#the aesthetics are hitting me directly in the heart

[dogin8]

Just watched Whitepine 1 and holy shit, this video is ART, like absolutely visually stunning from start to finish, it's obvious that so much time and care has gone into every frame. From the choice of resource pack and the builds, to the virtual camera placement and framing, to the timing of cuts and choreography of the actors, every decision feels so intentional and compliments everything else so well and the black side bars really commit you to the sense that what you're seeing is as much a video as it is a connected sequence of intricately detailed paintings.

Not to mention the sound design, the weather, the voices, the footsteps, the clinking of plates, the way the sounds change based on the placement of the camera. THE ORIGINAL SOUNDTRACK MADE BY IVORY, absolutely unreal.

Everything about it is just so gorgeous

[endlessthxxghts]

Lay Off The Flannels

DBF!joel miller x afab!reader || W/C: 1.3k

Summary: Joel gets handsy while your father temporarily steps away.

Warnings: Age gap (unspecified - obviously a legal one though, hello??). No physical description of reader (pic above is used for aesthetic only!). SMUT 18+ MDNI. Oral sex (F receiving). Using a flannel to clean up🫣... Awkward interactions with an oblivious father. Fluffy/light-hearted ending :). I think that's it! Let me know if otherwise!

Author's Note: Hey y'all! Soo my personal definition of a drabble is when something is written and posted on a whim, and that's exactly what I'm doing here.. This was only proof-read once by me, so if you see any typos and confusing wording... NO YA DIDN'T. Anyway, I have a bunch of WIPs needing to get done, but the stress was getting to me, so I took a break from those and wrote this fun little scenario to calm my mind and give me a good little laugh. I hope you guys enjoy!💚

MASTERLIST

“We shouldn’t be-”

“I know,” he says. 

“It’s too risky.”

“I know,” he says. 

You pull his lips back onto yours, breathing in each other’s breaths, consuming each other eagerly as if the world was going to end if you didn’t. 

His lips drag down to your jaw, to the sweet spots on your neck that make you mewl such addicting sounds he’ll never tire of, tasting the product of the hard work you did today with your father. His best friend.

His best friend, who- 

“He should be back any minute now,” you say breathily as Joel drops down to the ground, his knees cracking from the sudden change. 

Joel is desperate. Frantic, even. The speed he unbuttons and unzips your jeans and yanks them—underwear included—off of you has your hands flying to grasp at the edge of the workbench you’re sitting on. “Don’t care,” he says, inhaling in a breath, inhaling your arousal. “Need to fuckin’ taste you.” 

Your father’s car crapped out on him a few days ago, and being the untrustful man he was, he bought the parts that needed replacing to do it himself. He had you working on his car with him, teaching you what to do if you were ever stuck in a similar situation—”It ain’t worth the bill, takin’ it to them mechanics. It’ll cost ya an arm and a leg just for them to diagnose your car’s issue even if you tell ‘em ya know what’s wrong, never mind actually fixin’ it,” he said to you this morning. 

As soon as your father left, Joel was making his way to you, large strides cutting the time in half. His arms wrapped around your waist, picking you up from the seat you were situated on and lifted you to the bench against the wall behind you. His lips were on yours immediately, open-mouthed and needy. His hand slammed onto the black button beside your head, the garage door sliding down thereafter.

Joel grabbed onto your thighs, settling them onto his broad shoulders, stabling you and opening you up to him all in one. Wasting no time, his entire face dives into you, tongue immediately going to your sobbing entrance, hooked nose pushing directly onto your clit. 

“Fuck,” you gasp out loud, “Joel, oh my god,” your head hitting the wall, eyes rolling back. 

The moans you’re feeding Joel has him groaning into you, his hands tightening his grip on the bottom of your thighs, the dull ache of it an indicator that you’ll have bruises forming within the hour. 

His tongue—god, you love his tongue—always reaches places you never thought was possible, offering you a glimpse into Heaven each time he tastes you. The squelch of your pussy and his groans equivalent to that of an angel’s choir. You never want him to stop. Especially because his mouth is the closest to Heaven either of you will ever get. 

Your hole begins to flutter around his tongue, your slick pouring out of you at this point. You’re close. Joel knows it. His tongue leaves your hole and is quickly replaced by two of his fingers, sliding in with ease because of your level of arousal. His tongue meets your clit, licking and circling and absolutely worshiping it as if it’s the most unique of pearls to ever exist. 

The combination of his fingers and his tongue—plus his whimpers—are what do it for you. After a few more circles from his tongue, you’re cumming and you’re cumming hard, your liquids running down his wrist and soaking the rim of his sleeve. He gives one last suck to your clit before he lifts off of it, tilting his head up to watch you come undone, his fingers never pausing as he works you through your climax. 

“Baby,” you’re whining, reaching that point of oversensitivity with his fingers, but your hips betray you as they grind into his hand. 

“So fuckin’ perfect,” he mutters, gauging the contradictions of your body’s needs and wants. He slowly pulls his fingers out of you, greedily sucking them into his mouth, not letting a drop of your liquid gold go to waste. 

He stands at full height again, his hands on your thighs to scoot you back from the edge, giving you more stability, so he can let go of you and take his flannel off so he can wipe you down with it. 

He sets his flannel beside you, reaching for your bottoms on the ground. He puts them back on you, gentle as ever, and guides you off the bench—albeit, on some wobbly legs. Once you’re breathing returns to semi-normal, you’re grabbing him by his t-shirt and pulling him in for a heady kiss. Your tongue breaches his mouth, and he lets you in selfishly, sucking on your tongue for anything more you can give him. You taste yourself on him, tangy with a hint of something that lights your neurons on fire, turning you on more even though he just pulled one of the most draining of orgasms out of you. 

Joel pulls away from you, and like clock work, the garage door is whirring open. Your father. He’s walking up the driveway with a Harbor Freight bag. 

“Got what you needed?” you immediately ask, trying to control the topic of conversation. 

“Yeah. Why’d you close the garage?” 

Your eyes widen for a fraction of a second before going back to normal. “The heat was getting a little much. Was gonna open it up when you got back,” you say. 

He nods his head, then looks to Joel. “Hey, bud,” he says as he sets his bag down, walking up to give his best friend a handshake. “What’re ya doin’ here?” he asks, “Not that ya need a reason, of course,” he adds quickly, a light chuckle leaves his mouth. 

“Just thought I’d swing by. Thought your girl here was workin’ on your car all by herself, was gonna make sure the damage was minimal,” he teases, looking at you with a wink. “But now you’re here,” Joel smiles. “I gotta take a leak anyhow, I’ll see y’all later, yeah?” Joel says as he makes his way to the end of your garage. 

Your father offers a quick yeah, his eyes zoning in on the flannel atop his workbench. Before you can stop him, your father grabs it. “Oh, Joel, don’t forget ya flannel,” he says waving it in the air as he lightly jogs to him before he gets too far. Joel’s face immediately flushes, as pale as if he’s seen a ghost, as he realizes what your father is holding. His eyes dart to you, your expression just as traumatized. 

“Oh, y-yeah,” Joel says as he quickly takes it in his grasp, “T-thanks.” 

“Yeah, no problem,” he says as he begins walking back to you, stopping midway to turn back to Joel. “And Joel?” your dad yells out.

Joel turns around, reluctant. 

“Maybe lay off on the flannels during the summer, yeah?? That shit was soaked in sweat!” Your father says as his laugh grows to an uncontrollable level. 

Joel’s jaw drops to the floor as your face turns to absolute terror. 

“Dad!” you exclaim, absolutely stunned at his comment. “I’m done helping you for the day,” you say as you shake your head, gathering your things and heading inside.

Your dad’s laugh turns into a howl at your reaction, not realizing (thankfully) what’s got you so uncomfortable. 

As soon as you make it to your room, the entirety of the situation finally hits you, and you’re gasping for air at how hard you’re laughing. 

As you lay on your bed to try to calm yourself down, your phone rings. It’s Joel. Your laughter immediately starts back up again, and you answer, skipping all forms of introduction.

“Better lay off the flannels, Miller,” you say, barely able to keep it together by the end of your comment. 

“Shut up,” he says, stoic as ever.

A giggle erupts out of you, causing the biggest of butterflies to flutter all throughout his belly. “Can I come over later?” 

“I was expectin’ you to, darlin’.” 

End note: I'm sure there are a few fics out there with a premise similar to this, of reader doin some ✨things✨ with dbf!joel in reader’s dad’s garage 🫣 — I think it's pretty common given that Joel is a pretty laborious kinda guy, so if you've read anything similar, please share them in the comments or message me them! I'd love to read them and also give credit where credit is due. This fic fandom we've created is about spreading creativity, and that's exactly what I would like to do here. :)

Tags: @javierpena-inatacvest @katiexpunk @teatree121 @farmerlarrry @mellymbee @jobee403 @soavenuepenguin @rainbowcosmicchaos @untamedheart81 @babygal-babygal @pedritoferg @akah565 @pedrostories

EDIT: As of the new year 2024, I no longer do taglists!! Follow @endlessthxxghtsnotifs and turn on the notifications to be updated when new stories come out!!

[kairiscorner]

So I was watching the live adaptation of the addams family (released in 1991)

AND MHIEEEE,,,,,,,,

There’s this one scene where Gomez is looking down at Morticia

And his dialogue…..

“Look at her. I would die for her. I would kill for her.”

AND I CANNOT, FOR THE LIFE OF ME, STOP THINKING ABT MIGUEL IN THIS SCENE

Like babes have we ever considered gothic!miggy b4 bc

Bc….

ATE NALOLOKA NA PO AKO SAYO /hinimatay ngl i can't see current miggy as a goth, but younger miggy? oh hell yeah, he'd probably try out a goth aesthetic huhu MMMMMMM I WANNA WRITE THIS NGL ACK

(reblogs are greatly appreciated, it helps get my content out there! if you guys like what you see, please reblog it too <:D)

i mean it when i say... i'd kill for you, i'd die for you. – miguel o'hara x reader

there are times when he has to ask himself, really get himself thinking–"why am i still spider man? for what am i saving all these people who i've never even met before, taking hits from overzealous, insane villains so nobody else gets hurt even though they don't even thank me in the end... living despite the pain of living, loving despite the risk of having my heart broken–that i would be the reason of a loved one's heartache and suffering?"

there are hardly any times when questions of severe existentialism are ever answered early by the vast universe; the answers are hidden, muddled by the cosmos that keep expanding, never to be known by any living mortal–at least, not directly. miguel's dilemma is such, for truly, what is his life when put into the perspective of the grander scheme of things? what is the meaning behind the life he lives when he cannot even get a moment of rest until he's in the grave? what does he come home for, only to leave that home all over again and come back who knows when?

as he swings home, making minimal noise and conspicuous movements towards the window of your bedroom with miguel–he stares for a moment into the room. he's greeted to the very familiar sight of you sleeping soundly by your side, hopefully not suffering any internal turmoil that would discomfort you in your slumber. as you lay there, with your eyes shut and mouth slightly parted–gently snoring and mumbling in your sleep–with the moonlight illuminating your gentle figure, fragile frame... miguel has the answer to a his pondering answered in that one scene of his evening–of his life.

he mustered the courage to enter the room, quietly crawling in like a thief in the night. he shut the window closed after entering and dissipated his suit–leaving him in a pair of dark color briefs. he got under the covers, hoping not to wake you from your seemingly peaceful sleep, and once he snuggled up next to you... he found himself holding his breath in, as if anticipating that at any moment, the multiverse would part you from him and keep him as he always was before you came: miserable, lonely, and empty–without meaning.

your sleeping face was turned to his side, your eyelashes and lips looking so ravishing to miguel to pepper with kisses–your nose looking so... biteable. he smiled to himself slightly and gently pushed back a small lock of your hair behind your ear, shifting his face to move closer to you, to gaze into your lovely face and just soak in all of you.

