#retro music items

[robryebeach]

OLD MUSIC KEYBOARD. #retro #electronics #musickeyboard

[dimalink]

Road to Countryside - Graphics upgrade [PreView, PreRelease]

Quest, search for items. Countryside and summer. Little positive things! Something someway like Ms Dos 16 colors simple game.

Graphics upgrade. It is drawn game scenes better. More details. Drawing is upgrade.

Everything is drawn with little squares and little circles. And 16 colors to select from.

Basic Pascal version 1.17 "BLOCK" – most newest version. In this version there are 4 new games! Platform Ball, Cabin Pilot, Free Blocker, Free Bee. And even more retro games! It is a pack of retro games with modern versions of Basic and Pascal.

It is now in development new version Basic Pascal pack games. This game will be included in a new version.

Basic Pascal: http://www.dimalink.tv-games.ru/packs/basicpascal/index_eng.html Website: http://www.dimalink.tv-games.ru/home_eng.html Itchio: https://dimalink.itch.io/basic-pascal

[centrally-unplanned]

California Crisis: Gun Salvo

I watched the 1986 OVA California Crisis, and it was really good! This anime, if you have heard of it all (which is unlikely), is famous for two things. One is its look:

Which in anime form did not exist before, and has not existed since. When you research “California Crisis” in English the source everyone pulls from is this essay by longtime industry man Fred Patten, and he describes it as “the over-solarized art style most commonly associated with the commercial artist Patrick Nagel, who was very ‘in’ at the time.” I believe him on that being an influence - he worked with the creators after all - and my primary documents from said creators are quite limited; but those that I have never mention him. They certainly were aiming for Americana - but what is causing this unique look is the use of thick, black outlines on the inner shading of the characters (something Nagel doesn’t really do), which producer Yoshikazu Tochihira mentions as a common technique used on vehicles in anime at the time. Given how heavily cars and ‘copters feature in this, I think the look was also sort of its own idea to create stylistic cohesion between the key parts.

I am not going to say it always works - on our main girl Marcia it is sketch, those eyes man:

But for our boy Noera it comes out a lot nicer:

He has less demand to be “typical anime”; bishoujo can’t blend here but surfer bum absolutely can.

You get used to it over time though, and it excels at capturing the idealized West Coast aesthetic. In particular, by being “not anime” it really helps you feel like it is somewhere else than Japan. The OVA is filled with long panning shots of detailed Los Angeles streets and beaches, named restaurants and garbled English menu items aplenty. Our friend Fred Patton - who isn’t a fan - comments that “Animation fans at the time said, only half-humorously, that it looked like the main purpose of the video was for a handful of Japanese animators to come to California and take a road trip from San Diego to Los Angeles for location shots.” But that never happened - this was made on a shoestring budget, and according to the same source as before no such site visit occurred. Instead, reference material was gathered by “searching bookstores, travel agencies, libraries, and even the American Cultural Center”, and it was a lot of work to get the details even half-right from that. Stop spreading lies, Fred Patton! Wait until you get my strongly worded comment on your blog, I don’t care if you passed away 6 years ago (RIP an absolute legend), get your facts straight!

Aided in this sense of immersion is the OVA's second source of notoriety: the absolutely banging city pop soundtrack by pop star Miho Fujiwara. The OP, Streets Are Hot, lives up to the name, straight fire:

And while not as peak, the rest of the OST doesn’t disappoint. Anime Youtuber STEVEM has a video on California Crisis that digs into the music side, as the history of city pop is absolutely his jam; for me I will just comment that it is a little lost now how western city pop was in Japan. Today it is of course “peak Japan” after its 2010’s retro internet boom, but if you listen to pop music from 1970’s Japan you still hear a lot of blending of western musical sensibilities and more traditional Japanese vocal stylings and instrumentation. City pop was one of the earlier genres to fully shed the past and embrace synth instrumentation and modern vocal approaches. And the aesthetic often pulled specifically from California - these are not album covers that scream Tokyo:

All of this is to say that this OVA is not only of its time, but it also embodies its time - a paean to the California Dream of the 80’s Tokyo youth:

Fucking vibes, man, for this alone the OVA really hits for me. Though of course, for all the Americana it is still an anime:

(Which by the way, Marcia rides a motorcycle on the highway and is clearly like 17, so Noera's rejection of an offer of sex here is more linguistic evidence for the bifurcated meaning of the word “lolicon” to refer to both actual prepubescent eroticization but also any preference for “youth” over “maturity” in typologies of femininity, intersecting with the bishoujo boom of th- okay okay, put the gun down, I’ll move on, geez…)

Sadly for California Crisis, its contemporary audience disagreed quite strongly with this being a symbol of the era; it was a huge flop. The OVA was the flagship project of a new anime venture by producer Hiromasa Shibazaki called Hiro Media Associates, and that shoestring budget was some very thin string. Shibazaki was launching his own anime+ magazine at the time, Globian (as seen in the links above), which was used to advertise their works - but towards that goal California Crisis only ever produced a single promotional image, which you see utilized everywhere it is mentioned:

So it just didn’t have the resources behind it to draw in a crowd. And the crowd it did draw in, best I can tell, wasn’t enthused; the art style was off-putting, the plot itself is a bit of a meandering mess, the long panning shots are ~vibes~ yes but also ~budget~ and obviously so, and the ending is a bit of a vague question mark. It was supposedly going to have a sequel, but Hiro Media, and Globian alongside it, closed shop soon after it was released, leaving audiences feeling that it was unfinished.

I won’t begrudge anyone their taste, or pretend it is not a very uneven work. However, I want to redeem the OVA’s core narrative from its reputation; I think it is honestly great, and it absolutely does not need a sequel. So let’s get into the plot - this is a story of a 20-something bar hand Noera, who runs into motorcycle-riding teen Marcia alongside a quasi-sentient UFO orb that just crash landed on earth. It beckons telepathically to be taken to Death Valley, a call which Noera resists but Marcia commits to heart-and-soul. Along the way the military, the CIA, the Soviets, every deep state boogeyman you can think of, all try to stop them, car chases and gunfire akimbo. Our duo bond, eventually they succeed, and the alien gives off a Kubrickian abstract flash of light and then vanishes - roll credits.

