#vitriolic spellbinder

[lazysublimeengineer]

the garden of illusions

Summary: “But is that the essence of Yoichi’s football...!? The magic...”

Or Ness caught in the enigma of the spellbinding trap in the form of Isagi Yoichi.

Characters: Isagi Y. & A. Ness

(A/N: Post-Christmas fic for this fandom. Belated Merry Christmas. Spoiler tags in the warning so read at your own risk and discretion. Some scenes and dialogs are excerpts from the manga hence the spoiler tagging. Unnecessary comments or complaints will not be tolerated as sufficient tags and warnings were provided ahead of time. I own nothing from this franchise except for this fic that reeks of wild sin and filth.)

It’s a fluke.

It has to be.

There's no way...

...there’s no way that they can make a goal like that.

‘What was that just now... They didn’t even make eye contact...? Huh!? There’s no way they could sync up like that!? Disgusting. Disgusting. That kind of chemical reaction is fucking disgusting!’ Ness’ thoughts raced inside his head in vitriolic bewilderment.

The sheer abhorrence towards Isagi scoring the final goal enveloped his entire being. But he was also disconcerted and strangely mystified at how was Isagi and Hiori sync up perfectly without even looking towards each other.

“But is that the essence of Yoichi’s football...!? The magic...” Ness uttered in complete wonder and bafflement; his orchid irises gazed at them in wide eyed astonishment.

However, his awestruck state didn’t last for long as Kaiser’s scream from the side caught his attention and stared at him in complete surprise and alarm.

“Kaiser...” He murmured helplessly as he could only watched the young man yelled out in frustration and glared daggers at Isagi’s direction. If looks could kill, Isagi would be lying on a heap right now.

Before he could even take a step towards Kaiser’s direction, he stormed out of the field, leaving Ness distraught and bereft after the match.

He waited for a good feeling to come but it never came throughout the day.

Ness had a funny relationship with Kaiser sometimes.

To him he was the sun, the emperor, the God who had graced him with his blinding yet mesmerizing presence and made the impossible into a possibility in the realm of their reality.

He vanquished the despair that was eating at him on the day that they first met.

He believed in his skill. He believed in his ideas. And he made his magic come true with his exquisite skill on the field.

Nevertheless...

…

He was also the source of his own misery.

He cast a wretchedness to his entire being as a form of punishment.

To which he deserved.

He was totally useless these past few days.

And it was no wonder that Kaiser himself didn’t want to see his face nor grace him with his own presence when he was a sore sight to his pleasant surroundings.

Nothing will pacify nor satisfy him unless he successfully defeated Isagi with his own hands.

He had never doubted Kaiser’s abilities. Nor developed an ounce of hesitance in his belief in him.

One could say he was a mindless fanatic of the young man who treated him like a dirt even if he treated him like a God himself.

Nevertheless, Ness remained steadfast and constantly devoted to him. He wasn’t the type of person to only remain glued to the other’s side when things were going easy and nicely. He will stick by his side even on their unfavorable occasions.

He’d purposely ignored how his hands would sometimes bleed from tightly balling it or punching the wall frustratedly when the other’s attention was too wrapped up with Isagi.

He disregarded the way his body shook slightly from the silent anger and misery whenever Kaiser only looked down at him as if he was a complete disappointment in his eyes and would focus on the other things specifically on the wretched form of Isagi Yoichi who continued to haunt and even taunt him on his thoughts and sleepless nights.

There was no denying it.

His mind refused to entertain any other notion or idea as of why Kaiser had suddenly gone cold and dismissive of him.

It was all Isagi Yoichi’s fault.

Everything had changed when he entered the equation.

But he firmly believed that if he’d be better, interesting and more useful to Kaiser and the team, everything would go back to the way it was.

Kaiser’s attention will be solely on him, and they’d recreate the magic once again that made them great and had the team stay on top.

Just the mere thought of Kaiser sparing even an ounce of interest to that clown filled him with an irrevocable disgust and repugnance.

His mind had shunned any other thoughts that would confuse him or derail him. To him, Isagi Yoichi was a speck or the unwanted dust that needed to be get rid of.

And the idea that he’d be inclined to entertain the magic in Yoichi’s skills on the field...

...

Fucking disgusting.

Still...

...

It lingered on the back of his head.

Like a damn virus that spread out and slowly corrupted his own thoughts and notions.

To him Isagi Yoichi was a total enigma.

Yes. The hatred and animosity that he felt for the other was there. But he cannot also deny that he was an unknown variable in the equation.

Although it was bold and strangely admirable of him to refuse to bow down to Kaiser’s league, he cannot fathom as of to why and he simply dismissed him as a hopeless idiot who naively thought to himself that he can dethrone Kaiser and defeat him.

But seeing the results now...

…

Yoichi won.

He fucking won and scored the final goal for their team which secured their victory against the Ubers.

He took a gamble and showed them the results.

He had shown it to Noa who was a logical strategist and put his career on the line by putting Hiori out there in a field whose stats were vastly different from Kiyora himself.

One cannot refute if the evidence was shown right in front of their faces.

The thought made Ness let out an exasperated breath as he made another kick of the ball which landed perfectly inside the net.

He had been practicing for ages.

He didn’t know how much time had passed.

What he only knew was Kaiser can’t be the only one exerting himself in the practice.

He shouldn’t slack off nor let his guard down.

How can Kaiser rely on him if he’s going to be useless in the field once again?

He continued kicking the ball and slotting himself in different positions, trying to imagine himself in different soccer scenarios against the opponent when they’re on the field.

Amid his practice, the soft creaking sounds of the door being opened halted his movements and stopped midway to look at the person who went in.

Ness didn’t know if it was his unlucky day or fate had been playing tricks on him lately as he came face to face with the person who caused turbulence in his life and his partnership with Kaiser.

Isagi fucking Yoichi.

“Oh, sorry. I didn’t know that you were using it. I’m going to search for another room to practice in.” Isagi said in an apologetic voice. His persona outside of the field was vastly different from the one he put on when they’re inside the field and playing against their opponents.

He should get used to it but sometimes it still gave him whiplash.

“Well, well, well if it isn’t the Blue Lock’s clown coming in here.” Ness couldn’t help but sneer at him. The anger, bitterness and resentment were bleeding through his tone and words.

Upon hearing his words, a sudden switch seemed to flicker around Isagi’s eyes, and he glowered at him, balling his fists to the side.

“I didn’t know that mutts like you could talk back like this when we all know that all you probably do is to wag your tail at Kaiser and be there under his beck and call.” Isagi shot back and his on-field personality was resurfacing when being provoked.

“Finally growing a spine and talking back hmm? You’re getting way too arrogant just because you scored the last, measly goal against our opponent.” He jeered.

“You should be saying that to your emperor who is nothing but a bogus one considering that the shot that he made was from my own scraps and not from yours.” Isagi curled his lips contemptuously which made Ness’ hackles rise and he crossed the remaining distance between the two of them, taking Isagi by the collar of his shirt and backing him against the wall.

“Shut the fuck up you fool! You know nothing about Kaiser and us! I will not let you disrespect him like this!” He growled at him as his sharp glare pinned him on the spot, his hot breaths brushing along the other’s skin because of their proximity and Isagi refused to be distracted nor let a shiver run through him.

He didn’t want to give Ness the satisfaction that he was getting under his skin.

“Then do pray tell me Ness on what are you to him hmm? Cause from the way I see it, you’re nothing but a loyal lapdog who is at his beck and every call.” Isagi smiled sardonically at him.

The fury inside of Ness couldn’t be held onto longer and he let one of hist fists fly towards Isagi’s face. However, Isagi somewhat anticipated his attack and let his quick reflexes show by immediately catching his fist with one of his hands and prevented it from colliding into his face.

Isagi then switched their positions and pulled his wrist with a bit of force which ended up having them landing unceremoniously down into the ground.

Ness seemed taken aback for a moment, looking up at him with wide eyes as Isagi was on top of him with his hand holding him by the wrist while the other one cradled along his nape as if preventing him from having his head having a violent impact on the ground.

“You... You fucking son of a bitch...!” Ness finally cursed out although it came out in a shaky breath as their proximity had a strange effect on his entire being. It's as if a scintillating sensation was slowly creeping up on him and he couldn’t stop his heart from somersaulting wildly inside his chest.

Ness could only pray inwardly that Isagi wouldn’t take notice of his erratic heartbeat and the havoc that he was wreaking inside of him.

“You have a funny mouth sometimes. But it’s more entertaining if it could be put into other use.” Isagi replied mockingly before he leaned down and crashed his lips against his in an invigorating yet violent kiss.

Isagi had enough of the other constantly belittling and mocking his skills in soccer when he had proven more than once that he’s capable of winning for their team and dethroning Kaiser himself.

The anger and other tumultuous emotions erupted from him and let his reason and logic melted away from the back of his mind as he let his instinct and untapped swirling emotions win finally.

And that was to punish Ness himself for his impudence and lack of courtesy towards him as a fellow teammate and a human being.

Meanwhile, Ness struggled beneath him and thrashed against him, reacting instinctively against his kisses.

How dare this fucking insect kiss him and stole his first kiss?!

However, he was getting distracted as the fury that he felt clashed against the electrifying sensation that surged around his veins upon feeling the other’s lips crashing against his own in a wild yet punishing kiss.

Despite his struggling, Isagi’s hold into him was strong and firm preventing him from getting away. To rebel against him, he kept his mouth closed and didn’t let the other’s tongue invade inside his mouth.

For a moment, his lips felt numb until he felt Isagi slowly ceased his movements. Just as he thought that he’d finally stop, Isagi kissed him slowly yet deeply. He gently coaxed his mouth to open and granted him an access inside the warm crevices of his mouth.

His numb lips started to feel a tingling sensation and he belatedly realized that his traitorous body moved on its own and reciprocated the other’s kiss sensuously, mimicking the other’s mouth moving on his own.

Their mouths molding perfectly against one another as their tongues danced invitingly with one another.

The reasonable part of Ness’ mind seemed to shut down slowly as he slowly gave in to his body’s whispers of yearnings and desires. The moment that Ness tangled his hands into Isagi’s hair and knead through his scalp, he had inevitably lost and gave into his traitorous instincts and wants. Ness wanted to curse Isagi for an eternity. But even moreso for himself for indulging himself into this kind of weakness.