"look at you... oh, the things i'd do for you; i can't even begin... to tell you..." he muttered, having a one-way conversation with your sleeping figure. he brushed the back of his finger against your cheek slowly, savoring the feeling of your warm skin. "i do all these things, all these things nobody thanks me for, to keep you safe–to see you in this very bed, to hold you another night, see you another day and hear your voice speak my name and tell me you love me..." he murmured, moving his face closer to yours–your lips almost touching, his nose poking yours.

he exhaled and smiled gently up at you. "i mean it when i say i'd die for you... i'd kill for you. nobody else matters to me, not anymore, when all i have left is you." he whispered as he leaned his forehead against yours, giving your nose a small kiss, taking your hand in his and gently squeezing it. whether you heard him or not didn't matter, miguel had finally gotten his answer from the universe somehow–and miguel would repeat to you that answer from the universe again and again and again.

you're the only one he has now, the only one who's never left him and has defied what the multiverse has in store for him–you're all that he loved, loves, and will ever love–until the end of time and space itself, you are all that he wants and needs.

tags !! @miguelswifey04 @binibinileonara @luvstarrstruck @melovetitties @arachnoia @fictarian @yuridopted0 @ophanimgold @meeom @hisachuu @wreakingmarveloushavok @popeheywardssecretgf @smokeywhalee

[aphtwitterau]

(7) Love

"Everyday you impossibly get worse," Dante says whilst walking into his shared dorm room, knowing Travis is at his desk on his side of the room. In Dante's arms is his signature red jacket.

Travis turned around in his swivel chair and raised an eyebrow, crossing his arms, "I don't know what you mean and I know you know that I don't."

Dante rolled his eyes and closed the door, locking it behind him before throwing his jacket on the bed, "here's a hint: he's a dick with black hair and a singular blue eye and I'm not even sure he even has another eye."

Travis sighed dreamily and turned back towards his desk, resting his elbows on the surface while laying his head in between his hands, failing at hiding his mushy smile at just the mention of Zane. Zane Ro'Meave may be an asshole to most, if not all, but he was definitely hot. With his snarky attitude and mascara and eye bags and dark aesthetic and pale skin and dark hair and deep voice and light blue eyes. Not to mention he was always fun to mess with in their interactions, whether it is online or in person. Just the notification of Zane replying to his post gets Travis all giddy.

"He's so bad," Travis says intently, a light hue coming towards his tanned cheeks from thinking of the raven-haired man.

Dante groans at both Travis' immediate dippy, sappy mood and the words he says. He does not want to think of Garroth's emo little brother as 'bad', not now, not in a million years. "You're never going to get anywhere if you keep getting on his nerves."

Dante pauses before continuing, "I actually don't know if it's possible to not get on his nerves."

Travis looks over his shoulder, seeing Dante change into more comfortable clothes to get into bed. The blue haired man kicking off his shoes while idly shaking off his shirt. "It definitely is possible, and I intend to be able to accomplish that action."

Dante raises an eyebrow at Travis, asking for a further explanation. "If Aph and Nana can do it, so can I."

After a few short moments of Dante quickly changing into pajamas and flopping onto his bed in the shared dorm room, "I think you're forgetting someone— oh yeah, you are. Blaze," Dante reminds the half-warlock.

Nobody will never know why it happened, when it happened, how it happened, or even what happened, but by some powers of Irene and even Shad himself, Blaze and Zane were friends. The two, on paper, seemed like they would never get along. Blaze is loud and eccentric, even a bit dumb in certain times. Zane is moody and conservative, and in his own moments, he can even be pretentious. However, the two managed to survive being dorm mates and even enjoyed each others company.

Maybe Blaze got Zane to bring out more of his fun side, if he even had one. Maybe Zane got Blaze to calm down every once in a while. Either way, much to Travis' chagrin, Blaze was an additional person to the list of people who Zane could tolerate. Travis, on the other hand, was not. Did Travis hate Blaze? No, he could not hate the red-head, he was a fun guy. He was just envious that not only was he Zane's roommate but also Zane actually made an effort to talk to him.

"How dare you remind me that there is another boy in my beloved's heart?" Travis asks, feigning sadness, "what does he have that I don't?"

Dante fakes pondering for a moment before saying, "Zane in his room?" To which Travis threw a crumpled up piece of paper directly at Dante, hitting him in the head. Dante feigns hurt and offense in his expression.

"How could you say that— that was so inappropri— shame on you, Dante." Travis stammered out while shooting a glare at the blue haired man as the other laughed.

Travis crumples up another piece of paper and throws it in Dante's direction, "ugh— stop that," Dante groaned as he got hit again.

"He's just so bad," Travis repeated again only for Dante to throw the paper back at him, hitting the back of his white colored hair, "do you think I'm his type?"

"I don't think he has a type of people he likes, as in I don't think he likes people, as in I think he hates humanity," Dante blandly stated, "y'know.. because he's a psycho, I don't know how he's Garroth's brother."

"What I also think is that you're not going to get anywhere if you piss him off— I mean 'what that mouth do'?" Dante asked while laughing, "I'm surprised he didn't block you on the spot."

Travis groaned and laid his forehead against the desk, muffled wailing going through the room. The wailing only stopped for him to catch his breath and he was silent for a while. Dante, on the other hand, eyed him warily while sitting on the edge of his bed. All of a sudden, Travis shot his head off with a determined look on his face; furrowed brows and his lips pressed into a smirk.

"He didn't block me on the spot," Travis repeats in a firm voice.

"Yeah, I just said that." Dante rolled his eyes.

"That means he doesn't hate hate me," Travis said with the same smirk on his face and a determined light in his eyes as he spoke.

"Whatever helps you sleep at night, which is what I want to do right now," the blue eyed man said while rolling into bed, "so do me a favor, try to keep it down while you wank it to the cyclops—" Dante was interrupted with another piece of paper to the face, "I'll kill you."

"Go to sleep, sweetie," Travis said waving him off, "I solemnly promise that I will not be too loud while I respectfully fantasize about Zane, my future dearest husband." Dante flipped him off while pulling the covers over his body.

[sophaeros]

The Strokes for Rockin'On, December 2005 - English Translated Interview

THE STROKES The first report on the completion of The Strokes' tough and hard-hitting new album, "First Impressions of Earth"!

The guitar, the groove, the shouts, all turn into a hot, heavy blast that burns your ears. The Strokes' long-awaited third album, First Impressions of Earth, is a literal masterpiece that will make you tremble with the shock of the five of them being on fire and the solid response that resonates in your gut. Please listen to the prologue single "Juicebox" from the album that will be released soon. It takes only 35 seconds for the twin guitars to erupt ferociously from the cracks of the earth-soaked bass line and the sturdy rhythm to the gushing chorus. It's an energetic rock 'n' roll tune similar to their previous work "Reptilia," but the hasty development that skips the introduction and dashes straight to the heart of the song is shocking. The explosive speed and condensation of the work show that they have carved out their own music more directly with this work.

The seven songs from the album that arrived brought further surprises and excitement. The arpeggios, armed with the beauty of hard rock style, flowed torrents, and the four-wheel drive beats pounded out at full throttle. Just listening to the hard-hitting sound was incredibly exciting, and the catharsis of the sounds harmonizing closely together and climbing the melody's ups and downs was straightforward and cool. Julian's vocals, which are basically rough and awake, were exposed for the first time in a clear mix, and it was refreshing to hear him respond to the emotions of the songs with his passionate singing and ad-libs that made his voice crack. The popness of "Someday" and "12:51" and the breathtaking twin guitar interplay were not lost. But it was just easier to understand. A completely new dynamics and realism of sound was now flowing through their bodies.

"First Impressions" took nearly a year to produce at the band's own studio in New York. After initial sessions with Gordon Raphael, who worked on the previous two albums, the producer's baton was finally handed to David Kahn. His participation was quite surprising, as his representative works include works by Sugar Ray and Paul McCartney, but this selection was a wise decision. His ears and experience working with many mainstream acts have helped him to fundamentally refine the distorted soundscape of the Strokes, who are mocked as "the most popular indie band in the world" (it goes without saying that their fan base is indie-alternative oriented, even though they are signed to a major label), and successfully translate it into a more universal "today's rock" discourse.

"Is This It," with its demo-tape-like sound full of blank spaces, heralded the arrival of a new band with such outstanding musical sense that it could have been documented just by watching them play. With their second album, "Room on Fire," they expanded their tentacles into a variety of pop styles, but the aesthetic of the first album, which was easy to miss, remained fundamentally unchanged, with an approach that emphasizes sense and does not reveal everything, leaving the listener to fill in the gaps and spaces between the lines. At first glance, entrusting the work to the listener, saying "You can understand without me having to tell you everything, right?" is a smart and stylish way of doing things. However, there is a danger that it is perceived as a reliance on the listener, and that it is "avoiding a direct confrontation with the listener." Listening to this album, which eliminates ambiguity and suggestiveness as much as possible and where every sound functions with a clear intention, you can feel that they have finally become aware of this point and are trying to make a major breakthrough. With this album, we may be meeting the real Strokes for the first time. (Mariko Sakamoto)

JULIAN CASABLANCAS & NICOLAI FRAITURE INTERVIEW

I think they’ve captured that sound that's going to knock the doors down and take the band to the next level.

Interview: Mariko Sakamoto Photography: Autumn de Wilde

I'm happy with "Room." The reason we changed the production this time wasn't because of a drop in sales or dissatisfaction with the previous film, but because we wanted to try a new direction (Nikolai)

● It's been a while. How have you been? Nikolai (hereafter N): Yeah. I'm doing great. ● I'm glad that it seems like you’re enjoying the interview this time. Julian (J): (strained laugh) N: Yeah, I'm really enjoying it. (smiles)

● I have the impression that the Strokes aren't very good at interviews, but this time, unlike with their previous album, you seem to be quite proactive in speaking. N: …I wonder if that's what it's going to be like? J: Maybe.

