#why make (more) unique video game verses when all the work is done for me?

[tsuki-chibi]

Ladrien June Day 1 - Solitary: Private Island

To paraphrase, some of the dumbasses in this fandom with their unnecessary negativity towards Ladrien made me mad. So... here’s another (completely unrelated and separate to the storm verse) piece of work for Ladrien June because I’m spiteful and petty.

You can also read it on ao3: Solitary

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When his alarm went off, Adrien rolled over onto his stomach and sighed. The temptation to bury his head in his pillow and pretend like the rest of the world didn’t exist was overwhelming, but there was no way that was going to happen. If he didn’t get up, Nathalie would come knocking at his door to see if he was awake.

“I’m so tired,” he muttered, pushing himself up. He had stayed up late last night playing a video game and now he was paying for it.

But it had been worth it at the same time. Playing video games with other people was one of the few ways in which Adrien felt he could actually make a connection that wasn’t about his father or his job as a model. When he played a video game, no one had to know that he was Adrien Agreste. He could just be a regular kid. That was more than worth a little exhaustion.

He climbed out of bed and headed for the bathroom. It took him about twenty minutes to take a shower and do his hair in a way that his father would approve of. Then he got dressed, put together the bag he needed for the day, and headed for the door. The house was quiet, but that wasn’t unusual. He made his way downstairs and into the dining room.

Naturally, the table was only set for one. Adrien sighed, wondering why he kept hoping that someday his father might join him again for breakfast. At one time, he, his father, and his mother had eaten almost every meal together. But ever since his mother had died, Adrien had eaten the majority of his meals alone. He sat down and poked at the eggs on his plate.

“Adrien.” Nathalie walked into the room a couple of minutes later, her ever-present tablet held up in her front of her.

“Good morning,” Adrien said politely.

“You have your lessons this morning,” Nathalie said as though he hadn’t spoken. “Later this afternoon, you have a modelling shoot. Your father wasn’t happy with the pictures from yesterday’s shoot, so they need to be re-done.”

Adrien made a face. “Was it something I did?” he asked nervously. He didn’t think it was, because he would have been lectured and punished for it already, but this wouldn’t have been the first time that dealing with Adrien was at the bottom of his father’s priority list.

“No,” Nathalie said shortly, and gave no other explanation, instead moving on with: “Your father asked me to tell you that you’ll need to attend a gala on Friday night.”

“Is he coming?” Adrien asked, and this time he knew what the answer was for certain. His father hadn’t left the mansion for almost a year now. Adrien had given up on trying to get his father to leave and had come to accept that it just wasn’t going to happen.

Still, maybe it was a cold day in hell…

But Nathalie shook her head and said, “I’ll be attending on his behalf. You and your father both received your own invitations. However, I think that this is one gala you won’t mind attending.” Her head rose slightly and she half-smiled. “This gala has a very… unique guest of honor.”

“Oh?” Adrien said, interest piqued. Normally galas were boring as hell, and he hated having to attend them even though he’d been doing it all his life. It was even worse now that his mother was gone, and his father never left the mansion. People – journalists, designers, would-be interns, those interested in business - saw him as the easy way to get to Gabriel Agreste.

If only they understood that, since the death of his wife, Gabriel was more like a private island whose shores no one breach.

Not even Adrien.

“It’s Ladybug,” Nathalie said, and Adrien’s heart skipped a beat.

“Seriously?” he said, dropping his fork into his untouched food.

Nathalie actually chuckled. “Yes, seriously. The mayor decided to hold the gala in Ladybug’s honor to thank her for protecting Paris from Hawkmoth for six months. I expect your invitation was at Mademoiselle Bourgeois’ insistence.”

Adrien made a mental note to thank Chloé because Nathalie was probably right. He most likely would’ve ended up going anyway on Gabriel’s behalf – it was unlikely that Nathalie would be sent by herself to represent the brand – but it was nice to think that he’d received his own invitation this time. Especially for an event as important as this one was going to be!

“You’ll be wearing a new suit for the occasion,” Nathalie added, making a note on her tablet. “Your Fencing lesson on Friday is going to be cut short so that you have time to come home, shower, and change.”

“Got it,” Adrien said, feeling a frisson of excitement. He didn’t even care about his Fencing lesson.