Was this Isagi Yoichi’s magic again working inside of him and manipulating his body like a puppeeter to his puppet?

Isagi couldn’t help a low groan escaping his lips as he felt Ness’ hands kneading through his scalp. The warm and soft sensation of his palms shook him slightly to his core.

The low vibrations of Isagi groaning inside his mouth made him dizzy and clouded his senses in soft pleasure. Drool started to trickle down their lips, but they couldn’t seem to stop kissing each other as their fevered embrace went deeper and harder.

One of Isagi’s hands grew bolder and traipsed inside his torso wherein he caressed the smooth and suppled skin of the other. He continued leaving a trail of featherlight touches to his chest until it reached towards his sensitive nubs and began to pinch it teasingly with his thumb.

The contact alone made Ness jolt and instead of the usual titillating sensation that should envelop around his body, it’s as if he was doused by cold water and brought him back to the present. He quickly pulled away and broke off their shared kisses and pushed him away.

Even with his legs trembling from the overwhelming sensation alone, Ness tried to retain his firm stance as he swiftly stood up and glared at Isagi murderously.

“Don’t you dare come near me you clown. If you value your life and dignity, then hopefully none of this humiliating encounter would come out you understand?” He said harshly and didn’t wait for Isagi’s response nor looked at him for his facial expression and quickly stormed away, ignoring the way his heart almost jumped out of his throat or how his face burned up in mortification.

Isagi was left there staring at his retreating figure until he was standing all alone.

He could still feel the tingling sensation around his lips and as common sense came flooding back to his senses, he swallowed thickly as he slowly closed his eyes to calm himself down.

“Oh fuck.” He muttered as a resigned sigh left his lips.

The next incoming days were filled with buzzing energy, excitement and anxiousness from the other players as the match against the PxG was drawing closer.

Of course, Ness acted perfectly normal and pretended as if he didn’t make out with Isagi the other day.

They were both good at it.

Both acting perfectly fine.

Even more so to Isagi’s part as the blue-eyed striker didn’t even spare him a passing glance outside of the pitch and only communicated with him if that’s necessary. It didn’t bother him in the very least. And why should it? When Isagi was a nobody in his eyes.

Nevertheless, he can’t shake off a prickling feeling inside of him whenever Isagi wore that casual indifference on his eyes every time that their eyes meet for a brief period. Ness didn’t even know if he wanted to punch the living daylight out of him or just pinned him against the walls and let him know how much it was...

...

What exactly?

Pisses him off?

Occupying his mind for the rest of the day when they’re not doing anything?

Or simply because he was causing a strange bewilderment inside of him that his mind cannot even fathom what it was?

Whatever.

He didn’t want to waste his time on this and was getting distracted by these useless thoughts about someone who he deemed was a waste of space and beneath Kaiser’s talent and skill.

But destiny liked to play cruel jokes on him because what supposed to be a normal day for him to start his practice was now interrupted by the male itself who was standing in front of him and who wore a determined yet sheepish look on his face.

“Just what are you onto about now Yoichi?” He asked impatiently, completely hiding the befuddlement and another emotion that rose from within himself that he couldn’t even name of.

“Listen Ness...” Isagi started off hesitantly. “About what happened the other day—.”

“Wow. You totally care about that huh?” Ness interrupted him mockingly. “I thought everything is fine and dandy with you considering on how you seemed casual about it.”

“Well, in my defense you’re the one who said not to utter any word about it before you left.” Isagi replied with his hands raised placatingly. “But that’s not why I’m here.”

Isagi took a deep breath before he continued.

“I just wanted to say that I’m sorry for my past actions and even invading your personal space... I let my emotions get the better of me. But that’s not an excuse for the way I acted towards you. I completely understand if you don’t want to do anything to me. But for the sake of the team, hopefully we can still be civil towards each other.” Isagi looked at him clear in the eye as he said his apology with a somber look on his face to express the sincerity of his words.

“Ha... What do you know? You still have an ounce of humbleness inside that arrogant bone in you. But I would appreciate it if you extended your apology to Kaiser as well. Considering on how you spout out some disrespectful words and nonsense towards him.” Ness replied.

“Unfortunately, that’s the one thing that I’m not apologizing for.” Isagi replied firmly and before Ness could protest, he continued pressing on. “Kaiser is an obstacle to me and my goal towards soccer. I won’t compromise on that and bow down to him.” He finished with a finality in his voice.

Ness clenched his fists as he smiled tightly at him.

“Very well then. If that’s your choice. Don’t expect me to be mellow to you either just because you went up here and apologize to me. Now, if you’ll excuse me I have a routine to finished today.” Ness replied frostily as he went past him.

“Wouldn’t dream of it.” Isagi mumbled under his breath as he watched him go until his figure disappeared on his line of sight.

Regardless of what’s been said and done in the past, they’d still ended up tangled on each other’s arms.

If Ness wasn’t so goddamn aroused right now, he would’ve yank Isagi away from his legs whose mouth was busy on sucking his cock like a damn lollipop.

Damn it to hell.

How did they even ended up in a situation like this?

All seemed to be a blur to him, but he could faintly remember how they got into a heated match and argument with one another and slammed each other against the walls until they’ve fought into who would get the upper hand this time. And Isagi whose mouth was faster than his brain when he’s hotheaded had challenged and insinuated at him that he bet he got off when Kaiser treated him like a trash to which he impulsively punched him on the face before he comically widened his eyes in shock as reason began to flood his senses.

However, much to his own surprise Isagi wore an incomprehensible look on his face as he only looked at him with that devious grin on his face which sent a scintillating sensation on his nerves. He caressed his cheek which was blooming in a faint crimson hue because of the blow he managed to land him in.

He only uttered those few little words that had riled him up and messed up his entire being once again.

“I bet you can do better, and I can surpass him.”

It was a challenging trap that Ness blindly walked on to prove that Isagi didn’t have any strong hold on him.

That he was a pathetic idiot who was desperate in an attempt to dethrone Kaiser even if getting his own favor against his emperor.

Nevertheless, he might’ve judged too soon because with the rate they’re going, he might give in to the temptation and flood Isagi’s mouth with his own cum because of how the latter sucked the life out of him.

Just how the fuck Isagi was talented in giving a damn blowjob?

Just thinking about onto where the blue-eyed striker learnt how to do that, left an incomprehensible feeling inside of him to which he blatantly ignored of course.

“Yoichi... If you keep doing that... Fuck...!” A light gasp and a faint moan escaped from Ness’ lips as Isagi deepthroat him harder, his gag reflex practically nonexistent in place.

His words had spurred Isagi on and sucked him deeper in return, his tongue snaking along his cock which was throbbing with need and want inside his hot mouth.

Ness couldn’t trust himself to speak without sounding hoarse or even stuttering so he settled for low grunts of pleasure and tried to suppressed a series of moans that threatened to slipped out from his lips if he stopped biting his lower lip.

But he couldn’t stop his body from shaking and thighs from twitching from the male’s tight grasp around it as he finally reached his own peak and splashed his load suddenly into his awaiting mouth to which Isagi enthusiastically caught and lapped at the essence before he let his cock go with a lewd slurp.

Ness could only breathed raggedly in response and looked hazily at him. His heart was beating loudly inside his chest that he might be deafened around the loud sound of it.

Without even realizing it, his hand reached out weakly for his shirt and pulled him closer towards his frame and removed the remaining gap between the two of them by crashing his lips against the other’s wet, red lips.

Isagi seemed taken aback for a moment before he quickly got his bearings and returned it passionately, his mouth molded perfectly against him like a missing piece of a puzzle.

A shiver ran down Ness’ spine as he could taste himself from Isagi’s lips making him drunk in the ecstasy that the other brought him on.

There was nothing that Ness could blame on for this kind of mistake.

Because in the end, he was the one who chased his lips and let himself be caught in the enemy’s trap themselves.

And Ness didn’t know what to do with that disturbing fact.

Even though they already fooled around the other day in the lockers, it seemed that Ness didn’t learn his lesson.

Yet.

Because not once. Not twice. Or even thrice that he had fallen on Isagi’s arms...

...

And unfortunately, on his bed...

But it seemed that he wasn’t really doing anything on stopping anytime soon regardless of the fact that the sane part of his mind was screaming at him of how utterly wrong and disgusting of him to sleep around with Kaiser’s arch enemy in and out of the field with a single goal of dethroning him and being the best striker of their team.

To which of course, Ness reacted with sheer animosity and hatred against Isagi who was threatening Kaiser and his superior role in their team.

But then again, what the hell was he doing now with Isagi tangled around the sheets every now and then?

Was Isagi his paramour? We’re they’re in a tryst currently?

However, Ness couldn’t point it at like that because they don’t even had a relationship towards each other nor with other people themselves.

He couldn’t even define what the nature of their relationship was.

All they know now was they traversed all the invisible lines that separated them personally and professionally.

It was all getting blurred from thereon but right now Ness couldn’t give a damn about it as Isagi’s mouth was busy devouring his own and tangled him in a wild and dirty kiss while his hands were busy exploring and caressing every inch of his body heatedly.

Their kisses showed no mercy.

It was filled with thorns, taunting and vitriolic feelings towards each other.

It was tethering between a like and dislike, amounting to the middle ground of smoky madness and blind captivity of twisted loathing and admiration.

One of his hands had reached around his scalp and tugged on his locks in a sensuous yet tight grip as their tongues tangled in a messy kiss, drool started to trickle down their lips.

Ness’ legs wrapped around Isagi’s waist automatically as Isagi moved towards the bed haphazardly. He finally placed him on the bed without breaking off the kiss.

He couldn’t help but to grind automatically against him to increase the heated friction on their bodies and this earned a low groan from Isagi inside his mouth. One of his hands had reached on the waistband of his boxers before it slipped right inside to squeezed and caressed his plump ass teasingly.

A light moan escaped from Ness’ lips and Isagi took advantage by slipping his tongue fully on the insides of his mouth and licking at the crevices beneath it.

Ness could do nothing but surrender in a moment of weakness and closed his eyes slowly, letting the other devour his mouth completely and let his hand travel sinfully against his skin.