● I think that's because the new album is so amazing that I want to talk about it. I've listened to eight songs, and they're all great! N: Thank goodness. J: Really? Thank you very much. ● Yes. I thought they were really good songs, and I felt like the next album will open new doors for the band and take The Strokes to the next level. N: Wow... (surprised) J: Thank you very much. I'm glad to hear that... Well, I hope it turns out exactly as you say (wry laugh) ● It's absolutely accurate. Please trust your intuition. J: Okay, okay, I believe you (laughs). Thank you.

● At the same time, the new album is full of surprises. There's a considerable change in musical style, and in many ways it's become more masculine: the sound, the arrangements, and the vocal mix. J: (widening his eyes and half bursting out laughing) Ahhhhhhh! ● No, it's not "manly". However, for example, some of the songs have been arranged in a spectacular way, and even feature flashy guitar solos on par with those of metal bands. I think all the elements have been trained and fleshed out more than ever before, and when I listened to it, I felt a sense of accomplishment that said "This is it!" This is a very powerful album. N: I guess so. Thank you. J: ... (a little taken aback by her momentum) That’s good. Hahaha. ● —That's it? (laughs) J: (laughs) No, I just feel like I'm being praised to the max. It’s like once you curry favour with me and get my guard down, you’re going to bite me! Jump down my throat like that, no? (laughs wryly) ●  (laughs) It’s not like that. J: Hahaha, kidding, kidding!

● So, first I want to ask you about the changes in this album. Perhaps the most positive aspect of the new album is that, unlike the previous one, you were able to take your time and work on the production after building your own studio. What do you think about this? N: Hmm... I think the biggest role in this album was played by producer David Kahn. So, speaking of our album, I think we got along really well with him. Of course, building our own studio was very important, and it was just as important as David's presence. That way we were able to take our time and work in our own space. But David is a really skilled producer who knows exactly what he has to do, and he's the perfect person to make a thicker,... how should I put it, yes, bigger sound. At the same time, using our own studio meant we were able to work comfortably and without hesitation, and thanks to that I think we were able to keep our own style and the style of this band. David brought out that style of us and pulled it up a little higher. J: Yes, I think you're right. And one more thing... well, in terms of musical style, I don't think we changed that much with this album. We just tried to keep changing and evolving. But, as Nikolai just said, the various factors in the production of this album, like having plenty of time, I think those factors helped us to grasp this sound. It's like what you said earlier, the sound that breaks down the door and takes the band to the next level. So… well, I think people will be able to understand what we’re doing and respect it… so that they’ll be able to more accurately interpret what it is we’re doing. Of course, we've always done that, but there are a lot of people who don't see beyond the sound... so I think this time it's a little easier to get into. That being said, we didn't intentionally try to change our style in order to achieve a certain sound or anything like that. I think it's the result of us trying to build on the foundation we've built up until now. As for the performance, it was a natural growth as a result of hard work, but I think the biggest factor in us being able to reach the next stage was the change in the acoustics.

● So you weren't changing direction because you weren't satisfied with your previous album, Room on Fire? I really love that album, but the reality is — and this is only in comparison to your first album — the reaction was lukewarm, and it didn't generate the same excitement as your first album, and sales actually fell. N: Hmm…

● Have you ever reflected on what went wrong with that piece and thought about trying to do it differently this time? J: (takes a deep breath)...Well, it's not like we all thought about it too much. More than that...well, I think we just wanted to keep an open mind about everything. What I understood about the previous album was that it was an album that was made in a hurry, at least that's what I think. So, this album is different, and I think it was more about us doing what we know we can do and proving to our listeners what we can do. At the same time, it was also a kind of self-reporting. It was about proving our abilities to ourselves. We definitely wanted to reach the next level, and this time we simply had the time to do it. So, we didn't think, 'Let's change things' from the beginning of the recording. We started by trying things out with Gordon (Raphael, producer of the past two albums), and both David and Gordon were involved. In other words, we didn't start making it thinking, 'The sales of the last album fell, so this time we have to do it this way.’ N: Yes. We never even discussed the fact that sales of "Room" were not good or anything like that. Besides, I think it was a very successful album— J: Right. N: I'm satisfied with the outcome of that work. So the reason we changed production companies this time wasn't because sales had dropped or because we were dissatisfied with the previous work, but because we wanted to aim for a new direction for ourselves and try something we'd never done before. J: —But we understand that other people think that the reason for the change this time is because of that... But I wonder, if we had recorded this album in exactly the same way as the first and second albums, what would have happened? I think everyone would have said, 'It's the same as before!' But even if the songs were exactly the same, and even the melodies were exactly the same, I think that the reaction to the sound this time, where we changed the way we did it, would probably be, 'It's a really cool song, and the arrangement is cool.' It's interesting that the reaction changes like that even though the content is the same... It's not particularly important, but it's interesting. Of course, I think it's good that we changed this time, and I know that this album wouldn't have been well received if we had done it the same way as before.

It was a recording where we were fighting back against an overbearing, visionary producer (Julian)

● About David Kahn, the Strokes are a close-knit, ambitious, and high-maintenance band. It seems like it would be difficult for an "outsider" like him, who had never worked with the Strokes before, to get involved, but what was the difference between him and Gordon Raphael? N: Yes...Gordon and David are completely different types. Gordon is better at capturing the atmosphere and feeling. So he sets up the microphones here and there to pick up the sound, presses the record button and keeps the tape running, and we don't do much with what we record. In that sense, David Kahn is completely different. I think he is very precise and detailed about the sound. So, in terms of "recording music", in other words, in terms of recording technique, his way of doing things is at a more intense level than Gordon's. And also, he had a much clearer, much clearer vision of what he wanted to get out of the band. Well, that made the recording process difficult at times. His way of seeing things was different from our own, and we sometimes clashed. So, I guess you could say that this album was about... well, you could say it was about finding the right balance between what David thought was 'this is it' and what we thought was 'no, this is what we want'. He definitely had an intimidating side, too… J: We were resisting David. That’s exactly what the recording was like. N: Julian was the one who worked closely with David. I'm sure he has something to say. (He then turns to Julian.) J: Hmm, well, I think what you just said describes our relationship with him quite accurately (laughs wryly). Well, that's why we've relied on everyone we've worked with, even if they were outside the band... But even though we trust them, if we let them do what they want, it ends up being a little different from what we want. I don't want that part to be taken over by the producer. That's because we want to keep it for ourselves. So, there were times where David was too focused on making the album in line with his own way of listening to music. Well, it's not like he himself said, "Let's do this to make it more pop," but the way he listens to music is, how should I put it, pop, accessible, easy to listen to, that's the standard. So sometimes he would change the tone, which was a bit of a hassle for me (laughs). But, yeah, his recording technique was great, and although it was difficult, I think in the end we were able to find a happy medium.

● Did you write all the songs this time too? J: ...Well, in most cases I brought in an idea and we all developed it together, but yes, there are more collaborations on this album compared to the previous one. I think with this album we have made a big step forward in the direction of functioning more efficiently and quickly as a band. When someone brings in an idea, we all improve it into something good (snap!) That's right, so I guess you could say we have become a more efficient, faster-working machine (laughs).

● So this album was made as a collaborative effort by everyone. It seems like the recording and writing sessions were a completely different experience than ever before. N: Yes. Of all the works we've done so far, this is the one where we worked the hardest together. J ...But I don't think it's fair to compare the previous two albums because we didn't have as much time to work on them. When I brought a song idea to the studio, I had to start working on it right away, try different ways one after another, and finish the song quickly. That's not a very relaxing production environment. This time, even if a song didn't take shape smoothly, I just put it aside and worked on another song. I didn't push the work forward, and well, at least I don't think there was any forcing something that didn't work out with this record.

● What is your own opinion of this work at this point? N: Hmm. It's a little too early to answer that question, since it's just been completed, but... if you ask me if I like this album, my answer is yes. J: Heh heh. N: (To Julian) But don't you think so? J: That's a very honest opinion, especially since it's not something you say after the album has been released and everyone has listened to it. N: (looks a little confused) I see... Well, I don't know what everyone thinks, but I like this album. So the answer is yes! ● (Laughs) Julian, how about you? J: It’s a yes for me too. I like it (laughs). And now I can do live shows again, so I'm really excited. I'm really looking forward to doing live shows.

Where does this album come from? The answer is complicated and not immediately clear to us. We can't point to "this and that" (Julian)

● So, according to an interview — or rather, a cover story in the NME newspaper — J: Ah (bitter smile). NME. Seriously... it's all the time. That was the first interview I had for this album, and because of that, every interview I've had since has always brought up the NME article (laugh). I can't help but think that all the journalists around the world will be writing articles based on that NME article. ● My apologies. I really am sorry, but what I found interesting about the NME article was that you mentioned bands with hard-core sounds like Muse, System of a Down, Queen, and The The. J: (wry smile) I think Nick’s the one who mentioned System and Muse though? ● Yes. However, I had never previously associated these bands with the Strokes, so that was quite a surprise to me. J: I’ve never connected them either. ● (laughs) So, when you were making the album you listened to a lot of their work and were influenced by them or something like that? J: So... after we finished making this record, I listened to Queen's albums a lot, but the recording work was finished (laughs). People ask me, "What kind of works were you listening to?" but I don't know either... I don't think that kind of thing influences the songs I write, and when I write songs, I think everything I've listened to up until now unconsciously seeps into the song. So... the names of the bands that appear in that article are an answer to what kind of music we were listening to at that time. But if you ask, "Where did this album come from directly?" the answer is not so simple and clear, it's a bit more complicated. If we were asked to give an answer, we would have to sit down together and analyze it in detail. It's not something that can be simply pointed out as "this, this, and this." ● I see. But it's true that the sound of this album is more hard rock/metal-like and intense than ever before, and some of the guitar solos are as fast as Eddie Van Halen's. So I thought, "I see." N: (laughs) J: That solo was just... I wanted to make it a little crazy, so that's one of the things I did. For Albert, playing a crazy guitar solo like that is just fun. But as far as the sound goes, I think I sometimes have a Nirvana-like feel to it... Or rather, I'm aiming for Nirvana. Well, I don't know. Well, I've listened to so much music, and I don't know where to start talking about it... Maybe it's just a little bit of music that I like that appears in the song, or the style of other works that appears... (thinks for a while) Sorry, sorry, I'm starting to talk about random things.

