#they feel like nostalgic dreamscapes

[cryptixotic]

Day 1 : Puppets

Arlekin and Piero from "The adventures of Buratino" - 1975

[harmonysanreads]

harmony, do you have any advice on writing sunday?? been trying to write in his pov for like, days now and i feel i'm making him too generic tbh

Hi Psyscio! I apologize for the slight delay in writing this, I've just been a bit occupied with irl things ^^; I do hope you find these helpful!

— FOR POINT OF VIEW

Based on significance, we can divide Sunday's character thus far in three parts : early childhood, Bronze Melodia period and Oak Family Head.

The Stellaron disaster was undoubtedly the spark that ignited his later concerns. We see from the conversation about the Charmony dove that Sunday was an empathetic and inquisitive boy, albeit, his concerns mostly centered around others.

During his Bronze Melodia days, the segment where he's questioning Ena (I assume), we see a sort of overlap between concerns for himself and for others. It seems that he's projecting the doubts, insecurities and helplessness he feels for himself through the suffering that he's observed in the outer world. We can also see this as a kind of a protective barrier.

This is the time where he's already reached his conclusion and has started (or has already finished) the planning for the utopian dreamscape. One point which I think is very important to remember is that, despite how he presents himself, a small part of him has always doubted this method. But since he was never able to share his ideas with others (since they'd expose his entanglement with the Order) and since Gopher Wood never addressed the faulty nature of them, he wasn't able to think deeper into them. Which is why, even during his boss fight, he's inviting the Astral Express to prove him wrong — to give evidence to the doubts he's always had.

After these three, we have post-Penacony-arc Sunday. He isn't going to be a completely different person, of course. From the snippets we've gotten so far, we see this pattern : Sunday reminisces about [x] thing and how he used to do that in the past, he comments that there's no need to be as rigid as he used to be but he isn't completely ready to fully embrace that and circles back to his previous belief. Which is fine, old habits are never easy to get rid of.

When you listen to Sunday's ideas, you'll find yourself simultaneously agreeing and disagreeing. Similarly, there's a sense of obscurity in the flow of his emotions. This is intentional of course. So, I think it's alright if you notice this convolution while writing him. Emotions and thoughts are abstract by nature. But the way I'd recommend doing this, is pointing out that vagueness after that flow or an action has passed.

Thanks to Sunday's Myriad Celestia, we know that there's a sense of discord between his inner voices. We see him as both the interrogator and the answerer. The former appears to be firm, harsh and disappointed, while the latter appears nostalgic, remorseful and tired. You can use these voices to address his inner conflict.

Speaking of inner conflict, I think it's one of the most powerful tools you can use to write his perspective. I recommend not dodging it.

I've personally never agreed on the opinion of Sunday being delusional. He's quite lucid and we've received many hints of it. There's a difference between just being aware of something and acting upon that awareness. Sunday has many restraints that prevent him from acting, but it doesn't mean that he's ignorant. Oftentimes, the truth is just in his peripheral, but he can't bring himself to look at it due to a lack of support.

Sunday probably overdoses on psychoanalyzing people. Luckily, perceptive characters are very versatile. Now, I think Sunday prefers to see the best in everyone, unless he's been pushed far enough or has a particular history with an individual, he isn't one to harbor antagonist thoughts about someone. According to this post, Halovians can read the minds of people within a certain distance and use telepathy to communicate with other Halovians. Consider how you might use these together.

I like to have this mental image that Sunday is always holding onto a set number of ‘straws’ in his head. Events and people gradually come, ‘snap’ those metaphorical straws and he allows them to, to an extent — until he's left grasping onto the last of them. Use a mix of allegories and ‘telling’ to illustrate this.

— FOR BASIC CHARACTERIZATION

Sunday is in the ‘emotions revealed through unintentional body language’ group. But I think, when he's confronted with unwanted emotions, he gets even more rigid and guarded (as we saw during that scene with Gallagher). There's the popular hc that his wings flutter in certain ways in response to emotions, so, you can use that as well.

Sunday often thinks about the collective instead of the individual, which is sensible considering he's a leader and all. A romantic interest will challenge this, you can use the ways he breaks his own rules to illustrate how deep his investment in the person goes.

I think having a reader who makes him feel safe or understands him can save you a good amount of emotional turmoil. But of course, I also believe in unexpected pairings. Trust that Sunday, being who he is, can always find something worth appreciating about anyone.

One of the most fascinating things I've observed about Sunday are the similarities between him and Aventurine, as addressed by Ratio. Studying them side by side was very fruitful for me.

For resources to better understand Sunday, I recommend this video and this video.

— FOR DIALOGUE

I mentioned this in my Aventurine post, but in case you missed it, there's this channel that compiles character dialogues individually which can be helpful if you're seeking to refresh your memory. However, I'd like to add here that listening to how a character interacts with others ; as in, how they respond to what, can be even more useful for dialogues.

I've only observed Sunday's English voiceover so I'm not sure how the performance differs in other languages. Based on my observation, Sunday prefers to maintain a gentle, almost airy tone. This appears to be a result of practice though. Sometimes his manner of speech gives this impression that he's viewing you from an elevated space, where he's seeing everything about you. We hear his true voice when the people he cares about are in danger, or, when he's alone with his thoughts.

— MISC. TIPS

Sunday may appear hypocritical, you'll notice dissonance between his words, actions and subconscious — which is okay, characters and people aren't meant to be flawless. What you need to remember is that all of these discrepancies are intentional and results of his upbringing.

Sunday has been groomed by Gopher Wood for the Order's propaganda. In addition, he has survivor's guilt, religious trauma, trust and attachment issues and (possibly) Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. Do your research on how these affect people in relationships.

It's okay if you struggle to fully grasp his character, he isn't understood within the game either. In my opinion, it's a very well done representation of how little we'll know about other people. Fiction allows us to gaze into the inner world of a character and see them from different perspectives. This isn't possible in reality and that's okay. Approach Sunday's character with an objective mindset, because the beauty of his writing is not centralized, but scattered.

[deathbxnny]

So here’s the Acheron request i’ve talked about! Can i request hcs of Acheron x Kiana Kaslana reader? Yeah it’s kinda simple but i just wanted to see how would this version of Raiden Mei be like with someone like our dear tuna.

- Flower Anon 🌸

Hello Flower Anon!! Thank you so much for this request, because I honestly miss our Tuna sooo much!! With that said, the reader is based off of pre-HoV "awakening" Kiana(I MISS HER SM😭✨️)!

Content: Kiana Kaslana reader, slight angst, fluff, Acheron being dense, mutual pinning, confessions, sfw

Reader has no set pronouns!

((Not fully proofread))

For a while, Acheron couldn't help but think that she was a damper on the unrelenting sun that shone down on her. That sun being you, ofcourse, bright and bubbly, never letting her stray from your side voluntarily. You were wild, free and full of life, something so rare for the galaxy ranger to see, or experience for that matter.

She is therefore very protective over you, not a singular soul being allowed in your vacinity, if Acheron herself didn't trust them. She kept her eyes on you even when you couldn't see her, hidden away in the shadows. Some would say that she was afraid of losing you and in a way, that was true. But she was also worried that you'd somehow get into trouble again, like you often did. She kept her hand on her sword at all times when it came to you, especially when she knew that danger was near.

Speaking of you causing trouble, she usually gets dragged into whatever shenanigans you've caused, mainly becaus she doesn't want you to get hurt. Not that she minds though. Somehting about fighting at your side made her feel nearly nostalgic, alive. These emotions are one's she craves and she's grateful that you allow her to experience them, even if it ends in a huge fist fight against some drunks in the dreamscape.

You are spared from her memory loss, as you are all she ever fully thinks about. Everything regarding you was attached to an emotion that keeps her remembering and you can't forget someone who's always glued at your side anyways. Your presence gives her pleasant dreams, dreams she cherished deep down more than anything.

Your dates often consist in wild adventures or more quiet baking days, which she found to prefer more with you. Something about it all felt familiar and soothing, but perhaps it was just you that made her feel so warm and safe.

WOWW... Bxnny actually posting something? Shocking, I know, although I will blame life and sickness for my absence (what's new-). Anyhow, I'm sorry this took so long, Flower anon, and thank you again for the great request!!<33

[inbetweenknacksandnooks]

What Every HSR Girl Smells Like Pt. 5

Ft: Black Swan, Siobhan, Acheron, Robin

Part 4 (Xueyi, Ruan Mei, Yukong and Tingyun)

More UtC

Black Swan

Smells are closely connected to memories, and emotions, so it only makes sense that she smells whatever is associated with your most precious memory.

It's not as simple as your favorite thing (though it certainly could be), it's much deeper than that.

Is it nostalgic? Warm? Rainy? You tell me, only you, and possibly she, knows.

Siobhan

She smells like those fizzy, carbonated drinks she often mixes and minces in the dreamscape.

Though, outside the dreamscape, she puts on colognes. More-so the fancy and elaborate ones, rather than the simpler ones. Something that evokes sensations and memories, feelings. And she wants to know all your feelings.

(I love her so much! I'd be happy if they gave her to us as-is in NPC model, I don't care! Let me know more about this little sodufnasidofds!)

Acheron

She can't smell herself, her taste buds (and likely her olfactory receptors) are faulty. She probably imagines that she smells like rain.

She would often probably forget to apply deodorant, and doesn't even give spritzes or sprays a second thought. Though, with her ambush abilities she has from the Nihility, her smell is hidden under IX's power, even if she were to apply some kind of fragrance, it probably wouldn't make a difference and she'll simply smell like dead air.

Robin

She has shows, and as we've seen during her trailer, gets mists that probably are that synthetic saccharine-smelling. The kinds that give weak mortals (me) headaches.

If it does give you a headache, she uses sharper smells when she's with you to counterbalance it, so expect things like pine, fresh mint and peppermint.

