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roquebr · 8 months ago

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The Fury

Barcelona femeni x reader

Aitana Bonmáti x reader

Summary: When all seems lost, a turnaround can be more impressive.

The rocking of the bus gives me a slight feeling of relaxation, my headphones placed carelessly in my ears, with the sound at the highest volume, hoping to hide the prevailing noise of the place.

The youngest girls on the team are very excited about today's game, it's no surprise that we are heading towards the first leg of the Champions League semi-final, simply the biggest European championship. So it's not surprising when some of them are sitting on their benches with greater concentration than the other side, which is a mess.

Everyone has their own way of preparing, mine being to ignore everyone around me as much as possible until we get to the changing rooms, music being my escape point, I always turn to Brazilian music to be my company during these moments, it's a way of feel close to home.

— Meto o chapéu na cabeça ela perde a cabeça e me fala assim... – When the song approaches the chorus, I feel a nudge on my shoulders, I pause the song and look at the intruder who disturbed me and then I relax, yeah Alexia, she knows about my pre-game ritual and I know she wouldn't disturb me for nothing.

—Hey Ale, allright?

— Yes, sorry to bother you, but we've already arrived at the stadium and the girls are already coming down.

— I lost track, I'm going too, I'm just going to get my things — I give a small smile, thanking him for his kindness.

— I see you're a little out of tune, is everything okay? – He places one of his free hands on my shoulder, with the other holding his belongings. I don't know how she manages to balance everything like that, if it were me, my cell phone would definitely be broken on the floor by now.

— Yes, I'm just concentrating on the game, you know how it is, right?

— I understand, but if you need anything you can talk to me. – I don't answer, stopping myself from just returning a kind look.

We continued walking towards the changing rooms, greeting the workers as I passed.

I know that this nervousness is not just because of the game, but because of the desire to show more than my best on the field, having arrived at the club just under a year ago, coming straight as a standout on the Ferroviária, I knew that from the beginning I had to show more than I expected.

I've had a strong presence in many of the 37 unbeaten games played so far, I've been a regular starter, but apparently I'm not good enough to start today.

As soon as Jona announced who would start before we got on the bus, my spirits immediately dropped, I know he decided the lineup thinking about preserving some prominent athletes for possible future changes of keys, but that doesn't negate my feeling of incompetence to start on the bench.

We arrive at the locker room and I immediately head to my cubicle, my headphones that have been stored for a long time no longer deprive me of Rosalía's loud voice that emanates from the absurdly loud speaker in my ears.

I change calmly, but I decide not to wear socks or football boots for now, I'm going to interpret this as a protest for being on the bench today, a bit childish I know.

I sigh and lean my head against the wall, where my game t-shirt used to hang, I watch my happy teammates as they transform and sway to the beat of the music.

I saw my girlfriend of 1 year, we met in October 2022 at Ballon D'or, I went to the event as Marta's guest after telling her in a free conversation that I would like to have the experience of going.

We talked for just over a month and soon we were dating, excited, right, but the feeling was intense and it happened, at first it was difficult because of the distance because I was in Brazil and she was in Spain, but we got through it together, whenever I could I went to visit her. there. Unfortunately, she never managed to go to Brazil, but I will resolve that during our next “vacation”.

Jona arrives in the locker room and starts his usual motivational talk, honestly I don't feel like listening to anything, with my mind confused I just focus on going to the bench.

Sit next to Alexia with Lucy on the other side, the traditional song of the champions plays bringing a smile to my face, regardless of my wounded pride, every time this anthem plays I can't help but get emotional, it's a dream that becomes childhood reality.

The first half of the game was somewhat disappointing, Barça put pressure on Chelsea's marking but unfortunately the defense did not give in, in the 39th minute came the beginning of our fall, taking advantage of a passing error from Irene that gave Chelsea close possession of the ball. to the area, making a respectable exchange of passes until he found a partner in the area, he deceived Keira's marking and passed to Cuthbert who wasted no time in scoring. We came out at half-time with 1-0 to Chelsea.

The atmosphere in the dressing room is very different to when we arrived, the totally dead Barcelona vibe contradicts the emotion I normally feel, word after word, motivation after motivation, all falling on my deaf ears as each teammate seemed focused on acquiring each lyric. said by him.

With a wave of his hand, Jona takes me aside to talk.

— YN, where are your boots?

— It's in the bank, Jona.

He sighs lightly in annoyance, the stress in his shoulders is visible.

— Look, I know you're disappointed that I didn't start today, but please put your boots on, I'll be with you on the field in about 10 minutes.

— Great Jona, I'll put it on.

Returning to the second half, a little more excited, I ask one of the physiotherapists there to put a bandage on my ankle, Sophia is her name, as I injured my ankle during the game I always put a bandage on it to avoid future injuries.

After Sophia finishes, I put on my socks and football boots, I kiss each shin guard before putting them on.

The second half began, Barça had difficulty getting into the game, then a penalty was awarded in our favor, we celebrated along with the cheers of the fans, this would be our chance to continue in the game.

The referee goes to the Var and immediately cancels the penalty, apparently the referee interprets that Salma's offside hinders the defender, nonsense if I may say so.

At 63 minutes Jona makes 2 substitutions, bringing Alexia and Lucy. Ingrid and Ona sit next to me, respectively tired and disappointed with their performances, I give both thighs a comforting squeeze.

I wait anxiously at the edge of my bench for a while, waiting for the moment when Jona replaces me. In the 74th minute, when Ramirez, Chelsea's striker, missed the chance to expand, my heart almost exploded. Patri managed to disrupt her position well, although he still let her to finish the shot.

— Jonas!! – He doesn’t even turn around in recognition.

— Que saco mano. – I go down towards him who was on the side of the field. — Jona, am I going in now?

— Be patient, YN, go to warm up.

A frown appears on my face, but I do as I'm told, not before kicking the water bottle nearby. My companions give me sympathetic looks, which makes me more stressed.

At 78 minutes, the assistant coach says I'm ready and Jona calls me to the sidelines next to him.

— Listen to me, we need you now in this field, are you ready for this challenge. – She pauses only to give the numbers to the fourth referee who is preparing the replacement panel. — We need to decide this game at home, with our fans who came here to watch us play, with courage and love when we enter the field. I know you are ready for this challenge, show who you are and what you came for.

I can't find words, so I just listen, shaking my head with a determined look. I take the place of Mariona, who wishes me good luck, running to my position, passing my girlfriend, blinking and returning to focus on the game.

Time: 80m

In a quick run down the wing, Frido sends it to Caro who tries to finish, the goalkeeper saves but the rebound goes straight to my side, I don't miss the opportunity and send it into the goal. I see Salma grab the ball so we can restart the game, I run back to position, jumping and calling the fans to play together.

Time: 83m

Patri intercepts the ball in midfield, passes it to Aitana who dribbles the opponent, leaving her mistaken, I ask for the ball and soon receive it. I notice that the goalkeeper's left corner is free, I prepare my leg and take a strong low shot, I see the ball roll quickly as the goalkeeper tries to launch himself too late, then you see the net ripple. We changed the course of the game, but it's still not enough.

Time: 85m

Aitana is having an impressive run taking advantage of Chelsea's neglect, a defender in front of her, with options like me on the left and Caro on the right, with Salma right behind. Aita rolls the ball to me, I take a slight touch to the right and shoot with confidence, the ball takes a threatening curve and soon falls into the net, surprising the goalkeeper.

Now I allow myself to celebrate, I run close to the flag post and slide down on my knees, my teammates hugging me and pulling me everywhere, the euphoria was so much that it felt like we had won the Champions League right there. I felt like crying, I scored my first hat-trick in the Champions League

Time: 88m

We receive a free kick after the Chelsea player almost grabbed Aitana trying to take the ball away from her, Salma takes the free kick which hits Lucy's head, who aims the ball towards the goalkeeper's box. She came spinning through the air, landing perfectly at my feet, I beautifully pushed her towards the goal and fell into the hug. With every second that passed the crowd became louder and louder, if possible.

Time: 90m

The gas had not passed, it was getting stronger and stronger, now with a considerable advantage, we preferred to send the team back. Keeping score is crucial for the second leg in England. Although we are currently more focused on defense, that doesn't stop us from also attacking at every opportunity. The team's confidence increased and we played calmer, making more passes and remaining calm when under pressure.

Caro has the ball on the right wing, looks up and sees the perfect opportunity to cross.

Caro's always necessary crossing makes things easier for me, I wait for her to reach the right height before jumping and sending the bike, when I fall backwards onto the grass my pain is numbed by a very loud vibration coming from the stadium.

Barely having time for anything else, I run towards the small Chelsea fans present in the stadium, stop in front of them and place both hands on my waist, with an arrogant posture, soon my teammates come to me in pure euphoria. Many compliments reach my ears, I allow myself to embrace them as much as possible before we have to return to the starting position.

9 minutes of extra time were allowed, nothing else impressive happened during this period, the 3 characteristic whistles were heard. There were many celebrations after we greeted the rival team. I head towards the referee team who hands me the ball.

Jona hugs me congratulating me on a successful game, the team soon arrives and gives me the idea of throwing myself into the air, I try to run away but I'm not fast enough, after the desperate seconds pass I run to the fans, my spirits were high today.

I ask a member of the coaching staff to hold my ball for me, while I jump into the arms of the crowd, doing my best to sign and take as many photos with everyone as possible, the only limit being the barrier.

I feel an arm go around my waist as I sign a Mapí fan t-shirt. I look to the side and see that it is Aitana, who is already looking at me with her beautiful smile on her face, her bright eyes remind me of the constellations.

I can't help but smile with her, our passionate looks betrayed our enormous passion for each other, which doesn't go unnoticed by the public, to everyone's euphoria and my poor heart, she stands on tiptoe and gives a long kiss to the my lips. , fireworks light up in my belly.

Soon the photo of that moment would be published on many pages, one of them was the official Barça account, and certainly on many fan pages that would blow up my cell phone with notifications.

But I couldn't care less, I played an impressive game and had my girl in my arms, could I ask for more than that?.

!!The inspiration for the character to score 5 goals in 10 minutes came from Lewa, when he played for Bayern he did this feat, so I thought “why not put that in the fic?”!" ... sorry for any mistakes, english is not my main language

#barcelona femeni x reader #aitana bonmati x reader #barca femini x reader #woso x reader #woso fanfics #woso imagine #woman champions league #football #soccer

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rimurutempest · 6 months ago

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I watched all of modern Doctor Who and these were my favorite episodes.

If you told me back in 2015 that I'd watch the entirety of modern Doctor Who, I'd probably think you're a liar. But, a cute girl wanted to watch Doctor Who with me, and how do you tell a cute girl “No?” Being that of the Superwholock trinity, Doctor Who the least upsetting of the three, I figured “Why not?” I mean, it's enjoyed by thousands and thousands of people, surely it has merit for existing, right?

And, it does! There are many great episodes that I really enjoyed (not to mention a lot of schlock I hated). I even enjoy some of the old serials and that 1996 movie is pretty fun (so very 90s). I can't claim to have seen all of Doctor Who, there is a lot of old stuff I'm probably never going to know even exists, not to mention all the spin offs and audio dramas, there's no way I can get through it all. But, I have seen the modern run, starting with Christopher Eccleston all the way to Ncuti Gatwa in Empire of Death.

