#the music video for which was a heavy inspiration for the whole piece as the ID says

[silverior968]

"Made a pact with you and God: "If you don't move I swear to you I'm going to make you""

[Image ID: A digital drawing of Ratchet from TFP, pictured from the shoulders and up. The background is a grainy gradient of dull purple and yellow. Ratchet is drawn with a pensive expression, looking slightly upwards with glass shards flying around him. He looks different through the glass where it is flying over him, namely one of his eyes and part of the other, one corner of his mouth and his chest, with his eyes green instead of cyan, green energon stained across the corner of his mouth and falling down his chin, and with the edge of a large wound on his chest. The artist's signature, Silverior968, is written along his collar. The drawing takes inspiration from the music video for Manchester Orchestra's "The Alien", which is also the origin of the lyric used as the post's title. / End ID]

[gh-0-stcup]

Some goth teenager in 2014 watches an obscure rediscovered French silent film from 1923. It's quite strange and the plot's a little incomprehensible, so they hop on Reddit to find some people to analyze the film with. The thread goes back and forth on opinions for a few days before fizzling out.

A year later, an art historian ressurects the thread to give a rundown of the vague and mysterious history of the Théâtre des Vampire, saying the film seems to reference the style and themes of the theatre's plays.

And of course this blows the fuck up because what do you mean there was a vampire themed theatre? What do you mean they made fucked up avant-garde plays? What do you mean they were active for 200 years?! What do you mean ALL of their work was lost to time because of a tragic fire?!?!!

It becomes a little game to dig up what could potentially be references to their plays in other art. Assertions that the TdV is the mother of campy horror abound. Most of people's claims and interpretations are entirely wrong. It doesn't matter - TdV is now a vital cultural touchstone for the goth revival, despite nobody having any concrete idea of what the theatre actually did.

The interest and excitement mostly fades away by 2018, especially after a few well written and thoroughly researched video essays debunk the myths surrounding the theatre.

Then 2023 rolls around. Two time Pullitzer prize winning journalist Daniel Molloy publishes a book he swears is an actual, honest-to-god interview with a real vampire. He himself seems to be low key cosplaying a vampire on the publicity circuit for the book.

He shouts out the Théâtre des Vampires in the book, providing clearer descriptions of the content of the plays and public response to them. He provides better sources on the theatre than anybody's ever dug up before. Like his website's got scans of diary entries from somebody who attended the first play they ever did - it's insane!

The long dead r/theatredesvampires blows up. Daniel Molloy is doing the bit! The whole book is just him educating the masses about a lost piece of art history that fascinated him!

There's one "okay, have we considered vampires might actually be real?" thread that gains traction for a few weeks. The topic gets banned by the mods because of too many weirdos infiltrating the subreddit, taking the focus away from the theatre's work and its influence on art.

Then a band called The Vampire Lestat blows up. The lead singer is legally named after the founder of the Théâtre des Vampires. He's cosplaying 24/7 as a vampire. He's a character in Daniel's book. He's "correcting" statements made about him in said book on national television while sounding like a bitter ex. He's releasing music videos depicting Armand and the theatre.

So of course Lestat is eventually asked about the Théâtre des Vampires and how heavy its influence seems to be on his work. Which makes Lestat lose his actual shit because the theatre was trash - vapid, mindless entertainment to sedate the cattle. Nothing like his own work.

Cue dozens of modern TdV fans trashing Lestat for not letting the bit go for just a second to just admit that they inspired his entire body of work.

[celardor12]

Writer's meme. Thanks to @raitala for tagging me!

How many wips do you have currently?

Two: Love in Another Shape (my very long Bingliushen story) and a shorter piece I'm writing for the Bingliu server exchange. Unless you count various other pieces of ideas that I have in my drafts, in which case... a lot. For your entertainment, here are the working titles for several ideas that I currently have on the backburner, which may or may not ever actually get written:

Bingliushen Messy Lesbians

Wangxian Accidentally Arrange their own Marriage

Unhinged Bingqiu A/B/O

Liushen Reverse-Transmigration Kid Fic

Shen Yuan Transmigrates into Wu Yanzi

Which one are you finding the hardest to finish?

Creatively, neither. My main writing challenge these days is just finding enough time for it! I have a heavy teaching load this semester, plus all the usual family chaos, so my writing has definitely slowed down a bit.

What does it usually look like when inspiration strikes for you?

When I am able, I'll sit down and write for hours. But mostly I get a good idea and then don't have time to actually work on it right away, so I just spend a lot of time turning it around in my head while I do other things.

Do you curate playlists for each fic or is your process different?

No, I never write with music. It's way too distracting for me. If I need to block out other noises, I put on one of those videos or albums that's just the sound of rain.

Do you go balls to the wall and write as you go or are you more organized?

I am a planner by nature lol. If I'm writing something short, I may just have a very basic outline. But for something long like Love in Another Shape I have... so many outlines, oh my god. Actually a whole folder of documents with everything from worldbuilding notes, to timelines of past and current events, broad story outlines and specific chapter outlines.

Tagging @nyoomerr @mikkeneko @antimonia if you'd like to do it too!

[cquackity]

hey hi hi ^_^ im not on anon but for your ask game :3

song you think everyone needs to/should listen to

favorite poem (if u have one! otherwise like favorite art piece of some kind that u feel like talking about :P)

favorite flower :D

HI MARE!!!!!!! hihihihi^_^

1) this one is hard because my cohost fiona @fhw would say plainsong by the cure because it's the most beautiful love song ever made (and i don't disagree with him) but i theseus personally also think ocean breathes salty by modest mouse is a song everyone should hear especially if you're grieving. really perfect song about death and life and grief to me. the music video makes me weepy too

2) OKAY SO i have a few favorite poems i can't just talk about one sorry. the first one that came to mind is poem for your leaving by karese burrows i'm always thinking about "it is a light I can't turn off. I clap my hands and nothing happens". second one is i get so jealous of euthanized dogs by june gehringer which is a phrase i repeat to myself frequently. last one is more of a book as a whole instead of a specific poem but i own a copy of the book ghosts of by diana khoi nguyen which inspired this web weave. it's my favorite poetry book right now and i highly recommend it even though it's heavy. the author wrote poems around pictures her late brother cut himself out of before he committed suicide

3) peonies! we had them in my backyard growing up and i always loved how they smelt and the texture of their petals. i really want to grow them on my own

[liskantope]

My top ten favorite moments of big drama/climax in classical music

I've run into some "top ten" -style YouTube videos about classical music lately and felt inspired to compose a list somewhat in this vein. These are passages in classical works that get "big and dramatic" in a way I really, really enjoy. I chose these among some pieces I've accumulated over the years as favorites of mine (I've played in many of them, at least as a violinist in the orchestra), and so the list is biased towards the forms of classical music I've been most exposed to, which are heavily skewed towards works centered on the violin or piano. In particular, I have very little knowledge of opera and so didn't consider that, even though there's a special kind of drama and grandiosity that comes with most opera.

I feel a little regret at the idea of "spoiling" the most exciting moments of certain great works for those who might not be familiar with them, and in fact most of these feel more deeply moving in the context of the whole piece. But on the other hand, maybe someone who didn't know about a particular piece will get interested in it from hearing one of its most powerful moments (this is essentially what happened to me in the past few weeks with #2 below).

Honorable mention for solo pieces, the first two of which I played: penultimate and final variation in Bach's partita no. 2, Chaconne, every single entrance of the initial theme of Beethoven's "Pathetique Sonata" first movement, and ending sequence of Chopin's Ballade no. 1, Op. 23 (8:11-9:37 in video) 10) climax of "Jupiter" from Holst's The Planets (7:25-8:01 in video): at the time I first learned it in the youth orchestra, it was the most overwhelming moment in orchestral music I knew both in terms of technical requirements and emotions, so it holds a special place for me although now it feels dwarfed next to these others 9) middle of Sibelius' violin concerto, first movement (11:53 to 13:03 in video): I'm not sure how many would find this passage as memorable as I do, but it makes the entire concerto for me 8) middle of Shostakovich's Symphony no. 5, first movement (10:28-12:48 in video): some moments where everything is happening all at once before falling into place in a unified a powerful statement; Shostakovich tends to leave me a bit cold so I can't feel much emotion for this one but I feel a hot heaviness and I respect the hell out of it 7) cadenza (ossia version) of Rachmaninov's Piano Concerto no. 3, first movement (11:07-14:07 in video), first movement: in which the primary theme manifests in full force from the soloist and reaches a new climax 6) climax of Samuel Barber's Adagio for Strings (5:12-6:30 in video): this one just speaks for itself; when I played this in orchestra, I debated with my friend whether lower tones should have been added at this climax as in some choral adaptations, and my position is still firmly that it is most powerful when left to shrill tones only 5) beginning (29:59-32:27 of video, begun a few lines before the start for contrasting effect) and ending (37:49-38:49 in video) of Saint Saëns' Organ Symphony, fourth movement (I couldn't decide which so cheated and chose both): the entrance of the organ at the beginning is actually quite shocking in context; the ending is an absolutely epic group effort of massive sound from an enhanced orchestra, and by the way I think it goes into 3/1 time signature by the end or something? 4) middle of Bruch's violin concerto, 2nd movement (14:40-15:47 in video), a cathartic peak that I find deeply moving, both to listen to and to play 3) main part of cadenza of Grieg's piano concerto, 1st movement (10:40-12:42 in video): possibly my favorite passage of classical music ever (but I will put two others above it specifically in terms of overwhelming/glorious climax), I don't really have the words to describe this 2) final passages of the (very long) cadenza followed by orchestra re-entrance in Prokofiev's piano concerto no. 2, first movement (8:17-10:17 in video): this is the only piece on this list that I've only just discovered in the last few weeks; the cadenza is so intense and technically extreme that no human with only two hands should be able to play it, and the orchestra roaring back in as the cadenza ends is one of the most dramatic things I've ever heard 1) climax of Rimsky-Korsakov's Scheherazade symphonic suite, fourth movement (44:29-47:19 in video), after the later stages of a very long buildup (the human voice roaring thing is something I've only heard from this particular rendition), the theme that distinguished the first movement appears in overwhelmingly grand, dramatic fashion (listen for all the counterpoints and pirouettes from different parts of the woodwinds!) that I find energetically satisfying in a way that tops the rest of these

I might find a way to edit these excerpts into a long sound clip one day (that way they will end automatically and could be played almost back to back without being interspersed with the sound of YouTube ads), but this will do for now.

[horsemusicherald]

Over half a year in the making, and actualizing concepts from the last five years, Vylet Pony's new album is jaw-dropping, awe-inspiring, and breathtaking. It is an album shroud in mystery as its narrative follows the protagonist and their shadow through a plethora of genres, each track morphing seamlessly into the next, starting with heavenly soundscapes before descending into darkness and death, only to turn around and ascend back to its harmonious beginnings. Much of the story is incomplete, and the listener is invited to theorize more about it. Throughout the album you'll hear samples from previous Vylet songs, the classic "Sing a song about life" clip, as well as a new carousel motif.

Get a song-by-song breakdown after the break

Track one, "Let's Fly to the castle," starts out as a lovely house tune, with fluffy synths creating an incredibly warm tone and vocal chops floating effortless around the mix before dropping into a jazzy, chiptune like section. The piece then builds up anticipation with its marching snare and ends with a gorgeous violin solo backed by piano.

Track two, "Pony Rock!" quickly jumps into pony chops taken from the iconic "Winter Wrap Up" from Season 1. GalaxySquid's vocals add so much warmth to the sound and NekoSnicker's performance on top of piano is heart wrenchingly beautiful. Then the drop hits back into the main groove, and just when you think the sound couldn't be any fuller, it drops out and comes back in with insane 16th note chiptune synth runs! Absolutely stunning!