She doesn't really like that whole synthetic smell, either, and opts for more natural scents, whether they're floral or naturistic.

[patibato]

[Bitter Sweet Sixteen] 002-A24 - Eat, Smile, Have a Blast

*crowd chattering*

Momiji: Wow~ so many people! It looks like all the tourists have gathered here!

(Everyone travelled for the festival, huh. …I'm really glad it opened without issue.)

…Hm?

Customer A: Excuse meee, I'd like to buy a three pack of baby castella with the special syrup.

Ushio: Right, hold on a moment…!

Customer B: I'll take a five pack!

Ushio: R-right…!

Customer C: No way! This is delicious! The special syrup is pretty good! I'll get it as a souvenir! Sir, make it a ten pack~!

Ushio: -…! Ri…! Right!

Momiji: Amazing. It's busy as hell…

Nanaki: Hey. It's been like that since the festival started.

Momiji: Nanaki-kun, Kiroku-kun! Good work!

Kiroku: …Good, work… to you… too…

Nanaki: Um, Chief. If it's alright… well. Our hands are free at the moment.

We were thinking we could help Kurama-kun out with the stall. The waiting customers are gonna get bored at this rate.

…Will that impact our grade?

Kiroku: … We'll … do our… best.

Momiji: Huh!?

(Nanaki-kun and Kiroku-kun came to offer help themselves…)

-… Of course! Just ask if there's anything you don't understand! Let's do our best to provide hospitality!

*omotenashi battle*

Momiji: Thanks for the help, you two! Our dear customers seemed very happy! Right, Ushio-kun!

Ushio: …Well, they got sold quicker than if I did it alone. It's a natural result of multiple people maintaining it… …

…It helped. Here, as thanks. It's the castella I'm selling.

Kiroku: …You're… thanking…

Nanaki: Here's hoping it doesn't start raining again. …Thanks for the food.

Chew chew… …!?

Delicious…

Ushio: …Hmph.

Nanaki: The moment the mild syrup flavour enters your mouth, an aroma spreads out like you're on a prairie…

The gentle sweetness of the sponge softly creeps up on you, like flowers garnishing a pure dreamscape…

A miraculous harmony that wouldn't be possible without both—a magnificent combination of saltiness and sweetness, with a somewhat nostalgic feeling…!

What is this… until I swallowed it, I had a Jimu Hen* guitar solo running through my brain…

Momiji: Amazing! Looks like you've got a talent for food reviews too, Nanaki-kun!

Nanaki: Ah, no, it was just too good, so I ended up…

Kiroku: … …

… …

Momiji: (Kiroku-kun's fully focused on eating. …Cute.)

Oh right, Ushio-kun.

Ushio: What.

Momiji: The lady who prepared the baby castella machine was praising you. She says you should have told them that you'd properly brought all the ingredients with you, instead of going "I forgot the syrup~".

"It's the first time I've had such delicious sweets" she said, so she's thankful.

Ushio: … I mean, I just did what I was supposed to.

Momiji: (So he says, but his cheeks are turning a bit red. He's embarrassed, huh.)

—Everyone really put their all into this. The fireworks were also a wonderful success, and both the tourists and the locals were very pleased. You really livened things up!

Nanaki: The music did?

Momiji: Of course! The sound source was far better than the one they'd been using before, and both young and old people enjoyed it!

Nanaki: Really!?

Momiji: Really. There's already a video online. They're saying the way it's matched with the fireworks is the best, and the number of views is doing good.

Nanaki: I see!

Ah, no. …It's because I worked hard. Yeah.

Momiji: Kiroku-kun's lantern is also really popular, it's addictive eeriness is considered cute—

Kiroku: …Huh…

Momiji: It seems like it's become a photo spot. Lots of pictures are being uploaded to social media.

Kiroku: Re… …rea, lly…? But… it's not… fin… ished…

Momiji: Being unfinished isn't as bad as you think.

Kiroku: …

Momiji: The clear skies brought a good turnout, and the management side was pleased too. Everyone's having so much fun—I, I'm so moved… …

Ushio: …You're quite the crybaby, for an adult.

Momiji: S-sorry. Looks like the sea breeze got in my eyes.

(At any rate, the kid who did the most to ensure everyone's efforts bore fruit like this was—)

Akuta: He~y there! 'Tis I, the man who will completely eviscerate the competition for the Kurodemy** Director Prize!

Muneuji: Good work, everyone.

Momiji: Akuta-kun, Muneuji-kun, good work!

Akuta: Ah~ this takoyaki is seriously good! The okonomiyaki's cooked all fluffy, and the oden's so flavourful~! Stall food is the best!

Nanaki: Aaah, you've bought so much, even though Sakuchan-sensei said we'd go out for food at the after party…

Akuta: Nope~ I remember that clear as day. When I passed in front of the stalls, I got 'em for free!

Ushio: Bet you were looking real greedy. Or like a starving puppy.

Kiroku: Isotake does… make you want… to give… food… to him…

Muneuji: As they're a representation of everyone's kindness, we couldn't refuse. Though I did say to not eat them now, and save them for later.

Momiji: He couldn't help himself, huh.

Akuta: No problem! My stomach is infinite! It's still only ten percent full!

Sakujiro: Ah, here you all are. It seems the store will be ready soon. We will be going to the same place we got Hishio bowls at on the first day.

Momiji: Since we'll be leaving Shodoshima tomorrow, we should absolutely all eat together this time.

Akuta: Hi-shi-o! Hi-shi-o!

Kiroku: …

Nanaki & Ushio: …

Muneuji: We'll all be participating, then.

Kiroku: … It… seems… that way.

Muneuji: …

Ushio: …

Kiroku: …Will you two… be… o… kay?

…You won't…… get into a…..

Akuta: What's that? You'll share half your Hishio bowl? With me? Hooray! Thanks!

Kiroku: …!? That's not—

Akuta: Huh, did you say you'll share your miso soup too? You're seriously a god, Kiroku! Thank you thank you~~~!

Kiroku: …I, didn't… say…

Momiji: (It somehow feels like they're not on the same page…)

At any rate, let's set off!

Nanaki: What do you mean you launched the egg!?

Akuta: Yep! It went boom!

Momiji: Hm? What did?

Nanaki: Nothing, we're discussing a movie.

Don't yell.

Muneuji: We negotiated with the egg, and this is how things turned out.

Nanaki: You mean it could communicate? The egg? I didn't think it seemed much like a living creature.

Muneuji: If you're asking if it reacted like it had a living body, it didn't. However, I could sense some kind of purpose from it.

Akuta: It was like a space communication device? Controlled remotely, like a radio controlled car~

Nanaki: So now, the egg is…?

Akuta: We searched the mountain for a bit, but couldn't find it!

Muneuji: I fear it may have burst into tiny pieces.

Nanaki: Wow… seriously…?

Akuta: No way! It doesn't have such a weak nature! It's an egg.

We'll definitely meet again someday. Somehow—I can just tell.

Nanaki: You're really confident about a baseless assumption. …Well, it's fine. Whatever you do, don't let Kinugawa-kun know.

He seemed really attached to the egg. I'm sure he'll be hurt if you tell him it might have burst.

Muneuji: Understood. I shall tell him that it returned to the sea itself.

*ジムヘン/Jimu Hen is a reference to Jimi Hendrix, often abbreviated to ジミヘン/Jimi Hen in Japan

**The Kurodemy Prize is a real thing, but it seems to be a manga award with no subcategories, so I'm not sure it's actually a reference to that

Previous Chapter | Next Chapter

Masterlist

[7grandmel]

Todays rip: 07/05/2024

Rooftop Bop

Season 4 Episode 1 Featured on: SiIvaGunner's Highest Quality Rips: Volume AI

Ripped by Mitchell

Requested by InitialDDD! (Request Form)

Man, Scatman John...what an interesting relation he has to the internet, huh? For whatever reason back in the early days of YouTube, his titular hit song Scatman became really prevalent to use in amateur comedy videos, most notably with the "Super Mario 64 Bloopers!"-genre of video. These are actually videos that I have memory of watching - people just playing around in their childhood 3D game and making up their own little stories and sketches to the tune of silly music. But Scatman, and its less-viral sibling Scatman's World, are more than just nonsense, there's an emotion to John's two legendary songs, a distillation of raw nostalgia - one that the internet suddenly rediscovered back in 2019, and one that SiIvaGunner itself celebrated in bursts throughout the whole year, with Rooftop Bop being an absolute standout example.

Like with most memes, its hard to really trace down a logistical reason for their upbringing - check any KnowYourMeme page, and its bound to just say something along the lines of "on this date, this video/image was posted, and gained tons of attention". The Scatman-posting of 2019 was a pretty interesting case on top of that - the "AWESOME - HE FINALLY" memes that initiated it all were like a big mishmash of memes old and new. Part of the joke was in using nostalgic pieces from the old internet, the music and the "black border" template, over clips from Vine or elsewhere edited to have a positive, borderline innocent outcome, as if to intentionally turn the "Loud equals funny" format that so much of Vine fell under on its head. It's like three layers deep into irony, to where it loops around into finding sincere happiness funny - but it is genuinely still just a really good bit, the perfect kind of stupid comedy that's at once unexpected yet also brings its audience together over the nostalgia it evokes - nostalgia for two different eras of the internet, even! Despite being so core to the old internet days, Scatman wasn't very prominent on the Unregistered Hypercam 2 takeover of 2018, taking a backseat to other internet anthems like Never Gonna Give You Up in Never Gonna Give Up Mahjong and Dreamscape in How 2 Do Anything. But, as if it was fated to be, just a few months later in 2019 Scatman John would once again be made relevant - and the SiIva team was right on top of things.

