#the study of joy and whimsy

[truthseekers-journal]

just letting you know for the future since you seem to be staying with the boys long term, eric is not a reliable source of information. zach has a good head on his shoulders, but eric is prone to lying because he thinks it's fun. -Chris (birdie's vampire uncle)

Fascinating. Thank you very very much, Chris. I had figured there was something up with him when he asked me to pull his finger and did something VERY vulgar.

[truthseekers-journal]

The bingo gods HATE ME.

That being said, I actually had a lovely time! It was nice to have something to like… do rather than spiraling about my EPIC QUEST FOR REVENGE (still ongoing)

I took clyde to bingo and he was a big hit. he did not win once, but cheryl took pity on him and gave him one of her prizes.

[princyvish]

ouggghh Sabo one piece save me 🧎

reference image under cut!

[mochasucculent]

Kinda weird but this is still like one of my fave things I've ever drawn lol, it's just a background study from Shawn James' cover of Arkansas by Damien Jurado (there was a character here too once iykyk lol) but I was Going Through It at the time and painting this was soooo cathartic

[a-gay-little-cat]

events of the past 3 days btw

@gr-74 is the dervil 🫶

[truthseekers-journal]

It’s actually ouipsi, I believe 👆

note to self: do not sprint toward boyfriend full speed in slippery socks

[snickeringdragon]

okay i doodled him real quick so i can post him hiii. this is freedom of forests hes a rain world self insert.

[aromacaque]

"shadowpeach is toxic" anon do u know how to have fun. theyre lego monkies with emotional problems and tumblr user aromacaque is not in charge of them as concepts lol what do u want. [also they objectively are not related in any way whatsoever in any iteration just tbc]

PLEASE

[ozymoron]

hate when im reminded im actually talented and that most people cant draw the kind of shit i can draw and that its actually kinda incredible i can do what i can do and that im just so used to being in art spaces that i forget its a genuine skill most people dont have

[daisy-room]

Haikyuu Fic Recommendations for my Favorites

Ushijima

1. One Summer Day; unexpected love. Truly an amazing trope. This story takes place in high school and I want to eat the writing. Like it’s so good, and so beautifully done. (Not completed) @hiraethwa

Tendo

1. Custom Action Figure; this whole series is hilarious and I suggest checking it out. It made me smile and they have a lot of characters for it. @darthferbert

Oikawa

1. Supportive Boyfriend Oikawa; the way I simp over this man needs to be studied in a lab. These headcannons are literally adorable. Like I want all of this. I want him to teach me how to serve (totally don’t play volleyball it’ll be like when people pretend to not know how to play like pool) I love this man. @miksy63

2. Binary Stars; SMAU for my favorite boy like ever. It’s a little angsty but that’s to be expected when the characters don’t talk to each other smh. It’s fine in the end and it’s a nice short one, definitely worth the read @causenessus

3. Sweet Things; AHHHH! So cute!!!! Sweet things he does for you in the relationship. @cherrye

4. You Know How to Ball, I Know Aristotle; really cute Smitten Oikawa with a studious/nerdy reader. So fluffy I love it @lovingache

5. Pass, pass -oh smash; I may be a little biased but- I LOVE THIS. LITERALLY SO CUTE I ACTUALLY GIGGLED AND KICKED MY FEET. And I got a pretty amazing mutual out of it 😌 @chocolate-milk-enthusiast

6. In the spirit of matrimony; IT HURT SO BAD OMFG. GUYS I'M THROWING UP/POS @sokuroo

Iwaizumi

Catch me if I fall; AVE it hurt so bad guys, but it also healed me in some way. please go read literally anything that Ave writes!!! @hiraethwa

Bruised; I went feral over this fr. Like I haven't had time to finish it but what I have read it's literally so good omg. Guys please. I'm going to have to make a special section for some people fr. @/eggyrocks

Rot; GUYS PLEASE. I COULD GO ON ABOUT ROT FOR SO LONG. IF NOTHING ELSE ON THIS LIST PLEASE READ ROT. IT'S SO WELL WRITTEN AND IT JUST HITS SO HARD, LIKE THE PEOPLE ARE SO WELL THOUGHT OUT AND HUMAN. LIKE PLEASE READ THIS. THE ENDING IS SO SWEET AND PERFECT. @eggyrocks