Ladybug was easily the coolest thing to hit Paris in months. Ever since the day when she’d stood up against Hawkmoth, Adrien had fallen head over heels in love. He tried not to talk much about Ladybug in front of his father, since Gabriel didn’t seem to like her, but apparently he hadn’t been as successful as he’d hoped if even Nathalie was aware of his feelings.

It was probably a good thing that Gabriel wouldn’t be coming, Adrien reflected as he turned back to his breakfast. Adrien would have a much harder time talking to Ladybug if he knew that his father was watching his every move.

Not that he knew for sure he would be able to talk to Ladybug.

In fact, he probably wouldn’t.

If this gala was being held in Ladybug’s honor, she was going to be really busy. Mayor Bourgeois was going to want to show Ladybug off and make sure that she spoke to all the important people.

Adrien was pretty sure he wouldn’t be counted as important.

But that was okay.

Even just getting the chance to be in the same room as Ladybug would be really cool, honestly. Even if all he got to do was hang back with Chloé and see Ladybug from a distance, that would be enough. Chloé loved Ladybug almost as much as Adrien did, so this would be the most exciting thing to happen to either one of them in months.

He was hard-pressed to hide his excited smile as he turned back to his breakfast. Suddenly, Friday night couldn’t come fast enough.

[grimelords]

So since the last time I posted one of these the entire world has changed dramatically and hopefully 4 hours of music will tide you over in quarantine for a bit longer. Strangely I’ve been busier than ever, and what started as a personal challenge to listen to a new album every day in February turned into me listening to 116 new albums in March and 124 in April. I’ve got a stacked google doc full of star ratings and dates now and it’s really been a lot of fun, I highly recommend trying it yourself. This is my March playlist, because I accidentally took a month off, and I’m thinking of either switching these playlists to weekly to make them a little more digestible or just dropping them whenever. Who knows. Let me know what you think and drop album recommendations in the comments please.

Listen here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0k1JjT8fXcUFO6VpM3kaez?si=gWSv88vdShKSnHhLJ_80pQ

If you’d like to receive these playlists in a more digestible email format, please subscribe to my tinyletter here: http://tinyletter.com/grimelords

On A Slow Boat To China - Bing Crosby & Peggy Lee: Ok first off it’s amazing this song isn’t more racist. I don't remember now how or why I came across this. I think I was just thinking about crooners and how as a genre it's now existed in common popularity as a nostalgic idyll of a mytholigised past far longer than it was ever actually popular which is interesting. The origin of this song, according to wikipedia, is also one of the most 40s ideas I've ever read: "I'd like to get you on a slow boat to China" was a well-known phrase among poker players, referring to a person who lost steadily and handsomely. The idea being that a "slow boat to China" was the longest trip one could imagine. Loesser moved the phrase to a more romantic setting, yet it eventually entered general parlance to mean anything that takes an extremely long time".

Fight Night - Migos: I saw that Offset had some new show on Quibi the extremely fake sounding streaming service and I thought "how did Migos get so world conqueringly large that they get to make 10 minute shows nobody will watch for a $2 billion venture capital funded app that will never make any money?" They seem to have this massive reputation without having much to back it up. The last thing I remember everyone talking about was how Culure II was two hours long in order to game streaming numbers and was simply not good. They seemed to have sort of settled into making background music for scrolling instagram. But then I remembered Fight Night and I thought: "oh wait, that's right, Migos are fucking great". Where their other big hits like Bad And Boujee and Walk It Talk It have this sort of laid back vibe where they've comfortably nailed the formula and relax onto it, Fight Night commands your attention. StackboyTwan killed the beat - it has this propulsive momentum where it feels like it's constantly ramping up, moving up from the sidesick and bassline in the verse, up to the claps on the beat, and the big gang chants on the offbeat once the full instrumentation kicks in - then it just goes around and around and around with the constant bassline the whole tim. It's a perfect all-rise production because it never actually explodes, it's all building tension held down by an unchanging bassline.

Do It Puritan! - El Hombre Trajeado & Sue Tompkins: I am extremely delighted to announce that Sue Tompkins of one of my all time favourite single album bands Life Without Buildings has broken a nearly 20 year musical hiatus to appear on this song by El Hombre Trajeado. It is so nice to hear how her voice has changed and her approach has stayed the same. Her style is so unique and so good and I don't think I'll ever get tired of it.