A lot of Scatman John's prominence on SiIva in 2019 was, of course, on the legendary Not Funny Didn't Laugh day - on the 10th of September (whats 9 plus 10?), a series of shitposts intentionally drenched in as much irony as possible were featured on the channel, the depths of which I explored back in Sex - Steve Harvey. But beyond giving us all brain damage, the event was like a huge shot in the arm for Scatman Stocks - and just two weeks later, we would receive perhaps the best Scatman rip yet. The guy had been lurking as a meme on SiIva before, notably being in some Season 1 rips here and there - and so his return on Not Funny Didn't Laugh day felt like just one more piece of internet history to be nostalgic for. Early YouTube, Vine, and the very first months of SiIvaGunner - all rolled into two songs filled with such whimsy, yet also filled with pure emotion. Now: Does that ring a bell to anyone else?

I feel like Rooftop Bop is the definition of a "more than the sum of its parts" rip, if that makes any sense. It's an excellent melody swap/mashup no doubt, the kind that almost makes you wonder how it was even done with how authentic the violin's lead melody sounds, and the chorus returning to the original Rooftop Run: Act 1 theme with Scatman John's vocals hits oh-so-hard - its an amazingly paced out rip throughout, ping-ponging between melody swap, mashup and both at once throughout - but like I said, the rip is so much more than all of that. It feels almost like a universal experience (at least, for my generation) to have an attachment to Scatman John - but more than that, we all have an attachment to the very thing his two hits represented. Because his balance of silliness and genuine heartfelt emotion is the exact thing that made SiIvaGunner so special all the way back in Season 1, the kind of balance that has made us all smile, laugh, empathize and outright cry, althewhile never losing its core of pure whimsy. Be it The Paragoomba and the Wiggler, Aphex, Planet Wisp Mashup Medley, Turnabout Fishters, or indeed Rooftop Bop - SiIvaGunner, very much like Scatman John, has gotten so many emotions out of us, and made us all too attached to an entity others may consider naught but a silly gimmick.

It's a fantastic listen - but more than that, it's an incredible experience. The latter half of Season 4 Episode 1 of SiIvaGunner was perhaps the most exciting period to ever follow the channel during, and Rooftop Bop's unprecedented ability to unite us all through a raw dosage of nostalgic memories couldn't have come at a better time.

[katytheinspiredworkaholic]

WIP Wednesday

Dreamwalker (Eddie’s Story)

Summary: Steddie Canon compliant/fix-it fic paired with a corresponding story in Steve’s POV, each chapter happens in tandem with the other. Eddie wakes up alone in the Upside Down, not knowing how he survived, and unable to reach anyone topside in Hawkins. Wounded and alone, he finds shelter at the Harrington’s house (the place is a damn fortress after all), and while hiding out there discovers that he has gained the ability to walk into other people’s dreams.

((unbeta'd snippet from Chapter 03 that probably has some incorrect information in regards to the Upside Down/history of the show but I haven't gone back to fact check just yet. Also remember Eddie does not have some information that the others do so there are missing pieces there as well: for instance, he is calling the Demogorgon a Nazgûl (because we are doing lots of LotR references, and he never actually saw a Demogorgon in the show). He is currently hiding at the Byer's old house, and ends up falling asleep there while the creatures ourside are hunting. This is the first chapter where Eddie doesn't dreamwalk with Steve -- but with someone else. And therefore learns that he can walk into anyone's dreams. Also sets the tone for the rest of Eddie's story. There's 15 chapters total, if that helps paint the picture of how much more there is untold. Another stupidly long snippet, but it will probably be my last one for Eddie for a while. I'm wishy-washy on when the fic will be posted, and the logistics of formatting dreams vs. reality, but more info will come when the time nears. For the purpose of this snippet, the dream is in italics and reality is in regular))

—

Eddie dreams, and almost immediately he knows it’s not his own.

After finding himself walking through Steve Harrington’s dreams, Eddie discovers they feel very distinctly different from experiencing his own. It’s less confusing, for one thing, and he’s more sure of himself and his body as he moves around within the dreamscape. But he’s only dreamed with Steve twice, both when sleeping in his bed in his home, and there’s something very not Steve about this dream.

For one thing, he’s back in the woods. Not the Upside Down version of the woods, either, because the trees are intact and the air smells less foul, and there’s a different hue to the darkness here. Almost like it’s lighter, more familiar, nostalgic to his rattled senses.

He spins around, hands in his jacket pockets, once again wearing his battle vest (he misses it a lot, maybe Harrington kept it for him) and his Hellfire shirt. His armor. His go-to outfit. If he was to be drawn like a cartoon character in Scooby-Doo or some shit, wearing the same thing every frame, this is what he’d have on. And when he looks out into the darkness, he finds himself alone. Very much alone.

But this isn’t his dream.

How does he know this? Don’t fucking ask him. Eddie can just… feel it. Like when you step outside and can tell it’s about to rain. The atmosphere is just different.

He can also tell this isn’t Steve’s. Steve’s dreams feel like wearing a warm sweatshirt, they are crisp and confined and comforting even when they are facing something scary. But this… this feels more brittle. More watery. Smaller.

Then, Eddie sees him.

A little boy, standing in the woods. The towering trees seem to press in on him from either side, the forest floor is a shag carpet of leaves, roots and dips in the ground that could swallow that kid whole. He looks so small, and lost. Eddie had been lost in the woods before, when he didn’t know that if you just keep walking in one direction you’ll eventually hit a road. So he makes his way towards the boy, and only pauses when his vision fails him.

Well, it must have, anyway. Because Eddie could have sworn it was a little boy, about nine years old, and then like a movie-frame shutter the boy ages a few years. And then the click shutter happens again. It’s very ghost-story-esque and Eddie isn’t sure he wants to get much closer after that. The boy shutters between ages: maybe 10 years old, then 12 years old, 15 years old, and back to 10. If he had to guess.

But his presence doesn’t go unnoticed, the kid turns to him and looks at him with wide eyes. He’s got a rather unfortunate bowl-cut and big watery eyes and is looking at Eddie like he’s one of the Nazgûl come to eat him alive. So Eddie raises his hands in the universal gesture of ‘I come in peace’ and – it takes him a moment to realize he’d done something similar to Chrissy all those months ago. Trying to make himself not look so scary for a moment, when he spends most of his time otherwise doing his very best to have ‘Fuck Off’ stamped on his forehead.

“Hey, it’s okay,” he tells the kid, who about trips over his own feet to back away. “I’m not gonna hurt you. What’s your name?”

The boy licks his lips in nervousness, shutters between 10 and 12 again, a courage in his eyes as he finds his voice. 

“Will Byers.”

…Oh, shit. 

Eddie’s eyes are a little wider, now, and he lets out a deep breath as he tries to gain his bearings. He’d fallen asleep in mini-Byer’s room, and now he was in his dream.

So that’s how it works.

“Will Byers,” he murmurs, still a little shell-shocked. “Your friends with Wheeler and Henderson.”

He blinks and the kid is 15, almost as tall as he is, looking at him with more curiosity now. But then he’s 10 again, fingers clenched at his sides, suspicious and untrusting.

“Who are you?” he asks, his little voice doing its best not to shake.

“My name is Eddie.” He’s usually good with little kids, and he’d get down to the other’s level if he didn’t have a tendency to switch between four feet and six. But the spark of recognition is worth the softer tones, because the kid immediately connects a bunch of information Eddie isn’t privy to. But he gets the same look in his eyes that Henderson does when he figures something out.

“Eddie who died?” Will Byers asks, confused, hopeful.

“Yeah, Eddie who died,” he says back, and wow that feels like a kick to the chest. He puts his hands back in his pockets and leans on one hip heavily. At least they still talk about him, topside.

“Why are you here?” Will asks. Eddie just shrugs in response.

“I don’t know, man. It’s your dream.”

There’s a noise off in the distance, a dark guttural growl and heavy footsteps – both Eddie and Will look to it, snapping to attention and not moving an inch. ((This is a dream.)) Eddie reminds himself, like he has to do every single time. But the Nazgûl and Vecna could probably penetrate dreams as well as minds, so who’s to say that the thing in the distance wouldn’t be able to hurt them, here.

Will’s back to a small child, the same face and wide eyes that had been on missing posters three years ago. And he’s looking up at Eddie, whispering so as not to be overheard by the monster in the forest. “Do you know somewhere safe to hide?”

It takes him a moment to consider it. In fact, Eddie almost retorts with the same line as before. It’s your dream, kid. But then again, Eddie did have more control of himself so maybe… maybe he did know a safe place. Max had hidden from Vecna in happy memories, right? Dreams were just a compilation of memories and imagination. Eddie knows how to weave a tale, so yeah – why not?

He nods, steps closer, and offers his hand to the kid.

“This way.”

The woods are dark and dense and kind of lovely in their own way. The two can hear the Nazgûl in the background, although Eddie really wants to ask what the kids called it instead, and as he walks through the woods he just… focuses on the areas of the forest he knew well. In particular, the place he set up shop almost every day of the week.

And like magic, it appears.

They step into a small clearing in the woods, and there’s the picnic table he had last sat at with Chrissy Cunningham. Making a fool of himself to get her to laugh so she wouldn’t look so scared of him. Now he knows she wasn’t really scared of him at all, but the hallucinations Vecna had plagued her with. He swallows thickly, not wanting to think about Chrissy now – not when his very thoughts are driving where they walk – and then they are rounding the bleachers of the high school football field. Crossing the parking lots, and ducking through the East Entrance doors. Will had changed again, he’s older now, maybe 12 or 13, and looking around in curiosity.

Interesting.

“Have you ever been here before?” Eddie asks, because he needs to know. If Will had never been to Hawkins High, then he wouldn’t be able to dream it at all. That would mean that Eddie could create things out of thin air in a head that wasn’t his own. Both a very cool and very scary thought.

“Only a few times for school stuff. The others knew it better than I did. When I was lost they had El do her mind-walking here, so she could search for me. They made a sensory deprivation tank in the gym.”

