#so its been fun putting my own spin on what i think she would be like

[active-mind-15]

Hey, I was wondering if you have any "lore" or discarded storylines that you have thought about for Accidental Siblings that didn't make it into the fic? 👀 If it's ok for you to share. 🙏

Hello again! Always lovely to see messages from you 😊. I actually do have some discarded ideas that didn't quite make it! There is one I can tell you now that won't spoil anything you haven't read yet. The rest are scrapped ideas for future chapters, both released and unreleased. So I'll discuss them at a later date when I get the chance. 😄

This is probably one of the biggest ideas I've scrapped in the entirety of my story, but originally, Miyoko wasn't going to be part of the fic! My first idea was that the kid that Bokushi meets at the park in chapter 11 ends up being the son of a man who is a business partner with Masaomi. I was going to have Seijuro vaguely recognize this kid and then encourage Bokushi to go talk to him on that basis, and eventually, they would become friends through this interaction, and Masaomi would be hearing tidbits about their friendship through his business partner. But the more I let that idea sit, the more I hated it. So I went back to the drawing board, and that was when I remembered that Midorima has a younger sister.

Granted, I made her younger than implied in canon, but I honestly didn't care and thought it was a much better move to make the child Bokushi befriended Midorima's sister. Not only does she have a connection to the GoM, who I wanted to gradually introduce to the story anyway, but her brother also being Seijuro's friend added that je ne sais quoi to the MidoAka dynamic on multiple levels. They're all bringing out sides of each other that they haven't seen before and are also learning from each other at the same time.

Seijuro is learning what it's like to be an older brother from Midorima. Bokushi is learning what it's like to be a younger sibling from Miyoko. While this is going on, Bokushi is learning what it's like to be a child from Miyoko, and Miyoko is learning what it's like to be mature from Bokushi. They're all taking away valuable lessons from one another and healing through each other, both consciously and unconsciously.

Additionally, having Miyoko be the child Bokushi befriends makes it easier for things to happen on their own terms. For example, going from the park to the toy store in chapter 11 was possible because the people in charge were Seijuro, Kuroko, and Midorima. They made the executive decision to leave together and let themselves be guided by Miyoko. That wouldn't have happened if the child was the son of a wealthy businessman who probably had their au pair take them to the park, and Seijuro would likely have to defer to the boy's caretaker, who was maybe instructed by the parents to take their child to the park and make absolutely no detours. The conversations Seijuro, Kuroko, and Midorima had on the park bench wouldn't have occurred either. They were able to happen because a foundation of trust and familiarity has already been laid down between them, which made Kuroko and Midorima comfortable enough to ask Seijuro how he's dealing with everything, and Seijuro comfortable enough to open up about he and Bokushi's situation. All in all, making Midorima's younger sister a prominent character just made way more sense.

But yeah, that's the biggest idea I've ever scrapped for this fic. And thank God that I did. Thanks for the ask!

[redfoxwritesstuff]

Garden Kisses

Summary: As humanity's first year comes to a close, you spend the night watching the only two humans pass their time. The courtship of humans moved faster than that of angels but perhaps tonight the two of you could court at the speed of humans.

“Did you like the ducks?” Lucifer asked, bright blue eyes looking back at you as he fluttered his six pure white wings, floating suspended in the air easily. “I love when they’re still babies.” 

“They’re adorable,” you laughed, smile wide as you scooted toward the trunk of the tree, giving him room to settle next to you. “I loved them most.” 

“Oh, good.” Lucifer sat, reaching forward to rock the round fruit of the tree, where it was hanging from the branch. 

No matter the season, the fruits from the two sacred trees hung, ripe, tempting, and ready to eat. The fruit if neither the Tree of Life nor the Tree of Knowledge of Good And Evil held no temptation for either angel, though the two humans walking in the distance sometimes would look just a little too long at the trees. 

“Do you ever feel bad?” you asked, poking the fruit yourself. 

“For what?” Lucifer asked, watching a fruit fall to the ground where it would rot, untouched, as each fruit that fell had throughout the first year of humanity. 

“Putting these trees in the garden?” You ran your fingers reverently over the trunk of the tree. 

Within the fruits was the cognitive ability to weigh what was good or bad, the simple ability to question and think for one’s self. It was an ability you and Luci had, the angels had, but the divine father had decided that humanity could not be trusted with it. 

“Father wanted the trees here,” Lucifer said obediently. “So, I created them here.” 

“It seems…” you hesitated before continuing. “It seems like it’s setting them up for failure.” 

“My stars,” Lucifer’s wings fluttered as he slipped off the branch, hovering in front of you. “We must have faith. Our Father knows what is best. He created man and woman in His image. They’ve resisted thus far- a whole year!” 

“You’re right.” A bright smile spread onto your face, the shadows of questioning and doubt washed away. “The humans are doing well, yes?” 

“They are,” Lucifer nodded, looking back at the two figures in the distance. Long blond hair ran down the woman’s back, shimmering in the moonlight. “I think they’re still doing thier courtship dance.” 

“Oh!” You leaned forward, nearly slipping off the branch yourself. “What does human courtship look like?” 

You were well versed in the courtships of many of the animals Lucifer had created. There were things that sounded harsh at times, but each step of the different processes accomplished a task, ensuring the animal continued to reproduce as the Father wanted and as Lucifer designed. 

“I’m not sure.” Lucifer looked down, his own bright smile faltering before he pushed it back on his face. “Our Father saw to the designs alone.” 

“Really?” This news had your wings fluttering anew. 

Lucifer was the angel of creation. Everything he made was inspired, beautiful in its own way. He was the Father’s favorite son. Lucifer had been the architect of all you had seen in the living world. The very idea that something existed in this realm that his fingers had not touched had your mind spinning. 

“They are not your children, then?” Your eyes flickered between Lucifer and the woman, how she was pulling away from the man. They had been yelling at one another most of the night. 

“No,” Lucifer’s soft hair shifted as he shook his head. “They’re our brother and sister.” 

“Does it bother you?” you whispered, once again toeing the line you both knew existed. “That you didn’t get to make them?” 

“Oh, no!” Lucifer laughed, a bright, clear sound that always reminded you of heaven’s bells. Would humanity discover bells? “It’s been fun to watch them as they discover the world and how to court.” 

“Is it much different from us?” You and Lucifer had danced around the early stages of angelic courtship for decades now, though to beings like you that was hardly more than weeks. Soft touches, lingering smiles and the simple, godly act of sharing time together had dominated the stage the two of you were at. 

“They do things faster.” Lucifer spun around, dancing in the air with the simple joy of learning about a new creation. “Courtship that takes us decades- they do much faster. They’re more physical than much of my creations have been, too.” 

“Oh?” You danced through the air with him, robes brushing against his as you drew close but never touching him. Touching was far beyond what one did at the point of courtship that you and Lucifer were at. “How so?” 

“Well,” Lucifer reached out, taking your hand up in his. 

He was touching you. His hand wrapped around yours, warm and soft. Blood rushed to your face, casting your skin in a golden glow as you looked at where your bodies touched with wide eyes. “Luci?” 

His hand dropped yours as if something stung him. “I’m sorry-” His voice came out in a high pitched squeak, his face joining yours in the burning glow of embarrassment. “We’re not- we’re not there yet. It’s too soon, isn’t it?” 

You wanted to tell him he was wrong. You didn’t mind him grabbing your hand. It surprised you, that was all. Heat burned in your hand, driving you to rub it as you timidly looked up at the man, your mentor, and crush, as he did the same. 

“What if…” You took a long, slow breath in as you tried to will the next words to spill from your mouth. 

“What if what?” Lucifer prodded. 

“What if we were there?” Your voice came out in a soft whisper, face flushed golden as you looked everywhere but at Lucifer. “What if we courted the same the humans are, at their speed instead of…” 

“Oh,” Lucifer fluttered back, unsure. 

“I’m sorry,” you quickly settled back onto the branch. “I don’t know what I’m thinking.” 

“Do you want to…” Lucifer settled on the branch next to you again, eyes trained straight ahead as he looked at the two humans. “Do you want to court like the humans?” 

Your eyes flickered, darting between the moon and stealing glances at the angel next to you. What you wanted to say was ‘yes’. The word was stuck in your throat, like some gummy piece of dried fruit. You opened and closed your mouth, trying to dislodge the word from your throat while he kept his gaze pointedly on the two humans in the distance. 

After what feels like a lifetime, you give up on making the word come out. Instead, you inch your fingers closer and closer to his. He jumped, startled, as you initiate contact. Wide eyes, as blue as the oceans he had created for your Father, snapped to you. 

“What happens now?” you timidly asked. 

“I don’t know,” Lucifer admitted, mind working. “Adam… he kisses Lilith after he touches her hand.” 

“Oh,” you couldn’t help giggling. “It takes angels a century to consider such a display.” 

“Right?” Lucifer laughed. 

“Luci?” You chewed on your lips, not really sure if you were brave enough to ask what you wanted to ask.

“Yes?” He answered simply, fingers wiggling under yours, not resting until both yours and his weaved together. 

“Have you- have you ever kissed anyone?” You kept your eyes on where your hands touched, where his fingers and yours wove into a small fleshy fabric. 

“I haven’t,” Lucifer admitted. “I’ve never even courted another before you.” 

“Never?” You breathed the word out. He was the Morningstar, the oldest among his kind. He was the Father’s favorite. How could he have not courted at least once?