5 8 6 - New Order: Before 'the incident' I had tickets to see New Order at the end of March and so I embarked on a big listen through of their discography, which has now unfortunately made it feel even worse that live music is cancelled indefinitely.

Oom Sha La La - Haley Heynderickx: First of all I love songs where they talking about how they're writing a song halfway through. And I love songs that seem like a pretty normal singer songwriter indie thing where someone just starts screaming near the end. I love this song. A great staring at the wall and absolutely losing your mind because you haven't done anything with your whole life anthem.

Elektrobank - The Chemical Brothers: Can you believe I've never listening to a full Chemical Brothers album before this month? Can you believe big beat ever went our of style? It feels insane that we ever swapped this sort of energy for the beige algorithm of EDM. I think there's a real triumph in this album, and in this track especially of replicating the live feeling in studio. Giving it this much space to grow and change and get very hairy near the end is amazing, it feels like it was just recorded live.

My Mind's A Ship (That's Going Down) - Katie Pruitt: It feels very rare to me that this sort of extremely smooth Nashville prduction actually makes a song better. It has a habit of strangling the life out of a song and making it blend into a boring paste of soundalikes, but with Katie Pruitt it works amazingly. Her songwriting is so distinct and clear and her voice, especially near the end where it punches hole in the sky, is so strong and so her own that it doesn't need anything else.

Water - Ohmme: "What if Tegan And Sara were a noise band instead?" is a question I didn't know I needed an answer to. I love any band that has the guts to write songs like this that sound like pop from an alternate history, so off kilter and odd and noisy but with this undeniable pop heart that the duo vocals make sound like schoolyard clapping chants remixed by Lightning Bolt.

Lions, Tigers and Bears - SLIFT: A friend put me on to Slift and described them as French King Gizz and really, I'm inclined to agree. This is the traditional long last song at the end of their new album, and as usual I am advocating that every song should be the long last song at the end of the album. I love this style of jam where everyone else goes to space but the rhythm section just digs in and works hard as fuck for ten minutes. Then the whole last 3 minutes of the song are just fat drone riffs. This song's got everything.

The Pines - 070 Shake: This 070 Shake album is unbeleivably good and it warms my heart to see the dark energy of The Pines live on through another century in yet another permutation. I have more to say about it later in the Jackson C Frank version coming up but it feels like this 070 Shake album kind of came and went but I implore you to listen, it’s an aoty contender for sure.

Standing On The Verge Of Getting It On - Funkadelic: If you can stop thinking about the intro, which I certainly can’t (Hey lady won’t you be my dog and I’ll be your tree and you can pee on me.) there is so much goodness in this song. For a while now I’ve been thinking about how, for lack of a better word, ‘positive’ music is consistently underrated in the critical canon. Dance music, disco and funk especially are derided as empty sugar music, while every cookie cutter metal band absolutely demands to be taken seriously. In dance music this manifests as genres like tech house sucking all the fun and individuality out of music until it’s just an endless parade of producers working to a schematic of the barest essentials. It feels like you can’t have fun and be taken seriously at the same time, which feels like an obvious contradiction but shouldn’t be!

Spoils - Dry Cleaning: Dry Cleaning are my Lock Of The Month Band To Watch In The Future Because They’re Gonna Go Off. They have such a great sound and I’m desperate for an album because I just need more. This song absolutely knocked me down when I first heard it. I love any band where it sounds like the singer has just wandered in while the rest of them were rehearsing. There’s a very good talking-songs movement happening in the UK right now between these guys, Do Nothing and Fontaines D.C and i’m excited to see where it progresses. I might put together a playlist a little later to show you what I mean.

As - Stevie Wonder: I finally listened to Songs In The Key Of Life this month, which is an experience I would recommend to everyone. This shit goes for 21 songs over 105 minutes and absolute bangs the whole way. The original release of this album was a double LP plus a 7", which is yet another reason I am grateful for streaming that I don't have to buy a damn box set to hear this thing.