Annnnd, anyone that knows me knows I love to rank and review episodic tv shows. So, with that said, here are my 15 favorite episodes of modern Doctor Who:

15 - Dalek (S01, E06)

It is probably unsurprising to any Doctor Who fan to see this episode on the list. The Eccleston era was my introduction to Doctor Who (as I'm sure it was for a lot of people) and this episode was my introduction to the famous villain, the Daleks. It's really a wild way to be introduced to the Daleks when you think about it, the Doctor and his companion Rose end up in an underground museum of alien artifacts out in Nevada and find the man that runs it has a Dalek in captivity. Upon learning of the Dalek's existence, the Doctor goes on a campaign to kill it with extreme prejudice until Rose yells at him about how he's being this horrendous person – which makes the doctor have a “Maybe I'm the baddie” moment and it resolves peacefully. Genuinely is really a good episode about moving on and realizing that we all have good and evil in us. A true standout of the early modern run of the show.

14 - The Impossible Planet & The Satan's Pit (S02, E08&E09)

There's a spectrum when it comes to Doctor Who, there are episodes that are gorgeous and smart and well thought out, then there are episodes that are just absolutely ridiculous. If Dalek explores the prejudice that can be enacted by those we see as “good,” then this duo of episodes is “what if the Christian devil was real and he was in space.” This is such an unbelievable hit of stupid bullshit, but it's delivered so very well. The first episode is loaded with mystery and adventure and unknown horror, while the second episode introduces the goofy concept in whole but still somehow grounds it enough that it still feels like a real plot with real stakes. It's the acting. The actors really sell this one to you. Space Satan is not what I expected when getting into this show but hey, it works and I like it.

13 - Blink (S03, E10)

I'm going to be honest with you, I feel like the internet really hypes up the Weeping Angels to a point that when you finally encounter them you're like, “Oh that's all?” Every episode of Doctor Who with the Weeping Angels feels underwhelming, silly, dumb, boring, with one exception: the original. I will not try to convince you that Blink lives up to the hype that the fandom has built for it, but if you can watch it without the Superwholock kind of bullshit in your head, what you'll find is actually a pretty good story. One of the best of the show. If the angels existed for this one episode and nothing else, they may have stood as the best antagonist of the show, but they got overused. I'm not going to explain the episode, I'll end up overhyping it more, just watch it.

12 - A Town Called Mercy (S07, E03)

I never see anyone really talk about this episode and it makes me wonder if maybe I'm alone in thinking it's great, which if so, oh well. I like westerns. The long and short of this is the Doctor and his companions, Amy and Rory, arrive in the old west to find a town with electricity too early and an alien cyborg gunslinger hanging outside of town hunting the town physician who turns out to be an alien that committed some horrific space crimes. The episode feels like a fun, loving homage to the western genre while once again exploring those aforementioned qualities of good people can be bad and vice versa. It's a fantastic little romp for the cast and these are the kinds of episodes that made the show fun to watch.

11 - Midnight (S04, E10)

Does this count as a bottle episode? The one thing I have to give the cast of Doctor Who is that when they decide it's time to really act, they act very, very well. This episode is completely carried by the acting of David Tennant and his supporting cast. In this episode, the Doctor's companion Donna sits one out while the Doctor takes a shuttle bus to go see a waterfall, until some unknown alien starts taking over people's bodies. This is a very, very well done episode that shows that you don't need elaborate set dressing or endless action to make good television, you just need good actors.

10 - The Devil's Chord (S14, E02)

I realize this might be controversial to say, but Ncuti Gatwa is my favorite actor to portray the Doctor. He's a fantastic actor and the energy he brings the role is so different and wonderful. When it comes to media, people typically don't like to hear you praise the modern bits over the older stuff, but this most recent run of Doctor Who with Gatwa is consistently more interesting and enjoyable than any other season of Doctor Who (that's probably Davies doing).

That all said, The Devil's Chord is a wild episode. I previously said that Doctor Who has a spectrum, from really great story telling to really goofy. If Midnight is the great story telling, then The Devil's Chord is the goofy. In this episode the Doctor and Ruby must face off against Maestro, the God of Music, who wishes to take all music from the world. The energy of this episode is wild, with Ncuti Gatwa's take on the Doctor going up against the insanely wild trickster character Maestro, who is portrayed by the trans actor Jinkx Monsoon. If you've fallen off of late Doctor Who, or you are completely new to it, please give this new season a watch (and don't let the Beatles jump scare at the beginning stop you, I swear there's no Beatles music!).

09 - The Empty Child / The Doctor Dances (S01, E09&E10)

If you're starting your Doctor Who watch at the beginning of the modern series, this will probably be the first episode that strikes a real chord with you (well, other than Dalek that is). This was the show's first real attempt at telling a horror story, one that is sort of zombie adjacent. This bizarre World War Two story with a child in a gas mask morphing people's bodies and existences into more versions of himself is one of the more original stories in the entire Doctor Who series, no one but Eccleston and Billie Piper could have sold this so well. Not to mention the introduction of Jack Harkness! (We'll uh...we'll ignore the actors conduct for this...)

08 - Planet of the Ood (S04, E03)

This is not the first time we meet the Ood, they were in the aforementioned Impossible Planet episodes, however this is when the Doctor finally does what he should have from the very start. The Ood are essentially a slave race, and in Planet of the Ood, they finally start to act out and revolt. The Doctor, as unpolitical as he has always been according to some people, decides “Yeah! Slaves are wrong!” and starts working with Ood Sigma (who becomes a recurring character kind of) in freeing the Ood. This episode also has one of the sickest, most awesome, kinda horrific effects in all of Doctor Who. Above all else, this episode is just very beautifully shot and well made. One of the highlights of the entire series.

07 - The Day of the Doctor (50th Anniversary Special)

Exploring the Doctor's mind during the Time War is such a cool concept. It's a thing the Doctor keeps referring to as this horrific, life changing thing for him, and getting even a glimpse into it is guaranteed an amazing time. Featuring both David Tennant and Matt Smith, while bringing on John Hurt of all people because Eccleston wouldn't reprise his role, the acting talent in this special is incredible and genuinely so wonderful to watch. At the end of the day, it's a really, really good Doctor Who romp and deserves any praise it gets.

06 - The Waters of Mars (2009 Autumn Special)

Pic from the BBC. Theirs looks better than anything I could get.

Hey look! It's the Hugo award winning special! And I only put it at number six!

Everything about this special is so fucking cool. The set designs, the costumes, the fucking monster itself, everything in this is so cool. You know how people always joke about horror needing to be wet? Well this is wet horror. David Tennant puts in so much effort here, struggling with what he wants to and what he has to do, the Doctor is really pushed to some stressful limits here that has such a fantastic end to it. Even if you disagree with where I placed it on this list, there is no doubt that The Waters of Mars is among the best stories Doctor Who has ever put out.

05 - The Impossible Astronaut / Day of the Moon (S06, E01&E02)

This is one that's probably going to get some pushback. I am an X-Files fan, it's my favorite show, love it when it's great and I love it when it's trashy. This two part season opening is the most X-files like the show ever gets, and I am so into it. The opening mystery of the episode sets up a really cool overarching concept for the season (don't ask if it's resolved well, please don't ask that) while introducing us to one of the coolest enemies Doctor Who ever made (please don't ask if they stay that way, please don't ask that). Everything about this is so fun and interesting and I hope others come out of it feeling the same way.

04 - Voyage of the Damned (2007 Christmas Special)

Pic from IMDB.

DOCTOR WHO TITANIC IS VERY GOOD!! Sorry for yelling. For a long while this sat as my absolute favorite episode of Doctor Who. Journeying alone on a rare occasion, the Doctor finds himself spending Christmas aboard the space Titanic (I am not kidding, they named it the Titanic!) and as the name of the ship would imply, tragedy strikes. This story is really wonderful, we get to see the Doctor try his hardest to save people and show love and kindness to so many people, not to mention having a group of characters instead of one companion to explore. I especially love the Van Hoff couple, who are two fat and poor people who won tickets to come aboard what is a wealthy cruise. Everyone around them is rather classist and fatphobic to them, but of all they characters in the special, they exhibit real happiness and love and their devotion to one another is genuinely so wonderful.

As I said, this one stood as my favorite episode for a long time. And, you don't really need to see any previous episodes to watch it, so please go watch it. It's a fun time.

03 - The Giggle (60th Anniversary Special)

I don't know what the wider fandom's thoughts on the 60th Anniversary Specials are, so I don't know if this is a controversial take or not. But, The Giggle highlights everything that is great about Doctor Who. It tips its scales back into the goofy part of the spectrum, but that goofiness is ultimately what makes this such a fun and interesting special. When thinking of actors like Neil Patrick Harris, who are so big and popular and well known celebrities, you forget that the popularity came from the fact they're good at their craft, and if The Giggle did anything for me, it was reminding me that yes, Neil Patrick Harris is an outstanding actor. And, getting put with a returning David Tennant and Catherine Tate really just solidified this special as some of the best acting the series has to offer.

The scene where the Toymaker forces the Doctor and Donna to watch a puppet show about the fates of the Doctor's companions is one of the best meta commentaries the show ever did about itself. The introduction of Ncuti Gatwa is pulled off in a fantastic way. And, the ending is so heartwarming that it makes makes me happy they brought Tennant's Doctor and Donna back.

02 - Heaven Sent (S09, E11)

I previously said that Ncuti Gatwa stands as my favorite Doctor. But, before the Gatwa episodes were out, my favorite was Peter Capaldi. Though Capaldi was given some of the worst scripts of the series (Jodie Whittaker probably got the worst of the worst), he brought such a different interpretation to the Doctor. David Tennant and Matt Smith's Doctors, despite their differences, were largely the same characters. Capaldi's had more of that Eccleston-esque attitude and charm, while bringing this gravitas that makes the silly moments feel real emotionally.

Which brings me to Heaven Sent, which might be the pinnacle of acting in the series. When people think of the best Doctor Who episodes, they probably expect big action and lots of adventure, but to me, the most interesting parts of Doctor Who are when we explore the Doctor as a character. What makes him tick, what makes him who he is, why is he here doing this – exploration of the Doctor and his motives is spectacular, especially when done right. Heaven Sent follows the Capaldi Doctor, after the death of his companion, imprisoned in a castle where he must reveal all his secrets. The torture and sorrow that Capaldi is able to show on his face is both horrifying and spectacular, really showing that he is an outstanding actor. There is no other piece of television like Heaven Sent.

01 - Vincent and the Doctor (S05, E10)

I don't think this is a surprise to anyone. I'm sure everyone has seen the gifs go around of the Doctor taking Vincent van Gogh to the future to see how his work is revered and loved and how moving that scene is. What I don't think most people know is how after that scene, after Vincent has been put back in his own time, the museum doesn't change. There are no new paintings. Amy, the Doctor's companion, then must learn that love and praise alone do not cure mental illness.

This episode has a haze of melancholy. The Doctor may change history plenty of times, but he doesn't often change real events. So, from the very beginning, you know van Gogh's fate, and you know it won't be changed. I actually liked this episode' portrayal of mental illness, it really is something that affects our lives, and makes it hard (if not impossible) to fit into society. How people with mental illness are often outcast, harassed, and treated like subhumans. But, this episode also shows happiness, hope, and love. And, that people do love you, no matter what you may think.

And, I think that makes it the best episode of modern Doctor Who.

Tumblr has decided that adding my full episode rankings would make this post too long. So, I will be adding them in a second reblog (check notes if you want to see!)