“Why not?” You prepared your heart to break, to be told that none were good enough, though you knew full well that what the both of you had been doing was courting. 

“Never wanted to before.” Lucifer looked down, taking in the perfect vegetation below for a few long heartbeats. Then he looked at where your hand was intertwined with his. “How long do you think is left, until humanity’s first year ends and thier second begins?” 

“Oh.” The change in subject left you feeling off kilter. Looking up at the moon and stars above, you walked through the calculation to determine the time- not that time particularly mattered for humanity just yet. It was little more than one of the many ways the angels logged and cataloged the events of the universe. “It’s just a minute or two, maybe less, I’d say.” 

“I know what I want out of the next year of humanity.” Lucifer ran his thumb softly along your hand. 

“What do mean?”

“I want to experience live as they do,” Lucifer nodded his head toward the humans in the distance. “I want to experience the things they do. I want to court like they do.” 

“Does that mean you want to be them?” 

“I want to do the things they do. Sometimes, I want to do the things how they do it.” Lucifer was making no more sense the more he talked. 

“Are you saying you want to kiss… someone?” You finally forced the words out, sending a prayer to your Father that you were not making an incorrect assumption.

“No,” Lucifer said quickly, crushing your heart without a moment of hesitation. 

“Oh-” you tried to take your hand from his, only to have his fingers tighten. 

“No, no- that’s not what I meant.” Words flowed from Lucifer’s lips quickly. Each word blended into the other, threatening to lose their meaning. “I don’t want to kiss just anyone. I don’t want meaningless kisses. I don’t- I don’t know if kisses can be meaningless but.. I don’t want to throw them away.” 

“Then who-?” 

“You!” Lucifer rushed to answer, turning to face you with his face a bright, radiant gold. “I want to kiss you. I mean, can I kiss you? Will you let me kiss you? Oh, golly- that’s too much. I’m asking for too much.” 

“Yes,” you said simply, face glowing hot and heart pounding against your chest. “You can.” 

“I can?” Lucifer asked one last time. “Are you sure- we’ve only been in early courting for- for three years and I just touched you- things, it’s too fast for you.” 

“Please?” you asked sweetly. “You wanted to do things like the humans are. I’m in. I- I want to too. Please, kiss me?” 

“You’re sure?” He asked one more time, eyes dipping down to look at your lips. 

“I am,” you promised. 

Lucifer leaned forward, both your and his body twisting to face each other. Your eyes fluttered shut as Lucifer’s did the same. It felt like it took forever for his lips to softly press against yours. 

The kiss was short, a sweet, chaste moment shared between two innocent souls. Though you didn’t know it at the time, the kiss had started the man you loved onto the path of learning, exploring, and experiencing things through the eyes of humanity. It was a path that would lead him away from you and to his damnation. 

What you didn’t know at the moment, had no power to hurt you. 

Join us at VoxTek for a Vox themed Hazbin Discord where we talk Vox, Hazbin, writing, reading, art and who knows what else. You may even catch some exclusive sneak peeks at upcoming fics from some of your favorite writers including the first page of the next chapter of MisD a day early!!

[forgingtheblade]

DID YOU KNOW THAT MINECRAFT HAS LOOMS???, aka, THE WEAVING WRITEUP

part 1: prep work—did you know how much you have to do before even touching a loom? me either

part 2 part 3

all the way back in october of last year, I was in a weaving class and was tasked with conceptualizing a project for my final using some of the techniques we had been learning through the semester. being the person i am, my immediate first thought was what if i recreated a minecraft banner on a real floor loom? wouldn’t that be fucking cool?

thus was borne what eventually spiraled into this project!

i figured out how wide i wanted it to be, what weight of yarn i wanted to use, and did all of the weaving math to figure out exactly how much yardage i’d need. i took that to a local weaver’s studio who was selling yarn, and came looking for just about any undyed wool she had to offer.

i specifically wanted wool because, well, that’s what the minecraft weavings are made of!

i remember digging through stacks upon stacks of old cones of yarn before finding a couple bags of a caked wool yarn that was, admittedly pretty rough. after using a tool not unlike this one, we figured it was roughly 3000 yards of yarn, and i bought the lot for about 30 bucks.

photo courtesy of Miekle’s Fiber Arts

this thing is so nifty btw, you cut a specific length of yarn and figure out where it balances which is then multiplied by something to figure out the yardage—i’ve only used one this one time, but i think they’re cool!

after getting this yarn came the question of getting the colors i wanted. i’m very lucky to be studying at an institution that grows our own indigo plants, and ferments those plants into our own living indigo vats, so I thought it would be a travesty to not take advantage of the utterly beautiful blues that vat produces.

i divided up my yarns based on how long i needed each of my warp sections to be using a yarn winder measuring to roughly one yard per rotation to make skeins of the right length.

after running some test swatches i figured out how long to dip each skein into the indigo vat for to achieve the colors i wanted, and i wish i knew exactly how i did it but i don’t think i wrote it down anywhere, and its been , yknow, almost a year.

afterwards i had to turn those skeins back into cakes and let me just tell you.

i forgot to use a swift on the first one. i did not forget again.

untangling that first dark blue skein was a multi hour endeavor.

photo courtesy of . an amazon listing

this is a swift and a ball winder. the swift holds the big loop of yarn that is the skein taut and spins freely while you crank the ball winder to make those super orderly and useable cakes. without the swift, trying to wind a cake turns a nice skein of yarn into a nightmare tangle. it was not fun

ALL THAT ASIDE. after successfully detangling and caking my yarn, it was time to wind my warp on a warping board!

a warping board is used to measure out how long your threads running vertically through the loom are going to be. your warp, as it were. because i knew i wanted to weave two banners, and i wanted them to be about a yard long each, plus accounting for tying on to the loom, waste material at the start and end, and leaving a long enough gap between them to create tassels, i started with a three and a half yard long warp. each cross back and forth the board is about a yard of length.

only once i had used the warping board to measure out all 200 threads of width i was putting on the loom was i able to actually start tying the yarn on to the loom and threading it—but this post is already long enough as is, so that will be the next thing I post about!

stay tuned for prepping the loom and weaving the banners :3 here’s a little sneak peek

[maxknightley]

What's your process for coming up with character concepts and powersets for eidolon? I've been putting together one myself after absolutely adoring poprock and especially Harvey and it seems like you'd have an interesting perspective on it

I usually start by choosing a well-established archetype, or an existing character who I like, to model the character on.

Once that archetype is established, I think about a suitable eidolon name and concept for them.

Having established the broad strokes of the eidolon and the wielder, I work to create a fresh spin on the concept. Over the course of the campaign, I differentiate them further over time.

Some examples, keeping in mind that my memory of the older ones isn't going to be 100% accurate.

Harvey D. Godlove (ROCK)

Okay, ROCK is going to be the campaign that leans more Jojo and less Persona. The Virtuoso playbook seems interesting... Hol Horse and Mista are both basically Virtuosos. I'll draw on that - make a ranged attacker who's kind of a dumbass.

Just making the Eidolon "a gun" would be kind of boring, though. I'd like to use an OK Go song for this... hey, I was on a pinball kick recently. What if I made him really into pinball - so that's the skill he mastered - and that means he can fire a pinball like a bullet, and control its movements to some extent like Sex Pistols? Call that shit "Here It Goes Again."

Okay, so he's really into pinball, maybe other arcade games too. Since he's a Virtuoso, he must also be really good at it. Maybe he's got a bit of an ego? Sees the whole "career criminal" thing as a side gig? If he's flashy, that lines up with a high ELE build.

Emilia del Valle (Against!)

You know who's sick as hell. Nico Robin from One Piece. But I wish they had leaned harder into the fact that she's, like, one of the oldest members of the crew and spent time as a hardened assassin. I like it when she's silly but the Context should be there. What if I played someone who's a bit older and worn down by life? A Veteran, but what would their sub-playbook be?

Looking through Against Me songs, there's a few good options. Maybe Cavalier Eternal, maybe Dead Rats... an Alchemist would be fun this time around. Something kind of edgy, to fit the vibe she's got going on. "My eidolon turns love into hate?" "Turns comfort into pain?" No, those are too abstract. I should think of something concrete, something piratey and One Piece-y... say, "Violence" would be a fun pick. Very straightforward. Maybe she can just summon a fuckton of cannons? And if she's an Alchemist, the most efficient material to use would be wood - she can turn a ship itself into a new weapon!

Okay, so she's a bit older than the others. Since she's a Veteran, maybe she was a big deal at one point, but got captured and nearly killed. It's cool when characters have monikers. Since her attacks are technically using plant matter, maybe I'll call her something like "The Wilted Rose" or "The Wilted Lily..."

Solo (SKA)

It's the Mystery Solving Teens season! Gotta have a Beast in there to be the Scooby (or the Goober if you're nasty). We're doing a "two generations" thing, too... maybe go for a Mystery Incorporated inspired vibe, where my character is a bridge between both shows, and has mysterious motives of their own...

If I'm making my character "the bridge" then I should look into some real early ska, something from the 70s or early 80s. That also means we'll get some more variety on the Playlist. Let's see, "The Untouchables" sound cool. What do they - oh my god. Oh my fucking god lol I know exactly what to do here.