Sleep Now In The Fire - Rage Against The Machine: I am working on a very niche playlist called Songs Where The Guitar Amp Accidentally Picks Up A Nearby Radio Station For A Couple Of Seconds and it's only 3 songs so far. A Man A Plan A Canal Panama by The Fall Of Troy, Melody 4 by Tera Melos and Sleep Now In The Fire by Rage Against The Machine. In every single one of those songs it feels like a critical component even though it's just an accident that's been left in because it sounds good. Here it's the perfect ending as the rage dies down and the commercial world fades back in. Anyway, my other question about this song is about the great Michael Moore directed video where they famously shut down Wall Street for an afternoon. There's a shot of a guy for a second holding a sign that says Donald Trump For President in 1999. Which is odd but not out of the question, he's been famous for a long time and there's always been freaks. My question is why the fuck did he have that sign that day? Was he amongst the Rage Against The Machine Fans that showed up? A counter protestor? Was he, perhaps most chillingly of all, just walking idly around Wall Street with his Donald Trump For President sign like usual and stumbled upon this whole hoo-haa accidentally?

Applause (Purity Ring Remix) - Lady Gaga: Did you fucking know that Purity Ring did a remix of Applause? If there’s something I’d love to know more about and it’s Purity Ring’s forays into pop production. After their first album they did some production for rappers like Danny Brown in the great track 25 Bucks, which is a good fit really - their sound is witch house with the tempo pushed back up, witch house of course just being chopped and screwed reinvented by tumblr users. So it’s a natural fit to take that new perspective back into the world of hip hop. They also did this fantastic remix of Applause after their first album. Then, after their second album they produced 3 songs for Katy Perry’s Witness album, and one Katy Perry song for a Final Fantasy mobile game soundtrack (?) and feel like the long silence and delay between their second and third albums is because of more behind the scenes pop production work - but if that’s true, where is it? Is it, as I suspect, part of my own personal Pepe Silvia, Katy Perry’s scrapped 2019 album that has vanished into thin air? Or is it part of Chromatica? I think Purity Ring have solidified an interesting place in pop, paving the way for Billie Eilish and Kim Petras’ dark anti-pop and so i’m excited to see where they go after this new album now that they’re the architects of the new wave.

React/Revolt - Drahla: The smartest thing you can do is add a saxophone to your band. The whole first half of this song could go for 20 minutes of growling screaming saxophone post-punk and I wouldn't mind. Then when the second half of the song kicks in it's fantastic in the way this whole Drahla album is: it's tight and sprawling post-punk at the same time with a complicated structure that seems to just pile onto itself instead of ever circling back.

And I Was Like - Porridge Radio: I'm seemingly having a real thing this month for songs that open with a bizzare acapella chant. Between this and the Funkadelic one it's a genre I'm very interested in hearing more of. Isaac Newton was a virgin and it's important to recognise that. The thing I love about this song is how it's in 3 distinc sections: Isaac Newton was a virgin, she's a birthday girl in a birthday world, and mum no please it's grunge, and they all feel like the concentrated energy of a 14 year old's thoughts. She sounds like she's almost crying when she sings 'she's a birthday girl in a birthday world'. The concentrated confusing teenaged energy of this song is just overwhelming.

Dirty Mattresses - Mama's Broke: So much of contemporary 'traditional folk' either exists as pure nostalgia music or as music that's trying too hard to be 'authentic' and evoke a mythology of a bygone time, but Mama's Broke manage to make it feel new and modern but honest and  authentic at the same time. The super close harmonies and modern approach remind me of House And Land who I also love, but the songwriting is in another class entirely.

Building A House - CHOPCHOP: I don't know if you've ever seen Bad Boy Bubby but CHOPCHOP feels a little like the band that he ends up joining at the end. A musical ensemble built to enable the will of a very strange man. I think the band is from the UK and I'm not sure where the singer is from, but he has this incredible deeply accented voice that brings such a gravity to everything he sings in the way that anyone speaking english as a second language accidentally brings new weight to common turns of phrase.

Universal Soldier - Jay Electronica: It feels fitting, looking back, that Jay Electronica finally released his album right before the world ended. It was literally now or never. Some how Jay-Z is the breakout star of this album for me. He's got some of his best verses in years on here and he's a great opposition to Electronica's flow when they trade verses. I would also, as an aside, like to know the origin of the kids cheering sample throughout this, because it's the same one from AM//Radio by Earl Sweatshirt and Wish You Were Gay by Billie Eilish. So what's that about.

