#this will be the third recorded version of divided

[atamascolily]

I'm not the first person to observe that magical girls are literally a brighter and more vibrant version of their ordinary selves, but I like this particular Memoria from Magia Record, "Girl's Boundary" ("That Which Divides" in the North American server) not only because it shows this juxtaposition directly, but because it also makes the subtext explicitly text:

There is a vast gap between ordinary girls and Magical Girls. An invisible but tremendous gap. However, armed with their "feelings" and "wishes" they can cross that gap in a single step.

There's a tendency to focus on the downsides of contracting--and for good reason--but I think that it's also important to focus on the very real appeal (especially for adolescents) of stepping out of your boring everyday life and becoming an idealized and powerful version of yourself, complete with ruffles and sparkles. (The sparkles in this drawing indicate that this is 2-star Memoria, and probably were not meant to be Magical Girl Madoka is sparkling, but wow, does it sure look like it at first glance.) It's such a powerful fantasy, and this card does such a great job of depicting that, and showing what it's like for it to come true.

The use of "boundary," 境界 (kyoukai) here is interesting to me in contrast to the kekkai, 結界, or magical barrier created by witches (translated as "labyrinth" in the official English version). Becoming a witch is literally being bounded, circumscribed, limited in possibilities; instead of being able to transform back and forth, they are fundamentally stuck in a monstrous and inhuman form for eternity. A witch is neither a magical nor an ordinary girl but a secret third thing, reviled and trapped in their own personal hell, existing in a liminal space that is anathema to the world around it (represented by the change in animation). Magical girls, however, have the freedom to cross over at will because their feeling and wishes give them strength and power to do so.

This card's text also reinforces the idea that magical girls literally exist in a different world that ordinary people cannot experience. In the original series, this gap serves to isolate and alienate them from their previous existence and ensure there is no turning back (and Madoka and Sayaka do not even have to contract to experience this for themselves; just being introduced to that world is enough).

However, the act of becoming a magical girl--both the original contract and the transformation--is, like electrons, fundamentally quantum in nature: it allows them to instantly* jump from world to world without passing through any points in between. Which makes sense in a weird sort of way, since "feelings" and "wishes" are literally energy, and the transformation of soul gem to grief seed comes with a powerful explosion reminiscent of nuclear fission.

(*Many arguments have been made about how long magical girl transformations actually take in-universe and whether the slow montages are experienced by the girls and/or observers or are only a representation for the audience; YMMV, but on several occasions we see magical girls in PMMM transform instantly without an extended sequence, which makes the latter seem more likely.)

Speaking of transformation sequences, this card evokes Madoka's in the opening of the PMMM, where she dances with her double. More poignantly, it also speaks to Madoka's profound self-worth issues, where she feels she is useless in her ordinary life and can only find fulfillment as a magical girl.

Finally, I have a lot of questions about that magic circle design in the upper right corner, and I wish more of it was visible in the background.

[dragons-bones]

FFXIV Write Entry #1: The Constants of Adventure

Prompt: steer || Master Post || On AO3

A/N: Mild spoilers for Dawntrail up to the beginning of zone four.

---

There were three constants no matter the adventure Dancing Heron and her sisters went on: Alakhai would enable any ridiculousness with a straight face, Rereha would find at least four individuals of whatever genders to “rock her world,” and Synnove would make friends with any and all creatures of a particular tonnage and/or threatening mien. Heron said as much to Erenville.

“We’ve been in Shaaloani for only a few bells,” Erenville sighed, with all the weariness of an Ul’dahn chaperone, “and I believe they’re about to set a record for all of those.”

Heron fought down a laugh, amusement warming her bones better than the bright sun above. “And how do you know they didn’t pull that off upon arriving in Tuliyollal?”

“Despite the fact that every other word that leaves her mouth is an innuendo, Rereha actually does possess a sense of propriety,” Erenville said. “Only when it would reflect on someone else, of course. And Synnove was not introduced to the alpacas properly until…what was it, your second day in the city?”

“Third,” Heron said with a grin.

“And here we are,” Erenville said, his voice approaching the flat tone that Heron was beginning to recognize as his version of exasperated fondness (that he would deny), “Rereha has already wandered off to seduce Chief Kemakka, and Synnove has discovered rroneek.”

While the waystation at the trailhead to Tuliyollal had been empty of the rroneek trained for riding, the paddock in Hhusatahwi was currently host to a handful of the town’s rroneek, mostly used for hauling heavy loads of goods between the Shaaloani settlements. Synnove had drifted over, perching on the paddock fence to watch the creatures with the wide-eyed wonder of a little girl and directing polite questions to the handlers when they weren’t busy. Then one of the younger rroneek had noticed the newcomer and wandered over to investigate, and.

Well.

Now Synnove had the whole small herd clustered around her, the rroneek all lowing happily as Heron’s sister did her best to divide her attention amongst them and give them equal pets, to the awed bafflement of the handlers. Even the herd matriarch—“The toughest, orneriest cow south o’ Yyasulani.”—had deigned to leave the sole shaded spot in the paddock, shove the youngsters out of her way, and bask in the affection. Heron, leaning against the fence of the nearby nopales garden, couldn’t even see her sister anymore past the bulk of the rroneek, though her cooing was clearly audible.

“Awww, such a sweet thing you are, yes! Ooooh, that’s an itchy spot for you, yes it is.”

The herd matriarch was visibly leaning into the presumed scratching—somewhere on her head or face, most likely—with her tail swishing happily.

“They’re not any worse than La Noscean buffalo,” Heron said.

Erenville sighed heavily and leaned against the fence next to her. “We’ll need to keep her away from western Yawtanane.”

Heron glanced at him, eyebrow raised, and raised a hand to make a go on motion.

“That area is home to a number of species of scalekin. Including the lunyucaua’pya—creatures very similar in appearance and behavior to the Isle of Val’s tyrannosaurs.” Erenville gave Heron a flat, pointed look.

The story of their adventure on the displaced island home of the Students of Baldesion had been shared over the course of a few nights’ camping in Kozama’uka during the Rite of Reeds, told with relish and only a little embellishment by Rereha, with input about relevant details from Krile. Lamaty’i had been enthralled with the whole tale, but Erenville had been most interested in hearing how the wildlife had adapted, with those questions fielded by Synnove and Krile. Even with that relatively fresh in her memory, it took Heron a few moments to recall tyrannosaurs from the myriad kinds of feral beasts that inhabited the Isle of Val.

She cringed when she did.

“About the same size, just as aggressive, and with just as many teeth,” Erenville drawled.

“That’s not going to stop her if one decides to make friends,” Heron muttered. In all of her years of knowing Synnove, no creature her little sister charmed had ever hurt her or anyone else nearby, but that didn’t mean that instinct would never overcome Synnove’s empathetic thrall.

They weren’t necessarily any less dangerous just because their teeth weren’t sharp, but Heron much preferred creatures like the rroneek.

The air, ever so subtly, shifted.

“Good thing I bought some extra meaty provisions,” Alakhai said. “They’ll make good snacks for the beasties.”

Erenville went completely rigid, a growl pooling low in his throat, and he jerked his head around to glare at Alakhai. The Xaela was perched on the balls of her feet on the fence between him and Heron, radiating smug satisfaction. Heron rolled her eyes and said a prayer to any gods listening that her sister hadn’t reached out to condescendingly pat Erenville on the head as she occasionally did to people on whom she successfully snuck up. Erenville would likely have bitten her.

“I did need to set a record for enabling ridiculousness,” Alakhai said, straight-faced save for the mischief in her eyes.

Heron couldn’t help the snorting laugh that escaped her, even as Erenville’s glare intensified.

[mindutme]

Sdefa Sdaturday #3

This is a new short piece of music, which is also a text in my musical conlang Sdefa! It translates to:

Snow is falling outside the house. But inside the house is warm And a cat is sleeping peacefully.

Below is a simplified version of the text with a basic gloss. Rhythms and chords are omitted because they’re not part of the text itself. Full barlines divide words, and half barlines divide suffixes from their roots or other suffixes on the same word. In the gloss, the numbers refer to the three free suffixes used in the text. That’s explained a bit in this post, but the basic idea is that each noun is identified with a three-note pronomial suffix which is then used for subject or object agreement on a verb. The numbers aren’t grammatical person —they’re all third person in this case—but are just the order in which they are first used.

There are a few different things I might have done with this text. For one, there’s no tense or aspect marking, since it isn’t required. Second, there’s actually no equivalent of “but” in the Sdefa text; instead, that section of the music has a couple of chord changes that bring a change in mood. I actually don’t have a way to say “but” in Sdefa yet, and I may leave it out of the language entirely.

I hope you enjoyed the music! Sdefa is a lot of fun to use and it’s an enjoyable challenge to make musical sense out of it. This post is coming a little later than usual both because it took quite a while to put this all together and because the recording was delayed due to a certain kitty cat being on my lap.

[starwriterulia]

Tomb of the Goshenite Stargazer Dragon - Chapter 8

SUBJECT MATERIAL WARNINGS FOR THIS FANFICTION ARE INCLUDED IN THE MASTERLIST POST OF MY BLOG AND THE FIRST CHAPTER OF THIS FANFICTION.

Sun and moon divider by @saradika

Banners for scene cut and creator support by @cafekitsune

A/N: Hi, writing this when first starting this chapter because I had enough energy and desire to work on the next chapter at nearly 9 PM and it's so weird to admit that. OK, see you after working on this if there's anything I have to say then!

(Post-big revision, August 23,2024:) That's a lot better. Is it a different writing cliche? Yes. But, I will attempt to do it well! I believe I'm a goose! I believe and honk at the sky! I think about your bells night and day! And you best get the fuck out 'my way, HONK! I enjoy writing possibly interesting scenarios, and I hope that this new version of Chapter 8 is interesting! (Jacksepticeye voice:) DROP YOUR GUESSES FOR WHAT "HENJIN" LOOKS LIKE AND WHAT HIS GIVEN NAME IS IN THE REPLIES! PUNCH THE LIKE HEART IN THE ARTERIES, LIKE A BITCH! A-AND, SPIN YOURSELVES AROUND! *SPI-NNING! SPI-NNING!* AND, I WILL SEE YOU GUYS! IN THE NEXT SHIT CHAPTER! BYE BYE!

Hooray for a

ten paragraph long chapter summary!

Someone please put me in fanfic writer's timeout!

If you can't tell, it's time for my medication and bedttime. It is 10:38 PM. I am 8 minutes late.

OK, bye! Thank you for all the likes, replies and reblogs! I have work tomorrow, and the day after, so I'll see how much of Chapter 9 I get done. It will be a multiple day process. ^w^

Faith

Chapter summary: Oliver watches Faith draw her first three arrows, Dinah, Cissie and Emiko entering as she looses her third, and are all impressed by Faith's natural but imperfect skills. Oliver begins to coach Faith how to jump again, but realises she needs better balance and strength, and tests her with the equipment before activating an obstacle course that rises from the floor and walls. Afterwards, Faith discusses her vigilante name and costume, then goes with the girls for groceries. Faith bids Oliver and Dinah goodnight, and begins to listen to her favourite ambience to sleep when Barbara texts her with an apology that consumes multiple paragraphs, mentioning that she thinks Dick and Tim forgive Faith as well. Faith is emotional as she reads. Faith thanks her, and they chat about what Faith is listening to before saying goodnight. Faith falls asleep quickly.

Zatanna had fallen asleep too, and after seeking Faith, finds her at the tavern of White-Sun Harbour in the Dream World on Paper, SOFFFIAA greeting Zatanna and mentioning the area is a recreation of Great Inagua from Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag. The magician and dreamer begin walking to a grassy area to practice magic. Ra's had opened and entered the window of the guest room Faith slept in, and Faith wakes as he tries to take off her pyjama pants. The struggle for a short few seconds as Oliver receives a phone call from Zatanna. Oliver interrupts the scuffle just as Faith hugs Ra's' waist, giving pause to the villain and a moment for Faith to apologise and come clean, and asks him to take her somewhere else.

Ra's says he's done caring. Faith tells him to record them having sex for blackmail. Ra's repeats her request, baffled that she wants to be recorded for this purpose, but accepts, and tells Oliver that she'll be home in the morning, who is content with this. Ra's leaves with Faith on his back through the window. Oliver, of course, doesn't believe Ra's will come back with Faith.

Ra's descends with Faith into an especially narrow alley, and knocks to enter a door. Faith doesn't know what's inside, as she keeps her eyes on the floor, as she had been instructed to by Ra's. Ra's brings Faith into the office. Yamagata Jin speaks Japanese to Ra's, insulting Faith's looks. Ra's tries to upsell her, mentioning her name, age, that she's a virgin, and that she has metahuman dragon powers. When Yamagata voices concern for his establishment, Ra's replies that Faith can be killed like a mortal, easing Yamagata.

Yamagata inspects Faith's teeth and speaks English to voice disgust, Faith replying wordily, as usual, to explain. Yamagata shares his annoyance with Ra's. He says that she has anxiety, depression and PTSD, and Ra's reminds Yamagata that Faith is a virgin, and says, "Surely one of your sons will think Faith is worthy of his attention." Briefly pondering, Yamagata smiles, Ra's having a similar grin, and Yamagata purchases Faith for 100 thousand dollars. Faith knows those smiles aren't good, and tells herself that she is the O-type star, and use magic to get out, but wants to stay so her virginity and hormones won't be in the way, anymore.

Ra's leaves, and on his tail, Yamagata brings Faith out, who sees a large, empty nightclub. Faith internally guesses it's closed, but remarks that it's odd because it's Monday, and supposed it's so because Yamagata's sons aren't home. They go into a room where six girls are lounging in a nice living space. This amazes Faith. Yamagata instructs the girls to prepare Faith for Henjin, and Faith furrows her eyebrows in thought, not recalling Henjin to be a name.

Connecting that Yamagata is mocking one of his own sons, and that's who Ra's was talking about, and why he and Yamagata smiled, Faith lets out a shallow breath. Yamagata notices, and from Faith's face knows she's anxious. He smirks, saying, "You had better wisen up, Faith." He leaves, chuckling.

The six sex workers hear a brief retelling of Faith's story and about her dragon powers. One asks if Faith knows her name in Japanese, which she does. The girls introduce themselves as Jennie, Sekine, Kiki and Leia, who wear matching dresses that Leia designed and Kiki crafted, and Mai and Fuga. Fuga tells Faith that the club is called One Night Fever, and Faith comments that it's a good name for a nightclub. Fuga and Mai reply that's it's an awful name, citing that nineteen year old Yamagata, and they all laugh.

Faith whispers that they could give her Dragon Persona gifts for a wish and get new, safe jobs, and assumes they want to stay in their galaxy, Leia confirming, and Faith looks at all of the girls and realises this is what she has to do to make things right. As Jennie helps Faith find lingerie, she notes Faith's feet, and Faith says how the right foot is sensitive. Jennie asks if she can fight, and Faith says she's decent, for someone who's trained for two days and has disability, and that she should be able to hold her own until she needs to use magic and the Arrows come, and that they'll all leave together, and Jennie nods firmly. Jennie says that Kiki can modify a pair of sexy boots for Faith, Kiki confirming happily, and Jennie will teach Faith how to act in front of Henjin and the customers tomorrow night, when Yamagata's sons return from Japan.

Fandoms: DC Comics, Batfamily, no Batcest, Arrow family, Thalassic Space (OC; takes inspiration The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, Assassin’s Creed: Black Flag, Silent Hill 2, Silent Hill 3, and other sci-fi, fantasy and horror titles, as well as original concepts, such as the science and lore of the galaxy.)

[In order of appearance] Characters: Faith Lawson (TBA; self-insert), Oliver Queen (Green Arrow), Dinah Lance (Black Canary), Cissie King-Jones (Arrowette), Emiko Queen (Red Arrow), Barbara Gordon (Batgirl), Ra's al Ghul, Jason Todd (Red Hood), Roy Harper (Arsenal).

Word Count: 6706 (Ah, hey! Some consistency! I wonder how long this will laaaast!🙃) 9472 (NEVER MIND CONSISTENCY WITH THE NEW VERSION OF THIS CHAPTER. AND THAT IS A-O-KAY.)

Content warning: None, I think? Let me know if I'm wrong!