"Soul Together" = "Clump Spirit" = Katamari. My guy is a little fucking scarab beetle but instead of a ball of dung he could roll a ball of Everything. Like it's a miniature black hole basically. And I'll double down on the "prince" thing - his motivations are tied up in the politics and faith of a whole little civilization of bug people. What if they lived in a terrarium in the science classroom lol

The only major exception I can think of is Flip, and that's only because I came up with a rough concept long before Luke and Molly had actually figured out the details of the setting or started on the new rulebooks. Even then it still followed the broad strokes of "pick some existing characters I like, draw inspiration from them, and then tweak/iterate until they have their own thing going on."

[sturniolo04]

in which maddison gets her first period (single! dad chris) and he has no idea what to do but matt has a girlfriend and she guides maddison on what to do!! ❤️❤️

A/n:  ofc! I put a little spin on it! I absolutely love these requests I have coming in, you guys are amazing!! I hope you love it! And remember to leave requests in my inbox! If you don’t like the pre added name in my works you can simply put in your own or don’t read it, it up to you :)-Charli

dividers: @issysh3ll

Chris knew having a daughter meant having to deal with the ever changing moods and phases that a normal teenage girl would have to deal with and go through. Today though was one of those days, one of those pivotal moments in a growing females journey. Her Period.

Madison had been moody all day with not only matt and Nick but also Chris. it seemed like almost every little thing made her emotional or angry for that matter. For example, earlier that morning she started crying because they didn't have any milk for her cereal this morning.

"hey lovebug whats been going on with you today you seem all over the place"

chris asks his daughter coming into her room to see her fully bundled up in not only her blankets but also sweatpants and corresponding hoodie.

"i know im sorry its just i started my period and its been really bad"

madison confesses to him as Chris slowly nods towards her confession. Chris had no idea what to even say in this moment let only know what do because he wasn't a girl.

"im sorry sweetie is there anything you need I guess"

chris asks her complete unsusre if that was even a question he should be asking you would think he would already know what she needs and not have to ask about it. Madison simply shakes her head 'no' laying back down on her bed scrolling on her phone.

"Hey are you busy right now"

chris asks matts girlfriend, Savannah. Chris knew he needed someone to help him with what in the world to do when it came to periods.

"hey no whats up you look stressed out"

she chuckles acknowledging his expression that was painted on his face.

"i mean kind of so madison started her period today and I have no clue what to do, what she needs or anything, I mean I dont even know how to explain that stuff because well"

chris huffs out trailing off in his ramble.

"because your not a girl i get it I will go to the store real quick and then get a couple things she needs and explain stuff to her and I dont know maybe you can get her some chocolate because that always helps"

savannah offers as chris lets out a quick exhale of relief agreeing to the deal thanking her ahead of time.

"Knock knock"

Savannah greets enetering into madison room.

"Hi sav"

madison softly greets sitting up in her bed.

"how its going champ"

savannah chuckles sitting on the bed with Madison. Madison shrugs not really not what to say about how she feels at the point.

"well your dad told me that you had a rough day today because of a new found friend called mother nature"

savannah giggles out a madison lets out a quick sigh and nod of her head.

"yeah and its not been fun"

madison huffs out.

"well i have some goodies for you"

savannah trails off grabbing the target bags from the floor setting them on the bed with them so she could go through them. Savannah fished out the first couple of items in there being tampons and pads.

"so i got both of these because you can take you pick on which one you feel most comfortable using but this is really to catch the blood so you dont stain your pants or anything"

savannah softly explains as madison nods her head.

"but what if i do bleed through because I didn't know when my period was going to start"

madison asks curiously not wanting to ever bleed through anything because that would be insanely embarrassing.

"you can download an app an it will help you keep track so you can have somewhat of an idea of when it might appear because trust me bleeding through is not fun"

savannah chuckles out. Savannah set the tampons and pads down to the side fishing out the heating pad. Madison quirked an eyebrow up in confusion.

"what is that supposed to do"

madison asks.

" for the cramps in case they get bad apply heat to it helps a lot"

savannah states. Madison's eyes light up knowing that would definitely be her best friend in the future.

"and then last but not least"

she trails off pulling out a bottle of aspirin as madiosn slightly giggles knowing what that does for her in general.

"for the cramps"

madison states.

"for the cramps"

savannah reiterates.

"thanks Savannah"

madison states reaching over to hug her.

"of course anytime youre like my little sister mads so you can talk to me about anything especially if you cant talk to your dad"

Savannah chuckles as her bedroom door opens.

"hey i bought you some chocalte and really candy you like"

chris states shyly as he sets down two full bags of what looked like candy.

"jesus chris did you buy up the whole aisle"

savannah gasps out looking into the bags.

"sorry i panicked i didnt really know what do get"

chris states in his defense as savannah laughs at him.

"thanks dad"

madison chuckles out truly grateful for him.

Tagslist🗂️

@mintsturniolo @spicymuffins03 @dirtylittleheart333

@stayingstromboli @wh0resstuff @ksturnz @chaoswithus @emely9274 @ivysturnss @sturniolo-szn2 @lezleeferguson-120 @courta13 @chrepsi @lyingonchris

@tezzzzzzzz @babytomatoes21 @sturniolosymphony @zenithsturniolo @bernardsbendystraws

[iamcautiouslyoptimistic]

Task Force 141 Supernatural AU

{Author's Note} I sent this to @alypink first and she really liked it so now everyone gets to see it lol! Took some inspo from other CoD monster AUs, specifically the ones by @bluegiragi and @tactax-art. Even though some ideas are similar, I made sure I put my own spin on everything so nothing was copied. Also included my girl Vana because I thought it'd be fun. I also have ideas for additional characters like Farah and Alejandro but would like to revamp them a bit. Let me know what you guys think! (and I haven't forgotten about the Mason x Helina series, don't worry👀) {Tag List} @alypink @efingcod @welldonekhushi @walder-138 @imagoddamnonionmason @littlemissclandestine @mango-parfait @thedevillovesflowers @http-paprika @mctvsh @adlerboi @deadbranch @moosch @theqreatorsworld

~ ~ ~

The members of Task Force 141 are non-humans who are specially trained to engage with supernatural threats. General Shepherd, Kate Laswell, and Alex Keller are humans who work closely with the team.

💲John Price -> Werewolf: Though cursed to take on a monstrous wolf form, Price benefits from a supernaturally enhanced physiology and superior senses. His sense of smell is especially keen so he always keeps a cigar on hand to prevent himself from being completely overwhelmed.

💀Simon "Ghost" Riley -> Reaper: Existing somewhere between the physical and immaterial worlds, Ghost is a harbinger of death who can travel through shadows, interact with departed spirits, and foretell a person's demise. He doesn't need to eat or sleep but still feels emotions and pain, especially when he interacts with the living.

🧼John "Soap" MacTavish -> Fire Elemental: Soap was blessed by a tribe of síth upon his birth, who granted him the ability to summon and control fire. He can wreathe his body in flames, cast explosive fireballs from his palms, and even choose what his fire will and will not burn. His Mohawk is usually the first to catch fire when he uses his abilities, which his fellow soldiers find especially entertaining.

🧢Kyle "Gaz" Garrick -> Arcane Knight: Having been chosen as its wielder, Gaz carries a bewitched sword that grants him an enchanted set of plate armor and supernatural strength. He can even call it to his hand, no matter how far it might be from his grasp. It's believed this blade could be the legendary Excalibur but its true origins are unknown.

🪶Evangeline "Vana" Vogel -> Valkyrie: Vana is a valkyrie, one of an ancient race of winged warrior women. She can interact with the spirits of the dead and unfurl a pair of resplendent wings from her back that allow her to fly. Upon her command, the feathers of her wings will harden into metal that can then be launched at foes or used as shields.

[year2000electronics]

do u watch the sonic movies just for agent stone and robotnik

i mean... originally i was going to, yeah! the exact moment the first ever trailer dropped (april 30, 2019) i was already enamored with jim carrey robotnik, and ready to accept that even if sonic's design didn't get changed (which, come on, this is hollywood... usually if an adaptation sucks then it sucks til the bitter end. some of us certainly didnt see the redesign coming), this movie would be my cult classic. flop or no flop. ugly or pretty sonic.

i guess because... i saw a lot of myself in the spin jim was putting on the character! eggman had always been the sonic character that fascinated me the most as i played all the mario & sonic crossover games as a kid, but the particular interpretation of this robotnik- flowing black coats with red trim, someone who grew up as a very lonely kid and so now compensates with leaning into the "lone wolf of evil" aesthetic, someone who has a hard time emoting and feels more like machine than a person so compensates with BIG, LOUD THEATRICS, and a BOMBASTIC TONE OF VOICE! i looked at him and i saw me. i know it sounds a little silly and a lot of jimbotnik's traits come from the fact that that's just jim carrey's style of humour and slapstick but he's just always been kinda special to me even from the beginning.

but yknow, then sonic's design gets fixed! exciting! and february 2020 rolls around, the EXCITEMENT is in the AIR. me i was always going to be fine, nothing about rob needed to be fixed, but now people are actually EXCITED for the movie! YAY!! i head into the movie, and robotnik is everything i could have ever wanted and more. he's silly. he's COOL. he has his own DANCE SCENE. but then i keep getting flashbanged by these SCENES where robotnik keeps getting like, really handsy with his little assistant he has? like he's putting his hands in his mouth and telling him to pin himself against the wall? and then this emotionally-constipated MESS of a man shouts "I LOVE THE WAY YOU MAKE THEM???" WHAT? WHAT? WHAT? WAIT WE'RE JUST MOVING ON? ARE WE GONNA GO BACK? NO?! OKAY!!