As he continued to caressed Ness’ backside invitingly, one of his fingers grew bolder and finally made its way towards his entrance and prodded on the insides, breaching his velvety walls with a smooth yet seductive precision that had Ness gasping inside his mouth in pleasant surprise and opening his eyes once again.

He broke away from their wild kiss and pulled away to let out a sinful moan that sent Isagi’s arousal through the roof and added another finger in his entrance and scissored his insides.

“F-fuck...” Ness stuttered out as he drooled from the ecstasy of his fingers alone causing him to grind and ride on them.

Isagi watched Ness’ pleasure-ridden face, indigo irises glazing over, flushed cheeks and swollen, red lips which was thoroughly devoured by him earlier.

It made him lick his lips hungrily as he gazed at him with a predatory look on his face.

“Fuck. You’re so beautiful like this Ness...” He murmured absently.

Ness glared weakly at him. “S-shut up...”

It made Isagi chuckle softly under his breath. “Cute.” He mumbled under his breath before he pulled his fingers away.

This caused Ness to whine needily at the loss of his fingers inside of him but only for a brief period.

Isagi made him wrapped his legs securely on his hips before he gripped his waist and finally gave a one, quick thrust and finally breached his quivering walls and stretched him to the limit with the girth of his aching cock.

The hot friction of their bodies caused them to moan out in unison, the electrifying sensation running through their veins.

They both froze for a moment, neither of them moving as they breathed raggedly.

“Why aren’t you moving?” Ness asked breathlessly.

“Well, I wanted you to adjust to our current—.”

“I’m not made of glass you idiot. Just move already.” Ness replied in half petulance and half neediness.

Isagi curled his lips upwards. “If that’s what you want. Don’t come blaming me later for feeling sore later.” He replied lowly before he pulled away and slammed back right into him which Ness moaned out lecherously in response.

“Ngh... Ah... Fuck... Yoichi...” He gasped lightly as Isagi’s thrusts increased in tempo and began railing him recklessly on the mattress, his cock hitting all the right places inside of him.

“Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! There! Hit there harder! Why’re getting bigger inside of me?” Ness babbled out incoherently as tears and drools of pleasure began cascading down his face.

Isagi continued to piston his insides mercilessly on the mattress, leaning down to lick away the salty tears on his cheeks before his mouth finally settled on his lips and kissed him languorously.

“Maybe you’re to blame on this Alexis hmm? With a face like that who’s eager to take my cock like a good slut, it’s bound to happen eventually.” He mumbled hotly against his lips and Ness could only mewl helplessly against his mouth as his cock reached deeper and harder inside of him until it reached and hit his sweet spot which made him saw stars in an instant.

“Ngh... Y-yoichi....! I-I'm c-close...!” A muffled moan slipped past his lips before his body quivered like a leaf beneath him and suddenly reached his peak, splashing his cum all over their chests.

Meanwhile, Isagi continued to chase his own release and plowed him vigorously on the bed which earned a weak moan from the other as his body grew oversensitive from the onslaught of pleasurable sensation hitting right through him.

Isagi pulled away from their kiss to let out a low groan as he finally reached his climax and painted his insides with the hot, thick ropes of his cum and filled up to his brim instantaneously.

Ness was falling in a state of haziness and soporific asunder until he finally succumbed to sleep, passing right out after their intense session that night.

It was still an ungodly hour of the night when Ness woke up. He needed to get away from Isagi’s bedroom soon before someone gets them caught. He wasn’t in the mood to explain everything to some nameless teammate about their current compromising situation.

But Isagi’s arms wrapped around his waist and pulled him closer until he whispered something against his ear that sent a shiver down his spine.

“Stay the night?” He asked huskily and Ness refused to acknowledge that he found his bedroom voice utterly sexy and seductive.

“We both know that I can’t.” He whispered back throatily, his resolve growing weaker damn it to hell.

“Well, before you leave, you might wanna take care of that.” One of Isagi’s fingers brushed along the tip of his cock which was now hard as a rock.

Fuck.

“I can take care of this myself.” Ness replied faintly.

“It’s more efficient if we do this way Alexis.” Isagi licked at the shell of his ear seductively before he hoisted him up on his arms and placed him on his lap.

“What the hell—.”

“Now c’mon. I know you wanna do this and relieve yourself. I don’t mind you riding me anyway.” Isagi gave him a wolfish grin and a playful wink which skyrocketed Ness’ nerves but couldn’t refute his words.

Biting his lip in a moment of deliberation, he finally made a choice.

A choice to let his dumb emotions get in the way again and let Isagi have his way with him again despite telling himself that it would be the last time.

He situated himself on his lap before he took his cock and guided along his entrance. A sigh and a moan slipped past his lips as his cock eased inside easily his walls which was still hot and slick from the copious amount of cum inside of it earlier.

Ness moved slowly, gyrating his hips in front of him as he tried to find a rhythm. Isagi watched in rapt silence as he let the other moved on top of him, his azure eyes darkened and swirled with desire and lust as the other’s walls hugged his invitingly, getting addicted to the delicious sensation of his body moving against his.

Isagi swallowed thickly and resisted the urge to pin him down on the mattress and devour him in avid ferocity and hunger.

When Ness eventually found his rhythm, his movements increased in staccato, grinding and thrusting himself up and down towards Isagi’s cock in eagerness. Isagi licked his lips slowly as his hands made their way to his hips and assisted him on his movements. He tried to match his speed and movement by grinding harder in return which earned a lecherous moan from the male.

It sounded musical to his ears.

Ness couldn’t even stop himself nor hold back as his body had developed a mind of its own and rode him like a horse in a race, jumping in and out of his cock like a spinning top. The lewd slapped of their skins and harsh breathings and grunts of pleasure resonated across the four walls of the room.

Isagi was inwardly thankful for possessing a pair of robust legs and thighs because his muscles would’ve given up a long time ago due to the strong impact of Ness’ lithe yet meaty thighs slapping against his own.

“Yoichi... Fuck... S-so good...” Ness stammered out as his hands braced themselves along his shoulders, the bed creaking beneath them against their wild movements.

“God fucking dammit Alexis... If you could see your face right now... Like you’re made to take my cock like this.” Isagi chuckled throatily before it was interrupted by a series of moans as Ness continued to impale himself wildly on his aching cock.

“S-shut the fuck up you clown...! Ngh... God...” Ness tried to glower at him which was weakened by how misty his eyes been with ecstasy and pleasure.

“Then make me.” Isagi’s eyes gleamed challengingly which Ness took on gladly and leaned down to capture his lips in an open-mouthed kiss.

One of Isagi’s hands landed on his nape and brought him closer, licking through the roof of his mouth as he returned his kiss hungrily, rutting his hips along with him and meeting his fervent thrusts with his own grinding until he felt Ness shook on top of him and pulled away and broke of their kiss.

“Fuck Yoichi... C’mon...” He whined softly.

“What do you want me to do hmm?”

“I c-can't... I’m close... Just t-take me...” Ness whimpered needily.

“If that’s what you want then I’m glad to do so.” He murmured before he suddenly hoisted Ness away from his lap and flipped their position instantly on the bed, with him now on top of him and Ness pinned beneath him on the mattress.

Before Ness could even protest at the loss of his cock inside of him, Isagi suddenly slammed inside of him ferociously which earned a salacious moan and lecherous mewl from him.

“Ah! Ah! Ah! Fuck! Yoichi! So good! Don’t fucking stop!” Ness mewled like a bitch in heat beneath him as he let Isagi railed him mercilessly on the bed.

“Fuck! You’re still fucking tight! Shit! Feels good around me!” Isagi groaned out in pleasure and lust as he couldn’t slow down nor hold back as his body moved on autopilot and continued to plow him wildly on the mattress.

As Ness’ voice started to grow louder, Isagi immediately leaned down and claimed his lips hungrily, swallowing all of his moans and mewls in a deep yet fervent kiss.

Ness returned his kiss deeply, his mouth slotting perfectly against his own as his legs wrapped tightly along his hips to bury him deeper inside of him.

“Fuck... I’m close too...” He mumbled hotly against his lips.

 “Do it inside.” Ness murmured as he arched his back and met his avid thrusts ardently.

“You sure? I can just pu—.”

“I’m not saying it twice you clown. Inside or too scared to do it the second time hmm?” Ness pulled away from their kiss and smiled tauntingly at him.

Isagi growled lowly at him. “Then take all of it like the good whore you are.” He replied darkly as his body reached its limit and climax, splashing all his load like a damn waterfall on his hot and aching walls.

Ness moaned out softly as he was filled up to his brim instantaneously, reaching his own peak and painting their chests with thick, ropes of his cum.

Isagi continued to thrust into him with vigor, pumping his seed deeply into him.

“Ah... Ah... Ah... Yoichi...” He mewled helplessly as he trembled like a leaf beneath him, tears of pleasure began raining down on his face.

Isagi leaned down and licked the salty tears away before he kissed him tenderly on his lips and Ness could only moan softly into the kiss and returned it weakly.

His consciousness was slowly slipping away, and he let the slumber take him away into a deep sleep, failing to hear and recognize Isagi’s last words to him that night.

A loud whistle from their coach halted their movements on the field.

“A fifteen-minute break everyone.” Noa announced simply before he turned around and left the field for a moment.

Ness took a deep breath before he went to his bench and picked up his water bottle and pulled out the cap off and started to drink from it.

He tried so hard not to limp as he walked and moved around during their practice. Ness believed that he got his body perfectly under control even though his hips were aching, and legs felt like jelly from overexertion last night. Fuck Isagi and him being damn rough on him again.

He would make sure to let the other known to not overdo it once they have the time to hook up again in the future.

Ness paused and his mind grinded into a screeching halt.

Did he hear himself right? Was he actually considering another time into fooling around with Isagi under the sheets again?

God, how pathetic he can be, and he can’t even control hims—.

“Ness.” A familiar yet stone cold voice cut off his derailing thoughts and brought him back to the present.

Ness glanced around at the source of the voice to find that Kaiser was standing in front of him with that indifferent look on his face.

“Yes? What is it Kaiser?” Ness asked casually but something in his eyes made him feel uneasy and distraught as if his piercing gaze alone could bored right through his soul and read his innermost thoughts and feelings even though he found it to be utterly ridiculous and irrational.

“You’re distracted and you weren’t playing to the best ability at the practice today.” He pointed out bluntly.