#doctor who #dr who #long post #rankings

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raven-at-the-writing-desk · 4 months ago

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What did you think about Jade's role in the latest book 7 chapter? I found it hilarious how between the tweel's dreams his was more chaotic. It was also funny how they brought up Jade's motion sickness since I think the only moments it's been shown was in flight class and I think in Vil's playful land vignette after a rollercoaster ride. I'm really curious about your own highlights ^~^

Honestly, I felt pretty meh about Jade’s involvement in the Octavinelle update 😅

***Book 7 part 10 spoilers below the cut!!***

His own dream segment was alright, it got a few chuckles out of me (though as expected, we didn’t really learn anything significantly new about Jade because of the shallow nature of the dream). Jade’s crybaby dream!Azul was about what I expected, but his dream!Floyd certainly wasn’t. The goofy face on his twin… It made me wonder how Jade truly sees Floyd. Does that weird face mean Jade sees his brother—who comes off as imposing to many others—as cute and harmless? Or does that mean Jade actually looks down on Floyd and thinks of him as a simpleton who likes to eat…? It’s hard to tell (personally I like the former interpretation), but it’s been fun looking at the different perspectives of the same information.

Something I find interesting is that the twins’ moments of waking mirror each other’s usual approaches to a task. Floyd usually foregoes a plan and prefers to use his fists to get the job done. However, he is slowly roused by reminiscing about his memories at NRC and the promise of being presented with a challenge. The final blow that shocks him awake is the presentation of a dream!Azul and dream!Jade who attempt to lure him deeper into the dream. Floyd doesn’t fall for it; in fact, he gets mad instead, and that fury, so biting and clear, snaps him awake. The opposite is true for Jade. He is someone who meticulously plans before acting, and would rather control the circumstances and use other roundabout methods before resorting to violence. But ironically, the master manipulator Jade is the one who falls for his own dream’s manipulations—all because he trusts himself above all else. He only wakes up because of a very strong physical force (ie Sebek’s UM) striking him. Prior to this, Jade was putting up a very good fight and the blows be was taking were not sufficient to wake fully him. So… Floyd, the brother who prefers brawns, woke up after reflecting and experiencing strong cognitive dissonance between his fake reality and bis true reality. Jade, the brother who prefers brains, woke up after being smacked the right amount. They woke up after experiencing an intense shock related to what is essentially the opposite of their preferred problem solving strategies.

I liked seeing Jade and Floyd fight! Book 7 is showing us a lot of things that were brief off-handed mentions elsewhere (like how Rook used to be in Savanaclaw, how Lilia is a war vet, etc.). The twins having violent brawls was previously brought up in Floyd’s Beach Wear vignettes, and it’s nice to be able to view the full extent of it ourselves. Floyd was NOT joking when he said they got into serious fights…

I have mixed feelings about Jade’s behavior within Azul’s dream. I’m NOT saying any of this is out of character or that all of his moments were bad. There were lots of little standouts (like Jade’s motion sickness, the passive aggressive “Azul-san”, smashing up the restaurant, and, of course, him and Floyd grabbing onto Azul and then trusting him to make it out on his own before choosing to let him go). Unfortunately, there were just as many examples of Jade wasting time and meandering, which I was a little annoyed about. The world might be done for if y’all don’t hurry it up 😭 You do NOT have the time to casually smash plant pots or to sit idly by and go “…………” while you watch Azul act like an idiot. I know you have a bigger brain than THAT, Jade. If you already knew what Azul’s weak point was, then you should be acting on it much sooner, not wasting my time like this.

I can see the reasoning for some of this to an extent. Jade is the type of person to drag things out; he wants to enjoy the show as others struggle to attain what they desire. The problem is that this segment still feels… forced or artificially drawn out simply because of the already established pattern of “well we gotta dedicate more time to the OB boy, we have so many other novel assets and scenarios to show off!!” There continues to be so little urgency while prioritizing showing off new assets or even things that seem cool in concept but may be lacking in execution because of how fast new stuff is being thrown at us. It’s just so frustrating because it creates this domino effect where the implication is that Jade doesn’t seem to be taking the situation seriously even though he, as an individual who is skilled in reading others + pinpointing their weaknesses AND as one of Azul’s close aide, should automatically clock what would reasonably wake him. But nooooo, Jade doesn’t do it right away because HEY, we need to create contrived scenarios where he, Floyd, and Azul have to use their UMs once each. Why? Because we have to follow the patterns we’ve already established in the updates before theirs! No other reason, we’re not allowed to stray from the formula! This is even worse when you think about how Jade was somehow unable to deduce that Azul would have moved the contracts to his own room… Like shouldn’t that be the FIRST place you think of, Jade????? No??? Is this an excuse so you can waste time using your Mouse mandated UM on dream!Jade to get the location??? 🤡 Okay, I guess…

The one last thing I have to note is that I’m so glad his and Floyd’s Groovies don’t show them crying. I feel like a lot of people were anticipating that because we previously had Kalim and Rook breaking down… However, it would be remiss to equate all the characters as being as emotional as those latter two are. (Lilia, Sebek, and Ortho were also limited story cards and none of them featured crying.) That’s not to say that I think the twins are incapable of expressing intense sadness, it’s that I don’t think they’d shed tears while attacking each other or Azul. Not crying doesn’t make Jade and Floyd “worse” or “less emotionally available”. It, in fact, alludes to the strength of the trio’s bond. It means they trust the others to be strong enough to take the hits, to fight back and to survive. The same thing is demonstrated when Jade and Floyd willingly let go of Azul and allow him to sink into the darkness, even wishing him well before they do. And to that, Azul just says the same to them (in a smug tone). These three trust each other, and that is why the twins don’t shed tears; how can they cry when they fully believe the ones they’ve chosen to spend their time with are strong enough to make it out on their own?

Overall, I just 💦 do not like the rigid skeleton of these dreams… (which I’ve already expressed before here!) I’m so tired of the same thing back to back, and no matter how many details they try to change to make it cool or feel unique, it always comes at the cost of pacing or, in this case, some character integrity being removed. xbjsvskwjekw Maybe I’m just more sensitive about this since I hate it when a smart character has to actively be dumbed down in order to progress the plot in a certain way. This is a much more subtler of a dumbing down than what book 2 did with Leona, but… It still doesn’t leave me feeling very good 😔 If anyone has played the first Ace Attorney game, this feels a LOT like that part in case 2 where Phoenix is too dumb to check the back of a receipt until Mia literally tells him to. The character has to actively be made stupider because the scenario calls for it, and that really rubs me the wrong way.

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asexual-juliet · 5 months ago

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saw the outsiders musical last night (7/20/24) and thought i would make a little post about some of my favorite parts!! brody, sky & daryl were out so i saw trevor wayne as pony, josh strobl as johnny & henry julián gendron as two-bit!

there’s a bit after pony gets jumped by the socs where darry and soda are cleaning the blood off his face and when they’re done and have gotten up johnny comes and sits next to him and takes out a rag and starts also cleaning pony’s face <3 it’s so so sweet

henry does a couple little opt-ups as two-bit in both grease got a hold and hoods turned heroes where i was like “ooh!” i adore daryl tofa so i was a little disappointed when i found out i wouldn’t be able to see him but henry was SO fantastic!! such a talented dancer and you could tell he was having so much fun with the character! such a standout for me.

was deeply impressed by how many items were successfully thrown and caught in grease got a hold like holy shit dude

the LIGHTING in great expectations has pony pointing his flashlight at darrel on “darrel was on his way up in the world” & johnny on “johnny has no kind of chance in this world” and then as the verse goes on he points it at all of the greasers standing all over the stage and the light lingers on them for the rest of the song it’s so fucking cool-looking! and during the chorus the stage starts to look like a starry sky which is a choice they bring back for the little great expectations reprise at the end of far away from tulsa.

the moment where pony & johnny do their little cool guy walks over to cherry and marcia at the drive-in with their popped collars was so precious to me

i ADORE cherry valance and i ADORE emma’s take on her!! her little convo with pony at the drive-in was really sweet and i loved that they chose not to make the dynamic feel like a crush on ponyboy’s part it was such a nice moment of two people finding and genuinely understanding each other so deeply <3

lighting sound & everything was so next-level during the fountain scene-bob’s death like i don’t even think i can describe it it was so much and so crisp and so visceral in the absolute best way

staging for run run brother was SO cool — there’s a part at the end where they use the tires and boards from the set to make two platforms that the other actors can roll them back and forth while johnny is on one and pony on the other and they roll them away from each other and they are both reaching out so desperately towards each other its so fantastic

i also really liked the part in run run brother where dally gives pony his jacket like he just wordlessly put it on for him it’s so nice

lighting & subsequent blackout at the end of run run brother as pb&j are in the air after jumping off the “train” was ELITE

pony is holding johnny’s switchblade during death’s at my door and at the end of the song johnny reaches out to take it from him but he doesn’t pull away so he’s just holding pony’s hand and then he puts his other hand over pony’s too and they sit there like that until the lights go down <3

LOVED what they’ve done with darry’s character here!! i know people have some nitpicky things with it but he is such a fascinating character and i’m so glad that the musical theater medium was able to do so much with him that the limited pov of the novel couldn’t — brent comer plays darry so so well and my heart aches for him like fuck dude he cares about his brothers so fucking much and he’s doing his best and he’s so so tired :((( give him a break!!

jason schmidt’s voice is SO fantastic holy fuck throwing in the towel was GORGEOUS!! and the little bit at the end where soda hugs darry and it looks like he maybe kisses him on the head a little is so darling <3

the entire “do i look like julie andrews?” scene is so fucking good… genuinely made me laugh out loud. “fine, paul newman, then!” “…no shit?” is so fantastic and johnny’s little “she is pretty as hell :)” about cherry is adorable. and ofc the “goldilocks and her ugly sister” line is fucking great

the way that johnny perks up when he hears “say hey to johnny for us :)” in soda’s letter is so cute

the church fire scene is perhaps the coolest shit i have ever seen onstage

ponyboy is crying so hard after johnny dies that has to sit down on the floor of the hospital room and soda sits behind him and just holds him <3

ponyboy is like actively crying as he narrates dally’s death its so fucking heartbreaking. i liked that they drew the parallels between the train crashes in order to make dally’s death meaningful despite its departure from the book. and the detail about the train derailing when it hit him was wonderfully written.

there is a scene where ponyboy is like inconsolable sitting on the living room floor with his head in his arms after johnny and dally die and cherry comes by the house because she has been volunteering at the hospital and no one came to pick up johnny’s clothes after he died and she thought ponyboy should have them and she tells him there’s a letter in the pocket addressed to him and after she leaves he just sits there for a while and when he finally moves he picks up johnny’s jean jacket and fucking like hugs it and buries his face in it and it’s so so so heartbreaking and soda has to come over and start reading the letter to him before johnny appears and starts singing stay gold <3

johnny starts SR at the beginning of stay gold while pony is sitting on the car at SL but he is slowly moving closer to pony as the song goes on and right before they start singing in harmony johnny sits down next to him <3 <3 <3

josh’s stay gold made me CRY!! especially him and trevor singing “i have known a love that many never know / and that love lives on no matter where i go” holy shit. their voices blend together so beautifully

overall i fucking ADORED trevor’s ponyboy!! he embodies the role so so well and has such a fourteen-year-old boy vibe when he’s onstage that i definitely did not expect from an actor in his twenties! i’ve heard that his pony is a little more emotional than brody’s & josh’s and that was a choice i really really vibed with!! and his voice was like jaw-dropping, what a talent!!

stagedoor afterwards was so so wonderful! i made drawings for the entire cast and everyone was so so nice and seemed to really like them! the ensemble & understudies especially seemed really thrilled that i had made something for them

henry in particular was so so sweet and seemed like he couldn’t believe that i had drawn him! he was like “is this me for real?” and someone (i think it was trevor) told him to look at the back where i had written his name and a little note and he was really excited about it!! he actually was like “this is awesome i have to go inside and give this to my mom right now so i don’t lose it” and his family was right inside the stagedoor and he pointed me out to them and they were so excited! he gave me a hug too it was really nice :)

trevor was also really excited and was like “this is a drawing of me for real? not brody?” and he was so happy when he turned it around and saw his name <3

i gave melody and sarahgrace copies of the same drawing of both of them and as soon as i gave it to melody she immediately looked around to find sarahgrace and show it to her (she was still inside but it was very cute) and then she told me they were going to put it on the wall in their dressing room!!

sarahgrace was like “omg you even drew my bracelet!” and was excited when i pointed out the detail i put in for the pattern on her dress!

trevor yelled across the sidewalk to tell josh to stop talking to his (trevor’s) mom as a joke lmfao

everyone except jason & kevin c came out to stagedoor and they were all so so sweet!! got photos with most of them and they all signed my copy of the book!! overall such a fucking fantastic experience! the drawings were a lot of work but it was so nice to see the looks on the cast’s faces when they saw them!!