so obviously im in love with them. with that aspect of the movie. this improvised relationship where both actors asked themselves the question "wait, if robotnik hates humans, why does he keep this one around?" and that question would stick with me for all these 3 movies. it's just so interesting to think about. not to mention how well stone and robotnik just work together as an onscreen duo

but, y'know, then i started really liking the movie's strange, wacky style of storytelling and jokes- i had never seen a cgi animal movie that took the human characters THIS seriously yknow? and by that i mean characters like tom are goofy ofc but it feels like in movies like smurfs they almost want you to not care about the humans, but here, you have stone going from Figurehead for Robotnik's Parade of Black Suits to Guy Who Genuinely Has An Emotional B-Plot In Sonic 3, because of the love fans showed for the character and for how jim carrey and lee majdoub played off each other. even characters like maddie get more in movie 2 because of how tika sumpter said she wanted her character to do more LIKE... LIKE?!

the humour really gets me too, its so strange in a fun way i love. if i was just watching it for rob and stone i wouldnt be watching the knuckles show. ive grown to ADORE the world of the sonic movies, and the actual superpowered animals are cute too! i like their designs, and yknow, this love i have for the sonic movies HAS inspired me to check out more of the games, the shows, the comics, not only to see more of my beloved robotnik (who, yes, i love EVERY version of now. no version of the eggman can escape my love. he is the perfect man) but also to see the other parts of sonic lore because even if it's not like sonic is my fav of all time... i like the storytelling now!!

but stuff like that- my entire lil rant- i think it's why i try not to get gatekeepy when it comes to fandom. because for every series you were there for in the beginning and have an encyclopedic knowledge of, you will have another one where you're only there for a small part or only have a casual enjoyment of. i like to afford other people that kindness because there come times and places when i will be a casual enjoyer of something, and hopefully people will afford that kindness back to me. because even if i do explore other parts of sonic lore and diligently appreciate all parts of the movie, maybe the fact that i'm so robotnik-&-stone centric is still being too much of a casual for some people. maybe i'm only a fairweather fan. even so- even if people think i'm only watching these movies for rob & stone-

i'm having fun!

[porcelainebambi]

Ooo ya shaka shaka

I'm up way too late again because i was drawing but it's also been way too long without drawing for my liking so oh well. And obviously i had to draw Angel because i adore her. Forgive any spelling mistakes i may make it's past 3:00 in the morningmeow.

First photo Lilith dancing with Angel at prom because Angel is a cutie in her little dress and shawl. And Lily is singing who's that wonderful girl as she spins her all around even though pop music is very just playing around them. Weid ass color layering over them cause i was just having fun doing something silly. Also they're in two entirely different line thicknesses but i don't care enough to fix and repost it meow. Lilith loves angel so much and would be like noticeably sweeter to her than she is to any other PC including my own.

second one angel panics because she didn't know she has suddenly become such a lady's man. Babette is there and she definitely has a big crush on angel. She loves a princely girl who doesn't like sex because babs is asexual and regularly bear sprays people who flirt with her unless they're a hot masc girl with lion like hair. AKa just anyone who looks like Angel.

But the other girl is a PC i haven't actually put out yet. Her name is Genevieve, or Genie. She also likes Angel but she's constantly half dissociated, basically never makes expressions unless you specifically ask her to, and she has no emotional recognition so she doesn't know she likes Angel. In my head they met because someone was harassing Genie and Angel swooped i to swing on them right as Genie was about to stab them in the face. And she was like oh wow someone is doing the hard part for me. I should give her a cool keychain and some strawberry jammie. People like neat jam jars right?

And ever since she follows angel like a lost puppy, keeps giving little trinkets she finds like a pup showing you its favorite toy, and sometimes just gives her money because she has no understanding of the actual value of money she just knows other people need it.

I need to include a fun fact in all my posts so fun fact neither of them are actually real angels. They're what i like to think of as imitation angels which are just divine angel adjacent things who aren't bound by the same rules as actual angels. I don't really care that much about canon at this point when it comes to making my PCs because restricting myself when i know im insane about super natural and horror stuff is like that image of the werewolf tearing its shirt off.

Those two little imitation angels are so majorly possessive of Angel as soon as they get their grubby little hands on her and i have literally over 16 drawing ideas in a big list that I want to make of just Angel and my freaks interacting. Im gonna shit myself if i dont get the chnace to draw them all.

also genie is a puppy angel thing i was just entirely tooo lazy to properly connect her dog ears in this drawing.

@ladyofalabyrinth sorry for all this yappery so late at night you're gonna get tagged like 30 times over spring break because ill have full free range chicken time to be drawing my bif angel drawing idea list

meow maow miao

[demonslayedher]

A messy ramble about sword decor

Kimetsu no Yaiba was sleeping on menuki, man.

That came back to mind today while visiting a museum exhibit of very fancy sword mountings (like so), because I am me and admiring very realistic metal insects and tiny metal carvings of Tale of Heike battle scenes will always come back to my fandom brain rot. The menuki specifically were on my mind because they are decorative pieces on the handles that hide the mekugi, which are key structural elements--pegs where the handle is attached to the blade, and where some might say a soul is put into a sword.

And, a few years ago while KnY hype was at its height, I heard some people who seemed to try to talk down the hype, saying, "the swords don't even have mekugi! Those aren't real Japanese swords!" Which means a lot to most non-nerds, I'm sure.

True, a lot of the Nichirin-to don't include visible pegs in their design, which you could argue is just because they are covered up with other wrappings on the handles. But realism really isn't a concern since Sanemi and Shinobu would probably constantly stabbing themselves with those tsuba.

So anyway!! The tsuba! The handguards and what they say about the characters is a very, very nice touch, and I love wondering if the swordsmiths designed those fully based on their own imaginations and perhaps what crows told them about the kids (like "he was a charcoal farmer" or "he's a Rengoku") or if the swordsmen got any chance to put in their own requests on the regular ("I was a charcoal farmer, I don't know what to ask for" or "Sabito had one like this"). It's also fun to see the creativity involved in creating the scabbards for unique swords like Shinobu's and Iguro's.

But we can do so much mooooore!

I love the simplicity of the Nichirin-to. They are elegant and purposeful, with engravings being earned and standardized. But they are also beautiful, and the general idea must be "if those swordsmen are putting their lives on the line, we will give them powerful tools, but they might as well get to enjoy something decorative for the rest of their likely short life." The menuki would have been such an opportunity for this, though the details would be hard to spot in both anime and manga format. So instead I just want to ponder the possibilities.

Shinobu:

I was very inspired by all the metal inlay bugs and the butterfly motifs I saw today. I love the elegant engraving on the scabbard, and that her tsuba takes part of the traditional Shippou (Seven Treasures) pattern to make a vague butterfly shape. But I also saw one today that have a wisteria shaped menuki (and other bug motifs!!). But also, knowing her, she might be pleased to have a decorative little fish tucked behind the cords.

Sanemi:

I LOVE THE VIOLENT PINWHEEL. What a whimsical way to express wind! Speaking of bugs, why not give him a rhinoceros beetle, symbolic of fighting spirit? After all, I even saw realistic little snail ones today, anything goes. And while we're thinking wind--

Rengoku:

Wind chime??? Even the balloon flower pattern like was on the wind chime in that scene makes a lovely metal engraving pattern on other mountings on the scabbard. Totally unrelated, but today I say a brand of tangerines called "Shiranui" (the same name as the First Form of Flame Breath) for sale at the store, so heck, why not an apricot theme somewhere too? Orrrrrr you can also work with a "heart" theme to compliment all the flames. Oh, speaking of hearts--

Mitsuri:

Mitsuri's tsuba might look like four hearts, but this is actually an uncommon but traditional spin on a cherry blossom motif. Aside from all the possible ways you play with a cherry blossom motif, the traditional "inome" protective pattern is nowadays considered romantic because it looks like an upside-down heart. There's a lot of nice ways of using that shape, like a window in the a tsuba, or in her case, maybe to frame some other pattern used as part of an engraved piece. Speaking of "inome" though--

Inosuke:

"Inome" means "boar's eye," though it looks more like a boar snout. Kanamori could have done all kinds of things with this motif, or even used little boar-shaped menuki! Not that any of those efforts would have mattered.

Iguro:

Clearly the snake theme could be used a lot, but why not be more creative? He's actually a pretty sensitive dude, and my read on him is that he seems to like scenes that imply "purity," partly because he ses himself as so tainted and doesn't dare taint anything pure. Nature motifs like snow, or the elegant snow-moon-flowers triple motif suit his poetic soul nicely, and snakes are considered a water element (makes sense that his Breath stems from Water Breathing), so some water related theme could work too. In this same vein, snakes are generally considered as much as water element as dragons, so giving him a dragon item would also fit just fine with a snake theme.

Himejima:

Hard to think of this one in the same way as the others, but I'm sure there are methods for decorating it. Like, what does he even use as a scabbard? Maybe he has a nice strong brocade or woven cord for wrapping up the chains? There are so many ways you could work in Buddhist themes for him, especially the six characters used to write "Namu Amida Butsu" (but that's already all over his haori). There's gotta be good themes out there (both of Buddhist origin or general Japanese folk and/or poetic culture) to play on the idea of "strength." Oh heck, just give him a little Benkei-related motif, or a motif related to a famous demon slayer of the past.