Track three, "Constellation Cradle", travels away from the warm synths and into glitchy, hyper pop vocals. But it doesn't stay there for long, whiplashing to ambient electronic, reminiscent of Vylet's previous album, only to drop a jazzy interlude for three seconds before dropping into heavier dubstep. There's even some baroque harpsichord in there! Honestly, this track is such a flex as Vylet Pony commands mastery of an incredible variety of different sounds.

Track four, "How to Talk to Your Shadow?" rings heavily with carnival music as an announcer introduces the listener to the shadow, building up anticipation for what's to come as the carnival music creepily dies down. A radio bumper throws us some early fandom memes before introducing the next track, "Brohoof!" This certified brony classic is complete with pony chops galore and an infectious beat that will surely have you dancing forever likes the lyrics say /)

Track six, "Bass Cannon", takes the intensity up a notch with its avant-garde hardcore sections paired against gorgeous bossa nova. Its dissonant chords ring loudly as the lyrics start probing… "Is it a bliss? To forget" and "Is it so wonderful?" The carousel is turning, and it's taking us to a very different place than where the album started.

Track seven, "Crush Kill Destroy Swag", in contradiction to the YouTube video it references, begins with beautiful pads, pianos, and strings, establishing a heavenly orchestra-like sound before switching to a funkier, bass heavy groove. It takes a darker turn in the middle with a mesmerizing darkstep beat accompanied by Vylet's vocals which eventually fade into the ether, leaving us in a void of scratchy, glitchy, eerie ambience…

…aren't you excited?…

Track nine, "Hush!" begins with Vylet delivering an intense vocal performance which feels like a cross between rap and spoken word before dropping back into a gorgeous synth-scape leaving you in awe. But don't let your guard down because it's just the eye of the storm and the intensity ramps back up into a grungy, heavy metal section. It might be the longest track on the album, but it will keep you on the edge of your seat the whole time.

Track ten, "Examining the Afterthought", is reflective in nature as its title suggests, giving the listener a break with some lighter synths playing over a radio broadcast of someone who sounds very much like Obama. The sound design is stunning with arpeggios rapidly speeding up and slowing down in waves, giving the track a very relaxed, ocean like feel.

Track eleven, "Flair for the Dramatic" features a slightly darker but incredibly deep sound which will leave you feeling exposed as the narrator confronts her shadow in the lyrics. Its chorus is one of the most rallying anthems of the whole album, and in its final iteration, it modulates up a half-step to given it even more intensity! In the second half, the synths give way to just an acoustic guitar and the vocals, creating a really vulnerable and special moment for the listener.

Track twelve, "Carousel", with its dark piano, violin solos, and its angelic vocals is hauntingly beautiful, building up to an incredible moment of catharsis. The track then turns into a moodier ballad with its bitter lyrics before turning again to a more hopeful sound with Namii's beautiful voice accompanied by piano. Much of the song is in 3/4, which gives it the perfect sensation of a Carousel spinning round and round.

After much of the album has explored darker themes and sounds, track 13, "Futura", is a departure from that to a brighter place. Its starts with just a few mellow synths, bass, and vocals before fully opening to a warm and hopeful sound complete with synthetic bells, guitar, and even a Theremin! Lyrics such as "no healing without pain; no clear skies without rain" also reflect this tonal shift and mark the restoration of balance.

Thus we arrive at track 14, "Creekflow", which opens with the glitchy carousel motif looping on itself, soon to be joined by acoustic guitar and strings. The texture is fluid and crisp like the sound of a brook of light flowing and made complete by Vylet's blissful vocal performance. Not to leave without a bang, the sounds explodes at the halfway mark before fading back into the sound of the creek. The end of "Creekflow" immediately leads back into "Let's fly to the Castle!" to complete an entire spin around the carousel.

The album stands as an incredible accomplishment! The concept is stellar, its execution wondrous, and there's so many genres and idea packed into it that it will keep you engaged well beyond your first listen through. Great work Vylet!

[stephantom]

7, 9 and 14 for the songs?

Thank you! :)

You asked for 3 songs but uhhhh I came up with 8. Anyway, they’re behind the cut!

#7. A song that you love from a genre you don’t usually like.

I’m generally not a country music lover, but I appreciate Orville Peck, and the first time someone played this song for me, it just grabbed my whole attention immediately. It’s minimalist and dramatic and raw and captivating, and it queers the original song (which admittedly I’ve never heard) in such a powerful way: “Fancy” by Orville Peck (originally by Reba McEntire). Chills, tbh.

#7 (Not My Genre) Again. Because I can’t choose. “C.R.E.A.M. (Cash Rules Everything Around Me” by Wu-Tang Clan

Idk a lot of hip-hop, but I do know this one’s a classic and I love it. Hypnotic, melancholy, thoughtful, great storytelling, great lines, the piano hook gets stuck in my head all the time.

# 9. A song that makes you want to go on an adventure.

“Paradise Warfare” by Carpenter Brut. This entire synthwave album (“Trilogy”) is excellent and all flows together so singling out any one track is hard, but this one has a lot going on (a sax solo? steel drums? an intense banger of a final section?). It makes me feel like the protagonist of a video game, where I’d uhh like drive a cool car off the top of a skyscraper, pursued by mysterious enemies, then leap into the air and do a sick backflip while lightning flashes. You know?

#9 (Adventure Song) Runner up!

“Carry On” by Hallas. Been obsessed with this band for the past month or so. They’ve got a retro, 70s-inspired prog-rock/proto-metal style, catchy hooks, synth-heavy, with kinda dreamy vocals and lyrics about a space epic they made up; they describe themselves as “adventure rock.” It just makes me feel good!

#9 Last answer for the adventure question, I promise!

For a different kind of adventure, one where you pack a rucksack and put on a cloak and go on a quest with your dearest companions and learn that the power was already inside you all along: “Until the Fires Die” by Fellowship. Opens with the words, “Come with me, I’ll take you on a hero’s journey.” It’s the first track on an album that simultaneously heartfelt and inherently silly, exactly as power metal should be.

#14. A song to sing to the sun. I can’t explain why exactly but it’s “Dream State” by Son Lux.

It’s not about the sun or sunlight (in fact, there’s even a line suggesting the opposite, “Out of the dark day / Into the brighter night”), but it’s got this feeling like something coming from the depths of someone, expressing wonder and yearning, which is probably what I’d express to the sun, or the sky, or the sea, or the mountains. I guess I mean that it’s almost prayerful, in a way? Anyway, it’s a favorite song right now, and I think, an incredible piece of art.

#14 Runners up: “Myth” by Beach House and “Wield Lightning To Split The Sun” by Primordial. For similar reasons — they feel existentially expressive and meditative. The latter is a perfect song to the sun: “And let the lightning split my heart in two / And let me howl at the moon with desire / And stretch my arms wide to embrace the sun.” But “Myth” by Beach House is so beautiful and sad and pensive and hopeful, like watching the sun rise after a long night. “Help me to name it…” Agh it’s so good.

[x--daughters-of-darkness--x]

EVANESCENCE's AMY LEE Joins BUSH On Stage In Nashville

EVANESCENCE's Amy Lee joined BUSH on stage last night (Monday, February 20) at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee to perform the song "1000 Years". Video and photos of her appearance can be seen below.

Earlier today (Tuesday, February 21),BUSH frontman Gavin Rossdale shared a few photos from last night's gig, and he included the following message: "well that was a blast.what a magical night.thankyou @amylee you elevated us to new galaxies.what a thrill. @officiallzzyhale @thejoestorm @officialnickraskulinecz always great to see you thanks for great energy and photos and love . so happy to see and hang with you xxx".

"1000 Years" is taken from BUSH's latest album, "The Art Of Survival", which was released last year. The LP encompasses the resiliency of the human spirit in the face of trial and tribulations as the band's own enduring place as rock outliers. Songs such as "Kiss Me I'm Dead" and "Gun Fight" represent the horrors that's going on in this country, while "Identity", "Shark Bite" and "Creatures of The Fire" capture the strength of people during these dark times. BUSH's euphoric rock revelation "Heavy Is The Ocean" encourages love and recognizes the bravery behind freely expressing your feelings.

Forging ahead once more, BUSH wrote and recorded what would become "The Art of Survival" during 2022, reteaming with Erik Ron (PANIC! AT THE DISCO, GODSMACK) who produced "Flowers On A Grave" and the title track for the group's previous album, "The Kingdom" (2020),and collaborating once again on two tracks with film composer, musician, and producer Tyler Bates ("300", "Guardian Of The Galaxy").

Last month, Rossdale told Alternative Press about what keeps him and his bandmates still so hungry to progress time and time again: "I guess we're just still in love with music enough to be inspired. I'm really lucky to have such an amazing band of fantastic musicians that can execute well and are super consistent. It's really unusual to have a band, management, and people that are still so hungry for the same thing to happen. There is also a reality there where we have a sort of humility where, yeah, things are great, but I always consider it a beautiful fistfight. I made [the 2017 album] 'Black And White Rainbows' at a really difficult time in my life, and after I picked up the pieces and made less-bruised music, I thought, 'Fuck it, let's just take it to people.'"

Regarding the heavier sound of "The Art of Survival" compared to earlier BUSH releases, Gavin said: "For me personally, it came from the ashes of the time around 'Black And White Rainbows' and my divorce. When you rise up after that terrible time, you gather yourself up and [push on]. When I would get up [in the morning], I would put my guitar in a drop tuning and just experiment. I noticed that I much more favor the detuned songs from all of the records to create set lists, especially for festivals. I wanted to do a whole record like that with super-heavy songs with nice melodies on top. I like progressive-sounding music with cool riffs like MASTADON — I love that sound. It feels good and feels vital to be doing that because if you're gonna work out, why not be an MMA fighter? It’s the music of MMA fighting. [Laughs]"

[emiloart]

This is a painting that I absolutely adore, it’s currently hanging in my bathroom in my house. The painting was created by Lisa Ridgers, she works with professional grade quality artist materials for her original works. She also uses UV resistant acrylic paints and mediums. Lisa chooses to use watercolor papers and mat boards. The artist mentioned that when she paints on canvases she has the canvas pre-stretched professionally and doubled, triple primed with acid free gesso. Lisa Ridgers makes sure that her works are protected and has strong quality equipment and ready to be hung up with a heavy duty frame and wire. She finds that rich colors and dramatic scenery of the desert and the countryside influences her. The artist also enjoys using new techniques, technology, and mediums which is a great way to evolve and grow as an artist. When I take a glance at this painting of a woman sitting down naked outside a bedroom I see that the artist uses very faint lines in a simple way to add the subject in her painting. She also uses the foreground darker and more vivid but also she blends out her paint in a unique way. I think that this painting has its own beauty, yes I think it is a beautiful piece. Because for me I believe that it makes a statement to true beauty in a woman's body. Who cares if she’s naked? The woman is sitting looking at what I think is nature since the artist did describe that she likes to paint using nature in her work, also the subject looks peaceful.

Hello my name is Zhenna. People call me Zee a lot of times, because it’s just easier. Anyways I am 23 years old, female, she/her, I’m originally from Khabarovsk, Russia. I've actually been adopted since I was just turning six and then my parents welcomed me home in Fairfield CT at the time we were living. I am white caucasian, Russian, siberian, ukrainian. What I love to do for fun in my free time is hang out with friends, go to bars and sing karaoke. Also I love to practice my photography and videography skills, since I wanna make movies in the future. I am not a member of any group but I kinda wish I was to keep me more busy. I currently have a new job at Publix stocking shelves and unloading the trucks that come in so I work in the grocery department. What makes me uniquely myself is that I'm outgoing, fun, loving, caring, an artist, I love all sorts of music, food, I dance like a crazy person, and people say I have a unique eye for photography and art in general.  