● Has the album title already been decided as "First Impressions of Earth"? Or is it still under consideration? J: Hmm... No, I think that's pretty much it. The title is pretty self-explanatory... It's a literal title. When this album was nearing completion, how should I put it, I was thinking about various things and writing down what came to my mind on paper. While doing so, that phrase came out, and when I saw it, I thought "That's cool". And that phrase matched perfectly with what I felt when I looked at the list of songs I wrote for this album... So, yes, it really is exactly like that, "First Impression of the Earth". It's an objective list of thoughts and comments on universal things, the song list of this album looked like that. As I was looking at the song titles lined up, I thought that if I were to name this list, that word would be it.

● Is that so? This strange album title made me think of a person standing a little distance away from the world, watching it. I felt like it meant that you have a feeling of being somewhat isolated from what is happening in the world, or from what you experience every day. J: Hmm... the feeling of alienation… ● For example, in the song "Ask Me Anything" on the album, you sing, "I have nothing to say / Nothing to give / No reason to live." J: Hahaha (bursts out laughing) ● I don't take the heavy lyrics "There's no reason to live" literally. However, I wondered if you’ve always felt this kind of distance and resignation. J: Hmm...I think that feeling of alienation can also be included in the list of 'comments on universal things'. (laughs) In other words, it's not particularly the central theme of the album. And personally, I don't feel particularly alienated. Well, I think that everyone feels that kind of alienation when they are younger...when they become conscious of things. At about 14 or 13 years old, when they are forced to realize that they are just a monotonous and mechanical part of the system. But for me...the song "Ask Me Anything" isn't about saying "I have nothing to say". Rather, it's about how it's sometimes difficult to express what you want to express with a proper purpose. I try to do it, but sometimes I feel like it didn't work out, I failed... (laughs)

● But musicians have to express themselves through music, and there are cases where they are asked to speak on behalf of many people on larger social issues. Even so, do you admit your powerlessness and say, "I have nothing to say"? J: Hmm... (takes a deep breath) It's a complicated issue, and a delicate and tricky one. I... so I think that we shouldn't worry too much about things that are out of our control. That's one of my thoughts. Because sometimes I feel like I can't control anything, and I feel like I'm not even in charge of my own life (laughs). On the other hand, I also feel that I have a duty... so I try to make things positive in the best way I can. I think sometimes I think I have to have a positive influence. So, yeah, that's the hard part, the tricky part, the complicated part, because it's really hard to have a positive influence. So I think that leaving things a little bit ambiguous when you're trying to do something helps you to try to figure out what it is that actually connects everything together. And also... sometimes I feel like I'm kind of stupid when I explain my thoughts and opinions in detail (laughs).

● Some people criticize the Strokes for being ambiguous and saying that they are "a band that has nothing to say," and it's certainly true that you are not a band with a strong message. J: …Like Rage Against the Machine? ● Yes. You're a band that throws your opinions at the listeners, and I think a lot of people want that from a rock band, to have a strong attitude that draws people's attention and makes them listen. This album, at least in terms of sound, is a powerful sound that makes you want to listen whether you like it or not. Do you think that the Strokes are now more open and aggressive, and ready to face a bigger audience? J: Well... I think we're definitely getting closer to that level. I don't know. But I feel like this album will be a good stepping stone to the direction we're heading in. This is just my personal opinion, and maybe it's not something I should say here. Also, we're still working on the new material (※The recording itself was completed, but the jacket and other final work was still left), and at times like that... I don't really want to talk about this kind of thing. You know, we're like, we've finally put one foot in the gap of a slightly opened door, and we're trying hard not to close it again. But I hope this record will help us open that door. And then I want to move forward from there.

"We could make something good," we had the conviction. But we also had the raw fear that people would say, "The Strokes are over." (Julian)

● Also, what I felt strongly after listening to the eight songs was that you guys have finally let your guard down and created an album without worrying about what others think is cool or what is considered uncool. J&N: (wry laugh)

● So, I think this is going to be a great album, but do you think it bridges the gap between who you really are and what the public thinks the Strokes are? J: Yes. I hope so. Most of those images are exaggerated and exaggerated rumors. So... I hope that with each work, at each stage, we can get closer to our true selves, and to do that, we have to try different methods. So I hope that this album will be received as an album that helps people understand us a little better after listening to it.

●What about you, Nikolai? Do you ever feel a gap between how you are and how the Strokes are perceived? N: Hmm... I wouldn't call it a gap, but what I think is that there are a lot of people who judge us too easily. I think that's where the gap lies. ● Oh, I see. N: For example, it's really hard to deal with people who, just by looking at our photos, immediately assume that we're a "this kind of band" or "that kind of people," and don't even bother to listen to our music. Even if those kinds of people do listen to our music, they only give it a quick listen and immediately form a judgement about the work. On the other hand, there are also people who are more open-minded and listen to music with a broad sensibility that welcomes new things, and I think those people will enjoy what we put out.

● In the end, you plan to include a total of 14 songs, right? J&N: (nods) ● There are still six more songs. What are they like? Are they a different type of song from the eight we've listened to this time? J: I think the songs you haven't listened to yet are "The Other Side," "Killing Lies," and "Fear of Sleep." I'm not sure which ones you haven't listened to yet. Can I see the track list? (Looking at the notebook with Nikolai). Um... Oh, there's a note saying "Blondie-like"! (wry smile) ● (sheepishly) Sorry. J: (laughs) That's right, oh, "Red Lights" is missing. What else is there? N: "Evening Sun." J: Ah, that's right. So that's six songs. The ones I haven't played yet are... how can I put it... more spooky. ● What, it's even more "eerie"?! J: No, I don't think it's exactly the same as "eerie"... I just want to say that it's stranger than the 8 songs I've shown you guys, in terms of the vibe of the song, on a technical level. I haven't really done songs that develop like that before, starting slow and then getting hard. Also, "Red Lights" is a two-guitar song... a Flock of Seagulls-esque self-absorbed guitar solo, performed with two electric guitars (laughs). But, yeah, I think the 8 songs you've heard are champion-level songs. That doesn't mean you'll only like the 8 songs you've heard. The other 6 songs are cool and deep, even if they're not straightforward. Well, it's hard to describe what they're like in words... but I hope you'll like the rest of them too. That's because we're a little scared too. What if the whole album gets leaked on the Internet before we release it? (The first single, "Juicebox," was leaked on the Internet before it was released). So, right now, we can't let you listen to all the songs. Sorry.

●Yes, I understand that situation. Also, I feel like there are more dark and serious songs this time around compared to the previous two albums. Why is that? J: Hmm...? What do you think about that? Other people have told me it's a positive album. ● Yes, it's a powerful work, so in that sense I think it's a positive record. J: It's funny. Other people say (with a smile) 'This one sounds happy!', but then you say (with a frown) 'It's a dark piece...' (with a wry smile). I wonder which it is.

● (laughs) I think "Room on Fire" is a very energetic and excellent pop album, a work that challenges various pop styles in one album, but in comparison, this album seems serious and dark. Why is that? N: Hmm, that's... (says with a pompous expression) J: Hmm, is that so? I don't think it's a particularly gloomy or dark album. Maybe it's a little more serious than before... But I think there's still a sense of teasing people this time. Right? I don't think we'll become a completely serious band... Well, we'll have to wait until the next album to know. I like putting playfulness and jokes in music like that, but if we're literally "playing around", it doesn't work for the listeners. It's not funny at all. At least, I think that's the case with music.

● It took almost a year to complete this album, but looking back on that long recording process, what do you think the atmosphere was like during the sessions? J: It was a cycle of ups and downs. ... How should I put it, we were kind of drifting apart from each other... (long silence) Umm, it was... I wonder? Sorry, I can't answer that question (vague).

●It seems like it wasn't smooth sailing, but do you think that was because you felt a lot of pressure to make a definitive album and break through to a new level? N: Of course (simply) ● Hahaha, that's right. J: (laughs) What I felt was... we were all aware of the pressure, and we were anxious. We all had a strong belief that we could make something good. However, in the back of our minds, or maybe just out of the blue... well, it was just something we felt for just a moment, and I don't know why it came up, but somewhere in our hearts, we were thinking, "This is the end of The Strokes. It's obviously no good" (laughs). We had to make sure we didn't make that kind of album. So we had a raw and real fear. But we absolutely didn't want to make that kind of album.

[silvermoon424]

Hi! I wanted to know, how do you do typesetting for manga? What sort of tools do you use? I recently discovered a series that has text only translations, and wanted to learn how to typeset so I could combine them with the raw scans.

Hello! It's great to hear that someone else is getting into typesetting! I'm entirely self-taught (didn't even look at guides or anything, I just felt it out and it shows in my earlier work lol) but the nice thing about typesetting is that it's pretty easy to get a feel for. Honestly, Photoshop does most of the technical work; I would say a lot of typesetting has to do with art and visual aesthetics. It's your job to make things look right, and you can get really fancy with it (especially with sound effects).

I'm very slowly working on a very long PMMM doujinshi, here's a sample page of my work and what I mean about making things look "right" (in regards to text placement, cleaning bubbles, etc). My personal preference is to break up words as seldom as possible, which is a philosophy even a lot of official typesetters don't share lol (probably because a lot of typesetters value speed over little touches like that).

Anyway, Photoshop will be your best friend! I'll be honest, it's been a hot minute since I pirated my copy and I don't even think the method is valid anymore. From what I understand GenP (Windows) and AdobeZii (Mac) are the new methods of cracking Photoshop. Here are the GenP and AdobeZii subreddits for guidance. Also, if you have a Mac apparently downloading directly from Cmacked is the way to get Photoshop.

Anyway, I really can't get into all the tricks and intricacies I've learned over the years about typesetting. However, I found this AMAZING, comprehensive guide that I would strongly suggest using as a reference. They cover all of the fundamentals as well as a lot of the extras. There's even a few things in here that I wasn't aware of and will definitely be brushing up on!

I've also uploaded my font reference file to Google Docs. All the fonts show up as arial, but I've included screencaps of what they look like. These are all free fonts and can be found/downloaded if you just Google the name. Generally, Wild Words is considered the standard font in manga/doujinshi scanlations (although of course there are variants). It's what I use in all my standard text. All the rest are for sound effects, aside text, emotional text that is meant to be elevated, etc.

I would also suggest at least downloading custom heart and star shapes (or brushes) for Photoshop; there are a bunch of free ones available and those shapes tend to come up in manga speech bubbles a lot.

Oh, and make sure you make a credits page for your releases. Mine are super bare-bones (just white text on a black background for the most part) but you deserve to be credited for your labor! So does whoever translated the manga. Once you get the series up and rolling I would suggest starting to upload to Mangadex (the hub of scanlation where tens of thousands of people can see what you've made). If you need help figuring out how to do that, hit me up again when you get to that point. You'll have to create a group but it's super easy.

Am I forgetting anything else? This is such a near and dear hobby of mine and I feel like there's just so much to cover, lol. Please let me know if you have any other questions!