Mind-walking. Eddie is even more interested now, and he wants to pry every little bit of information out of mini-Byers head if he can. “That’s the girl with superpowers?”

“Yeah, she’s like my sister.”

“And she can walk through minds?”

“Kind of,” and woah the kid’s voice dropped. He was older now, and taller again – probably the actual age of Henderson and Wheeler and Sinclair. “She walks through dimensions, but she can also walk through memories.”

“What about dreams?”

He almost doesn’t ask, but he also doesn’t get an answer – because then they make it to his hideout.

Eddie opens the door to the Drama room, where (low and behold) the Vecna Lives! Campaign is still set up from the night of the basketball game. The night Chrissy died, and Eddie’s entire life with her. The stage lights are set low, he’d created the perfect ambiance, and the table is still full of the havoc of their campaign. Those little shits won by the skin of their teeth, all thanks to Erika Sinclair. He’d never expected that. But it had been such a wonderful, delightful surprise. It’s a good memory, and Eddie holds onto it, lets it warm his chest and ease a smile onto his face.

“Woah!” Will’s face is pure awe, and there’s a handsome little smile on his face as well as he looks over the entire board. “Is this… you did all this?”

“It’s the night before I became a fugitive. My last and greatest campaign,” Eddie laments, shutting and blocking the door (just in case the Nazgûl decides to take up tracking) and then circles round to his Dungeon Master throne. Flops down in it with his legs hanging over the arm, and relishes in the familiarity of it. It’s the throne the props people built for a few plays over the years, and Eddie had to beg the Drama teacher to let him keep it for Hellfire. It was perfect. Set the tone immediately. All the other players got little folding card chairs, but Eddie was in charge and this was his domain. The throne never let them forget it.

Will looks around the board with skilled eyes, taking in each part of the story, and then his gaze lands on Henderson’s seat, where the character sheets and books are still set up. He must recognize the name, or the handwriting, because suddenly he’s frowning. The seat next to Henderson is Wheeler, and the frown deepens.

“Those shitheads,” he mumbles. “I begged them for months to play D&D with me last year, and as soon as I’m gone they join a club for it with a kick ass DM.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment” Eddie tells him with a wave of his hand, like the royalty he’s trying to be. “But yes, that was rather shitty of them. They told me all the time about how you’d wreck the campaign. Your presence was missed, Will the Wise.”

And it was true. Henderson had often shouted to the D&D heavens when Eddie’s hidden monsters would destroy half their party and demand to know where ‘Will the Wise’ was when they needed him.

“So,” he draws out the question, wanting to get back to the mind-walking girl, but he can see there is something still bothering the little Byers. “Did Henderson take over the campaigns? Or did you fill my empty throne upon your return?”

The smile falls from his face like a cinder block, and Will sits down in Wheeler’s seat heavily, gaze still roaming the complex board on the table.

“No, there’s been no games since everything happened.” He sounds sad about it, but Eddie gets the feeling it doesn’t actually have to do with D&D at all. 

“How come?”

“Well, it’s kind of a… sore spot,” Will admits, and then he glances guiltily at Eddie. Who doesn’t get it for a minute.

Oh.

Oh, crap.

It must show on his face that he knows it’s because of him. He was the ringleader of Hellfire, after all.

“Dustin doesn’t even really like talking about it,” Will confides in him. “But he doesn't really talk to anyone about anything, we don’t see him that often. Mostly just at mom’s family dinners when Steve drags him there.”

“I heard about those,” Eddie murmurs, picking at the flaking black polish on his nails to mask the guilt clawing at his chest. “Good ole Steve.” 

“He’s trying so hard to take care of everyone, but I know he spends a lot of time with Dustin. And Max. I really should visit Max more,” he murmurs now, his gaze going further away, and Eddie isn’t sure if he’s waking up from his dream or if Eddie is actually losing him in all this maudlin talk.

“She’s in the hospital, yeah?”

“The doctors aren’t sure if she’ll wake up,” Will tells him. “She’s just… in a coma. El is worried she’s stuck somewhere between the realms, but everyone else is worried she’s just… gone.”

Okay, they needed a topic change.

“Hey, can I ask you something?” Eddie says, nearly flipping out of the throne in a manner that might have been a little over the top, but it shook the sadness from Will’s eyes and that’s what Eddie was going for. Court Jester, extraordinaire. It worked on Chrissy, it’ll work on little Will Byers. (Although not so little anymore.)

“Sure?”

He fumbles upright, and sits down in Henderson’s chair so he can finally level with the kid.

“You were stuck in the Upside Down when you went missing, right?” He knows he’s right, Henderson had gone into great detail about how it all started, but that's not the point of asking the question. Will nods, confused but intrigued. Super. “Okay, so – how did you hide and like… stay sane? You were just a little munchkin and all but you were in there for days.”

“Time moves differently there,” Will points out, but then shrugs and thinks about it. Looking up at the stage lights in thought. “I hid in this old fort of mine in the forest, it was something I had built myself and it didn’t make me feel so alone.”

Castle Byers, Eddie had seen it. He nods and motions for Will to continue with an exaggerated hand flourish that makes the kid smile. 

“So, here's my theory – after talking with El and some of the others about it, and about how Max hid from Vecna – I think maybe because it held such good and safe memories for me, it protected me like no other house could. I think that’s how I wasn’t caught again.”

Now that, that gives Eddie pause… because his safe spot right now was Harrington’s house. But he had never slept in Steve’s bed before in his life. (Dreamed about it? Of course, but Eddie had only ever stepped foot in his kitchen to do business during house parties. There was no connection to the property itself.) So why was it safe now? Was it Steve’s memory that made it so? A combination with the fact there were no vines inside? It was a lot to mull over, and Will was taking his silence as a go-ahead to continue on.

“Basically, if I had to give any advice,” Will draws out, trying to see what Eddie was angling for. Yes, advice would be greatly appreciated. “The Upside Down is a direct mirror of Hawkins, so go and find the bits of yourself that still exist out there. Things that make you feel more like yourself, and less like you’re living in hell. Clothes or pictures or books. Something that’s not dangerous to carry around, but reminds you of home.”

That makes a lot more sense than Eddie had expected it to. 

He looks back to Will, and gives the kid a grin that is equal parts impressed and appreciative.

“Thanks, kid. I think I’ll just have to do that.”

Will beams at him, a little hero-worship shining in his eyes that Eddie has witnessed before from his little hellion sheep. But then a spark of something like recognition crosses those wide eyes and Will’s gaze narrows at him in suspicion.

“Wait, why would you want to know that?” he questions, and Eddie doesn’t answer. Stays kind of tight-lipped about it because… he could just tell mini-Byers that he’s alive in there and that he should get Good Ole Steve-O and Nancy Wheeler and superhero girl to come rescue his ass. But would he believe him? Or remember?

And he recalls how fast the Nazgûl attacked once he fucked with the lights. The gate was closed, opening it could open up a whole can of worms or whatever that no one was ready to deal with.

Maybe… maybe he should just sit tight, for now, and see if he can help them all out somehow?

((Where was all this self-righteous bullshit coming from?))

Analysis time would also be a problem for Future Eddie.

“Let’s just say, it’ll come in handy for me,” Eddie relents. A little hint. Knowing those shits they’ll figure it all out anyway.

Instead of elaborating, he extends his hand, and waits for Will to clasp it like all good boys had been taught to do.

“It was a pleasure meeting you, Will the Wise.”

He’s slow to smile again, but it’s a genuine thing and Eddie takes it for the little speck of Gold it is. “I’m glad I finally got to meet you, Eddie the Banished.”

And Eddie knows he has Henderson to thank for that nickname, but he would wear it proudly for the rest of his days if he ever manages to make it out topside again. 

Although Byers might give Henderson a run for his money on ‘favorite child’, at this rate.

—

When the blood red morning dawn creeps in through Will Byer’s windows, and Eddie crawls out from underneath his bed, there’s a lot of thoughts tumbling around his head as he gathers his things.

In particular, the thought that trying to contact the other side might not be the best idea at the moment. 

For his health? Yeah, possibly. He can’t actually live on moldy food the rest of his days, however short that may be, but he has to think of the bigger picture here. Everyone was having a rough time topside, in a completely different manner to Eddie’s own, but that old saying really rang true to him – shit was tough all over. They were all trying to heal, and knew there was a fight on the horizon. Eddie knew that eventually, everyone else would make it back to the Upside Down to finish this fight. He just had to live long enough to see that day.

So… why didn’t he just use his placement as an advantage?

Why doesn’t he do what he imagined himself doing, and really commit to the bit of espionage? Eddie could commit to the bit so hard he got himself in trouble most of the time. No use switching that up now.

So he gathers his things, tip-toes through the house, and runs right back into the woods. He has quite a few stops to make, but there’s one he needs to do first and foremost.

It takes the better part of the day, but he finally comes to the trailer park. The chasm splitting open the Earth glows and pulses with an intense heat, and there’s things prowling all around, but Eddie stays pressed to the backs of the trailers and dips and ducks around as best he can. Avoiding bats and rats and dogs and what might be a cat-like creature but he’s not entirely sure. Margaret’s trailer is much further down the road, where he’d biked when the bats chased him, so her bunker of Doomsday materials would have to wait.

Will said to find the things that reminded Eddie of himself, so that’s what he was going to do.

Uncle Wayne’s trailer is split in two, but Eddie’s room had been at the back end so it survived – to a degree. He crawls through the wreckage, picking through stuff that’s burnt and probably leaking radiation or some shit (seriously how has he not dropped dead at this rate?) and finally finds the tiny space that used to be his closet. It’s full of shirts and clothes he hasn’t seen in a couple years, but at the bottom is an old metal tool box that he’d stashed a bunch of sewing shit inside of. Patches. Bits of old band T-shirts, and sure enough – he lifts the lid, and finds the very origins of his battle vest. It’s still a jean jacket, at the moment, with sleeves covered in patches and safety pins – he ripped them off the summer between his second and third senior year – but on the back is the freshly hand-stitched Dio logo taking up the entire back panel. It’s gorgeous, and he immediately slips it on under Steve’s leather jacket. He’s lost enough weight the past few weeks it still fits, but he has a feeling he might be ripping off the sleeves sooner rather than later. Because he has some work to do, and some weapons to practice with.