 When I look at art, the baggage that brings me along are questions, and all sorts of thoughts that make it more complicated for me to see the actual beauty in the art piece. I ask myself what is the purpose of this? What happens if you turn this work of art a different way? Etc But instead of asking myself these and just enjoy when i'm glancing at an art piece. Sometimes I think art is boring but again there are so many ways to do art, it just depends how you get inspired by art. Is it a painting, art on a building, perhaps a dance move on tiktok is the way to go. 

My daily life is by far fascinating, because as a growing artist I have always been learning to grow and new ways to make art more interesting. I've always been in love with Art overall. I think that being creative has saved me from my own thoughts. My work may sometimes seem dark and gloomy like a mystery, but sometimes I change my work into moving stills or a short movie that reflects on a self portrait. Just because I want the series to grow and since I love to do both photos and videos, why not make one picture into multiple or even a short video to make the whole thing into a visual moving piece. These four self portraits represent me on how I see the world and how I use different objects to make a photo grow into a story almost. My favorite is using black and white just because it’s cleaner and the subject is more bold. That’s how I represent myself as an artist. I use a simple background so it’s not overwhelming to look at.  like I said I'm a mystery thinker dark and gloomy and maybe a rainbow on top.

[weabooweedwitch]

Nah, man, sorry to say that but your mom is straight up blind. That dark lipstick goes super well with your dark hair and light complex. Don’t listen to your mother, and be proud of that fancy and great look you got there! 💅✨

THANK YOU because, ok, there are multiple reasons I'm kind of overly pissed lol. For one, personal opinions aside, it's like critiquing the main core of the idea? It's like, idk, going to a Glass Animals concert and saying "it would have been better without the stoner music" like girl thats the point? Am i phrasing this correctly 🤦‍♀️ its like someone asking how you like their job grooming a dog and you say "oh it would just be better if it wasnt a dog" and adding nothing else

Second, like, this is my first attempt doing a full look all on my own so im already nervous but also all the time and effort? I'm talking cleanser, toner, primer, eyeshadow primer, tinted moisturizer (found one that has like natural medium coverage in my exact shade and I feel like it might be good for my skin vs a foundation? Also just general testing what works for my oily skin), eyeshadow, mascara, a little eyebrow pencil wing for flavor lol, tried and failed at some contour and will have to try that again lol, and the main piece for me at least, the dark lipstick which is transfer proof by the way!! Which is a big win for me because lip products that come off your lips when you do anything are so temporary and just feel, weird? I had to scrub with micelluar water to get this off! (I think it's called Maybelline super stay matte ink lipstick. You have to wait for it to dry but goddamn I literally drank water and hit a bong after putting it on and it stayed soooo well, virtually nothing came off)

But yeah! It's. I think I've mentioned it before but a big part of this is like, I feel like I'm actually legitimately going through a combination quarter life crisis but also a maybe more positive significant shift in how I live my life idk? For the longest time i felt too ugly and heavy and gross and just subhuman to wear makeup and now that I've gotten older and more I guess life experienced and have lost weight I've started getting into it and it's been fun! It's like art you know, and it can be entertaining to find a makeup artists or influencer you like (I like Robert Walsh and his brother James, they're twins, a pro MUA and a dermatologist respectively). They also go from funny to educational so it's just idk, fun to scroll through the sheer mass of content. Also it's kind of just like art and painting when you think about it!

And like I did talk to her and she said I kind of misinterpreted what she said but it's still like, girl, please just lie and say it looks good next time. Like she thought I looked really good but she kept saying "the lipstick is just darker than I was expecting", which, yeah I could have gone more dark red, but I kinda just wanted to try something really dark but not black? I like the look and, ha, my male friend who's approval I've been a little gaga for said it looked good too so ❤️

I hope to make more looks in the future because it was fun, collect all sorts of nice pictures of different colors and styles. This whole deal today that I even put makeup on for was literally just to run errands, like get food and go to a smoke shop, because I don't get out much, but that's also part of the journey is that I hope to get out more and do more activities and wearing makeup during so will be a fun social thing you know? I'm being kind of wordy but you probably get it.

Also! I was inspired by like, this sort of color theory aesthetic video/clip I was seeing where they were showing "dark femininity vs light femininity" so it's like, pronounced brows, sharp/bold/dakr lipstick, bronzer contour, dark or smoky eyes, versus pink blush, lighter colors, glitters and shimmers, highlighted cheeks, you know? So my mom was kind of expecting light femininity when I was doing dark femininity. So her "main complaint" is actually for a look I want to do next 😅 but hey thanks for the support, this is actually so like, fascinating but complicated and nervewracking and also so much is subjective and I'm so unused to seeing myself like this that even though, realistically I looked good, I felt like a painted clown and like, a poser? A loser, idk. But the journey continues on :)

[doomedandstoned]

UK Sludge Duo WALL Drop Biting Single Ahead of Debut Full-Length

~Doomed & Stoned Debuts~

By Billy Goate

Heavy instrumental two-piece WALL are back, featuring Desert Storm members and brothers Ryan & Elliot Cole.

Today, we reveal the first single "Masking My Contempt" from the upcoming record 'Brick by Brick' (2024), which will be their first full-length and has been a couple years in the making following a pair of well-received EPs.

Says drummer Elliot Cole:

The song "Masking My Contempt" starts with a sample from an amusing scene that is taken from a film we like called American Beauty. The scene is where Lester Burnham blackmails his boss for over a year's salary. We have said for years that it would make a cool intro to a song, and to kick in with a big groovy riff after it.

The title of the song is clearly taken from the sample, and the rest of the track was built around that first riff. "Masking my Contempt" switches between a 6/8 and 4/4 time signature. There are only three riffs in the whole song, and some bluesy slide guitar overdubbed. It's short and sweet and what we set out to achieve with this first single.

The song opens strong with funky metal edge ala Rage Against The Machine, featuring buzzsaw guitar tone, grungy interludes, and an injection of sassy Southern blues guitar. The low-end really rumbles, too. It'll shake the ground you stand on. "Masking My Contempt" is all too short at 2:26, but nonetheless sweet. It'll leave you with a good feel for Wall's dynamo, and wanting more.

Wall's new album Brick By Brick (13 tracks in all) releases on August 30th via APF Records and will feature a cover of "Electric Funeral" by Black Sabbath and Karma To Burn's "Nineteen." See the guys live at New Cross Inn on 08.09.24.

Give ear...

SOME BUZZ

WALL - An instrumental 2-piece heavy fucking riff machine, built brick by brick & riff by riff by twin brothers and Desert Storm members Ryan & Elliot Cole.

Released on 30th August via APF Records (Desert Storm, Video Nasties, Barbarian Hermit), their debut album ‘Brick by Brick’ is overflowing with unashamed Iommi-worshiping, instrumental, sludge/doom metal. With the band taking inspiration from the first 6 Black Sabbath albums as well as being influenced by the undisputed kings of instrumental stoner rock, the much missed Karma To Burn, drummer Elliot Cole comments on some of the other artists they were listening to at the time while writing the album:

“Torche, High on Fire, Elephant Tree, and The Sword were on heavy rotation a lot. I also was listening to a fair bit of Power Trip at the time too. But as well as the rock/metal stuff, we were listening to Godspeed You! Black Emperor and Radiohead which helped in a way with some of the more spacey & ambient sections on the album.”

Like many recent projects WALL was born during lockdown with the two brothers living together in a small flat. With both of them furloughed, this left the duo with little else to do but write music to distract themselves from the boredom of being stuck at home.

Ryan wrote riffs on an unplugged Gibson SG, whilst Elliot tapped out the drum rhythms on his lap. The first time the twins heard how the songs would sound properly was when they were in the studio tracking their initial first two EPs, as they couldn't arrange a proper rehearsal due to restrictions.

While originally starting out as a side project, WALL began to evolve into a more serious proposition following shows at Bloodstock Open Air, Desertfest London, Masters of the Riff alongside shows with Discharge, Will Haven and European dates in Germany, Czech Rep & Slovakia.

Now following these shows and two EPs on APF Records, the next step for WALL is the release of their debut album 'Brick By Brick'. Recorded at Shonk studios / Warehouse Studios - Oxford, by Jimmy 'Evil' Hetherington & mastered by Tim Turan at Turan Audio, ‘Brick By Brick’ is essential listening for any fan of slow, crushing riffs.

Follow The Band

Get Their Music

[thebandcampdiaries]

Marco Angelo - The Hooded Guitarist presents: Green Hill Zone (Sonic the Hedgehog Theme)

Marco Angelo - The Hooded Guitarist, has recently released a stunning new rendition of the theme song for Green Hill Zone from the iconic game “Sonic the Hedgehog.”

The original version of the soundtrack needs no introduction to video game enthusiasts, and even casual aficionados might be familiar with it. After all, Sonic is not only one of the most iconic video game characters but also one of the most beloved franchises of all time! This cover stays true to the exciting vibe of the original, but it also brings many new, unique elements to the table, especially with its heavy rock twist. Marco Angelo - The Hooded Guitarist has a very distinctive approach to sound design, and his creative choices are really interesting and relevant to the concept of this release, maintaining the melodic sheen of the original theme but also adding a rock and metal influence to the composition.

The song actually features 3 excellent musicians. Marco Angelo is a great guitar player who really stands out, because his incredible leads and ability to play in a technical, but expressive way. Carl Anthony Lorenz provided keyboards and he is also a gifted sound engineer, who helped bring the whole vision to life with his mixing prowess and audio knowledge.

Last but not least, Alixx handled the rhythm section, providing so much impact and groove. The three were able to create something special here, and the sound is very diverse, with so many different ideas and spot-on sound design elements, spicing things up. Even if you do not know the original, this track still stands out as an amazing piece of music that is worth listening to, especially if you also like rock and metal music, as well as articulate guitar leads!

This release is highly recommended to people who enjoy the original theme song, but not only! It will appeal to all fans of great scores, composers, and video game music in particular. Marco Angelo - The Hooded Guitarist, is a very imaginative and technically accomplished guitar player who brought so much creativity to the table with this release. His commitment to creating quality music really shows, especially with such amazing production value.

Find out more about Marco Angelo - The Hooded Guitarist and do not miss out on Green Hill Zone fro Sonic the Hedgehog!

🎸 Follow Marco Angelo - The Hooded Guitarist

𝕏 https://twitter.com/marcoangelorock

📘 https://www.facebook.com/marcoangelomusic

📸 https://www.instagram.com/marcoangelomusic

��� http://www.marcoangelomusic.com

We also had the opportunity to ask the artist a few questions. Keep reading for more!

What inspired you to create a rendition of the Green Hill Zone theme from Sonic the Hedgehog?

Hi Andrew! I have always been passionate about video games since I was little. Sonic is one of the titles that gave me many hours of enjoyment. The idea of creating a tribute to Sonic came to me after seeing his latest film, which was released in cinemas in 2022. I liked it so much that I dedicated one of my guitar solos to him.

Could you walk us through your creative process in reimagining such an iconic video game soundtrack?

I don't always have a precise plan. I usually try to listen to the original version very thoroughly. Then, I try to develop an alternative sound in my mind and start humming it. Only afterward do I pick up the guitar and start sketching out the first riffs. After the rhythm part, I started writing the guitar solos. This part can take a long time because I have the habit of taking care of every detail. In the end, I relate to my musicians to define the final sound of the product. Carl Anthony Lorenz and Alixx are two fantastic people and excellent musicians. I am so proud of them.

How did you approach maintaining the original melody while adding your own unique elements?