[vindieselsfacebook-blog]

Ranking 7 photos algorithmically served to me attempting to aesthetically stage a Gilmore Girls rewatch

7. Coming in dead last is this disgustingly tragic and confusing combination of frozen mini pizzas and what appears to be a stemless wine glass full of orange juice??? positively hanging on for dear life to a thin, cracked cutting board that looks like it started its life in the Target dollar spot. I can't imagine a more nightmarish stain on my bland white sheets or frustrating debris to try and drain from my laptop keyboard than the pukey combination of marinara sauce and sticky juice, nor can I imagine a more depressing excuse for a comfort meal. Praying this person is a 12 year old trying to feel fancy by stealing a stemless wine glass from their mom while they were distracted by an episode of The Bachelor. Also, can we not find a single vibey Ikea lamp to turn on? Not cropping out the cable in the top right corner is an extra ominous choice. Bonus point for the gay sounding caption caught on screen though. 1/10

6. All I can think of looking at this cursed image is innocently uncrossing my legs and flipping the entire set-up over, spilling sugary milky foamy pumpkin coffee all over my twee cotton sheets, crushing burnt cookie crumbs all up in my grill, poopy melted chocolate chip stains everywhere, and setting my fluffy synthetic pillows ablaze. Making sure the food items are resting unwisely on your laptop but straight up nestling two Glade clearance candles right on your bed is extremely unwell behavior. 2/10

5. These cookies look like hamburger buns with jam and I hate thinking of the texture of them in my mouth but at least the hearts are trying and the waffle knit of the blanket looks cozy. The plate looks like it's resting on crossed legs rather than an actual bed this time. Good job with no open flames!!! 3/10

4. This looks like a second attempt from #6 - these cookies look like an upgrade, even down to the cutesy plate. They're livin' on the wild side with black coffee directly on the bed this time, but I guess that's less insane than multiple lit candles. I'm imagining this poor girl applying lipstick to kiss her list of things she loves which include "2000's movies", "stars/moon", and "pretty clothe" and I realize I am mocking a very lonely little girl and now I feel bad. Keep on binging GG, friend, you need it!!! 4/10

3. First off, trying to post ~aesthetic GG content with tea instead of coffee? Who are you, Luke Danes??? Points subtracted immediately. You're expecting me to think you're just casually whipping up a batch of cinnamon rolls, watching GG AND reading a novel? You're either watching or reading, doll, I simply refuse to accept both. That book is stressing me out. Get a bookmark! 4/10

2. I had to really study this one and decide if it was the same person as the previous photo. It may be, but this one features some important upgrades - that mug may possibly be coffee, the gray sweater looks fuzzy and comforting, cute manicure, and the cinnamon rolls are positively drowning in icing which I respect. I am once again judging your casually open book you fucking liar, but I enjoy the natural lighting and practical desktop surface. I refuse to entertain the thought that a GG rewatch can hit even a little bit on a tiny propped up iPad though. Give me a big TV and a couch/bed or nothing. 5/10

Now this is what I'm fucking talking about!!! Commit to the bit, people. This person put their whole pussy into making that delightful looking drink and stuck to the pumpkin theme. There's some pleasant mood lighting going on and I buy that this could be a tablescape rather than a crowded obstacle course on a twin bed. I am actually curious to try one of those cookies and the sweater weather candle is no doubt contributing positive vibes to the room. All precarious items are safely crowded onto a tray. Still hate the iPad but whatever. 8/10

[viscerax]

A Card Splattered In Blood

Edward Nygma x GN!Reader

You stared at your desk. Your coworkers had been crowding it since the moment you came in, and the moment you set your stuff down and fixed yourself your usual cup of coffee, you shoved your way through the crowd, careful not to spill the hot coffee on anyone.

Once you got closer to your desk, a horrible stench hit your senses, and you were almost gagging from how rancid it was. "Please god no..." If this is what you thought it was, certainly you were doomed.

The crowd seemed to part for you as you got closer. And then, you were left, staring in horror? No, not horror. You were quite used to this. More like embarrassment at the mess that was created.

Before you laid a heart, you assumed human, laying on a heart shaped platter, blood splattered on your desk (conveniently not touching your paperwork or computer.) Next to the platter, was a light green card, folded so that it stood upright. There were red splatters of blood on the card, and part of you couldn't tell if it was an aesthetic choice or by accident.

You picked up the card, and everyone around you seemed to be holding their breath. The front of the card read "I Can Be Stolen Or Given Away And You'll Live, But You Can't Live Without Me? What Am I?" The question mark was a perfect match for his iconic marking. You smirked to yourself the slightest bit, opening the card. You already knew the answer before you even opened it.

"A Heart."

Your coworkers were used to stunts like these. They all figured you just had a crazy stalker.

"Did you enjoy the gift I left for you?" His voice almost made you jump. You hadn't even heard him come in. Perhaps the noise of the skillet on the stove top drowned out the door creaking open. Or, more likely, he had snuck in and was being purposefully quiet. You turned down the stove, turning around to face him. The Riddler, or rather, Edward Nygma, standing directly behind you, so close that you almost ran straight into him when you turned around.

You smiled, looking up at him a bit. He was rather tall, and you had to shift your gaze upwards to make eye contact. "I loved it, Ed. But... you have to be careful. People are starting to ask questions." You hummed, leaning against him. Edward wrapped his arms around your waist, resting his head on your shoulder and planting a kiss on your cheek.

"Its okay, Y/n... let them ask. Its not like they can prove anything with a simple valentines gift..." he chuckled, that devious chuckle that told you he had another trick up his sleeve. You pulled away from him, giving him a curious look.

"Ed... what are you planning?" Ed gave you a fake pout, causing you to roll your eyes.

"How could you accuse me of anything? I'm innocent your honor!" He raised his right hand, like he was pledging, and the glimmer of something caught your attention. He smirked and extended his hand to you. In the palm of his hand were two emerald studded earrings in the shape of a question mark, the ball at the bottom of the mark being a dangling emerald jewel. "These however, might be a bit more... incriminating." You let out a bit of a squeal, immediately wrapping your arms around Edward in a tight hug, almost knocking him over.

"They're beautiful, Ed... stunning." Ed smiled, gently grabbing your chin and turning your head so that he could adorn your ears with the new jewelry. You felt the weight of them when he was done, but you didn't mind. You shook your head a bit, and the jangling sound of the earrings making you smile like a giddy child. "I love them, thank you!"

Ed smirked, placing a kiss on your lips. You leaned into the kiss as much as you possibly could, once again almost toppling Ed in the process.

"Happy Valentines day, my dear." Edward hummed, peppering kisses all over your face.

[addicted-to-his-knife]

WHAT THE REPO! CHARACTERS WOULD LISTEN TO.

Do you find yourself bored, looking for new music? Do you happen to like Repo! The Genetic Opera and have you ever wondered what music the characters would listen to? Here are my headcanons! I'm submitting them directly to "addicted-to-his-knife" since my blog doesn't have much reach, I have like 30 followers and I also think this blog is great ♡ Songs are taken from my own gothic rock-metal/darkwave/goth playlist.

Shilo Wallace: I have a feeling Shilo would really like Siouxsie And The Banshees, I can see some of her favorite songs being Sick Child, Happy House, The Lonely One, Spellbound or Cities in Dust. I think she would also like The Birthday Massacre, particularly Looking Glass, In The Dark, Shallow Grave, The Sky Will Turn and All Of Nothing. Shilo would also find solace in the lyrics of So Alone by Anna Blue, Illusion by VNV Nation, Isolated by Chiasm, Coma Baby by Nicole Dollanganger and Walking On Air by Kerli. After all the isolation and grief she's gone through, Shilo needs music that makes her feel understood.

Nathan Wallace: Nathan, as we all know, is going through it. I can see him listening to some Joy Division songs with lyrics he would find comforting, such as Disorder, Shadowplay, Dead Souls, New Dawn Fades and I Remember Nothing. Nathan would also enjoy some Depeche Mode songs, for example Enjoy The Silence, Ghosts Again, It's Called A Heart and Strangelove. Cuts You Up by Peter Murphy is another song he really likes. He will listen to Bauhaus as well, classics like Dark Entries, She's In Parties or Bela Lugosi's Dead. Anesthesia by Type O Negative or Spectre by Christian Death are songs Nathan would like as well. Overall, he needs music that helps him deal with the pain within his soul, torn between being a protective father who wants to keep his daughter safe at all costs, even if that means lying to her, and a bloodthirsty, macabre and violent Repo Man.

Graverobber: Graverobber listens to Rob Zombie, and he actually tries to imitate his style. Songs like Dragula, Superbeast, Feel So Numb, The Life And Times Of A Teenage Rock God and Dead City Radio And The New Gods Of Supertown are some of the tunes he listens to while he's partying with the Zydrate addicts. Graves also enjoys Light Asylum, with songs like Shallow Tears, Dark Allies or Knights And Weekends. Sometimes he listens to Absence by Ludovico Technique, Dig Up Her Bones by Misfits or The Wanderer by The Cemetary Girlz. Graves finds that music helps him relax as well as petting any rats he comes across. Other songs he also vibes to are Rats by Ghost, Drunk On Shadows by HIM, Entombed by Deftones and Grave Robber At Large by Creature Feature.

Blind Mag: When she's not blessing others with her beautiful voice, Mag listens to Within Temptation, songs like Forgiven, Stand My Ground, Angels, Somewhere, Our Farewell and The Swan Song are her favorites. She sings along to Phobic Sea by Autumn's Grey Solace, Procession by SRSQ and Bless The Child by Nightwish. Mag also enjoys Lebanon Hanover, particularly Midnight Creature, Saddest Smile, Gallowdance, Hollow Sky and The Last Thing. Mag is a sad soul, a caged bird who can't escape so she just sings. Music helps her feel a little more free.

Amber Sweet: Amber is definitely into Diva Destruction, she loves their aesthetic and their sound, especially their songs Tempter, Snake, Valley Of Scars, Cruelty Games, Enslaved, Screaming Inside and The Broken Ones. Hole is another band she likes, with songs such as Reasons To Be Beautiful, Doll Parts, Violet or Nobody's Daughter. Amber also enjoys The Raveonettes, their songs Love In A Trashcan, Kill or I Wanna Be Adored (a cover) are just a few examples. She likes the song Gothic Girl by The 69 Eyes as well. Amber is very girly but also very gothic and that tends to reflect in her music taste.

Pavi Largo: Pavi listens to Male Tears, with some of his favorite songs being Hit Me, Model Citizen, Trauma Club, Good In The Dark and Embrace Death. He also likes Drab Majesty, with songs such as Kissing The Ground, Forget Tomorrow, Too Soon To Tell or 39 By Design. Pavi likes The Cramps too, especially The Way I Walk, Human Fly and Goo Goo Muck. I also feel like Pavi would vibe to Barbie Girl by Aqua, his bisexual ass loves both Kens and Barbies. He also likes Lullaby by The Cure, Beast Of Blood by Malice Mizer and Dressed For Death by Fear Cult. And if it's possible in the Repo! universe he would definitely listen to Skinny Puppy as well lol.