“What do you mean?” He asked laughingly, trying to play it cool and hide his nervousness.

“For starters, you and Yoichi were late earlier at the practice. You missed twice in passing the ball to me which doesn’t usually happen to you as you can perform a perfect pass to me wherever I’m positioned at. So, did something happen? Or more specifically did something happened between you and Yoichi?” He asked sharply.

Damn it to hell. Sometimes Kaiser’s observational skills can be an advantage and a disadvantage as it extended outside the field, and he can easily observe and notice some changes in a person’s habits or mannerisms no matter how minor it can be.

Ness blinked at him a few times. “What makes you think that this has something to do with Yoichi? It’s just incidental that we’re both late at the practice earlier. I’d never waste my precious time with that clown. I just got late because I tried to finish reading a book last night and slept in late. Forgive me Kaiser if I’m not in my peak performance today, I’ll ensure to compensate for my mistakes for today later at the practice.” He tried to explain and apologize while looking at him directly, resisting the urge to look away as it would give way that he’d just lie straight into his face about Yoichi and the reason why he was late earlier.

Kaiser looked at him critically in his eyes before he scoffed lightly. “Make sure you do that. I don’t want you to be render useless in our upcoming match considering that you’re the heart of our team.” Kaiser turned around and went back to the field, not waiting for his reaction or response to his words.

A bittersweet smile inched across his lips as he watched Kaiser walked away with his back turned.

Right.

What did he expect from him anyway?

An emperor like him does not pay attention to any other miniscule thing except for his own well-being and how it would affect him in the long run.

And he would gladly do everything to make himself useful and support Kaiser’s hopes and dreams in the field of soccer.

But why there was lingering sense of vacillation within himself every time his thoughts would drift on that idea alone?

Instead, it was Isagi’s gleaming eyes and challenging smirk would appear in his head and his fevered touches and deep kisses would continued to haunt him in his sleepless nights.

He was in deep shit this time.

There were no stars in the sky tonight.

Of course, it’s a baseless and ridiculous notion that Ness could think of since they’re in a dome with no windows or glassy roofs in sight.

The facility of Blue Lock was equivalent to a concentration camp sometimes with the smell of antiseptic silver of alcohol which reminded him of a white hallway in a hospital.

If his parents were here and they’d heard him about it, they would simply dismiss it with a factual explanation of light pollution from human-made sources of light which brightened up the sky and made it difficult to see the stars.

They wouldn’t entertain any vague ideas that don’t hold any empirical evidence of some sort.

That's why Alexis had been a foreign specimen to them. An unknown data that they couldn’t comprehend in their lineage. In a family of scientists who always based their thoughts and conclusions on scientific data, he stood out to the rest of them like sore gum.

Ness knew within himself that he was the black sheep of his family. He had always believed in the possibility of the seemingly impossible things like magic and creativity.

Nevertheless...

...

Sometimes in the deep recesses of his own mind, he kept on thinking if this was real and if it was, why the fuck was he even doing it in the first place?

Why the hell he kept sleeping with Isagi repeatedly even though he was the mortal enemy of his own emperor?

He was no scientist by any means.

But any faceless person could chance a glance at him and his situation and would deemed that he was good at making terrible mistakes and irrational decisions based on the waves of his emotion and unreliable heart.

He’d chance a glance at Isagi’s frame from a distance and he’d see him chatting animatedly with his fellow peers in Blue Lock or even wore his usual scowl and annoyance whenever Kaiser would get a chance to deride and mock his skills in the field.

It’s as if their brief dalliance with one another didn’t happen in those feverish nights inside the facility that’s filled with oppressive environment and high-stake competitiveness with the other players.

The only moment that it’d finally register that the fate would deem for him it to be real was whenever he’d realize that Isagi would stole surreptitious glances at him, a ghost of a smirk lingering around his lips, and fingers subtly brushing along his in the guise of a casual physical comradery between the two of them in the pitch.

 He thought that they were simply traversing in the garden of illusions where the others ceased to exist, and they were caught in a spellbinding trap of haziness with one another.

It was one of those nights once again that they were cocooned in each other’s arms with his frame pinned by Isagi under the mattress and showering his neck with languorous kisses and slight nibbling on his skin.

They’re just finished in their second round of sex but with the way things were going between the two of them, it seemed that a third round was not a farfetched idea after all.

It sent a thrilling sensation inside of him much to Ness’ chagrin.

“Don’t push your luck and leave any marks you idiot.” Ness grumbled hoarsely as he prevented Isagi’s teeth from sinking down on the sensitive expanse of his skin around his neck.

“Stop having grandeur of delusions Alexis. As if I wanted to claim you.” Isagi quipped idly as he trailed lazy kisses down his chest and started sucking on one of his nipples which was still flush and tender from being paid attention a few moments ago.

“Fuck you Yoichi. Don’t be too ahead of yourself. As if I’d want your pathetic ass to claim me.” He tried to sound derisive, but it came out as a light gasp as he felt his hot tongue giving out kitten licks on his sensitive nubs before he sucked it eagerly.

Isagi only hummed in response, seemingly distracted with his eager mouth doing sinful things around his body.

A light gasp escaped from Ness’ lips as Isagi’s fingers started to tease his rim briefly before they breached his entrance once again, his walls were still hot and slick from the cum jostling in and out of him.

“Fuck...” Ness breathed out raggedly as he couldn’t stop his hips from moving and riding the other’s fingers which were expertly maneuvering his insides like a soft sponge and milking his velvety walls in apt precision and dexterity.

“Wanna go again?” Isagi mouthed along his skin before he looked up at him with a devious yet charming smile on his face that sent Ness’ heart stuttering wildly inside his chest.

“Okay... Just don’t overdo it or we’ll be late for practice tomorrow again...” Ness replied faintly as a needy whine slipped past his lips when Isagi pulled out his fingers and situated himself on top of him.

“Of course. I don’t wanna be accuse of giving a bad influence to the heart of the team who got an impeccable record in attendance.” Isagi laughed huskily as he gave his cock a few more strokes before he slammed back into him with vigor and enthusiasm.

“Fuck you...!” Ness cursed at him before a series of moans erupted from his lips as he felt the wide girth of his cock breaching his quivering walls once again.

“That’s what I’m already doing... Shit... Still fucking tight... How are you still this tight when we’ve done this several times already...?” Isagi ground his teeth as he held his hips tightly and piston his insides in wild abandon, the bed creaking against their wild movements.

Ness could only mewl and moan sinfully as Isagi repeatedly abused his sweet spot, his eyes rolling back in the tumultuous pleasure and ecstasy that Isagi was giving him.

He barely registered Isagi leaning down and sealing his lips in a deep kiss to swallow all the pleasurable noises that he was making beneath him. Ness returned his kiss hungrily and let his tongue plunder the insides of his mouth wildly.

A few more thrusts and Isagi finally reached his peak and emptied himself into him, his insides milking on his cock as the splashes of his cum painted his walls in hot, silvery hues of his cum. He followed soon right after, the orgasm hitting him like a freight train as he splashed his load across their chests suddenly.

He moaned weakly inside his mouth as they both rode their highs together until it subsided.

Isagi pulled away from their kiss and fell on top of him unceremoniously, breathing raggedly against his neck.

Ness loosened his grip on him, but he kept his legs wrapped around his hips unconsciously to enjoy the remaining sizzling sensation traipsing inside of him whenever their bodies slot against each other sensuously.

“Stay the night?” Isagi asked throatily as he licked at the shell of his ear lazily.

The correct answer should be no.

There's no other right answer besides it.

But maybe his family was right.

He really was the moron on their family as he let his mouth run faster than his head.

That's why he can never be a scientist like them because he let the whims of his unreliable heart win in the end when the right thing to do was listen to the reasonable part of his head.

“Yeah, I will.”

He could feel Isagi smiling against his skin but chose to ignore it as the deep slumber took away his consciousness and fell into a dreamless sleep right into his arms.

A few days later...

The black gloves fit seamlessly inside his hands as he finally put them on.

Today was their anticipated match against the PxG and Ness’ nerves thrummed inside his veins in half excitement and half anxiousness.

Now’s not the time to feel any other negative emotion that could affect his performance later on in the match.

He just needed to focus on his goal and—

“Ness. You ready?” Kaiser’s cool voice interrupted his thoughts, and he faced him with a confident smile on his face. He just inwardly hoped that he couldn’t see the slight nervousness surging inside of him.

“Of course, I am Kaiser. As ready as I’ll ever be!” He closed the door of his locker with an audible click of the lock.

Kaiser was about to speak when his gaze caught Isagi’s figure at the corner who’s done tying his shoelaces and stood up.

“So, Yoichi are you ready to be the clown for today’s match?” He asked mockingly.

Isagi stared at Kaiser with a look of contempt in his eyes. “You’re the one who should be ready to be dethroned you naked emperor.” He scoffed.

Ness’ brow twitched as he glared sharply at Isagi. “Watch your words you loser.” He warned.

Isagi glanced at Ness briefly before he offered him a deriding grin and a weighted gaze that caught his breath and heart somersaulting inside his chest. “You’re the one who should watch yourself if I were you.”

“Why you—.”

A tap on his shoulder halted Ness’ next words and looked at Kaiser silently.

“Ness. I believe you should get in line now out there before Noa came looking for us. I’ll follow soon right after.”

Ness looked conflicted for a moment before he sighed in defeat and nodded, leaving him and Isagi in the locker room.

As soon as Ness left, Kaiser narrowed his eyes at Isagi. “This is between you and me. Consider this as a mild warning to not let my midfielder into your mind games and tricks.” He said coldly.

Isagi arched a brow before he wore an innocent smile on his lips as he approached him and whispered something right into his ear that made Kaiser taken aback for a moment before he clenched his fists to the side.

“You really should take care of your midfielder or else you’re going to lose him once he found the true source of magic that can make his ideas a true reality on the pitch.”

(A/N: This was born out of that panel in chapter 239 where Ness looked starstruck at Isagi after the match while still harboring a hatred for him lol. So, this is my special holiday gift to the Isaness shippers out there who keep on growng and sailing. Hover that mouse to the dialog box and leave me a review for my amusement.)