Can you tell us about your approach to playing and how you balanced technical proficiency with expressive delivery in this track? It is very important to analyze the original version well and understand what and where changes can be made. The final result must express character and personality without distorting the original composition. The same goes for the guitar solos: in this song, there are specific points where you can express your creativity to the fullest , while in others, it is crucial to stay on the original theme. Analyzing the composition in depth is absolutely crucial to understanding the type of change that can be achieved.

What were some of the key sound design choices you made, and how do you feel they enhance the listening experience?

My choice was to obtain a rhythmic sound that can be defined as modern. At the same time I obtain solo guitars with a much more 80s style but which can fit optimally into the composition. All this to try to obtain a product that can be outstanding out as much as possible.

While fans of the original Sonic theme will undoubtedly appreciate your rendition, what do you think sets your version apart and makes it appealing to a broader audience?

We recently revisited the soundtrack of the Dragon Ball Z anime and realized that it was appreciated by a larger audience than we could have expected. I always try to offer a product that can try to stand out in today's tough market. The hope is always that one's efforts will be rewarded by the listeners who have given me huge happiness throughout these years.

[gardenofembers]

Reflection on videos

Kurt Schwitters

- He used collages as an extension of his paintings, he was influenced by the expressionist movement within art. With his use of color, organization, and the combination of items, he created organic and dynamic pieces. He used broken items to give them a new life, believing that anything could be used for others.

George Herms

- He took garbage and other items placing them in certain portions to make a world of poetry with simple tools. He used the term "LOVE" as a iconic in his art.

Betye Saar

- She used the events of the Civil Rights Movement and African American equality as a inspiration for her pieces as she supported the cause. Through her pieces she used things as small as children's tool to reflect the racist background of the time around her.

Robert Rauschenberg

- He used heavy contrast and colors different to explore the connection between paintings and sculptures. Using different items with a sense of balance of composition and unity to create these pieces.

Joseph Cornell

- He used a collection of different musical objects and items to represent the theme of music and arts. His pieces make view questions themselves, the world around them and possibly even the pasting of them. With each and other box, he creates a whole world new world with different meanings

Louise nevelson

- She heavily inspired by Hans hofmanns, in which she also learned about Picasso's cubism with that idea of geometry. She searched for liquor boxes and found objects all of her city.

[young-dumb-and-vaccinated]

A Deafened Bard (Stephen Strange x Female!Reader) pt. 2

Doctor Strange and y/n confide their tragic backstories in one another. Y/n struggles with her feelings for him.

Trigger warnings: abusive parenting, use of firearms, discussion of death and grief, mention of alcoholism

"On the outside, always looking in

Will I ever be more than I've always been?

Cause I'm tap, tap, tapping on the glass-"

You stopped yourself before you could indulgently belt out the titular lyric.

"Ew, why was I singing that?" You muttered to yourself. "I don't even like that song." 

You knew, subconsciously, that it was because you were trying to avoid what you really wanted to sing. For the first time ever, you had an audience. Someone was paying attention. 

"Love of my life, you've hurt me-"

"Oh, come on, butterfingers." He interrupted. "Love of my Life by Freddie Mercury. Give me something hard." 

"I wasn't aware it was classic rock trivia night." 

"Then why were you staring straight at me while singing?" He smirked. 

"Was I?" You cocked your head, expertly deflecting his implication. "I'm so spaced out I don't even know where I'm looking." 

"It's Freddie Mercury." He insisted.

"Uh, yes and no." You corrected, drawing on your encyclopedic knowledge of Queen from one particularly weird summer in high school. "While Freddie Mercury wrote the song, it was recorded on a Night at the Opera. Which was accredited to the whole band." 

"That's a nitpick," he shook his head. "I'm still right." 

You couldn't wear your heart on your sleeve anymore. You could only distract him with 70s glam rock trivia for so long before he started to notice a pattern. Although a sappy love song was in your heart, you sang the anthem of the depressed theater kid. 

You were staring straight at him, though. But who wouldn't? You studied his features only for artistic inspiration. His sharp jaw and high, high cheekbones were… inspiring. 

You couldn't lie to yourself. You fell and fell hard.

"Butterfingers!" Master Strange called out from the other side of the sanctum. "I need you!" 

You dropped your pencil and pushed yourself out from the chair. "Coming!" 

You followed the voice into his chambers. This was a new development, you thought. Out of respect for his privacy, you'd never dared to snoop around in his bedroom. But this was practically a written invitation. 

The room was spotless. Not a book or a scrap of paper out of place. Nor was there much to look at at all. A handful of picture frames, some magazines from when he was a surgeon, all featuring himself on the cover. 

"Butterfingers!" He called again, as if he knew you were about to snoop.

"I'm here!" You yelled back, eyes wandering around the room. "What do you need?" 

"I left my watch somewhere in the library!" He sounded disproportionately panicked for what was just a minor inconvenience. "I need you to go get it for me." 

"What does it look like?" You asked. 

"It's a $27,000 watch." He snapped impatiently. "It looks like one." 

"Jesus." You cursed.

"Don't give me that shit, [F/N]." He ordered, slamming his fist down against the sink. "Just do what you're goddamn told." 

"Alright, alright!" You put your hands up. "Fine, I'll get it." 

You hurried down the stairs and into the library. On the floor between his favorite chair and a stack of musty old books was a slim, silvery watch with a plain black band.

You picked it up and examined it. Apart from the price tag, was there really any reason for him to be so worried about it? He knew exactly where he left it. Did he have reason to believe it wouldn't be there when he returned? 

All you needed to do was flip it over to get your answer. You read the inscription on the back. 

Time will tell how much I love you -- Christine 

You should have known that his massive ego wouldn’t keep the women away forever. Hell, it certainly didn’t deter you. Much uglier douchebags have gotten far prettier girlfriends than they deserved.

You closed your fingers around the watch and sighed. The fantasy you created for yourself, of slowly, deliberately earning his love was shattered. Christine already beat you to it, it seemed. You tried to smother the part of you that resented this person for her exclusive right to Master Strange's affections. You didn't know her, but you loathed her. And you felt filthy for it.

With a heavy heart, you brought the stupid, criminally expensive little timepiece back to its rightful owner. 

"Here's your all-important watch, master." You mumbled, placing it on the bedside table. 

"I know I told you I would give you space to question things," He said, swiping it from the table and expertly affixing it around his wrist. "But I'd really appreciate it if you didn't question this." 

You tried to sound as non-passive-aggressive as you could. You attempted a more forgiving tone, but you couldn't hide your hurt. "It's fine. I don't care." 

"I didn't mean to get short with you, [F/N]." His voice softened. "I'm sorry. But this watch-" 

"It's fine." You cut him off, peering at the floor. 

"It was a gift." He finished anyway. 

You felt the lump in your throat rising. You knew what the watch represented and you wanted to smash it to pieces. Along with the sting of rejection, you felt the sting of tears in your eyes. "I know. I saw the engraving."

"She died two years ago." He lowered his head. 

Suddenly, all your ill will towards this woman turned into guilt. 

"I'm sorry to hear that." You said. "I can't imagine what it's like to lose someone who loved you so much." 

"She had agreed to come to a speaking engagement with me. As a second chance, and-" Pain wrapped his voice. He closed his hand tightly around the watch and held it close to his chest. "Have you ever been in love before, [F/N]?"

From the way your heart ached, and how easily the thought of never being with him made you cry, you knew the answer. You'd been avoiding speaking it into being thus far, but you couldn't lie to yourself anymore.

"Yes." You whispered. 

"You'll learn soon enough." He muttered. "It only brings more suffering." 

The tears finally breached and you tried to blink them away. You didn't know what emotion was causing them: guilt, shame, contempt, anger, sadness-- they were all present.

"Master Strange, I-" you stuttered, tripping over your breath. "I respect what you've gone through, I really do, but it's not fair to take it out on me." 

"You're right." He conceded. "I'm sorry. Please, go get some sleep.”

You nodded. “Right.” 

You slept as late as you could get away with the next morning. In apprentice terms, that only meant sleeping until eight thirty. Your dailies could wait an extra hour while you laid in bed, feeling like garbage. 

You stumbled down the spiral staircase in your pajamas. No bra, no makeup and no effort. You didn’t even run a brush through your hair. Why try, you thought. Why make an effort for the man who would never see you as anything but the help? 

When you saw the piano, though, you did a full 180.

In the living area was a French cherry baby grand piano that definitely was not there before. You certainly would have noticed it before. You placed your phone on the counter and approached the new addition. 

As if the memories were woven into the very muscles and ligaments of your fingers, you ran down a few octaves of C Major. The keys were smooth as porcelain and the sound that emanated from the instrument was next to heavenly. 

A bright orange post-it note was stuck to the music rack. 

“Love of my Life”, Queen, A Night at the Opera. 1975 

Was this a request, or an admission of wrong? Whatever the case, it made you smile. 

"You weren't being entirely honest with me, Butterfingers." He said, randomly materializing behind you. 

You turned around on the piano bench and looked up at him. "What was I not honest about?" 

"I'm so glad you asked." He sat down on the bench next to you, phone in hand. "Because when you said you used to play piano, you didn't specify you were actually a student prodigy." 

Sure enough, on his phone, he was scrolling through your Instagram. Dozens of videos of a much younger [F/N] playing hundreds of different songs, singing with too many vocal runs and doing so with the entire content of her soul behind the music. 

"Student prodigy is a bit strong." You turned your head to hide your blush. 

He scrolled up and found a picture of a young, zit-faced teenage [F/N] holding an acceptance letter. "Last I checked, Juilliard doesn't give full-ride scholarships to just anyone." 

You covered your face with your hands, smothering an embarrassed smile. "God, please. I'd rather you'd found my OnlyFans." 

He raised his eyebrows. "As tempting as that sounds, I'd still rather hear your explanation on this. Why did you give up on something you loved?"

You looked at him in surprise. "You really want to know?" 

"Well, I told you mine." He playfully nudged you in the side. 

You took a deep breath in. "Well, it was about two years ago, now-”

"Cheers to you, [F/N]!" Your best friend Holly raised her glass of champagne in your direction. "Juilliard ain't gonna know what hit ‘em."

"I'll drink to that." You said, bring your own flute up to your lips and taking a swig. You wretched in disgust as the vile liquid ran down your throat. "Or maybe I won't."

"You're gonna have to get used to it." Holly nudged you with her elbow. "I think most professional musicians are alcoholics."

You narrowed your eyes at her. "I don't think that's right."

"Is too." She smirked. "Conductors are mad strict. Abusive even. Drive musicians to drink all the time."

You laughed. "Is everything you know about the world of music from Whiplash?"

"And The Perfection." She added.

"Thank you, Holly." You said, attempting to take another sip of champagne, purely for dramatic effect. "Very cool."

You felt a pair of hands on your shoulders. "Hi, Holly. Enjoying the party?"

Holly took a step back. "Hey, Mrs. [L/N]. Yeah, it's great."

"I hope you don't mind," Your mom said, her fake nice voice eeking through her clenched teeth. "I need to borrow [F/N] for a few minutes."

Holly's face fell. "Sure. I'll catch up with you later, [F/N]."

Your mother tugged you off to the side. With a stressed huff, she began. "Jason is out in the fields with his ROTC friends."

"And what do you want me to do about that?" You asked, knowing her drunk self couldn't read your sarcastic tone.

"Could you go get him and bring him home?" She said, squeezing your upper arm.

"Are you kidding?" You spat.

"[F/N], he's drunk." She scolded. "Do you want him to get another strike on his record?"

"I don't care." You mumbled under your breath. "Have him call an uber. Hell, let him sleep it off in the field. Not my problem."