Luigi Largo: Luigi has severe anger issues and I think his music taste would reflect that. Luigi listens to Korn, songs like Falling Away From Me, Coming Undone, Freak On A Leash or Make Me Bad. Luigi likes She Wants Revenge as well, especially their songs Tear You Apart, Written In Blood, Take The World and Red Flags And Long Nights. And he probably likes some Shayfer James songs too, like Villainous Thing, For The Departed and Where We Belong. He would also enjoy In The Dark You Die by Dark, Watch You Bleed by Haunt Me, and Samael by Ankst.

Rotti Largo: Rotti has lived a very privileged life, but he's dying and he thinks none of his kids are worthy heirs so I can see him turning to music for comfort. A song I think he would like is (Don't Fear) The Reaper by Blue Oyster Cult, since it would help him feel less afraid of death. As CEO of GeneCo, he probably has contacts and associates in other countries, since GeneCo would probably exist on a global scale, so I can see Rotti enjoying music in other languages as well. She Past Away would be another band he'd listen to, with songs like Ruh, Monoton, Kasvetli Kutlama or Ritüel, as well as liking Molchat Doma, for example their songs Kletka or Sudno. He would also like Crow Baby by The March Violets and Dead, Cold, Autumn by This Cold Night.

Thank you all for reading, feel free to make similar posts if you'd like, add more songs in the comments, or make playlists, if you enjoyed it maybe I'll submit some more in the future! Have a great night/day wherever you are ♡ Stay kind and spooky! The best season of the year is around the corner.

[jahayla-parker]

Hi everyone! Thank you so much for your support and encouragement! Since my requests are have been closed (apart from ones done through Ko-fi), I decided to celebrate hitting 1.5k+ followers by offering the following things.

But first, I need to list some rules!

Rules:

1. You must be following me in order to participate, this is a followers celebration after all! 🥰

2. For any requests, they need to be done either off-anon or if you send it anonymous you need to still message me directly to let me know you’re the one who sent that request. Either way, I can leave your name off the reply that I post (just let me know if that’s your preference)!

This is because this celebration is for my lovely followers so I want to ensure they are getting the chance to send in their requests for the below activities!

3. You can do as many of the options as you wish, but please limit it to 2 requests per option!

Example: each follower can do option a, b, and c, but each follower can only submit two different requests for option b.

4. Please read the details for each option to ensure you send in the details that’ll help me make the best response for your request!

While not required, it would be greatly appreciated if you could reblog this post! 💜

Okay, now, the fun part!

Celebration Activity Options:

I’m opening this celebration to include ALL characters I’ve done before, including currently archived ones!

💌 Blurb: send in a character and an event/plot/topic/etc. to get a 100-200 word answer

📱SMAUs: The 2 request limit for this applies to 2 of the same character (in other words, you can send in more than 2 SMAU requests so long as it’s a max of 2 per character) this can include fictional and nonfictional characters. Please include any side characters, events/details, or other information surrounding the SMAU request. If you want it to be with a specific type of reader, please be specific. You’ll get a SMAU fic with at least two posts from the reader and 2 from the character chosen.

💭Headcanon: send in a character and a scenario or type of reader to get a bullet point list of thoughts on it.

✨Moodboard: Send in a character and a season, event, aesthetic, subject, etc. for a moodboard for it.

✍️Writers: For my fellow writers, send me a concept you’re working on or send a link to a fic you would like a moodboard to use for an already existing fic/part/etc. (for a character I write) and I’ll generate a moodboard for it!

Last but not least….,

🎆 Requests: Please note these will be likely shorter than my longer requests (I say that but you all know me 😂). These cannot contain a lot of specifics or anything like that. Rather, it’s a simple concept and a character. Limit is 1 request per follower for this option given the time it’ll take to do these.

👯‍♀️ Oh and, mutuals, I couldn’t think of something specific to offer you, so you can literally send in whatever you’d like from me and I will do it! (Ex: handwritten letter, piece of advice, a custom short fic with your name listed instead of y/n, a song that reminds me of you, etc.) You deserve to let your heart go wild and choose whatever you’d like! 💜

Once again, thank you all so much! I cannot wait to see what you come up with for me to work on!

Disclaimers:

As always, I reserve the right to refuse any requests I’m uncomfortable with. But I will let you send in a replacement request if this applies.

This ends March 8, 2024 (11:59PM PST).

After this event ends, requests will be closed again (apart from ko-fi) until I state otherwise.

As always, I own all works/responses and do not approve of anyone taking credit or sharing elsewhere without asking me (reblogging is different)

The responses from this event will typically take priority over ongoing work I have in terms of which will be posted first. But it also depends on the order in which I finish each one.

I love you so so much! 💜

[hemingway-papers]

even for a disney movie tangled takes a pretty random but enjoyable departure from the original fairytale and i do think that's because another prince character just wasn't cutting it and they decided to incorporate the gentleman thief storytelling tradition instead. the art design and miyazaki loving team behind it pretty overtly tells me the idea for that change came from the castle of cagliostro and a deep appreciation for it.

and me? personally? I WOULD rank cagliostro one of the most sincerely moving and aesthetically enchanting but also actiony fun movies about a princess ever animated and somehow it's not trying too hard to be ironic or hip or something. I feel like it's an obvious choice for study when trying to make a tricky script adaptation work when it is calling for the upbeat fight sequences and genre aware clever subversions but still needing to sincerely remain a pretty princess story in a magical land that does actually celebrate the spirit of fairytales and trying not to skimp too hard on any aspect

the original script for the rapunzel adaptation before lasseter took it over btw was a sort of fish out of water body swap modern day disney princess parody situation banking off the success of shrek. that was imo directly reworked as Enchanted. and much better utilized that way too

tbh in seeking a good solution to the new but not too new direction for disney, post-potf critical acclaim for returning to roots of sincerity but pre-frozen box office sensation, still seeking that dreamworks and pixar level of market domination. there was a very happy tonal medium to be found in cagliostro and it's success does suggest what something like that could do in a market looking for more modern, self aware and action packed takes on princess movies. a market that was already responding well to the dubs of other miyazaki directed movies disney was distributing.

castle of cagliostro does deconstruct fairytale stories and notions and princess movies, but does so much more lovingingly earnestly and whimsically, with a lot of affection for the source material compared to the cynicism of shrek. which as heart felt and genius as it is , wasn't something the disney company could pull off and maintain their brand.

there is nothing but sympathy for the kind of idyllic childhood notions of heroes and fairytale castles present in older disney movies, because clarisse herself holds onto those notions to help her maintain hope when escaping her situation. lupin plays into it too with some irony but not in a way that mocks her, just lightly mocks himself. it's a movie about how the real world can be really hard and at times you WILL face things that are insurmountable alone because that's normal and part of being a real person with normal limits. and asking for help from kind people isn't a weakness but part of life, a beautiful part of life even.

i've actually never seen a damsel in distress storyline portrayed as so human and understandable and not shameful. nor as a mark of being incapable but a role we all play at some point. it directly signals those who are most capable at the time to heed those around you. for what the hell else are all those skills and power youve got good for in the first place. DO be aware of those who are currently drowning in a situation no one should be expected to magically just surmount or suffer on their own and DO take action. it's your job

i love the castle of cagliostro down to my very core because I think it manages to express innocence wonderment as a strength of the soul even when juxtaposed against the complexities and realities of the often harsh present day adult world. and does so even more gently and optimistically than other similar hits like shrek and princess bride. in that sense it's too perfect for any modern disney filmmaker to NOT find inspiration in. anyone would be happy to look to it as one of the examples of how to make a fairytale adventure feel updated, cool and self aware but still maintain its palpable respect for those who love innocence and wonder.

[halemerry]

you know how the instrumental version of the show must go on plays in the background while the metatron orders his coffee right? the first thing it made me think of is the moulin rouge movie where during that song satine prepares herself to go and break christian's heart to protect him from the duke. it fits nicely with the interpretation that azi isn't completely sincere and is doing what he's doing to protect crowley. but I don't know if moulin rouge is something that would inspire neil and co?? do you think it's at all possible or am I just reaching?

Ohh this is a very fun question for so many reasons, but it’s a bit hard to answer directly. I can’t speak for where any of the folks involved in the making of Good Omen’s is coming from beyond what they’ve answered themselves, but If I had to gamble on it, I’d lean toward the assumption that it’s not a direct inspiration like that.

That being said, I’m not sure how much that actually matters because whether or not people on the team making this movie sat down and said ‘oh we can do this like Moulin Rouge does’ or not there is value in looking at commonality.

And in this context especially I actually think it says more about the lexicon of culture the two pieces of media are pulling from than anything else. Because in a lot of ways they're pulling from the same one.

Both the Red Curtain Trilogy and Good Omens had their first installments release at around the same time. Good Omen's was published in 1990 and Strictly Ballroom released in 1992. They're pulling from similar palettes and touchstones which is why you get the Queen overlap. Baz Luhrmann's films, including Moulin Rouge, all lean very heavily on camp aesthetics. (It's worth noting this is partially thanks to Catherine Martin who is his go to production designer who has a heavy hand in the way his films look and is also Luhrmann's wife.) Queen is a natural choice in Moulin Rouge because the band also operates in camp spaces and is arguably the most famous example of camp from the era (which frankly have stuck around and continued to define what camp looks like to this day) and because the movie is wanting to pull big recognizable songs into it's soundtrack. Queen is camp and yet insanely popular and well received.

The joke with Queen in Good Omens also operates as a nod to the popularity of the band. I know a lot of folks that think of Queen in the context of Crowley liking the band but originally anything being left in the Bentley turning into Queen was a joke poking fun at how everyone who has any kind of physical music likely has a Queen's Greatest Hits CD.

I won't go off on a whole tangent trying to define camp here as much as part of me wants to but camp has always been tied to queer culture and queer history. Its campiness is why films like the ones in the Red Curtain trilogy (especially Romeo + Juliet imo) have had the impact they have on queer media. And Good Omens even in its original state was always something queer people looked at and thought that's me. They're both queer adjacent at minimum, they're both pulling from similar cultural touchstones which also happen to be queer and camp.

They also both operate in spaces - as camp often does - more concerned with emotional impact more than realism. And the Show Must Go on is a very emotional song. Even outside the context of the lyrics itself. The album it is on was recorded during the last year of Freddie's life and was a struggle to record both physically and mentally. It's an intense song. It's over the top and unapologetic.