Chapter 1 - Chapter 2 - Chapter 3 - Chapter 4 - Chapter 5 - Chapter 6 - Chapter 7 - Chapter 8 - Chapter 9

Oliver stood by Faith as she held a simple black bow for adolescents. She had asked him how to hold it, as she hadn't really learned how, just from watching people, and so Oliver had helped with that, and told her how to not hit her face with the string. Faith had drawn the string without instruction just fine, but her arms were loose. Oliver hadn't told her about it, as he said she'd do her first draw without help. Faith looked at the wooden target on the wall. Her eyes drifted a little to the right, then back to center, and her hands were going the opposite way.

She heaved a sigh. Oliver inhaled to ask what was on her mind. He saw Faith's eyes focus on the center circle, the muscles of her arms becoming taut as her aim slowly went in the right direction, but a little bit high. Faith released, her aim going down about three inches. The arrow landed about an inch below the bullseye.

"Oh! Wow, I actually corrected myself a little by thinking about what you do, in the comics and TV show." Faith said, relaxing her arm a little, but not lowering the bow, as Oliver fetched the arrow and replaced in the black quiver on Faith's back.

'Ah, and she's not lowering the bow right after, nice.' "Well, it worked out pretty all right." Oliver said. "Uh, well, try again! See if you can do better, without my help, and then I'll chime in."

"OK!" Faith bent her right arm over its shoulder and grabbed an arrow.

'Lucky her, with how her arms bend due to her dwarfism, and that they're at an OK length to grab things. It seems as if she has no issue taking arrows from a quiver on her back.' Oliver thought. Faith drew the string, her eyes finding and staying on the centre easily this time. 'Good, and?' Her arm was tense, and she seemed to be aiming a little bit high and to the right, this time. 'OK, not bad. Let's see the release?' A couple of seconds later, Faith let go, her aim slightly lowering and going more to the right. The arrow struck the upper left of the bullseye, about a centimetre into the white.

"Oh! That was OK, too." Faith relaxed her arm as she had done before, again. Oliver retrieved the arrow, and put it in Faith's quiver again.

"Yeah, that wasn't horrible, either. Are you sure you've never done this before?"

"Yeah, I'm sure."

"Hm. Well, let's keep going. You're actually scarily close to getting it, on your first two tries, are you sure you're not using magic?" Faith nodded. "W-We didn't go over it, but you're not using magic, right?"

"No, I'm not using magic. You'd see white-blue light in my right hand, or neon orange light in my left hand, if I was."

"Huh, OK. Also, nice job on not lowering the bow when relaxing your arm, when you're still wanting to use the bow."

"Oh! I just did that naturally. Good to know. Anyway, here we go again!" Faith said.

The door lock beeped, and the door opened as Faith drew, tensed, looked at the bullseye. Her arm went a bit lower than it had, the last time. 'A bit too low, about a centimetre again.' Oliver pondered. 'But her aim is perfect. Is she seriously about to hit bullseye on her third try?'

While three pairs of footsteps quietly progressed through the room, Faith loosed the arrow, the natural motion of her arm moving her aim up half a centimetre. The arrow struck centre. "Aaaa!" Faith cried, happily. Oliver's mouth was ajar, as were the mouths of Dinah, Cissie and Emiko. "Wait, seriously?!"

"Did she really do that?!" Cissie exclaimed.

Oliver walked to the target to examine. "You are forty-percent on the mark, Faith." He pulled the arrow, and walked over to put it in Faith's quiver.

"Woo hoo, I hit it!" Said Faith.

"Woo hoo!" Cissie said.

"High-five, girl!" Dinah said, right palm extended. Faith slapped it with her left hand. Cissie also wanted a high-five, and Faith gave it to her. As the girls did so, Oliver held up three fingers on his left hand. Dinah mouthed, 'Three tries?' And left her mouth open further than she had, when Faith hit the mark. Oliver nodded.

"Hi, Emiko!" Faith greeted.

"Hi, nice to meet you." Emiko replied.

"Faith, you did that in three tries!" Dinah said, amazed.

"THREE?!" Cissie said. "I'm sorry, what?!"

"Same, girl, same." Faith said, in a slightly country voice, and chuckled once.

"Well, kh, keep going! It'll only get easier from here, right?"

"That's right." Oliver said. Faith nodded, and prepared her bow and arm. She loosed the arrow, and it landed on the red again, but a bit higher, at the left corner.

"Kuh!" Faith remarked. "Um!"

"'Um!'" Oliver echoed. "'Um!' what, Faith? You're a natural." He patted her right shoulder, and sat on the edge of the extended desk area, Faith seeing the other Arrows nodding.

Faith made a face by pulling her cheek muscles to their sides. She removed her left hand from her bow, lowering the bow, now only held in her right hand, and she raised her left hand. A black holographic HUD with white text and details appeared. "Hey, SOFFFIAA?"

"Yes, Faith?" Said an alto with an Northern Indian accent.

"Please tell me that my author-self on Earth-33 isn't cheating, and that I'm indeed not using magic, and please be honest."

Two seconds passed. "I can confirm. Your author-self is not cheating. You are actually performing this task, and you are not using magic."

"OK! Thank you."

"You're welcome." Faith lifted her right arm and moved her left hand back into place on the bow.

"Had to ask a friend, did you?" Emiko said.

"Yeah, my friend Chandra's Dragon Persona is part Android, and she's integrated in the TSRPG app. I have a Dragon Persona too, but Chandra is five-stories tall, and I'm only as big as a large gazebo."

"A large gazebo. No specifications?"

"Uh, not without asking SOFFFIAA to look it up. I haven't written measurements down in the lore, for that Persona."

"That's fair. Sorry, continue." Emiko said. Faith nodded, and turned her attention and body to the target. She prepared, and after about five seconds, released. It struck the white above the bullseye, the top of the arrow barely in the red. "Not bad."

"Yeah, a little bit high, that time, Faith." Said Oliver.

"Still, for four attempts, that's good." Said Cissie.

"Really good." Oliver said, nodding with furrowed brows. Faith continued, having similar results, three times, and landing on the outer red circle to the lower right the fourth time.

"Aw-awww!" Cissie said. Emiko clicked her tongue.

"Man!" Faith said, giggling. Dinah chuckled with her.

"Not a bad streak, for day one." Cissie said.

"Oh yeah, that's decent, for sure." Emiko said.

"Tired yet, Faith?" Oliver asked.

"Nah, not yet."

"Well, when you want to be done, we can go back to physical, if you're up for it. Still got most of the day to burn."

"Sure! You said you had an idea of how to get me actually moving again, so I'd love to try."

"O-kay!" Oliver said, nodding firmly with a small smile. Faith nodded back, smiling a little too.

Oliver had arranged three unpainted wooden blocks on a thick black mat with gaps that increased in distance by a foot, then two. Faith stood at the end of the first block, her eyes bouncing up onto the object and onto the floor several times, Oliver observing. "You're overthinking it." He said.

"Oh, I overthink everything." Said Faith. "I've always needed help to simplify not just my actions, but my perspective on others and myself. That's actually why my subconscious and dream world is so intense. I was unable to let things go because my foster parents spoiled me, and then neglected me after giving me Benadryl and putting me in the crib for bad behaviour." Oliver hummed, unpleased. "I wasn't well-fed by them, either. But, yeah. If you can just explain to me how to simplify the thought, and remind me of what jumping and running feels like, it'll become natural again. It's like me at my retail job, learning all the stuff. I'm a keyholder, so I get to do things."

"Oh, so you're familar with responsiblity."

"Yeah, but even that took years. I was fifteen when my mom slapped me, pulled my hair and called me a cow for being mean to my little brother for so long. It took, like, four years after that. The fourth year, I moved out, and began to learn how to be responsible with money. Well, I still make mistakes, but I'm not horrible with it." Oliver hummed. "That being said, it shouldn't be that hard. If it is, it's because I'm too used to the fear," Oliver hummed, nodding several times. "And I'm OK with, er, no, grammar, sorry," Dinah chuckled. "I've accepted that I'm probably going to have an anxiety attack while relearning how to move. I was wanting to remind you of that when I started this little ramble, and so now I have."

"We'll start working on that tomorrow." Dinah said, raspily, while nodding.

"What? Dinah, that was a perfectly fine time to do a bit of exposition." Oliver said.

"I agree." Said Cissie.

"She does this, a lot?" Emiko said.

"Yes." DInah replied.

"Yeah." Cissie and Oliver said.

Emiko said, "I say, let her just do it. It's part of her personality. Well, maybe work on it a little bit."

"That was the idea, yes." Dinah said.

Oliver said, "Thank you, Faith. I'll keep that in mind, and if you need to stop and do some breathing, just do it. I'll stop you from getting hurt beyond general muscle strains that are bound to happen."

"Sounds good! Let's start."

"All- right." Oliver said, a brief pause between each word. He stood to Faith's right, and moved as he described. "So, you know to bend your knees when you jump."

"Yeah, but I think I'm mentally thinking of bending too much."

"How much is too much, to your brain?" Oliver watched Faith bend down to where her hips were, standing upright, her butt pointing diagonally down and left. "Ohhhh, yeah," Oliver politely corrected Faith's position, holding her waist. He rapidly said, "Yeah yeah yeah." At a normal pace, "You want to stand like that." Faith and shut her eyes, and looked to be thinking. "What are you thinking about?"

"It's been a long time, I don't remember ever standing like this."

"Because it used to just come naturally to you. And it will, once we've done this enough times." Oliver said. Faith nodded. "OK, you put weight in your lower legs, like a spring,"

"Right." Faith did so.

"A little less, for now, we're only going up by a foot, Faith."

"Sorry, OK." Faith returned some weight to her torso, her back straightening slightly.

"Yes, there you go. That probably feels better, right?"

"It does, actually!"

"Good. And then you push the weight down, and the rest of you will go up."

"Oh! Oh, OK. My only question is how do I land on both feet? I can try landing on one foot, later."

"You put both feet in front of you, and your body should do the rest."

"Ah, OK. 'Cause I think my legs like to go to their sides."

"Like this?" Oliver spread his legs, feet pointing outwards.

"Yes! Just like that! Why do I always do that, when my knees buckle? It makes every fall really awkward, and hurt."

"Ah, you've got poor balance."

"Very poor, yeah. It's better in my left leg than my right. I can stand for like, five seconds on my left, and two on my right. Which is funny, 'cause my left knee is the one that dislocated." Faith said.

Oliver hummed. "Well, I think we should work on your balance and leg strength, before we get to you jump."

"Sounds good."

"OK. Let's, uh, go over to the leg press, and see how much you can lift. We'll even check how much you can lift with your arms."

"Sure! I've used a leg press before." Faith said, as she and Oliver went to the equipment.

"How much were you able to lift, in school?"

"420 lbs."

Oliver whistled, the other Arrows nodding and humming. "That's a lot!"

"Yeah, I was impressed, too."

"Well, let's see what you can do, now!" Faith sat on the bench with her feet on the pedals, and she and Oliver went through each weight. She couldn't lift 210, but had been able to lift 200.

Faith said, "Eh, I expected as much."

"You are quite a bit below average, for a woman."

"What's the average?"

"258 lbs."

"Oh! Oh, so I had really strong legs!"

"Yeah, you did. Now, let's see how much your arms can lift." Faith began to lift dumbells, and was able to lift sixty-five. "Hm, all right. That's a little below average, too. Average is seventy-four, without training. With almost a year of training, it's 137."

"Oh, so I'm not far behind."

"Mhm. You get your practice in every day, and it shouldn't be too long before you'll have your full strength back, and hopefully then some." Oliver said. Faith nodded. "All right, let's move on to balance, which I actually want to work on with you, today."

"Sure." Faith said.

"Could someone hit the button, please?" Oliver said. Emiko interacted with the computer. As Oliver walked Faith to a series of railings that rose from the floor, platforms attached to the walls that varied in height with tightropes of different lengths and widths of differing materials became visible.

"That's pretty cool."

"Right? OK, let's start over here. Don't worry about falling, I'll catch you. We'll go until you're tired, and then you can do some reps on the equipment."

"Sounds good!"

Oliver walked beside Faith, who walked to the couch, where Dinah sat, with a slight pause, panting, the armpit and neckline of her shirt wet with perspiration. Faith occupied the middle seat, Dinah to her left. "Sorry, hah, do you want me to move over?" Faith said, while Oliver sat in the armchair nearby.

"No, dear, you're fine."

"Oh, hah, 'kay."

"Good work today, Faith." Oliver said.

"Thank you."

Dinah said, "Yeah, you're looking good, for someone who just started training, yesterday."

"Thank you."

"Catch your breath, and Cissie and I will take you home after an errand for groceries, OK?" Dinah said. Faith nodded.

"You should add whatever Faith wants to the cart, too." Oliver said.

"Oh, absolutely."

Faith asked, while looking at the Emiko, "You've got your own ride?"

"Yeah, the rooftops." Emiko said. Faith chuckled, encouraging the others to join.

Oliver said, "Actually, I wanted to know what you want to be called, Faith."

"Oh! I was thinking Dà-ochd."

"That's Gaelic."

"Not bad pronunciation, there, Faith." Dinah commented.

"Thanks. It means Two-eight." Faith said. Oliver and Dinah hummed, nodding differently. Emiko bobbed her head a little, too. "I intended to have it be Double Eight, proper noun, which would have worked if I hadn't capitalised."

"What would it be, then?" Dinah asked.

"Dùbailte ochd."

"Oh, you'd be saying 'eight' twice." Dinah said, as Cissie returned from the bathroom.

"Yep."

Oliver hummed. "Well, it's unique, and seeing as it's a direct reference to Thalassic Space, which is yours, I think it's a good choice."

"I think so, too."

"Sorry, what'd she pick?" Cissie said.

"Dà-ochd." Said Oliver. "Gaelic for Two-eight. Faith had to compromise in translating Double Eight."

"Ooh, I like it!"

"Thanks!"

Oliver stood, and said, "Well, Bruce sent me your measurements, after Zatanna told him you're with us now. I'll get to making your suit right away. Any details you want to add, besides the Double Eight on it, somewhere?"

"Actually, don't put the Double Eight on it."

"No?"

"I've been using a new banner, for this part of the story, on Tumblr."

"Huh?" Emiko said.

"She's also on Earth-33, chronicling her adventures." Dinah said.

"Oh! That's kind of cool."

"The design is by @cafekitsune. I'll describe it to you, and then suggest how to use it."

"Sure. I'm listening."

"On the left is the outline of a blue crescent moon. It's not neon. It's academia toned."

"Academia toned, OK."

"The colour I have in mind is somwhere between dark blue and light blue. You can just ask me to show you, if you don't get it right."

"Sure."

"The hollow part of the moon faces the outline of a orange-gold sun, and to the right is of the sun is an identical crescent moon, and its hollow part faces the sun, too. Between each moon, towards the sun, is a small blue dot, an orange-gold diamond, and another small blue dot."

"Oh OK, I can see that."

"You can take any part of this design and put it on, say, the hood, neckline, sleeves or hems of the top or pants, and if you're feeling fancy, the boots."

"That on the boots would be cool. Any particular style you want the outfit to have?"

"Pirate. Make me look like a pirate." Faith laughed, the others joining. "With ankle boots, a petticoat, a cool butterfly-sleeve blouse, and a waistcoat!"

"O-kay! Ask and you shall receive."

"Are you asking for an eye-patch, too?" Emiko asked.

"Nah, I can just use my hands to be dramatic, when using one magic or the other." Faith said. Oliver wheezed a laugh. Dinah chuckled, and Cissie laughed, Emiko shaking her head.

"You are an odd one, Faith."

"It's almost like my life experiences made me into a clown." Faith replied. Cissie laughed loudly.

"Are you implying that you own a clown costume?"

"Well, I haven't touched my magic Astral Jester Costume to bind it to my body to wear it on command, but yes, I own a clown costume."

Emiko said, breathily. "Wow." The group chuckled and laughed. "How many pieces does it have?"

"Nine. A hat with four sections that have a cluster of jingle bells, a crop top, shorts, cuff-bracelets lined with jingle bells, a choker with a cluster of jingle bells, and hiker shoes with a cluster of jingle bells."

"Why not a converse or tennis shoe?"

"My feet are deformed, so I can't wear flat shoes."

"Ohhhh." Emiko said. Faith removed her right foot from her shoe. "Oh! That looks painful."

"When colliding against obstacles, yes, it's very sensitive."

"Batman measured your feet, too." Oliver said.