Sticky Hulks - Thee Oh Sees: I've been very slowly getting into Oh Sees and I love them a lot so far. Their unweildy, huge discography spread across a lot of variations of the same name makes digging into them very rewarding as well. There's a great line on their wiki detailing all the times they've changed their name that goes: Orinoka Crash Suite (1997–2003), OCS (2003–2005, 2017), Orange County Sound (2005), The Ohsees (2006), The Oh Sees (2006–2008), Thee Oh Sees (2008–2017), Oh Sees (2017–2019) Osees (2019) to give you some idea of what we're working with here. Basically it's just everything you could want from a pychedelic band like this: a history and discography as shaggy as the songs themselves.

Knife On The Platter - BODEGA: In reading about Bodega I learned that they don't have a drummer in the traditional sense. They have someone credited as a 'stand up percussionist', and in listening back I realised that's they key to the groove in their music. He's not playing a kit he's just slamming at a tom and a snare on a rack, while one of the singers plays hi-hat here and there. So all the drumming has this barebones caveman feel to it and I absolutely love it. The band feels a lot like The Fashion, and that whole mid-2000s dance-punk movement that I've been desparate to come back so naturally I love it a lot.

Against Gravity - Horse Lords: Horse Lords are one of the most incredible bands I've heard in a long time. Somewhere between a more analogue Battles and Laddio Bolocko, they make a kind of churning math-jazz that sounds like huge intersecting squares of rhythm slowly overlapping. It feels like there's an infinite depth in these songs, you can listen and focus on a single instrument and see it shifting in and out of place with everyone else, before you lose it again and it retreats back into the swirling mass.

Plain To See Plainsman - Colter Wall: I've been listening to this Colter Wall album a lot, and it's really beginning to rank among my all time favourites. I grew up around the flattest place in the southern hemisphere, so I love the plains and it's very nice to have a cowboy song I can relate to like that.

The Nail - Sarah Shook & The Disarmers: Sarah Shook has so much character in her voice I completely love it. She is also a fantastic songwriter that manages to make outlaw country punk that sounds authentic and doesn't have the rockabilly posturing that a lot of the genre suffers from.

Inner Reaches 慾望的暗角二 - Gong Gong Gong 工工工: The best thing about Gong Gong Gong is you can listen to this whole song before you realise they don't have a drummer. They're a guitar and bass duo that play and sing with such a layered rhythmic intensity between the two of them that they really don't need one. A drummer would just clutter the space already taken up by their ferocious rhythm.

Country Pie - Bob Dylan: I'm a big fan of Bob Dylan's dumb songs. He has a lot where if it's the first song you ever heard from him you would be mad at whoever told you he was the greatest songwriter to ever live for trying to trick you like this. What I especially love about this song is how abruptly it ends, like dad just came home and everyone panicked cause they're know they're not supposed to be staying up that late.

You Did It Yourself - Arthur Russell: It seems hard to believe that I've only just found out about Arthur Russel. He seems to be a mainstay of Music Guy lists and somehow I've only heard of him this month. I've been obsessing over the Iowa Dream album, which is a compilation of a lot of different (mostly extremely high quality) demos from the late 70s to mid 80s and what really shines through other than the singular strength of his songwriting is how readily and easily he bends from country style folk to romantic piano ballads, to groovy post-punk like this. What I love so much about this song is it's a great lesson in songwriting: sometimes a song can just be a vague review of a middling movie and still have emotional resonance. Incredible. There's a great NPR article about Arthur Russel and the process of assembling half-takes and demos into complete recordings that you should read if you're interested. https://www.npr.org/2019/11/20/779721417/which-arthur-russell-are-we-getting-on-iowa-dream

The Dogs Outside Are Barking - Arthur Russell: I love this song because it's such a perfect distillation of a teenaged moment: trying to find a moment alone with someone when you have no freedom at all to create one. The song cycles through potential situations but leaves the problem unresolved, existing in the moment of nervous romantic tension preceding an unasked question and it's just beautiful.

Men For Miles - Ought: I love the vocal melody in the verse here so much. Spiking up unnaturally at the end of the lines like a nervous and strange version of The Strokes. Even the way he cramps his words in in the chorus is so good, switching registers randomly like he's impersonating someone else.

Mister Soweto - Lizzy Mercier Descloux: https://pitchfork.com/features/from-the-pitchfork-review/9828-lizzy-mercier-descloux-behind-the-muse/ Pitchfork has a great article about Lizzy Mercier Descloux detailing how she is continually undervalued and underappreciated. I found her though my Discover Weekly and became immediately obsessed with this album - a perfect mix of off-kilter 80s bass and brass that is so colourful and seems to move in a million directions at once like the songs can't even catch up with themselves sometimes. I'm excited to dig into her discography more and try to understand her more because she has a truly unique approach that I can't get enough of.