--ON THAT NOTE--

Wouldn't it be cool if, like there are "Tale of Heike" themed menuki, there were menuki celebrating famous moments in Corp history? Maybe it was suddenly very popular to make menuki of Uzui vs Gyutaro once that momentous battle occurred? Uzui would love that. You could also have more subtle history, like motifs shaped like The Marks, which the swordsmiths have maintained in their traditions without knowing why certain symbols became associated with certain Breaths. If Yoriichi hadn't been disgraced, he probably would have been a common theme too.

Uzui:

ALL THE DECOR, but what about fireworks all over the shiny lacquer? Or the scene in Tale of Genji in which Genji stands in a storm at the beach (a hidden reference to the names of each of Uzui's wives)?

Muichiro:

GINKGO LEAVES, MAN. And the moon because it would be ironic.

Tanjiro:

What if he had a little SUNSHINE on a simple menuki?? Something nice and understated! Or even his fox mask!!! Or--oh, oh, oh---

Giyuu:

WHAT IF THEY HAD MATCHING FOXES

Also, it would be very nice if there was some useful of the waves and clouds pattern on the metal pieces of his scabbard.

Zenitsu:

There's already a lot of lightning and triangle on this sword, and I like how his matches Kaigaku's. I could see this being a situation of Zenitsu getting his sword polished and using the opportunity to ask for any number of cute and auspicious decorations and being flat out told, "no, this is what Thunder Breath swords look like."

Kanao:

Freaking flowers everywhere, but I also saw a crest today that had three butterflies in a circle around a flower, and it was repeated all over the sword, especially the lacquer of the scabbard. Wouldn't that be a cute reference to the sorts of people who inspired her to learn Breath technique and then sneak off to the Final Selection?

Genya:

He has such a very typical straightforward tsuba you'd actually see in real life. You one of the menuki themes I saw today? One one side, it is a "speedy demon" running off with a stolen stupa (which has the relics of Buddha inside), and on the other side, a Buddhist protective deity running after the demon with a sword. WHAT A FUN PAIR. Something like this would be such a cool way to reference his reliance on the Nenbutsu for Repetitive Action, too. But give that deity a glock.

I realize that a lot of this is very casually referencing motifs and hidden cultural details I've referenced elsewhere in various posts throughout this blog. I am far, far too lazy to go link those. Hopefully they're all properly tagged as "KnY Nerdery." Anyway, since you've come this far, here is an obligatory "SWORD BABY" photo because I always like photos when I get to hold tamahagane.

LOOK, A BABY SWORD, ISN'T IT BEAUTIFUL???

[battyaboutbooksreviews]

🦇 Up Close & Personal Book Review 🦇

❓ What's your favorite form of exercise? 🦇 As one of spin’s hottest instructors, Jo De La Cruz's workouts stream into thousands of living rooms. Her waiting list is harder to access than Area 51, and even her hair has its own social media page. But Jo’s struggling from a decade in the spotlight—which is when she meets the annoyingly handsome journalist who claims her job is just yelling at people from a bike. Converting a hater is a challenge Jo can’t resist. Silas throws himself into her classes, he’s genuinely interested in Jo’s hobbies, and he knows what it’s like to struggle with mental health. Jo might even be catching feelings. But as buzz for the article skyrockets, Jo discovers that the man she’s been falling for may, in fact, be the one scamming her. Will trusting him break her heart—or lead to a love worth riding for?

💜 This story took me by surprise in all the best ways. Let's break it down.

✨ Characters (4/5): The characterization was strong, the development natural, the dialogue fun and playful yet heartfelt. I would have appreciated a little more "get to know you" dialogue from our main characters before they fell in love with one another, since so much of their discovery is rooted in the article Silas is writing, but the slow burn build really works. The mental health rep, though--Jo working through her anxiety using different methods (journaling, having new experiences, cathartic workouts)--was absolutely perfect. It's real, raw, and yes, strong enough that it brought me to tears upon reading Silas' final draft.

✨ Plot and Pacing (3/5): There are a few moments when the pacing drags, namely at the beginning.

✨ World-Building (4/5): So many writers make the mistake of assuming readers know New York that they don't bother with setting descriptions, and thankfully, this book is an exception. The few places we visit outside of Haven feel real enough that you're stepping through the doors, through which I'm grateful.

✨ Romance (4/5): It's been a while since I've read a slow burn that worked quite as well as this one--without forcing readers to work all the way to the end for a tiny payout. Seeing Silas fall hard and fast first, as he's working passed Jo's armor and getting to know her as his subject, was absolutely beautiful. Jo's willingness to let those shields down didn't feel rushed or forced, and you root for this couple every step of the way.

✨ Mystery/Suspense (3/5): The source of conflict is obvious from the start, even though I don't think it's a big deal that Silas found a way to meet Jo in-person without going through media channels. As a former journalist, I see the messy ethics there, but it just felt like an excuse to put conflict between him and Jo. The fact that Silas repeatedly returns to his problematic first draft was another obvious red flag -- you know exactly what the third act fight is going to look like long before you finish act one.

✨ Tone/Prose (3/5): The prose left a little to be desired for me, but every moment shared between Jo and Silas shines.

🦇 Recommended to fans of Mazey Eddings.

✨ The Vibes ✨ 🚲 Dual POV 🚲 (Slight) Celebrity Romance 🚲 Mental Health Rep / Anxiety 🚲 Fitness Instructor / Journalist 🚲 Slow Burn 🚲 BIPOC Rep 🚲 Miscommunication

🦇 Major thanks to the author and publisher for providing an ARC of this book via Netgalley. 🥰 This does not affect my opinion regarding the book. #UpCloseandPersonal

💬 Quotes "Your fellow monster fighter." "I want more of her laugh, her touch, her full attention as she tells me a story. Just for me." "I want to be the woman beyond the bike." "Leave it to us literary types to use words as both armor and a weapon for our own self-destruction." "But what happens when the monsters aren’t invisible anymore?"

[black-arcana]

EPICA's SIMONE SIMONS Says Making Of 'Aspiral' Album 'Didn't Feel Difficult'

In a new interview with with Paltrocast host Darren Paltrowitz, EPICA vocalist Simone Simons was asked if it was a "difficult" process making the band's upcoming album, album, "Aspiral". She responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "It didn't feel difficult. It was definitely more intense because we had scheduled more writing camps where we would get together to spin off each other's brains or spawn ideas back and forth, also together with our producer. And I think compared to how we did it back in the day, let's say before [2021's] 'Omega', we were often writing, recording while still being on the road. And that, I think, is more difficult. And we learned from that mistake by making more time, clearing our schedule to really focus on the writing and recording of the album, to stay in the flow and to keep a better balance. We toured a lot in our whole career, but for us it's also important that we get to put the right amount of energy and focus into creating new music because that definitely has the priority. Without music, we cannot tour. Of course, we have a lot of albums now, but still it's a new way how we roll nowadays."

To celebrate the "Aspiral" release, EPICA will play three exclusive shows in the United States in early May: in New York City, Atlanta, and Los Angeles. Tickets and VIP upgrades will go on sale this Friday, February 28 at 10 a.m. local time.

The "Aspiral" LP title is derived from the eponymous bronze sculpture made by Polish sculptor and painter Stanisław Szukalski back in 1965 and stands for renewal and inspiration — key words that define EPICA in 2025. In Szukalski's work every detail is a piece of art in its own right, and there's always more to the story than you initially think. The band saw this as the perfect analogy for the creation of this ninth album: each song stands on its own with a distinctive vibe and meaning, while together they enforce each other into a monumental effort.

The album, featuring stunning cover artwork by Hedi Xandt (RAMMSTEIN, GHOST, PARKWAY DRIVE),is now available for pre-order. The special editions even include the Blu-ray and audio recordings of the full monumental "Symphonic Synergy" performance in Amsterdam that the band recorded in 2024 with an orchestra and choir.

Recorded once again at Sandlane Studios and expertly mixed and produced by Joost Van Den Broek, "Aspiral" boasts 11 new tracks:

01. Cross The Divide 02. Arcana 03. Darkness Dies In Light - A New Age Dawns Part VII 04. Obsidian Heart 05. Fight to Survive - The Overview Effect 06. Metanoia - A New Age Dawns Part VIII 07. T.I.M.E. 08. Apparition 09. Eye Of The Storm 10. The Grand Saga Of Existence - A New Age Dawns Part IX 11. Aspiral

The band's music video for the uptempo anthem "Cross The Divide", directed by Kunststoff, can be seen below.

In a recent interview with Mexico's Euphonico, Simons stated about the inspiration for the LP's first single, "Arcana", she said: "Well, it was kind of a lot of things coming together. Rob [Van Der Loo, EPICA bassist] and I are, besides colleagues, we're also really good friends. And he had a deck of tarot cards with him. And I thought, 'Just for the fun of it, let's do a session. Let me draw some cards and then you explain to me what they mean.' And it was a very enlightening experience, I guess. The song, the music was also written by Rob. And then I came up with the idea, like, 'What if I write a song that's kind of inspired by the meaning of the tarot cards and the session that I had with him and what I think it meant for me at that time in my life and where I am now?' So, yeah, it's a very — how do you say? — soul-searching kind of topic, and that's something EPICA has been writing about for quite a while, but so far we haven't touched on the tarot subject. So I thought this could be a cool topic to integrate in the new album, which is all about reinventing yourself, like a rebirth, renewing yourself. So it kind of a cool thing to draw inspiration from."