Faith nodded. "Yeah, I remember. It was just this morning, after all."

"All right, I'll get to work drawing some ideas, and I'll get back to you on that, Faith."

"Thank you, Ollie."

"You're welcome."

"Shall we go, ladies?" Asked Dinah. The girls said words of agreement while Dinah and Faith rose from the couch. As Cissie, Emiko and Faith went to the door, Dinah pecked Oliver on the lips, who repeated the action, both smiling. Dinah went to the door, which Emiko held open, then Emiko shut the door, which locked itself. Oliver sat at the desk, turned on the drawing tablet, and began to work.

10:34 PM.

"Goodnight, Faith." Dinah said, quietly, walking beside Oliver to the master bedroom as Faith began to close the door to the guest room while entering.

"Have a good sleep!" Oliver added.

"Goodni-ight." Faith replied, tiredly. She closed the door, removed her underwear and shirt, put her pyjama pants back on, and crawled into bed. She plugged in her wired earbuds, opened YouTube and played the pirate tavern ambience she had listened to at Wayne Manor, turning her phone off to save power, the track still playing due to her Premium subscription. She reached to the nighstand for the TicTacs she bought during the errand run, popping one into her mouth and exhaling as she sank into her new grey maternity pillow.

Several minutes passed, then her phone vibrated. Faith groaned and double tapped her phone to wake up the screen. The Messenger icon was there. Unfortunately, she couldn't preview the message from her lock screen, so she pressed and held the icon, unlocked her phone, and the app opened to the chat. Faith read the top of the UI and batted her lashes in surprise. It was Barbara. Faith pursed her lips into a frown, upon reading the first sentence, flicking her lips up as she read the last sentence.

BARBARA: Hon, I'm sorry for dumping dishwater on you. I know you take things very personally, and I heard from Dinah that we *really* scared you (and that you hit bullseye on your third try! Wow!!). As the senior-most Batgirl, it's my duty to speak with you, the promising girl we expected to be the next Batgirl, about what happened today. This is going to take a few messages, so please bear with me. [Faith liked this message.]

BARBARA: Thank you.

Faith bobbed her head in agreement numerous times as she read the next message. She whispered, "Thank you." Upon reading the fourth sentence.

BARBARA: We acted on our anger instead of talking with you. I know that you know that, I just wanted one of us to admit it, sooner rather than later. You said you wouldn't have acted on your inappropriate desires while with us. I believe you, and I forgive you. I won't speak on their behalves, but I think Dick and Tim have forgiven you as well. You were trying to live on, with shame literally stuck in your mind, and we slammed the door in your face instead of letting you stay when you needed friends.

BARBARA: I think we all can make an accurate guess of what part of you Dohannar represents. No offense regarding your preferences in fantasy people, your cat anthropomorph family was fascinating and lovely to meet. It was unfortunate for *everyone* that the thoughts you never wanted to act while part of us were exposed, so easily.

Faith gasped after reading the last sentence of the following text, and said in an upwards climbing tone, "She knows my name!" 'Dinah must have told her. The others probably know it by now, too.'

BARBARA: You should stay with the Arrows to finish your training. I hope it goes as well as it did, today. Truly, I do. If you're in need of someone to talk to, or you want some more Batfamily-style training, I'd be glad to help. I think Dick and Tim would be willing, too. Maybe take Jason's rather harsh advice and stay out of Gotham for a couple of months, until you're ready to meet the world as Dà-ochd, OK?

BARBARA: Oh, and you may now respond! 😜

FAITH: Thank you. ❤️❤️❤️ I will definitely stay here until I'm ready LOL. Jason is a big guy, and he's got guns! 😰

BARBARA: Valid, LOL not to mention Damian has a sword, and Tim had to get Stephanie to stop prattling about how she wanted to beat you up!😬

FAITH: Yeah, yikes!

FAITH: I'm guessing Bruce left immediately to let his anger out.

BARBARA: Yep. Nothing from him, yet. You probably won't, until he's talked with Oliver and Dinah about how things are going with you (I think that's already happened a little bit today, and they'll probably meet tomorrow to talk some more), and some time has passed.

FAITH: I'm OK with that. 😊 He's not exactly a puzzle, he just has a way of doing, like, everything.

BARBARA: True, very true.

FAITH: Also, I've been thinking hardcore in the background, and I think I'm actually aceflux demisexual?

BARBARA: Oh, all right! If that makes more sense to you, then that's all good! 😁

FAITH: Thanks, Barbara.

BARBARA: ❤️

FAITH: TBH, I almost keep typing Babs aflkasjflds it's two less syllables so my brain is like, "Ah, yes! A shortcut!" I was trying not to make that mistake IRL because I know only Dick calls you that.

BARBARA: LOL. Yes, that name is something that Dick likes to call me, and he and I are exclusive, and I think you're aware of that.

FAITH: Yep! I just wanted to bring it up, 'cause it was like a dog that needed to drag its ass on the carpet LOL

BARBARA: LOL. Ewwww!

FAITH: I'll stick with Barbara, don't worry. 😜

BARBARA: Thank you, Faith. If you come up with something else that only you use for me, you're welcome to, though! No pressure to come up with it right now. ❤️

FAITH: Yeah, I think that'll take a bit of thinking LOL.

BARBARA: Well, I know it's your bedtime, and you've probably taken your meds (you *have* taken them, right?), so I'll let you sleep. We can chat in the morning, if you want. Aaaand you might have apology messages from Dick and Tim to respond to.

FAITH: Yes, I took my meds and am in bed, listening to my favourite pirate tavern ambienc, which funnily enough has no actual pirate sounds.

BARBARA: LOL

FAITH: The visuals are of a galleon at full-mast on the water near the tavern. Pretty sure it's AI. But I like that it has the ocean and boat creaking. The crickets get a bit annoying, and apparently the bird songs are from morning birds LOL. More evidence that it was made by AI. Which sucks, because it's otherwise perfect!

BARBARA: Aw, is that the only one you like?

FAITH: No, it's not the only thing I have in my Sleep Playlist. Here, lemme share it.

[FAITH shared a link.]

FAITH: The video right after the pirate tavern I like, the medieval fishing village with visuals of a stone port, verandah and schooner, has quieter crickets and ocean sounds again. And I believe none of it was made by AI! Both work fine, and so do the playlist entries after it. I usually only listen to the pirate tavern and fishing village videos, which I have downloaded.

BARBARA: Hm! Well, so long as you know what works for you, hon.

FAITH: Anyway! Sleep time! Thanks again, Barbara. Goodniiiight! ❤️

BARBARA: Goodnight, Faith. ❤️

Faith closed Messages, returned to YouTube, and turned off her phone, tucking it under the two stacked normal pillows against the headboard. She relaxed her arms, legs, and face muscles, sighed deeply whlie closing her eyes, and let her mind sink into the bed until she was asleep. Oliver and Dinah, reading books with the nightstand lamps on, heard soft snoring coming from the closed door of the guest room. Oliver chuckled once with his chest, and Dinah scoffed with light laughter.

"Someone was tired." Dinah said.

"Oh yeah. It's only her second day of training, too."

"Oh, yes. We should get some sleep too, so we can be ready with her." Said Dinah. Oliver hummed in agreement as the couple put down the novels, turned out the lights, and settled down.

Zatanna fell asleep too, and sought Faith. She found Faith, wearing a beautiful multi-coloured brown skirt and a brown tank-top with pretty crochet work, sing and dance with tavern-goers. Beyond the docks was the ocean, held by the crescent shaped land. Zatanna glanced behind her to see a well-built pirate town, in good condition, a jungle farther that way, and to Zatanna's right, up on a hill, a white mansion. Zatanna's left hand vibrated like a cellphone. She looked to see a holographic black HUD with white details. SOFFFIAA had sent a new message, and Zatanna clicked the notification to navigate.

SOFFFIAA: Hello, Zatanna! Welcome to the Dream World on Paper, where the deceased, comatose and lucid dreamers of Thalassic Space are free to adventure, play and participate in romantic scenarios otherwise impossible to them in real life.

SOFFFIAA: You are currently in a recreation of Great Inagua from "Assassin' Creed IV: Black Flag" called White-Sun Harbour. It is one third of the Realm of Tree Peoples, but I think you already know that! If you would like, you may read as much lore about Thalassic Space from the TSRPG app while dreaming, thanks to your new connection to Santa's Snowglobe Room, where all of the galaxy's information is archived.

SOFFFIAA: I noticed you were looking the tavern (Please note that alcohol consumption is not required to attend the fun!), and spotted Faith Lawson, the Great Little Starwriter. I am glad that she is your friend and future pupil, as she is my lady-in-waiting with the honourable title of Court Jester. While I expect you to approach her, you may also to visit Captain Arles, who I believe is in the mansion, looking over her collection of maps, or to explore other areas of the Realm, which have access points to other regions of the Dream World on Paper. Take care, Zatanna!

"Thank you." Zatanna said, relaxing her hand, noting that she only needed to start curling her fingers to dismiss the hologram. Zatanna exhaled, raised her cheeks to smile, and walked to the tavern. Some of the revellers glanced at her. "Faith!" She called. Faith paused her dancing and vocals, and turned her body left to see Zatanna.

"Zatanna! Hi, welcome!"

"Would you like to do some training with me, while we're in an optimal place for practice?"

"Sure! Let's go to the grassy area just in front of the jungle, for now."

"Sure!" The magician and dreamer began to walk. The window of the guest bedroom was silently opened. Ra's al Ghul entered. His eyes thirsted for Faith, although she wore pants, the blanket didn't cover her left ass cheek.

Ra's pulled down Faith's pyjama pants to reveal her ass, and Faith felt this in the dream. "Oh. Let's do this tomorrow, Zatanna. I think I have a villain to fuck. Consensually. Trust me, or call Oliver." Then Faith was gone.

"Faith? Faith! Ohhhh no." Zatanna forced herself awake, and called Oliver.

Ra's paused while Faith stirred. As she began to look over her left shoulder, Ra's used his hands to cover her nose and mouth. Oliver heard his phone ring, pried opened an eye, and saw the caller ID. He struck out his right arm to grab and answer the phone as he instantly sat up and hurried to the hallway. "Wait, wait!" Faith cried, under Ra's' hand. She leaned on her right ribs, arms reaching in the air for Ra's.

"No. No, we're done, Faith."

Oliver popped open the door and rushed in. Ra's turned and rose from the bed. Faith let out a loud grunt as she lunged forward, grabbd Ra's' waist, and burrowed with her face to lick under the hem of his shirt. Ra's paused. Oliver socked him in the face. "Guh! Could you wait a moment, Mr. Queen?"

"Sure! Just don't make any sudden movements."

Ra's tilted his head down to look at Faith, stroking her hair with his left hand. "Now, was that so hard, Faith?"

"I'm sorry." Faith said, nuzzling into his hand and Ra's playing with her hair and face in response. "I didn't expect my command to actually work, or the ritual, and then for you to find me, a-and I panicked when you forced yourself on me when you came to my apartment. Can we just... go somewhere else to do this? And then you can leave me alone, and be finished, like we all want?"

"Do I get to keep your child?" Ra's gripped Faith's chin and looked in her eyes.

"You want me to die from a high-risk pregnancy?"

"Your life has no value to me, Faith."

"But you keep pursuing me, and I keep letting you get this close to me. Either I die trying to give you a human baby,"

"What about a dragon baby?"

"There's no magic O-type star here. It wouldn't survive."

"I'm sure we could figure something out."

"No, Ra's. That's an absolute. The O-star is why there are dragons in Thalassic Space."

"Did you just make that up?"

"No, it's real." Faith said. Ra's sighed tiredly and dropped his hand.

"I don't want you."

"Ra's, record it. Dangle my lust for you, a villain, above the heads of people who will hate me and depend on me, in the future."

"You want me to blackmail you?" Ra's sounded intrigued.

"Does that sound fair, since you're going to threaten my life just by fucking me?"

Ra's turned his lips upwards. "Yes, that will suffice."

"Thank you. Now, can we please go somewhere else?"

"Hmph. Yes. I know where to take you." Ra's looked at Oliver. "I'll have her back in the morning, eight o'clock."

"Sounds good." 'I know he won't bring her back, but complacency is required. Hopefully, Faith can hold on until we get her out.' Oliver then said to Faith, "Stay safe." Faith nodded. Oliver left the room, closing the door.

"Grab my shoulders. I'll carry you there."

The alley that Ra's descended into was uncondtionally narrow. Ra's made two steps to a dark grey door with a spyhole. He knocked five times, paused, then three times. Three seconds passed. The door opened, the only part of its operator visible dark hair, tan skin, Asian eyes and a black blouse.

Ra's stepped inside, and as the door master shut the door, Ra's knelt to let Faith down. He held her right wrist tightly and bent with his chest, and made eye contact. He said, "Keep your eyes to the floor and don't say anything, unless you want trouble." Faith nodded.

'Yeah, he's just gonna sell me, isn't he?' Faith thought. They slowed as they came to a door, to the left of the large main room, and one of the men outside the door knocked and spoke Japanese to the person inside. The person, a man, replied, then the door was opened, and Ra's walked Faith inside, the door closing behind them. Whlie Ra's talked with the man, in Japanese, Faith kept her eyes lowered.

"You have not made an appointment, al Ghul. Who is this?" Said the man. "She has nice boobs and beautiful hair, and she is short, but she has too much meat on her legs and stomach. Not many of my customers will like her."

"This is Faith. She's twenty-four years old, and a virgin. She's a metahuman who can become a dragon. She denied me what was promised to me, and I no longer want her. I want 100 thousand dollars for her."

"If she's a dragon, then she's a risk to this establishment. I refuse."

"She is mortal. You shoot her with a gun, she dies. You cut her with a knife, she dies. 100 thousand dollars."

The man rose from his chair, walked around, and gripped Faith's chin, rudely forcing her to look at him. Faith estimated the man to be in his late fifties with a average height, but large hands and firm chest and arm muscles. His black hair was cut short, his dark eyes and nose unremarkable, and his round face had a good jawline. He wore a white-silver dress jacket, a white carnation corsage, a tan shirt with a komodo dragon scale pattern and black hem-work, black trousers, and black dress shoes.

"Smile." Said the man, in English. "With your teeth." Faith did as asked. He forced her face to whip down and leftwards as he stepped in front of Ra's and spoke angrily in Japanese to Ra's. "Her teeth are rotten!"

"They aren't that bad." Ra's responded cooly.

The man said to Faith, "Why are you teeth so ugly, girl? Huh? Are you too lazy to brush your teeth? Do you have no job, so you can't go to a dentist?"

"I usually don't have energy to brush my teeth."

"Argh!" The man scrambled his hands near his chest.

"And whenever my dentist appointment comes around, I don't have money because I need it for food and other personal things."

"Oh, like what?" The man cross his arms.

"I spend money on birthdays, too."

The man flourished his right arm. "What, do you buy presents for your whole family, all year 'round?"

"No, just my mom and brother. Personal things like household items and hygenic things, plus leisure."

"Well, it's a good thing you're so ugly, so you can spend all of your money on yourself, huh?" The man bent to level his face with Faith's, and spit in her face as he said, "Huh!?"

"Yamagata-san. If you don't want her, I'll find another buyer. She has a pale, round face, beautiful, big green eyes and thick hair. Don't you think Lei-Xiānshēng would like to have her?"

Yamagata's face became deep red. "Ra's al Ghul, I ought to put a bullet in your head for sayin the name of that swine."

"Do you want the girl, or not?"

Yamagata was silent for several seconds. "You want 100 thousand for her?"

"That's right."

Yamagata addressed Faith. "Are you really a dragon metahuman?"

Faith sighed. 'If I lie, it'll be worse.' "Yes."

"I would ask you to show me, but that would give you a chance to escape."

"I... I don't want to. Look, I want to accept responsibility for how I treated Ra's. This is the least I can do."

"Ha. Ha ha!" Yamagata looked at Ra's. "Ha ha ha ha! Aha ha ha ha ha, ha ha ha ha ha ha! This little bitch is crazy!" Yamagato looked back at Faith. "This is the last thing you're going to do, Miss Lawson. You've just given Ra's al Ghul permission to sell you to a Japanese sex club! At least you're not my only white-faced girl, bwa ha ha!"

Ra's said, "Yamagata-san. You want her. She has anxiety, depression, and assumedly PTSD. Like I said, she's a virgin. Surely one of your sons will think Faith is worthy of his attention."