Sweden - Marilyn Crispell: I've been looking for a while for other pianists of Cecil Taylor's calibre, rare type that it is and I am so glad to have finally found out about Marilyn Crispell. She plays free jazz like Taylor, but in much less percussive and disonnant style. There's a New York Times quote that seems to follow her that says "Hearing Marilyn Crispell play solo piano is like monitoring an active volcano. She is one of a very few pianists who rise to the challenge of free jazz." and it's really very apt. She will move with seemingly no warning at all from mediative, colourful stokes to a mad descent unto uncertainty and beyond, then back again without a moments hesitation. Her music moves like a dream, linking a stream of unlinked images with an ease that only seems incongruous on reflection.

Twins - Gem Club: I have loved this song for a very long time and I come back to it over and over and appreciate it anew. What I appreciate about on listening to it this time is the strangeness of it's structure, following up the verse with an instrumental break, and then a long instrumental intro to the chorus gives it so much space to spread out and breathe, giving the beautiful gravity of the song even more weight. Then after the chorus it moves straight to a bridge and then the intro and first verse again. It's a fantastic song that makes it's small parts so large, where another songwriter or another producer would pare them down.

Grand Central - Paul Cauthen: Something I've learned in listening to a lot of cowboy music is that the number one thing that cowboys hate and fear is getting hanged. They hate it worse than cats hate getting sprayed with water. I found out about Paul Cauthen combing through Colter Wall's similar artists looking for more of this brand of new old fashioned country and I really found it here. Paul Cauthen comes from four generations of preachers and left the church to pursue country music instead, which feels like an extremely old fashioned position to be in here in 2020 but I guess lots of people in Texas still live like that, and thank god they do or we wouldn't have Paul Cauthen's big mournful Elvis voice to sing us songs about the railway.

Serafina - BAMBARA: I love this sort of spoken word leather jacket rock and roll. It's so extremely Cool in an old fashioned way. Like a more rock and roll version of Enablers.

So 4 Real - The Hecks: I love love love this song that sounds like a sped up Prince demo. The strange thinness of the mix and the way the vocals are buried just makes it sound so strange and great, like it was put together on some ancient 4 track recorder that can't handle the pure energy of the song.

In The Pines (Version 2) - Jackson C. Frank: There's a very good 3 hour compilation of Jackson C. Frank recordings that came out a few years called Remastered And Unreleased that I listened through the other day. It's just magnificent. This version of In The Pines is one of my favourite I've ever heard, the mournful vocals coupled with his churning rhythm guitar really brings out the darkness of it in a way I've never heard.

(Tumble) In The Wind (Version 1) - Jackson C. Frank: Another favourite from this compilation that is slightly hard to listen to. I don't know if there's a date on it but I'd guess this was recorded near the end of his life. It is so beautiful, but you can hear in his voice and breathing that he's unwell. In Horseshoe Crabs by Hopalong she sings a story from his perspective this song really seems to fit in the second half of that. "Woke from the dream and I was old / Staring at the ass crack of dawn / Walked these streets up and down / Looking for Paul Simon / All I found was myself, lost in time / I tried singing my songs / But I lost my mind"

Sludge - Squid: I'm thinking of putting together a playlist of all the great Black Midi-adjacent bands I've found out about recently and Squid is at the top of the list. This new breed of art-punk is so fantastic and goes in a million different directions. I'm just so excited it exists.

Straight Shot - Quelle Chris: I love this song and Guns is a phenomenal album but there’s one thing bothering me. The ‘who are you, what are you’ part at the end sounds so incredibly familiar to me and I can’t figure out why. As far as I can tell it’s not a sample, but googling reveals that the english voice on it is fucking James Acaster the standup comedian. So what’s going on? Quelle Chris himself is less than helpful: “Straight Shot is one of those ideas that reached out to me, we got along and I simply showed it around town. The chorus, poem at the end and basic piano progression literally came to me in two separate dreams”. Who knows. Great song though.