"You know what he's like when he's drunk." She rationalized. "He gets rowdy. It had better be you."

You tensed up. "No. Holly and I are going to the French Quarter. I don't have time to babysit Jason."

"Just pick him up on your way there?" She pleaded. "It won't take long."

You knew this wasn't going to stop. "Fine, but this is the last time."

You were both dressed far too well to be trekking through the swampy ass nowhere when you should have been fucking your way through the French Quarter. Luckily for your evening plans, all you needed to do was follow the sound of gunshots.

You slammed the car door shut and Holly followed suit. Finding him was the easy part. The hard part was hauling his drunk ass back home.

"Fun's over, shithead." You announced, heels sinking into the sod as you spoke. You didn't have much trouble projecting over the gunfire and getting their attention.

"Shit, [F/N]?" Jason sputtered, so drunk he could barely keep his head straight.

"Holy shit, I didn't even recognize you in that dress." One of his dumb fuck friends added. He jabbed Jason in the side. "Why didn't you tell me your sister's hot?"

"Buster, I-'' You clenched your teeth. "I don't care if you live or die, but my mom needs me to bring Jason home."

"If you get in the car now, we won't have to use the chloroform." Holly added.

Jason scratched the back of his head with the barrel of his gun, then pointed it at you. "You're gonna have to make me."

"Jesus fucking Christ!" You exclaimed, hitting the deck. "What the fuck, Jason!?"

Jason and his dumbass friends laughed. "You should have seen the look on your face, [F/N]!"

"Put down the fucking gun-" You seethed. "And get in the fucking car."

He lowered the gun and looked like he was going to concede. Just when you thought he would cooperate, he stuck it up again. He keeled over in a fit of laughter when you and Holly panicked again.

"Look at them!" He shouted. "They're so fucking scared!"

You knew out in the middle of the swamp, nobody could hear you scream. So you used it to your advantage.

"Jason, you're going in the car, or under it." You raised your voice. "I will mow your drunk ass down like eight day old roadkill right here in this field and you will be LUCKY if anyone finds your bloated, shit-covered remains before the crocodiles get a whiff of you."

That seemed to get his attention.

"Sorry, boys." He pouted. "You heard her."

He had to 'get you' one final time, though. Only that time, the gun went off. Just centimeters from your ear. You clutched the side of your head, trying to drown out the deafening ringing with your screams.

You vaguely remembered Holly pistol-whipping Jason before loading you into the car to drive you to the hospital, leaving him desolate and drunk in the field.

"It was a one-in-a-million shot." The otolaryngologist tried not to sound impressed at what was clearly some kind of anomaly very few got to witness in a medical career. "When the bullet fired, the gunpowder traveled down your ear canal, burning the cells of your auditory nervous system and... singing your eardrum... clean off."

Your eyes widened. "Off?!"

The doctor lowered her head. "I'm sorry, Miss [L/N]. I'm afraid you'll never return to full hearing again."

You didn't want to kill the messenger. You knew she was only doing her job. "Are you fucking kidding me?!"

"If we could do a tympanoplasty, which, given the condition of the drum, is unlikely-" she began. "There would still be no way to fully repair the hair cells along the ear canal."

You took deep breaths to try and quell your simmering rage. "I'm leaving for Juilliard in three months."

"Hearing aid technology has improved significantly over the last decade." She said, a somewhat hopeful upturn in her voice.

That was when your mother decided to join in on the conversation. "Oh, we can't afford that."

You thought you were going to crush your teeth into bits from how tightly your jaw was clenched in fury. "Take it out of Jason's college fund, then."

"Oh, [F/N]." She said as if you had just told the funniest joke imaginable. "Please. That wouldn't be fair to Jason."

"You can afford to send that blithering idiot to the Citadel." You hissed. "You can afford to buy me a hearing aid so I can play piano."

"Beethoven was entirely deaf." Your mom pointed out. "And he became the greatest composer of all time. It's really just mind over matter, sweetie-"

"Sure, that makes perfect sense!" You plastered on a deranged smile, feeling driven to the brink of madness. "I can repair my destroyed eardrum with the power of positive thinking! Jason gets thirty-five thousand dollars a year to play soldier, but I have to just use my imagination."

She covered her face with her hands as if she was being attacked and went into kicked-puppy mode. "Don't be mad at Jason, [F/N]. He didn't mean to hurt you-"

"Fuck this." You said, releasing all your tension in those two words. "Fuck all of this. I'm tired of you defending that chauvinist asshole. The next time you see me will be when one of us is dead."

"Where are you going?!" She wailed.

You snatched your purse from the table and threw it over your shoulder. "I'm moving out."

“Disgraced at age nineteen?" Master Strange said, leaning back on the piano. "Let me guess, you turned to alcohol to cope?"

"You'd think, but actually no." You shook your head. The tone of the conversation had taken a sharp left turn from sadness to dry, apathetic amusement. "I probably would have if I could have afforded it."

"You missed out." He said. "Drinking a whole bottle of eighty year old scotch was definitely the highlight of my grieving period."

You'd never joined the clauses 'Master Strange' and 'drunk off his ass' in the same sentence before then. It was an odd mental picture for sure. One you needed to see to believe.

"I got desperate." You admitted. "Luckily, New Orleans had a lot to offer someone like me, so I didn't have to go far to find people claiming to have answers. But it was all essential oils, incense, binaural beats-"

"I'm sorry," he cut in. "What kind of dickhead suggests binaural beats to someone with only one functioning ear?"

You threw up your hands. "Right? Doesn't make sense. Anyway, I came across a woman named Mistress Fantina and she pointed me in the right direction. How to heal my body through control of my spirit."

He looked at you with that fascination of the human body characteristic of those in the medical field. "It worked, I assume?"

"I figured it out." You shrugged. "But I got so invested in the Mystic Arts that I forgot all about Juilliard. Became a full-time student. Ever since, I never once thought about returning to my old life."

"I suppose if I'd discovered this world because I had lost, say, my ability to perform surgery, it would be hard to leave it behind and return to the operating room." He thought out loud. Sighing, he closed his hand over his watch. "But no matter how medical science evolves, you can't reverse death."

You let the quiet linger for a moment.

[felassan]

Mass Effect development insights and highlights from Bioware: Stories and Secrets from 25 Years of Game Development

This is the Mass Effect version of this post.

[In case you can’t read it the subtitle in the bottom left logo above is “Guardians of the Citadel”]

Note: Drug use is mentioned.

Cut for length.

Mass Effect 1

ME began its life in a vision document in fall 2003

Codenamed “SFX”

Conceived of by Casey Hudson and a core team from KotOR. Its genesis was the intention to create an epic sci-fi RPG in an original setting that BioWare owned (so they could have full creative control), and in a setting that was conceived of first and foremost as a video game

Initially players could control any squadmate, but they wanted it to be about Shep and for players to be focused on Shep being a battlefield commander, rather than on switching bodies

By the start of 2004 its story was shaping up. Initially humans landed on Mars in 2250 and discovered evidence of an ancient alien race and a powerful substance, Black Sand, which rapidly advanced tech to the point that FTL travel was possible. (My note: obviously now the Prothean artifacts on Mars & associated mass effect force tech enabled this in the final canon, but I wonder if aspects of the ‘Black Sand’ naming-type & powerful substance stuff was rolled into red sand from final canon) Humans were suddenly capable of travel to multiple star systems and made contact with a multitude of other species. At the start of the first game, these species together with humans had a fragile peace, with focus placed on the political center of the galaxy, a hub known as Star City, later renamed the Citadel

Multiplayer was a vision for the series as far back as 2003. The plan was for ME1, an Xbox exclusive at launch, to take advantage of the platform’s online components. Early designs saw players meeting in one of the central hubs to interact and trade items in their otherwise SP adventures

By 2006 it had the name ME and the story was more specific, with the theme of conflict between organic and synthetic lifeforms. The story’s scope now stretched across 3 games and included scope for full co-op MP

They tried to do MP in every game, discussing it from the get-go, but it always just fell by the wayside. “When you’re trying to build something that is a new IP, on a new platform, with a new engine, you’ve got to really focus on the core elements of the game.” 

The conversation system prototype was made in Jade Empire, and some of ME’s earliest writing was done in an old JE build. At first there was no conversation wheel. Paragon was “Friendly” and Renegade “Hostile”. In the prototype Shep was a silent unnamed Spectre. Many conversations in the prototype about the player’s choice in smuggling a weapon through Noveria made it into the game

In said prototype a merchant referred to themselves as “this one”, though the word hanar never appeared. The PC in it also had the option to end a conversation with “I should go”. In the prototype also, Harkin was voiced by Mark Meer

An early version of the Mako got used as the krogan truck in ME2

Early concepts of the Citadel were drawn in pencil by CH. A piece of concept art of its final design was painted based on a photo of a sculpture near Aswan, Egypt

As with any new IP naming it was a struggle. They put out a call to all staff for ideas, did polls, made a name generator that combined words that they liked in random ways and made pretend logos of ones they liked in Photoshop to see if they could make themselves love the name or find visual potential in it. (Some of these names are in the pic at the top of this post.) CH liked “Unearthed” as it was a reference to Prothean ruins dug up on Mars and humanity’s ascendance going away from Earth. They knew the game would have a central space station featuring prominently so some of the ideas were based on that - “The Citadel”, “The Optigon”, “The Oculon”. “Element” was another one they had in mind due to the rare substance in the game 

CH: “I was a big fan of John Harris’ book Mass, which had epic-scaled sci-fi ideas, so that was a word that came up often. Many of the names came from the idea that the IP featured a fifth fundamental physical force (in addition to the known four of gravitational, electromagnetic, strong nuclear and weak nuclear) so the word ‘effect’ came up pretty often.” Ultimately none of the ideas really felt right. One Monday morning they were going over the names and Greg Zeschuk said he had an idea on the weekend: “Mass Effect!” CH: “I said, ‘I don’t hate it’, which in the naming process is a high compliment. And it stuck!”

CH on Shep’s Prothean vision from the beacon: “It was hard to imagine how we would do this. CG was - and is - really expensive. Instead I wanted to try doing it through photography and video editing. So I went to a local grocery store and bought a few packages of the weirdest looking meat that I could find. Then I set up a little photoshoot in my basement, complete with some electronics parts and some red wine for juicyness.” He used these props to create a video sequence where the photos were rapidly cycled and blurred, along with production paintings, to create the scary vision an organic/machine experiment on the Protheans. These mashups were also used as inspiration for concept artists and level designers who were working on these themes

Tali used to be called Talsi

On the licensing side they often joke that they’re licensing N7 not “Mass Effect” due to N7′s popularity

There was a confidential internal guide to the IP in 2007 to help devs along and summarize/synthesize the vision etc. Some excerpts from it are shown in the book and this is the first time the public have ever seen them

Early versions of Asari had hair

Asari were designed as a nod to classic TV sci-fi (with human actors wearing obvious makeup and prosthetics to play aliens)

The turian design guideline was “we want them to be birds of prey”. They also wanted a range of alien types, some close to human like Asari, while others were to be a lot further away, like turians

BioWare patented the conversation wheel, which was a first for them. CH had been frustrated with reviews of Jade Empire that said that the actioncentric game was too wordy [with its list dialogue]. “I’m like, story is words. [...] What is it about our games that is making people feel like they’re wordy?” Then he thought “In a game you kind of need to feel like you’re continuing to play it. Maybe you should continue feeling like you’re playing it actively into the dialogue.” “[The wheel] kind of gave a new experience with dialogue when you did start to react based on emotion, and that’s ultimately what we’re trying to bring out in our games”

The original krogan concept was based on a bat “with a really wide squidgy face. We just used its face on top of this weird body and it kinda worked”

Geth musculature was based on fiber-optic cables, with flexible plates of armor attached

The vision for the IP was 80s sci-fi inspired space opera

The concept art of Saren lifting Shep by the throat inspired a similar scene in-game. The staging wasn’t planned til designers saw that art

A squadmate with Shepard on the way to meet Ash in an old storyboard was called Carter. Early name of Kaidan or Jenkins?