Yamagata was briefly speechless, his eyes thoughtful as they looked at Ra's' face. He smiled. "You have a deal, Ra's."

"Excellent." Ra's said, donning a similar grin.

Faith thought, 'Uh-oh. That's not a good smile. I don't have to go through with this, I can transform or use magic at any time. I am the O-type star of Thalassic Space. But I also want to be done with this. I don't want my virginity and my hormones to get in the way, anymore.'

Yamagata went to the right side of his desk and interacted with the framing of a portrait of a Japanese girl in a bikini seated mermaid-style on a beach. The portrait swung open, and Yamagata fiddled with a safe. He opened it, grabbed cash, put it in a black suitcase stored in the cabinets behind the desk, and gave the suitcase to Ra's. The men had a firm handshake. "A pleasure, al Ghul."

"As always, Yamagata-san." Ra's turned and left the room without another glance or word to Faith.

Yamagata took hold of Faith's arms and turned her to the door. "Let's get you ready, little dragon." He forced her to walk out of the office, and Faith seized the opportunity to look at the main room. It was a club with dark purple and pink lighting, and ample seating space made of black polyester and black leather with glass coffee tables and side tables with black frames. In the middle of the area was an area for dancing, beyond it a bar, against the left wall, to the right of the bar black table sets with matching chairs. To the right of the back seating space, the ceiling extended higher, and there were dancing poles with seating and tables, and black stairs to an upper area.

'It's empty!' Faith's mind remarked. 'I'm guessing they're closed, even though it's Monday, because Yamagata's sons aren't home.'

"Curiosity killed the cat, Miss Faith." Yamagata said.

"Sorry." Faith replied, moving her eyes to the floor.

"No, you're not."

"I'm Canadian."

"And too willing to share personal details. You'll be lucky if you live to see the morning." Yamagata said. They went left, past the furniture, into a door on the same wall as the office, and the six woman inside all turned their attention to Yamagata. The walls were white and the floors black oak hardwood.

Closest and left of the door was a kitchen with a stainless steel kitchen sink, stove-oven and microwave, and a small white marble counter space with a white cabinet and cupboard. A black table set with four matching chairs was nearby, then two black polyester sofas, an armchair and a loveseat. A 62" TV screen positioned to the left wall where the living area furniture was placed played a Japanese daytime talk show. The TV stand containing a DVD player, gaming consoles, and its vertical shelves held a collection of discs and game controllers. Two Japanese women occupied the couch, and a young woman, sat on the armchair.

'She's white passing, like one of my Homestuck friends. Nice.' Faith thought.

Against the wall after the living area furniture were two vanity desks, the rightmost occupied by a young Black Japanese woman. A pair of white dressers, a walk-in closet, and two black bookshelves with novels, manga, comics, magazines and framed photos were on the wall to the right of the door. Against the wall behind the living area were two queen sized mattresses with black and white bedding, and two Japanese girls, visually the youngest, laid on the rightmost bed. Both had long, black hair and dark eyes. The one closest to the foot of the bed wore red lingerie, and the other wore hot pink. The outer sides of each bed had a black nightstand with a black lamp.

Faith batted her eyes upon observing the room, and how the girls were relaxed. 'Wow. I'm actually impressed!'

Yamagata said, "Clean her up. Have her pick a name in Japanese. Ask what her favourite colour is. I want her to look extra skimpy for Henjin."

'Henjin? Never heard of that name before.' In Faith's mind, stories and characters enlightened her of the truth. 'Oh. It's a nickname. For one of his sons. For the sexual, social outcast of his sons, who likes ugly virgins he can manipulate easily, because no one else wants them. For me, it's not that I'm visually ugly. I've had boyfriends, although three out of four were online. My heart is ugly. And so is Henjin's, by the sound of it.'

"Yes, Yamagata-san." The women answered as Faith let out a shallow breath, and Yamagata looked at Faith.

Faith whispered, "Oh, I'm fucked."

Yamagata saw her expression and smirked. "You had better wisen up, Faith. Henjin doesn't like ugly girls who don't know their place." He chuckled and exited the room, shutting the door.

One of the women seated on the couch got to her feet, and came to Faith. "Do you speak Japanese?" The woman had shoulder-length hair and wispy bangs, and dark eyes. She wore a dark orange shirt, jeans and black converse.

Faith recognised the sentence from watching anime and Youtube, but shook her head. "I can if I cheat."

"Cheat?" Lightly accented.

"I'm a metahuman. I can become a dragon."

"And Yamagata-san agreed to hire you?"

"Ra's al Ghul brought me here." All movement paused. The TV and a the TikToks of the girls on the bed were all that could be heard. "Long story short, we had a shared wet dream. I'm from Earth-33."

"I-I was scared, I didn't think my command in the dream for Ra's to learn how to reach me using a liminal space from my jumpscare girl Persona would work! I-I just thought it was a very lucid dream, like the sex we had!" Faith said.

The woman in the orange shirt hummed.

The young woman on the armchair had strawberry blonde hair to her waist, heavy sectioned bangs, and rich brown eyes. She wore a white, strapless dress with a tinge of pink, pale pink chiffon and soft yellow stars decorating the front. She asked, in English, "Did he take your virginity?"

"While that wasn't the first time I've had sex in a dream, yes, I'm a virgin." Faith said. "After he grabbed one of my magic items from my dragon tomb, he found the door to my apartment in that liminal place and forced himself upon me while I was still asleep."

The woman, and the other on the couch, with a bleached silver pixie cut, and light brown eyes, clicked their tongues. "Oh, that's scary!"

"That's also why I rejected Ra's. I panicked and ordered the liminal space to hold him while I packed a bag. I thought he would just bring me home. He brought me to━" 'Nope, can't say Wayne Manor.' Faith had paused, and swayed, feigning that she was tired, but she actually was, since it was nighttime and she was supposed to be asleep, so it became a genuine motion. The woman in front of her steadied Faith with her arms, and brought her to sit on the vacant bed, together. "The Batcave, and he threatened to kill me in front of Batman." 'That's essentially true.' Faith thought.

"Ra's cut himself with the item he stole, thinking it would give me control of the liminal space, and creatures from the space took him into a room to rough him up. I ordered the creatures to go home, and I sent Ra's into a door to his home. Batman and I knew he wouldn't stop pursuing me. So, I started training with him and the Batkids."

The women on the couch and armchair and the woman at the vanity desk gasped. "Cool!" Said the woman on the couch. Faith giggled.

"Hey, I know what you said!" Faith said. The seated girls giggled, and so did the ones on the bed. "This morning, I opened a portal to the outside of my dragon tomb to claim my powers and items to me,"

"Wait, really?" Muttered the girl in black lingerie on the bed, turning her head to look at Faith. She had long black hair with curtained bangs, and dark blue eyes.

"I think she's serious about her being a dragon!" Said the girl in red lingerie. She had long black hair, choppy bangs, and mid-brown eyes.

"And I went inside with the Batkids, Batman, Wonder Woman and Zatanna, who had come along on behalf of the League and because Zatanna was going to help me with my magic."

"Waaa!" Said the girl in red lingerie.

"That's so cool!" Said the girl in black lingerie.

"Lucky!" Said the Black Japanese girl. She had chest length locks and dark eyes, and wore a black version of the dress the strawberry blonde wore with bright blue chiffon and vivid green stars.

"But one my friends guarding the final room, who was my lover in a past life, exposed me for liking some of the Batkids, and they freaked out, 'cause I'd become part of their family."

"Did you expect that?" Said the strawberry blonde.

"The reaction to be disgust and shock? Yes. For it to be as drastic as it was, or to be revealed by someone other than me? No."

"Ah."

"I walked back with Wonder Woman and Zatanna in the darkness left by Batman's cape, and that wasn't fun for my anxiety."

"Oop." Said the Black woman.

"The Batkids punished me for my betrayal of trust. One dumped dishwater with bacon grease on me, one gave me a nasty bunny plush, and the one with a sword was going to hurt me before Batman stopped him."

"Damn!"

"I'm sorry they bullied you instead of just talking." Said the woman in the orange shirt. The woman on the couch nodded.

"Batgirl did text me, tonight, apologising. She thinks Nightwing and Red Robin have forgiven me, too."

"But not the rest?"

"No. I wouldn't expect them to."

"Soooo, Wonder Woman and Zatanna brought you here?" Said the Black woman.

"They asked me if I wanted to go to a homeless shelter or help, and I chose help. So, yes they brought me here, to Green Arrow. After he was caught up, he accepted me, and my apology, and why I wouldn't have acted on those desires, and especially don't want to, now."

"They scared you pretty good, huh?"

"Yeah, it wasn't fun."

"Well, at least a few of 'em had it in their hearts to forgive you."

"Oh yeah, big time. Everything was fine, until tonight. I had just met Zatanna in the dream world to do some training when I felt Ra's start to take off my pants." The women all grumbled and tsked.

"Oh, we're sorry." Said the woman in the orange shirt.

"He didn't manage anything, though. We struggled for a few seconds before Green Arrow came in the room, just as I hugged Ra's, and that made him pause. I told him "sorry", and the truth about why I didn't submit to him, and I asked him to take me somewhere to fulfill my promise. Green Arrow allowed it because Ra's said he'd bring me back in the morning. I figured he was lying, and I know Green Arrow knew it, for sure."

"Sounds like you've had a rough past few days." Said the woman in the orange shirt. Faith nodded. "What's your name?"

"Faith." The girl in red lingerie began to quietly practice the name.

"Faith. You know what that is in Japanese, don't you?"

Faith nodded, a little smile on her face. "信仰 (Shinko)."

"Yes, Shinko. My name is Jennifer, in English. It's directly from my Japanese name, 純粋な (Junsuina). You can call me Jennie." Faith nodded. "We've got Sekine, on the couch," Sekine waved, and Faith returned the gesture. "That's Kiki,"

"Hi-i!" Said Kiki.

"Hi!" Faith replied. "White passing, right?"

"Yes, I'm white passing."

"Cool! I like your dress!"

Kiki tilted her her head, batting her lashes. "Thank you! I made it myself!"

"That's Hamako, at the vanity,"

"Hi, girl! You can call me Leia, when we're not out in the club, 'kay!"

"Yes, OK!" 'I'll call her that in my head, too.'

"I made the designs Kiki and I are wearing."

"Oh, nice! Both versions are good!"

"Aw, thank you!"

"Thank you!" Said Kiki.

Jennie said, "And on the bed, in red, is Mai."

"Hello, Faith-chan!"

"And Fuga is wearing black."

"Welcome to One Night Fever!" Said Fuga. "一夜の熱 (Ichiya no Netsu)!"

"Ooh, that's a good name for a nightclub." Faith said.

"Noooo!"

"Noooooo!" Mai added.

"It's such a bad name!"

"It's so cringe! It was named by a nineteen year old boomer named━"

"Yamagata Jin!" Mai and Fuga laughed heartily. The others girls and Faith laughed along.

Jennie said, "You probably already know this, but sex work is dangerous."

Faith nodded more. "Yes, I know from listening to active and retired sex workers, online."

"It's especially dangerous in spaces owned by men like our boss, Yamagata-san. You're in the sex working circle, now. And Henjin, the nickname of Yamagata-san's youngest boy, who Yamagata-san wants to meet you, will bring you further into the pit, if he likes you. If Henjin doesn't, you'll get a harsh slap on the face, and his penis up your ass while you suck on the dick of one of his buddies, and the other one rapes your pussy."

Faith cringed her face. "That's not nice."

"No, it's not."

"Sorry," Said Sekine. "But since the Justice League are going to come for you━actually, it's a wonder why they aren't here, already,"

"It might just be the Arrows."

"Oh! Well, what's taking them so long?"

"They might be dealing with the League of Assassins. And no, Ra's no longer has access to the liminal space, the Batkids made sure I fixed that."

"Oh, OK. So then, if this place is going to get busted, where are we going to go?"

"Right, 'cause you're all legitimate sex workers."

"Mhm!" "Yep." The women all said, humming as well.

"I could use my Role as a Cultist of Asherah to help you get new, safe jobs." Mai and Fuga gasped. Faith looked at them, and at the other women, who looked a little hopeful. "Well, "safe" in quotation marks, for the usual reasons, unless you want to leave this galaxy."

"Mm, yeah, no thanks, I think we'll stay here."

"Yeah." Said Sekine. The women all laughed.

"Cult of Asherah?" Said Kiki.

"Yeah, what's that?" Asked Leia.

"There used to be prostitutes outside the Temples of Yahweh, in the very early days of worshipping Yahweh. The Yahwehists didn't like it, and demolished it. We only know they danced around gold painted trees or wooden poles. I've revived it to have importance in my stories in that it educates children and protects sex workers, and women, youth and queer people at risk."

"Oh, that's cool." Said Sekine.

"That's actually really cool. Like, a good idea to work with." Said Leia. "I bet your stories are good."

"Thank you! Been working on Thalassic Space for four years, now."

"Nice!"

"Um, but if the Arrows don't help you, I will. Hell, if I could go around the world, saving people with all of my demigoddess powers, without fear of people calling me Mary Sue or me punishing myself for being too strong by putting myself into horror media that I like, for a night of terror, I'd do it!"

Sekine said, "So you aren't doing it out of fear and to be humble."

"The first of those things, yes, but I wouldn't say it's to be humble. I would call it being fair, and not cheating. Yes, there's some stupidly powerful people, already, but I, I just don't feel like it would be fun to use all of my power. I will, if absolutely necessary, and I have a plan, or just a little bit of an idea, since me improvising with no feedback is how things get messy." Faith said. The women all responded with hums of processing and head bobs.

Faith glanced at the door, then beckoned for Jennie to come closer. Kiki and Sekine perked their ears, Leia tilted her head to listen, and Mai and Fuga turned their heads, too. Faith whispered, "But if you give me a present, declaring it to be for the Goshenite Stargazer Dragon, I can grant you a morally good wish to help you, someone else, or nature, without being a Mary Sue because my Dragon Persona is a wish-granting dragon. Rocks, flowers, gemstones, seeds and saplings, and art of any kind, be it visual, digital or performance."

"Ohhhh." Jennie softly said. Mai and Fuga whispered among themselves.

"My right eye, a magic O-type star, creates, and is a source of magic, and is why the wish-making is possible. I've got two other Personas, but the relevant one is the dragon."

"Wow!"

"Well, you've got our attention, Faith." Said Leia.

"We'll, uh, get back to you on that, tomorrow night." Said Sekine. Faith lifted her cheeks, and nodded. "I'll translate for Mai and Fuga so they get the full picture." Sekine rose from the couch and sat on the bed Mai and Fuga occupied.

"Thanks!" Faith replied, then withdrew her body from Jennie, who draped her right arm behind Faith's back, holding her left arm. At a normal volume, "Now, can we play dress-up for big girls?"

"Oh yes," Jennie said, Sekine, Leia and Kiki laughing with her. "Yes, now we can play dress-up." While walking Faith to the dressers, she said, "What's your favourite colour?"

"Blue! Dark blues, like midnight or navy. Bright blue is nice, too."

"Oh, yes," Jennie said, opening one of the drawers as Faith removed her pyjama pants. "We have both. Your feet look so painful." Jennie said, handing Faith some items.

"Only if I walk or stand for too long. This one," Faith shook her right foot, then removed her pants. "Is really sensitive to being banged against things, though."

"Ooh, I bet. But you can fight?"

"I'm decent, for two days of training, as a person with disability. I should be able to hold my own until I need to use magic, or the Arrows come, and we all go out together."

Jennie nodded firmly. "We'll give you sexy boots. You know that Kiki can sew. She has fabrics of all kinds, so she can make it fit."

"Hell yeah!" Kiki said.

Faith said, "Awesome."

"And, we'll teach you how to act in front of Henjin and the customers for tomorrow night, when the boss' sons are supposed to come home from Japan for a big party, OK?"

Faith nodded. "Well, let's see what fits!"

"Fingers crossed!"

Click emoji to navigate to the next chapter. (To be posted! If you'd like to be tagged in the next chapter, let me know.)