Mattsun

Hot To Go; Dodger I fr love this. Like it's so funny and whimsy. AND it's Mattsun!!! It's so hard to find good Mattsun fics I swear </3 (mndi!!!!) @/nectardaddy

Kiyoko

1. Inked- Cute Smau where Y/N owns a tattoo shop and Kiyoko is a flower shop owner. This is really cute and brings a smile to my face with the antics of all the characters. @eggyrocks (they also have some other SMAUs I would say to consider checking out)

Bokuto

1. Secret S/O; various MSBY boys that during an interview accidentally reveal your relationship. This was another cute and funny one that you should definitely check out! @weneeya

Osamu

1. How deep is your love?; various people and headcannons about your relationship. If you can’t tell I’m a sucker for sweet sappy things. These are so sweet. @sweetheartsaku

2. Sharing an Umbrella; Pretty self-explanatory, you forget your umbrella and Osamu shares his with you. It’s really cute!!! @suplicyy

3. You're Here, that's the thing; Osamu. I love this man and it's childhood friends to lovers and sfdkjsjfdsfd WHEN I TELL YOU I ATE THIS UP OMG. @kirschteinoir

4. Time To Cool Off; I love love love this. Her stopping in to see him brings me joy. So much joy <333 him having to deal with the Karen is </3 like LET ME HELP!!!!! I'M IN CULINARY SCHOOL!!! @lou-struck

5. Interviewing to be the baker @ onigiri miya; WYR I LOVE THIS FIC. AS A BAKER MYSELF IT FILLS ALL OF MY NEEDS. I NEED OSAMU BIBLICALLY (you can decide what that means) LIKE MMMMM. @afyrian

Atsumu

1. He’s Trouble; Fratboy! Atsumu with a female reader. I just know this series is going to get more and more funny with each chapter and I’m very excited to see where it goes @lowkeyremi

2. Egoist; guys- I binged this whole thing in like one sitting. It was so well written. Like I enjoy that we got a choice at the end to forgive him and that we weren't forced to forgive him. It made me so skjfnskfbskdbfashkdf you know??? anyway this is def worth the read!! @suhkusa (mdni!!!)

Sakusa

This is My Solemn Vow; Prince and Princess Sakusa and Reader who get married and learn to love each other again. This is a slow burn and it’s beautifully written (not completed) @jinchuls 2. Domesticity; Sav!!!! This was adorable omg!! guys please if you need happy wholesome fluff read this <3333 @akaakeis

Kita

1. Behind the phone; THIS LITERALLY IS SO CUTE AND I THINK IT HEALED SOMETHING IN ME.@t4kalcvr (ongoing)

2. '88 Ford; Omg. I have so many things to say guys. I love this story, I know I keep saying that about the recs on this list but this fr made me giggle. I was giggling and kicking my feet and twirling my hair. The little things that made them love each other. The way that they care about each other. Yn isn't a pushover and can very well take care of herself. Omg this is fr fsjfbskhbshdf I love this. @nectardaddy

Suna

Take the edge off; Okay, so I read this on Ao3 first but this is legit so good. It made me so happy and I think it made me cry at least once. I'm not really a smut reader but I love how Honee writes smut- like idk it's digestible for me <3 I love how this is written, amazing. so many thoughts and emotions. @honeekyuu (minors DON'T interact.)

Caught in the web; I've been on a spiderman kick...I think it's eggy's fault with the poll and series they're doing. This is so cute though, like give me fifteen of them <3333 @sunafc

LOVE NOTES; OMG GUYS PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE. READ THIS!! IT'S SO FLIPPING CUTE. I LOVE THIS SERIES WITH MY WHOLE HEART AND I NEED ALL I CAN GET OF IT. @causenessus

Time of your life; FOAMING AT THE MOUTH. Omg guys is Suna in the favorites favorites now?? he has so many fics now...anyways- this fic was really cute!!!! I loved it so much!!!! @sunarots

Talk Too Much; guys, I don't think you understand how much I love this author. they seem to always hit the mark with the things they write. It brings me so much joy and skjbd I fr just can't put into words how much I love this story <33333 @/honeekyuu

Kuroo

1. Work Wife; You’re Kuroo’s work wife but when training a new person he gets jealous. The ending is so funny! I love it!!! @kaiijo

2. Work from Home; Kuroo is working from home and shenanigans ensue. This one is a little suggestive so be warned. @mewnbun

3. Ghost of You; Ave is a monster guys, like this is so well written and it hurts so bad omg. Like screaming, crying, throwing up all at once. This fic killed me. Like what do you mean they don't live happily ever after???? This destroyed me and I'm so excited for the spin-off series. @/hiraethwa

4. Lovebirds; This was so cute. I love him being her work husband. IT MADE ME SO HAPPY. I LIKE THAT HE WAS HER LITERALLY HER HUSBAND AT WORK. HJBBBBG I LOVE LOVE LOVE. @yogurtkags

Kai's Special Division!!!