But not before he goes and retrieves the final missing piece of himself.

His sweetheart is lying on the ground, covered in ash, some of the strings rusted. He whispers apologies to her as he picks her up out of the rubble. She’s a beautiful blood red Warlock NJ Series electric guitar that he spent two years saving up for, and as soon as he clips on a strap and slings her across his back, he feels more at peace than he had in a long time. Will the Wise had been right, he feels like he could take on the world with these bits of himself restored.

Harrington’s house was twenty miles away, and sundown was in only a few hours. He had errands to run, a distance to cross, and a realm of monsters in between them.

But he also now has a bike (discarded in a pile from Spring Break just waiting for him to pillage), and his guitar, and his battle jacket. 

Fuck Vecna and his minions. This was Eddie’s world now.

Time to get to work.

—

tbc

—

Series Snippets:

- Dreamwalker (Eddie’s Story) (Part 1) (Part 2) (Part 3) (Part 4) (Part 5)

- Subconscious (Steve’s Story) (Part 1) (Part 2) (Part 3) (Part 4)

[alleyskywalker]

THROBB FORTNIGHT Fic Recs: Days 11-14

Day 11: First Kiss

Hold on to your heart by saltywench / @salty-wench (T, 1k)

A cute fic for a cute trope! This is the good old "your more experienced crush teaches you about kissing and you end up kissing for read." Robb is adorable in this, with all his inexperienced insecurity and you get the sense that Theon knows exactly what he's doing, starting from flirting with girls in front of Robb's salad to begin with.

Day 12: Soulmates AU

Keepsake by ThyCannoli (M, 9k)

This is a brilliantly written and heart-wrenching fic! The Soulmates part is mostly important because it allows Robb and Theon to share dreams and meet even before Theon gets to Winterfell. Told through their meetings in the dreamscape of their dreams, the whimsical and often metaphorical nature of the setting really allows to highlight their feelings and tensions, taking us through the development of their relationship and all it's ups and downs. It's a canon-compliant fic, so the ending is, of course, painful, but also bittersweet in a way that feels nostalgic and fulfilling and cathartic. This is a fic really stayed with me, even though I read it first a pretty long time ago. (Show canon, but with some book-canon elements.)

Day 13: Friends to Lovers to Enemies to Lovers

Android Dreams and Electric Sheep by VagrantWriter (M, 43k)

And now for something rather different… This is a scifi/far future type AU in which Robb repairs high-level, human-like AIs and Theon is…well, an AI. You know, one of those AI/human romance novels? This is it. And, frankly, it's a real page-turner, as most things by VagrantWriter. I admit, I was cautious in picking it up. I'm very into canon-verse and when I read AUs I'm picky about the characters needing to feel like themselves, etc. And then AI romances aren't normally my thing. And yet I'm very happy I gave it a chance, because it's a truly touching short romance novel, that really does go through this entire arch of slow burn to "betrayal" to reunion, and the AI/non-human aspect is handled very well and interestingly. Robb's characterization is very sympathetic and I think the way Theon is handled in these circumstances is original and compelling in its own way.

Day 14: Reunions

i will carry you to freedom by MayWilder (M, 2k)

Robb and Theon's reunion in a No Defection AU where Theon does go to Pyke, but ends up choosing Robb. It's passionate, it's desperate, it's angsty, but also very corny and romantic as well - all the tropes bundled up into one wish-fulfilling concoction. These are always a bit hit or miss for me, because I feel it can be difficult to manage a line where the narrative is not too dismissive or humiliating to Theon. This fic is very romantic and full of desperate loyalty kink, yes, but I also really enjoyed how genuinely appreciative Robb is of Theon's sacrifice and that he understands that he ought to be "worth it" rather than this being something automatically owed him.

[musingsofaperpetualdaydreamer]

The Tortured Poets Department: The Anthology first listen 🎧🪻✨

More than 15 years later wow it still feels so magical to listen to a brand new album. The joy, the excitement, the nervousness. I mark chapters of my life with her albums, they always seem to arrive with perfect timing. Is it fate or delusion? Probably the later, obviously she has no idea who I am. Idk it feels nice to delude myself now and again that we’re all journeying through this time together in some connectedness (is that a word?). It feels sort of nostalgic in some ways, from being just a child to now an adult, it’s like Sesame Street that grows up with you. Not a great analogy but what I mean to say is it holds a special place to me.

This album, this anthology feels much like we’ve been handed her diary, filled with sticky notes bound together, it’s so raw but so expertly crafted, messy feelings but the penmanship is exquisite. From her debut album, it’s always been poetry. She transports you to her world. What a journey, what a joy, what a gift.

I like to capture my first thoughts of each song in my silly chicken scratching written notes. Most of it makes no sense. It feels like a nice silly tradition and it’s fun to look back on. So here goes:

Fortnight

- It’s giving moody 1989??? Excuse me miss?!!! Ohhh she knows. Preach bye time to cry

The tortured poets department

- Ooooh we’re in an 80s dreamscape. Yes yes yes. Who’s gonna love you but me? A fluffy dreamland Patty smith? Insert wait I understood the reference meme. Ooooh it’s lovely. I am sad

My boy only breaks his favourite toys

- excuse me?? I’m shattered byyyyyeee. I’ll tell you that he runs because he loves me?? You should’ve see him when he first saw me? Once I fix me he’s gonna miss me??? Ladies and gents welcome to afternoon tea on the menu SCALDING hot queen’s special. Maybe I’m a crumpled up paper on the floor. Maybe I am no more.

Down Bad

- well damn she’s said the quiet parts out loud again. Oh smokes time to dissapear into this galaxy smoky cloud of night. One of us. One of us. One of us.

So long London

- literally standing by the river in the rain. May as well cry my damn eyes out . Darn it blondie. Poetic destruction. Crying my eyes out by the water like I’m in made in Chelsea. Darn.

But daddy I love him

- a folklore ode? Little house on the prairie Princess revolution. Serve it up serve it up I’m ready to be stuffed like a winter pig. A grown up love story. It’s ridiculous and maybe wise eyes know too well it’s chockablock of red flags but darn I’m a cheesin’ this is so cute.

Fresh out the slammer

- oh it’s like August but dark. August dark afternoon blistering hot and the storm is about to come.

Florida!!! Ft Florence and the machine

-ExXUSE MEEEEEEEeE?????!?!!?teee heee heee heeee. Your home’s really only a town you’re a guest in??? Sorry can’t speak my jaw has shattered. Pls pls. Palm tree pls.

Guilty as sin?

- A false God dreamy haze confessional? With sprinkle of Gold Rush??? I am a melted.

Who’s afraid of little old me?

- The who’s who of who’s that is poised for the attack? But my bare hands paved their path, you don’t get to tell me what’s sad? - I AM CHOKED. Silenced mute. Ohhhh miss blondie is on BUSINESS. TELL THEM SWEETIE. Oh my heart 💔

I can fix him (No really I can).

- Oooh moody blues preaching with generous dash of delusion? Ah yes my routine favourite beverage. I am drinking this up like air. Drunk on false hope? One of us. One of us. One of us.

Loml

- You Holy Ghost you told me I’m the love of your life. Oh no I’m crying again. Back to crumpled paper rocking back and forth on the floor in a ball it is. It’s so pretty yet, shattering. Devastating. I wish I could unrecall how we almost had it all. Dancing phantoms on the terrace, are they second hand embarrassed that I can’t get out of bed ‘cause something counterfit is dead? Yep that’ll do it.

I can do it with a broken heart?

- Oh damn. Honey nooooo. Oh myyyy. Oh I’m in this picture and I don’t like it. It’s so artfully done, so upbeat and Poppy yet so hauntingly sad. Yes that’s the point but it’s sooo well done. Oh sweetie. I can’t stop laughing it’s not funny, it’s just you too pumpkin. I wanna hug her and tell her it’ll be fine. Ok ok.

The smallest man who ever lived

- Oh I’m speechless. And I don’t even want you back, I just want to know, if rusting my sparkling summer was the goal. The bridge? Excuse me while I sink to the bottom of the darkest ocean.

The alchemy

- Oooh it’s so cute and dreamy. I’m beaming you can hear her smile when she sings.

Clara bow

- Oooh it’s the lucky one grown up. The bridge is a masterpiece. It’s hell on earth to be heavenly, thems the breaks it don’t come gently. She knows she’s a star, The never ending cyclical wheel of stardom, even the shiniest, ends with a new star born in its shadow.

The black dog

- Oh No no no I Am 1 billion percent destroyed. Byeeeee

Imgonnagetyouback

- Oooh blondie is on the prowl and what can I do but bop like the well stuffed clown I am. Insert meme of cat bopping their head.

The albatross

- Banjo? Haunting country cautionary tale? - scathing review of one’s reputation, worst traits but underneath it all is just vulnerability. Caged for ‘monstrosity’ but being so vulnerable and just wanting to be freed loved. The ‘monster’ trying to protect the one they love from the things that will come for them too? Do they even realise it? Do they care? Wow it’s poetically beautiful.

Chloe or Sam or Sophia or Marcus

- Oh it’s sad. If you wanna break my cold cold heart, just say I loved you the way that you were? Oh myyy. Replaying old moments, looking for clues wondering if it can all have a new ending? Wow.

How did it end?