Ignore all the details, the mechanics, the CIA, all that shit. Puzzling and unsatisfying when you are watching it as a 17 year old, sure, but you are smarter now, you can separate the wheat from the chaff. Instead, why does Marcia want to follow a random alien orb into Death Valley?

Hilarious levels of on-the-nose buzzword dropping, oh sure. But behind that? Marcia is a teen, looking for meaning. She watches TV, reads books, dreams of being a hero, a protagonist, and this is it - the call of adventure! She is being offered the slot of main character and she isn’t going to turn it down. She literally name-drops Close Encounters of the Third Kind as part of her motivation, she is story-brained. When you first hear this line, you are like Noera, you eye roll it. But on reflection there is nothing more American than being the center of the universe - it truly is the American Dream.

But Marcia is not the main character of this story - the singular promotional image is lying to you. Noera is as well, and he has wisdom she doesn’t. Noera lives in the city fringe on a low wage service job, driving a beat-up Chrysler he presumably maintains himself. A blue collar man of habit, a himbo before it was hip. He follows Marcia to protect her, he casually rejects her post-car-chase adrenaline-rush-induced sexual advances. And, while they are escaping the military by hiding in a bar, he runs into an old high school friend Jack - who happens to be one of those military agents!

We have been seeing this guy the whole OVA, running the entire alien hunt operation. Top of the class, super genius, going places. Noera is unphased, and he and Jack reminisce about gags and girls from the old days. Noera congratulates his friend for “getting out” of his hometown, as it were, and then plot-duty calls, Jack’s real life calls, and he has to leave. As he does, Noera calls out to him, “Come visit me!":

And Jack leaves without saying anything:

Because it isn’t highschool anymore, right? This guy is in the Big Leagues, he isn’t gonna schlep out to some podunk bar in Long Beach because a dude he used to help do his geometry homework offers him a dri-

Oh, nevermind! Because none of that shit matters, right? We are all just dudes, let’s share a beer.

Marcia stares unaware through the entire scene by the way:

This is Noera’s “culminating moment” for his story, and she doesn’t track it.

Chasey chasey fighty fighty Death Valley journey and Marcia delivers the orb, she wins, with Noera’s help she saves the alien. And so it pulses out a sparkly rainbow, something that could maybe be interpreted as a thank you, and then leaves - giving them absolutely nothing to show for their efforts. Marcia is left on a panning shot, shocked and disappointed, holding a now broken piece of useless glass. She was never the main character of anything. She just ran an errand.

This is such good American Dream commentary! It ends the way all stories about the American Dream end - with it being a sham. Because it is. It’s all narrative, all marketing, all the outside trappings of something disconnected from the inner reality. Since this isn’t a midcentury novel but an anime OVA, the trappings of success aren’t a detached suburban home and 2.5 kids - it's being the hero of an action adventure epic. But fiction is fiction no matter the genre. Marcia doesn’t get that yet - but Noera already did before the VHS tape began to play. And Marcia’s budding realization is paralleled with Noera's own showcase of the socio-economic dilemmas that more typically define the genre - success doesn’t change who you are or what you need.

Once you step back from the sci fi spycraft stuff - which admittedly trails off - and see the themes, the ending is perfect, a sequel would totally ruin this. This is the best 80’s anime OVA commentary on the American Dream done through an otaku lens around. Definitely beats all the others in that category, for sure. Totally.

Anyway if you wanna fight me about my hot take meet me at the Waffen SS bar in 1980’s LA where I will be getting the shit kicked out of me for yelling my center-left political opinions while tipsily standing on the bartop:

All that research and I still have no explanation for this shot.

[linuxgamenews]

Enigma of Fear: A Brilliant Collaboration for a Thrilling Game

Enigma of Fear pixel art 3D investigation game is heading to Linux with Windows PC. Thanks to the brilliant minds at Dumativa and Cellbit. Due to make its way onto Steam this month. Get ready for a wild ride because Enigma of Fear, a Pixel Art/3D investigation game, is releasing on November 28, 2024. This title comes from the minds of Brazilian content creator Cellbit (who has over 10 million followers!) and Dumativa. Thanks to a super successful crowdfunding campaign, which raised a whopping $832,000, this mystery-packed adventure is now a reality.

Yes, we do plan to support specific Linux distributions, as we recognize the importance of making our game available to Linux users. We’re actively working on compatibility details and will share more information closer to the release.

Here’s the email reply from Dumativa, who are gearing up for the release later this month. Since they’re using Unity for development, a Linux port should be simple enough. I’ve have to say, this reply is really impressive. In Enigma of Fear, you’ll be playing as Mia, a paranormal detective on a mission to find her missing father, Mr. Veríssimo. He’s not just any dad – he was the leader of Ordo Realitas, an elite group of paranormal detectives. Now, it’s up to Mia to follow the clues and uncover what happened to him. You won’t be alone, though. Mia’s trusty companion, Lupi the dog, will be by your side as you explore creepy locations. Solving enigmas and uncover some seriously tough secrets. You’ll also meet a cast of friends along the way, all working together to solve the enigma that surrounds Mia’s dad's disappearance.