[sinceileftyoublog]

Black Belt Eagle Scout Interview: Expanding My Vulnerability

BY JORDAN MAINZER

Katherine Paul began the Black Belt Eagle Scout set at Pitchfork with whispered singing. As “My Blood Runs Through This Land” progressed, the song a standout from their third album The Land, The Water, The Sky (Saddle Creek), Paul’s singing transformed into a wail, albeit muted by her own guitar distortion and Camas Logue’s mighty drums. Fittingly, Paul’s voice never seemed like it was at the center. It was there, telling her stories, but always equal in sonic and emotional importance to her surroundings. Sometimes, the neighboring elements were symbolic, like the guitar solo of “My Blood Runs Through This Land”, “emulating [her] ancestors running,” as she told me at Pitchfork. (Paul is Coast Salish/Swinomish, raised in the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community in LaConner, Washington.) Other times, they were perhaps coincidental, as when she sang about being “engulfed by beauty” on “Don’t Give Up”, right as her singing was overwhelmed by the swirling of Logue’s drums, Nay Wilkins’ bass, and Claire Puckett’s guitars. No matter what, the set was a masterclass in tension and ultimate expressiveness, the songs exponentially louder than their studio versions. With every repetition of “Need you, want you” on Mother of My Children’s “Soft Stud”, the guitars bellowed with mammoth force, the crowd whooping in approval. It was breathtaking.

The Land, The Water, The Sky is inspired by Paul moving back to the Swinomish Reservation on which she was raised, as well as her metaphoric personal journeys. The record contains love songs of varying recipients: her surroundings (“Nobody”), her immediate family (“Spaces”), her local queer community (“Sčičudz (a narrow place)”). This time around, she worked with some notable collaborators on the record, like multi-instrumentalist Takiaya Reed of excellent Melbourne doom duo Divide and Dissolve, who co-produced the album, and Mount Eerie’s Phil Elverum, who sings on “Salmon Stinta”. Though Paul played many of the instruments on the record and certainly led its expanded instrumental palate, its instrumentation and production was not a one-person affair like her previous two albums. Many artists find working by themselves intimidating; in contrast, for Paul, opening herself up to other musicians in this way was a key part of her growth in confidence. Ditto for playing live. “I have a really amazing band,” Paul said. “We’ve grown so much...for most of the year, we’ve been on the road non-stop, so we’ve learned how to work through certain sounds and passages together.”

Paul and I sat outside the festival press tent (as JPEGMAFIA boomed in the distance) to discuss The Land, The Water, The Sky, playing live, her writing process, and Divide and Dissolve. Read our conversation below, edited for length and clarity.

Since I Left You: You have three albums already and a somewhat limited set time. How do you decide what songs to play at a festival?

Katherine Paul: I really wanted to play a lot of the new album, but also bring in some of what I felt are the heavy hitters from my previous album. [Songs] that make the set flow. I tried to put some of the new singles in the set, and some that are the favorites in the previous albums. Since you’re playing to a lot of new people, too, something that keeps the energy up.

SILY: I definitely felt that with what you chose to play. I had never seen you live and wanted to come in green, so I didn’t watch any videos, and your set was definitely louder than I expected, in a great way. There was a lot of play with dynamics and catharsis and release. Are you feeling those emotions on stage?

KP: Yeah, I mean I feel like we kick it up a notch, and I like to rock out. For this show, I played on an amp I don’t normally play out of, and I loved it. I kind of want to get one. I love playing loud guitars. [laughs]

SILY: When you play live, do you find yourself in a similar headspace to when you wrote the songs? Are you trying to channel on stage what inspired you to write them in the first place?

KP: I think about what they mean to me, which is maybe a similar thing. I think about why I play certain parts. When I play “My Blood Runs Through This Land”, the guitar solo is supposed to emulate my ancestors running. It’s raw and beautiful. I think about that and put my feeling and playing into those thoughts. I like to make a connection to what the song means to me when I play it.

SILY: On the record, you did a lot of the instrumentation yourself. Do you find adapting the songs to the stage, with a full band, just as rewarding as writing and recording them in the first place?

KP: I’m still learning. That’s what I’m realizing. Sometimes, my natural instinct is to play them how they sound on the recording, but lately, I feel like I want to put a jam in there. [laughs]

SILY: You played “Don’t Give Up” right before playing “Indians Never Die”. In interviews around the release of Mother of My Children, you were talking about “Indians Never Die” and the idea of always taking care of the land. When you sing on "Don’t Give Up”, “I was only seventeen, I was only seventy,” is that a similar sentiment?

KP: “Don’t Give Up” has a lot of writing about my mental health and taking care of myself, having that knowledge that we’re still growing as people and trying to figure things out, whether we’re seventeen or seventy. That’s what those specific lyrics mean, but I think that could tie into, by taking care of myself, I’m taking care of the connection to where I’m from.

SILY: I also like the phrase on the song, “engulfed by beauty.” It suggests being almost overwhelmed by nature, and it works with the heavy reverb of the music.

KP: Yeah. Being swallowed by it.

SILY: Have you gotten to see anyone else at the festival?

KP: I got to see snippets here and there: Vagabon’s one and a half songs, Weyes Blood, Big Thief, yaya bey. I wanted to see Julia [Jacklin], but I couldn’t. Her set was so short. There was a lot of running around, getting food, getting situated.

SILY: Do you like the new Divide and Dissolve record?

KP: I haven’t heard it yet. I’m waiting for the right time to listen to it. I know it’s out, and I want to listen to it when I’m at home on a walk. When I heard the previous record, I was just gutted. So I want to listen to this one walking around in the woods or something.

SILY: Apart from the specific stories and changes in your life that inspired The Land, The Water, The Sky, is there anything else unique about it as compared to your first two records? And how is it a continuation of them?

KP: There are still those glittery sounds within the pop genre that pop up. The uniqueness comes with expanding my vulnerability as a songwriter, having different people play on it. It shifted my perspective of what my songwriting can be. Before, I was more afraid to take risks and do different things, but now, I feel better about it--almost encouraged.

SILY: Are you the type of songwriter always writing, or do you have to set periods of time for you to sit down and do it?

KP: I definitely have to set time aside to do it. I have so much going on in my life. [laughs] It’s hard to always be writing.

SILY: Is there anything else upcoming for you?

KP: I’m working on a mini tour documentary with Evan Atwood, who did the photo [on the front cover of] the album. We’ll have some live recorded versions and filmed versions on the songs. This coming winter, I’m just going to write music and figure out what’s next.

[kaddyssammlung]

Take Me Back To Eden-

transcript from the Revolver mag Special Edition

I don't own any of this!

In the cold, slow-moving early days of January 2023, something incredible happened, with

no warning. Sleep Token unleashed a new song upon the world that was, at the time, their

most jaw-dropping offering to date. Chokehold begins omniously with a scratching, grinding buzz and Vessel sings declaratively “When we were made, it was no accident, We were tangled up like branches in a flood”. The soft trill of a piano comes in, the suspense builds and then one of the most dramatic riffs the band have committed to record crashes down.It's just the first twist in a dynamic single full of them.

Chokehold struck a crowd with fans and landed Sleep Token cosigns from some unlikely voices. Lorna Shore, frontman and deathcore YouTube star Will Ramos covered the song and then dissected Vessel's vocal technique with a panel of experts. On the Charismatic Voice YouTube channel. Even Wilder was when American Idol star Chris Daughtry surprised a crowd at London's Royal Albert Hall with a dusky acoustic performance of the single. Yet the most remarkable thing about Chokehold is that, for all the fervor it steered, the song Sleep Token released just 24 hours later had even more profound impact on their career. On January 6th, the day after Chokehold's release, the band dropped a second 2023 single called The Summoning. If Chokehold started a fire, this new song poured kerosene on it. A near 7-minute masterpiece, The Summoning took Sleep Token genre blending approach to new extremes, spanning the divide between death metal-esque savagery and slutty funk. Not only did it work socially, but it somehow made beautiful sense conceptually. The song quickly went viral on TikTok, partly because of the stunning contrast between the styles it plays with and also due to its esoterically charged lyrics. Sleep Token had hinted at lustful thoughts in the past, but The Summoning was easily the most overtly sexual song to date. At this point, over half a decade into their career, Sleep Token were hardly unknowns, and the hype around them had been building in the underground alternative metal scene. But the one true punch of Chokehold into the Summoning sent them skyward.

Sleep Token dominated online conversation, trending on Twitter for days on end, and their streaming numbers shot through the roof. Multiple songs trended on Spotify simultaneously, but it was The Summoning that really took off, rocketing to 15 million plays on the platform in less than two months. As of this writing, it tops 18 million Spotify streams. On January 17th, Sleep Token embarked on a sold-out UK headlining tour, playing some of their biggest venues to date, including the 5,000 capacity Hammersmith Apollo in West London. Befitting the band's grounding audience and the launch of their latest chapter, these rituals were notably scaled up in terms of production. Sleep Token performed amid a stage setup, festooned with plants, and vessels started wearing an elaborate shoulder piece emblazoned with gold to protect him from sleep, for some fans have theorized.

Additionally, the trio of female backing singers from 2022's Room Below Ritual were along for the ride. The three women affectionately nicknamed the Vesselettes in some fan circles, performed in cloaks, their faces covered while they stood eerily stuck still. The tour was made even more special by Sleep Token, debuting two brand new songs during their set, the angsty pop metal exercise Granite and the elegant, chest-infused Aqua Regia. The studio versions were released in the middle of the tour, once again dropping within 24 hours of each other on January 18th and 19th. Respectfully, even before Sleep Token's third album was formally announced, fans understood that this sudden wave of new songs heralded an imminent follow-up to This Place Will Become Your Tomb. After the release of the apocalyptically heavy Vore in the middle of February. That speculation became fact, Take me Back to Eden, was announced for a mid-may release and was set to be the final installment of the band's album trilogy. The group's devotees had already been trying to figure out the record's title from the secret code that had appeared on the band's lead-up graphics. On Take Me Back to Eden, the turbulent hot and cold dynamic between Vessel and Sleep reaches its breaking point. His devotion to and lust for Sleep persists, but Vessel recognizes that he is quite literally in a Chokehold within their relationship, even more so than on the band's previous work. His emotions were conflicted enough on this record. On Granite, Vessel rages against Sleep's uncommunicative behavior, even labeling him aggressive and controlling, while on Aqua Regia, despite the song's undercurrent of desire, he affirms that he is done dancing to alarm bells.

By track 9, Do You Wish That You Loved Me he reaches the firm conclusion that not only is Sleep incapable of returning the love he has craved all along, but perhaps Vessel himself cannot muster the same devotion he seeks from the deity. I cannot hope to give you what I cannot give myself.

By the album's closing track, Euclid, the relationship has finally splintered,leaving Vessel feeling reflective but also anxious to move forward knowing that Ijust need to leave this part of me behind.

Once again, every song to Take Me Back to Eden comes with its own visual identity, but the symbology is Sleep token's most complex and detailed to date.

Each song is represented by its own fantastical character, best described as monsters or demons that are illustrated by Alex Tillbrook in the art booklet that comes with physical copies of the record. Some of the creatures appear in music videos' form as well. Each character looks distinct from the others, but they do share some common features. Many have devil-like horns, and the majority have an unusual number of body parts. The character representing Ascensionism has four arms. The one for Rain has three heads, and the creature for Chokehold has numerous arachnid-like legs.

Meanwhile, the character representing War has arms with two venues, flytrap-like mouths in place of hands, echoing the song's motif of consumption and swallowing, and linking to its title's reference to the fetish voraphilia, the erotic desire to consume or to be consumed by another person or creature. In addition, most of the characters hold at least one weapon, and many wear some form of armour. These accoutrements are possible, reflective of the heightened sense of conflict between Wesley and Sleep throughout the album.

The character representing the summoning, who wears a shoulder piece akin to the one

that Vessel wears on stage, clutches a huge gun, almost as big as the creature itself, while others wield axes and other bladed weapons. In two of its four hands, the floating character in a knight's helmet representing Ascensionism holds a handgun and a three-pronged dagger, like a mini version of Poseidon's trident. There are also a few references to weaponry in the lyrics in Chokehold. Wesley reclaims, I come as a blade, a sacred guardian. When in Aqua Regia,he speaks of a perfect start to a perfect war, putting down the roses, picking up the sword.

One compelling fan theory about these characters is that their sleep previous vessels. Others speculate that they could be a physical manifestation of Vessel's personal demons, or even past versions of Vessel himself. Indeed, there are references to the concept of past lives on the album. In Ascensionism, the line, tell me you met me in past lives,suggests Vessel's and Sleep's toxic bond predates this lifetime, or perhaps that's just what Sleep tells Vessel to create, the illusion that their connection is stronger than it really is. The Apparition reinforces the idea, well I believe somewhere in the past, something was between you and I in my dear. If Sleep and Vessel have been entangled for decades or even centuries across different incarnations, it raises the question of what the weapons are for.

Are they for Vessel to use while defending and protecting Sleep, or tools for him to battle the deity as the toxicity between them worsens? The two song-representing characters who've most intrigued fans correspond to the album's final two tracks, both are quite different compared to their armoured, multi-limbed peers. The figure for the pain-mouthed song Take Me Back to Eden, interestingly Sleep Token's only title track to date, has no face but bears angel wings and a scythe. Their juxtaposed element of an angel and a Grim Reaper evoke themes of death, worship,and immortality. All themes that crop up at the end of the album's story defend consensus as that title track concludes Take Me Back to Eden, while the album's actual closer Euclid wraps up the trilogy overall serving as a sort of epilogue. The character representing that song is a masked figure dressed in a toga-like garment holding Vessel's severed head. What does that ominous image mean about the future of Sleep Token? Some fear it's a signal at the end of the band, while others have wondered if it foreshadows the group re-emerging with a new story and a new look perhaps similar to the way Slipknot changed the mask with each album's cycle, or how Ghost kill-off versions of Papa Emeritus to make way for a successor. At the very least, the figure reflects the song's focus on rebirth throughout the death of the old Vessel proclaims I must be someone now. Musically Take Me Back to Eden is Sleep Token's most ambitious body of work to date.

Its sonic rage is considerably greater than This Place where we come here to folding in sounds and genres. The band hadn't touched before. The extremes are also so much more pronounced.

The summoning and Vore are the heaviest songs of their career so far, while a eerie, almost tropical-sounding deary statue of me is Sleep Token at their poppiest. Meanwhile, the colossal Are You Really Okay feels like Sleep Token's taken a arena-sized ballad, though its lyrics are claustrophobic, dark, and hint at self-harm. Since its corresponding character is holding a baby ( Since its corresponding character is holding a baby and the song mentions Vessel being woken up by a loved one dripping crimson on the carpet, some fans have posited that Are You Really Okay is not about self-harm at all, but rather a miscarriage). The most impressive musical feats on the record, however, are Sleep Token's two longest songs to date. The super-sized pair the 7-minute Ascensionism and 8-minute Plus Take Me Back to Eden unify every aspect of Sleep Token's sound, from delicate piano balladery to crushing heavy metal to bursts of trap-infused R&B (Both notably use autotune to add a disembodied quality to vessel's voice.)

Together, the two pieces feel like a culmination of the band's sonic explorations so far, elevating the music into the heady realm of progressive rock while floating with the long-form movement-based structures of classical music. Even as it marks an incredible step forward for the band, both creatively and commercially it landed at number 16 on the Billboard 200 Take Me Back to Eden and occasionally looks back. It's the most self-referential installment of Sleep Token's trilogy, especially towards its conclusion where the nods to previous songs become most overt in particular lines in the opening verse of Take Me Back to Eden.

I dream of phosphorescence, bleed through spaces, and we drive through crystal waters Perfect oceans can be interpreted with callbacks to sundowning in this place will become your tomb, read prospectively. Later, the titled rap evokes the LP's beginning by echoing the opening lines of Chokehold, creating poeticbookends to the album's narrative. Similarly, the entire trilogy concludes looping around to its start with a section of The Night Does Not Belong to God being revived in Euclid, bringing the story full circle. As for Sleep Token's own story, Euclid's image of a vesseldisembodied hit notwithstanding the band's journey continues. At least for now, Take Me Back to Eden has skyrocketed them to previously unimaginable heights. The latest, this anonymous masked band with their eccentric whip, lashing sound, and dizzying mythology have become bona fide arena headliners. They sold out a breakthrough-year-capping December gig at London's12,500-capacity Wembley Arena within just 10 minutes. We know Sleep Token's story will continue in 2024, too. They already have shows booked, including an April run in Australia, an appearance at Las Vegas' sick New World Festival. We want that. What does the future hold?