[moonlighteds]

                   hi  guys  !  i’m  sage  (  twenty  five  ,  she  /  they  ,  est  )  and  i’m  so  excited  to  be  here  !  as  far  as  my  pronouns  go  ,  please  feel  free  to  use  either  ;  if  you  only  want  to  use  one  exclusively  or  use  both  interchangeably  ,  i’m  perfectly  okay  with  either  choice  .  i’m  super  excited  to  introduce  you  all  to  hana  ,  a  relatively  new  muse  of  mine  but  a  little  mix  of  muses  i  wanted  to  write  in  the  past  !  super  excited  to  have  filled  such  a  Messy™  wanted  connection  ,  and  i  can’t  wait  to  plot  with  everyone  !  🤍

(  —  )  ★  spotted  !!  HANA  YUN  on  the  cover  of  this  week’s  most  recent  tabloid  !  many  say  that  the  TWENTY  SIX  year  old  looks  like  PARK  CHAEYOUNG  ,  but  i  don’t  really  see  it  .  while  the  SOCIALITE  &  HEIRESS  is  known  for  being  SPELLBINDING  my  inside  sources  say  that  they  have  a  tendency  to  be  VITRIOLIC  i  swear  ,  every  time  i  think  of  them ,  i  hear  the  song  CONCEITED  BY  FLO  MILLI  .  

biography.

               the  yun  family  is  everything  that  everyone  else  wants  to  be  .  prim  and  proper  ,  poised  and  perfect  .  rich  beyond  their  means  with  a  current  net  worth  of  seven  billion  dollars  ,  there’s  nothing  that  this  family  lacks  .  yun  hana’s  father  is  her  grandparents’  only  son  ,  who  passed  away  after  a  short  losing  battle  with  pneumonia  .  her  mother  ,  a  woman  that  her  father  planned  to  propose  to  before  his  death  ,  ran  off  only  a  month  after  she  was  born  and  immediately  married  a  man  living  in  canada  .  hana  was  adopted  by  her  grandparents  ,  and  has  seen  them  as  her  parents  ever  since  .

               the  yun  household  is  a  household  where  power  equaled  money  and  money  equaled  fame  .  their  massive  and  untouchable  net  worth  stems  from  owning  stocks  in  various  korean  businesses  (  most  notably  ,  samsung  )  ,  owning  a  number  of  office  buildings  within  gangnam - gu  ,  owning  three  properties  in  pyeongchang  ,  and  five  luxury  apartment  buildings  in  yongsan  .  they  bought  ,  flipped  ,  and  sold  various  properties  in  new  york  as  well  .  

              they  settled  in  los  angeles  when  hana  was  thirteen  ,  and  she  attended  the  best  schools  that  money  could  buy  .  she  made  her  grandparents  happy  by  bringing  home  the  highest  grades  in  her  class  .  was  a  naturally  gifted  student  academically  ,  socially  ,  and  athletically  .  oft  was  the  subject  of  rumors  and  scandals  ,  most  notably  alleged  to  have  hooked  up  with  with  the  quarterback  of  the  rival  school  with  pictures  hidden  away  somewhere  in  her  luxurious  bedroom  .  she  was  also  known  for  her  flamboyant  nature  when  interacting  with  those  of  the  same  and  opposite  sex  .

               graduated  from  her  high  school  as  valedictorian  ,  prom  queen  ,  and  with  a  reputation  that  needed  no  introduction  .  not  afraid  to  confront  those  who  start  rumors  about  her  ,  but  has  a  tendency  of  starting  rumors  to  manipulate  fate  into  her  favor  .  she  begins  to  vacation  all  over  the  world  to  flaunt  her  wealth  ,  but  will  forever  call  sydney  home  .  promptly  makes  a  living  by  sitting  on  her  ass  and  being  seen  ,  rising  in  the  ranks  of  socialites  in  the  city  with  clear  ease  .  has  a  sped  up  graduation  from  barnard  college  due  in  part  to  doubling  down  with  classes  ,  and  has  a  degree  in  gender  and  sexuality  studies  .

               returned  to  los  angeles  with  a  higher  social  standing  ,  having  become  known  for  her  beauty  and  for  her  graduation  pictures  going  viral  .  oft  the  subject  of  debate  in  terms  of  wondering  if  she’s  gotten  plastic  surgery  or  not  ,  but  has  a  love  for  trolling  comments  she  receives  on  instagram  .

headcanons.

hana  is  well  known  for  her  long  hair  ,  which  she  dyed  blonde  when  she  was  twenty  .  she  has  kept  her  hair  primarily  blonde  ,  but  she  will  sometimes  dye  it  pink  or  lilac  (  click  colors  for  visuals  )  .  her  hair  is  kept  at  tailbone  length  .

she  has  always  been  the  type  who  was  able  to  hide  her  emotions  well  .  this  isn’t  to  say  that  she  won’t  let  someone  in  if  they  ask  if  she’s  okay  ,  but  she  doesn’t  readily  show  if  she  is  or  isn’t  .  

since  she’s  from  sydney  ,  hana’s  accent  isn’t  as  thick  as  it  once  was  .  she’s  been  living  in  the  us  since  she  was  thirteen  ,  so  the  accent  has  faded  a  little  bit  over  time  ,  but  it’s  still  very  prominent  .  

hana  lives  comfortably  in  the  hollywood  hills  .  she  lives  in  one  of  the  many  homes  that  her  grandparents  have  purchased  over  the  years  ,  and  she  has  a  number  of  staff  waiting  on  her  at  any  given  time  .  i  love  useless  details  ,  so  she  drives  an  electric  2023  porsche  taycan  .

personality  wise  ,  she’s  known  as  someone  who’s  able  to  get  what  she  wants  with  the  point  of  a  finger  and  the  bat  of  a  lash  .  has  a  strong  interest  in  people  as  a  whole  regardless  of  their  identifying  gender  .  she’s  a  jealous  person  ,  and  doesn’t  like  when  someone’s  she’s  interested  in  flirts  with  someone  else  even  if  they  haven’t  reached  that  level  of  exclusivity  .

she’s  more  than  likely  the  one  who  burns  bridges  with  former  friends  ,  but  somehow  always  has  a  reason  for  doing  so  .  dislikes  being  told  what  to  do  and  hasn’t  shaken  the  desire  for  confrontation  .  expect  twitter  fingers  ,  but  receipts  .  expect  shade  ,  but  it’s  straight  to  your  face  .  known  for  her  resting  bitch  face  which  is  not  a  facade  to  who  she  really  is  .

following  the  drop  of  the  sex  tape  ,  hana  went  radio  silent  on  all  of  her  socials  ,  so  it’s  not  a  shock  that  it  was  believed  that  she  leaked  the  tape  because  she  was  angry  .  she  hadn’t  leaked  the  tape  ,  but  she  was  instead  trying  to  figure  out  if  what  the  media  had  been  saying  was  true  .  publicly  humiliated  and  completely  embarrassed  by  the  situation  ,  hana  quickly  boarded  her  family’s  private  jet  and  went  to  stay  with  her  parents  in  seoul  .

she  returned  after  a  couple  of  weeks  ,  and  she  saw  a  rise  in  her  already  high  social  standing  since  the  public  was  rather  sympathetic  towards  her  .  not  everyone  liked  her  afterward  because  they  assumed  she  leaked  the  tape  /  was  looking  for  publicity  ,  but  she  was  deeply  affected  by  the  tape  and  betrayal  .  

career.

hana  is  every  inch  a  nepotism  baby  turned  socialite  turned  influencer  ,  but  she’s  not  annoying  about  it  .  most  things  about  her  life  is  relatively  private  especially  considering  that  her  grandparents  live  worlds  away  in  south  korea  and  are  primarily  in  the  media  for  their  business  ventures  and  not  their  private  lives  .  

her  parents  were  initially  against  her  living  such  a  public  life  ,  but  once  brands  deals  began  coming  through  for  her  ,  their  minds  changed  .  hana  has  a  number  of  brand  deals  and  magazine  covers  under  her  belt  ,  but  she  is  not  considered  a  model  .

she  has  done  a  collaboration  with  the  meditation  /  sleep  app  calm  titled  ‘  grounded  with  hana  ’  .

was  selected  as  model  for  korean  retail  store  homeplus’  25th  anniversary  .

the  current  global  ambassador  for  yves  saint  laurent  and  was  chosen  as  the  muse  for  yves  saint  laurent  beauté  .  she  represented  the  brand  when  she  attended  the  2021  met  gala  for  the  first  time  .

the  current  global  ambassador  for  tiffany  &  co.  ,  and  later  became  the  fact  of  tiffany  hardwear  .

hana  has  modeled  for  a  number  of  magazines  such  as  elle  korea  ,  dazed  korea  ,  w  korea  ,  vogue  australia  ,  rolling  stone  ,  vogue  korea  ,  cosmopolitan  ,  dazed  china  ,  and  many  others  .