Bono from U2 was kinda instrumental in bringing us ME lol

Finding the right cover art for ME1 was notably tricky

Matt Rhodes got his start drawing helmets for ME1, including one which would become Shep’s “second face”. He estimates he drew between 250-270 different ones

Some of the sounds in-game were people smashing watermelons with sledgehammers and sticking fists into various goos

The audio team had fun trying to slip the iconic main theme into unexpected places throughout the MET. “We were very aware of how powerful that track was for the fans and it was tempting to overuse it for any moment we wanted to make really emotional”.

The theme was creatively repurposed in ME3: slowed down and reworked as the ambient sound for the SR-2. “If you listen to it for a really long time, just stand in the Normandy and listen, you’ll actually hear the notes change slowly. It doesn’t sound like music, it sounds like a background ambiance, but it’s there.” (My note: Well no wonder the Normandy feels so much like home?? 😭 sneaky..)

Bug report: “Mako Tornado”. There wasn’t enough friction between the tires and the ground, causing testers to lose control of the vehicle and send it spinning into the air like a tornado. “As it turns, the front end comes up, and then it starts spinning and spinning and spinning and spinning faster and faster and faster until it just flies up in the sky” (My note: Sounds like a regular day in the Mako to me)

Cerberus originally had a bigger role in this game. It was cut but they had a whole explorable outpost. “I called it Misery,” says Mac Walters, “It was this planet with a little outpost that said ‘Welcome to Misery’”. Everything on the outpost was shit - dirty worn stuff, no windows, no kitchen, the vehicle bay was open to the elements etc

The Reaper sound is literal garbage. Some audio designers went on a recording trip to a national park. One of them got fixated on a garbage can, “a metal bear-proof receptacle with a heavy lid that creaked horribly when opened”. “It was like, ominous, spooky, tonal and almost musical. I decided to throw a mic into the garbage and record it moving. I didn’t know what it was going to be until later”

They were making lots of noises to record like throwing logs and rocks around. An old couple peered at them through the window of their camper van in the woods and must have called the cops because then the cops showed up, pulled them over and told them to stop. The cops towed their car (the driver’s plates were Cali plates and expired), drove them to Edmonton outskirts and then the audio producer Shauna got a call and had to go pick them up “like three little boys”. “We got a stern talking to”. Once back they were playing around with the garbage sound, editing it etc. Casey heard it and proclaimed “That’s the sound of the Reapers”

Preston Watamaniuk: “There are things I could have done to Mass 1 to make it an infinitely better game with better UIs” and some simple cuts and changes. “But when you’re living with it, it’s very hard to see those things”

BioWare Labs

As social media and smartphone games exploded, BioWare dedicated a small team dedicated to exploring opportunities here - BioWare Labs

Mass Effect: Galaxy used a unique graphic art style and static visual presentation common in visual novels. It has the distinction of being the only iOS game BW have made during their first 25 years

Scrapped ideas were a 3rd person space shooter called Mass Effect: Corsair and 2 DA titles - a strategy game and a top-down dungeon crawler starring young Wynne. (My note: Maybe the corsairs stuff was rolled into Jacob’s backstory in 2, the Alliance Corsairs)

Corsair was a very short-lived project that never got its feet under it. It was a spin-off on Nintendo DS featuring a behind-the-ship perspective and branching dialogue. At one point it had MP. The idea behind it was basically “ME: Freelancer” - fly your ship around, do missions, get credits. It had a limited branching story but was a gameplay-centered experience intended to fill the gap between ME1 and 2. That gap ended up being filled by Galaxy

Galaxy and Corsair’s smaller screen allowed concept artists to use bold colors and a simplistic character design style to help those games stand out from Shep’s story

Nick Thornborrow did some art for Corsair but was worried his art style didn’t fit ME. He moved to DA where he feels his art style fits better

Lots of BioWare VAs and even a lead writer and the VO director are drawn from Edmonton’s local community theater scene, which is vibrant. Think this is how Mark Meer got involved

Mass Effect 2

Player choices carrying over was a first for BW

Dirty Dozen-inspired plot

Its plot is a web of conditionals (see Suicide Mission)

Was more of a shooter than anything BW had made since Shattered Steel

There was 2 camps on the team, those who wanted to push combat and systems forward and redefine the ME experience and those who wanted to make a true sequel, with the same gameplay and systems but a new story. Karin Weekes: “I think it ended up being a good push-pull. It felt like a pretty healthy creative conflict”

“ME2 was a game you could hold up to someone who argues that games aren’t a serious medium and go ‘Oh yeah, then why is Martin Sheen in this?’” Sheen was their first pick for TIM

The idea for TIM came from a mash-up of concepts CH had collected over the years. The name “Illusive” originally came from his pitch for naming DAO’s Eclipse engine, a word inspired by Obi-Wan’s line “It’s not about the mission, Master. It’s something... elsewhere. Elusive”. “I thought, what if we called our next engine 'Elusive', but used an ‘I’, and then it’s like ‘Illusion’. [...] I still really like the word with an ‘I’ and what it conjures”

When ME1 DLC was in production, CH had been watching a lot of CNN, specifically Anderson Cooper. “How is one guy travelling to all these places and never looking tired and always being able to speak with clarity?” CH says it seemed almost superhuman. “What if there was someone who is the absolute maximum of the things you would aspire to be, but also the worst of humanity?” Cooper, though not evil, became an inspiration for TIM down to the gray hair and piercing blue eyes

Inspiration for TIM’s behind-the-scenes role pulling political strings came from Jack Bauer’s brother Graem in 24. Graem “can call up the president and tell him what to do and hang up, because he’s so connected and so influential”. Sheen had played a president and his performance brought gravitas and wisdom to the role. He had quit smoking, but the character smokes. He didn’t want to fake it, but he also didn’t want to smoke, “so he actually asked for a cigarette” to hold so he could stop his words to take drags with natural cadence

Writing was still pushing to write and revise lines hours before VO started. A series of problems like injury and some writers leaving for other opportunities left it so that Karin, Lukas Kristjanson and editor Cookie Everman hand to land the story safely, with PW helping where they could. Lukas: “We took over the writing bug and task list, and I can’t stress enough how much [Karin and Cookie] did to get ME2 out the door. There’s no part of that thing we didn’t touch”. Karin: “That was the most dramatic 2 weeks of my life”

Initial fan reaction when they started promo-ing ME2 was very negative because people didn’t want to know about new chars like Jack and Mordin. “[fans were like] ‘Get them out of here. We want our characters from the first game’. But then when they played them, those became some of the most popular chars [of the series]”

Concept art of Thane has an idea annotation saying “Face can shapeshift?”

At one point when designing Thane concept artists sent multiple variations of him to the team asking them to vote on which was the most attractive

Most of the Normandy crew was written by lead level designer Dusty Everman. Lukas gave him advice in the evenings between bugs

BioWare Montreal made ME2 and 3 cinematics

CC for Shep was based on tools used by char designers to create in-game chars. Under the hood similar tools existed to create aliens

Aliens were much easier to animate than humans. When something is human it’s very difficult to make it look realistic and you can see all the mistakes and everything

Over the holiday period in 2007 CH worked out a diagram on a single piece of paper that would define the entire scope and structure of the game. The diagram is included in the book

Bug report: “I shot a krogan so hard that his textures fell off”. At one point shotgun blast damage was applied to each of the pellets fired, and shot enemies ended up with just the default checkerboard Unreal texture on them after their textures got blown off

Blasto was meant to be 1 step above an Easter egg but his fan popularity prompted them to bring him back in ME3

They rewrote chunks of Jack 2 days before she went to VO. She was the only one they could change because all the other NPCs were recorded. They redesigned her mission by juggling locked NPC lines and changing Shep’s reactions by rewriting text paraphrases to change the context of the already-recorded VO

Lukas snuck obscure nods ito ME2′s distress calls. In the general distress call for the Hugo Gernsback, there’s BW’s initial’s and Edmonton’s phone number backwards. In a fault in a beacon protocol there’s the initials and backward phone number from Tommy Tutone’s “Jenny”. In 2 other general distress calls there’s initials and numbers from Glenn Miller Orchestra’s “Pennsylvania 6-5000″ and initials and numbers from Geddy Lee and Rush’s “2112″ respectively 

Mass Effect 3

“The end of an era marks the beginning of another”

ME3 “marked the end of Shep’s story”

Saying bye to Shep was as difficult for devs as it was for players

JHale’s final VO session included Anderson’s death and romanced Garrus’ goodbye. “We were in the session and we both just started crying”, Caroline says. “I couldn’t come on the line to give her notes because I was crying, and she was crying. And so there was just this minute-long pause of like, nothing, nothing, nothing - just silence through the airwaves. And then I came on and just told her that I was crying and she said ‘I’m crying!’” They talked about these anecdotes also here on the N7 Day reunion panel

The Microsoft Kinect voice support required devs to teach Kinect hundreds of commands in a variety of accents across multiple languages. The result was useful but made for some awkward moments. Numerous players accidentally said “geth” or “quarian” while making a particular decision and accidentally killed Tali

MP chars were voiced by cops and military people

The helmet on one of the MP chars was originally designed for cancelled project Revolver

The payload device at the end needed to attach to the Citadel while essentially serving as a giant trigger. “It ended up becoming quite the engineering feet just to visualize how this thing would move and connect to the Citadel”

Concept artists explored creating an anti-team, where Kai Leng was almost an anti-Shepard essentially, with an elite squad to counteract your team. This idea never went beyond concept phase

ME3 Special Edition was released on Nintendo Wii U exclusively. This exclusive version of the game includes Genesis 2 (a sequel to the original Genesis comic) and unique gameplay features that took advantage of the touchscreen GamePad. For years Sonic Chronicles: Dark Brotherhood had had the honor of being BW’s only game made for a Nintendo console

FemShep regrettably didn’t feature in major ME marketing til ME3. Later releases like DAI, MEA and Anthem have taken increasing care not to gender their protagonists in cover art

To capture combat sounds they took a trip to CFB Wainwright, a military base southeast of Edmonton. They got a big tour of it and were allowed to record anything they could find. The tour ended with them getting to drive and shoot tanks (real shells). The force of doing that sent waves through Joel Green, he felt his whole chest compress when it went off; the perfect sound for the Black Widow! After the trip the soldiers let him keep the shell he fired and it’s been passed on like a torch to various devs since

Kakliosaurs began life as a joke in the writers’ room after John Dombrow placed a Grunt figure on a t-rex toy he had on his desk. Lore was brainstormed to justify the mash-up before someone asked, “Why don’t we put this in the game?” They loved it so much Karin had custom coffee mugs made

Bug report: For a while Tali’s final romance scene would fire when she was supposed to be dead

“Balancing combat: how designers in ME3 entered an ‘arms race’” - the solution to players feeling OP vs players feeling frustrated by really strong enemies is to find a good middle ground, but for designers Corey Gaspur and Brenon Holmes, it was war. Brenon designed enemies, Corey designed guns. Corey “was obsessed with bigger, heavier guns. We had this sort of informal competition where he’d make this crazy overturned gun that would just murder all the enemies, and then I tuned some stuff up to compensate”

Brenon had to invent new ways to “stop Corey” and this led to the Phantoms. Corey had in turn designed consumable rockets that could wipe out entire waves of enemies. He must’ve figured this would make short work of Brenon’s space ninjas, but Brenon had other plans: “I had just added the ability for her to cut rockets [when Corey was playing MP and he was watching]. She cut the rocket in half... Corey just turns and looks at me and is like: ‘Really dude? I just shot a rocket at this Phantom and she’s fine? Not even damaged? Zero damage?’” 