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7grandmel · 3 months ago

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Character Archives - [FILE-07]

Grand Dad

"Mario seven, uh, was that the one I played? Oh, let's check it out..."

For Walt Disney, it all began with a mouse. But for SiIvaGunner, it all began with a bootleg game, a streamer, and a pinch of insanity. Many have come after him, and many can claim to be funnier - but Grand Dad will forever hold the title as the first ever figment of imagination to come out of the bubbling mind of SiIvaGunner [FILE-01]. As a result, he has come to be a symbol for the channel in its entirety, the very embodiment of the SiIvaGunner ethos, and something of a dear friend in the eyes of its creator.

In 2014, a certain streamer under the name of Vinesauce Joel was going through the motions of his typical streaming routine - playing games of the oddest variety, and bellylaughing at the absurd results they'd deliver. Even as part of this greater whole, however, Joel's reaction to 7 GRAND DAD immediately became a standout moment, a series of events so perfect that the comedic timing couldn't have been coordinated to be any better. A mumbling Joel clicks on the game bizarrely labeled as "Mario 7", and is to his great shock met with the imagery of a garishly discolored Mario, placed onto an equally garish blue background, as bold letters declare the game's name to be "7 GRAND DAD". Before Joel can even properly process the twist he's been subjected to, only letting out a reading of the game's name, the game twists all expectations once again: An 8-bit rendition of The Flintstones theme, originally from The Flintstones: The Rescue of Dino & Hoppy, kicks in - prompting a bewildered reaction of "FLINTSTONES?!" from the thoroughly befuddled streamer.

This is a sequence of events you're all too familiar with if you're a fan of the SiIvaGunner channel, yet nevertheless a necessary one to properly recount to understand just how core Grand Dad is to SiIvaGunner: Through this one 15-second clip of one streamer's reaction to the unpredictable world of bootleg video games, a small subset of internet dwellers on the platform SoundCloud realized that they'd uncovered a whole new genre of derivative audio work. Mashups and arrangements were always alive and well on the internet, yet always delivered with upfront honesty: To play into their derivative nature as part of the reaction, to present these edits as if they were the nostalgic, authentic real-deal video game music that you grew up loving, only to have the edit serve as an unexpected punchline, was the kind of brilliant idea that just had to be capitalized on. Thus, in January 2016, one lone internet dweller by the name Chaze the Chat started the SiIvaGunner (then GiIvaSunner) channel, and uploaded "Wild Pokémon Battle - Pokémon Ruby & Sapphire". The bait-and-switch foundation that laid the groundwork for all of SiIvaGunner, all built upon the concept of a bootleg Flintstones game pretending to be the seventh entry in the Super Mario franchise.

In our world, Grand Dad's debut to the online world is now over ten years old, his legacy on the SiIvaGunner channel being that of a figurehead mainly representative of the simpler times that the channel has long since grown up from. Yet in the SiIvaGunner universe, to SiIvaGunner himself, Grand Dad is the beating heart of the entire channel, the first spark of imagination which binds his whole universe together. Every figment made since the channel's inception owes its existence to Grand Dad, and with every step SiIvaGunner underwent across his original 2016 run, Grand Dad was right there alongside him, an enduring voice in his head steering the channel onward. And even as his creator fell into a deep slumber, as The Voice Inside Your Head [FILE-03] set his plans into motion to extract SiIvaGunner's figments into the real world, Grand Dad was at the front lines of the resistance fighting in his name - and remains a symbol of hope for all figments caught in The Voice's tyrannical reign.

Across eight years of the channel's life, Grand Dad has gone through so many phases in reception: As a novel joke, as a beacon of hope, as a redundant and played-out bit, looping around into being used ironically, followed by a loop-back-around into being genuinely appreciated. Event after event, album after album, Grand Dad has become a genuine symbol of everything the channel does, and continues to appear to represent it across all of its twists and turns. It's no small feat for a figment to have endured in relevancy for as long as Grand Dad has, and no matter where the channel is headed, you can sure that he's here to stay.

#character archives #siivagunner #siiva #artist credits in order of image used:#artist : original #artist : doshmobile #artist : circunflexo #image 4 & 5 : artist unknown #vargskelethor #grand dad #vinesauce joel

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shun-zam · 3 months ago

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Okay I know this fandom is like dead dead. But my dog passed away and I’m on a nostalgia kick

So I’ve been rewatching Bakugan Battle Brawlers. And I have many thoughts.

I restarted in season one and oh boy do these characters grow a lot over the series. And while I love the series for what it is there are some cha gens I would make.

Season one is solid but I see a lot of post on here saying that the show doesn’t do anything with the Dan and Shun’s childhood friendship. First your wrong, that fact very much effects both characters and how they interact with each other.

Shun is obviously processing the loss of his mother and pulling in ward. Dan has no idea how to support his friend in this. (He’s like 11 and has never listed anyone.) so he tells the other brawlers that Shun “left the game” or is a “Flake” which you can ready as Dan being insensitive, or as Dan knowing Shun a) wants to be alone (he’s shut Dan out) and b) shouldn’t or can’t deal with this right now (the bakugan being taken by Masquerade) Dan saying that Shun’s a quitter might be his way of trying to get the others to leave Shun out of it and give the kid time to grieve.

Of course Runo and Marucho go to see Shun anyway and get their buts handed to them.

When Dan finds out he’s angry with them. Why? Because they didn’t listen to you? Or because you didn’t want them dragging Shun into this?

When Dan goes to see Shun he sneaks past all the ninja traps no problem. I saw someone else on here point out that it’s a great detail to show how often Dan has been over to Shun’s grandfather’s dojo. And it is a lovely way of driving home that they are friends.

Season one does a lot of character work and while all the character bonds are important the standouts (besides each Brawlers bond with their Bakugan) is Dan and Shun and Dan and Runo. They have the most focus as individual bonds (the next closest would be Julie and Billy or Alice and everyone)

One moment though that I wish that they did to really drive home that Dan and Shun are/have always been best friends is in episode 28? Shun makes the decision to lose to Masquerade so he can follow Dan into the Doom Dimension.

But during this episode a big plot is Dan’s mom trying to find out where Dan went. She goes and she talks to Runo. Understandable. Runo lives in town. Dan is always over that the restaurant. It makes sense to ask her.

But I wish she called Shun. And I can excuse this. Maybe she didn’t know Shun was in town (hard to imagine Dan didn’t mention it) or maybe it was easier to find Runo. So I can forgive Dan’s mom reaching out to Runo.

But if you really want to drive home the childhood friend’s thing, have Shun be the one to call her. Their moms were obviously acquaintances if not friends. It makes sense that if Shun heard Dan’s mom was looking for him, he would reach out and tell her not to worry that he would bring her son back soon.

This also mirrors the idea of loss. Shun lost his mom. Mrs. Kuso lost her son (temporarily) I just think it could have made a nice parallel.

#dan kuso #bakugan #shun kazami #bakugan battle brawlers #bakugan battle brawlers season 1 #Dan x Shun #wheather you see it as romantic or platonic you have to admit it was there #but their could have been way more

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aois-amaterasu-painting · 5 months ago

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GiGS vol. 520 - interviews with the 5 members (2021 July)

Interviewer: This time, with "MASS", the production was carried out over a long period, wasn't it?

RUKI: At the time when we were talking about releasing songs, the COVID-19 pandemic happened, and as I was considering how to proceed, I realized that the songs we had made until then were not something I wanted to listen to in this situation. What I wanted to present gradually changed. Rather than having a specific concept, I wanted to convey the latest evolution straightforwardly. That was quite the aim.

Interviewer: Among the songs born in that period was "BLINDING HOPE," which was released in advance.

RUKI: Yes. "BLINDING HOPE" had 4 to 5 different versions, and it was still uncertain how it would turn out. So, while making various changes, we created it with the idea that it would be the first song for the fans who had been waiting, serving as a starting point.

Interviewer: Around spring last year, when you were supposed to be deep into song production, you mentioned that you hadn't yet created a core song. When the members heard this song, they all felt it was the lead track. How would you describe the elements of a lead track in your words?

RUKI: In the past, a lead track might have been imagined as a song for a single. While it's the standout track of the album, it's also a kind of middle-ground song. With something thematic like "DOGMA," it's different, but it's important that the song conveys the overall atmosphere of the album and the current direction of the band. It's also something that can be listened to as the entry point to the album. I wanted it to be the trademark song of the album.

Interviewer: It's truly a song that represents the GazettE, and it seems some fans are already covering it.

RUKI: I've heard a few covers, and you know the crunchy sound that kicks it off? For some reason, everyone delays it. That's where you have to play it down with full force. That's what I want to say. It was good to have the opportunity to say that (laughs).

Interviewer: That's valuable advice (laughs). Did the other songs develop from there?

RUKI: Yes. "BLINDING HOPE" took an unusually long time to finalize. So, as a sort of reaction, when we started working on "THE PALE" and "NOX," the general image came together fairly quickly. At first, we kept creating the foundational tracks of the album one after another. As we went on, we integrated ideas like wanting to include certain types of songs and thinking about how they would be performed live.

Interviewer: It's an album that makes you really want to see the live performances, and moreover, it's catchy.

RUKI: Yes. We're not an overly niche band to begin with, so we focused quite a bit on the melody and catchiness of the riffs that we naturally have. The early version of "BLINDING HOPE" was extremely complex. There were many other songs with intense structures and very complex compositions. But after that, we aimed to create something simple and cool with a certain momentum.

Interviewer: What was the intention behind "NOX" and "THE PALE"?

RUKI: "THE PALE" came after "BLINDING HOPE," so initially, I was trying to make something that would rest my ears a bit. Then it ended up having a lot of elements. So, in contrast, "NOX" started with a phrase that came to mind while playing the guitar, and I wanted to shape it somehow. It was an extremely simple creation process, and then we added touches like violin for flavor.

Interviewer: "THE PALE" also features string sounds, but the violin in "NOX" stands out.

RUKI: It really does. It felt like the song was finalized because of that. It's something that hasn't really been seen in the GazettE until now.

Interviewer: The track order of the album is exquisite. Especially placing "THE PALE" and "MOMENT" in the middle section, surrounded by intense songs.

RUKI: It incorporates elements of the GazettE's live performances. The dark parts, the spatial elements like in "THE PALE," and songs like "MOMENT," which we haven't really had before.

Interviewer: "MOMENT" is indeed a rare type of song for the GazettE.

RUKI: Yes. This type of song usually has distortion in the middle, but this time I deliberately excluded it, adding a folk-like feel. The songs created later have many elements, so I wanted to do something extremely stripped-down and raw. Also, I always jot down ideas as they come to me.

Interviewer: How about "Daku"?

