Your troops are engaging in repeated “thunder runs” with just one or two vehicles, likely for scouting, as your air force is loath to sortie and when it finally does on D+5 it’s flying strike jets around in the SHORAD/MANPAD envelope due to a likely shortage of PGMs. If this is not enough, your own air defenses are evidently unable to protect even your most important rear areas, using your best, most powerful long-range air defenses, given possible LO capabilities of a cheap drone that your intelligence agencies had years to study due to employment in nearby conflicts. If this is not enough, your operational-level strike planners cannot effectively utilize division-level long range precision fires because they apparently have a shortage of competent, trained and practiced personnel. On a force structure level, you have reportedly committed 80% of forces massed for the operation but still cannot muster enough infantry or mechanized forces to adequately secure your own lines of communication/supply from partisan/SOF activity and cannot commit to clearing tenacious defenders in towns that occupy key crossroads; forcing wheeled vehicles to deviate over side-roads where ambushes are much easier, or go overland and risk bogging down. Worse, you cannot utilize rail at all on two out of three fronts due to these same occupied cities, and in the third those lines are proven vulnerable to enemy airpower. Your enemy is extremely highly motivated, receiving top-tier SIGINT/ELINT support and very significant quantities of materiel aid down interior lines of communication that your air force will not or cannot perform deep interdiction against due to poor SEAD capability and the persistent mobile SAM threat against even higher altitudes that the enemy clearly retains. Your enemy has incredible support from the civilian populace, with passive resistance to your forces common, and materiel aid being supplied constantly. Enemy forces – with said civilian aid – are recovering your abandoned vehicles wherever possible, and where those vehicles were bogged down too much to easily recover, or in an area you are likely to retake,they destroy them in-situ to deny you their use.

Furthermore, this enemy has demonstrated a willingness to boldly use armor and mechanized infantry assets to conduct deep raids and attack your flank to cut your lines of communication, not afraid to parcel them out in small units and maneuver aggressively instead of trying to retain them for decisive massed action due to their moderate qualitative inferiority and significantly smaller numbers.

Right now, many analysts are saying that the Russian Federation’s early setbacks and mistakes were born of terrible restrictions in ROE and a worse operational concept that has hamstrung their forces by forcing them to fight in a manner contravening their doctrine; without significant use of combined arms and not enough reliance on their long-range fires. These analysts allege that a shift is now underway, and when the Russians resume their all-out push it will be in accord with their doctrine, and thus they will perform much better and inflict much higher casualties.

My conclusion: Given the above points, which call into question the basic quality of the troops, their ability to maintain supply flow mandatory for the doctrinal heavy use of artillery fires, and above all the absolutely atrocious state of their C2, I highly fucking doubt that the BTGs will suddenly start performing more like we expected them to. Furthermore, the Ukrainians have demonstrated real competence in the use of their armor assets; to the point where I would not rule out their ability to fight a tank battle in the South, if one should be required to advance on the southern Dneiper bridgeheads to retake them.

[gemsofgreece]

Maria Pentayótissa

Maria Pentayotissa was a woman who became a folk legend in Greece thanks to her great beauty and her tragic love life. Her true name was Maria Daskalopoulou but she became known as Pentayotissa, because her home town was the Pentayí village in mountainous Phocis, Sterea Hellas. She was born in 1821 (the year the Greek Independence War started).

Pentayi of Phocis.

Her father was a teacher and she was very beautiful, strong willed, educated and liberal. According to legend, she was also a cunning woman with a long string of lovers. She would choose her lovers and men would often fight physically to win her heart, or attention, at least.

That's what these folk song lyrics were based on: " Lambs get slaughtered in Sálona, rams get slaughtered in Chrissós, but on Maria's lap young lads get slaughtered".

The constant fights amongst the young men were disturbing the tranquil routine of her town and the nearby villages. But Maria had found her sweetheart. She started a relationship with a young man named Dimitris Tourkakis, which was a secret known to everyone in the region and was, obviously, not an engagement. The conservative villagers were outraged, fearing Maria would set an example for other girls too, and were pressuring Maria´s brother, Yannis, to put an end to his sister´s affair.