Enigma of Fear | Release Date Teaser

The gameplay throws you into a beautifully crafted world that combines the charm of Pixel Art with deep 3D settings. You’ll be exploring a non-linear map split into five unique regions, each with its own mysteries to solve. The Inspection and Investigation system is where Enigma of Fear shines – you’ll feel like a true detective. Due to analyze clues, inspect items, and piece together the story. No hand holding here – you’re in charge of figuring out the puzzle. But, it’s not just about solving mysteries. There are paranormal creatures lurking around every corner, ready to strike if you make the wrong move. You’ll face off against tough bosses, each one more brutal than the last. So, get ready for some heart-pounding encounters that will test your skills. What really sets Enigma of Fear apart is the dynamic vibe. The game’s visuals combine retro Pixel Art with deep 3D lighting effects, making every scene pop. Plus, the soundtrack adapts to what’s happening on-screen. While pulling you even deeper into the mystery. Whether you’re sneaking through eerie areas or facing off against paranormal creature, the music has your back. And the best part? You can enjoy the fully voiced title in Brazilian Portuguese, Spanish, or English. So, whether you’re uncovering clues or battling bosses, you’ll get the full experience in your preferred language. Enigma of Fear launches on Steam on November 28th for $19.99 USD / £16.75 / 19,50€. If you're into mystery games with a haunting vibe, this is one you won’t want to miss. Coming to Linux and Windows PC.

[yoonia]

𝖙𝖜𝖎𝖑𝖎𝖌𝖍𝖙 𝖋𝖆𝖑𝖑 𝖘����𝖗𝖊𝖓𝖆𝖉𝖊 — 𝔯𝔢𝔤𝔦𝔰𝔱𝔯𝔶

💕 this is the masterpost of my creations that I shared through my 𝖙𝖜𝖎𝖑𝖎𝖌𝖍𝖙 𝖋𝖆𝖑𝖑 𝖘𝖊𝖗𝖊𝖓𝖆𝖉𝖊 event. each theme will be presented in three separate corners based on the submitted requests sent to me as part of the main event. links to the other parts connected to this event, including the afterparty items, will be linked below!

⇝ 𝖒𝖆𝖎𝖓 𝖗𝖚𝖑𝖊𝖘 ⇝ 𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝖆𝖋𝖙𝖊𝖗𝖕𝖆𝖗𝖙𝖞: 𝔪𝔲𝔰𝔦𝔠 𝔭𝔩𝔞𝔶𝔩𝔦𝔰𝔱 ⇝ 𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝖆𝖋𝖙𝖊𝖗𝖕𝖆𝖗𝖙𝖞: 𝔞𝔯𝔠𝔥𝔦𝔳𝔢

📜 𝔞𝔲𝔱𝔥𝔬𝔯'𝔰 𝔠𝔬𝔯𝔫𝔢𝔯 This corner includes the visual moodboards as my gift to the authors who have submitted their fics, based on the story or summary and how I perceive them

✎ "a taste of his magic" author: @shadowkoo; fic title: The Taste Of Sin

✎ "sense of duty" author: @cybrsan; fic title: Vignette: Duty

✎ "taking chances" author: @beomcoups; fic title: The Athlete

✎ "vigilante" author: @yoongihan; fic title: Vigilant(e)

✎ "is anyone there?" author: @livingformintyoongi; fic title: When The Lights Go Out

✎ "a lover's redemption" author: @writtenwhalien; fic title: A Lover's Redemption

✎ "stellar behaviour" author: @lo1k-diamonds; fic title: Stellar Behaviour

✎ "the vendor girl" author: @kithtaehyung; fic title: Minted

✎ "meet the Yoons" author: @monamipencil; fic title: Mr. & Mrs. Yoon

✎ "dance with me?" author: @raplinesmoon; fic title: On The Ropes

✎ "stranger in the night" author: @ressjeon; fic title: fish out of water

✎ "silk tie" author: @bts-ruu; fic title: Silk Tie

🖋️ 𝔶𝔬𝔬𝔫𝔦𝔞'𝔰 𝔠𝔬𝔯𝔫𝔢𝔯 This corner includes visual moodboards based on the stories that I wrote and selected/requested by readers. Some may include spoilers and snippets or bonus scenes based on the headcanons that were sent to me

✎ "one last time" character: jungkook x reader, taehyung x reader; fic title: About Time

✎ "welcome to club la rouge" character: jungkook x reader; fic title: In Motion

✎ "the journey begins" character: seokjin x reader; fic title: of bears and bonds

✎ "tears of the sea" character: taehyung x reader; fic title: The Forsaken

✎ "two steps behind (or ahead?)" character: yoongi x reader; fic title: the bedroom hymns

✎ "dinner with mista joonie" character: namjoon x reader; fic title: blooming wallflowers

✎ "our imperfections" character: namjoon x reader; fic title: the (im)perfect ending

📸 𝔨𝔭𝔬𝔭 𝔞𝔢𝔰𝔱𝔥𝔢𝔱𝔦𝔠 𝔠𝔬𝔯𝔫𝔢𝔯 This corner includes gifts for my lovely followers based on their biases, core aesthetics, and other themes that have been submitted to me

✎ "moonstruck" requested by: anon; core aesthetic: dark academia, artist/group: jungkook (bts), heeseung (enhypen), lee know (stray kids)

✎ "clouds" requested by: @/closer-to-jungkook; core aesthetic: noir, artist/group: jungkook (bts)

✎ "piece of peace" requested by: anon; core aesthetic: retro-pastel, artist/group: j-hope (bts)

✎ "daydream" requested by: anon; core aesthetic: dark autumn, artist/group: yeonjun (txt), wooyoung (ateez), jungwon (enhypen)

💕 thank you so much to everyone who had joined this birthday event by submitting their works, ideas, and requests. It has been a lovely experience to be able to hear your voice and share the love for fanfics and music through this. I hope we can get to experience something like this soon in the future!

xoxo, 𝕯𝖎𝖆

[tamapalace]

Bandai Announces PokoPea Land Tamaverse Ticket!

Another Tamaverse ticket has just been announced by Bandai! PokoPea Land, which is a dream theme park in Japan.

This is the seventh Tamaverse Ticket to date, and it’s all about the theme park!

It includes seven new characters which are Peanutskun, Ponpoko, Chancho, Gachikoi-p, Bnn-hairtchi, Tanukininja, and Peanuts soup.

There’s even a parade to watch at the square! PokoPea and friends are putting on a parade at the PokoPea Monument. You’ll see all sorts of things at the parade.

There’s a PokoPea Land exclusive mini game too, which you will see at JOY Mameshita. Play the Okiraku King mini game where you will tape the music notes to the beat as they go by. The more you tap, the happier Ponpoko and Peanutskun will be. Aim for a full combo.