RUKI: "Daku" was something that happened by chance. When I was thinking about what to create next, I came up with the dissonant-sounding part at the beginning. At that time, I had a slightly grunge, somewhat weathered-sounding melody recorded in my voice memos, and it fit perfectly with that. I just wanted to incorporate a dirty feeling into the melody, but it surprisingly turned out to be something I really liked.

Interviewer: "ROLLIN'" plays a role of continuing the momentum from "BLINDING HOPE," doesn't it?

RUKI: Actually, "ROLLIN'" was initially a ballad made before "BLINDING HOPE." I originally wanted to have a lot of percussion and a bit of a folk music vibe in the album, and I thought of making it a main feature. But then I realized it wasn't right, so I significantly increased the BPM and added the guitars on top. So, the kind of music I initially wanted to make is quite close to the opening SE of the album.

Interviewer: In the track "COUNT-10" positioned at the beginning of the album, there's also an industrial atmosphere that's quite characteristic of you, RUKI. You can also hear a percussive rhythm.

RUKI: Yes, that was something that came about during mastering (laughs). It felt good to return to the original idea at such a timing.

Interviewer: "BARBARIAN" is an aggressive song as the title suggests, with a sharp riff driving it forward.

RUKI: Yes. Initially, I played with it without any particular plan and was struggling with how to develop the chorus. I wanted it to become increasingly decadent. It's not just intense, but also somewhat unpredictable towards the end.

Interviewer: This track probably has the most variations in the album.

RUKI: Yes. Even during recording, there were moments of, "Wait, what was this melody?" (laughs). It was originally all over the place, and I just wanted to somehow connect everything nicely.

Interviewer: Since it appears suddenly in the latter part of the album, it keeps you on your toes until the end (laughs).

RUKI: Especially since it comes after "MOMENT" (laughs). In terms of how it was made, it's similar to how we approached "DOGMA." While making simpler tracks, I felt the need for something complex. Without such elements, the album would feel lacking to me.

Interviewer: The album concludes with "LAST SONG," which has a very weighty presence that carries everything.

RUKI: Yes. I wanted to end with a song that could hold its own more than "BLINDING HOPE." It was a song we put a lot of effort into. I felt it had to be something truly satisfying, and it was a challenging process, but I aimed to create something quintessentially the GazettE. This song gave me confidence in the album as a whole.

Interviewer: The words in the lyrics also seem to be fitting for these times.

RUKI: I never expected the state of emergency to continue like this. In a sense, I was thinking of preserving what we could only create in 2020 and 2021. These words are not just directed at the fans but are also for ourselves, aiming to return to our original state amidst the ups and downs. It's also about reminiscing about live performances. If these feelings can be conveyed throughout the album, that would be great.

Interviewer: When did you start working on the songs for the album?

Uruha: We had our first selection meeting in December two years ago, and from then on, each of us started composing songs. Initially, we didn't have a specific concept when we began production. So, we were making songs as we liked, but as the songwriting progressed and recording approached, we began to see the path we needed to take. It felt like we had reached a point where the goal was unexpectedly narrow. Also, in August last year, RUKI brought in "BLINDING HOPE" and proposed making it the lead track. It seemed like RUKI saw something within that song, and from then on, RUKI started bringing in more songs. As a result, all the songs on "MASS" this time were either written entirely by RUKI or he was deeply involved in them.

Interviewer: Did you feel any resistance to not having your own compositions included?

Uruha: As musicians, we have the desire to create and express ourselves through songs that we want to release to the world. However, when it comes to releasing music as the GazettE, the personal aspect has gradually become less important. Rather than who composed the songs, what's more important is how we create works that will impact our listeners. So, it didn't really bother me that my own songs weren't included this time. It turned out to be a good album, so I'm satisfied with that.

Interviewer: Indeed, it doesn't feel like a solo work by RUKI but rather an album filled with the essence of the GazettE. Next, let's talk about the guitars on this album.

Uruha: This time, there were many instances where we reproduced the guitar parts based on the demos RUKI created. RUKI had a strong will to achieve a specific vision. As a result, while we did change the irregular parts musically, we tried to stick to the approach of the demos as much as possible. When I really wanted to change something, I would throw it out there during pre-production, saying, "I've changed this," and there were songs where those changes were incorporated, and other songs where we discussed and decided that the previous version or a different pattern was better. We experimented with various things and reached the current form after being satisfied with the results.

Interviewer: That's a good approach. However, unlike the previous stereo-oriented guitar sound, there are more parts where you play in unison with Aoi. How do you feel about that?

Uruha: This time, we focused on the sound pressure throughout the album, so I think that's the right approach. I've always wanted to establish the individuality of the left and right guitars, but this time we decided to respect the composer's intention more. For RUKI, it was important to consider what melodies would work against the background guitars and rhythm. Also, this kind of approach was refreshing as we hadn't done it much before.

Interviewer: Even with the unison, the subtle differences in nuance and tone create depth and breadth, and I think this way of handling guitars is nice too.

Uruha: I wanted to highlight those aspects. We wanted to avoid having one person play all the backing tracks or doubling them mechanically. In fact, we tried an approach where one person played all the backing parts. But we found that the sound created by both of us playing the same thing felt better.

Interviewer: I think that was the right decision. Which songs do you think have a strong impression in terms of guitar parts?

Uruha: "BLINDING HOPE" has a strong impression in many aspects. The song starts with an introduction and then the band kicks in with a bang. It was crucial how we started the song because it was our first release in a long time and our lead track. I felt that if this part wasn't impressive, it wouldn't work. Until we arrived at the current form, there were many twists and turns. Also, when this song came up, I reconsidered how we were recording. The recording process completely changed my thoughts and approaches. Initially, we recorded in the studio using a cabinet and stood the mic up to capture a realistic sense of space. However, with the traditional method, I felt that the impact was lacking. So, we stopped using the cabinet and searched for the best way to record.

Interviewer: That was quite a process. The guitars on "MASS" have a clarity and quickness in their attack that's unique to digital, yet they don't sound too close to the ear, which I think is excellent.

Uruha: Thank you very much. Through trial and error, we concluded that we needed to use a cabinet plugin, and the choice of cabinet was extremely important. Also, RUKI wanted to distort the guitar quite a bit, but my personal guitars didn't quite achieve the sound he wanted. So, we borrowed a guitar with active pickups from ESP and used active pickups for the first time this time. "BLINDING HOPE" used passive pickups, but the rest were all active. However, for the leads and guitar solos, we recorded them all using a cabinet. We recorded the sounds that were meant to stand out in an analog manner and the backing parts that were meant to be more in the background digitally to achieve tightness. We valued this front-to-back contrast.

Interviewer: That's a method befitting someone well-versed in both analog and digital techniques like yourself. Since you mentioned guitar solos, could you talk about the guitar solos on this album?

Uruha: I had set aside the guitar solos for a while. I was focused on exploring the texture of the backing tracks, so I put the solos on hold. Towards the end of the production, I recorded them all at once. I particularly like the guitar solos in "BLINDING HOPE" and "MOMENT". For "BLINDING HOPE" I felt I should play an aggressive solo, but the length was quite long, so starting aggressively wouldn't last (laughs). Instead, I thought it was very important to create a dramatic development and changed direction midway. I tried various things from there and finally settled on the current form, focusing on building up towards the end. For "MOMENT," the backing is entirely acoustic, so I decided to play the solo on acoustic guitar as well. From the beginning, I wanted the sound to be acoustic and never considered using an electric guitar for the solo. In terms of phrases, RUKI had played some in the demo stage, so I used those as references.

Interviewer: The high-quality guitar solos deepen the world of the songs. How did you record the acoustic guitar for "MOMENT"?

Uruha: I recorded the acoustic guitar at home. I simply set up two mics and used compression while recording. When you play arpeggios, the volume level is low, and it's difficult to control dynamics. The engineer processes this with compression later on, but I wanted to control the dynamics myself while playing, so I decided to record with compression. Being able to play while visualizing the finished product was the most beneficial thing for me. Also, I enjoyed being able to do everything myself, such as mic arrangement and EQ adjustment.

Interviewer: That's very characteristic of you, Uruha, with your engineering skills. Now, the album "MASS" is a must-listen, combining the GazettE’s essence with a fresh feel. How do you feel now that you've completed the album?

Uruha: First of all, I really want to express my gratitude for completing this album. Production took a lot of time, and there were times when I wondered if we could really do it. However, with no live performances scheduled due to COVID, we had the opportunity to thoroughly focus on recording, and there was also the feeling that our efforts would be in vain if we didn't do this well. So, we put in more effort and spent more time than ever before to create something we can confidently call our masterpiece, so I hope you look forward to its release. However, since the songs grow when performed live, "MASS" isn’t complete yet.

Interviewer: I understand. Because of that, I think there are many listeners who are eager to see the GazettE live as soon as possible.

Uruha: Although I can’t promise exactly when we will perform live, we are constantly working towards it. Ideally, we want to perform live, not online. Even if the venue capacity is halved, we want to do it live. Also, if we do perform live, I want it to be a level beyond just not showing any signs of our hiatus; I want to show an evolved the GazettE. So, when we do hold a live concert, please come to the venue and experience it.

Interviewer: As the work on "MASS" progressed, RUKI ended up writing most of the songs. Did you have any resistance to not including your own songs?

Aoi: Not at all. I thought that RUKI probably had a lot of things he wanted to express and convey, and if that was the case, he should be the one to transmit it. While asserting what I want my instrument to sound like is important, I felt it was better for someone with a clear vision of what they wanted to express to take the lead. Everyone seemed to feel the same way, and there was no pushback like, "I want to do it this way." If it had been just 2-3 years since we started the band, it might have been different, but we’ve created many works, and this isn't our last album. So, this way of making the album was totally fine and an interesting experiment.

Interviewer: Even though RUKI took the lead on the album, it’s still overflowing with the essence of the GazettE. I heard that "HOLD" and "FRENZY" were mainly created by the instrumentalists.

Aoi: RUKI kept bringing in songs, and before we knew it, there were only two slots left. Initially, RUKI and Kai had started working a bit on "FRENZY," but it was put on hold. We decided to work on "HOLD" first as an instrumental group, aiming for a straightforward song that would grow well in live performances. So we shaped it with that in mind before handing it over to Ruki to reflect his intentions and complete it.

Interviewer: The hard tunes on this album are both intense and easy to listen to, and "HOLD" is dark yet catchy.

Aoi: I thought it was okay even if it didn’t have much melody because we were focusing on a “frenzied” feeling. But when we passed it to RUKI, he added a solid vocal line, making it both dark and catchy. For "FRENZY," RUKI and Kai had only made the intro, which initially wasn’t to my personal taste (laughs). I thought it was a bit too pop, at first. But since the intro was a must-keep, we worked on the other parts, and eventually, even the intro was reworked. We created multiple versions for every part of "HOLD" and "FRENZY." So, we were able to make it complex or straightforward, and decided the current form was the best.

Interviewer: Both songs are really high-quality compositions. Now, let’s talk about the guitars on "MASS."

Aoi: This time, we mainly reproduced what RUKI had included in the demos. If there were parts where I thought I’d do it differently, I suggested changes, but usually, we ended up going with RUKI’s ideas after trying both versions. So, the guitar parts are quite simple this time. There are parts where we deliberately simplified RUKI’s phrases, not breaking them into finer notes but making them larger. We have two guitarists in our band. Visual kei twin-guitar bands often create competing guitar phrases, but I felt we’d already done that enough. This time, I wanted to focus on clear roles for lead and side guitars. I was interested in this approach and wanted to experience the side guitar position. I wanted to explore songs from the side guitar perspective.