Might they scale even higher heights? To sleep, to dream.

[aseriesofunfortunatejan]

VirVox Project x Maghni AI

News summary \(￣︶￣*\))

VirVox Project has decided to collaborate with Maghni AI, a new commercial singing voice synthesis software from the USA. VirVox Project will join Maghni AI as a third party and its first project will be the production and release Shirakami Kotarou - 義.

It was initially planned to be a one-off project, but following discussions with Maghni AI, it was decided that a series would be a created. (Read: more boys.)

In line with this, a new unified character design with a "Japanese-style concept" is now underway to strengthen the series' identity as “singing voice synthesis software released by Maghni AI”, while keeping in mind a wish to appeal to overseas users.

A small focus on the Maghni AI product:

Maghni AI is divided into two products: the Song Voice Database and the Editor. If you purchase only the voice database, you can still edit it using the free version of the editor. However some functions, including AI parameters (such as voice colors) can only be used by purchasing the paid version of the editor.

The paid version of Maghni AI will allow voicebanks to sing in many different languages from those they were recorded in. It will also allow them to sing in any language with any accent (for example, English with a French accent). (French mentioned!)

Shirakami Kotarou AI:

Shirakami Kotarou AI has six voice colors, including his default: Neutral, Calm, Cute, Sweet, Rock, Dark.

This project is a work in progress, so it will be some time before a demo is released. In the meantime, know that several demo songs have been commissioned from talented Voca-Ps. Please look forward to those.

This has been the announcement of a singing voice synthesis software project that has been under development for about a year (about three years if you include the groundwork)!

[lincoln-rosario]

yapping about the new noah kahan album cuz. i can…

1. dial drunk sounded. amazing. he sounds so excited i was grinning the whole time!!! i really love how raspy he sounded at first too

2. literally the same as dial drunk. i lvoe him

3. GRACIE ABRAMS FEATURE?????? they did AMAZINGLY. i prefer this duet version over the studio one

4. FAVORITE SONG EVER (kidding. it’s hard to choose) I LOVE FOREVER. THE WAY HE HELD THE “YOU” AT THE END RHHRHRRGGRHH

5. i actually hadn’t heard pain is cold water before this!!! i was VERY pleasantly surprised though!!!! i love this song :3

6. MAINE YOOYOYOYOHOOHHOOOOOO the “hmMmmmMmMmMmMmM” thing he did i’m giggling. “are you still taking pills in the morning?—yup.” i’d die for him i fear (just like how he’d fucking die for fenway park) THE HIGH NOTES????? i love him. the way he did the ending hrhrhrgrgg /vvvpos

7. paul revere. oh my god i love this one too. county line i’m counting down 🗣️ he’s so enthusiastic i love everything about this (other than come over and young blood and others being cut. what’s with that?? but that’s really my only gripe so far) the EMOTION IN HIS VOICE?!?!?!!?!?! HE’S SO????? the way he said “the patch of grass where we buried the dogs” made me sad /pos OOH THE WAY HE VOICE CRACKED(?) ON THAT THIRD OR FOURTH “i would’ve already left” SCRATCHED MY BRAIN

8. “this is for the children of divorce” or whatever he said. GOD he’s so real (child of almost divorce) i love this song fr hhrhrgrg. the way he said -sphere in atmosphere??? THE CHORUS???????? YOU GOT ALL MY LOVE 🗣️ this makes me wanna cry is that weird. i’m so happy for him. he sounds so happy and nervous at the same time. “we’d shake the FRAME OF YOUR CAR” the RASP chat……(looks at my previous ryan bingham obsession) “i was scared, i was scared to death” hrhrhrgh. THE LAST LINE OF THE BRIDGE. OH MY GOD NOAH KAHAN HAS DONE IT AGAIN. he could keep milking this stick season thing and i’d be happTHE FORCE OF THE LAST CHORUS???? take a shot every time he tells “BOSTON” /aff OH MY GOD THE HOLDING OF THE FJNAL “ALL”

9. oh the zoloft song. i am SO stoked. i need to hear this song live when i see him (23 days as of posting baybeeee) THE RASP. aw he didn’t do the sudden pitch change at “you ASK me why i wasn’t saying a word” lame……still love him. this song is the only one to get me CLOSE to goosebumps. i’ve never felt a physical reaction (other than tears) to a song. the force of it dude!!! the power in his voice!!! and i know that shit hurt

10. ouughdhh you’re gonna go far!!!! win!!! he sounds a little more relaxed here. he’s doing so well. they should’ve let me backstage to record him and occasionally yell “you’re doing so well sweetie!!” (i was not even NEAR massachusetts when this happened) “BOSTON” jumpscare. i fear my liver will look similarly to kahan’s by the time this album is over /silly “YOURE GODDAMN RIGHT WE WILL” i prefer that over the original “sure will” tbh. and i’m gonna take the opportunity to shout out his band. oh my god they’re amazing. all of them are so talented bro……….the way he sings “and we’ll all be here forever” i love his voice so much i am oso jealous (gender envy??) THE FINAL HIGH NYOES?????? NOAH KAHAN THE MAN YOU ARE

11: fucking win i love homesick. i love how angry the song is (in my head) also obsessed with the “yoo-hoo!!” glorious song. fucking hell. another boston jumpscare. i’m living for this. IM HOME—what. OH HELLO. i was confused aha. BUT FUCK YEAH WE’RE SO BACK IM HOMESICK 🗣️🗣️ that “yeeAAAAAAAAAAAAH” was glorious……..god i would be scared and winded too. damn. him thanking his parents oooh my heart……..

12. and immediately into a song about lying to your therapist (one of my all time favs. he better play this when i see him or else blood will be spilled /nsrs) i love this song sm i’m so glad it ended up on here (rip the great divide, young blood, etc, etc) OUGHHE i love the way he’s doing the chorus here. “EVEYRONES growing. and RVERYOENS HESLTHY!!!” GOD HIS VOICE HRHRHRHRHHG

13: my face lit up as soon as i heard it. she calls me back. this is also one of my alltime favorites. because yeah!!! everything IS alright when s(he) calls (texts) me back!!! (i’m aware this isn’t. the way i’m saying it is. and it usually isn’t but for now?? y’know) I STILL DIAL 822993167 🗣️🗣️🗣️ giving his band chances to sing … i lvoe him 10/10 no notes. this song is amazing dude hhrhrgg. THE BRIDGE GRAAAAAAAA (enjoying it)

14. ORANGE JUICE. i saw the video of him crying on twitter doing this song so i’m intrigued to see how that translates here. it’s probably gonna just be the same as the video? the audience taking over for a little. i also really love this song. it’s why i drink so much orange juice :3 (i drink a LOT of it. i’m not even a recovering alcoholic.) he already sounds like he’s breaking by the end of the first chorus but that’s just because i know he’s gonna cry??? idk why that’s so prominent to me. i like seeing men be comfortable enough to get emotional </3 “so why’d you go then? 😕” god i love this second chorus. it’s impossible to scream along (it is 1 AM so. i must push the demons down) OH THE HOLDING OF “crows” AND “pulling” AND “bones” IM DEAD. “BOoooOoOoOoOoONES IN THE COLD HARD GROUND” oh the little sigh……..the way his voice shakes and he thanks the audience i’m going to cry. “i don’t deserve this shit thank you” putting a gun to his head and chanting that he does. THE CROWD CHANTING HIS NAME i’m crying HIM APOLOGIZING FOR HIS FIRST PITCH i’m so. him calling out the individual band members he’s so. god this makes me wanna cry hhhh.

15: being an asshole in the northeast being cold as hell. immediately knew it was northern attitude. god this song is awesome. my DAD even likes this one. that’s saying something!!! god i love the instrumentals between verses and choruses. it sounds so fun to play and i would absolutely learn if i was talented enough (also. i do not have a drum set) “THREE FOUR” HIM DOING THE HOZIER VOCALIZING???????? he. ATE. jesus fucking CHRIST that was ethereal. i need his vocals NOW. BOSTON jumpscare. god i can only imagine he felt being there in front of all those people in his dream venue (i assume??). holy shit ok three more fuckin songs let’s go (wait….only two……..he lied….)

16. him playing mess is so ironic and honestly? i love it. but i love this song so fucking much i NEED him to play it when i see him. BOSTON jumpscare pt 29372 the percussion in this song makes me so happy for some reason. makes my ears feel good y’know? “it’s not what i had hoped/now i find comfort in the cold” does things to me you would not understand (lived somewhere cold for the majority of my life just to be plucked out of my winter wonderland and slapped into insane levels of humidity and heat)

16. VIEW BETWEEN VILLAGES YEREEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!!!!! “and 603 too 🙄” god this song is the perfect driving song actually. most of his songs are good for driving to. this one is gonna be my exit song when i move out i swears it. i be singing “i’m 17 again” with my full chest when i ain’t even reached that age yet. the vocal riff on “it’s just me and the curve of the valley” OUGH. perfection. THIS SONG IS PERFECT FOR SCREAMJNG. i will take no questions at this time. i hope he does the extended version. he is. i win at life tbh. THE THINGS THAT I LOST HERE THE PEOPLE I KNEW. THEY GOT ME SURROUNDED FOR A MILE OR TWO has me wanting to sob tbh. i love this song sm. the whole graveyard thing also makes me feel a certain way. it’s so. GOOD. THE RASP AT “the cars in reverse/i’m gripping the wheel” IM GOING FERAL

17. stick season. bless. “who wants to get fucking sticky” oh he’s so funny /g stick season (song) was actually my first introduction to him. i had no idea how relevant this song would become just weeks later. after all that happened, revisiting this song made me feel seen? more than the traditional sad breakup song did and y’know what? i think kahan actually helped me quite a bit. he’s scarily relatable!! she calls me back feels like he read a page of my mental diary back in march and put it into lyrics SIDETRACK THE KAHAN FAMILY!!!! OUGHF THSI IS SO SPECIAL TO ME???????

but yeah uh. he’s definitely helped me through a bit, whether it’s for genuine comfort or just screaming along to let off steam. he’s become a huge part of my life and honestly? i’m glad i was introduced to him. even if the person that showed me him left, i’ve moved on and i’m happy now. i guess you could say i had a noah kahan style arc (stick season to forever pipeline)

overall thoughts? fucking glorious. i wish i had been there, but hey. this is close enough :)

[banemmanan]

GFU Stats #2

Some fun statistics from the TV show The Girl from U.N.C.L.E.

This is a revised, updated, more accurate version of this post.

This post is based on a series of posts by @commander-kiranerys where they compiled similar data for the series The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (e.g. Season 3). All but one of the data categories that I collected can be found in those original posts along with some more that I didn't count.

Explanation #1: why the recount?

As mentioned in my original post, I counted that first set of statistics in just three days. How do you fit roughly ten epispdes into a day? Well, truth be told, I watched them at double speed. I had a whole bunch of assignments due at the time, but this idea had lodged itself into my brain and I had no self-control, so I did it as quickly as I could in order that I could focus on my uni work again. This time, everything was watched at regular speed and I will admit that there was a lot that I missed the first time around. After I watched it through the first time and recorded data, I then watched it through a second time, this time with my sister as an impartial second opinion, and we both recorded separate data. The results are an average of these three data sets and thus I feel that they are much more reliable this time around.

Explanation #2: what's 'S' and 'F'?

For the categories 'Escape' and 'Rescue' the S in brackets stands for Successful and the F for Failed. Escaping entails getting free under their own power and if someone not in the 'captured' scenario got them out then it was a rescue.

Disclaimer #1: objectivity of results

If comparing these results to the muncle stats, bear in mind that they have been compiled by two different people. We might have different ideas as to what qualifies as 'being captured' or 'an escape attempt', etc.

Disclaimer #2: additional data

Due to Mark Slate not appearing in the third episode (instead appearing in the Man from U.N.C.L.E. episode of that week), data was gathered for him from that episode (the Galatea Affair) instead. Thus, all results could still be divided by 29 in order to establish the average per episode. I do not know if commander-kiranerys did the same for Napoleon with regards to season 3. I did not record any data from the MFU episode, the Moonglow Affair.

Observations:

Captured: April seems to be a bit of a damsel in distress here when you look at the numbers, but in fairness to her, she manages to escape on her own slightly more often than she needs rescuing. Considering also that Mark gets himself captured 20 times over the season; he's not exactly got a stellar track record either. Though more than once per episode for April is pretty disappointing and I think probably reflects the attitudes of the time. You may notice that the escape/rescue number for together is higher than the capture together number. This is due to instances where they have been captured individually, but then brought together in captivity and thus are together when they escape.

Arrested: I included this one only because I find it very funny when they get arrested by the regular law enforcement rather than by THRUSH and then have to sheepishly call Mr. Waverly and ask to be bailed out... I did not count these instances as them being 'captured' though, as I feel that requires malicious intent rather than a will to uphold the law.

Knocked out: bashed on the head, tranquilized, and one instance of fainting (surprisingly that wasn't April). Mark alone surpasses even the highest of Napoleon and Illya's combined totals! Suffice it to say, these two probably have near constant concussions (and that honestly explains a lot).

Restrained/chained/tied up: again, April features here significantly more than Mark does. The ratio is pretty consistent with being captured, though. 'Restrained' is just a combination of the chained/tied up categories as that is how I had initially understood commander-kiranerys to have comiled it (I'm less sure about that now though). Retrospectively I think I should have used it as an 'other' category to mean anything not done using rope or chains e.g. leather straps or being physically held (or in one instance a plant). Either way, what I find interesting in these results is that April and Mark were never tied together at any point (though there is a promotional photo that features this).

Tortured: interestingly very even here, despite the writers' clear reluctance to let April get roughed up (unless by another woman). But then again, I think deciding what is and isn't torture might be quite subjective (which is why I left it out the first time around). There were actually a number of instances that were a grey area for me and I wonder now if I should have included them; I erred on the side of caution and actually these figures might be higher if I'm fully honest. It's too late for doubting now though I guess. Feel free to debate!

Drugged: the vast majority of these are knock-out gas/chloroform/sleep darts/etc. so these results overlap a lot with the 'knocked out' category, though there are a couple of instances of drugs with other effects on the body.

Shot: April was never shot in the entire series (very lucky! but also maybe very indicative of the show writing of the time - she can be in peril, but heaven forbid that she's roughed up!) Mark on the other hand was either shot 3 or 4 times. The uncertainty comes when after seemingly being shot during a scene, he is perfectly fine mere seconds later and doesn't comment on the fact at all. So I'm not sure if he was definitely shot. I included a gif in the original post to illustrate the initial incident, so if you want to make your mind up for yourself, you can go and take a look at that. Personally I think 4.

Wet: surpassed only by season 4 in terms of average, but in raw numbers they reign supreme. It's a good thing they can both swim... I guess they are the blorbos that come in 'soggy wet' variety...

The disclaimers and stuff became way longer than I'd expected, but I wanted to be transparent about everything (can you tell I'm on another university degree) anyway, I hope you find these useful or at least interesting! I would love to have any sort of discussion regarding these!

[omegaremix]

25 Vinyl Records That Influenced My Vinyl Collecting Habits.

‘Top ten’ lists - they were so commonplace on social media before the pandemic that half of the people you knew participated in them. Your friends involuntarily posted lists of their top ten favorite albums, songs, movies, sports moments, video games, books, or whatever came to mind. Then they’d nominate you to do the same if you even cared. All of a sudden they stopped and for a few months everyone did tournament brackets. These days no one does either. Now, tag a band and see if they acknowledge you exist, solve a simple math problem where everyone with a Facebook diploma in mathematics are out to prove you wrong, or answer some useless questions to find out what your new gang initiation name is by removing your first and last letter and any surviving vowels.

But I don’t care about childish entry-level entertainment that everyone will forget about five minutes later. I’d watch Fox News for that. Longtime Ω+ followers know our ‘top tens’ are much more than that: they are playlists, mixtapes, end-of-year finds, and best-of decade results. That’s what I’m into. I’m into what’s important and that’s identifying with people. It’s not a contest or a be-all-end-all game of right-or-wrong. It’s all fully subjective. Without personal results, how special or unique would these lists be?

The last survey I was nominated to do was from WUSB’s Mister Edison, the station’s only cylinder aficionado in its’ 45-year history: top ten vinyl records that influenced your collecting habits. I did volunteer to do it and I was halfway there, then somehow along the way I deleted it. Now, here it is. But, instead of a top ten, we’ll do a top twenty-five because I’m compulsive and 10 is not a square number. All records shown here regardless of size, speed, color, or print run are those that have changed not only my record-collecting habits but also have shaped my musical tastes to an extent.