Once, King Otto and Queen Amalia visited Ámfissa, the chief town of Phocís, and all the villages of the region sent representatives to welcome the royal couple. Maria was one of the representatives from Pentayi. It is said that Queen Amalia was so impressed by her beauty that asked her to become one of her ladies-in-waiting in the royal court in Athens.

The arrival of the king and queen was followed by festivities in Sálona in their honour. Maria was dancing and Dimitris slipped right next to her in the dance, taking her hand.

Her brother Yannis saw this, and pressured as he was by the narrow-minded society, he angrily dragged Maria out of the dance in front of everyone. Maria took this as a great insult and when she later met Dimitris back in their village, she told him she wished to never see him again, because he was a coward and did not support her in front of her brother and the villagers, neither did he own up and ask her hand in marriage.

Dimitris decided to prove to Maria that he was no coward and for that reason, of all things, he chose to sneak upon her brother at night and kill him. He then carried the corpse to mount Xerovouni above the village and throw it to a gorge called Kárkanos.

Xirovouni of Phocis by Sotiris Marinopoulos via Flickr.

Dimitris then rushed back to Maria's house into the night and announced the murder of her brother triumphantly. Maria cried: "Alas, brother, I killed you!". So when shepherds found the corpse days later and police arrived for inquiring, Maria's little sister, who had overheard their conversation, told the policemen of Maria's "confession". It is often suggested that the young sister knew the true context of Maria’s cry - she betrayed her due to a slow-burning envy for the attention Maria was getting thanks to her beauty.

Dimitris Tourkakis and Maria Daskalopoulou were lead to the Criminal Court of Missolonghi. Tourkakis was sentenced to many years or life in prison but there are many different tellings regarding what happened to Maria, who was being trialed as an accomplice. All versions agree to this: Maria was punished lightly.

According to the most popular version, the judges were biased because of her beauty and gave her a short sentence. Another version claims that a juror's son pressured the judges to not punish her because he didn't want his own affair with Maria to be revealed. And according to a third, a guard helped Maria to flee prison, seduced by her charms.

Whatever the truth is, after her sentence was through (or she escaped prison), Maria returned to her place on foot. She arrived at Pentayi on Easter Day and found her people to dance on the aforementioned folk song about her. When they saw her, some were judgemental and some hostile. Maria confronted them but eventually abandoned the village, fearing she would get caught again. Maria joined a band of wanted criminals who were hiding in the mountains.

Mountainous Phocis. Source: www.difno.gr

She did not stay with them for long. The priest of Pentayi found her in the mountains and appeared understanding towards her. With gentle words, he convinced her to return to her home. The priest and the villagers then helped her get an amnesty and after that her turmoil was over.

Some years later, she married Konstantinos Armaos from the nearby town of Krokílio, a widower with four children. Maria raised his children with principles and good education. She did not have children of her own. She died honoured in the age of 84.

Her story has become the subject of numerous songs and poems, novels, theatrical plays, even shadow theater plays - sometimes with a lot of liberties taken, including some which connect her to the Greek Independence War, which is entirely false. The famous actress Aliki Vougiouklaki starred as Maria Pentayotissa in a movie about her life.

Sources for the post:

newsitamea.gr

athensvoice.gr

[myths-n-legends]

Yuki onna.

Yuki-onna (ゆきうんな、雪女, "snow woman") is a spirit or yōkai (よかい) in Japanese folklore that is often depicted in Japanese literature, films, or animation.

She may also go by such names as yuki-hoe (*btw it doesn't mean anything inappropriate also its pronounced as 'ho' like santa's ho ho ho & 'a' like the pirate's ay' a][ honestly sounded more better in my head) (ゆきほえ"snow daughter"), yuki-onago (ゆきうなご"snow girl"), yukijorō (雪女郎, "snow woman"), yuki anesa (ゆきあねさ"snow sis'"), yuki-onba (ゆきうんば"snow granny" or "snow nanny"), yukinba (ゆきんば"snow hag") in Ehime, yukifuri-baba (ゆきふりばば"snowfall hag") in Nagano. They are also called several names that are related to icicles, such as tsurara-onna, kanekori-musume, and shigama-nyōbō.

Yuki-onna originates from folklores of olden times; in the Muromachi period Sōgi Shokoku Monogatari by the renga poet Sōgi, there is a statement on how he saw a yuki-onna when he was staying in Echigo Province (now Niigata Prefecture), indicating that the legends already existed in the Muromachi period.