Interviewer: The side/rhythm guitar might seem plain, but it’s deep and fun when you get into it.

Aoi: Yes, it’s great as a musical instrument. It felt really good. "Feeling good" is a very vague expression (laughs). There are layered phrases, rhythms, and sequences, and the role of the side guitar is to connect them well. In the past, I thought as long as the bass kept the rhythm tight, the guitar could just hit the main points and follow the broader rhythm. This time, though, I matched the drums closely and paid more attention to filling the guitar's frequency range and determining what to cut. This approach was very enjoyable and made me appreciate the importance of backing guitar.

Interviewer: So, you had new discoveries with this approach. Which song left a strong impression on you with its guitar work?

Aoi: "MOMENT." In this song, both Uruha and I played acoustic guitars throughout, with Uruha handling the arpeggios while I focused on strumming. It was a first-time approach, and it was fulfilling. Also, I used the acoustic guitar version of the IR (cabinet simulator) to record the acoustic guitar. Nowadays, when you hear an acoustic guitar in music, you sometimes can't tell if it's live or programmed. I wanted to explore that aspect a bit, so I decided to use IR. I recorded it with just the sound of the piezo pickup without setting up a microphone, and then I refined it.

Interviewer: The gentle texture and appropriate airy feel are pleasant, and it's surprising that you recorded it with only the piezo pickup sound.

Aoi: I did my best (laughs). I only knew the sound of K. Yairi and Martin guitars. But this time, I used the modeling of a Gibson Hummingbird. It has a very beautiful sound. In reality, I wouldn't want to buy it because the care is troublesome (laughs). When I recorded it, it had a more acoustic guitar-like sound with resonance, but since Uruha wanted to go thicker with the arpeggio, I thought it would be too much if I also made my sound rough. So, I deliberately made it thinner. I aimed for a fullness like the strumming of pop artists in Western music, while incorporating a slightly darker feeling from Japanese music. I like the darker tone of Japanese acoustic guitar.

Interviewer: Choosing to make the sound thinner shows a sharp sense. Also, the electric guitar sounds on this album are even more refined.

Aoi: When we first recorded "BLINDING HOPE," we used a cabinet, but the closeness of the sound wasn't what RUKI had in mind. So, we stopped using the cabinet and tried using IR, and finally settled on a plugin cabinet. At first, Uruha used a plugin, and I used IR, but the IR sound became too rich, so I adjusted to match Uruha. I didn't expect the sound to change so much with different cabinets. We tried various amps, but RUKI kept rejecting them, saying "This isn't it, this isn't it." In the end, we switched to a plugin cabinet, and it turned out that any head would do (laughs). The sound isn’t too close to the ear but still has the fullness of a cabinet, making it hard to believe it was recorded direct.

Interviewer: Another impressive aspect of your guitar sound in this album is the wide range.

Aoi: That’s something that changed over time. Originally, Uruha had a wider and more dynamic range. But that reversed at some point. This time, we worked on that a lot. My sound was wide-ranged and loud, so I narrowed it down. Uruha’s sound is more solid, so if we don’t adjust, the two guitars won’t sit well together.

Interviewer: The careful crafting results in a pleasant thickness and spread created by the two guitars. Now that "MASS" is finished, how do you feel?

Aoi: "MASS" might sound very simple at first listen. What the band is doing is quite simple, creating the atmosphere with sequences. While I have no complaints about this approach, there are parts where I feel my guitar might have become too simple. I am satisfied with my role, and enjoyed supporting the overall sound as the side guitarist. However, there are fans who could be called "Aoi enthusiasts", who favor my compositions specifically, and I wonder how they will take it. I feel confident about what I did in "MASS," and I want people to understand that my passion for music and the GazettE hasn't diminished just because the guitar parts are simpler. The simplicity gives me more leeway in my playing, allowing for a different kind of performance on stage. Therefore, if you listen to "MASS" and think, "What's this?" I hope you look forward to the live performance.

Interviewer: Can you tell us your honest feelings now that the album "MASS" is complete?

REITA: Among all our albums, this one is probably the most suited for live performances, so I really want to showcase it soon. The track order also closely resembles a live setlist. When we released "NINTH," I thought we had an amazing tour, so I aimed to create an album that evolved further from there, and I think we achieved that.

Interviewer: "BLINDING HOPE" was released as the lead single, and I heard that it was recorded ahead of the others.

REITA: Yes, that's right. It was similar with our previous album and "Falling" as well. We finished mixing one song first and used that as a guideline to record the others. It helps create a framework.

Interviewer: How did you approach the recording this time?

REITA: I bought a lot of equipment beforehand. Even just with compact effects pedals, I bought around five… Honestly, it was quite an expense (laughs). We had used the equipment from the previous recording and tour extensively, and I wanted to advance the sound further. There is still a lot of equipment I haven’t tried, and I hoped to find something even better. Renting for just a day doesn’t really give you a good idea, so even though it might end up being a waste, I decided to buy and try everything. In the actual recording, I ended up using the orthodox SansAmp. I had been using it in live performances before, but a new version with mids was released. In the end, I didn't tweak the mids much and used it flat, but it fit the current songs perfectly.

Interviewer: I heard you bought a new bass too.

REITA: Yes, I bought two, but the one I used in the recording was the second one, a Dingwall Z3, a 2020 NAMM SHOW model. Initially, I used the first bass I bought for "BLINDING HOPE," but after re-recording with the new one, it sounded even better. Time was tight, so it was hard to suggest replacing it, but everyone agreed the new one was better, which was a relief (laughs).

Interviewer: I see. How did you approach the bass line in "BLINDING HOPE"?

REITA: The song is dark, so I tried not to stay too high up. I aimed for a slightly heavy feel while having the phrase move, going back and forth to lower chords. The bass volume is a bit higher in this song, and I think the bass presence fits the tone.

Interviewer: "ROLLIN'" has an intense sound that promises immediate impact in live performances. It's quite an interesting track.

REITA: I struggled a lot with the sound production for "ROLLIN'." Nothing seemed to click, so we re-amped it again on the last day of mixing. For example, in "BLINDING HOPE," the intro has a ground-shaking lower end, but that's because I’m playing open strings. However, in "ROLLIN'," I'm holding down the second fret continuously, so even if I tried to make the same sound, it wouldn't turn out the same. So, we adjusted it to fit between the kick and the guitar.

Interviewer: The slap bass at the end of the chorus is also impressive, but adjusting the sound with other parts seems difficult.

REITA: Originally, the song had everything up to the end of the chorus. During the mix of "BLINDING HOPE" or something, RUKI brought in the continuation, saying something like, "There's a bass solo, so do it." In the demo, it was programmed, but the nuance suggested it was supposed to be slap bass. However, running it through an amp made the sound too wild, so we ended up using a plugin. I'm still not sure how we’ll reproduce it live.

Interviewer: How about "NOX"?

REITA: "NOX" has a tempo that’s quite different from what the GazettE usually does, so I’m looking forward to playing it live. In the past, I might have thought this kind of song wouldn’t have a great groove live, but after the "NINTH" tour, I believe it will work well. Playing at this tempo feels really good, so I hope it creates a big wave in the audience.

Interviewer: The bass line in this song gives the impression that it's playing the absolute correct answer.

REITA: The phrase itself isn’t difficult, but the picking was really tough. I focused on keeping the pick level to ensure a clear "terodero" sound throughout. I didn’t want it to sound like alternate picking, but using down-only picking didn’t flow well, so I tried to find a balance.

Interviewer: The bass has a unique fret design, right?

REITA: At first, I wasn’t sure how it would feel, but I got used to it right away and didn't find it difficult to play.

Interviewer: The ballad-like songs such as "THE PALE" and "MOMENT" have interesting approaches too.

REITA: In intense songs, there are many unison parts, but in ballads, I think the bass has moments to shine (laughs). Especially in "MOMENT," which progresses with acoustic guitar strumming, the bass can handle intricate arrangements.

Interviewer: Was there any key song that stood out during the recording?

REITA: Ah, for example, I moved quite a bit with the phrase in the chorus of "濁 (Daku)."

Interviewer: I'm also looking forward to seeing how "MOMENT" will be performed live. "HOLD" seems to embody the intensity of a live performance.

REITA: This might be the song most tailored for live performance. The phrase itself is almost in unison with the guitar, so there’s nothing particularly standout, but it has a sense of band unity and isn't just intense; it has dynamics. We shared tracks on Pro Tools and discussed them over Zoom while creating this song. This was our first time using this method, but I think it might be a viable approach for future projects. We worked until someone said "I can’t go on anymore," which was tough but also fun (laughs).

Interviewer: The bass drives this song as well.

REITA: Mixing the bass within the double bass drum parts is challenging. It often gets buried. I can’t count how many times I said, "Isn’t the kick too loud?" (laughs). We approached "FRENZY" similarly to "HOLD." For the bass, I aimed for a cohesive sound without cluttering it, sometimes reducing the picking to avoid interference.

Interviewer: The bouncy rhythm in the chorus is excellent.

REITA: This was quite difficult. At first, Uruha played the phrase and asked, "How about this chorus?" We all played along with the strings, but the drums didn’t quite fit. The bass rhythm is tricky too. Avoiding ghost notes makes it harder to catch the rhythm. The energy should rise sharply, but the hands need to stay calm to pull it off.

Interviewer: The last song on the album, "LAST SONG," feels like a particularly important track, doesn't it?

REITA: As soon as the song starts, it gives off a strong feeling of "the beginning of the end." From the bass perspective, I played the chorus not with detailed phrases but with a slight undulating sensation, aiming for a bit of a driving feel. The intro is tightly synchronized vertically. This became clear once the piece was finished.

Interviewer: With this work completed, do you have a vision of the musical future of the GazettE?

REITA: Musically speaking, I think this album represents evolution rather than a new challenge. When the GazettE makes it, it really becomes a GazettE album, and I was reminded of that again. But I also realized the difficulty of the bass guitar again. This past year, I’ve particularly focused on the bass. I’ve watched a lot of playthrough videos on YouTube and bought a lot of gear. When you buy equipment, you naturally end up spending more time playing the bass, right? I want to bring those experiences to our live performances. However, while I can clearly envision the live performances, the uncertainty of the tour schedule due to COVID-19 is quite frustrating. Nevertheless, I want to keep honing my skills so that we can fully express this album when the time comes.

Interviewer: Did you have any themes or concepts in mind when creating the new album?

Kai: No, we didn’t. It’s always like that with the GazettE. We speak through our music; without songs, there’s nothing to talk about. Starting with a concept is quite rare for us. Usually, as we create songs, themes and concepts naturally emerge. Through the song selection process, we find how to express the current GazettE. Initially, each member was making songs, but later, we started shaping the songs RUKI brought in. There wasn’t a standout song for a long time, but then the pandemic hit, our March concert was canceled, and we had time to reflect on ourselves. During that period, I think RUKI found the concept. "BLINDING HOPE" came together in April, and we unanimously agreed it should be included. After that, RUKI kept bringing in songs, and by shaping them, we completed most of the album. The last couple of songs were made by all of us, but even those were strongly influenced by RUKI. So, "MASS" ended up being entirely RUKI's work, which is a first for us, but it still feels very much like a GazettE album, so it doesn’t feel strange to me.

Interviewer: It’s more important what kind of work it is, rather than who made the songs. Let’s talk about the drums in "MASS." The drumming throughout the album is very energetic.

Kai: Everyone says that (laughs). People often say that, but I don't really feel that way.

Interviewer: Really? The approach of incorporating intricate patterns, fast fills, and double bass throughout the album made me realize once again how amazing your drumming is.