This is author's who's works I love. Like literally everything they write! I shall link their masterlists here <333

Ness <3

Dodger <3

Honee (mdni)

Ave <3

Eggy <3

Wyr <3

Molly

Sav <3

Asha <3

I will be adding more to this as I find new recommendations :)

As you can see I definitely don’t have a favorite character 🥰 (note the sarcasm as Oikawa’s section is like 3 fics longer than everyone else)

psst- this is getting a lot of attention for some reason let me shamelessly plug myself @tulip-room (some of the fics are 18+ so minors and ageless blogs stay away from those but my fluff and angst fics go right ahead)

[truthseekers-journal]

wisteria was calling you batman, given your post about adoption and caffeine. and honestly, they could call me whatever they'd like and I wouldn't be upset with them. -Chris

Ah, the superhero? Yes, I’ve heard of him. Feel a little bit foolish now but that’s fine. When you’re not calling me an idiot you can be very helpful, Chris, thank you.

[plurapony]

it honestly makes me sad the way some people are so dismissive of anything that isn't backed by extensive scientific studies.

the world is constantly changing and new studies are always being conducted! where's your natural human curiosity? science is nowhere near complete and we still have so much to learn!

lived experience is SO important because all the extensive scientific studies everyone worships? they all were first derived from lived experience!! if there is no lived experience there can be no studies.

and it goes beyond things like syscourse too. obviously EXTREMELY different to the argument of endo's existence but!! believing in things that haven't been proven brings wonder and imagination to life! i believe fairies and unicorns even though it hasn't been proven and is a little bit silly :) but it makes me happy!!! when you put on that hyper critical lens for basic things like believing others experiences you can't take it off for anything else and you lose all your joy and whimsy and become boring.

sometimes you just gotta be kind and stop viewing everything in a heavily critical lens. if someone is an endogenic system and it's not hurting anyone, why not take their experiences at face value? it's something that's helping their mental health and well-being and shouldn't that be a good thing?

[somber-sapphic]

Snow Daze

〖Summary: Shoveling snow while sick is a nightmare combination.〗

〖Word Count: 2.1k〗

〖Pairing: Wanda x Sick Reader〗

〖Notes: Sorry it took so long to get this done, I got sick and couldn't write for the life of me. Anyway, I hope you all enjoy this and feel free to send me an ask if you'd like to read anything!〗

☾Masterlists☽

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

Waking up to fresh snowfall brought different reactions for everyone. Some felt joy upon seeing their ordinary world coated in white, they loved the whimsy that came with the weather. To others it was more frustrating. It was a chore that had to be dealt with as early as possible to make room for the day. You fell into the latter category.

When you woke up on what was supposed to be a lazy Sunday morning you were less than thrilled to see a blanket of snow covering the yard, driveway and cars. It wasn’t like you didn’t enjoy the snow, you loved watching it fall in large fluffy flakes and every so often you would have a snowball fight with the avengers. Really you loved the snow, but you hated the cleanup. You hated it more with a stuffy nose and a dull ache in your body that clearly indicated that you were getting sick.

There was this little competition among the heroes about who could shovel the most snow, it was their way of turning a chore into a fun workout. You didn’t find it nearly as fun as them. You would rather just get the damn job over with without all of the smack talk and teasing, but they insisted on it.

Wanda had gotten so tired of their antics that she’d dubbed herself ‘maker of the hot coca’ to get out of it. Natasha loved it, she felt great when she could beat the superhumans at anything and generally just enjoyed competition. You participated only because you were a relatively new member of the team (compared to the others) and didn’t want to make yourself look weak.  

Staring out at the vast expanse that was the Avengers Compound driveway you couldn’t help but feel a bit of self-pity. You had just woken up and you were already feeling awful. Your nose was so stuffy that you couldn’t breathe through it, but it was also running. Your throat burned every time you swallowed, and you were sure that the cough that would be coming would make it hurt even worse.