In legends from the Ojiya region of Niigata Prefecture, a beautiful woman came to visit a man and became his wife from the woman's own desire. This woman was reluctant to go into the bath and when she was made to go in anyway, she disappeared, leaving only thin, fragmented, floating icicles (see also tsurara-onna).

In the Aomori and Yamagata Prefectures, there is a similar story about one called the "Shigama-onna." In the Kaminoyama region of Yamagata, a yuki-onna would come visit an old couple on a snowy night to warm herself by the irori. When late at night the Yuki-onna would again go out on a journey, the old man would attempt to take her hand to stop her, when he noticed that she was chillingly cold. Then, before his eyes, the girl turned into a whirl of snow that exited the house through the chimney. Also, it has some points of similarity with the kokakuchō; and on the night of a blizzard, as the Yuki-onna would be standing there hugging a child (yukinko), it would ask people passing by to hug the child as well. When one hugs the child, the child would become heavier and heavier until one would become covered with snow and freeze to death. It has also been told that if one refuses, one would be shoved down into a snowy valley.

In Hirosaki in Aomori, it is said that there was a warrior (bushi) who was asked by a yuki-onna to hug a child similarly, but the warrior held a short sword (tantō) by the mouth and hugged the child while making the blade go close to the child's head, which allowed the warrior to avoid the aforementioned phenomenon. When the warrior handed the child back to the Yuki-onna, the ghoul gave many treasures as thanks for hugging the child. It is also said that those who are able to withstand the ever-increasing weight of the yukinko and last all the way through would acquire great physical strength.

In the Ina region of Nagano Prefecture, Yuki-onna is called "yukionba", and it is believed that they would appear on a snowy night in the form of a yama-uba. Similarly, in Yoshida, Ehime Prefecture, on a night when snow is accumulating on the ground, a "yukinba" is said to appear, and people would make sure not to let their children outside. Also, in the Tōno region of Iwate Prefecture, and on Little New Year (koshōgatsu) or the 15th day of the first month, a yuki-onna would take many children along to a field to play, so children were warned against going outside. It can be thus seen that yuki-onna are often considered the same as the yama-uba, sharing the similarity that they are fecund and take many children along with them.

In the Ito region of Wakayama Prefecture, it is said that there would be a one-legged child jump-walking on a night when snow accumulates, and the next morning there would be round footprints remaining, and this would be called the "yukinbō" (snow child), but the one-legged snow kid is thought to be the servant of a mountain god.

In the village of Oshika, Tōhaku District, Tottori Prefecture (now Misasa), it has been said that a yuki-onna would come during light snow and say "Koori gose yu gose" ("Give me ice, give me hot water")—"gose" is a dialect word for "give me"—while waving around a white wand, and she would bulge when splashed with water and disappear when splashed with hot water.

In the area around the Kumano River in Yoshino District, Nara Prefecture, the "Oshiroi baa-san" or "oshiroi babaa" is also thought to be a type of Yuki-onna, and they are said to drag along mirrors, making clinking sounds while doing so. These characteristics, that of waving around a white wand (gohei) and possessing a mirror, are thought to be the characteristics of a miko who serves a mountain god that rules over birth and harvest.

In Aomori, it is actually said that a yuki-onna would come down to the village on the third day of Shōgatsu and return to the mountains on the first day of Rabbit, and it is thought that on years when the day of Rabbit is late in arriving, how well the harvest does will be different from before.

In the Iwate and the Miyagi Prefectures, a yuki-onna is thought to steal people's vitality and in Niigata Prefecture, they are said to take the livers out of children and freeze people to death. In Nishimonai, Akita Prefecture, looking at a yuki-onna's face and exchanging words with her would result in being eaten. In Ibaraki Prefecture and in Iwaki Province, Fukushima Prefecture, it is said that if one does not answer when called by a yuki-onna, one would be shoved down into the bottom of a valley. In the Fukui Prefecture, they are called "koshi-musume" (越娘, "passing girl") and it is said that those who turn their backs to a koshi-musume when being called by one would get pushed into a valley.