Then you have exclusive items to purchase at the Pokopea Shop. These include 5 foods, fried chicken, gyoza, mapo curry, endless takoyaki, an tofu.

Then there are some delicious snacks which include peanuts-kun jellies, tank cake, poko latte, ramune, beetle parfait, and soda tasters.

There are two items, which are a takoyaki maker, and peanuts-kun sauna.

13 accessories which include peanuts-kun, peanuts-kun earrings, peanuts-kun plush, ponpoko wig, tanuki eye mask, ponpoko tail, tankuki plush, tanuki ears, pokopea cookies, popcorn holder, beetle plush, purple beads, and power of love.

There are 4 pieces of furniture, a treadmill, shigaraki ware, cardboard box pixel, and retro TV.

And lastly there are two rooms, which include streaming room, and sauna room.

The PokoPea Land Tamaverse Ticket will require Tamagotchi Uni version 2.2.0 or higher, and will be released on the Tamaverse Ticket Shop website on Thursday, December 5th, 2024 JST for $6.00.

[starstabberzirc]

The first game in the series is officially published! It’s a free in-browser retro-style collect-em-up with nineteen levels, infinite lives, wacky collage graphics, and a bunch of evil weirdos all trying to stop Zirc from collecting precious Plot Crystals.

Master tag list for the devblog:

Enemy design: common fodder up to bosses

Level design: stages and non-enemy hazards

Game puzzle: specific challenges requiring something besides stabbing

Game design: player items, powerups, interface, sound/music

Gamedev: progress updates on the game itself, and also occasional complaining about the arcane nature of programming

[sheepiemc]

Seven Stupid Reasons to Summon a Demon

Reason #1: lonely

It was a day that started like any other. 

Your alarm went off (like always). 

You got ready for work (like always). 

You commuted (like always). 

You did your job for four hours (like always). 

Then, it was time for lunch. 

Normally, you opt to stay inside “the office” (or wherever it is that you work) and bring something from home to save money. But looking at your lunch — the same thing you eat almost every day — makes you sigh. 

You look out the window to the city down below. It was a gloomy morning, but now that it is midday, the sun is starting to shine through the clouds. A beam of sunlight lands on your skin and you enjoy the warmth. The ring on your finger catches the light and you look down at it. 

How ridiculous would it be to summon a demon to have lunch with you because you don’t want to eat alone? You banish the thought from your mind. You don’t want to disturb the demon you were thinking of; you are certain he has a lot on his plate (like always) and he wouldn’t appreciate being  bothered with something so trivial (like always). 

You sigh and look outside again. Maybe the fresh air will do you some good. You decide to spend your lunch break walking around downtown just because you can. Honestly, you don’t know why you don’t do this more often. You can find a lot of hidden gems this way. 

You wander around aimlessly before you happen upon a record store. It's just a little hole-in-the-wall place, mostly unassuming. When you step in, however, you're greeted by a music-lover's paradise. Multi-colored vinyl records, signed band posters, and album covers decorate the walls. The atmosphere is groovy and retro, speaking to a bygone era of funk and flower power. There’s even a disco ball hanging from the ceiling! You take in the scenery for a moment as you stand in the doorway. 

“‘Sup.” The guy behind the counter greets you without looking up. “If there’s anything you need help with or want to listen to let me know.” You nod, even though he isn’t looking at you, and go to explore the stacks. 

Your fingertips brush past rows and rows of records. You search all your favorite genres, looking out for your favorite bands, and find some gems. You don’t have a lot of money right now, so you can’t go crazy. You twist the ring on your finger as you contemplate what to get.

Actually, now that you think about it…

Maybe you can find something to add to your “special collection”. 

See, you were inspired by a certain demon to develop a “cursed” record collection of your own. Since cursed magical items are hard to come by on earth, whenever you find yourself in a place that sells records, you like to check out the classical music section for albums that feature, or are inspired by the devil. It's something you like to share with him and only him. After shuffling through the stacks, you find something you think will work. You smile impishly to yourself, proud of your new purchase.  

You make it through the rest of the workday thinking about the record. You aren't going to listen to it just yet; you like to share the experience with the devil himself. It's a good excuse to summon him from the Devildom — well, good enough for you anyway. You like to have a few more albums to listen to before you call him, so you don't feel as guilty for asking him to stay a bit longer. 

You take a deep breath when you finally arrive in your quiet room, in your now-still apartment. You place the record on top of the others and take a look around — empty, except for your cat, sleeping peacefully on your bed. You could invite friends over to fill the silence, but your friends are notoriously terrible at last-minute plans. You absentmindedly twist the ring on your finger. 

You need something to fill this oppressive quiet, your fingers itch and ache, you have to DO something. 

You have to play the piano. 

You go out to your living room, where you keep a digital piano. It’s a little fancier than a regular old keyboard but you live in a small apartment and you're not exactly rolling in it so it's the best you can do. 

The room is dark. 

You hate the silence. 

You sit at the bench and flex your fingers, hovering above the black and white keys. No sheet music, right now you just need to play your emotions. You play a low note and listen to it reverberate. 

Then a chord. 

Then another. 

You close your eyes and start improvising a melancholic melody over a haunting chord progression. You are so lost in what you’re creating you don't notice the blue light flooding the dark room. It’s gone almost as soon as it arrived and it brings with it a figure covered in shadow, a figure you also don’t notice. He stands tall in the center of your room, tilting his head to the side as he listens. Once he gathers what happened intuitively, he stands over you, proudly watching you pour your potent emotions into your playing. 

You strike a final chord and exhale loudly, ruminating on the final note. You gasp lightly when a teardrop you didn't notice falls from your face onto the keys. 

You nearly jump out of your skin when another chord is struck up the piano. The shadow figure reveals himself to be the very demon you were thinking about while playing. Lucifer doesn't look at you as he continues to play a lighter melody. Your hands jump away from the keys and press against the rapidly beating heart in your chest.