Kai: I wonder... People often say it's busy (laughs). To me, it's just a continuation of the approach I've always taken, so I don’t feel like I’m doing anything special. When I listen to a demo, I naturally hear the drum patterns in my head and then just bring them to life.

Interviewer: It's impressive that such intricate drumming comes naturally to you and that you can actually play it. Do you ever think that a drum pattern you came up with is too difficult and consider simplifying it?

Kai: No, I don’t. It’s important to bring the imagined patterns to life, and if something is difficult, I just practice it. Besides, the other members have also gained knowledge about drumming, so these days, they don’t suggest physically impossible drum patterns like they used to. There used to be many times when I'd think, "I’d need three legs and four arms to play that" (laughs). Now, the drumming is more logical, so with practice, I can play it.

Interviewer: Thrilling songs have thrilling drums, and songs with a sense of speed amplify that feeling even more. Your drumming really pushes the music forward.

Kai: I'm glad you feel that way. I don't know how other bands construct their music, but for us, the speed and everything is carried by the drums. The drum is our standard. First, we create speed with drums, and then we discuss how to hook onto that. So, drums don't really go off into a different world.

Interviewer: It seems like many patterns amplify speed by adding sequences, but your approach is quite the opposite.

Kai: Yes. Also, even if you want to create momentum and speed with drums alone, it's different from just running. You need to pay attention to keeping the rhythm, and especially in intense songs like "HOLD" and "FRENZY" this time, you can't just go with the flow. It's meticulously crafted phrases as a band sound, so you need to integrate well with guitars and bass. If you go with just momentum, it becomes messy. Therefore, I consciously try to play tighter, and I think it requires a lot of attention during live performances.

Interviewer: The rhythm that combines tightness and momentum feels incredibly good. Another thing is that with drumming like yours, sound is also important. The drum sound in this work, with its blend of sound pressure and clarity, is ideal.

Kai: We've tried many different things with drum sounds, but this time we used the same method as on "NINTH." Basically, we recorded separately: just the kick, just the snare, just the cymbals. We record like that, but we also use off-mics, not just close mics. This way, we can achieve the clarity unique to separate recording along with the natural airiness you get when recording normally.

Interviewer: Setting up off-mics is an unexpected approach. However, I often hear that multi-tracking is more challenging than simply playing drums.

Kai: It's really challenging. Just playing the kick alone is quite difficult, and you can't play fills smoothly within the flow. Also, you can't hit the crash in the middle of a fill. So, while rolling the toms, you end up hitting a sponge where the crash should be (laughs).

Interviewer: Especially in Western music, many bands avoid such intricacies and opt for programmed drums. Your skill in doing this live is impressive.

Kai: I wonder about that. It might come down to being about programming if you pursue it deeply. But right now, we're allowed to do it with live multi-tracking. By recording separately, there are parts where you can focus on other aspects. For example, when putting a crash at the end of a fill, you need to keep it in mind, but if you don't worry about the crash, you can strike with edge until the last hit. I changed my approach this time and got closer to the ideal sound.

Interviewer: It must be challenging, but if possible, I hope you won’t switch to programming in the future. So, what drum set did you use this time?

Kai: I used my Yamaha set. It's the oak one I use for live shows, and it's really good. I decided to use it because I like the tone of the toms, and overall, its quality is high. For the snare, I used both Sonor’s bell bronze and TAMA’s bell brass, depending on the song. I like the sound of bronze and brass, and it’s easy to shape the GazettE's sound with them. We really like tuning it low to get a solid, rich sound. I tried various options, but in the end, I settled on those two.

Interviewer: "MASS" indeed has many highlights in its drumming. How do you feel after making this album?

Kai: Through the production of this album, I once again realized that the GazettE is a very forward-looking band. It’s easy to fall into negative thinking, like "we can't do this because of the pandemic," but we took it as a driving force to keep moving. We released a new music video on March 10th, exactly one year after canceling our concert on March 10th last year. This shows the strength we have as a band to reach that point. Personally, I was very affected by the cancellation of the March concert. The pandemic took a toll on my mind, and there were times when I thought it would be dangerous for us to remain silent for so long. I realized how weak I was as an individual. But I was greatly saved by RUKI bringing in "BLINDING HOPE." The way the band picked up from there was truly amazing. I feel that this strength is unique to the GazettE, and "MASS" is packed with the GazettE's resilience and unwavering spirit. So, I hope it reaches as many people as possible.

Interviewer: I'm sure it will. Also, I’m looking forward to your live performances.

Kai: I really want to perform live again. When we perform live, I want to surpass fans' expectations...or rather, I think we must. As time passes, fans’ memories get idealized. We can't betray that, and I also have a desire to always surpass it. So, it can't just be a "long time no see!" kind of live show. We have accumulated something within us, and there's a strong desire to release that. I don't think it will be an ordinary live show, so please look forward to it.

___________________

All translations are ChatGPT Scans: rad-is-more

#the gazette #mass #interview translations #guitars #scans #gigs #magazines #mi #The headless raven

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piss-pumpkin · 9 months ago

Text

🌓 waking nightmares⚡️

(Older) Dipper pines x reader, Douce amere chapter 15 ~3.6k words, masterlist Prev

“Y/n!” Dipper hollered, one hand on the car door, the other on the centre armrest, all for balance. “Did you fucking forget how to drive since this morning?!”

Bill laughed, and it sounded maniacal in your voice. “Maybe!” He said.

Mabel was, maybe for the first time, dead silent. Eyes wide and sitting straight up, she too held into the car door handle for dear life. Don’t hurt them, please.

And you were reeling. If it was possible, given your condition. Bill kept your eyes on the road, at least. It seemed he didn’t have the intention to kill all of you at the current moment, since he had plenty the opportunity.

Bill nearly rammed into the mystery shack when he parked, and Dipper and Mabel sighed in relief when they finally opened the doors. Dipper practically fell out. “Y/n, what the fuck was that?” He asked, shooting you crazy eyes.

…You’re not being subtle with them, you thought tiredly. They know I wouldn’t drive like that. They’ll figure you out.

“The sun was going crazy,” Bill said, stepping out of the car. As he turned you caught a glimpse at Mabel, who was leaning on the trunk for support, shifting her balance from one foot to the other. “I was half blind that whole time.” He gestured at your sunglasses, tapping the sides of them.

Dipper shott you a more than quizzical look, his brow furrowed in exaggerated distain. He leaned down, resting his arms on the car roof and poking his head in the open door. “You know,” he started, rolling his eyes. He seemed to lose the will to fight you, and pushed off the car. “Come on,” he said, gesturing for you to come.

Bill shook your head. “Nah, I gotta get back home,” he said.

Dipper looked disappointed, his face falling slightly, despite your nearly killing him today. You were almost brought to smile by it, his sadness at the thought of you leaving. It was cute. “Okay, text me when you’re coming next,” he said.

Bill, nodded, put it in reverse, and pull out of the driveway. “You’re too sappy, it makes me sick,” Bill said, speeding down the road.

…Fuck you.

“Oh, don’t be so sullen,” He laughed, swerving across the yellow lines. “I like having somebody to talk to.”

A deer jumped in front of the car, and Bill swerved nearly into the ditch. The bottom of the car scraped the dirt as Bill got back on the road.

Wonder if the car is gonna be okay. You watched at the trees melted into the small town scene as you approached your aunts house. Wait a second. Did we just steal Stans car?

“Sure did!” Bill sang.

He’s never letting me take that car again, is he?

”You won’t have to worry about that,” Bill casually hand waved. What? He was coming up on Susan’s house now, and you weren’t trying to think about anything at all.

Luckily she was working. Bill parked messily across the driveway, blocking any other car that could try to pull in. He didn’t bother locking the door behind you, and he tore through the halls walking like marionette doll, bouncing between the walls as he crashed around as if on misguided puppet strings. Ouch. That might hurt later.

“No matter how many time I try it, I’ll never get used to human pain,” Bill laughed, coming to the kitchen. “It’s so neat!” He went through all the cupboards, eating several strange and old foods Susan had in the very back. The standout was a can of maple beans from the fifties. That could hurt later too.

He went through all the drawers, running your fingers over the serrated edges of butter knives and at the prongs of forks. His eyes lingered on a meat cleaver for longer than you’d have liked. But he didn’t grab for it.

He ran your hands under cold water for a minute, then hot, seemingly taking in all the sensations. Your hand was red and tender by the end of it.

When he got to your room, he went through all your things that he hadn’t yet seen through your eyes. All the clothes you hadn’t worn yet, everything on your laptop you hadn’t opened while he was with you. This is excessive.

“I want to know everything I can about my little host body,” he laughed. “And anything here that could kill Pine tree.”

Oh. Kill him? I don’t think I have anything that could do that, you thought dejectedly.

“Better to be sure!” He chirped, scrolling through all your messages, apparently looking for some confession or secret that could destroy your boyfriend. It’s not like I talk shit about him, or something. This is fucking stupid.

“Hey, it’s worth a try,” he said, putting your hands up in the air in defeat. “You seem clean, good for you!”

Fuck off. Bill laughed. The fucker.

He sat on your bed invading your privacy for a while. You hadn’t even realized it was dark out, and had been dark for hours. The mental exhaustion had already blended your brain into mush. But Bill was slowing down. Long blinks that lingered on the dark, sluggish hands as he typed through your documents. “I’m not a fan of this part,” he muttered quietly.

Going to sleep?

“No,” he said, nearly nodding off hunched over.

Please lay down or something, you’ll give me back problems. It’ll just hurt you tomorrow.

He hummed. “You might have a point, little host,” he said, leaning back, laptop still on your legs. He laid your head back on the pillow, and your vision went dark as he closed his eyes.

You could at least move my computer, so you don’t break it. Silence. For once Bill didn’t have a comment, and sluggishly put your laptop on the floor beside the bed.

Hello? You asked, seemingly into the void. No answer. Just dark. Your eyes were still closed. This is probably the closest to being dead that I’ll ever feel. Until the real thing. No sight, just dark, the sensation of laying, but without the ability to move. Yes, this did seem a lot like being dead. Billy? Hello?

To no response again. Okay. Workable, now you could formulate a working theory, take stock of your situation. Maybe he was asleep. If Bill had control of your body, maybe he was subject to its limits. He finally made you pass out. But you’re still awake, as tired as you are. So maybe when he sleeps, the body sleeps? Or he’s in pre-sleep, where the brain is still technically active?

Even if you were alone with your thoughts for the first time in what felt like forever, you still had no idea what to do. Like you were living a puzzle, and you couldn’t seem to find all the pieces.

“I’m still…” Bill muttered, covering your ears. “…Here.”

Shut up and go to bed. Dipper always said Bill made deals by shaking hands. You did shake his hand… sort of. Fuck, that was dumb. Your statue friend Billy, you did shake his hand way back then. That’s when the nightmares started. Fuck he was totally doing that. Could you give him nightmares? You didn’t know how, if it was possible.

”You can’t, little host,” Bill mumbled, waving your hand in the air as best he could.

Bill said something about the shack. The nightmares stopped in the shack. There was something there, you could tell. But your brain was foggy enough to miss the punchline. Fuck, you were exhausted. Even without a body, just mentally, you felt more than dead.

Dipper said that when he was possessed, he was like a ghost out of his body. That’s not what you’re on, clearly. Ugh, it would have been nicer, you’d at least be able to move.

Sleep was odd when you didn’t have a body. You were alone in the universe, completely in the dark, and as exhausted as you felt, there was nothing you could do. Mental tiredness be damned, you were still thinking. Until you weren’t, when the body fell asleep completely, you and Bill were knocked out.