- Wow the invasiveness of empathy of the innate curiosity of wanting to know, so you can something comforting, learn from it but you forget how it can be the worst part, having to offer up a ‘post mortem’ to all when you’ve barely even processed its ended yourself. The cyclical nature of it happening every time like it’s just a formal process we’ve come to accept even though it haunts us all. Ironically as we listen to this. Wow so beautifully done.

So high school

- I wanna find you in a crowd just to hide from you, and in a blink of a crinkling eye, I’m sinking, our fingers entertwined. Awww the sort of bubblegum silly feels you roll your eyes but you have the biggest smile on your face. It’s soo cute. You know how to call, I know Aristotle.

I hate it here

- Oooooh tell me something awful like you’re a poet trapped inside the body of a finance guy. One of us. One of us.

ThanK you aIMee

- Oh my goodness it’s grown up mean but she made it out. It’s so sad but I’m beaming. I say that’s my baby and I’m proud. Andrea? Oh thank you next. Not the kid. I’m cackling.

I look in people’s windows

- Oh it’s haunted death by a thousand cuts glimmering of desperate false hope. It’s lovely.

The prophecy

- Oh. Damn yep that’ll do it. Right in the ticker. Damn. It feels very much like am I doomed to always be the one before the one? Wow. Just yeah.

Cassandra

- I don’t know why but this makes think of safe and sound. Like the woman that was there when everything burned around them. She’s telling her side. Everyone’s there to watch you burn, screaming your guilt but silent when they’re wrong? If that ain’t the truth miss. Oh wow. Shes beautifully captured such a dark chapter.

Peter

- Oh wow it’s beautiful. It’s like post cardigan and she’s all grown up. 'Cause love's never lost when perspective is earned. But the woman who sits by the window has turned out the light. Oh wow it’s wow.

The Bolter

- Oh we must stop meeting like this but it always ends with a town car speeding. Wowowow. It feels like the time she fell through the ice, then came out alive. Oh my a BEAUTY.

Robin

- Oh it’s so pretty. It’s like never grow up, safe and sound and seven swirled together. Wow. It’s like she’s talking to her child but then also herself in the past and present, like from an older perspective? Ohhh it’s beautiful. Why does this make me think of coraline’s real mother watching her sleep? I wanna cry.

The manuscript

- Wow god it’s beautiful. Another time travel song. You keep revisiting past in your mind and you gain perspective and then you realise you aren’t that version of you that lived it anymore. You can feel it still, not as deeply perhaps but you’re disconnected from thinking the way you did at that time or after. Is sobering and haunting. The healing. Wow wow wow.

@taylorswift thank you my love 💕

[foxgirltoebeans]

WOE ASK BE UPON YE..

for ignazio........🍋🍎🍾🍕

for aewryn..........🍍🌽🍪🍒

Ignazio

🍋: What is your OC's most painful memory?

There are huge chunks of their backstory I still haven't touched but intend to get to at some point, but so far I think it would be whatever led to them being raised by a family friend. Maybe his family died of a preventable (if they had the money) illness and they were the only one spared? I'm not sure on that one yet, but I one thing set in stone that could be the answer to this question would be her memory with their childhood friend that they grew apart from. They were promised that they'd always be friends, but eventually said friend dumped him once he grew popular and eventually bullied them for being worse at singing than he was. Led to an inferiority complex which eventually they will heal from, with Aerwyn's help.

🍎: Do they share any features or traits with any family members?

Uhhh, her beautymark? Probably an affinity for stealth? Pessimistic outlook on life? Idk yet, haven't thought too much about what his family would be like... They had a sister, that's all I know.

🍾: Does your OC believe in luck? If so, do they have any charm or ritual they do before a stressful event?

He was a devout follower of Calistria before becoming Aerwyn's herald. Well, he still is, but obviously as Aerwyn's herald he's devoted more of his time now to them instead of Calistria.

In honor of both, he uh, spends some "alone time" with Aerwyn before a dangerous job. Calistria is a goddess of lust, after all. (Thanks for the idea, @ritunn! hehe)

🍕: How does an OC spend a lazy day?

Probably drinking and shooting the shit with Andrés, the guy who raised him after his family died. He's also the guild master of the Oilbird's Nest. That or loafing around in the forest with Aerwyn.

Aewryn

🍍: Where does your OC feel most comfortable?

In their dreamscape! While it can take whatever shape she wants it to, her favorite that she keeps coming back to is a tiny island in the middle of an ocean with white sand beaches, and the sort of buildings you would find in Santorini. She even has her own house in it with a combination bedroom/sensory room. It's really empty as Aerwyn just wants it all to herself and would rather not have to imagine what people living there with her would be like. It's like that first episode of the Twilight Zone where there's signs of people being there, just no actual people. She's usually the only one who gets to see it, but Ignazio gets special privilege access as her Herald. Also because he's a lucid dreamer and he gets to do what he wants in her dreams. The first time he stumbles into it (completely on accident) she chases him with a broom as she's spooked by the situation.

🌽: How does this OC feel about acts of affection? What's their favourite act of affection, physical or emotional?

Absolutely loves it!

Has always and will always love getting a head massage. A good ol' head scritch is nice, too!

🍪: What is something that's sentimental to your OC?

Aerwyn has a soft spot for foxes, and they love her, but she can't figure out why they give her such a nostalgic feeling.

If, by some miracle, they ever reunited with whoever Fia's soul reincarnated into...

"I may have been Caelyn then, but I'm someone entirely different now. That's Caelyn's love, not mine. ...I'm sorry."

🍒: Has Your OC had their first kiss yet? If so, with who?

Absolutely has. Both as Caelyn and in most, if not all, incarnations. Surprisingly Caelyn's first kiss was *not* Fia, Just some random character I don't care to ever establish.

[takitakidancetillthesunriseyea]

Ateez MV Teaser Thoughts

The preview starts and ends with the moon, the cromer, and all that important stuff but I’m not feeling big brain enough to deal with that just yet, so I’ll dive right in with Dreamy Day.

First off, seeing them back at the abandoned wearhouse in Universe A gave me so many emotions I thought I wouldn’t have. It’s just so nostalgic. When listening/watching in chronological order that’s always what comes first; the wearhouse. I very much wasn’t expecting it to come up again. Not now.

It (paired with my theory on Crescent 2 and the rest of the MV clips) really got me thinking. Ok, so Dreamy Day is a dream about the wearhouse days. Before their group fell apart, before Halajoong showed up with the cromer, before they lost Yeosang and then got him back, before they witnessed death, before they even entered Universe Z. It really makes sense. If you were lost, and having a hard time, you would dream of when things were good, right?

I ran a few other theories through my head, like maybe it’s Halateez wishing they had a past like that? Or maybe that Feverteez ran away and went back to world A? But it just seems improbable. (At least for Dreamy Day) The teaser is called “The World EP. Fin: Will ‘World A’ Preview” so it’s probably safe to assume it’s about Feverteez not Halateez, and while they could've gone back home at some point, the placement of Crescent 2 and the lyrics of Dreamy Day suggest otherwise. So I’m sticking with that option.

Dreamy Day is Feverteez dreaming of the past. But it’s still just a dream.

The rest of the MV’s could go a completely different direction. Assuming that their unit songs (which I had previously assumed to be lore unrelated) are lore related, there are a handful directions the latter half of the album could go.

1- It could be an anime level flashback explaining their individual pasts, how they met, their emotions, and emphasizing how the past is affecting what they do in Strictland. That would make sense from a story perspective, and a solid chunk of flashback could be justified timeline wise if they’re in a dreamscape.

Going with that theory Matz, iT’s You, and Youth would be about Matz, Woosangsan, and Yungi being/becoming friends. Whereas Everything would be about someone Jongho left behind due to either time travel or depression.

2- It could be them going off and doing their own things. Frankly MATZ, iT’s You, and Youth’s settings still feel fairly dystopian, and Everything’s teaser takes place almost entirely indoors. So it’s possible they’re in Strictland, or perhaps in the future of Universe A.

If they’re still dreaming it would make sense that they’re in different places. It would also explain the more introspective or otherwise nonsensical scenes like this vv

3- It’s more related to Halateez than I originally gave it credit for. Yea it’s “World A” but who says Halateez can’t go to world A? Halajoong did it before, and besides they would’ve had to have traveled there at least once on accident to know how to repeat it.

Actually, I’ve been thinking about that for a while. After learning how to time/universe travel did Halateez ever just drop into other worlds to take a break from their own shitty one? Is that where they learned so much about music and art in a world that outlaws it? On top of that, other than the Real we know almost nothing about Halateez other than that they know how to Time/Universe travel, are fighting the government, and look just like Feverteez.

I only suggest this theory because the setting and characterization in the Youth teaser make me think that it’s Halateez. Yunho is dancing in a room that is reminiscent of his brother’s old room, but at the same time, it’s not that room. The roughness, and desperation really shines through. It reminds me how much those two really had going on in their lives in the lore. Canonically Yunho has lost his brother twice. Like, think about that. Perhaps it’s Feverteez Yungi finally letting loose. Or maybe that whole Fever/Halateez merging into one theory is onto something…

4- It could be Feverteez going home and dealing with their own problems. Learning how things have changed, grieving the past, or perhaps embracing the present.

I mean, what happens if Feverteez really does go home? Everything will be different. They will be different. Even if they return to the same place in the future it will never be the same as it was in the past. Even if Halateez and Feverteez are separate people, their time together will have influenced them. That and the threat of death they faced everyday. Seeing the suffering of others. Feeling their own power and helplessness. Witnessing death. (The Will diaries really held nothing back.)

There’s something beautiful and horrible about coming home a changed person. On one hand, life is good. Home is good. But on the other hand….Somehow coming home after a long time makes you realize all the messed up things about your everyday life you never noticed before. You have a lower tolerance for people’s bullshit when you’ve looked death in the eyes.

At some point in their journey they crossed the point of no return. (*cough* Wonderland *cough*) They will really never be the same people again. There was a point where the people they once were died.