He continues to play, not yet sitting. His sketch sounds hopeful, almost as if to say, "I'm glad to have you with me again." He sneaks a glance at you and smirks, finally taking a seat on the bench next to you. You just watch him, absolutely mesmerized, still in shock that he's really in front of you. 

He stops playing and looks at the keys closest to you, a signal — it's your turn again. Your melody is more playful than moody this time, there's a lightness now that wasn’t there before. Lucifer responds with something firm and grounded. When it's your turn, you tickle your way closer to his side. He gets lower, too. You scoot closer. From the corner of your eye, you see him smile a little bit wider. In the middle of his turn, you start playing again and together you improvise a beautiful, colorful piece of music together, full of happiness and longing, celebrating each other. 

When you can’t contain your excitement any longer, you interrupt the song and throw your arms around him. The force of you throwing your entire body weight at him only pushes him over slightly — he’s quick to catch you in his arms, twisting his torso to face you. 

“I can’t believe you’re here,” you say into his neck. It comes out as barely a whisper. 

You feel more than hear the chuckle rumble in his chest. “You’re the one who summoned me here.” 

You pull back just enough to look at him. “Would you believe me if I said I didn’t do it on purpose?” 

He looks at the keys on the digital piano. “Something was calling out to me.” 

“I guess I’ve been kinda lonely today… And I was thinking about you… A lot…” 

Lucifer hums contentedly, stern lines on his face smoothing out. Obviously, he likes it when you stroke his ego. 

You roll your eyes playfully and bury your face in his neck again. “I’m sorry for summoning you by accident, I know you're very busy but…” You play with his tie. “Can you stay here a bit, with me?” 

Lucifer sighs softly. You steel yourself for the words you're sure will come out of his mouth, “I can’t” or “Not right now”. 

“MC, I don’t think you realize that I want to see you just as much as, if not more so than, you want to see me.” He traces his finger along your jaw and lifts your chin so that you're looking at him. “If I’ve made you think I feel otherwise, that is my fault and I must apologize.” 

You feel your heart skip a beat when the Avatar of Pride apologizes to you, a lowly human. You’re in such a state of shock, you don’t know what to say so Lucifer continues to fill the silence. “If I had the ability to summon you to my side whenever I wanted, I can’t say I wouldn’t abuse that power greatly.” 

His hand rests at the side of your face, thumb wiping another tear you didn’t even know fell. You got so used to that rowdy house in the Devildom, so full of people and chaos, that coming home to your quiet, little one-bedroom apartment in the human world every day has been wearing you down. More tears start to flow as the weight of your loneliness comes crashing down on you.

You hold him tighter and press your face into his shoulder, hiding in embarrassment. “I’m sorry, I’m such a mess,” you say, laughing.  

He chuckles. “Don’t apologize. I appreciate all aspects of you. Even when you are a mess.” 

You sit on the piano bench for what you wish was all eternity but is likely only about 10 minutes before you reluctantly untangle yourself from the demon you unwittingly called to this realm. 

“Well, since you're here…” You stand, pull him from the bench, and lead him to your bedroom… where you keep your records! You present him with the newest addition to your collection with a wide smile. 

He takes it from your hands and looks at the cover thoughtfully. He reads the title out loud, “The Mephisto Waltz & Other 'Satanic' Piano Music Of Franz Liszt - John Ogdon”. 

He looks back at you. “Interesting,” he says in the most uninterested tone. You laugh out loud, you thought he might like that. 

“Well, if you don’t want to listen to it, I can just-” You reach for the record but he pulls it out of your reach. 

“I never said that.” 

He walks over to your record player and carefully sets it up while you sit on the edge of your bed. When the music starts up, you're surprised by how fast-paced it is but you're still into it. Luci looks at your desk chair meaningfully then back at you. You scowl and shake your head slightly, tapping the edge of the bed next to you. He smiles and sits down beside you.

You lean against him, sneakily snaking your arms around his middle, and play with one of his hands. 

You feel him relax, almost imperceptibly, leaning into your touch. He chuckles, and softly says under his breath, “This brings back memories.” 

He closes his eyes and you lift your head to stare at him, left wondering whatever the hell he meant by that. You would ask, but he loves to be intentionally vague whenever you bring up his involvement in the lives of humans from the past. 

"This isn't what I thought this song would be," you quietly admit as you play with his gloved fingers. 

"Oh?" 

"It's called a waltz, so I thought, you know, we would be able to dance to it…"

"You wish to dance with me?" He says in a teasing tone, one that makes your face feel hot. 

"WELL, I JUST THOUGHT-"

"That would be fairly amusing…" He says, almost more to himself than to you.

He uses his free hand to lift your chin up so that you're looking at him. If your face wasn't red before, it definitely is now. 

"It was a silly idea, we don't-" 

"No, no. I believe I would like to dance with you as well." 

His smile is rather wolfish as he stands from your bed and pulls you up along with him. The next song on the record starts and it isn't very apt for a dance, either.

"The music-" You begin to protest before Lucifer snaps his finger and the record begins to glow with a blue light. A record scratch abruptly interrupts the music when Chopin's Waltz in A minor, B. 150 starts to flow through the speaker. 

He pulls your body to the proper position, one hand on your waist, the other cradling yours. Of course, he'll lead. You roll your eyes playfully. 

"Do you remember how to do this?" He asks, amused. 

"Pshh, of course I do," you say right before accidentally stepping on his foot. "Oop, sorry." 

He chuckles. "Follow my lead." 

And you do. You dance around your little room, only stepping on him a few more times before you get the hang of it again. ("It's been a long time, okay??") You twirl and pivot, avoiding tiny obstacles around your room, laughing when you attempt to take the lead by spinning him out and back into your arms. 

He finishes the dance by lifting you by the waist and spinning around. You giggle uncontrollably, feeling lighter than you have in months. When he brings you back down, you lace your hands together behind his neck and put your head on his shoulder. The music shifts to something soft that you can slow dance to. His arms tighten around your waist, holding you close as you sway together. 