It wasn’t like you had much of a choice though, you could hear Steve beginning to yell at everyone to get up and dressed for 20-degree weather. With a harsh sneeze you began to get ready, pulling on the warmest clothes you could find which included doubles of everything. Even with the two layers you were shivering hard, unable to get warm.

You stared at yourself in the small mirror, studying the dark smudges under your eyes and the sickly pallor of your face. Your nostrils were already rimmed red from rubbing them and your lips were badly chapped. Whatever this was it was hitting fast and hard.

A loud knock startled you out of your daze and back into reality. You shuffled to your door, hindered by the extra layers and your own dizziness. Opening it revealed an excited looking Steve with a big smile on his face and wearing winter clothes.

“You ready Y/n? It looks heavy!” He greeted, grinning at you. His joyful tone was baffling, but you were determined to prove yourself as an individual with no powers and far less experience than the others.

“Lets do this.” You croaked, confirming that you sounded as bad as you felt. Steve’s eyebrow twitched and his expression morphed into one of concern, but you brushed it off with a quiet cough and a smile.

“Sorry, my throat is a little dry. I think I need to talk to FRIDAY about increasing the humidity in here.” You said, offering an easy explanation for what could easily be a fluke. The cough had done wonders to clear your throat and you didn’t sound quite as awful. A bit nasally, but not like death.

Cap nodded enthusiastically, too focused on the idea of what he was sure would be an intense workout to really notice the state you were in. If you said you were fine, he was in no place to question you.

“Lets do this!”

You grabbed your coat and followed the superhero out of your bedroom where you practically ran into a very tired looking Wanda. The witch wasn’t sure why it was so important for her to be awake as she was only making cocoa for everyone, but the boys had refused to give her peace.

When she saw you, her eyes went wide, and you couldn’t help the blush that spread across your cheeks. The way she looked at you with worry and love, it was just something you’d never seen before meeting her.

When you first joined the team, she had been incredibly kind to you, she’d understood your fear and done everything to make you feel welcome. It hadn’t taken long for you to fall head over heels for her. Thankfully she could read your mind otherwise you never would’ve gotten the courage to ask her out.

“Y/n, are you okay? You look…not great.” She said softly, not wanting to attract the attention of anyone else. You smiled again and nodded slightly, wondering if she could tell that you were lying. You had always been good at it, but you knew that she could sense emotions without trying if they were strong enough.

“I’m fine. I just woke up, that’s it. Will you put marshmallows in my hot cocoa?” You asked, leaning in to peck her on the cheek. The brunette hummed quiet concern, but nodded after a moment and squeezed your hand.

“Of course, baby. Come inside if you need a break, okay? No need to put yourself at risk for a chore, it will get done.” She kissed you, her soft red lips brushing gently against yours. You did the best you could to return the kiss, but it was everything you could do not to fall apart. The last place you wanted to be was outside in the freezing cold, you wanted to be with Wanda who was comfortable and warm. Later you’d find yourself wishing that you gave into that want.

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

A chesty cough bubbled from your lips as you threw another shovel full of heavy wet snow over your shoulder, but this time you did nothing to suppress it. You no longer cared if someone heard you, you were tired and cold. It had been two hours of moving piles of incredibly heavy snow and you were barely halfway done.

Natasha glanced over at you but said nothing. She’d been watching you deteriorate for a while now but didn’t want to force you inside when you were being so stubborn. She had internally decided that if you didn’t go in soon, she would get Wanda to come get you.

 The boys were getting even more competitive as they got bored, and Clint had started throwing snowballs. You were thankful that you were on the other side of the driveway away from that nonsense.

One thing your slightly feverish brain hadn’t considered was that the others might retaliate. What had started as one man throwing a few snowballs had turned into a full-blown snowball fight in less than a minute. You tried to avoid your teams’ antics and just continue with the snow removal, but it was too late for that.

Before you could think to react one very well packed snowball slammed you in the face and another hit the back of your head. You froze as icy slush slid down your back and chest, bypassing your jacket to soak into your soft cotton undershirt. You stared at Steve who had thrown the one that hit your face with an expression of shock and anger that was barely masking tears.

You threw the shovel down and whipped around, a wave of spots dancing in your vision as you began to march back toward the front doors. You glared daggers at Clint who had thrown the other snowball and flipped them both off as you trudged your way through the snow, hot tears beginning to drip down your freezing cheeks.