…

Bill was mortified by the human bodies tiredness upon waking, complaining how many years it’s been since he inhabited Ford, and even his body was better at waking up. That’s rather rude. But Bill didn’t think much of it.

If you could have, you would have shuddered as you saw Bill pull out your phone, and text Dipper. Would have froze when he responded right away, and would have died when they made plans to meet in the woods and go on a ‘mystery hunt,’ suggested by Bill. Alone together in the woods. That’s not good.

He laughed, slipping your phone in a pocket and putting on a sweater. “You’re observant!” He chirped, jingling Stan’s car keys. At least he was returning them. “Eh,” he shrugged, not bothering to lock the door behind him. “If I feel like it.” Your sunglasses were all he carried in your back pack. Well shit.

Hmm. Bill drove a little more careful this time, and parked a few blocks away from the shack. Like hiding? Why? He didn’t answer, wordlessly walking to the tree line where Dipper was waiting, slipping the glasses on.

Your lovely boyfriend. Dipper waved happily at Bill as you got close, and wrote a note in his journal. Maybe he was writing all his suspicions and reservations about you, and he already knew you weren’t yourself. Bill snickered as he jogged up to him. It wasn’t that much to hope for, don’t laugh, you thought sadly.

“Hey,” Dipper said, closing the book to devote all his attention. He’s too nice for this. You can’t do this to him. “You said you found something good?” He asked, starting to walk.

Bill smiled, mimicking the way you spoke and moved with precision. He’s been watching a while, huh. Studying. Your hands swung at your sides the way they always did, and your feet hopped over roots with the same spring you always had. The disguise was perfect. “Yes!” Bill proclaimed, walking ahead of him. “It’s a little ways in though, we’ll get there when we get there, I guess.”

He talked like you, laughed like you, held Dippers hand like you did, raising no suspicion at all. You watched like a film how the two of you hiked around, noting and taking photos of all the oddities and silly creatures you found. And you could almost pretend you were in control with how good of a job Bill was doing. Hearing all your thoughts does that, you supposed.

Your camera roll would be cursed with pictures from before Dipper knew. Or his last moments, that he spent with his killer. That thought got a laugh out of Bill. Unfortunately.

He led Dipper through the woods, teasing you with the way to your special clearing, where you first met Bill. That had to be the final destination. Bill laughed under your breath a moment, confirming your suspicions. This dumb fuck was edging you.

Bill laughed, much to Dippers confusion. And he was quick to recover, pointing down the path you’d walked alone before, and down it you could see the sunlight of the clearing. The weather always turned sour when I went there before. Why’s it have to be sunny for you? “Down that way,” Bill said, starting the trail. “We’ve found it!”

Dipper followed, smile on his face as he idly clicked at his pen. “Okay, you’ve led me on enough, what the fuck did you find, Y/n,” he laughed, not a hint of distaste in his voice.

Bill grinned, almost manically, just for you and him. Dipper couldn’t see from behind. “Oh,” he said dramatically, “you’ll see.” You’re a dramatic cunt.

You heard dipper scoff, with a little smile on his lips, you could tell. Even with your back to him. The clearing was growing closer each step. You couldn’t yet see the stature, your little Billy. If Dipper saw it first, maybe he could get away…

Bill shook your head, and stopped just short of the little field. The grass was tall, brushing up against your ankles, and a few daisies poked through the blades. “Okay, it’s here,” Bill said enthusiastically, spinning around to face Dipper. “And I’m gonna have to ask you to close your eyes.”

Dipper raised his brow. “Alright, if this isn’t like, the coolest thing I’ve ever seen I’m gonna be disappointed, you’re hyping this up too much,” he said, shaking his head with a smile. “Fine.”

Dipper closed his eyes. Dude. Come on. Bill snickered, and took Dippers hand, pulling him. “Okay, don’t open your eyes until I tell you, okay?”

You could see the statue, its familiar outstretched hand beckoning you closer. And you could feel Dippers hand too. Too many hands. All around you. Dipper laughed, “yeah, yeah, I get it.”

Bill just smiled and nodded, maybe forgetting that Dipper couldn’t see. He stopped in front of his stone self, smiling down at it happily. Maniacally. Maliciously. Dipper still had his eyes closed as your hand slipped out of his, and suddenly there wasn’t enough hands.

Bill stood behind him, hands on his shoulders. “Okay, don’t open your eyes, but we’re here.”

”Dude, my balls are blue enough,” he snickered. “Can I just see?”

”Wait wait, not yet.” Bill savoured the moment. A gentle breeze ran through Dippers and your hair, a few birds chirped. It was a nice summer day, all things considered. Bill pulled out your phone, and took a selfie with Dipper, the statue, and you behind his back. That’s just cruel.

“I know,” Bill said.

Dipper didn’t know he was talking to you, “What?”

“Okay, you can open them,” Bill said, words cutting through the air like knives. And you had to watch, a little glad you that his back was turned. That way you didn’t have to see his face.

“Alright, here goes nothing,” Dipper laughed. But he stopped fairly quickly, freezing in place. The birds didn’t stop chirping, and you could even hear a few crickets. Dipper was silent enough for a lot of forest sounds to come through. You couldn’t even hear his breathing. If he even was.

He stood for a few beats of your heart, hands frozen at his sides, until you noticed the subtle way his fingers rubbed and scratched at his thumb. Please don’t turn around.

Dipper started to turn around. Very slowly. There was a slight move of his head to the right, and then a stop. And when he started again his hands were fidgeting with his pockets.

Bill, I’ll kill you for this.

You didn’t want to see his face, but it was the first thing to turn. And you couldn’t avert your eyes if you wanted to. Bill wasn’t nice enough to let you look away. Dippers brow was furrowed in concentration, his jaw clenched but lips parted. More confused them anything, at a glance. “Y/n, what-“

And then he saw your face, the way Bill was grinning. And you saw each stage of grief pass on your boyfriends features. He was frozen for a moment, just a single one, and then he stepped back. It was an awkward, shaky step, but it was better than you could do. He grimaced, one hand touching his backpack as if to check it was still there. “Y/n?” He asked, voice laced with concern first, suspicions second. He took another step back, and his foot knocked the statue.

”Nope,” Bill grinned gleefully, shaking your head. He took a step forward, cornering Dipper against the statue. “Try again.”

And then, if you had to guess, is when you’d say Dippers blood ran cold, maybe stopped in his veins, and his heart stopped pumping. His breath caught in his throat, and he tried to step back, but caught on the outstretched hand. “You’re not-“ he said, stumbling to regain balance.

”That’s not a guess.” Fuck you. Fuck you.

”Dude. He’s dead,” Dipper said, starting confident but losing it partway through. “This is kind of fucked up, Y/n, take those off,” he hissed, pointing at your sunglasses. I’m sorry. I’m sorry.

Bill stepped closer again, “Will do, Pinetree!” And then he did. He flipped them on top of your head, and it seemed like Dippers heart stopped a second time. He went pale. Your pupils didn’t look right. Suppose that was the giveaway. Isn’t that what he asked you when you first met? That was the telltale sign? Dipper scrambled backwards, putting the statue between him and Bill. Dipper… if you had any control… better not to think about what you would do.

Dippers eyes were wide like that of a prey animal, darting to different holes in the tree line for a potential escape. His voice was too level, giving away too much. Everything he was doing to keep calm, and you knew how panicked he really was. “Where-“ he started, stepping back. “Where’s Y/n?”

Right here, Dip. “Right here, Pine tree,” Bill said, tapping your head. “Been a real complainer this whole time.”

Fuck you. Fuck you.

“W-what?” Dipper said, brow furrowing. He clutched his back, swinging it off his shoulder and digging around in it while he kept his eyes trained on you.

“They’re still here, not in the mindscape or anything,” Bill shrugged. “Y/n, you can say hi if you want, anything you wanna tell him?”

Fuck you. Tell him… what was there to say? I guess that I’m sorry. Yeah. Fuck you. I’ll kill you.

“They say they’re sorry,” Bill laughed, shaking your head. “Among other things.”

“I-“ he started. He quickly lost the track, but pulled his journal out of his bag. Maybe he had a solution in there. “Y/n…”

Yes? I’m right here. Right here. Still here. Bill kept getting closer, side stepping his statue, and giving it a flick on the hat. “It’s been a while, hasn’t it, Pine tree,” he started as Dipper stumbled back. He was flipping through his journal aggressively, searching desperately for something, anything. Please find it. “And this time you don’t have that memory gun, do ya?”

Please do something. Dipper, please. But you were begging to the void. Bill was done letting you talk, and Dipper was as worlds away. As trapped as you were in your mind, he seemed to be locked in his, frantic and running out of places to go, nearly the edge of the clearing as he kept walking backwards, and Bill kept closing in. If you leave me here you’ll be okay, you wanted to say. Or if you fight me off.

But did he have it in him? There was a thin sheen of sweet on Dippers forehead. He wasn’t finding whatever he was looking for, and Bill was closing fast. And Dippers legs were shaking. And his hands. Please fight me.

And maybe he heard your prayers. Dippers hands clutched the journal with white knuckles, the pages bending under his fingers. Heavy and ragged were his breaths, but his jaw was tight in a sneer and glare. The stance of prey, but the teeth of a predator. Fight or flight. Yes. Yes Dipper. Don’t hesitate.

Suddenly there was hope. A sliver of it, anyway, because Dipper still stumbled back and tripped to the ground when Bill lunged forward. And you were given the Birds Eye view looking over him as he scrambled back, hanging onto his journal like a lifeline. Don’t hesitate. Fight. Choose fight. You could feel Bills grin on your lips.

Dipper held his book to his chest, and with one hand frantically grabbed at the grass behind him, trying to pull himself away.

Bill snickered, and raised his knee. Don’t you fucking hurt him. Don’t you fucking do it. I’ll kill you for this. You’re gonna be dead. If you could, you’d be sobbing blind with rage, it’d stop you from seeing this. Bill stomped down on his wrist, and Dipper winced, groaning in pain.

“You’re not gonna hurt this body, are you,” Bill gloated. Fuck you. Fight him off. I’d forgive you. I’d hate you if you didn’t, you have to know that. Dipper, he’ll kill you. “Only way to get rid of me now is to get rid of them,” he laughed. “And you’re not gonna do that.”

Dipper gritted his teeth, but he had no objections besides a breath sucked in hastily and laced with pain as Bill pressed your foot down harder on his wrist. Just pick fight. Before you get hurt, you pleaded. Appealing to Bill was a scream into the void, but in some sense, Dipper might hear you. Across the universe. Right in front of you. You could practically feel his pulse pounding through your shoe. His hand was starting to blue.

“That’s what I thought,” Bill said smugly, leaning down your head close to his, and you could feel his shaky breath on your face. What, you read fucking yaoi or something? The fuck is this?

The hand clutching the journal was shaking. He tried to clench the hand Bill was suffocating, but all that happened was a twitch of the fingers.

“I’m going to kill you now,” Bill said, raising a hand tediously slowly.

But before it could clamp around his throat, punch his face, dig into his chest, or whatever else Bill had planned, Dippers journal was flying towards your face. Fuck yeah. Fuck yeah. His eyes were wild, but he was doing it. One clean hit to the jaw, and you were out.

I wrote this one while so sick lmao. Ig I did my first proofread while sick too cuz I caught some horrible errors 💀

Anyway I got war flashbacks to dipper x bill shit from the 2010s, can you tell?

Taglist: @dead-esque @cipheress-to-k-pop

#x reader #my writing #dipper pines x reader #douce amere #gravity falls x reader #dipper pines #dipper x reader #gravity falls

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