“I really needed this,” you say. “I’ve missed you guys so much.”

You feel him stiffen slightly at the remark. You smile to yourself, delighted that something so small could affect him. 

You look up at him, “I’ve missed you most, of course.”

He smiles down at you and the affection you see in his eyes is so genuine, it embarrasses you. “It’s always a pleasure to see you, MC.”

You look down to hide your quickly reddening face. “I wish I could summon you more often but I know you’re very busy. I hope I didn’t interrupt anything important.”

“Oh, yes,” Lucifer hums, as if he has to think hard about what he was doing before this, “I believe I was in a meeting with Lord Diavolo.”

“Lord Diavolo!?” Your eyes widen with panic. You push yourself away to look him straight in his face, hoping he’s just teasing you. 

His wolfish grin returns as he smooths down a lock of hair that is out of place on your head. “Yes, but it was one of those frivolous meetings he likes to trick me into. ‘Oh, Lucifer, you must try this bottle of Demonus I found in the depths of the labyrinthine cellar.’ Nothing truly important, I promise.”

Relief quickly washes over you and you relax back into his embrace. “So... I get to keep you a little longer?” 

“Tonight?” His hold around you tightens. “You may keep me as long as you wish.”

[which-item-poll]

[francicide]

⠀ ⠀ desirep80s

a desirepoch term for when one yearns / desires / wants to live in the 1980s. reasons may include : atypical dysphoria, alter whos source is from the 80s, etc . Tips : Watching 80s movies, listening to popular 80s music, dressing in retro clothing, or even owning retro items like a VCR, VHS tapes, or cassettes! Thrift stores are mostly the best option, but sites like Ebay or Mercari are fine too . ⠀⠀⠀⠀ Tags : @desirdae-archive ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Self indulgent; not requested .

PT under cut, help with IDs appreciated!

[ PT: Desir80s: A desirepoch (link) term for when one yearns/desires/wants to live in the 1980s. Reasons may include atypical dysphoria, alter whos source is from the 80s, etc. Tips includ watching 80s movies, listening to popular 80s music, dressing in retro clothing, or even owning retro items like a VCR, VHS tapes, or cassettes! Thrift stores are mostly the best option, but sites like Ebay or Mercari are fine too. /end PT ]

[moonfromearth]

Karter Douglas for @akitasimblr's Mad About Dodo Challenge!!

Can't believe Dodo is getting is own bachelor challenge! Yay! After three attempts he's earned his turn as bachelor of honor 😉

Found this dude in my library from back when I made a load of sims with the Horse Ranch pack and he's actually awesome I can't believe I haven't used him for something sooner 😆

About Karter...

Age: YA Pronouns: He/Him Aspiration: Angling Ace Traits: Rancher, Outdoor Enthusiast, Freegan Likes: Red, Orange, Blue, Alternative Music, Americana Music, Rancher Music, Retro Music, Nature Enthusiasts, Optimistic Sims, Pet Enthusiasts, Discussing Hobbies, Gossip, Jokes, Silly Behavior, Country Fashion, Fishing, Fitness, Handiness, Mixology Dislikes: Focus Music, Winter Holiday Music, Pessimistic Sims, Egotistical Sims, Malicious Interactions, Complaints, Polished Fashion, Wellness, Painting

Extra Info:

Born and raised in Chestnut Ridge in the kind of area where everyone knows everyone.

Eternally optimistic. Always sees the bright side of things.

Loves being outside and wants to take trips to places like Granite Falls someday, and see places away from the desert.

Very much a "someone's trash is another's treasure" type of dude. He enjoys salvaging old items (and literal garbage) and fixing it.

It was his friends' idea for him to sign up for the bachelor challenge. Honestly, he mostly agreed for the outdoor island adventure... But the cute bachelor isn't a bad bonus... 😆

Very out of touch with current news/famous people. He had never heard of Dodo before the bachelor challenge. He's so out of touch he's probably never even heard of Leo, either! (*gasp*)

Download [Google Drive]

(He has two pieces of cc. Just a skin detail and scar. 😄)

[robryebeach]

DVD PLAYER BEEN TESTED. VIA AMPLIFER. #RETRO HIFI

[dimalink]

Road to countryside - about a countryside and a summer

Summer. Such a good time. Sun. Excellent weather. There are lots of green around. Grass. And trees. There are lots of beautiful flowers. It is very beautiful and super positive time of the year! Especially, if to decide to go to countryside. And, at the countryside - there are lots of countryside things to do!

There are forest and field, they are waiting for you! Waiting - and cannot wait! And, also, there are river and a lake! You can go to a swamp, it is so green and it is, also, an interesting place! It happens, that everything is grown up with grass at the countryside place. And, it happens, that there are not too much grass there. So, there are lots of things to do at the countryside place!

And, this is a game about a countryside! About a road to the countryside. About a positive mood. With a form of point and click quest. There are pictures. And, you click at the objects at the picture. You need to find a certain items. And click at them. And, this way you will go to next picture. There will be little of text with description of a picture and what you need to do!

And you are at first scene, for example. It is your room. And here before you - there is table, chair, bed. Some books are here. And, you need to take ball, bag, and keys. You need to find this items using mouse, and as you find – do a mouse click. At this moment - you see a text at the top. You take item! You take keys. For example.

Visual side of the game – it is retro style. Ms Dos. Something like, CGA graphics, 16 colors. Everything is drawn with primitives, such as circle, square, line. And painted with a certain color.

Today, all game is programmed at the level of gameplay itself. It is 19 game scenes. At them you need to find, in a middle value, three items. To move next. Sometimes, one item. And, everything is drawn. But in main idea view. So, it is still ahead to draw the details. There is no details at the pictures. So, I continue to draw. To make picture better!

There are 19 game scenes in game. About how you are going to a countryside. You take keys, all the things. Go to bus. Ride by train. In train you listen player. While train goes.