[syruckusnow]

Nina Simone: Mississippi Goddam — Lyric Video (Live at Newport, 1966)

Just a week after performing at the historically Black Tougaloo College in Jackson, Miss., supporting James Meredith’s March Against Fear, Nina Simone was on fire as she strode onstage to play for a very different audience at the Newport Jazz Festival on July 2, 1966. Her interactions with the bourgeois New Englanders at Newport were hardly warm: In the middle of an acid-rinsed version of “Blues for Mama,” she dismisses them — “I guess you ain’t ready for that” — and later she hushes them: “Shut up, shut up.” But she pours every ounce of vitriol she’s got into the performance, especially on “Mississippi Goddam.” She’d first released the song in 1964, and two years later it felt as topical as ever. Meredith had just been shot while marching across Mississippi, and unrest was overtaking redlined Black neighborhoods across the country. At Newport, she amends one of the verses to address the oppression of Los Angeles’s Black community: “Alabama’s got me so upset/And Watts has made me lose my rest/Everybody knows about Mississippi, goddamn!” The entire Newport performance is now available for the first time as an album titled “You’ve Got to Learn.” It’s spellbinding, heartbreaking stuff, reminding us just how much Simone would still be lamenting today. GIOVANNI RUSSONELLO

[ghostcultmagazine]

Check out our preview of new Rock and Metal album releases coming out this week! The 69 Eyes – Death Of Darkness (Atomic Fire Records) Angel – Once Upon A Time (Cleopatra Records) Anthem – Crimson & Jet Black (Reaper Records) As Everything Unfolds – Ultraviolet (Long Branch Records) Axel Rudi Pell – The Ballads VI (Steamhammer/SPV) Birdflesh – Sickness In The North (Everlasting Spew) Brand Of Sacrifice – Between Death And Dreams EP (Self-Released)) Caedeous – Malum Supplicium (Black Sunset/MDD Records) Daisy Chain – The World Is Not Spinning (Vitriol Records) Dawn Of Ouroboros – Velvet Incandescence (Prosthetic Records) Dimwind – The Futility Of Breathing (Self-Released)) Dommengang – Wished Eye (Thrill Jockey) Dorthia Cottrell – Death Folk Country (Relapse Records) Dozer – Drifting In The Endless Void (Blues Funeral Records) Enter Shikari – A Kiss For The Whole World (SO Records/Ambush Reality Records) Grave Pleasures – Plagueboys (Century Media Records) Gyrdleah – Spellbinder (Self-Released)) Hirax – Hate, Fear And Power/ and Raging Violence Re-Releases (Armageddon Label) Jethro Tull – RökFlöte (InsideOut Music) read as ……. Rock Flute… John Cxnnor and The Devil’s Trade – Live At Roadburn (Pelagic Records) read as JOHN CONNOR Liv Kristine – River Of Diamonds (Metalville Records) Margarita Witch Cult – Margarita Witch Cult (Heavy Psych Sounds) Pestifer – Defeat Of The Nemesis EP (Debemur Morti) Predatory Void – Seven Keys To The Discomfort Of Being (Century Media Records) Revolution Saints – Eagle Flight (Frontiers SRL) Smackbound – Hostage (Frontiers SRL) Smoulder – Violent Creed Of Vengeance (Cruz Del Sur) Tanith – Voyage (Metal Blade Records) Texas Hippie Coalition – The Name Lives On (MNRK HEAVY) - MONARCH - HEAVY These Beasts – Cares, Wills, Wants (Magnetic Eye Records) Through Fire – Devil’s Got You Dreamin’ (Sumerian Records) Ulvedharr – XXXIII (Scarlet Records) Unchosen Ones – Sorrow Turns To Dust (Self--Released)) Wasteland Clan – The End Of Time (Massacre Records) AND Windhand – Windhand Re-Release (Relapse Records) 💻 Omar Cordy (https://www.instagram.com/ojcpics​​) 🎤 Nik Cameron (https://ift.tt/6vHCJel) 🎵 Fahad Syed (https://www.instagram.com/fahanzi​​). ▵ PODCAST ▵ (Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcast, Anchor) 👉 Ghost Cult Magazine Podcast https://ift.tt/53mN8eH ▵ GEAR WE USE ▵ (These are affiliate links) Set up A: Sony A7 III - https://amzn.to/3tQm422 Tamron 17-28 - https://amzn.to/3ePrlTd Tamron 28-75 - https://amzn.to/3fqCjgY Desview Mavo-P5 Monitor- https://amzn.to/33LlTub Manfrotto Befree Travel Tripod - https://amzn.to/3hxbL0e Lighting: YONGNUO YN600L - https://amzn.to/2QkNrn5 YONGNUO YN300 Air - https://amzn.to/2QjN5gu Dfuse Softbox - https://amzn.to/3uQq4AN Aputure MC - https://amzn.to/3oirFgx NanLite PavoTube II 6C - http://bit.ly/NanLitePavoTubeII Lightstands - https://amzn.to/3uSBl3x 5 in 1 Reflector - https://amzn.to/33KHdjo And our iconic Rope Light https://amzn.to/3ycdmyz For the full list of Ghost Cult gear: http://bit.ly/OJCPicsKit ▵ LET'S BE FRIENDS ▵ https://ift.tt/Zg5vwTQ https://twitter.com/GhostCultMag https://ift.tt/CIr2XoR https://ift.tt/NcVaKCM #newmusicfriday #rock #metal #punk #hardcore #indie #deathmetal #stonerdoom #thrashmetal #blackmetal #symphonicmetal #folkmetal #metalcore #nmf #newmusic #ghostcultmag

[jancisstuff]

[larhaya]

my viera boy, strelec

[binderclipdocs]

Review of Understanding Lennon/McCartney

I’m sharing this terrific post on ULM from Facebook user Mark Humphreys

(pictures and links added by me)

63 years ago today - right about now (afternoon in Her Majesty's realm), a mutual friend introduced Paul McCartney to John Lennon at a Quarrymen gig at a church fete in Liverpool. Like. Wow.

I can't remember ever posting the same thing twice on Facebook.

I'm doing it here because I've now finished watching the 10 hour, 3 minute, 37 second entirety of the weird, poetic, dazzling, spellbinding and emotionally draining "Understanding Lennon/McCartney" documentary series on YouTube - and I can't think of a more appropriate way to celebrate the moment the most influential songwriting team in the history of popular music first met than to STRONGLY recommend it...

...with the qualification, once again, that if you weren't alive when the Beatles were active (or perhaps just afterward) - or if you've never really followed or been interested in their story, the series is likely not for you.

But if, like me, the influence of Lennon and McCartney's absolutely magical, electric connection and the strange, sometimes vitriolic public post-Beatles feud portrayed in the press (and often played up by both men) have been part of your own internal history, "Understanding Lennon/McCartney" will captivate and move you beyond anything you could possibly expect.

This is a love story. Beyond friendship - beyond even romantic love (barely) - beyond the comprehension of both men, who clearly struggled to live with its primal force within them, and which McCartney clearly struggles with right now, and will until the day he dies.

But - and this is crucial - you have to commit to watch the entire thing to get the full impact. It's frustrating as hell to say this, but I can't tell you why - you just do.

It takes probably the first hour before the pace and the groove of the thing really catches the psyche. I'll be honest - I almost gave up on it within the first 30 minutes - it was like biting into an apple (pun intended) and tasting every rich, delightful, sweet, salty, bitter, tart flavor I'd ever experienced all at once.

In other words - it's freaky.

Originally posted on YouTube a few years ago by someone using the handle "breathless345," it was quickly removed due to copyright issues. Somehow these issues were resolved (I have no idea how, because Beatles music and lots of other artists' music is constant) and the series was re-posted last year. I found out about it last month when a friend pointed me to it.

The fact that I can't find anything about "breathless345" or anything else about the "who" in the "who made this?" question makes the whole thing even freakier.

It's a ten-hour fever dream in five volumes (there are six videos - for some reason Volume 5 is broken into two parts).

The soundtrack is often bathed in a heavy, almost mind-numbing reverb that contributes to the feeling of being inside a haunted memory - perhaps a longer version of seeing one's life pass before one's eyes before taking that last breath.

There is no narration. There are many written quotes (one must be willing to read a lot of on-screen text). And there are many, many - A LOT OF - interviews, most of which I'd never seen or heard, with both men over the years, as well as George Harrison and Richard Starkey, all detailing, in very clear relief, the fact that John and Paul NEVER (I repeat, NEVER, through ANYTHING) stopped being friends. They never lost communication with each other. They were like twins - completely attached to, and reliant upon, each other, a fact that quite demonstrably set Lennon into deep depressive fits and McCartney into becoming more driven to find his own independent success.

The one qualm - if I can call it that - with the series is that Yoko Ono once again gets painted too much as a calculating villain, which (who knows?) she may have been - but she also may not have been - and a fuller examination of Ono's quotes and interviews would have been helpful to fill out Lennon's behavior in the final decade of his life.

As a whole, the time passes like a hot knife through butter when viewing the series - I promise, you will not notice how much time you've spent watching it until you stop. It's simply mesmerizing. But you've got to commit when you start.

That's because the pacing, at first, seems incredibly haphazard and even lazy - the installments are set in a strict timeline, yet each episode drifts back and forth in time. At first, this was incredibly frustrating to me...

...until I got to Volume 3 - "The Seventies," which examines the decade after the Beatles split, and McCartney's rapid, determined rocket ship to a second wave of superstardom with a solo career while Lennon took a decidedly slow, decade-long slide into depression and even mild paranoia despite his continued output of recorded works. At the conclusion of Volume 3, any remaining sense of confusion or haze lifted, and the presentation became clear to me as a beautiful pastiche of facts cobbled into a permanent memory of something beyond description - a physical manifestation of what it feels like to live with a Great Love that can never be fully explained because it's impossible to fully consummate.

The ten-minute (!!) trailer is posted here. It'll give you a feel for what it's like to watch the whole thing. But you know what? Don't watch the trailer. Just dig in. All you need is love - and 10 hours you'll be glad you set aside.  

[dweemeister]

The Blue Angel (1930, Germany)

With the silent era at its conclusion and the rise of Nazism upcoming, German cinema’s brief early sound era shows the visual mastery of what might have been. The Blue Angel is Germany’s first feature-length synchronized sound film and is helmed by Austrian-American Josef von Sternberg in his only German-language production. Von Sternberg had directed a handful of films for Paramount prior to The Blue Angel, including The Docks of New York (1928) and The Last Command (1928). Thematically, The Blue Angel – produced by Universum Film AG (UFA) and distributed in the United States by Paramount – is a departure from von Sternberg’s previous films, while also adopting the aesthetic influences of German expressionism. In these precious few years following the heights of German silent film glory, the audience is treated to a talkie that always feels like a silent film. That incongruity never distracts, and only serves to demonstrate how remarkable The Blue Angel is in an experimental period of filmmaking – a period where few filmmakers could balance the needs of image and sound.

In Weimar Germany, disciplinarian professor Immanuel Rath (Emil Jannings) is the target of pranks and barbed words from his students at an all-male college prep school. One day, he is particularly annoyed by the boys passing around photographs of cabaret performer Lola Lola (Marlene Dietrich). Lola performs at a local nightclub called The Blue Angel, and Rath visits in hopes to catch his students there. His students are present, but Rath is overcome by lust after watching Lola perform. Returning the next night with a pair of her panties (that one of his students smuggled into his pocket), he spends the night with her. Rumors spread like the flu, Rath is dismissed from his professorship, and allows himself to be humiliated for what he thinks is love. His downfall is sealed.