In Ibigawa, Ibi District, Gifu Prefecture, an invisible monster called the "yukinobō" is said to change their appearance and appear as a yuki-onna. It is said that this monster would appear at mountain huts and ask for water, but if one grants the request, one would be killed, so one should give hot tea instead. It is said that in order to make the yukinbō go away, one should chant "Saki kuromoji ni ato bōshi, shimetsuke haitara, ikanaru mono mo, kanō mai" (meaning "A kurujo[clarification needed]in front and a bōshi behind, by wearing these tight, nothing is possible").

The Hirosaki, Aomori legend about a yuki-onna returning to the human world on New Year's Day (Shōgatsu) and the legend in Tōno, Iwate Prefecture about yuki-onna taking away many children to play on "Little New Year" (koshōgatsu)- looking at the days on which they visit, both legends offer insight on how the yuki-onna has some characteristics of a toshigami. The story of how when one person treated a yuki-onna with kindness on a blizzard night, the yuki-onna turned into goldthe next morning; illustrating how even in old tales such as the Ōtoshi no Kyaku, the yuki-onna has some relation to the characteristics of a toshigami.

Yuki-onna often appear while taking along children. This is in common with another yōkai that takes along children, the ubume. In the Mogami District, Yamagata Prefecture, ubume are said to be yuki-onna.

They often appear in stories about inter-species marriage, and stories similar to Lafcadio Hearn's Yuki-onna where a mountain hunter gets together with a woman who stayed the night as a guest and eventually birthing a child. One day the man carelessly talked about the taboo of getting together with a yuki-onna, resulting in the woman revealing herself to be a yuki-onna, but not killing the man due to having a child between them and warning, "If anything happens to the child, you won't get away with it" before going away can be found in Niigata Prefecture, Toyama Prefecture, and the Nagano Prefecture, which came about as a result of many stories about mountain people where those who break the mountain taboos would be killed by mountain spirits. There is also the hypothesis that the yuki-onna legend was born from a mixture of paranormal stories of mountain people and the paranormal yuki-onna stories.

Old tales about yuki-onna are mostly stories of sorrow, and it is said that these tales started from when people who have lived gloomy lives, such as childless old couples or single men in mountain villages, would hear the sound of a blizzard knocking on their shutter door and fantasize that the thing that they longed for has come. It is said that after that, they would live in happiness with what they longed for in a fantasy as fleeting as snow. There is also a feeling of fear, and like as in the Tōno Monogatari, the sound of a blizzard knocking on an outer shōji is called the "shōji sasuri" (rubbing a shōji), and there is a custom of making children who stayed up late go to sleep quickly when a yuki-onna rubs a shōji. From real sayings such as the shōji sasuri, it is said that things that one longs for sits back-to-back with fear. Also, winter is the season when gods would come to visit, and if one does not pay respects, terrible things will happen, so even if it is said to be things that one longs for, one cannot put too much trust in that. In any case, it can be said to be related to the coming and going of seasons. Nobuyoshi Furuhashi, scholar of Japanese literature, stated that the novel Kaze no Matasaburō is also probably somehow related.

There are various legends about the yuki-onna's true identity, such as saying that the yuki-onna is a snow spirit or the spirit of a woman who fell over in the snow. In a setsuwa of the Oguni region of Yamagata Prefecture, a yuki-jorō (yuki-onna) was originally a princess of the moon world and in order to leave a boring lifestyle came down to earth together with snow but was unable to go back to the moon and so is said to appear on snowy moonlit nights.

Yamaoka Genrin, an intellectual from the Edo period, said that yuki-onna is born from snow. It was supposed that if there were a lot of something, a living thing would come forth from it, giving birth to fish if the water is deep enough and birds if the forest is thick enough. Since both snow and women are "yin", so in places like Echigo it is said that yuki-onna might be born from within deep snow.

Among Japan's traditional culture, Yuki-onna can be seen in kōwaka such as the Fushimi Tokiwa (伏見常磐), which can also be checked in modern times. In Chikamatsu Monzaemon's Yuki-onna Gomai Hagoita, the story is about how a woman who was deceived and murdered became a yuki-onna and took revenge as a vengeful ghost. The bewitching and frightening aspects of a yuki-onna are often used in such depictions. Old tales and legends like these have been confirmed in Aomori, Yamagata, Iwate, Fukushima, Niigata, Nagano, Wakayama, Ehime, among other places.