I don’t know unit MV’s will be them going back home, but even still it’s an interesting point to consider…

Do they even have a home? In reality? Outside of their dreamy day?

✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧ ✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧ ✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧//✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧ ✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧ ✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧

Anyway, as always feel free to add your opinions. (*^v^*)b I’m just so excited!!! Like, not only are they feeding us good music & good content, but it’s lore heavy too? Ateez never disappoints fr T^T

[wordssometimesfail]

@skinks​ tagged me in a music meme, and the only thing I like more than getting music recommendations is giving them, so here I go! My top 10 most recent repeated songs (I think it’s supposed to be of all time or something but recent is definitely more fun):

Petey - DON’T TELL THE BOYS Was I exposed to this one because of a McElroy podcast? Yes. Am I embarrassed by this? No, fuck you. This is the musical equivalent of lying on your back in the grass on a sunny summer’s day with your feet in a body of water and your Very Close Friend beside you, and your heart is full of Love (platonic or romantic, either works for this song). Reddiecore, for the IT girlies, but also just a fucking gorgeous song.

San Fermin - Jackrabbit I saw this beautiful art post where the artist said they were inspired by this song, so I naturally looked it up immediately, and immediately was obsessed. It’s melancholy and thrilling and broke me in half. Also, coincidentally, very much an Eddie Kaspbrak song. I’m not doing this on purpose, I promise.

Gowan - (You’re A) Strange Animal I was at this massive, cavernous thrift store with my family and this song came on over the speakers, so I typed part of the chorus out on my phone so I could find it later. Delightfully 80s, it was made for me. It also just so happens to be the theme song for a totally real 90s sitcom that definitely didn’t end badly for all involved!

LeBrock - Runaway This was a totally random discovery too, I found it on a big retrowave playlist in search for more tracks and artists. It’s just so glittery and dramatic, and it’s become a very fun addition to my Daydreaming About My OCs rotation.

Heathers: The Musical (World Premiere Cast Recording) - Candy Store It slaps. Next question.

The Midnight - Days of Thunder Recently discovered The Midnight because of @thetrickyowl​ and it’s become one of my new favourite things! Magical, deeply nostalgic tracks that just make you feel like neon reflected in wet pavement in the middle of the night. The sax in this one feels like it’s right out of The Lost Boys, and part of the tune is wonderfully reminiscent of “The Boys of Summer”.

Loveless - Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God) Just a great cover of a fantastic song, honestly.

Ninja Sex Party - 6969 A nearly 9 minute epic about going to the year 6969 and saving the world from the tyranny of the evil Dick Elders with the power of horniness. It’s like if Tenacious D was really into synths and sci-fi/fantasy, and it shreds.

Starbomb - The Hero of Rhyme ... This one is just because I was really excited for Tears of the Kingdom. I regret nothing.

The Midnight - America Online See above re: the band, but this song in particular is just so ethereal and spacey, it fucking transports you to an analog dreamscape and I love it.

Tagging @greymichaela, @aleatoryw, @glassblossomsthunderstorm, @bebeocho, the aforementioned @thetrickyowl, and anyone else who wants to do it!

[deathbxnny]

Soo do you remember when Boothill came out, so many people (me included) compared him to Arlechinno and say that he’s “genderbent Arlechinno” despite being literally the opposite of her?

:)

Can i request Boothill with an Arlechinno!reader as a twin sibling?

Context:

Boothill and the reader are twins and they are the absolute opposites despite they’re similar appearances. One is loud and brash while the other is quiet and stoic, one is a normal kid while the other is for some reason cursed? No one in their little family knew why or how the reader have a curse but there wasnt much they can really do about it. Regardless, Boothill and the reader are as thick as thieves, never seen without the other. But then the IPC came and blew up their planet which finally seperated the two twins. The reader somehow survived bc of their curse but now they sometimes glitch (like how Arle does in her idle animation). Now the reader nor Boothill knows that the other survived for a while but then they bumped into each other and you can take the reins from here

Hope you have a lovely day/night!

(Somehow im in a Boothill fever.. i blame Nicholas (DanHeng’s VA) for his damn Boothill song)

- Flower Anon 🌸

Oooh, I really love this idea, Flower Anon!! I have to admit, though, that I struggled writing this so bad, so I'm sorry if it turned out horribly.

Thank you otherwise for your request and sorry it took so long!!<3

Content: Platonic relationships, twin sibling reader, angst, vague mentions of Boothills past, sfw

Reader has no set pronouns!

((Not proofread))

The summer we died in. (Boothill x Twin!Reader)

"If I didn't know yer so well, I would've maybe been shocked to see you alive." Your brother's southern drawl shook memories awake in your mind. Memories that had been left slumbering in the fields of your old home, under the warm sun and in the tall grass. And yet... you didn't feel anything.

"... I suppose I could say the same thing about you -" "-Boothill. That's the name now." You hum dully as you crossed your arms and turned your head away from the confused Trailblazer in front of you to look at him. You had come to Penacony for business, or rather revenge, only to be dragged into its mess on accident. You therefore didn't expect to see the remnants of your formerly dead brother standing before you.

But could you even consider him alive in the state he was in now? A blurry image of what he looked like once came to mind, yet melted away just as fast. You didn't actually remember how he looked like anymore.

"Boothill then."

Silence filled the air, the tension thick and suffocating, yet neither of your gazes faltered. You just... didn't know what to say. There was a time in which you'd childishly dream of seeing him again, the way you'd throw yourself into his arms and then return with him to your families farmhouse. You'd act like nothing happened, become the siblings again that you always were.

But the realisation that it was all just that, a dream, made you press your lips together in the near... disappointment? You should've known better than to become so disillusioned from everything, and yet the reality still hurt you deep, deep down, under the endless layers of your curse.

"Uhm... my apologies, but you know eachother?" Robin asked carefully, seemingly saying exactly what your other companions had been thinking. Your gaze thoughtfully shifted around the twisted yet nostalgic landscape of the dreamscape, not knowing how to answer. You knew eachother once. But now? You weren't sure. You had never met "Boothill". And your brother, therefore remains dead.

Said man scratched his head awkwardly. "Uh yeah, that's my twin -" "-Reallyyy??? You guys don't look nor act alike at all!" March gasped out, only to be quickly hushed by Dan Heng and the Trailblazer. "... Hah, did ya hear that? Things never change!" Boothill grinned at you the way he used to, another memory of pranks and mischief under the moonlight filling your head again, which you just waved away. "Some things don't. But most do... How did you make it?" "Always so straight to the point." Your brother's grin widened as his relief and excitement began seeping through at last. His shoulders relaxed, eyes crinkling with a familiar spark you found yourself nearly stepping away from.

"But let's just say I'm after the same man you are." Ofcourse he'd know exactly what you were in Penacony for. You were one in the same when it came to your wrath. You wanted revenge for your lost family and for eachother, unknowing of the others' fate beyond death. You would've found it funny if you could have felt anything at all.

"Right." You didn't want to know more than that yet. "How'd you get in? Doubt you swam in that lil' pool all the way here." He hummed, which made you tilt your head. Why was he so casual? Why was he acting like neither of you had died? That both of you were together all along throughout the years you missed? It was bizarre and yet so awfully fitting. "... Remember the curse?" You held up a clawed hand that glitched through the force of the dreamscape. You couldn't remember what made you gain this ability, having woken up this way after the catastrophe. But it came in handy in moments like these.

Robin raised a hand to her chin. "You... were able to bypass the dreamscape and just enter it?" "Yes." You replied, and Boothill chuckled at that. "Wish you got that sweet ability sooner. Would've helped us out lots during the ol' days." You stared ahead, nearly through him. Was he trying to cope with your appearance before him this way? Was he trying to deflect the realisation that he wasn't totally alone after all? You didn't know what to think.

"... Let's go together. I overheard your part of the plan from the Trailblazer, and time is running out. If we want to defeat Mr. Sunday, then we have to get going." You said, voice as intimidating and cold as it used to be. It seemed to snap everyone out of their confused daze as they proceeded with the plan. Boothill met your gaze amongst the general commotion of your companions quickly speaking over eachother before taking their own respective leaves.

You stood there, seemingly stuck on how to proceed, which felt so out of character for you. You were used to ordering people around, intimidating them, and demanding the near impossible. But here you were now, speechless and hesitant. Did this perhaps hit you harder than previously expected? Boothill just tipped his hat and led the way automatically, another memory flickering of him doing the same during your nightly pranks. You'd sneak out and hop over the wooden fence surrounding your home to bother your old, grumpy neighbor. Those days were always so warm, the summer heat seeping into the night that began to cool off on your skins.

Those days never seemed to end. It was never cold. Always warm, scorching warm. Burning, flames, smoke filling your lungs and then total destruction.

"-Remember that day? The last one." Yes, you did. It's all you thought about during your travels. It's what fueled your revenge. You said nothing in reply, but he didn't mind. "It was warm. Last day of summer they said but it didn't feel like it to us." The false night sky of the dreamscape stretched out over the extravagant city. You looked down on the dreamers who decided to live a lie rather than face reality. There was a time in which you'd find them pathetic, but now you see yourself in their crowd, gazing right up at you with an equally as unreadable face.

"It was the summer we died in. So I guess they were right. It was our last day." He loaded his gun and raised it to the sky, his body turned away from you. The bright lights below illuminated his sides, hair flowing in the wind whilst the hat covered his eyes. It was a foreign image, one you couldn't recognize. "Why... are you like this?" You asked after a moment of consideration, but what you really meant was why he didn't even feel affected by you being alive all along.

Yet then again... you didn't know if you felt anything either.

Despite your differences, you were the same deep down, he was right there too. And deep down, you realized too late that you weren't the same you used to be either. Death had taken you both. You weren't siblings here. You weren't related at all. The only thing connecting you was his shadow you stood in. But even that did little to shake you physically.