It's a song about soldiering through the tough times with a smile. Of carrying on the performance under pressure even if it's hard on you to do so because it's worth it. Which is basically Aziraphale in a nutshell. It's also what Satine does in the scene you're referencing. And I quite like the idea of it as evidence that Aziraphale is putting on some kind of a performance here, even if I suspect it's less taking inspiration from Moulin Rouge and more the song being well suited to these two stories operating in similar spaces.

[epersonae]

I promised a couple of people in the comments that I would write up my thoughts on the relationship between for the benefit of all the broken hearts and the Carly Rae Jepsen album The Loneliest Time, and as a way of dealing with some wicked writer's block, here it is. (below the cut, because long, and I know only a few followers/mutuals are likely to be interested. also: spoilers for my fic, if you are interested in it but haven't read/finished.)

fwiw, even if you have no interest in this particular fic, I highly recommend the album, it's great!

So I wrote most of this fic while listening to this album: I was looking for some good background music, I wanted some pop music, and I had listened to it once and thought it was pretty good, so I put it on. And THEN it turns out most of the album hits the Themes and Motifs I was playing with, and I became obsessed. (Tidal continues to let me know, month after month, just how obsessed.) And CRJ became an ingredient in the character I was writing, which turned into a great feedback loop of the music and the aesthetic and getting sent interviews, which fed back into the character, etc etc etc.

As I was writing, I ended up with the headcanon that this album is sort of/mostly/not entirely/in a parallel dimension the album that the unnamed protagonist is working on throughout the story. Which in the story, she's written about half an album, quite a bit of which is about her relationship with Ed, and then she's inspired to write new songs by the events of the story itself. In my head, that works with the songs in the real album in the real world, because I think of them as three categories.

I will say that sometimes songs move around in categories in my head, or I've thought about their relationship to the story in different ways over time, which is part of the experience of mostly listening to a single album for seven months. (Apologies to my neighbors, I guess? Or anyone who has ridden in my car.)

Songs that have nothing to do with the story

If this is the album in the story, these are songs she wrote before the story that are not related to her relationships, they're just songs.

Beach House - although a song like this is directly referenced, I think a couple of times? She redirects the interview in the final scene by talking about something like it, a song inspired by terrible online dating experiences, which I think is something I heard in a CRJ interview about Beach House.

Bends (which is apparently a song CRJ wrote about grief from losing a family member) - the chorus is very vibes but it doesn't hit anything in particular

Western Wind - likewise vibes but not story

Shooting Star - I do love this song, but yeah, not part of the story

Pre-WFU (or at least pre-story) songs about Ed

These are also songs she came into the studio with, but they are specific to her relationship with Ed, and a particular conception of them that she has in her head. I am agnostic about whether she wrote them entirely before WFU, or in the gap during/after when she didn't know about those events.

So Nice - this is the song re: Ed; it's the song she can't quite get in the studio after meeting Mary, the song she remembers writing while watching him, the song she can finally record properly after things are more resolved. (Yeah there is a direct reference, I happened to be writing a particular bit of chapter 9 while it was playing, and decided to do something silly.) This song inspired a lot of how I thought about her feelings about Ed, too.

Surrender My Heart (this is the song that gave me the title) - altho this one I can sometimes see either way, as something she came in with or as something she wrote as it happened?

Sideways

No Thinking Over The Weekend

Songs from the story

These are the songs that she writes over the course of the story, and that as I listened to them, had extra resonance for writing the story. Some of them I associate strongly with particular chapters or sections, or I have strong visuals in my head for them. I tend to imagine her writing them as if thinking from the perspectives of the other characters, too.

Bad Thing Twice - if listening to "So Nice" is the "oh this is her and Ed's song" breakthrough moment in my writing process, this is the "HEY IT'S A WFU SONG" that cemented this album as going with this story. It works so well it's a little spooky tbh. Sometimes I think of it as Ed to Stede or vice versa, but it's also tasty to think of it with her and Mary too.

Talking to Yourself - late in the draft process I solidified that this is the first of the songs that she writes over the course of the story, the couplet that comes to her while taking a break from recording. I tend to think of it also as Ed to Stede, and something of the vibes that she's absorbed from that first chapter with Ed and then from talking to Mary and briefly encountering Stede.

Joshua Tree - speaking of Mary, this is THE song for her and Mary, which is partially the painting references, partially the California driving vibes, partially the lines "California dreaming's never what it seems/But here it comes, I know what I must do now".

Go Find Yourself or Whatever - so I have this scene in my head that I will probably never write, of the foursome sometime after the story going out to karaoke, and ofc some of her songs are there, and Ed and Mary sing this as a duet while staring directly at Stede, who is attempting to disappear under a table.

Keep Away - conversely, this is very much Stede's song, all the way through, and I'm always [bites fist] about "I'm keeping company [...] with all the friends I got from you" in the context of Roach being part of the comedy show scene.

Far Away - not a strong association, but it makes me think of her realizing that she hasn't really known Ed, and in some ways wanting to start over. So a little bit chapter 1, even, and a little bit chapter 10, I think.

Anxious - I think I rotated this through lots of different feelings, and eventually settled on the whole chapter 13 situation, and Ed and Mary, and it's something about the energy of it and also "ooh, boy, you've got a reputation"

Special category: The Loneliest Time

There's two aspects to this: in the story, she's writing it in chapter 11 specifically, so between Berlin and Los Angeles, and it's a duet, and I got to bring in some ambiguous famous male singer (theories and headcanons welcome) that is a bit of a foil and context for her in that and in the following chapters in the recording studio.

But also, at some point very early on, it struck me that if I did this thing successfully -- that is to say, if I fixed it in a way that I personally would recognize as fixed, it would feel like the way The Loneliest Time sounds.

By which I mean: something about the interweaving of the vocals and the depth of the sound and the chord progressions (I think? it has been 1000 years since I did anything with music) and the lyrics and the whole vibe of it. Something about it feels like a resolution, even if it's not perfect or final, it's settled into a new place, one that's hopeful, and that's what I wanted to get to.

(For a while, I thought that if I was able to land it, I would title the fic "The Loneliest Time", but it didn't quite fit - when I made the series for it and A secret third thing and the missing scenes fic I'm working/posting/block on, I decided it works for the set as a whole.)

As a final thought, one of the things I appreciate about this album in relationship to this story is that the songs don't appear to be in a story order. There's no particular story arc or narrative or even necessarily direct relationship between any of the songs. And that worked with the idea that comes up in the final chapter: "It’s not one to one. The story you’re telling isn’t always your story exactly as it is." And before that, when she thinks about putting the music out into the world and it become part of other people's stories.

There's something about that, and about how this story relates to a lot of personal things in a similarly non-linear way, that makes this album feel even more connected to this story.

[desertleviathan]

FFXIV New Job ideas (rampant speculation)

With Fanfest rapidly approaching I've been thinking a lot about what new Jobs we might see, but also about what I would pitch if I were personally involved in the design process. Here are the ideas I've had that I feel are solid enough that I'd bring them to a design meeting: one Tank, one Melee DPS, one Ranged DPS, and one Caster DPS. I'm still drawing a blank on Healers unfortunately.

JUDGE

Role: Tank Weapon: Primarily enormous hammers, but other heavy blunt implements could also work. The hammer featured with the AF armor would deliberately evoke a Gavel. Origin: The Judges of the Ivalice setting were powerful NPCs for the most part without super consistent powers and abilities, but with a very cool aesthetic. This interpretation would emerge from Rabanastre or thereabouts, maybe a job crystal excavated in an archaeological dig containing the memories of this ancient order. Bonus secret - the job quests might reveal that this order stretches all the way back to Goug Machine City, and persisted among certain Garleans, and that Nero's fighting style is descended from this one. And perhaps the Garlean custom of crafting elaborate custom armor for high-ranking officers derives from the signature armor of the Judges. Combat: A theme of judgment and punishment would be an important part of things. The Judge establishes boundaries and then when the enemy transgresses those boundaries there are consequences. The big one would be that their short-duration high-impact shield, their Tank Buster Breaker in the same style as the Darkest Night or Heart of Corundum, would transform into a bigass counterstrike after being hit. Maybe meters for Vengeance (filled by using attacks) and Mercy (filled by absorbing damage) that you'd want to keep balanced on a Scales of Justice class icon, but with ways to spend them individually in order to balance them out, where RDM's paired meters can only be spent in unison.

HARBINGER

Role: Melee DPS (Scouting Armor/Dexterity bonus to Damage) Weapon: A dual-bladed polearm wielded much more like a staff than how a Dragoon handles a spear. A major aesthetic would be weapons that look less threatening until drawn and the blades emerge. Origin: I'm gonna put these guys in Meracydia for fun. Let's say there's a major persistent demon problem that's become somehow entrenched so that it's difficult to oppose it directly. Like a kingdom has been corrupted and many nobles have demonic advisors/companions, against whose predations the common folk have no recourse. This style of fighting evolved to deal with the situation covertly, and even to make targeted excursions into the Void itself to eliminate high-profile targets. The Harbingers are elite demon hunters empowered by holy rites. Are they a little bit Castlevania's Belmont clan? Maybe. Don't worry about it. Combat: Swift, circular movement and strikes empowered by Light aether, Angelic motifs tending more towards the "BE NOT AFRAID" wheel of eyeballs style creature than the winged benevolent humanoid. Maybe their bladed staff can extend via hidden chains for ranged strikes? Maybe not, that would be rough to animate and a little too close to Castlevania.

BLITZER

Role: Ranged DPS Weapon: Blitzball!!! Origin: I'm going to put these guys in Meracydia. Why? Mainly because the Zanarkand Blitzball Stadium reminds me a little of the Sydney Opera House. And because a pseudo-Australia without a rowdy contact sport seems incomplete. Not every Blitzball Player learns to use their sport as a combat style, but those who do are frighteningly potent. The NPC who unlocks this job would probably be standing right next to the NPC who unlocks the Blitzball mini-game in the starter cities, both of them having traveled to gether to try to establish the sport in Eorzea. Combat: Wakka's slot-based overdrives wouldn't translate over well in FFXIV's combat pacing, and his debuff-heavy attack style would also be difficult to port. But I could easily imagine a buff-heavy "Team Captain" style, less support focused than Dancer but more than Machinist, about comparable to Bard, where you shout encouragement and tactics to the rest of the team. Basic AoEs would be point blank radial strikes like a Dancer's, as you charge into the middle of the enemy pack to thrash them with your ball in hand. Also I think it would be funny if they got a big movement speed buff only when swimming. Having the Blitzer job unlocked would offer no advantages to actually playing Blitzball though, other than providing the most appropriate costumes.