Elaborating on the writing and recording process for EPICA's upcoming album, Simone said: "I think 'Arcana' was one of the songs that came together quite quickly. We had many writing camp sessions in Holland. We rented a house where we were meeting a couple times for, like, a week in a row, and we were all just sitting together. And Rob had also kind of a clear view of what he wanted vocal-wise, and then he just let me do my thing. And it went very naturally to write the lyrics.

"The vocal recordings [for the new EPICA album] took place in the summertime, which is a good time to do so because autumn [and] winter is a time when everybody gets sick," she explained. "So, for me, it's great if I'm in the summer in the studio, so I'm in a good shape or not running a risk of getting a cold and that it affects the voice, because I did have to record albums back in the day where I did get sick. And luckily you can't hear it. I know which songs are the ones. But it was a very smooth process. We worked together with the same producer, Joost Van Den Broek, who became a little bit like the seventh EPICA bandmember. And it's great working with him. Yeah, we were diving into all the little details and we were really concentrated on making the songs as a band together.

"I think people that don't know EPICA, they don't know that we don't live in the same village," Simone added. "We live, actually, in four different countries. So for us to get together and really work on the songs is tricky. And we started doing that already for 'Omega', and we really liked that, to clear our touring schedule, because we tour a lot and to really be there together and not everybody at home in their home studios. You get a total different result if everybody's there in the same room; you feed off each other's creativity, and that's very beneficiary for the songs."

Asked if there is a main songwriter in EPICA or if everybody contributes to the songwriting process, Simone said: "Everybody gets to write songs. And some songs, I think the guys did write demo songs on their own, because we all have our home studios, and when we were together in the writing camp, then we were sparring off ideas and sending each other the files, and then everybody was working on a random song at the same time. There was a funny moment where, I think, Coen [Janssen, EPICA keyboardist], Ariën [Van Weesenbeek, EPICA drummer], Rob and I were sitting in the living room area, but kind of far apart from each other, and Coen was working on a song and he thought he had his headphones plugged in, but it was running out of the speakers. And then we said, 'Oh, cool. That sounds great. Which song are you working on?' And he was, like, 'Oh shit, you guys could hear what I was working on.' So it was everybody in different rooms. Isaac [Delahaye, EPICA guitarist] was in the attic playing the guitar, and I had to wait until very late before I could go sleep 'cause he went on writing music, recording guitars until almost one o'clock in the morning. But it was a really lovely experience. And everybody gets to write songs and everybody gets to work on those songs. So, we all put our little own salsa on the songs. [Laughs]"

"Arcana" marked EPICA's first new release since "Omega" and the collaboration EP "The Alchemy Project".

The single is now available on all streaming platforms. It also includes "The Ghost In Me (Danse Macabre)", EPICA's recently released collaboration with Europe's second-most visited theme park, Netherlands's magical De Efteling, and their much-anticipated new attraction, Danse Macabre.

The previously released music video for "Arcana", directed by Remko Tielemans, can be seen below.

In a recent interview with Spain's Mariskal Rock, Simone stated about EPICA's upcoming album: "I'm so happy with the songs, I'm so proud how everything turned out and it's gonna be another amazing EPICA album. We added a couple of new elements, but also went back to the roots, the old EPICA. And yeah, I just can't wait for people to hear this.

"I loved 'Omega' and we toured so much with 'Omega' and had wonderful experiences, but then when you reach the end of a touring cycle, you start to get itchy and feel, 'Okay, now it's time to do the new album. Can we do it as good or maybe even better than the last album?' That's always the thing we strive for, ways to renew ourselves a little bit. And we feel a very strong spiritual connection also that it's our ninth album. So there's gonna be themes around the symbolic meaning of nine, the number nine."

Elaborating on the musical direction of EPICA's next album, Simone said: "The songs are heavy. There's a beautiful ballad, a very cinematic song, very uptempo, very doomy, melancholic and amazing, amazing power riffs. It's the most epic EPICA, I think, so far. Yeah, I think so. I mean, I'm feeling it. I'm very happy with it. I'm proud of it."

[electricserenade]

TUNE IN TO STATION 333.33

THIS STATION IS PLAYING SONGS FROM ALL OVER, INSPIRING YOU TO WRITE YOUR DEEPEST AND FILTHIEST, ANGSTIEST TO SMUTTIEST — FLUFFIEST TO DARKEST WORKS OF THE SUMMER, SPINNING THE FOLLOWING ALBUMS AND TRACKS:

COWBOY CARTER — Beyoncé | Unreal Unearth: Unheard — Hozier | Prelude to Ecstasy — The Last Dinner Party | SOS — SZA

If you gain inspiration from this station and its prompts, be sure to tag me in the work or like/reblog — thank you listeners

PROMPTS DOWN BELOW:

COWBOY CARTER — Beyoncé

"You're my love"

"I just hope you love yourself like that"

"I really hope the best for you"

"Born to be a protector" / "I will be your protector"

"I feel proud of who I am, because you need me"

"Inhalin' whiskey when you kiss my neck"

"They couldn't have me and they never will"

"Sometimes I hold you closer just to know you're real"

"Sometimes I take a day off just to turn you on"

"I don't like the way she's lookin' at you"

"You say change religions, now I spend sundays with you"

"Something 'bout those tears of yours"

"How does it feel to be adored?"

"Sunrise in the morning, you're all I need"

"Didn't know what I wanted 'til I saw your face"

"Don't know what you're doin' tonight"

"Been a while since I haven't tried to pull away"

"I'd go wherever you take me"

"Love you down to the bone"

"I hope you know that once I loved you"

"I just pray that we don't crash"

"When i'm long gone, you'll call my name"

"I stayed away from you too long"

"And I come home tomorrow"

"It's yours, baby, you can crash here, come here"

"Put on a show make it nasty"

"Baby, let me sink into your arms"

"Drink me 'til its done"

"I plan to steal your heart again"

"Ain't that the scary thing"

"Slip into my dreams every night"

"Who am I to judge, my baby?"

"Baby, I've been waitin' my whole life for you"

"This is the real you, huh"

"This is the real me, huh"

"And when I get up to walk, I wanna feel weak"

"I ain't goin' far"

"I'm gonna give you the best years of your life"

"Baby, I've been waitin' my whole life for you and I"

"Have mercy on me"

"I need to make you proud"

UNHEARD — Hozier

"How do you sleep so well?"

"You're too sweet for me"

"But you worry some, I know"

"Put my body to work"

"I wanna lose me"

"I wanna fade away with you"

"I wanna kill the lights"

"I don't need to know where we begin and end"

"I only need the working of my hands"

"Some part of me came alive the first time that you called me baby"

"C'mere to me, when was the last time?"

"How could you think, darlin', I'd scare so easily?"

"There's not one thing that I would change"

"If I could hold you for a minute"

"Heaven is not fit to house a love like you and I"

"I feel lighter than I have in so much time"

"If you need to, darling, lean your weight to me"

"Don't fall away from me"

"Let me put my lips to somethin'"

"Come and get some"

"Let me see the heat get to you"

"Wake up feeling like a millionare"

"I haven't felt it since then"

"We knew what our love was worth"

"We didn't get it right, but love, we did our best"

"I know we want this to go easy"

"When people say that something is forever either way it ends"

"As natural as another leg around you in the bed frame"

"Look, I wanna be loud, so loud, I'm talking seismic"

"I'm still glad I met you"

"I'd no choice but to love you"

"I thought you were like an angel to me"

"It ain't hate being alone" / "It ain't the empty home, baby" / "You know I'm good on my own"

"You know, it's more the being unknown"

"One bright morning changes all things"

"Your eyes open, at first a thousand miles away but turning, shoot a silver bullet point-blank range"

"Could this be how every day begins?"

"Like I lived my whole life before the first light"

"But after this I'm never gonna be the same and I am never going back again"

Prelude to Ecstasy — The Last Dinner Party

"Bite marks on my neck I could never say no"

"You don't wanna hurt me but I want you to"

"My darling, believe me, I was born to be with you"

"Ain't it fun to hold the world in your hands?"

"Do you want me or do you want control?"

"I can't win them all"

"Do you want me to care when you just disappear?"

"I wish I didn't want you"

"I will hold your hands to stop them from shaking"

"If it takes all night, I will be on your side"

"When you're lyin' here, I believe you love me"

"And what I'm feeling isn't lust, it's envy"

"I wish I knew you back when we were both small"

"Pray for me on your knees"

"Stay through the night I'd spend the mornings by your side"

"Cleanse my soul, make me whole"

"Dance in the morning glow"

"Hold me, we can't go back"

"Foolish thinking I could have you"

"Picture me in bed under your crucifix"

"I'd die for you, no questions asked"

"If anyone could kill me, it would probably be you"

"I wish that I had the guts the dignity to put up a fight"

"Oh anyone could kill me, and I'd never ever let it be you"

"'Cause we're a lot alike"

"I will fuck you like nothing matters"

"I'm putting all my bets on you"

"This is the only thing I know how to do"

SOS — SZA

"Damn right I'm the one"

"I can't let you finish"

"He's so needy"

"I just want what's mine"

"If I can't have you no one should"

"How'd I get here?"