The Blue Angel is a tragedy, but has more to do with Greek drama than Shakespeare – the former emphasizes the inescapability of divine fate and the role of human hubris in believing predestination can be overcome; the latter is dictated on the free will of an individual and how their character flaws result in their demise (the flaw need not be hubris, but it is often invoked by Shakespeare). According to von Sternberg, The Blue Angel is making no attempts at political allegory, so his intentions are purely personal. As Rath, Jannings plays his character as a rebuke to the besotted silent film romances seen across Western cinema. Unlike Heinrich Mann’s novel on which this film is based on, The Blue Angel never allows Rath to change himself over the course of his relationship with Lola. Maybe the audience should have sensed this earlier: his personality, his sense of order in the classroom was of strict control. Believing in his intelligence and ability to control his emotions and the situation, he stumbles upon Lola, holding her up to an image of perfection, and believing in that image steadfastly until he finally sees otherwise.

As the film’s seductress, Lola is a charismatic fantasy that men desire (permit some heteronormative language in respect to what the film depicts). But what people desire and what they need are distinct – something that neither Rath nor Lola ever understand. In her introductory scene, Lola is performing onstage, essentially opening herself to the unprocessed feelings of lustful men (young and old). She purrs, “... I have a pianola / that is my joy and pride. / They call me naughty Lola; / the men all go for me. / But I don’t let any man / lay a paw on my keys.”

What does Lola see in Rath that makes her want to be with him? They marry and it is implied that they become intimate. Her side of the relationship alternates between fits of passion and vitriol; intimacy and unfaithfulness; attention and apathy. Amid a society where cabaret performers like Lola could be seen as flighty and licentious, in Rath Lola sees someone who thinks otherwise. But instead of attempting to understand Lola’s anxieties and weaknesses – the viewer senses that, beneath her erotic public performances, there is more to this character that is never depicted – Rath views her as a romantic nonpareil. His ability for critical thought disappears when it comes to this sort of relationship he might never have experienced; his ability for self-reflection tainted by an unbending, stern, studious approach to his students. For her, Rath presents an opportunity to be accepted as something magnificent, something pure that which she nor anyone ever will be.

The film’s sensitivities are with Rath, not Lola. Even in Rath’s most despicable moment, von Sternberg and fellow co-screenwriters Carl Zuckmeyer, Karl Vollmöller, Robert Liebmann ensure that The Blue Angel remains within the tradition of Greek tragedy (with a twist). Where in the original novel Rath embarks upon exacting revenge against the authoritarian society that has shaped his interactions with students, there is no such redemption here. Rath is punished for his dangerous lustfulness – as he should be. Curiously, the predatory Lola – despite becoming a victim of attempted violence in the final minutes – escapes punishment of any type. In Rath’s tragedy, she has discarded what she no longer wants and has gained something/someone she presently desires. No remorse is present, nor does there appear to be any emotional trauma from ending her relationship with Rath. Perhaps the audience should have expected this, given the lyrics to the memorable “Falling in Love Again”, sung by Dietrich twice with music by Friedrich Hollaender and lyrics by Robert Liebmann (these lyrics are from the English-language version of this song; Hollaender adjusted the songs to accommodate Dietrich’s limited, but effective, vocal range):

Love's always been my game, Play it how I may, I was made that way, Can't help it.

If The Blue Angel had been produced primarily in the United States later in the 1930s, this ending could not have been upheld by the censors. Love (or romance or whatever you wish to call it), to Lola, is a fun game to play. And playing by her rules, she has always won. Where Rath experiences a tragedy befitting a German expressionist protagonist, Lola’s inconclusive fate feels contemporary regardless of the film’s Weimar morals.

The film collapses without the performances from its two central stars. Before release, Jannings was the lead if one looked at the billing. He had just won the inaugural Academy Award for Best Actor in von Sternberg’s The Last Command and 1927′s The Way of All Flesh (actors were listed for multiple movies at the first Oscars) – this film was to be his nominal pinnacle. Jannings excelled in playing tortured, disgraced characters and could do no greater here with his physical acting. His performance would be just as spellbinding if The Blue Angel was a silent film. However, Jannings is upstaged by Dietrich the moment she appears on-screen. Dietrich, playing an intemperate woman, became an instant sensation to European and American audiences in this, her twentieth film (and first talkie). But her success in The Blue Angel also served to typecast Dietrich into roles unscrupulous and indiscreetly erotic – pursuing sexual satisfaction at the expense of others’ needs. Von Sternberg doted on Dietrich during production, sparking the ire of Jannings (who entered production hoping to become next Hollywood star, but instead saw his career plummet afterwards due to his heavy German accent and subsequent work Nazi propaganda films) and von Sternberg’s wife (who filed for divorce after the film’s release). Her sensuality defined this film, whether or not the cameras rolled.

Manning the cameras was veteran cinematographer Günther Rittau (Die Nibelungen saga, 1927′s Metropolis). Rittau captures the smoky interior of The Blue Angel nightclub and the seedy nighttime of this unnamed German town to convey a sense of enclosure. Art director Otto Hunte (Die Nibelungen saga, Metropolis) employs distorted geometries – early shots of angled rooftops and jagged roads primes the imagination for the unconventional story to come – and exaggerated shapes and lighting to assist Rittau in achieving the film’s wondrous atmosphere.

This film, like many in the early years of synchronized sound, was shot in two different languages – German and English (yes, the actors had to shoot every seen and recite their lines twice). The above has been written based on the 107-minute uncut German-language version distributed by Kino International, licensed by the Murnau Foundation, and aired on Turner Classic Movies (TCM). Consensus says that the German-language version is superior to the English edition.

Predictable though it might be, The Blue Angel is a forceful statement of German filmmaking – it is a film honoring the expressionist past while showcasing its future (a future where many of its innovators would flee the Nazis and work in Hollywood). It would also be one of UFA’s final classics – the studio also released Robert Wiene’s The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920), F.W. Murnau’s The Last Laugh (1924), and Fritz Lang’s visionary Metropolis. Von Sternberg’s film, reflecting the drama behind the cameras, is a romantic tragedy that sings of love even when its characters know little about it. The Blue Angel is a triumph that quickly became written into German cinematic history. Its rapid ascent into that history can be attributed to the political changes soon to uproot all that German filmmakers had nourished. This film could not have been made any better in any other time.

My rating: 9.5/10

^ Based on my personal imdb rating. Half-points are always rounded down. My interpretation of that ratings system can be found here.

[emmyewesseyesee]

ema – extraordinary musical ambassador(s)

2017′s largely been a year of eclectic and fun live music for me – some 40+ gigs this year in fact – and the first week of october was particularly hectic with four in just five days. set on the middle wednesday was the mighty ema (aka erika m. anderson) rising high between the suburban grizzly bear at the start of the week and the northern litany and intrepid superorganism towards the end.

i’d last seen ema at the garage some three years ago and in the flesh she remains a truly spellbinding performer with her mesmeric presence just about managing to stave off any sense of apprehension or gawky self consciousness at having to perform her most assured and provocative manifesto of arresting noise and evocative message to the next room full of darkened strangers.

this time out, it’s a manifesto newly empowered by latest album, exile in the outer ring, a most incisive, striking and thought-provoking commentary on the politically and socially disenfranchised who find themselves not only on the fringes but also somehow vilified in a trump-electing yet rejecting america. the album is brooding, sinister, angry, staggeringly well observed and disarmingly humbling and empathetic in its stark portrayal and analysis of the people and circumstances faced in this outer ring – it rightly takes the lion’s share of the main set and will undoubtedly prove to be one of my top three albums of 2017 as it’s a truly epic and incredibly moving piece of work.

as if to highlight ema’s own triumph of temerity over timidity and her smart knack of narratively juxtaposing herself and her surroundings, the set itself opens with the woozily somber introspection of “where the darkness began” before giving way to the more transient who-care nihilism of “i wanna destroy”. in addition, both album and performance succeed in comprehensively spanning all viewpoints from me to you, them to us, the individual, the collective, the cause and the consequence, both instinct and impact and plenty in between, demonstrating an incredibly deft and attuned ability to position herself as first, second and third person subject, narrator and observer with equal aplomb. whether presenting her own demons or others’ struggles, anderson’s delivery comes across as utterly genuine, compelling and convincing, her sympathetic instrumentation and eloquent intonation allowing the listener to truly confront these observations, opinions, sentiments and sensations themselves for real.

for those open-minded and willing enough to listen and learn, this range and voracity of storytelling make for a most insightful, instructive, educational and evocative experience, with ema your generous teacher, your (very) high priestess and on-stage sage, your guide and mentor through her suburban sprawl. she takes her time, she provides succinct explanations with clarity and patience, she uses both smart metaphor and personal case study as support material, and thereby captivates her audience with consummate vigour, rigour and revelation.

aside from her sheer musical and oratory prowess, one thing you notice about anderson is how she views herself as part of the societal mainframe while challenging us all to confront our own opinions, prejudices, responsibilities and actions. it’s this precise and perceptive addition of perspective that gives such power and authority to her words. moreover, in a world where we increasingly look to define ourselves purely by the relativity of what we definitely (and defiantly) are not, and rush to castigate anyone who might dare to proffer any outspoken opinion of their own (never once pausing a moment to consider any context or circumstance which may have led to another person’s view), it’s refreshing to hear from someone who is not only confident enough to express their own innermost feelings and thoughts, but humble, compassionate and ultimately interested and invested enough to consider the reasons why others might think, feel and do the things that they do.

a case for the extraordinary musical ambassador…

it was probably a combination of ema’s erudite ability to engage her audience in such a way alongside my own general disdain for the current state of social and political debate in the world right now (plus a couple of cheeky ciders) that prompted this post and the idea of anderson and other touring musicians in the role of extraordinary musical ambassador.

as the wonderfully discerning comedian daniel kitson has previously proposed, we tend as a species to “live in our lives” yet merely to “exist in the world”, with those occasions where our lives “bump into each other” becoming evermore fleeting as we prefer instead to ignore one another via our head-down hand-helds while frequently resorting to the self-same devices to frequently lambast  and knee-jerk pronounce on each other without the slightest rhyme, reason, respect or reflection – increasingly “because i can, i will, and everyone else is doing it, so i’m clearly definitely right”. against such a backdrop of reactionary venom and pervasive outrage, it’s little surprise that our capacity for debate has atrophied to such primitive, divisive, vitriolic and downright offensive levels.

sadly faced with this combination of ignorant hostility and stubborn intransigence, our respective positions become yet more entrenched, our resolve yet steelier, our denial of any potential evidence to the contrary utterly impenetrable, as we resort to playground name-calling and abusive undermining from the relative comfort of our blinkered, fortified, self-serving echo-chambers. we function as if the world exists in spite of us, as if we’re merely its disgruntled (and no doubt delayed – yet again, dammit!) passengers, firing off our “the service on this planet is an absolute disgrace!” volleys with impunity in the vain hope that they’ll make things better. they won’t. and in the meantime, we’ve lost or simply chosen to dispense with the patience,  diplomacy, wisdom, tolerance and understanding to see things from a different point of view.

i remember barack obama’s farewell address with great fondness, not least because amidst all the wailing and gnashing of teeth at the election outcome, he rose above it with his signature statesmanship, calm, generosity and class. i also remember it for his most valuable and seemingly prescient closing warnings and calls-to-action: firstly he called for the upholding of healthy debate and positive discourse to engaging with those with different viewpoints and ideas, warning of the dangers of “corrosive political dialogue” and the “alienation” of certain portions of the country that might hold contrary beliefs; secondly, he spoke of the importance of participation, face-to-face dialogue and action in really making a difference.