ESPER

Role: Caster DPS Weapon: A humanoid focus, maybe a doll or stuffed animal or a little puppet. Yup, this is the Lulu's Dolls job. In lore terms, an Esper is channeling so much caustic, unfiltered Aether that they need an extra body to dump some of the excess into, and have learned to ritually prepare a little person-shaped effigy for that purpose. Origin: Let's go for a big swing here and say the job trainer is on the First, and reaches out to the WoL via telepathic dreams even if they haven't reached Shadowbringers yet. There's just a bed in Gridania or something with a quest marker over it, and when you take a nap you wake up with a job crystal SOMEHOW. In terms of concept, this is the D&D Sorcerer and/or Psion. All the other Caster DPS received formal training, but this is the Job for if you're just chock full of magic and it was going to find a way out of you whether you wanted it to or not. The method of binding a poppet as your weapon/focus is just a trick that the job trainer from the First shares that they figured out on their own journey. Combat: I think it should be less mobile than a Red Mage but more mobile than a Black Mage. I envision the Burst DPS Phase opener giving a brief window where your character physically hovers in the air and can therefore cast while moving - not instant casts, but cast bars that aren't interrupted by movement. Also a larger RNG/proc component to represent the lack of complete control, but building up expendable tokens like a Dancer instead of having a buff ticking down its timer like a Black Mage so you can spend them more tactically. Also I think it would avoid visuals that are clearly aspected to a particular Element. As far as Healers go, I'm still struggling for ideas. The part of my brain that likes patterns would want to propose a Pure Healer and a Shield Healer at the same time to maintain balance. But the elephant in the room is the degree to which Astrologian has sprawled out into everyone else's concept space like a dude on the subway spreading his legs like every seat in the car belongs to him. Astrologian has a little bit of Gambler, a little bit of Time Mage, a little bit of Oracle, and a whole subplot about how Geomancers are basically the same thing. It makes it tough to find concepts that fit the leftover space. I'm very much in favor of a Chemist-like healer, but don't have a unique take on it to offer here yet, so I'll leave it at that.

So. Any thoughts on these concepts? Any concepts of your own?

[envihellbender]

VIVISECTION COMMITTED TO A CUTE BOY

Characters: Innocence (Avatar to the Slaughter), Carlin (OCs)

Verse: The Magnus Archives

Content: extreme gore

Innocence put a lot of work and effort into their production. The intro music, for example, was a deceptively simple tune - it was important that it stuck into the minds of everyone who heard it. However, it also had to be impossible to mimic, Innocence had an Aerophone AE-10 that they loved that they perfected the sound on. It was almost like the traditional bagpipes, but not quite. It was more upbeat and thus cuter, that was particularly important. Everything Innocence did was about aesthetics, down to their military uniform and pins in their long blond hair.

They spent hours setting up each streaming set, and of course each instrument used was state of the art or specially built. They whistled as they made sure everything was in place, when they were adjusting their ring light and all they could hear was yelling and screaming was when their smile started to falter. They turned to their co-star and scowled. The young man they’d chosen was extremely pretty, his best feature was his lips which were unfortunately hidden by duct tape for the time being. His eyelashes were thick, and his curls were dishevelled and had a week’s worth of greasy clinging to them. He’d been a model, and his starved body wasn’t doing much to help him now. Innocence wrapped the young man on his knuckles with their favourite iridescent scalpel whilst tutting.

“I’m trying to focus. I really don’t wanna cut your tongue out … but if I have to I will, even if it ruins the show,” they said before sticking their tongue out. The young man screamed again and as a result Innocence shoved the scalpel into his mouth in one swift movement. The edge cut open the roof of his mouth and the sharp point hit his uvula. He let out a whining whimper and Innocence raised their eyebrows as he did. “Are you going to behave?” He nodded. Innocence quickly pulled the scalpel from his mouth and sighed in annoyance. “Ugh. Stop bleeding. We’ve not started yet.” The young man spluttered as the blood from his mouth seemed to recede from its wound, pooling and congealing around his tongue. Innocence finished setting up the lights and camera, cleared their throat and began.

“Hiiiiiiii!” Innocence sang into the lense, their hands making a heart into the camera as they bat their eyelashes, with stars drawn on their cheeks in black eyeliner. They lowered their hands and then pressed their index fingers together. “So many new subscribers to our exclusive little club! Thank you so much to everyone who’s got the word out! Every link shared really helps me to make more content!

“Today we’re doing something a little different, I know you usually get to see me work on a group, but today I’m going to focus all my efforts on this one boy in particular,” Innocence said. They spun round and faced the second camera that was pointed directly at their co-star. His naked thin torso had lines of black marker drawn on him. They were more for appearances than anything else, Innocence knew instinctively where to cut and didn’t need a guide. “So, every day to celebrate spooky month, I’m going to perform a live vivisection on a new performer!”

“It’s okay, you don’t need to do anything. You just need to lie there and look pretty,” Innocence said in response to Carlin’s spluttering. “To begin with we have this young man, sorry his gag is torn up, monsters, he couldn’t stop yapping.” Innocence giggled and slipped out their iridescent scalpel with daisies clipped to the handle from their coat pocket. They rested the blade on the model’s Adam’s apple before ripping the gag from his mouth. “Some of you more eagle eyed viewers might recognise him from his cute AF TikTok videos or London Fashion week! It’s Carlin Rider, owner of the best lips and eyelashes in the business. I bet his organs are even cuter! Which one first, monsters?” Innocence looked up to a screen off camera and grinned.

“Intestines? So early in the game? Don’t be silly!! Those are going to be much later-” Carlin began to yell again causing Innocence to sigh and roll their eyes. They stared at their lips and mentally filled Carlin’s mouth with blood until he spluttered and whimpered. “Sorry monsters, we’ve got a chatterbox today! I think that answers our question though. He can’t talk if he’s missing his larynx!” Innocence spun their scalpel over their fingers and cut a smooth straight line from the bottom of Carlin’s chin to the space between his collar bones. Innocence then carefully slipped their fingers into his wounds and expertly pulled his larynx out, blood spurted from Carlin’s throat almost like a comical fountain. “Told ya! Look how cute that is!” Innocence said triumphantly, posing in front of the camera with it. “That’ll keep him quiet, look at this pretty brown eyes! Looking around the room so desperate for help.” Innocence stroked Carlin’s curls, he gasped silently and shook his head desperately trying to resist Innocence’s touch. They held the larynx up to the camera again this time turning it this way and that so the viewers could get a good look at it. Carlin was starting to grow pale and weak, Innocence exhaled in annoyance.

“Oh my, thought he was stronger than that.” They spun on their heel and returned to their desk, picked up their Aerophone and played the similar tune. The result was the wound on Carlin’s throat sewed itself back up without the larynx and colour and life began to return to his face. Innocence gleefully ran their fingers down his throat. “Sooooo pretty. I did such a good job. You can barely tell it’s gone.” Carlin opened his mouth as he attempted to respond, a croaking, quiet, and desperate gasp being all that left his mouth. Tears began falling down his temples and pooling by his ears.

“Good boy. Precious baby. Isn’t he a cutie everyone,” Innocence said, flicking their hair behind one shoulder, a couple of strands getting caught in their military jacket’s shoulder pads. “Next we’re gonna dooooo… Hmm, aw heck let’s take out a portion of is intestines. As a special treat for everyone sitting at home.” Innocence winked deliberately at the camera. They took out the same iridescent scalpel they’d used to open his throat and licked it clean. It didn’t matter if Carlin got an infection, that always made the future streams way more interesting. They pressed the scalpel into Carlin’s pale torso, and wriggled it into his guts. They had a little bit of a dig around until they found a nice thick bit of intestines and snipped it from the rest of them, giggling as Carlin silently screamed, unable to make a noise, and bled out. The yellow fat from his small belly dripped out making Innocence gasp in delight. They held up the bit of Carlin’s guts to the camera and twirled it around. “How pretty are his organs?! I love them. I’m definitely gonna cut up this cutie again. I might even have him long term. Wouldn’t that be fun, monsters?”

Innocence took a bite down on the intestines and sucked the blood and digested food out of the organ.

“Well, if we’re gonna get this babe done by the end of the day we better get going, huh?” Innocence sang, then flicked a peace sign at the camera with a grin.

[taurusversant]

FFXIV Glamour Archive #2

Okay second glamour to archive is my Shadowbringers Dragoon glam. I've had a completely different look for Endwalker and I've got an even newer one designed for Dawntrail, it's time to let this plate go.

Our only visible piece of jewellery is the Darklight Earrings of Striking. The maiming version is blue, which is of no use to Crimson's aesthetic. Where'd they come from? One of the level 50 dungeons! Maybe Lost City of Amdapor? The only other accessory piece with meaning to me is the Redbill Scarf. You can't see it, but she's wearing it close to her heart. Love Void Ark questline. I hope we adventure with the Redbills again one day.

As for the weapon, it's the Edenmorn Halbred, obtained at level 80 from E12S. I earned this! The Rolanberry Red dye affects the colour of the metal flower on it :)

The headpiece is the Friendship Circlet. I used a number of different feathers for varying SHB glams, but this was the first one. Obtained as part of the Recruit-A-Friend campaign! Thanks to the friends that recruited me to the game!

The chestpiece is very special to me. It is the Ornate Neo-Ishgardian Top of Maiming. Let's hear its story.

So in my early days when I first unlocked Wondrous Tails (affectionately referred to as Catbook), by inspecting the rewards for it I came across this dress. This was back in Heavensward I believe, I'd never even seen SHB gear models directly. So seeing this I was blasted with desire to have it. I adored it.

While I learned later on there was a crafted version of the piece, back when I first desired it all I knew is I needed two silver tickets from the Catbook to buy one. So over the course of my playing through the game, I earned those tickets, bought that top long before I reached level 80, and then held onto it until then. And then when I finally hit level 80, it was immediately on and my look was secured! Gearpiece with story and meaning to me <3

For the hands we have the Arhat Kote of Maiming, which comes from one of the three 4.0 level 70 dungeons. I don't think it was from Ala Mhigo, so either Temple of the Fist or Kugane Castle. It'd be funny if it was from Kugane, the one place I didn't take a screenshot in. I really like how it overlays the sleeves of the top.

While we only see a tiny little bit of them between the top and the boots, the legs are the Augmented Slipstream Breeches of Maiming! I only started playing with patch 5.3, so I wasn't there during 3.x buying primal gear and augmenting it. I think this came from Midas Savage originally? It adds some personality in filling the gap between boots and top.

Last but not least, speaking of the boots, we have the Ivalician Lancer's Thighboots, pulled directly from The Royal City of Rabanastre. I liked the look of these when I got them, so tucked them away for later. And then later came!

Hey! Hey! Did you notice? Only the weapon in this glamour is dyed! Every other piece is its base colour and in fact I'm not even sure what of these pieces CAN be dyed. Maybe just the top? If that? Doesn't matter! This was THE Crimson Fisher look for Shadowbringers, and meant a lot to me. Recorded here forever, my darling Dragoon glam.