Yuki-onna appears on snowy nights as a tall, beautiful woman with long black hair and blue lips. Her inhumanly pale or even transparent skin makes her blend into the snowy landscape (as famously described in Lafcadio Hearn's Kwaidan: Stories and Studies of Strange Things). She often wears a white kimono, but other legends describe her as nude, with only her face and hair standing out against the snow. Despite her inhuman beauty, her eyes can strike terror into mortals. She floats across the snow, leaving no footprints (in fact, some tales say she has no feet, a feature of many Japanese ghosts), and she can transform into a cloud of mist or snow if threatened.

Here are some pictures.

A/n: Disclaimer !! I do not own any of the pictures above I got it off of google so don't come after me, owners of these pictures if you want me to take them off just let me know.

Enjoy and take care!!

And I most likely am not gonna post on this monday, im done for (-_-;)

[frustratedpker]

How Stefan ended up in Duckburg or "the fic I will never write"

The Stefan we're talking about ↑

I have always had a pretty standard backstory for Stefan in my mind, but if it were to be a fic, it would be many chapters long and I only have the energy for one-shots.

So... here are ~16 chapters worth or lore into one post!

It also counts as a bullet fic (?)

Stefan is working as a photographer in a war zone somewhere in Asia

The conflict in this region isn't that bad yet so he has a lot of spare time and things are tolerable

He lives in a village where a local family agreed to put him up

He tries to help around the house and do chores in exchange for his stay

He plays with the kids and tries to learn the local dialect

For the time being he only knows how to say "Thank you"

He has become a part of the local community despite all the differences

It reminds him of his own village which he hasn't visited in years

The conflicts start to get more and more intense and the frontline moves closer and closer

Stefan does his work, each night returning a little bit more tired and drained

At some point even the kids fail to cheer him up

One day he gets closer to the enemy base as usual

Despite being a neutral correspondent, he can't ignore the fact that it's the colonial army that protect their own interests on the local wealth in detriment of the local people

The enemy leader is ruthless and won't even take into account civilian casualties

Stefan manages to secretly infiltrate the camp

At this point he can't even tell whether he follows his profession or his need for justice

Little by little, over the course of several days he collects important information and incriminating photos against the army division's leader

He knows that the locals may be saved if he can get this proof to the right persons

But he gets caught

It's the first time in his life that he's truly afraid. Afraid that he won't make it out alive

He doesn't break though and refuses to surrender

Then, the threats start

He wouldn't mind being shot - not that he would ever be given a choice

But to hear listed all the ways his friends back in the village would die, is too much

People that Stefan lived, talked and played with, are now nothing more that would-be victims, their lives depending on a simple word uttered by his lips

Stefan hates power and he's feeling it crush his shoulders

He surrenders

And he feels guilty for it

Guilty for being a saviour, guilty for not being someone else

He is thrown out of the camp in the dark of the night with blood dripping from his mouth and nothing more than the clothes he was wearing - or what's left of them

He rushes to inform the village and they all together plan a counterattack

The information is leaked

They are met with strong resistance leading to the village being burnt down to the ground

Stefan finds himself in a delicate position

He looses the support of every official organization as a professional. He is deemed both a hero and a traitor depending on the side one's on. He has lost track of who's accusing him and of what

He tries for one last time to get the story out to the world

He is caught and that night everything changes. He barely escapes with his life

He flees to the other side of the world with nothing but his camera. No notice, no trial, no trace

He never learns whether any of the villagers survived the fire and the shootings

This doubt is the one that won't let him sleep peacefully ever again

That's how he, former war zone photographer Stefan Vladuck, finds himself aboard a ship traveling to America, all alone, with no luggage, no past and no future

He still enjoys a hopeless sunrise from the deck before collapsing on the bench from exhaustion

I think this got too heavy. But that's how I imagine things happening. How he ended up being stateless is still complicated in my mind. I like @madmachaca 's explication that he was born in a no longer existing country (e.x. Yugoslavia) but I like to headcanon that he was stripped of his nationality because of his involvement in the aforementioned military affairs (idk even know whether this is possible, but it makes a cool headcanon)

I don't think that I'm ever writing this, still I wanted it to exist under some form!