When you got inside you didn’t even bother taking off your boots, you just stomped through the foyer and to the elevator, pushing the button you knew would get you to the kitchen and your girlfriend.

“Mx. Y/l/n, your vitals indicate—”

“Shut up FRIDAY.” You snapped, coughing aggressively into your elbow as you waited the few seconds for the elevator to get to your floor. You didn’t care what the AI had to say, you knew that you were sick, and you were so angry that all you really wanted to do was scream.

When you finally made it to the kitchen the snow had begun to melt. You stood in front of Wanda dripping and shivering, doing everything you could to keep yourself from sobbing.

“Oh love, you’re freezing.” The brunette breathed, shaking her head as she rushed to comfort you. She began to take off your coat and you just let her. The tears coming faster as her aura of compassion washed over you, reassuring you that you weren’t alone.

The young Sokovian woman set your coat on a chair and pulled you in for a hug, giving you silent permission to break down. You did just that and buried your head in her shoulder as you began to sob out your frustration at the world. Wanda held you like that, crying coughing and sneezing for probably five minutes before she pulled away, seeming not to care that you’d ruined her shirt.

“Come on Y/n/n, let’s get you in bed.”

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

When she said that you expected to be brought to your bedroom, but instead you found her leading you to hers. Once there she helped you change into her softest pajamas and tucked you into her bed without a second thought.

The whole thing happened so fast that your fever clouded brain barely had time to catch up when Wanda left you alone only to return a moment later with a mug of tea.

“Here you go sweetheart. Drink this for me, it’ll warm you up.” Wanda said gently, pushing a mug into your hands. She had never made you any cocoa, she knew that you were getting sick and decided that tea would be best.

“Thanks.” You rasped, not sure what else to say. You’d never really been taken care of before and being sick around your girlfriend was strange. The relationship was still on the newer side, so you were worried about doing something wrong and messing it up.

The witch kissed your forehead and took her seat beside you on the soft bed. She wrapped a blanket around your trembling shoulders and made quiet noises of concern as she fussed, something you found yourself enjoying. It was nice to feel cared for and she did it better than anyone else.

“How about we watch a show while you warm up?” She suggested reaching for the remote on her bedside table. You nodded silently and wiped your nose on your sleeve, your throat hurt, and you weren’t really up to talking anymore. Wanda tilted her head at your action and placed a box of tissues in your lap with a little smile.

“Use these instead.” She directed, turning her attention to the TV. You obliged and grabbed a tissue to blow your nose which was definitely better than just wiping it.

Wanda flipped through channels and began to play with your hair as she did so, dragging her nails in patterns across your skull. The effect was amazing, you instantly felt calmer and settled against her even more, practically melting into her side.

You focused your eyes on whatever show she had put on; it was brightly colored and animated. It didn’t really matter to you what she decided to watch, you were too sick to pay attention to it.

You took a sip of the hot tea, relishing the way it soothed your throat and warmed your insides. The snow had been hell, but you were finally able to relax thanks to your amazing girlfriend. You vowed silently to repay the favor the next time she got sick and go above and beyond to take care of her the same way she was doing for you.

[saiintvalentiine]

Hai saiintvalentiineeeeeee I’m rotating the blorbos in my head right now but I’m relatively new here ngl. Any fic reqs? UU or parkciv?

hiiiiiiiiii mushroom-jack

*insert obligatory shameless self promotion here*

so believe it or not I don't read that many UU fics? I got into the fandom when there was jackshit on AO3 so I never got into the habit of reading. So most of these r older fics.

UU:

The Taste of Freedom (within the safety of one’s friends) by Ivy_Amari, a "missing scene" fic set right at the end of the Proton escape episode from Ken's POV. Also shameless friend promotion :')

falling into orbit by GhostWithAScythe, where parfies ARE NOT divorced and are happy and in love and everything is good and we all experience joy and whimsy.