This friendly rivalry helped elevate ME3′s gameplay. Corey had a knack for making a gun feel so good to fire it had his fellow designers scrambling to keep up. It was his version of balancing. Before Corey sadly passed away he mentored Boldwin Li in all things weapon design and the arms race continued

Corey designed the Arc Pistol. It was causing problems for enemies because it was too powerful. It seemed hell bent on staying that way, Boldwin would tune down all its stats and it was still doing 3x the damage it should have been doing. “I was like ‘What the hell?’, and then I looked closer. It secretly fired 3 bullets for every pull of the trigger! Corey, you sneaky jerk”

The day it launched there were midnight launch parties across North America including one near the BW building. Numerous devs sat at long tables greeting fans and signing autographs as the fans picked up preorders. When midnight struck the line was long enough that it took several hours for some fans to get their game. One particular fan is remembered: “It was 3am. Some guy drove up from Calgary with his friends. He was like one of the last people in line. I think he was sort of tired-drunk. He threw himself across the tables, pulled up his shirt and shouted ‘Guys, sign my abs!’ And like I did, because he waited so long. It felt impolite not to. So I hope he enjoyed his copy of ME3″

For designing Protheans concept artists had free reign to design something that read as ancient

Before the concept art team had the story of the game to work toward, they explored wild ideas of their own including an image of the crew stealing back the Normandy to go after the Reapers

Jen Cheverie was testing scenes and was initially excited to be testing Mordin scenes, til she saw she was testing the Renegade version of his death. “This is even before like all of the audio and everything was in, so you didn’t even have the sad music. I remember sitting at my desk and my hands just went to my face when I saw that the gun Shep pulls on Mordin is the gun he gives Shep in ME2. I burst into tears and was crying for the rest of the day. People are waving to me as they walk by and I’m like, ‘It’s ok, I’m just killing my best friend’” 

There’s a segment called “Shepard’s story ends”. Casey on the ending: “There’s a whole bunch of things that come together to make it incredibly tense and emotional for players. I think the biggest one was the sense of finality, that whatever it was that happened in that very last moment... was it.” 

Wrapping up the story was a massive feat. In a way all of ME3 is an ending. Its final moments were the players’ last with a char they’d been with all the way from Eden Prime

“And while the critical reception of the game was extremely positive, many fans were unsatisfied with the ending, which became one of the most controversial in the history of games.” CH: “We were, on one hand, at the end of a marathon trying to finish the game and the series. But as devs we also knew that there would be more. We knew that we would continue to tell the story. In retrospect, we didn’t fully appreciate the tremendous sense of finality that it would have for people”. He envisioned an ending that posed new questions, something in the tradition of high sci-fi that left players dreaming about what that particular galaxy’s future could hold. “Frankly, there’s a lot more that we could have and should have done to honor the work players put in, to give them a stronger sense of reward and closure”

AAA games are massive undertakings with a million moving parts. Somehow they come together but even the best-planned projects don’t turn out quite like devs hope. From start to end video game production is a series of compromises. It’s rare if not impossible for devs to ship a game they’re entirely happy with. “I think that people imagine that when you finish a game, it’s exactly the way you wanted it to be. But whether people end up loving or hating the final result, we work hard to finish it the best we can, knowing that there’s a lot we would have wanted to do better. I think that’s true of any creative work”

As the dust settled after the initial reaction to the ending and later its epilogue, meant to show the wide-reaching ripple effects of Shep’s final choice, “players emerged mostly asking for one thing”. CH: “Now, most of what we hear, after both ME3 and MEA, is ‘Hey, just go make more Mass Effect’. And that to me is the most important thing. Knowing that players want to return to the ME universe is what inspires us to press on and imagine what comes next”

Mass Effect: Andromeda

By creating a new ME in a new galaxy the team was challenged to put their own visual stamp on the game while keeping it true to the franchise

Being the first ME game on a new gen of consoles meant for more detail

“Massive transport ships called arks populated with salarians, turians, humans, asari and quarians” made the risky jump to the Cluster

MEA was the first time BW had truly codeveloped across 3 studios: Edmonton, Montreal and Austin. The bulk of the work especially early on was done in Montreal, which was composed of a handful of Edmonton expats and heaps of experienced devs who joined from elsewhere specifically to bring a new ME experience to life. Series vets in Edmonton then came on to contribute writing, cinematics, design and QA, along with leadership from creative director Mac Walters and the core Production team. Austin writers and level designers also joined the fray

“It took a new team to take ME beyond the Milky Way”

Mac: “A lot of people in Montreal joined BW as fans of the franchise, so they just had this passion, and it felt like it was more like the days of Jade Empire, where a smaller younger team gets to do something for the first time. Even though it wasn’t necessarily a new IP for me, it felt fresh and new because of that. The team was just super excited to be working on it”

Early plans had the player exploring hundreds of worlds, procedurally generated, allowing for a nearly infinite variety of experiences. But as development wore on, it became clear that the game narrative required more specific, hand-touched level design on each world to keep the story focused and the experience engaging. “The plan was to give players numerous uncharted worlds to explore. Designers worked hard to come up with procedural elements that would make such planets special. Eventually the team made the difficult decision to abandon procedural planets in favor of more memorable hand-touched alien worlds, each with a specific story to tell”

One challenge was defining what ME meant without Shep. Care was given to include many of the MET’s key species. “Ryder recruited turian, asari, krogan and salarian followers”. Like Shep Ryder represents humanity’s hope for a peaceful coexistence among aliens who had long operated without human contact

Beginning with MEA the team decided that with few exceptions vehicles in ME have 6 wheels. Early Nomad concepts were bulkier. Later ones focused on its ability to move over its ability to protect itself from hostile fire, underlining the themes of exploration

German concept designer and auto-motive futurist Daniel Simon was contracted to create the Nomad and Tempest. The Tempest’s final design took inspo from the Concorde 

Concepts for angaran fighter ships have the following notes: “Two doors swing open, wings rotate down to function as landing struts, the landing struts split open. It has a spinning turbine engine 

Despite being set a galaxy away and some 600 years after Mordin’s death, there was a time when he had a cameo. It wasn’t cut due to running out of time however, it was cut due to drug references. John Dombrow explains: “One day I had to write a small quest for Kadara. I thought it’d be amusing if these 2 guys living way out on the fringes in a shack were growing plants for uh, medicinal purposes, and needed Ryder’s help with it. It occurred to me, wouldn’t it be amusing if Ryder had the option of actually trying ‘the medicine’ to see what would happen? And I thought, what if it turned into some hallucination that somehow involved SAM - like maybe SAM would sing? But why? How could I motivate that? Then it hit me. Who else in the ME game sings unexpectedly? MORDIN. As a nod to him I wrote SAM singing Modern Major-General. It got even better when our cine designer John Ebenger wanted to take it even further. Bless him, he came in on a Saturday to do a special hallucination showing Mordin himself. It was great. Til the fateful day we were told MEA had already been submitted to the ratings board. That’s when you declare things like drug references in your game. Mordin fell under that category which meant it was a no-go. We were too late”

Ryder’s white AI armor contrasts Shep’s iconic dark armor (intentional design)

Concept art for Ryder involved experiments with cloth (cloaks, ponchos, capes - “Pull here to release cloak”) and asymmetrical design elements

For alien design, there’s a few exceptions but humanoid figures are the ME standard and this persisted into MEA

Kett and angara concepts explored striking lines and textures 

– From Bioware: Stories and Secrets from 25 Years of Game Development

[fruitcoops]

Could you maybe write a “73 questions with Sirius Black” Vogue one? Or something like that.

Yes! I had never seen these videos before and it was a fun challenge to write. Hope you enjoy! Sweater Weather credit goes to @lumosinlove!

The house is large, two stories tall and painted a soft gray with white trim around the windows. Holiday lights have yet to be taken down and shine in all colors of the rainbow from the eaves as the camera crew walks up the front steps. The curtains in the window tremble for a moment, then a dog pokes her head through—she is all-black and curious, and looks quite large.

Dorcas Meadowes knocks on the front door; a moment later, it swings open and reveals Sirius Black. “Hey, guys, come on in! You can leave your shoes by the door inside.”

“Thanks, Sirius.” Dorcas kicks off her flats and follows him inside as he sets a dish towel on the end table and leans against it. “How are you today?”

“I’m doing pretty well. Morning practice was productive and I’m feeling good about our upcoming game.”

“We’re here today to ask you 73 rapid-fire questions while you lead us around. Sound good?”

“Sounds good. You can all come inside instead of freezing on the porch,” he laughs, waving them closer. The door shuts with a gentle click.

“First question: on a scale of 1-10, how excited are you about life right now?”

“Hmmm. A solid seven.”

“Do you have any pets?”

“I do!” Sirius leads them into the other room, where the dog is curled up on the couch below the window; he picks her up and gives her a kiss on the head. “This is Hattie and I love her very much.”

“Cute! If you could do a dramatic love scene in a movie with anyone, who would it be?”

Sirius sets the dog down and thinks for a second. “Aside from my fiancé, I’m going to say James Potter. We would kill it and I don’t think it would be that awkward.”

“What’s the origin of your name?”

“Pretty much my whole family has star-themed names. Sirius is the dog star from Canis Major.”

“Brightest star in the sky, too. What’s one thing people don’t know about you?”

“I’m an introvert. Lots of people assume that I’m super social because of my job, but I’m very quiet in real life.” He walks back out to the entrance and takes the towel off the table, then moves into the kitchen. It’s well-lit and painted a deep, warm red. The countertop is scattered with knickknacks and picture frames—clearly, this is a place people spend a lot of time. Hattie, who followed them in, lays down by the oven with a heavy sigh.

“What’s your wakeup ritual?”

Sirius reaches up and pulls two mugs out of the cupboard. “I wake up around seven am and make coffee while Re is in the shower, then rinse off and get dressed while he makes breakfast. It’s a good system. Want some tea?”

“Sure. What’s your bedtime ritual?”

“I don’t think I have one,” he says as he puts the kettle on and ignites a burner on the stove. “Usually we read or watch a movie, then go up to bed and talk for a while. There’s not a big routine or anything.”

“Sounds nice. What’s your favorite time of day?” Dorcas sits on the other side of the kitchen island while he takes a box of peppermint tea down.

“That’s a tough one. I like the in-between spots, like just after sunrise or dusk. Three in the afternoon is usually pretty chill as well. Does anyone else want a cup?”

There are a few murmurs behind the camera and he takes two more down. “What is one thing no one knows about you?” Dorcas asks.

He raises an eyebrow. “If I told you, everyone would know, and it wouldn’t count.”

“Fair enough. Dream country to visit?”

“Anywhere. I think I want to go to Ireland first, though.” Small wisps of steam begin curling out of the kettle, but it doesn’t whistle.

“Do you ever feel pressure to post things on social media?”

Sirius makes a face. “I used to. Eventually I just got tired of it, you know? The whole point of social media is sharing bits of your life with people and it makes me happy to show off my dog, or Re, or my friends. I post things just for fun now.”

The kettle begins to hiss and he reaches back to turn it off. “Sneakers or skates?”

“Skates.”

“Vintage or new?

“Vintage, especially for t-shirts and sweaters.”

“Who is your biggest role model?”

“Pascal Dumais.” Sirius stops pouring for a moment to look up at the camera. “If you ever get a chance to meet him, listen to what he has to say. You’ll be better for it.”