Road - it is a big thing. It is long time process. And it requires some patience. So, you are listening music in the road. With your cassette player. You have a cassettes with rock and pop music. And you can to select what you will to listen. So, you are going by train and listen player! Beautiful! You move cassette this and that!

Later, you go to a station and go by forest. There you collect beautiful little flowers, even, a bug to take with yourself. Later, you put little flowers at your countryside place. And, let bug to run at your place!

Next, you go by field. And, also, collect little flowers. Later, you go across country houses. And collect useful items. For example, gear. So, it is a quest. To click mouse you need, and to read what to do next.

It is a new theme for a game - quest. Work with mouse. It is programming with well known programming language QB64. It is everything done good there. And there are no problems. Built in functions.

So, I want to share my own countryside memories too. So, I remember, I go by train and listen player. Alice Cooper, for example. Several times I listen an album during road to the countryside, And same thing for road back – to the city.

Or you go by country place, and there - it is was a little raining, few moments ago. And now - there is no rain. But it was few seconds before. And, all grass is in water. It is also a cool thing! Everything is so refreshing!

Basic Pascal version 1.17 "BLOCK" – most newest version. In this version there are 4 new games! Platform Ball, Cabin Pilot, Free Blocker, Free Bee. And even more retro games! It is a pack of retro games with modern versions of Basic and Pascal.

It is now in development new version Basic Pascal pack games. This game will be included in a new version.

Basic Pascal: http://www.dimalink.tv-games.ru/packs/basicpascal/index_eng.html Website: http://www.dimalink.tv-games.ru/home_eng.html Itchio: https://dimalink.itch.io/basic-pascal

[evan-collins90]

The first Torrid store - Brea Mall - Brea, CA (Opened April 18, 2001)

Designed by JGA, Inc. 

From the book: “The retailer, Hot Topic, based in City of Industry, CA, started a short 12 years ago with a concept and a target market; cutting edge apparel, accessories and novelty items--all inspired by alternative music, oriented towards a hip and trendy, teenage market. Hot Topic changed the look of their retail settings, which are usually located in mainstream malls, and the company has recently taken aim at another special market. The new focus is on plus-size teens; an area that the fashion market seems to have neglected. 

Up until this time the 15-30 year old hip and trendy young women who wear sizes 14-26 had no other choice but to shop in the larger size women's shops where the fashions were tailored to the more matronly and conservative tastes. That is how Torrid was born! 

Torrid was introduced in a new, hot and fun retail setting designed by JGA, Inc. of Southfield, MI which has designed the various prototypes for the Hot Topic stores as well. To be sure of the need for such a niche to be filled, the company opened five Torrid shops almost simultaneously; the first in Brea, CA, followed by stores in malls in Mission Viejo, CA, Annapolis, MD, Omaha, NE, N. Attleboro, MA, and Littleton, CO. The merchandise offerings are clustered as "Streetwear," "Clubwear," Rockabilly Wear," and Renaissance Wear" and the stores average about 2,750 SF. Besides the "everyday" slacks and novelty T-shirts, these larger size young women can find black vinyl pants and mini-skirts, black corsets, dog-collar chokers and platform shoes as well as retro-inspired clothing and accessories. In addition to the gothic and prom dresses, Torrid also carries a full line of lingerie for this particular market. Listening to the target market, Hot Topic's Torrid offers teenagers and up the opportunity to look "girly yet fierce." 

The design objective for the prototype store that was designed by JGA, Inc. was to create "a celebration of abundance" and make the setting as unique, unconventional and spirited as the plus-size young women who will be shopping here. Inspired by a "mythological, after-hours club in New Orleans," the atmosphere is romantic, dark and filled with a sense of "unbridled passion." "From the signature flaming heart icon to the curving voluptuous lines throughout the store, excessive materials and scale mirror the zest of the Torrid woman." It starts out front with the shopper-stopping facade which serves as a dramatic gateway to the store. 

The curvaceous and sensuous "hourglass" figures of the Torrid customer is expressed in the hand-crafted metalwork and the backlit translucent glass glowing red. A "drippy" red chandelier and the hand blown flaming heart torcheres add to the store's distinctive sense of place and being. The mosaic porcelain tile floor sets the color palette of jewel tones and metallics. "Visually complex, layers of finishes and architectural pieces evoke a one-of-a-kind artistic flavor." The eclectic mix of fixtures, furniture and furnishings-even the armoires--add to the New Orleans flavor. The hand painted, whimsical and overscaled armoires or cabinets are used to anchor the various zones within the store and at the center of the space a large bronze metallic drape further divides the departments.

The designers added special touches to each area to create that unique, one-of-a-kind feeling to the design. Specially designed, oversized red sculptured chairs with slatted backs are featured in the shoe area. Shoes and accessories are displayed on the slatted backs. The lingerie area takes on a more intimate and exotic--almost Moroccan--feeling with the hand blown glass chandeliers suspended down from large plaster domes. Seen behind this area--beyond a hand painted wall and arc--are the individual, oversized dressing rooms which are equipped with flattering uplights and decorative chandeliers that are visible from other parts of the store. The cash wrap becomes a "focal fantasy" in the total design and it resembles a giant canopy bed topped with twisting shapes and forms.

The space is filled with a pulsating excitement that is so appropriate for the merchandise and the young clientele. In addition to the shimmering palette of rich, deep colors, the warm colored downlights not only enrich the ambient colors and textures but they enhance the merchandise display. The traditional long and narrow mall space is broken up into more personal and individual zones by the variations in ceiling heights, the tin ceilings, finials and the assorted wall coverings. The use of brocades, metallics, and jewel tones on the walls also help to differentiate areas in the store. The metal fixture system--tortoise shell like in appearance--was customized to accommodate the products unique size and length requirements.

If all goes as well as anticipated we can expect to see more and more Torrid shops opening up across the USA- maybe even as many as 700 outlets!”

Images and text were scanned from the book, Stores of the Year 14 by Martin Pegler (2003)

[tipsy-clouds]

CC-free CAS Challenge by @someone-elsa

Finally updated my game and wanted to make a sim with no cc :) I love how she turned out! This is Marissa Canton. She was supposed to be a spellcaster but I forgot lol I also used this generator by @pleyita to give me inspo in creating her.