Your hand fits mine like it was made to be there by DeathByManchineel, a wing preening fic. Wing preening makes me happy. Don't look at my wingfic to verify that you will not find evidence just know that I Like It Even If I Do Evil In My Own Wingfic

Park Civ:

interlock (your hands and mine) by Anonymous, a series of short seavbo soulmate fics. I loved it even though I'm not that much of a soulmate enthusiast— just. idk! Itched a scratch! I really enjoyed it.

over the roofs of the world by daedalinth, a series of surreal fics about Evbo adapting to godhood and the things that never truly go away. Love how dreamy and surreal it gets at times.

i sleep so i can see you ('cause i hate to wait so long) by salems_trials, where Evbo goes to bother Seawatt in the afterlife. Loved the internal dialogue of it and it's sincerity, it's pretty short but uses its length to its advantage imo!

bonus KWW fic:

my vision of you is unaltered (i am blind) by FriendlyNeighborhoodCreature, a kind of character study on Maskfies and their relationship with Evilfies. I just think more people should read it.

pls lmk if any of the links are busted I had to do this on mobile at work ㅠㅠ I hope you enjoy some of these!!!

[petrodragonicapocalypse]

GizzMay 2024 !

(a retrospective tour diary by me)

🦎✈️🎵

king gizzard & the lizard wizard announced their 2024 world tour last november with a promise to "get woke, freak out the right wingers and love each other", so i, a like any normal person working a minimum wage job, immediately bought tickets to six shows.

read about the best 2 weeks of my life here (if you wish)

part 1: hamburg & amsterdam

after half a year of planning, studying google maps, scouring airbnb for cheap rooms and wincing at the cost of transport, me and my lovely girlfriend bennie (the person who first showed me polygondwanaland back in 2019) set off on our long-awaited trip on tuesday 21st may 2024. we were going to follow the band for six shows over two weeks across four countries. neither of us had ever done something like this before.

to kick off the trip, we flew from bristol airport to amsterdam, where we were due to transfer to a flight to hamburg. typically, a thunderstorm meant our hamburg flight was cancelled, so they sent us on a detour to vienna. we ate a slice of airport pizza in austria, tried not to panic and finally rolled into hamburg at around 10pm.

hamburg

the next day (22nd may) was our first gig. with around 4000 people and a 3 hour marathon set, this was gonna be the biggest and longest show of our section of the tour, and the only outdoor one. we queued from 1.30pm (early for europeans!) outside the venue, stadtpark arena. soon, the eerie sound of synths began emanating from inside the gates, then morphing into a soundcheck for the never-played-live-before silver cord, vocoder and all, and excitement amongst the fans was stoked. the weather forecast looked ominous, but spirits were high.

at around 3pm, it started raining. it poured relentlessly on the growing line of gizzheads in ponchos clutching poster tubes and beers for 3 hours until the venue gates finally opened. we ran to the front. we were hyped. we stood for another hour while rain and mist blew around the arena and thousands of fans filed in.

finally, just as the rain died down a bit, king gizz ran out onto the stage. the slightly delirious state induced by 2 oreos for dinner and freezing my tits off for 4 hours was almost as good as drugs. all thought of the water running down my back and legs disappeared. fuck yeah!!! king gizzard!!!

the rain soon came back in full force but we didn't care. float along fill your lungs was a fantastic opener, followed by banger after banger: a nonagon suite, work this time and iron lung (with ambrose braving the weather and emerging out onto the exposed walkway in the chorus to splash around in the puddles), to name a few. then, out rolled the highly anticipated new synth table and the boys launched into the 27 minute long live debut of the silver cord.

personally i was full of joy, whimsy and love for techno so naturally i thought this was fucking awesome, but reactions from the crowd (and from the "online community" a.k.a. redditors... haha) seem to have been mixed. it was 27 minutes long, we were cold and wet, the sound was a bit dodgy, etc etc. whatever. i was vibing extremely hard.

however, any dampened spirits were very quickly raised again by the epic 7 song metal run that ended the show. the crowd went wild - turns out moshing does wonders for the cold. i heard what ended up being 2 of my all time favourite live gizz songs for the first time: organ farmer and motor spirit. it kicked ass.

we made it back to the hotel soaking wet and probably bordering on hypothermic after over 7 hours in the rain. had a hot shower and then spent the rest of the evening attempting to dry our clothes and shoes with a hairdryer before our flight the next day. did not smell good.