The record that started it all? KMFDM’s “Power” 12”. It was the very first vinyl record I bought with my own money, just mere months after purchasing most of its discography in one shot at my local record store. I ordered it from the TVT / Wax Trax mail order - my very first mail-order to be exact - numbered to 3,000 copies as a single-sided etched vinyl record in a clear plastic silk-screened jacket. That also came with Underworld’s “Rowla”. Shizuo’s High On Emotion e.p. was my third. Found at what was Port Jefferson’s Music Den, that’s a record I had to have at first sight because I knew it was extremely rare. Glad I made the right call because I never saw it again. Even though I didn’t have a turntable, I bought them anyway thinking I could hold on to them until I finally got my hands on one. Turned out my ma’ and dad had one: a wooden box smaller than the records it played. It literally had no sound and was deemed almost unplayable, so a close “friend” of mine gave me his father’s 1972 Panasonic and a copy of Autechre’s We Are R Y 12”. I was now in business.

From there, another one-time pressing of theirs, the “Keynell” e.p., introduced me to the panic of now-or-never buying. Booth & Brown collectors know how insanely rare their limited edition e.p.’s are and also how they and Warp divided up their Cichlisuite and Envane e.p.’s in two parts. And that was nothing to when Aphex Twin released not one, not two, but eleven e.p.’s as the Analord series through his Rephlex label. Ten regular platters and two versions of Analord 10: either you got the Aphex logo picture disc or, if you were really lucky (we mean that in a literal sense), one that came with the Analord binder which is fetching impossible prices right now. Some of them even came with the mythical Analogue Bubblebath 5. We’re just happy to have purchased all eleven editions for regular price when they first came out. Amazingly in that same year, I did my first-ever label run and purchased $300.00 worth of vinyl and disc releases from DHR.

The first hardcore record I got my hands on - Kill Your Idols’ This Is Just The Beginning - was also the very first music purchase I made at any show. Three years after one of my close friends introduced me to Sick Of It All and hardcore / punk in general, This Is Just The Beginning flung the doors wide open for crushing similar-styled tough-guy finds. Most Long Island record stores sold them when they came in, and places like Hicksville and Centereach’s Utopia (when they did sell them) offered many easy one / two / three-dollar bargain bin purchases of many 7” records, 45’s, and 12” LPS. The Howards & Checkerboard Charlie split is one example of that and one of many local acts I possess. Jemini The Gifted One’s “Funk Soul Sensation” is the only hip-hop record on the list. Ten years ago I re-discovered golden-era hip-hop and realized there was a treasure trove of white-label and 12” singles I never heard of from that time. Those hip-hop / rap singles can be found on the cheap in the same manner as those discount hardcore records. I’ll be on a life-time hunt for them as at this point I don’t have enough of them.

It’s no surprise to see that more than half of this list is made up of Seventies’ jazz / fusion records. If not for Lonnie Liston Smith & The Cosmic Echoes Astral Traveling, I would not have the size of vinyl library I have now. One of our former hip-hop dee-jays at the station played “Expansions”, “Aspirations”, and “Colors Of The Rainbow” and those three cuts literally changed my life. It opened up an avenue for me to re-discover who I was and revisit a certain era of time I missed out on. From that point on, it was all about that era’s sounds, sampling, and personal favorites. John Tropea’s A Short Trip To Space, Les McCann’s Music Lets Me Be, and Roy Ayers’ A Tear To A Smile - those three records define my final years at Stony Brook. Phil Upchurch’s 1979 solo outing, Stuff’s self-titled debut, Emily Remler’s Firefly, Steve Khan’s The Blue Man, Ramsey Lewis’ Tequila Mockingbird, Eric Gale’s Multiplication, and Ronnie Laws’ Pressure Sensitive tie me in and keep me connected to those years.

Karla Bonoff’s Restless Nights and Urbie Green’s The Fox influenced my collection in an amusing way. I had no idea who both artists were until I pulled them out of the bins. What had me purchase them? I bought Restless Nights and The Fox solely based on the year of release (1979 and 1976 respectively). One listen of each and I knew I made two right calls.

Remember when we posted our entry about our close friend Syke who rescued a pile of old records from being thrown out to the curb? Of the 500+ he found, he gave us 50 and we still have most of them. We selected Pete Shelley’s “Telephone Operator” as a reminder of that free giveaway.

I could list both volumes of the original Dirty Dancing motion picture soundtrack which my ma’ had, her only surviving childhood vinyl record of Disney’s Cinderella, or The Pac-Man Album 12″ picture disc written by Patrick McBride and Dana Walden. But those three mentions aren’t influential; just early Atari-youth memories. My first-ever childhood memories I still remember (not photographed) are also vinyl-related: J. Geils Band’s “Centerfold” and The Cars’ “Shake It Up”; the latter which I have in my possession and are the markers of all classic rock records I own around that era. (Think Dire Straits and Donald Fagan’s The Nightfly to name a few.)

Another Atari-youth moment I remember is The Chambers Brothers’ A New Time, A New Day. My dad cut out the album sleeve and used it as a paper holder in our garage. That very record made me think of whatever few platters I remember him having before he sold his entire vinyl library and our library of Atari 2600 games…for a paltry $50.00. “He needed the money” he told me; which is always a pathetic man’s answer to everything. Had he’d seen how enthusiastic I was into music collecting, he would’ve handed his entire collection to me. Roberta Flack’s Quiet Fire, Kiss’ Rock & Roll Over, and The Rolling Stones Sticky Fingers and Their Satanic Majesties Request were the four in his collection he parted with and I have three of them, not including The Chambers Brothers release. He tried to make it up to me, however, by bringing home two separate piles of records he rescued from the curb. One heap was full of polka records which I donated to WUSB’s resident polka lady before she died the same year. The other heap? Since you didn’t ask: loads of classic hippie rock records, showtunes, and celebrity albums. Jim Nabors on wax? Stop before I deactivate this account.

Finally, Boulders’ Rock & Roll Will Never Die. Look it up and you’ll see it’s a near total obscurity only confined to hipster circles who know what’s up. A five-track Wharf Records release picked up for less than $3.00 is the one 12" that may as well get me into the Discogs purchasing game for all rare releases (not found in stores) I’ve been looking for in the past seven years. I’ve played many of them on Omega WUSBand soon after bought a substantial chunk of their discographies in one shot (three Happy Meals / Free Love LP’s and three Black Marble discs, for example). As a nice side effect, it’ll be the the same for cassettes as well such as Believer/Law’s Matters Of Life And Death and JS Aurelius’ Machines Water The Plants Now - if the seller’s price is right, that is.

Notice how we went from KMFDM to Boulders? You can’t get any more disparate in styles and worlds between the two. The first purchases, public library finds, donations, record fairs, mail orders, samples, jazz-fusion and soul, hardcore and hip-hop buy-outs, record-store victory tours, and many other moments I might have missed…that’s 25 years of buying vinyl records spanning many different collecting eras and genres for me. That’s only one format, and also not counting acquiring music by other means such as radio and downloads which also shaped my collection. The bingo board jumble you see is only a tiny pinch of my musical tastes and not the whole story of my listening habits that’s usually broadcast on Omega WUSB or always posted here on Ω+.

After making this list, I’m reminded that I’m the most diverse person I know. I’m proud that my low-lying threshold for accepting and liking sound and concept allowed me to make that diversity into a science and have that mind-blowing knowledge I have of it. I’m as consistent, thorough, and far-reaching as I possibly can while hitting as many targets as possible. Would there be more bingo boards like this? Only if I make sure of it.

Phil Upchurch: self-titled

Lonnie Liston Smith: Astral Traveling

Karla Bonoff: Restless Nights

Steve Khan: The Blue Man

Chambers Brothers: A New Time, A New Day

Emily Remler: Firefly

Boulders: Rock And Roll Will Never Die

KMFDM: “Power”

John Tropea: A Short Trip To Space

Les McCann: Music Let’s Me Be

Shizuo: High On Emotion

J. Geils Band: “Centerfold”

Aphex Twin: Analord 10 picture disc

Jemini The Gifted One: “Funk Soul Sensation”

Roy Ayers: A Tear To A Smile

Ramsey Lewis: Tequila Mockingbird

Pete Shelley: “Telephone Operator”

Autechre: “Keynell”

Kill Your Idols: This Is Just The Beginning

The Cars: Shake It Up

Ronnie Laws: Pressure Sensitive

Stuff: Stuff

Eric Gale: Multiplication

Urbie Green: The Fox

Checkerboard Charlie b/w The Howards split

[akaboji]

Thank you guys so much for the positive reception on my introduction post! ;__; In a fandom as small as this one, it genuinely means everything to have even just a few people check out my post (especially on a blog I haven't been active on in over three years!)

I wanted to talk a bit more about Forbidden Rebirth in a way that wouldn't spam the Corpse Party tag. You can check out the read more below for some facts and information about the development if you're interested!

Let's start off by talking a bit about what the game will feature. Similar to Corpse Party BloodCovered, Forbidden Rebirth is divided into 5 chapters. However, it's more accurate to refer to these chapters as 'routes' - each one is a full-fledged story in itself!

Without giving away any spoilers, the first route is essentially the 'canonical' story of the Misato Municipal students - this route depicts their deaths as recorded in the nametags list. The second and third routes are connected yet separate to the first, while the fourth route ties everything together. The fifth route is a non-canonical story revolving around a what-if scenario (think similar to Book of Shadows!). Again, it's a bit difficult to explain while keeping things vague, but what I CAN say is that every route will feature unique gameplay and puzzles inside of Heavenly Host, and will have you fighting to avoid wrong endings and to uncover the full story!

Forbidden Rebirth is currently being developed using RPGMaker VX Ace, and uses the upscaled tile sheets from the PC version of Corpse Party for Heavenly Host. That being said, these tilesets are only the start for me! I've cleaned them up a bit and reworked them to fit better with my own art style, and I'm also creating dozens of custom tilesets for unique locations within the game. This even includes a few expansions to Heavenly Host itself! For a little preview, here's a look at Tomoe Mizuki's room.

While I still have some shading to do and things to rework, this is a good quick sample of some of the custom assets I'm creating for Forbidden Rebirth. The PC art style for Corpse Party is very charming to me, so I've been having a lot of fun working with it!

I truly mean it when I say that this is my passion project. I've been into Corpse Party for over a decade, and I developed these little classmates for Kokuhaku around nine years ago as of writing this. I've been fixated on them for years at this point, but I've kept more to myself as I've gotten older, and stopped sharing a lot about them within the fandom. I'm so lucky to be where I am now, where I can finally make this game a reality.

I'm so excited for everyone to meet them. Properly this time. :3

For now, let me leave you with a little preview... the first is of the bust sprites I'm working on shading at the moment, and the second is the sketches for the promotional art I discussed yesterday.

[danielfeketewrites]

WHAT IF: 60th Anniversary Collection of novel reprints

I love collecting Doctor Who books. I have slightly over 40 of them now, including novelisations, anthologies, script books, and stuff about the making of the TV show. But majority of my collection consists of original novels.

The 50th Anniversary Collection! Back in 2013, BBC Books released a collection of 11 reprints for the 50th anniversary, one book for each Doctor at the time. What a great idea! And they had cool matching covers!

Now, for the record, I have to admit - I only have one of these reprints: Festival of Death by Jonathan Morris. I would buy more of them, but I'm not interested in every single book in the collection. And I already own the previous printings of Dreams of Empire and The Silent Stars Go By, so there's that.

But these reprints seemed like a wonderful idea, so BBC Books did it again. In 2014, they released The Monster Collection - 8 books featuring 8 iconic monsters. In 2015, they published The History Collection - 8 books, all set in various periods in the past.

And in 2016... they just stopped. Because of course they did.

With the upcoming anniversary, I've been hoping for a revival of this inniciative. But as far as I know, no new reprint collection is coming... So listen up, BBC Books! Here's a list of DW novels you should reprint!

Okay, since this is my version of the list, I've only included stuff that I don't already own. There might be more suitable candidates, but I already own The Stealers of Dreams, The Tomb of Valdemar, The Good Doctor, and Alien Bodies. So, you know.

Rule no. 2: No reprints from the previous three collections.

And also - this list includes some novels originally published by Virgin. Now, this probably shouldn't be a problem? While no VNAs or VMAs were included for the 50th collection, they did reprint some for the subsequent two collections. Big Finish have also managed to get the rights to adapt them. Therefore I think this probably wouldn't be a huge problem for BBC Books. Still, I decided to include an alternative for every Virgin novel on the list.

So, here it is!

First Doctor: The Time Travellers by Simon Guerrier

Susan, Ian, Barbara

2005

After reading "Journey Out of Terror" in The Target Storybook, I desperately want more of Simon Guerrier writing for the 1st Doctor, Ian, and Barbara. He just gets their voices so well!

Second Doctor: The Dark Path by David A. McIntee

Jamie, Victoria

1997

The Master has probably almost as many origin stories as the Doctor. This is one of them. As a consequence of that, this book is quite expensive on ebay.

The second Doctor vs Delgado's Master. My fan brain just can't resist this one.

(Alternatively: The Indestructible Man - Simon Messingham)

I love Messingham's Tomb of Valdemar, so I'd like to read more DW stuff written by him.

Third Doctor: Verdigris by Paul Magrs

Jo, Brigadier, Yates, Benton

2000

Featuring Iris Wildthyme. Yeah. Reprint this one.

Fourth Doctor: Scratchman by Tom Baker and James Goss

Sarah Jane, Harry

2019

A new-ish book for the fourth Doctor, largely here because it's such a legendary bit of trivia - Tom Baker and Ian Marter plotted an Doctor Who movie together in the 1970s. This is the novelisation of that movie that never was.

Fifth Doctor: Goth Opera by Paul Cornell

Nyssa, Tegan

1994

Paul Cornell writing for the fifth Doctor? Vampires? I want to read this.

(Alternatively: Divided Loyalties - Garry Russell)

While not known for being particularly good, it features the Toymaker. And somehow had a huge influence on this website. It deserves a reprint.

Sixth Doctor: Millennial Rites by Craig Hinton

Mel

1995

This just seems like the most interesting thing that anyone has ever done with Valeyard, as well as having a really fun premise. Again, I really want to read this.

(Alternatively: Mission: Impractical - David A. McIntee)

Frobisher's in it.

Seventh Doctor: Lungbarrow by Marc Platt

Chris Cwej

1997

They can't keep getting away with not reprinting Lungbarrow. It's the big one. Also, it's one of the most expensive DW books on ebay, so there's that.

Unfortunately, the Doctor Who office seemingly perceives it as a "can of worms", so I'm not holding my breath. Still, they really should reprint it. I feel like it's a key text in the history of Doctor Who and I want to get my hands on it.

(Alternatively: Atom Bomb Blues - Andrew Cartmel)

It's Andrew Cartmel, seemingly getting heavy and political.

Eighth Doctor: Vampire Science by Kate Orman, Jonathan Blum

Sam

1997

There are so many worthy candidates for reprints from EDAs, but I've decide to go back to the beginning... Not the very beginning. I've read The Eight Doctors it's not worth it. But from what I've heard, Vampire Science definitely is.

Ninth Doctor: The Deviant Strain by Justin Richards

Rose, Jack

2005

Gotta admit, this one was something of a random pick? The ninth Doctor doesn't have a lot of books, so might as well go for this one.

Tenth Doctor: The Story of Martha - Dan Abnett

Martha (obviously)

2008

Not only is this a story centered on the best companion of the RTD era, but it also features short stories that Martha tells people? Including one written by ROB SHEARMAN??? This is an auto-include for the tenth Doctor book.

Eleventh Doctor: The Coming of the Terraphiles - Michael Moorcock

Amy

2010

Around the time when DW books weren't really an important part of the series, something wild happened - a hugely important and influential fantasy and sci-fi author wrote a book featuring the eleventh Doctor. No idea why. I'd love to read it, tho.

Twelfth Doctor: Blood Cell - James Goss

Clara

2014

It's the only book from the first batch of 12th Doctor books I don't have. From what I've heard, it's also the best one. I love some of James Goss' other work, so I'm inclined to believe that.