Traits: Loner, Neat, Unflirty Aspiration: Spellcraft & Sorcery Likes: Blue, Gray, Retro Music, Summer Strut Music (I would have given her logic if it was an option!) Dislikes: Electronica music (I am very bad at giving dislikes lol)

Feel free to edit her! I have given her one outfit for each category. I used items from the packs shown below.

You can find Marissa on the gallery. My Gallery ID is: heather_sky21

[xanasaurusrex]

Ohh I see! I’ve just read the Athena one and it’s awesome! Uhmmm could u do the ephestus one next? Is he a main one? Idk tbh. Cause i don’t wanna like request Eros who’s minor cause yk ur order and sum but ephestus would be fun! (Sorry if the name’s wrong… I ain’t English native an dim not sure about the spelling, sorry). Have a lovely day and again: love the Athena cabin!❤️‍🔥

⇢ ˗ˏˋ hephaestus cabin headcanons ࿐ྂ

hi!! i think you meant hephaestus, and of course i can do that! if you want to request eros or any other minor god, go for it! and thank you so much for the love on the athena cabin hcs, they were so much fun! have a great day, and thank you for the request love! <333

so hephaestus kids are cool but kinda chaotic

their minds run a mile a minute

they always have new ideas for things to make on their mind, and things to invent

they just always have a lot of ideas

hephaestus kids do very good in prank wars, because they're very good at rigging up things like buckets of water falling on you when you open a door

another one of their favorite pranks is putting a mento in the cap of a coke and then attaching a string, so that when you open it, the mento falls into the coke and does the foamy thing

so moral of the story, if you can, avoid getting into a prank war with a hephaestus kid

hephaestus kids also come up with the best nicknames for people

a hephaestus kid will spend some time with you, gauge your personality and the things you do, and then they give you a nickname

it's rarely ever a malicious one (or you're a mean person, then you get a bad nickname), it's usually one that fits you that you actually really like

so in my athena cabin hcs i said that they expanded the arts and crafts area, and yes, athena kids are the ones who frequent this area the most, but you'd better believe hephaestus kids are hanging around there as well

they love making things with their hands, and even though they specialize when it comes to mechanical things and working with metal, every one in a while they want to make a pipe cleaner butterfly

beckendorf was really good at origami butterflies

so after they died, everyone made an origami butterfly, and they put a framed picture of him up on the wall, and then surrounded it with origami butterflies (rip)

anyways, moving on

the hephaestus cabin is always just about a bajillion degrees

IT IS ALWAYS SO HOT IN THERE

and even though not all hephaestus kids have the fire power that leo does, they are all less susceptible to heat

i mean, they have to be around heat a lot when they're forging weapons, so naturally, it doesn't affect them as much as it affects others

literally, if you have a friend and the two of you want to hangout, you will literally never be hanging out in the hephaestus cabin, because you will literally melt

(not literally, but you'll just be sweating like a pig the whole time)

hephaestus kids also always make the best marshmallows at the campfire

i mean, come on

they forge amazing weapons, and work with fire on practically a daily basis, of course they roast the perfect marshmallow

if you have a very specific amount of roasted-ness in mind, just tell a hephaestus kid, and there you go, your perfect mallow

the hephaestus cabin also has quite a few retro items, such as cd players and record players

but they're not... exactly like they should be

hephaestus kids like to take these older items and make them more usable and modern

so there are some funky looking record players in the hephaestus cabin

they just like experimenting on things like that

the hephaestus kids also set up a sort of PA system for the camp

this was sanctioned by chiron, but they don't really listen to what he says about it

they play a lot of music, and yes, they do announce things, but there's often some comedy thrown in there

hephaestus kids are actually really funny

like they could honestly be full on comedians

they just have a sort of dry sense of humor, and really good timing, which is like half of being funny

hephaestus kids are also all really close

like when you're a hephaestus kid, your best friends are your siblings that you live with in your cabin

there are always a few typical older siblings that are the oldest in the cabin, usually the head camper of that cabin and a few others that you always know you can go to when you need it

hephaestus kids are also have the least drama

i mean, camp half-blood is filled with teenagers going through puberty, having first crushes and first relationships, that kinda stuff

of course there's gonna be drama

the hephaestus kids just somehow have less

this is partially because they always find themselves focused on things other than who kissed who and who cheated on who and why they did what

they have armor and weapons to make, dude, they can't be focused on that

that's not to say that there isn't drama with hephaestus kids, it's just a lot less common

and whenever you hear something regarding a hephaestus kid in drama, you kinda are taken aback and are like... wait what?

most hephaestus kids' love language is gift giving, and that mostly consists of things made by said hephaestus kid

like, oh you mentioned you wanted to start wearing rings more?

for your birthday, you find a package of like fifty, all different and interesting and unique, with perfect craftsmanship with the name of a hephaestus kid on it

sometimes they collaborate with the hecate kids to put crystals in the jewelry they make (because of course they make jewelry

hephaestus kids are almost never seen not wearing at least one piece of jewelry, made by themselves or their siblings

one head camper of hephaestus cabin like a decade ago taught themselves how to give piercings, and now every head hephaestus camper knows how to give piercings

obviously no hephaestus kid is forced to get a piercing, but most of them are

most of them have their ears pierced at the very least, but it's not uncommon to see a few people with snake bites floating around

chiron, the most innocent ever, has no idea where people are getting pierced, and has asked around, but nobody wants to rat out hephaestus cabin, because it's really convenient

idk i kinda imagine hephaestus kids as a little bit alt

that's all i have for hephaestus cabin headcanons! this was honestly a little bit difficult for me, and honestly i cannot tell you why. i do think these are all pretty good headcanons though, and just because it was kinda hard doesn't mean i didn't love it! (that's what she said) these were really fun, and i can't wait to get to work on the other cabin hcs i have sitting in my requests! thanks so much for reading, i love you all!! <3333