🦎✈️🎵

amsterdam

we flew from hamburg to amsterdam schiphol on 23rd may, with at least 5 other gizzheads (easily recognisable by their poster tubes and t shirts) dotted around the plane. we arrived to a beautiful city on a beautiful sunny day and (obviously) headed directly to the weed shops. edibles legally purchased, we dumped our stuff at the airbnb and took the train to the venue: AFAS live.

waiting in the line, it was easy to spot who'd been at stadtpark the night before from the mud on their shoes. but the weather that afternoon was sunny and warm and the line was happily buzzing. we met some cool people including a person in a long yellow coat who was drawing huge oil pastel posters for the show - rad as hell and an iconic figure of the tour (i believe they gave the band a poster that night!).

once in the venue, we settled down by the barrier (it's always worth the wait!) and chatted with some swedish guys and a friendly australian, far from home. the support band was dr sure's unusual practice, a lively melbourne based punk act with a wild-haired wild-eyed frontman, filling in last minute for grace cummings who had to cancel several shows due to illness. they put on a great show, during which stu and lucas surreptitiously appeared to watch the band from the wings a few feet away from us. we gave them a wave, and stu shot us a wink.

the setlist that night was fucking incredible. gizzard opened with the mighty crumbling castle, a song that i'd been dreaming of seeing live ever since i first heard it 5 years ago. it was better than i ever could have hoped, with the weed brownie kicking in and the stage lights becoming kaleidoscopic. the band was energetic and the vibes were electric. stu overshot a high kick, fell on his ass and managed to hop back up without missing a lyric. self immolate - dragon - flamethrower - gila monster was unreal. joey used a quiet moment in pleura to stage-whisper "free palestine!", eliciting cheers.

somewhat hilariously in retrospect, during the hypnotic drone of rattlesnake me and my girlfriend both suddenly realised we were way too high. i have vague memories of the second half of the gig, including the han tyumi suite (REALLY REALLY MAD I MOSTLY MISSED THAT) and an honest-to-god terrifying moment in which joey and ambrose walked to the front of the stage, crouched down and stared directly at us for what felt like an undefinable amount of time. ultimately though - despite our tenuous grip on reality and the fact that we somehow got lost in a train station for an hour on the way home and spent the next full day in a semi-stoned stupor - it was a fantastic show. lesson learned: the dutch do not play about their space cakes.

after a day of recovery (let's just skip over that) and a lovely morning spent wandering around amsterdam taking in the sights, bennie and i made our way back to the airport to say our goodbyes. she was going home and i was travelling on to hit up the northern UK shows. despite knowing we'd see each other again in a week for the acoustic UK finale show in brighton, it was weirdly emotional. i was a little nervous about travelling alone, but excited.

🦎✈️🎵

(end of part 1, part 2 coming soon!)

[clorvismaximus]

From the jesters of medieval courts to the boisterous circus performers of the 20th century, clowns have been an enduring presence in human societies. Unlike Homo sapiens, Homo Ridiculus has distinct behavioral traits centered around laughter, whimsy, and a proclivity for slapstick comedy.

The evolution of Homo Ridiculus can be traced through a series of adaptations that facilitated the survival and thriving of the clown species. Genetic studies reveal the presence of a unique "comedy genome," responsible for the development of exaggerated facial features, colorful costumes, and an innate ability to elicit laughter. These adaptations have proven advantageous for clowns in both their social interactions and performances.

Clown communities exhibit a rich tapestry of social dynamics, characterized by cooperation, camaraderie, and a shared commitment to mirth. The concept of "laughter reciprocity" is central to clown societies, where individuals engage in collaborative performances to generate joy and amusement. Hierarchies within clown communities are often based on comedic prowess, with esteemed elders passing down the art of laughter to younger generations.

In the realm of Homo Ridiculus, communication transcends traditional verbal language. Clowns employ a vast array of comic expressions, from honks and squeaks to exaggerated gestures, as a means of conveying emotions, intentions, and punchlines. The study of clown communication provides insights into the evolution of non-verbal comedic expression as a fundamental aspect of clown behavior.

Clowns engage in elaborate rituals and celebrations that serve both cultural and communal purposes. The "Spinning Top Extravaganza," an annual event in clown communities, features grand performances, contests, and the passing down of comedic traditions. These rituals reinforce the sense of identity and shared purpose among Homo Ridiculus.

While clowns are celebrated for their ability to bring joy, they also face challenges and misconceptions within human societies. The study addresses common stereotypes and explores strategies employed by Homo Ridiculus to navigate the laughter landscape, fostering understanding and harmony between clowns and humans.

As we continue to coexist with Homo Ridiculus, it becomes increasingly evident that clowns are not mere entertainers but a vibrant and integral species with a rich tapestry of behaviors, traditions, and adaptations. This research contributes to our understanding of the complex and fascinating world of Homo Ridiculus, offering a glimpse into the laughter-filled existence of this unique species.