Thirteenth Doctor: At Childhood's End - Sophie Aldred

Ace, Graham, Yaz, Ryan

2020

I love Ace. A friend of mine once told me that this book is amazing, so I'm gonna believe him. It's going on the list.

And there you have it! A list of Doctor Who novels I'd reprint for the 60th Anniversary, if I could. Give them beautiful new covers (matching, obviously) and it's the 60th Anniversary Collection.

On the upside, BBC Books gave us a sextet of new books for the anniversary, which is really cool. And one of them is an epic poem! And one of them is written by Dave Rudden! So there are Doctor Who books to buy this year.

But I really hope they are gonna start doing some reprints again. I think these books deserve it.

[luispickupfirstperson]

maya being used in big games

Maya has been used in loads of big games in the past and is currently being used in games yet to come. However, these are the top 6 games that have used maya.

Deus Ex: Mankind Divided is one of the action role-playing video games made with Maya. It was developed by Eidos Montréal and advertised by Square Enix‘s European subsidiary in August 2016 for Microsoft Windows, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4. Versions for Linux and macOS systems were released in 2016 and 2017, respectively. Maya was used by the 3D artists who created this game to model and texture the elements that you can find in the game, from characters, buildings

Mirror’s Edge Catalyst is a first-person, action-adventure platform game developed by DICE and published by Electronic Arts. The game was released for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One in June 2016. It is a reboot of the 2008 game that focuses on protagonist Faith Connors. In this game, the player controls Faith Connors as she advances through a futuristic town named Glass. Like the original Mirror’s Edge, players cross the city using aspects of the urban investigation and parkour moves to complete missions and evade or fight opponents.The 3D artists who participated in creating and developing this game used Maya to model the characters. Also, animation was captured in Motion Builder and then polished in Maya.

Ratchet & Clank is a series of action platformer and third-person shooter video games. The franchise was developed and created by Insomniac Games and distributed by Sony Interactive Entertainment for PlayStation consoles, such as PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, and even PlayStation 5.This game’s 3D artists and designers have used Maya to model and texture the different characters and the game’s environment.

Dragon Age: Inquisition is a 2014 action role-playing video game generated by BioWare and distributed by Electronic Arts. The game was released worldwide for Windows, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, and Xbox One. The third main game in the Dragon Age franchise, Inquisition, is the sequel to Dragon Age II (2011).The 3D artists who participated in the creation and development of this game used Maya for modelling and texturing different elements such as characters, buildings.

Call of Duty: Black Ops III is a 2015 first-person shooter video game developed by Treyarch and published by Activision. It is the twelfth entry in the Call of Duty series and the sequel to the 2012 video game Call of Duty: Black Ops II. It was released on Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One on November 6, 2015. This game was purely modeled and textured using Maya that provided an excellent 3D character creation toolset. This toolset includes: Access a range of amazing tools for character creation; 3D editorial; and keyframe, procedural, and scripted animation.

Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End is a 2016 action-adventure game developed by Naughty Dog and distributed by Sony Computer Entertainment. A Thief’s End is played from a third-person perspective and includes platformer elements. Players unlock puzzles and use melee combat, firearms, and stealth to fight invaders. Naughty Dog has used Maya since Uncharted 2: Among Thieves to record a character’s movements and then transplant them into another.

[dustedmagazine]

Yasmin Williams — Acadia (Nonesuch Records)

Photo by Ebru Yildiz 

With her stunning 2021 LP Urban Driftwood (Spinster Records), Yasmin Williams entered the world of instrumental guitar music ready to break down some hoary definitions that had perhaps been hanging on a bit too long. She joined an emerging group of artists, many of whom were women and people of color, that wanted to play instrumental music, primarily on guitar, and *not* be mentioned in the same breath as John Fahey or the problematically named genre he coined — American Primitive, with its inherent nod to the racially charged early 20th century visual art movement, Primitivism. There was even a New York Times article about it in which her and other fingerstyle guitarists voiced their concerns. Never mind the fact that heroes such as Kaki King (who appears on the beautiful “Harvest” on the record being reviewed here) had been hoeing their own instrumental guitar row for decades, genre-minded pigeon-holers came for Williams and her peers, and she strenuously fought back with a beautiful, convention-busting record that managed to reference everything from old-time music to Michael Hedges-style fingerpicking virtuosity to hip-hop production moves. On her new record Acadia, she expands her musical palette and collaborative community even further, reaching unexpected new heights in the process.  

Acadia begins with its feet planted in tradition, opening with a straightforward fingerpicking composition featuring clicky, tapping percussion provided by old-time artist and music preservationist Dom Flemons. The following two tracks also feel like meditations on tradition. “Harvest” is a gentle autumnal trio where Williams’ guitar weaves with that of Kaki King, both buoyed by the lilting fiddle playing of Darian Donovan Thomas. “Hummingbird” is a ripping nu-grass jam with contemporary old-time stars Allison De Groot and Tatiana Hargreaves for guitar, clawhammer banjo and fiddle. It shifts tempos as it moves through mountain reels, feeling like an homage to the music of Williams’ homeland of Virginia.

The nine tracks of Acadia can be divided into stylistic thirds. The middle third is the New Age, Windham Hill Records passage. On “Virga,” voices are introduced, singing gentle, layered harmonies over a delicate guitar line and subtle synthesizers. This flows seamlessly into “Sisters,” a longer instrumental piece with guitar and strings that would literally be at home on a Windham Hill compilation — this one will please fans of other contemporary players that are exploring this territory, such as Barry Archie Johnson and Hayden Pedigo. The final song in this section of Acadia, “Dawning” pushes more into the Pure Moods/Putomayo vision of New Age music, featuring subtle percussion and mystical, wordless vocals from Aoife O’Donovan of Crooked Still. Despite these accoutrements, Williams’ guitar remains the center of this composition, the star around which other sounds orbit.

The final three tracks are where Acadia lifts off to the heavens. Vernon Reid mentee Malick Koly plays a full drum kit, and Yasmin Williams plugs in an electric guitar — exciting sounds from a virtuoso who has said that she at least in part taught herself to play with the video game Guitar Hero. If the first third of the record was maybe a modernized version of County Records, and the middle third was Windham Hill, the final third is decidedly ECM territory, fusion with a folk twist, because that fingerstyle mastery is omnipresent. Hearing Williams’ fuzzed out lead on “Dream Lake” will send chills down your spine, it is completely inspirational musicianship. She takes the guitar into electronica territory with a mesmerizing, bubbly line on the hypnotic “Nectar,” reminiscent of the innovations of the likes of Robert Fripp. She shreds alongside saxophone player Immanuel Wilkins on the hi-life inflected closing song, “Malamu,” which hits a suitably huge crescendo that even involves some bold power chords before her and Wilkins coda the tune with a doubled solo, ending the record with a display of locked in, perfectly loose musical precision.

Urban Driftwood introduced us to Yasmin Williams, but Acadia makes us aware that she has showed us only a fraction of what she has to offer.  Critics who assign styles and genres based solely on instrumentation are running a fool’s errand. The innovation and pure skill on display on this record make it no wonder that the New York Times came around (again) and called her “One of the country’s most imaginative young solo guitarists.”

Joshua Moss

[hartshorn-and-isinglass]

This was over way too soon. Ugh, my heart! What a weekend.

Thanks to a series of infuriating mishaps I only *just* made it to the concert venue for this all-Bach concert with like two minutes to spare. Honestly the acoustics are fine wherever you sit in the cathedral, I just get pressed if I can't see the orchestra because I'm a fuckin' nerd. But! There was one seat in the back right near the organ and I was like oh hell yeah, I'm taking that one.

First up was the Brandenburg Concerto #5, aka The One Where The Harpsichord Goes Ham. Real interesting snapshot of music history in this piece, as no one had tried to give the harpsichord such an extended and prominent position before. It's not quite a full-on harpsichord concerto, and Bach would go on to write a few of those after writing this piece--but it's not as balanced as the other Brandenburg concerti grossi either. Sorta halfway between the two categories. Anyway, Maestro Milnes got to have a moment in the spotlight with this one, playing that first movement solo like a rock star.

Next was the Brandenburg Concerto #4, which I think may be my favorite of the Brandenburgs in no small part due to not having ever played a nerfed version of it in school, LOL. The violin part is pretty demanding, and I loved hearing Adriane Post play it. So, I have some complicated feels about the whole notion of gendered violin playing styles, but I swear, there's something to it even in the world of Baroque violin. There tends to be this muscularity, this power that a lot of women violinists project in their playing that men don't do as much. Don't @ me; I know there's probably a complicated stew of societal factors that led to this gender divide. ANYWAY. I feel like this concerto in particular has such a sharp contrast between the ebullience of the first and third movements and the angsty, brooding vibes of the Andante. I love it; that's my kinda shit, go figure.

There was a brief setup break as they trained a camera on the organ off to the side of the sanctuary and rolled out a large-screen TV for the folks on the other side of the cathedral who couldn't see the organist from their seats--which I didn't need, because I was sitting RIGHT THERE. Hell yeah. Not quite close enough to read the music over the organist's shoulder, but almost! Peter Stolzfus Berton showed up in a tie-dye shirt for Beatles Baroque yesterday to fill in for the piccolo trumpet part in "Penny Lane"; today, dressed in a nice suit, he got to knock our socks off with the Fantasia in G Major. There's a prelude with a lovely bit of glimmering sixteenth-note runs... and then the organist literally pulls out all the stops for the Gravement section and blows your hair back with the full power of the instrument. I had to resist the urge to throw up the horns in a fuckin' church, it's such a metal moment. There is just no recording that's ever going to capture what that feels like in person, sitting in front of that set of pipes. I have a great need to go listen to more organists in concert now.

Lastly was the Magnificat. I think that's the largest choir they've had all weekend, and when they hit you with that first chorus and a tutti orchestra it's truly awe-inspiring. I am the wrong person to ask about everything that is going on music-theory-wise with this piece but it's a LOT, like holy shit. There's something really dramatic about having contemplative solo arias and then the way in which the full choir swoops in and does all this really complicated stuff. Bach is one of the greats for a reason. What a treat.

OMG, please tell me this festival was enough of a success that it's coming back next year! I NEED DIS.

[causeilovesome1]

[hello. on this blog i am recording a re-imagining of naruto's worlbuilding. hope you enjoy!]

1ST DRAFT: Religion & The Sage of Six Paths (definetly not set in stone yet, just wanted to come out with what i've figured until now!)

*Observation: The Ancient Greeks and the Greek Religion was formed as a means of explaining the world; how it came to be and how it functioned. Natural phenomena happened and couldn't be explained by the technology and scientific advancement of the times. As such lightning and thunder were things that clearly existed and happened, but the Greeks couldn’t quite understand why, and so they attributed the phenomena to the existence of the Greek God Zeus. I think my ideal version of religion in Naruto would work in the same way. Therefore, we [we here equals to the people in-universe on Naruto] don’t know if the life of the Ōtsutsuki clan happened in the way that it was described, and we don’t know if the Sage of The Six Paths was an actual person. But we know that the Byakugan exists; we can’t be sure of how it came to be, so we attribute it as an ability that Hamura Ōtsutsuki possessed.

“Before there was time, before there was anything, there was nothing, and before there was nothing...there were monsters.”

During the Ancient Times, humans roamed the world as simple beings. Devoid of any special abilities. 

The God Tree was a special Tree, who growed and thrived off of blood which soaked the ground. As such, it was forbidden for anyone to come near the Tree, and anyone who attempted to do so would die; either from the tree itself, or from other people preventing them from getting near the Tree. 

Against all odds, one person was not only able to get near the Tree, but also consumed the Chakra Fruit, which grew on the Tree. How that was possible is unknown, but it happened, and the person, Kaguya Ōtsutsuki, survived the deed. 

After that event, the Tree proceeded to destroy itself. By crumbling on itself, severing its own limbs with its roots, branches and vines. The Tree tore itself apart and proceeded to go back into the soil and become, once again, one with nature. 

Kaguya Ōtsutsuki went on to give birth to twin brothers, who quickly proved themselves to not be ordinary humans. Both brothers showed that they inherited the Chakra present on the Chakra Fruit, and now, that same Chakra flowed through their bodies, acting as a complementing life-force, and running through the veins and arteries much like blood. 

With Chakra flowing through their bodies, the brothers soon found out that they developed unique abilities because of it. The Chakra in their bodies was able to manifest multiple Elemental Natures, as well as Yin & Yang Natures. 

Hagoromo Ōtsutsuki manifested the ability of the Sharingan, whilst Hamura Ōtsutsuki manifested the ability of the Byakugan. 

With the death of the God Tree the balance that existed in the world was shattered, and therefore was reinstated in the form of the Ten-Tails. The physical manifestation of all of the Chakra that resided in the God Tree, which took the form of a Monster with ten tails. The Jūbi was sealed inside Kaguya’s body the moment she ate the Chakra Fruit, and developed inside her body, unbeknownst to her, through years until it was ready to emerge. 

And emerge it did. 

Taking its full tailed form, the Jūbi wreaked havoc in the world and it seemed as though nothing could stop it. 

The twin brothers, Hagoromo & Hamura, came together and with their combined their powers; they were able to join forces and fused into a single Entity and manifest the Yin-Yang Chakra Nature, alongside all Five Elemental Chakra and open a third eye, through the combined power of the Byakugan and the Sharingan, which displayed the power of the Rinnegan. This Entity was dubbed as the ‘Sage of Six Paths’ and was able to suppress the Ten-Tails, which was subsequently divided into the Tailed Beasts, nine different Tailed Beasts, which yielded the equilibrated power of the God Tree’s Chakra and would maintain the world’s balance and peace. Subsequently, the Tailed-Beasts would appear through history during conturbed times, and would represent a good omen of change. 

Even with the Jūbi no longer residing in her body, Kaguya never recovered and her mind and body were corrupted with the power she yielded during that time. Therefore, the Sage of Six Paths had no choice but to seal her away, for all eternity, inside of the Moon. 

After that “The Sage of Six Paths” became a revered entity; and even as the brothers would split back into Hagoromo and Hamura, their teachings and beliefs would spread through the world, and their children and subsequent descendants would take over the world. 

All human-kind have Chakra running in their bodies, and therefore are the children of the Sage of Six Paths. 

Hagoromo Ōtsutsuki would go on to coin the term Ninshū to refer to the art of yielding Chakra, as a way of connecting people to each other and to heal ailments in an individual. Simultaneously, in the teachings of Ninshū, Hamura Ōtsutsuki would believe in yielding Chakra as a way to protect one’s-self and one’s loved ones through all means necessary. 

The Sage of Six Paths was believed to be the one to “Establish Peace and Order”, and therefore the followers of the Ninshū teachings, are those burdened with the task of enduring hardships for the sake of bringing about peace through unification.

The Ninshū would bring forth six rules of conduct expected from the Shinobi, known as  “The Six Paths to Ninshū”. By following these paths of conduct the Shinobi would be able to become one with the world, by achieving the perfect understanding of the balance between men & nature. This way, one is able to achieve true peace and order in the world. 

Each person must find a personal way of life, in the form of an innate nature, that leads them to their most enlightened existence;

One must be kind and compassionate towards every other being in the world, as respecting nature means respecting one’s-self;

Social harmony will be achieved when one is able to find happiness without preventing others from achieving their own happiness;

 Happiness is only achievable through utmost sincerity, not only towards one’s peers but also towards one’s self;

One should never take what is not given to them;

One should always offer aid to a peer, as helping someone else is akin to helping one’s-self.

Additionally, it would also be established “The Six Universal Truths of Ninshū”;

All forces in the universe interact with each other, to either generate or overcome each other;

All people are different from each other, and as such, what constitutes happiness is different to each person;

All actions done by a person are bound to be returned to them threefold;

Humans are not more special than any other being in nature, they, just like any other animal, are part of the natural cycle of life; 

The Chakra is, such as every force in the universe, capable of creating and of destroying; 

Nature always will find a way to reach balance again whenever humanity disrupts it. 

As with all things, through the years, the practice of Ninshū became more and more distorted from its original intentions; and although there are still classic practitioners who follow the original beliefs, a new line of thought was created. 

Jutsu would be the name given to the art of using Chakra in battles, and those who utilise Chakra would be the Shinobi & Kunoichi of the Hidden Villages. 

The Sage of Six Paths would be revered by those who yield Chakra, and be known as father of all Shinobi.