"I get the sense that it's a lost cause"

"I did it all for love"

"I get the sense that you might really love her"

"I had to do it to you"

"The art of war, goddamnit, I'm drained"

"With a rush that feels like, we committin' a crime"

"You know where you belong"

"Wherever you are, whatever you need, don't call me"

"I lay awake if you're not around me"

"Help me understand how you speak your love language"

"You don't wanna be without me"

"I don't want to be alone"

"My, my, how the times change"

"Moments stolen taste better"

Oh, I need you, but it takes time"

"Loved me better when you tried less"

"I can't lose when I'm with you"

"I still wonder if you notice me"

"Don't care, just lay here beside me"

"I need your touch, not your scrutiny"

"You better learn how to face it"

"I make no exceptions"

"You can trust in me"

"Can you make me happy? Can you keep me happy?"

"I been thinkin' 'bout you, haven't got much sleep"

"Can you still come and get me?"

"I fuck him 'cause I really miss you"

"It's too late, I don't wanna lose what's left of you"

"I don't wanna see you with anyone but me"

"How am I supposed to let you go?"

"Only like myself when I'm with you"

"I got everything that I need, and I want more"

"Hate how you look at her 'cause you never saw me"

"I wish I was special"

"Is it bad that I want more?"

"Figure out how I should be loved"

"Is it too late for us?"

"Everything reminds me of us"

"Lead me, don't look back, it's all about you"

"It's what you say and how you do me"

"Who needs self-esteem anyway?"

"For you, I try"

"I can't shake this habit"

"I've been up, baby"

"Shitty of you to make me feel like this"

"You've been making me feel like I'm always in my mind"

"I don't mind who's watching"

[tartrat]

Strange map concept idea but hear me out

So The other day i was thinking about songs that existing coaches could return in, and this one just kept coming back into my head.

Now how would this actually go? well....

So the map would take place at a rooftop party, with other coaches in attendance, for example the I'm good classic coaches, Side to side and Jopping, basically any futuristic looking coach. Kapyy walks into the centre and awkwardly waves to the others, who just roll they're eyes.

During the verses Kapyy dances in the middle of the party, the other coaches ignoring him. As the song goes on, speech bubbles form above the coaches, showing that they are gossiping about him. Copies of him come out of the speech bubbles and start dancing along side him, The first at "Tale As Old As Time" and the second at "For The Last Time". This happens at both pre-choruses resulting in four clones in total by the time the bridge starts. During the second verse the first two clones are seen sitting on the fence laughing.

During the first two choruses a projection of Kapyy appears over the city (like the bridge of I'm good). At the end of the first chorus he does a small bow which leads into the second verse.

The Second verse has the first gold move, this being a bow shooting motion, towards the giant projection of Kapyy that disintegrates after getting "shot".

As the bridge starts after the second chorus, Kapyy instead takes his sunglasses off, quickly placing them on his jumpsuit. The four clones of him gather round to taunt him. After the second gold move, at the line "she's laughing up at us from hell", they disintegrate.

For the first two "It's me, hi"s of the bridge he approaches some other coaches and waves, realises he's being ignored and at the "I'm the problem, its me" he recoils back to the middle, hands slowly going to clutch his chest. For the last "It's me, hi, I'm the problem it's me" line he looks at the camera and walks forwards, his eyes red as he had been crying behind the glasses. Leading into the last gold move at the end of the bridge.

The last chorus is similar to the first two except its Kapyy himself and not his projection, which is still visible in the Background. The surrounding partygoers look at him annoyed and disapprovingly, as they fully acknowledge the scene he's putting on. In turn Kapyy ignores their disapproving glances, genuinely thinking that maybe they do care now.

The map ends with him noticing that the partygoers are laughing, unaware that their laughter is directed at him and that they're actually making fun of him. He laughs nervously.

I mentioned two of them above but there would be three gold moves (quick sketches of the pictograms below as well):

The first gold move would be at the line "Pierce through the heart but never killed". Kapyy does the motion of drawing a bow first with the gold move being the motion of letting go of the arrow.

The second gold move would be at the line "She's Laughing up at us from Hell". He's crouched down a bit and violently shakes his hands as he raises his body up (think the gold move from basket case but a bit longer).

The third gold move would be at the last "Everybody Agrees" at the end of the bridge, where Kapyy would spin his upper body whilst leaning backwards with his arm pointed back (like in Volar but his legs don't move much)

-

Did I post that gif specifically because I was going to post this next? Yes, yes I did lol. I was thinking about this concept when i posted it.

The background is an edited image of the side to side space dock background, and the font is the midnights album font, or at least close enough to it. I find it weird that Midnights is now two years old like what do you mean its 2024?

This is mainly based on my own headcanons for Kapyy. I want to do a cohesive post on my headcanons for him. I also need to draw him happy more. That will be for halloween I'm going to draw a few coaches dressed up.

[wizardofvamp]

For your distraction needs, please may I know ✅ + 🎶 + 🤔 + ⛔️ for the fic writing ask game? Thank yeeewww

hellllll yeeeeee ty for the ask @porcelainseashore!

✅ - ohgaaaaawd uh I'm very bad at harvesting my own glimmers but I'm gonna harvest some from notes I've gotten from other folks bc I trust other folks taste over my own any day of the week:

Glimmer from the most recent Sascha fic:

Eroded molars plucked like pomegranate seeds and summarily replaced with brighter pearls.

Idk I really like how this sentence shook out it's info dense while still retaining an easy, readable flow. Also tips its hat on the kitbashing going on without being obvious so it'll be a fun thing to pick up upon a second or third read (I think)! Because I'm one of those annoying people who likes reading/writing things that require several passes to get the full picture.

Glimmer from Limits:

Either post was crafted to mimic the trees they were gored from, the arc of the back panel--branches that tangled and fused at its center. Wildlife roiled behind the broad leaves–[Ana] had spent hours while she was young sprawled out on the bed, tracing her fingertips across every twig-clutching talon and leaf-stem coiling mousetail. Pressing her fingers into the two ragged, unvarnished gashes that tore into the falcon roosted in the top right corner. To this day, she does not know what put those there–Kliment would never tell.

okay cheating this is a full passage not a single line, but I'm particularly proud of this description of Ana and Roman's headboard from the second chapter of Limits so full excerpt be upon ye! And yes the tenses are weird but Memorium can be like that sometimes (says the editor-less writer)

🎶 - I'm hugely reliant on music!! I create playlists for all my projects, and the majority of my music listening habits are more or less informed by whatever I'm writing/drafting on a particular day. All my playlists are in tatters because I'm in the middle of yet another spotify playlist overhaul but here's an ole reliable I recently updated for some Ana/Roman oneshots that will hopefully see the light of day eventually:

🤔 - I got two different answers! One more general and one more fic- specific. So two answers for the price of one! General: I've been writing since literally I was old enough to hold a pencil/sit at a keyboard. So I don't really have an answer outside of "well I also eat and sleep so yeah I write" it's just something I do whether I set out to do it or not. Even if I go years without publishing/posting/producing, I usually have several WIPs floating around for me to peck away at and manage sanity. Fan/Fic: Usually a good setting is enough for me to spin out fic! I don't typically write canon characters unless they become an Intense Blorbo where I feel like I have something to add to the greater blorbo-sphere. Currently I don't really have any of those outside of stray Sascha concept that I've got cooking out back. But yeah if I come across a setting that strikes me, OCs will just start spawning naturally so I write fic to wrangle those OCs.

⛔️ - If I'm writing canon characters for a specific fandom, I try to limit the number of "Big Names" in the piece bc nothing's more annoying that reading a fic tagged with a specific character only for said character to be around for three paragraphs as a contact/side mission. If there's a bit part to be played, give it to nameless rando 172 and if he grows a personality great! I now have a shiny new OC people can get to know! But like if you have a vamp fic and you need a Nos contact maybe give Mr. Tung a break he has enough going on in SoCal he doesn't need to be bothered with breadbasket intel unless he absolutely has to, give that job to a bright-eyed Nos upstart with a cool pet rat named Pichu and let that fun lil gal bounce off the Big Wigs in the fic. Makes the story more accessible to folks who are new to the fandom/lore as well as something new for the old heads if executed with care. Win-win! I hope!

[kennedyslvr]

TENNESSEE WHISKEY, STRAWBERRY WINE — CHAPTER 16 (AO3)

things start getting FREAKY here. the first of MANY smut chapters incoming. but who the smut is gonna be between... well, it may come as a bit of a shock, lol. i love injecting drama into this fic fr.

enjoy this little snippet! fun fact: because i prewrote this fic MONTHS AGO this smut was actually the first smut i'd written in years lol. but it was SO MUCH FUN and i can't wait to keep doing it lol

full chapter here! lmk what u think, leave ur kudos n comments etc. i love reading what you guys have to say, seeing u geek out over my fics (which i geek out over writing) makes me so happy. 🫶

My entire body freezes the moment her lips press against mine. The world stops spinning, and everything goes silent except for the ringing in my ears that gets louder and louder until it starts to hurt. I'm pretty sure my mind is blown. Of all the things I was expecting, this is not one of them—and yet, it also is.

Fuck. Her lips are warm. And soft. Everything I’d imagined they’d be. Everything I'd hoped they’d be. And she’s kissing me. She is kissing me.

How the fuck did I get here?

After the waterfall, I’d been a ticking time bomb of emotions. I was on edge, frayed and electrified and hard as a rock—against my own fucking will—as I cleaned off the horses and put them back in their stalls. I’d been angry, storming around the place like I had a stick shoved up my ass as I changed out of my soaked clothes and dumped them in the laundry basket, banishing the day out of my mind.