"Because it doesn't matter anymore who died that summer." He shot the flare into the air, hundreds of lights beginning to fill the night sky soon after. He looked back at you with a wild, unrestrained grin. "What matters is that we get the revenge we need for the dead, ain't that right? That's something your serious behind would say, at least."

You couldn't help but dully chuckle then. It was barely heard, so weak he could've nearly missed it, but he didn't. Stepping up next to him, out of his shadow, you gave him the faintest smile.

"You're right, Boothill... Let's get revenge for those who died that summer."

[chrisryanspeaks]

Justice Unveils Mesmerizing “Neverender” Video Ahead of Epic North American Tour

Justice is back with a vengeance as they gear up for the North American leg of their highly anticipated Hyperdrama tour. Fresh off rave reviews, the French electronic duo has dropped a striking new video for their hit single, “Neverender (starring Tame Impala),” which continues its steady climb up the Alternative Radio charts. Directed by Masanobu Hiraoka and featuring creative minds like Kota Iguchi (Tokyo 2020 Olympics) and Armand Beraud, the video is a mesmerizing, phantasmagoric journey into the world of Hyperdrama. Its visual style blends the intricate elegance of Art Nouveau with the surreal, otherworldly charm of vintage Japanese anime, creating a feast for the eyes that feels both nostalgic and groundbreaking. Justice themselves describe the “Neverender” video as a fusion of their visual influences, channeled through Hiraoka’s unique lens. Drawing on the iconic title sequences of 1980s anime and their teenage obsessions with Moebius, psychedelic art, and graphic novels, the video feels like a kaleidoscope of past inspirations seamlessly woven together into something wholly new. It’s an animated world where reality bends, and Justice and Tame Impala navigate through a dreamscape as expansive and bold as the album that spawned it. In tandem with the video release, Justice also announced a Neverender Remixes EP, featuring two new edits of the track by the duo themselves, as well as reworks by Kaytranada and Keinemusik’s Rampa. The EP opens with the original version of “Neverender,” before diving into Justice’s radio edit and a hypnotic extended mix, offering alternate takes that highlight the song’s sonic allure. Kaytranada’s remix turns the track into a minimalist, spaced-out journey, rich with swung rhythms and blissed-out harmonies, while Rampa’s remix transforms it into a steady, uplifting groove, designed to keep listeners moving. As Justice prepares to embark on their biggest U.S. headlining tour to date, including a long-sold-out performance at the Hollywood Bowl, the excitement surrounding the duo’s new album Hyperdrama only intensifies. Having wowed audiences with a jaw-dropping live set at Coachella earlier this year, the band’s 18-month production process has paid off, drawing universal acclaim and a five-star review from Rolling Stone for their Glastonbury performance. Hyperdrama, their first album in eight years, showcases Justice’s evolution while staying true to their electronic roots. Featuring standout collaborations with the likes of Kevin Parker (Tame Impala), Thundercat, Miguel, and Connan Mockasin, the album is a sonic exploration that promises to resonate with longtime fans and newcomers alike. "Neverender" is just the beginning of what promises to be a triumphant new chapter for one of electronic music's most revered acts. https://youtu.be/E7FU_mqhFGk?si=uO0DGC1n42JzXT_1 Read the full article

[shrineofprophecy]

@blckswnstm // ask answered

"What dreams do you have, Little Miss?" Black Swan asks, curious as to what a Masked Fool would dream about if there are any dreams to begin with. What joy does she think of? After all, dreams outside of Penacony are based on the mixture of countless emotions, experiences, and memories. They all create a kaleidoscope that creates new pictures every time it's turned around. "Within the realm where dreams take place, outside of Penacony's dreamscape, what does your mind create? Would it be a theater play where you are the leading star and all clap at your performance? What does it look like?" Sparkle can tell her or not, it is her choice. But Black Swan wishes to know her, and that's why she asks these questions. To understand a person, one must listen to them. And she is willing to listen, she wants to listen to what happens within that chaotic mind of hers. It's fun, isn't it? To know.

"Are you that curious? I knew you were interested in me." Sparkle gave her a knowing smile, legs crossed and elbow resting on top. Her chin rested on the back of her hand as she eyed the Memokeeper.

Her dreams, huh?

Weren't they just that? Wishes people made for themselves, unreachable goals that they weren't even trying to achieve. To become rich, popular, powerful... It was all so basic. So dull. Thoughts they had to escape their miserable lives while staying stuck in the same old. Why not enjoy the present moment? No need to wait for an unforseeable future when elation could be found whenever and wherever.

But if it was a story Black Swan wanted then who was she to deny her one?

"That's right. A stage with all eyes on me..." She absentmindly nodded and her gaze fell onto nothingness, smile disappearing. "Ever since I was a child I dreamt of becoming an actress and you know what? I actually succeeded." A certain kind of nostalgic feeling glazed over her eyes as she leaned back on the couch, against a pillow.

"Of course there wasn't a big crowd in the beginning but I loved it. No matter what life threw at me, I always had my little escape behind the mask."

[7grandmel]

Todays rip: 29/04/2024

slider dank version

Season 8 Featured on: The Joke-Explainer 7000™'s Highest Quality Rips: Sunrise

Ripped by Mitchell

So, it's been more than a week since it happened: the glorious 4/20 event of SiIvaGunner Season 8. Are we all in agreement that it was fucking amazing?

Look, I love the olden internet days and all what Unregistered Hypercam 2 brought as much as anyone else, those anthems of YouTube's earliest beginnings as heard in rips like Unregistered CyberSpace 4-5: Arrow of 2009 are well worth remembering - but the truth is, that I was just a bit too young to get to experience it all in a way that I can tangibly recall. My age was still in the single digits during the Dreamscape's reign - but in contrast, I remember every little bit of how MLG and Montage Parodies rose in popularity, and how they eventually fell out of style. And like I said back in we are number one but with outdated memes over it, it was as if they died out right as SiIvaGunner itself was taking off, like the torch was being passed from one to the other. All these years later, I presume even the SiIvaGunner team themselves were getting nostalgic for the sheer chaos of it all - and so, the age of MLG was celebrated for a day straight on the 20th of April, 2024.

It was a fantastic day across the board, and it was really hard to pick just one rip from it to feature on here. It featured everything from the typical Snoop Dogg rips a la Ganja Man 9: Hash Blunt Hash (Shorty's Stage), to genuinely excellent melodyswaps using songs featured in MLG parodies, to rips not even prominently featuring music, spoofing MLG edits more directly in a genuinely super nostalgic way. In the end, I had to go with slider dank version, just for it being the most whollistic rip choice possible - a cacophany of noise using all corners of MLG, and in said noisiness perfectly encapsulating the ""appeal"" montage parodies had back during their prime. That, and just like with slideless, I feel like there's just something special about Slider rips in particular - they've been around for so long, posted with both such frequency and such enduring quality, that a meme getting Slider'd feels as if its being inaugurated into the SiIvaGunner Hall of Fame. Seeing my beloved MLG get that very same treatment felt like a prophecy come true, a story in the making since the very beginning of SiIvaGunner, realized at last.

But, okay - what exactly IS slider dank version? It was maybe a bit wrong of me to describe it as just noise, because it does have a throughline carrying its melody from start to finish - Smoke Weed Everyday, that is. This isn't a meme medley that changes sources with every half measure of the song a la Memey Hell - rather, other MLG-related sources instead play like accents onto the base melody, little flourishes that make the rip feel more complete. The rip would've been a great listen with JUST the main melody edits, the pitchshifting on Snoop's vocals are fantastic as-is, but each little flourish just adds more than the last. I think a big reason why it works so well is because of how Slider as a track is composed of a lot of call-and-response segments: The melody plays one segment of four or five notes in a steady rhythm followed by a pause, and within said pause the music leaves just enough room for a different melody cue to "respond" to the lead melody. My favorite example of how that's used in slider dank version in particular has to be the airhorns at 0:25 - Snoop's pitch-shifted vocals are met with the infamous airhorn sample which is ALSO pitch-shifted into the aforementioned response melody, and the two sources keep playing off one another for the rest of the segment.

All your other, uh, "MLG Favorites" are here and accounted for as well, I love the hitmarker sounds as the melody starts up at the very beginning, and how the responses before the airhorn segment are just small audio clips like "NICE MEME", "Mom get the camera" and more - it lets the rip add in just about every part of MLG possible incredibly seamlessly. Perhaps most seamlessly is when Slider's melody changes midway through to a slightly less upbeat segment, as it does in the original track, only here being paired with Enya's Only Time - a song you may not recognize by name, but one that was used CONSTANTLY for shitposts about characters dying in MLG compilations, the theme song of all "RIP in Pepperonis" and "liek if u cri evrytim :(" comments all over the internet. And hey, Semi-Charmed All Star - All Star itself even makes it into the rip, taking over Snoop's lead melody duty toward the end of the rip before it loops, along with everyone's favorite Darude Sandstorm. The list goes on - you're surely getting how much fun of a listen this rip is by this point, right?

And like, I know MLG stuff isn't for everyone - there's a reason it all died out, and I'm sure many viewed this event as to be taken purely ironically. But shit, I dunno, sometimes loud DOES equal funny - and though my perspective may be tinted by nostalgia, Montage Parodies are undeniably a part of internet history, a brief but nonetheless HUGE part of online culture, and one that we need to acknowledge happened no matter its obnoxiousness. They weren't all funny, sure - but rips like slider dank version don't feel like they're made to remind us of how terrible things were, but rather how much fun they all COULD be when done right. Not that SiIvaGunner is spearheading an MLG revival per se - but the entire event gave me a ton of nostalgia for something I only recently realized that I was missing. Nice meme indeed, Mitchell - and I suppose that with THIS. IS. SOLEANNA., we've now come full circle on your rips, in paying tribute to all corners of the internet's shitposting history.