“Wise words. How do you deal with negativity? Oh, thank you.” Dorcas wraps her hands around the mug and takes a small sip while Sirius passes the other ones to the crew.

“Honestly? I don’t give a shit. It used to really bother me, but I’m happy, I have a job I love, and my family cares about me. Why should I care what people I’ve never met think of me?” He sits on the counter and rests his elbows on his knees, blowing on the hot water.

“What are three things you can’t live without?”

“My dog, Remus, and my family.” There is no hesitation in his voice.

“Not hockey?”

“I’d be devastated if I couldn’t play, sure, but it’s not the central focus of my life anymore.”

“What’s one ingredient you put in everything?”

“Does salt count?” He winces as he takes a drink. “Ugh, burned my tongue. I put salt on a lot of things because I drink so much water that it throws my balance off.”

“What is something you’re completely bored of right now?”

Sirius rolls his eyes. “Gossip columns and tabloids in general.”

Dorcas hums in agreement. “What’s your biggest fear in life?”

“Losing my loved ones.”

“Window or aisle seat?”

“Window. Anyone walking by always steps on my foot or hits my elbow if I’m in the aisle. Plus, I get a good view and an easy nap spot.”

“What’s your current TV obsession?”

“Avatar: The Last Airbender, which I’m watching for the third time already.” He shakes his head. “It’s just so good.”

“Favorite app?”

He takes a second to think. “Spotify.”

“Secret talent?”

Sirius looks at her over the rim over his cup. “This is going to shock you. Ready?”

“Ready.”

“Hockey.”

“You’re the worst.” Despite her words, Dorcas smiles. “What the most adventurous thing you’ve done in your life?”

“Uh, probably going to Europe with some of the guys last year. We had a lot of fun, but it was crazy.”

“I can imagine it was. How would you define yourself in three words?”

“Tall, dark, and handsome.”

“And apparently not humble,” Dorcas teases. “Favorite piece of clothing?”

“Hoodies.”

“Clothing item everyone should have?”

“Hoodies.”

A door opens behind them and the camera turns; Remus walks out of the basement, covered in sweat as he wipes his forehead with the hem of his shirt and holds his skates in his other hand. “Baby, have you seen…” he trails off when he sees the group of people in the kitchen. Hattie’s tail thumps on the floor. “Um. Hello.”

“Hey, Remus, how are you doing?” Dorcas asks mildly.

The camera pans out to catch both Sirius, who is laughing quietly, and Remus, who flushes pink. “I’m good. I thought you were coming at ten?”

“It’s ten-thirty, sweetheart,” Sirius says, hiding his smile in his tea.

Remus glances at the clock before giving an awkward nod and walking toward the stairs. “I guess I’ll take a shower, then. Sorry about that. Uh, carry on.”

“What’s a superpower you would want?” Dorcas asks as soon as he disappears.

Sirius shakes his head with a grin. “Uh, teleportation. That would be really cool.”

“What’s inspiring you in life right now?”

“Ah, une grande question.” He thinks, then tilts his head toward the staircase. “Moments like that. And the Stanley Cup, of course.” He reaches back and knocks on the wooden cupboard.

“What cause is closest to your heart?”

“LGBT+ rights, especially trans rights. I’m privileged enough to have a platform and I intend to be loud as hell about that.”

“Good.” Dorcas sets her almost-empty mug on the table. “What’s one thing you’d say to your teenage self?”

Sirius lets out a long breath and drums his hands on the light blue ceramic of his cup. “I would say…it gets better. It really, really does. You’re going to feel super shitty for just a little bit longer, but then I promise you will be so incredibly happy that you wake up every morning and it hits you all over again.”

Dorcas nods, and the kitchen is quiet for a moment. “What’s a book that everyone should read?”

“The Hobbit, by J.R.R Tolkien.”

“What would you like to be remembered for?”

“This is going to sound so corny, but I want to be remembered for just being a good person.”

“That’s not corny. How do you define beauty?”

“Remus Lupin.”

“That’s corny,” she laughs, making him smile. “What do you love most about your body?”

“I’m a big guy, which can be a little bit intimidating, but it means I give really great hugs. I’m sure everyone saw the video that went around a while ago.”

“Cap Cuddles?”

He snorts. “Right. You’ve got Finn O’Hara to thank for that.”

“In your opinion, what’s the best way to take a rest or decompress?”

“Being alone,” Sirius says. “There is literally nothing better than getting home and sitting down with a book or something while I can hear Re doing his own thing and Hattie’s napping. It’s one of my favorite parts of the afternoon.”

“That’s the most introverted thing you’ve ever said.” Dorcas grins and finishes her tea just as a faint beeping noise begins in another room. “What’s your favorite way to experience art?”

“Through music, for sure.” He slides off the counter and walks down the hall, leading them toward the laundry room. He gives the camera crew a look as he pulls dry clothes out of the machine and heads back to the living room. “What? Did you think I didn’t do my own laundry?”

“You lost a sock,” Dorcas informs him, picking it off the ground and laying it on top of his head.

“Thanks, D.”

“What question do people ask that you wish they wouldn’t?”

“Lots of people have asked me when I decided to be gay, which is wrong on so many levels.”

“If you could master one instrument, what would it be?”

“Guitar or piano.” He dumps the load of laundry on the couch and opens the back door, holding it for the crew as they walk out into the sunshine. Hattie weaves through their legs and disappears into the bushes along the back.

“I might have to take your dog home with me. If you had a tattoo, where would it be?”

Sirius mock-glares at her. “Let me have my girl! Um, I would love to have a tattoo somewhere on my arm.”

“This might be a hard one. Dolphins or koalas?”

“Oh, that is hard. Probably dolphins. The ocean is terrifying but those little guys are just having a blast.”

“What’s the best gift you’ve ever received?” Dorcas asks as he picks up a tennis ball and throws it across the yard. Hattie emerges from the bushes and races after it in a blur of black fur.

“An engagement ring.”

“Yeah, it was.” Remus walks into the backyard and kisses Sirius’ cheek before bending down to catch Hattie in his arms. His hair is still damp from the shower. “Hello, sweet girl!”

“Who’s your favorite musician?”

“Queen.” Sirius laughs at her surprised look. “I’m gay, what did you expect?”

“True. What’s your favorite board game?”

“Monopoly.” Remus and Hattie disappear from the frame, but the bouncing sound of the tennis ball creates some background noise and Sirius watches them for a moment with pure affection.

“Favorite color?”

“Blue.”

“Least favorite color?”

“Orange.”

“Bowties or knot ties?”

He frowns. “Don’t they all have knots?”

“Smartass.”

“Yep! Uh, regular ties.”

“Bowties are superior!” Remus calls.

“Get your own questions!” Sirius laughs.

“Going off your music answers: records or CDs?”

“I don’t own a lot of records, so I’m going to have to go with CDs. I love the way vinyl sounds, though.” His eyes widen as he looks to the side. “Are you okay?”

“Fine,” Remus wheezes. “I didn’t need those ribs anyway.”

“For the viewers, the dog just football-tackled him into the grass,” Sirius says, and Dorcas snorts.

“Your hair is famously luscious. Blow-dry or air-dry?”

“Air dry.”

“Coffee or tea?”

“Coffee, but tea is nice in the evenings.”

“What’s the weirdest word in the English language?”

Sirius laughs. “There are so many. Uh, ‘jeez’ is the one that comes to mind first.”

“What about the French language?”

“Oiseaux,” he says in a crisp accent. “It means ‘birds’, and you pronounce about three of the actual letters.”

“Good to know. Do you prefer dark chocolate or milk chocolate?”

“Dark chocolate.”

“Stairs or elevators?”

“Elevators. I don’t want to walk up three floors after playing hockey for two and a half hours.”

“Summer or winter?”

Sirius bites his lip in thought as they walk around the yard, where small flowers line the fence in beds and colorful pots. “I love summer because I have actual free time to be with my friends, but winter is hockey season. I don’t know, next question.”

“What’s a dessert you don’t like?”

“I’m not a huge fan of caramel. It’s too sticky.”

“A skill you’re working on mastering?”

“Will you ban me from more interviews if I say hockey?”

“Yes.”

“In that case, I’m working on keeping plants alive, as you can probably see.” He taps the nearest flowerpot gently with his foot; it has ‘Harry’ painted across it in sloppy blue letters. “My godson made that for my birthday.”

“What’s the best thing to happen to you today?”

“This, for sure,” he says with a smile. “I haven’t seen you and Marley in ages.”

“We missed you, too. What’s the worst thing that happened to you today?”

He pouts slightly. “Burning my tongue on tea.”

“Hugs or kisses?”

“Hugs! Though I’ll accept kisses from a few very specific people.”

“Do you have a favorite smell?”

He pauses and cranes his neck to look behind the cameras. “Re?”

“Yeah?”

“What shampoo do you use?”

“Uhhh…” There’s a moment of quiet. “It’s something with lavender, I think.”

Sirius turns back to Dorcas. “Something with lavender.”

“How specific,” she laughs. “What’s the best compliment you’ve ever received?”

He smiles to himself. “There was a young woman, maybe sixteen or seventeen, that came to one of the games earlier this season. I saw her standing with a puck and went over, and while I was signing it she looks at me and says, ‘you are exactly what I wish my older brother was like’. Turns out, she was bisexual and her brother wasn’t super accepting of her. That was…” He shakes his head. “That meant the world to me. I’ll never forget it.”

“You’ve definitely made a big impact on the community,” Dorcas agrees. “What’s the last piece of content you consumed that made you cry?”

“I watched ‘Soul’ the other night and almost had to pause it at one point to pull myself together.”

“Do you prefer animated movies or live-action?”

“Animated, mostly because I wasn’t allowed to watch Disney movies as a kid, so I’ve been catching up as an adult and they rock.”

“What’s your nerdiest quality?

“I love watching documentaries.”

“Sweet or savory?” The back door creaks a bit as they walk back inside and the camera catches a few frames of Hattie and Remus running around the yard together.

“Sweet.”

“In ten years, you have a daughter. What age do you let her date?”

Sirius gives Dorcas a look. “Whenever she wants to. I’m going to impose curfews and stuff, but I’m the last person on the planet to police her love life.”

“Good answer. What’s a song you can listen to on repeat?”

“Don’t Stop Me Now by Queen. Absolute banger.”

“If you could switch lives with someone for a day, who would it be?”

“Arthur Weasley,” he says after a moment. “I would love to know what it feels like to get up in the morning and know you’re about to spend another day wrangling our team. It’s a miracle he hasn’t killed us all with his clipboard.”

“How do you know you’re in love?”

“Oh.” Sirius blinks at her in surprise at the sudden topic change. “Well, for me, I think it’s just…being comfortable around someone. Being able to spend time with them without saying anything and knowing you’re safe, no matter what. It’s the best feeling in the world.”

“What are you most excited about at this time in your life?”

A slight smile crinkles his eyes. “Getting married. That’s going to be awesome.”

“Who is your go-to for having a good laugh?”

“James Potter. He’s the best, and I love him.”

“Last question,” Dorcas says, sliding her list into her pocket. “Many LGBT+ people, especially teenagers, have spoken about how you’re an inspiration. Any words for them?”

Sirius hums in thought. “First of all, thank you for being so open and welcoming. I would never have expected the sheer force of people’s love to come through like that when so many people were saying horrible things. Second, to any kids out there who need to hear it: I’m proud of you. It takes a lot to be true to yourself and even if you’re still in the closet, you’re just as valid as the rest of us. Stay proud.”

“That’s a wrap.” Dorcas gives him a quick hug that he happily returns. “Thanks for letting us crash your morning, Cap.”

“Any time. Thanks for tuning in to Lion Pride, everyone!”