Banishing her out of my mind.

But she was still there as the hot water had sliced over my skin, as the steam had soaked into my pores and did little to bring down my aching erection. All I could think about was how good she looked underneath those falls—the sight of her dark hair matted and sticking to her skin, her clothes soaked and slicked against her figure, those parted lips and tiny little shivers.

I damn near lost my mind. I hadn’t known when we had gotten so close, but it had taken so much of my strength to tear myself away before things could get bad. Before I could royally fucked things up for both of us.

This would never work, I told myself as I once again palmed myself in the shower, getting off to that freeze frame image of us beneath the foamy falls. She's too young for you, too young to be involved with a man like you. You’ll just hurt her, and then her family will hurt you.

I also made a mental note to myself that jerking off to this woman nearly every single day for the past month—not that I was consciously doing it, but it was becoming an occurrence that I both loathed and didn't mind—was not fucking normal for a guy my age. Sex in general often took me out, but this.. just left me tired and craving the real thing. I told myself I should make some kind of appointment to see a doctor, a fucking shrink or maybe just a surgeon to cut the thing off so I wouldn't have the temptation of it. Then, as I’d spilled into my hand and watched it wash down the drain, I had told myself I’ll do it tomorrow.

And then I had to see her again, looking like that. On her way out for the night as I was on my way in to sit through an uncomfortable family dinner at her place. Dressed in the kind of outfit that made my heart stop and my world tilt on its axis, the type of outfit I immediately imagined discarded on my bedroom floor before I clenched my hands into tight fists to shock myself back to reality, denying myself of her before someone saw what a mess I had become. As she had breezed past me, smelling of fucking strawberries.

She and Claire had gotten dressed up for a girls night out at The Hay Barn—some nightclub made out of the shell of an abandoned barn on the border of town. Mostly for hoedowns, but the place played more than just country classics a lot of the time. I had never actually been, but the girls had looked pretty excited to go, and the house definitely felt their absence as they giggled off into the night.

Dinner had been so fucking awkward. I wouldn't wish that kind of thing on my worst enemy. Sat around a big table for half an hour, staring at the empty place setting between muted conversations about oh, the cattle are doing well this year and how's that client horse coming along.

It felt the same as it did before she turned up. Cold. Lonely. I was cold and lonely. So fucking lonely. Miserably lonely. Miserable and lonely.

After dinner, I’d stood out on my balcony with a finger of whiskey and a smoke, watching the sky turn from pink to navy to black. Replaying that moment again in my mind over and over, the moment I had almost lost all my senses and kissed her senseless. And I would have fucking done it too, if it wasn't for the obligations I had set myself, the boundaries I kept toeing the line of over and over again.

The road had been a blur as I drove down the dark and empty lane, itching to get away from the ranch and get drunk somewhere else, somewhere where there wasn't a reminder of her. As I had rolled up to the stop light into town, I had seen the turn off point for the club. I had sat at that red light looking at both the sign and the light long and hard, until it hurt my eyes to stare at them anymore. Caught in a literal crossroads between what I wanted and needed and what was fucking smart.

When the light had gone green, I had taken the turn off. I don't know why I fucking did—I tried to tell myself this was me keeping an eye on her, protecting her from creeps. Creeps like myself. But in all honesty, I was letting my body take the fucking wheel as I parked up outside the club and followed the sound of thumping bass inside. The heat had made my skin crawl, the claustrophobic noise and stench of sweat and skin had made my hands ball up into fists.

My feet had known where to go before I did, thudding up those wooden stairs until my eyes had been greeted—rewarded—with the sight of her up on that bull, looking like every man’s wet dream. And my ears had the ultimate pleasure of hearing what Claire had told her to do.

Imagine you're riding Leon!

I had stood there and watched this girl move, traced the silhouette of her body under the lights. My vision had tunnelled, and I could hardly remember the rest of it, but I knew that sight would be lodged permanently in my memory for the rest of time. I had even heard those little sounds of hers like I had some kind of supersonic hearing, soft little whimpers and giggles that would be on my mind forever, permanently burned into my brain.

And now here we are. Standing in the middle of a club floor, surrounded by bodies whilst her body is pressed against mine. I’m, once again, hard as a rock, and I know she can feel it. I know she loves it, and that is perhaps the most thrilling thought of all, as well as completely fucking dangerous. I need to pull away. I need to put a stop to this, right now.

But I can't. I don't really want to.

Unfreeze the frame. Bring the world back to life.

She shivers beneath me as my hand crawls slowly up her spine towards the nape of her neck, then tilts her head back just slightly so that my tongue can dip into her mouth and taste her properly. I push my way through the seam of her lips as they part so willingly for me that it makes me groan, the heat of her mouth and the taste of her—vodka, berries, the sweetest fucking sin I could ever imagine—makes my heart speed up.

What am I fucking doing here?

I pull myself away from her with the strength of a man climbing Everest without any equipment. I’m panting, my eyes searching her face wildly as I try to figure out why the fuck she had just done that, and why the fuck had I let her. The whole world is crumbling around me. I'm so fucking screwed. And she fucking giggles. She lets out the prettiest little sound, wrapping that delicately feminine hand around my wrist—squeezing hard enough to ensure she could definitely feel the rapid throb of my pulse—and drags me away like a siren dragging an unwitting sailor to his doom.

And I let her.

She pulls me away from the dance floor, from the slithering bodies and the loud pulsing music to a quiet, brightly lit hallway that allows me to see just how goddamn gorgeous she looks right now—sweat glistening from her delicious looking skin, hair messed up in a way that makes me want to mess it up even more, plump lips that drew me back in again despite how hard I try to fight her off. Not that I'm trying very hard at all. She leans up against a nearby wall, her eyes half-lidded as she grabs me by my belt loops—holy fucking shit, woman, don’t do that to a man—and pulls me back in for another kiss.

We kiss slowly, letting one taste the other properly. Hands move slow and exploratory at first, running over fabric and feeling out the barriers, gliding across skin and fisting into hair. I once more lick into her mouth, earning that delightful little sigh again that rushes straight into my cock and acts like a light switch.

What am I fucking doing here?

Our kiss turns hungry and impatient. She wants so much more, and so—in this moment of pure insanity—I let her have it. Denim brushes against my waist as she wraps her legs around me. I brace a hand against her thigh, holding her there as I use my hips to push her further up against the wall. This time she moans, a soft little whimper-panting sound that nearly knocks me down as she pushes herself back into me.

She feels so warm down there. I can practically feel her soaking through her jeans; the flutter and throb of her slick pussy, which makes me feel even more bold and brazen as well as utterly disgusting. I’ve truly lost my fucking mind. But I don't really care. She’s here, arching into me, letting out the most exhilarating of sounds that I catalogue for further notice like a prepubescent boy stumbling across porn for the first time.

What am I fucking doing here?

[spaceoperajay]

Finale thoughts, spoilers, rambly too

AHHHH for a finale that was by almost all accounts a happy ending it sure does not feel that way. like YAY all the mikes and tys are back OH wait OH fuck ty is back and hes HAPPY that's real bad. it was so foreboding it absolutely feels like a bad ending IM sCARED base is truly locked in for a path to hell

It was fantastic i loved it everyone did such a great job this and this season will be spinning in my head for awhile!!!!!!!!!!! Impressed all the time by all the talent

And to have lil ol charlie be at the center at the foreboding casually talking with Edgar about how sometimes he has to put iterations of his boyfriend down like a sick dog and like we know Edgar feels awful about it but hes still here doing it and would she do it to marissa. What the fuck i hate them (i love them). Like the charlie/marissa and edgar/mikey paralells have always been there but i love to see them called out like this and used. IM excited to see her go through the ringer

i am kind of loving troy manipulating everyone in way that the viewers know but the characters have no idea. this is funny as hell what is he up to he thinks its funny as hell that no one thinks he can use a calculator i loved that part. Also there are apparently even more powerful who are now keeping an eye on the base/compound which is a fun up in stakes

MW was really badass this episode i loved that and LOL did Latvia mike admit that he was the one to leave that ominous note in Alaska (dont remember if this has been addressed before) and i also love the chicken or egg question the base and the compounds name like lol (this only happened because Mikey wasn't allowed to name the base something stupid let him go wild he deserves it/j) you gave ty beteridge information he is going run with that. IM fascinated to how ty knowing the name Walters is going to interact with ty (or at least one iteration of him) thinking mikeys last name was edgars at first

The "let's split up gang" parts felt well done and the tension was kept high. If WBG were a show about the bad guys actually losing and the good guys winning i think a mike w alters iteration who has nothing even disavows his own name giving a dramatic spiel then killing an ignorant ty betteridge would be a great ending but its not and my evil babygirl scientist is back and ready to cause problems for everyone <3

Rip nobody. I guess HES dead for good? Until we find out how he came to be. Okay IM an idiot i just processed hes dead for good (i mean ig he could be iterated earlier or some other justification to bring him back) Damn i miss nobody. What a tragedy, self loathing guy dies in the way he killed other versions of himself. I dont think he was like entirely motivated by preventing more people from falling into the time travel murder game but he was spitting facts that the other mikes ignored and there is the fact that a lot more people just got involved in the time travel hell that he would have prevented. My nameless meow meow is dead :'(:'(:'(:'(:'(:'(:'(:'( hope he haunts the narrative

I probably have more thoughts but that's all for now this was a great end to a great season