“if you’re tired of arguing with strangers on the internet, try talking with one of them in real life”

yet one year on from that speech with the incoming administration having been largely built on the flimsy foundations of brash platitudes, fake-news rhetoric and late-night tweets, one might argue that the populous or democratic opposition has singularly failed to heed his advice, falling instead for this meagre bait and the seductive lure of each chance to be indignant, outraged and contemptuous anew via the same shallow, inciteful and anonymous channels, without taking the time to find out more or engage in any form of constructive or meaningful debate. this breeds stasis and increasing mistrust, whereas if we truly desire change, ultimately we have to play our part, to get involved, to listen and learn and engage – on other people’s terms – because real change demands this of us.

in the meantime, our inaugural extraordinary musical ambassador has taken it upon herself to present a thoroughly honest, engaging and affecting expression on the state of the forgotten in this suburban exile, and taken it out on tour to share with the world at large – no doubt including those more liberal hand-wringers who inhabit their own outer ring of the disunited states within their bubble of blissful ignorance, assumed superiority, and implicit disdain for those less fortunate at the beating heart of the country. she has listened to her surroundings, looked inside her heart, offered up her views, and generously shared her words and song and ideas to many people around the world.

why we need them more than ever…

in assessing this vital contribution, i’d go as far as to say that our extraordinary musical ambassadors are largely better equipped than most of our elected officials to provide this level of insight in appraising the pervading human condition and its relative health, happiness, misery or hardship.

where our politicians tend to fear and avoid ‘the great unwashed’, our emas will tend to operate at at the coal-face, down at the underbelly, amongst the misfits, the disenfranchised, the creators, the passionate, the young and importantly (and perhaps fortunately) the future shapers of our planet, even throwing  themselves directly into their arms with implicit trust in their heartfelt connection and fervent support. they enjoy a healthy and emotional dialogue with their audiences, often meeting them face-to-face before or after the gig to share stories, trade wares and touch lives. of course, the higher echelons of rockstar might look to build walls of protective entourage around them, but deep down these emas and their followers thrive on human connection and the vital intersection of people, ideas, creativity, emotion and exchange.

but perhaps the most telling credentials that our extraordinary musical ambassadors possess are actually the ambassadorial requirements of frequent travel and non-judgemental tolerance to go with this innate approachability and exchange. on tour, they will often arrive in a town overnight, spend the next day fast-experiencing it (often via the social network suggestions of its residents), give themselves and their ideas over to its people that evening, before late-night / early-morning disembarkation for the next far-flung destination. they land, they assimilate, they propagate daily, soaking each new experience up like a sponge to inform their wider perspectives and incorporate into their future art and exchange. indeed, they witness such diversity and warmth from such a wide range of people (admittedly connected through their love of the artist) and locations that it gives them an unprecedented view of the state of society at large and an unrivalled ability to understand the populous’s pervading themes, assess the relative mood and circumstances of countries and individual towns within those countries, and share ideas and inspiration quickly and emotionally around the globe – in person.

in a world where we are increasingly and immediately connected to this rich tapestry of interrelated experience, we somehow find ourselves strangely lacking in empathy towards those elements of it that we simply cannot abide. it seems counter-intuitive: to be better connected and yet lesser connected than ever before. perhaps then it is time for these extraordinary musical ambassadors to set the example not only to the populous but to the powers-that-be for a progressive culture that is far more humble, inspiring, empowering, embracing, connected, exchanging and conversing rather than one based on bluster, fear, rhetoric, difference, control, division and greed. and if music can teach us anything, it must surely be to listen, to accept, to enjoy, to share, to get involved, to see things from a different point-of-view and try to understand. so get amongst it, listen to something new, and reach out to other people, because they might like what you hear. after all, true progress can only be achieved by improving our connections, expanding our horizons, and better understanding and appreciating each other. we all need to take responsibility for that.

if you’ve made it this far, thank you for your patience in reading these rather expansive words. as a reward, i’ll leave you with a couple of tracks from exile in the outer ring below: the delicately moving elemental dismantling of “blood and chalk” and the disturbingly pounding menace of “breathalyzer”. as a bonus, should you wish to listen to a track from each of the artists whose gigs i’ve attended this year, you can do so courtesy of emm-yew-ess-eye-see's 2017 live playlist here. enjoy!

ps thank you and credits to andré haberman for the ema gig photos for neølyd (münchen, sep. 2017)

[transmogwow]

Warlockelina - Haomarush (eu) head: Crown of Power neck: Cruel Gladiator's Pendant shoulder: Terrorweave Pauldrons back: Seacursed Wrap chest: Night Dreamer Robe shirt: Antiseptic-Soaked Dressing wrist: Netherwhisper Wristguard hands: Bloody Surgeon's Mitts waist: Night Dreamer Cord legs: Ley-Touched Trousers feet: Treads of Light finger1: Loop of Vitriolic Intent finger2: An'she's Band trinket1: Spellbinder's Seal trinket2: Bloom of New Growth mainHand: Ulthalesh, the Deadwind Harvester

[jancisstuff]

Catching up with Killian

Returning to the airship docked in Idyllshire, Killian and Jancis go over their discoveries and plan of action to help Bonnebelle.

Deciding to let Jancis hold onto all their notes and to work with samples to build up a base of stability, the two let the topic fade off as others join them in the common room.

Jancis got to meet Lune, a sweet smiling engineer that keeps the engines running. While excited to hear about it, there’s a lot the conjurer doesn’t quite understand in mechanics.

Hikari is also on this venture, the two sharing a mournful reunion.

The mysterious Strelec made tea, dealing with Lune’s fatigue, as well as a few others that came in.

Life upon the ship is curious. It reminds me of the Maelstrom in some ways, but luckily not too many. I met a very sweet man today and some others. Hikari looks forlorn and I can only be glad to see her. Killian. He confirmed what we both knew. Move forward Carry on.

March 2020

[jancisstuff]

Before the Voyage

“Some of us have already proven our worth in the field to each other - others have yet to do so.”

“It’ll be incredibly difficult work. Incredibly rewarding work.”

Feb 2020

Bonus:

[jancisstuff]

La Superbe

Bid by the plight of Ser Yvelines and her knights, Denz, Hikari, Jancis, and Strelec delve into the wilderness to seek the necessary reagents to formulate a cure. The blankets of snow give way to nature’s fervent attempts at survival, and, eventually, the group finds themselves in the midst of a labyrinthine swathe of vines and towering trees whose intertwining boughs begin to blot out the sun as it crests high above. Here, the acrid smell of morbols’ bile fills the air, as does the putrid malodour of the rotten scraps they leave behind. Their prize — the cure — is among the young morbols that wander the swampy confines of this marsh, and though they are smaller than their elders, their rows of dagger-like fangs are just as deadly.

Hikari knew morbols. She had spoken about them a great deal beforehand. Cares for them, too. Sees them as a beast as any seedkin, even if deadly and dangerous. I agree with her. They are as any of the wild creatures that do not speak. Respected in their own ways.

So she knew what to expect. A den with a defensive mother among the fruit. For how many there were, I could tell many did not grow to maturity. Not that there were more than a dozen, but still. For how deadly they were fully grown, they were a strong source of energy very young. The only hope for those knights who were being eaten away at, given every spare moment possible by the other healers.

Denz was there as was Strelec. I recall Strelec fighting before with the Necromancer. Violent. And it was the same balance of take and give. By the time the battle was over, the man lay barely conscious in the muck of the morbol nest floor. I kept his face above it, though all he wanted was his own elixirs, a doctor in his own right. His hands did take the last of the fight out of the mother morbol.

Denz, though. He looked different. Gear. A new sword I had not seen before. More than a sword a blade that could shoot, too. Said it was from Starlight. I am glad. To think he enjoyed his. The one before was painful and sad. This change is all that could be hoped for. He held his ground. Shot the mother with an accuracy I am sure Astrelle would smile at. Then he was all around Ishgard. Gathered more medical staff to help with the antidote we procured. I would not say he worked harder than us, but he worked just as hard as any of  the healers that night.

It was risky. We knew that going in. So the lives we saved were not as much as hoped for. I still see them. I will always see them. For all the meetings and talks and ways to make amends to improve should such a tragedy happen again.

Let me mourn.

April 11 2020

[jancisstuff]

"Thaliak, be close. Llymlaen, may we be direct to what we need."

 "...I--I don't like that we have to do it this way, but more people than morbols will die, if we don't."

"Indeed, best we search them. Mayhaps they had some equipment we could use, or at the least, some way to identify them to the Congregation."

"Ah. Of course it's never easy, is it?"

[jancisstuff]

Slaying the Necromancer

October 30 2019

After weeks of first learning about the deadly necromancer that destroyed an entire village, Killian caught up to the monster. Calling for all those nearby while others tended the next intended victims, the heroes overwhelm the magi and defeat him.

The victory comes at the near loss of Killian, Primrose removing the effects of the magic before the whole group calls for aid from Nathaniel and his company.

[jancisstuff]

Killy-Willy, you're breaking my fragile heart.

Strelec