Levitation - Dua Lipa: What I really like about this song is that she says sugarboo. This whole album bangs and Dua is really reaping the benefits of being the only pop star with the guts to release an album while everyone’s in lockdown I also have a half-baked theory about the way this song is almost interpolating Blame It On The Boogie in the ‘moonlight, starlight’ part as a sort of aggressive takeover of Michael Jackson’s cancelled legacy. Which is smart really. The same way Taylor Swift is re-recording her albums, let’s just get The Weeknd in the studio for a couple of days and give the world back it’s bangers.

Another Crashed Car - Nine Inch Nails: I am so glad Trent Reznor put out another two volumes of Ghosts. Ghosts I-IV from 2008 seems to have been the bridge from his Nine Inch Nails work to his film score work, and now that he’s had such success with that it’s nice to hear him writing in this style without telling anyone else’s story again. It’s also interesting for him to go back to this project now that Ghosts I-IV has paid dividends in the form of the sample at the centre of Old Town Road but that’s neither here nor there. It’s hard to pick and individual track from these, because they work so effectively as long form albums and not individual tracks, but I chose this one because I put the album on as background ambient while I was doing some boring data entry at work and this track is the point at which I realised I was going out of my mind with stress from doing the simplest tasks because of Trent’s Damned Chords.

Lilacs - Waxahatchee: This is a perfect song. It makes me want to like, draw charts about it and go through it bar by bar to figure out how she did it. It’s perfectly put together. It feels like she uses every trick in the book and it just comes together flawlessly in 3 minutes. Amazing.

Cool Water - Hank Williams: I decided to properly listen to Hank Williams because his shadow stretches over so much of country music, and while a lot of his music really alienated or bored me, and a lot of his songs feel like they would read as novelty songs today (like Hey Good Looking), this is the song that made me understand why he’s so revered.

In My Bones (feat. Kimbra and Tank And The Bangas) - Jacob Collier: Jacob Collier generally irks me. He makes brain music for redditors that lose their mind when someone shows them chord inversions or odd time signatures. Youtubers whose whole personality is ‘y’all heard Giant Steps?’ But he killed it on this song. It’s great despite him. There’s still a lot of corniness to work through, mostly in the big yuck funky lyrics, but structurally it’s a kaleidoscope and a big chunk of its success I’m putting down to Kimbra and Tank who understand that performance is a bigger part of a song than composition in a way Collier maybe doesn’t yet. He can overload the bassline and stop-start the rhythms as much as he likes but without actual personalities driving it it’ll just sound like a Peter Gabriel midi played at 200%.

Earthquake - Graham Central Station: I learned something wonderful in researching this band. The leader, Larry Graham, who was in Sly And The Family Stone is credited with inventing slap bass. He himself refers to the technique as "thumpin' and pluckin' ".

Quand Les Larmes D’un Ange Font Danser La Neige - Melody’s Echo Chamber: Once again furious that I’ve known of Melody’s Echo Chamber for years but never listened to them until now. I have been missing out. This is a perfect sprawling psychedelic jam punctuated with a bizzare cut-up recording about shitting yourself when you die and being declared brain dead in the vatican. It’s got everything. I had to look up who the drummer was on this song because he’s just nailing it, and it turns out it’s Johan Holmegaard from Dungen which is really a perfect fit.

Murder Most Foul - Bob Dylan: I was thinking the other day about how Bob Dylan is doing in quarantine. The man who hasn’t stopped moving his whole life and who’s been on a never ending tour  since the 70s is now, I assume, just pacing a hole in a hotel carpet somewhere and jabbering to himself. The strangest part of Bob dropping this 17 minute song about JFK out of nowhere is that he hasn’t put out any original music since 2012. So a gigantic song like this is an even bigger surprise. I, already a huge fan of gigantic songs and Bob Dylan, unsurprisingly love it. I love the slow stirring of the instrumentation, like he hired Dirty Three as a backing band and I love that nearly the entire second half is just listing good songs that he knows. It’s a remarkable song and unlike anything i’ve heard before from Dylan or anyone else. It’s interesting to hear Bob Dylan step into being the great chronicler of the 60s like he’s been told he already was his entire life almost 50 years later, finally accepting the fate foisted on him. The other thing I love about this song is the line when he for some reason praises Lee Harvey Oswald’s shooting “Greatest magic trick ever under the sun / Perfectly executed, skillfully done”

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0k1JjT8fXcUFO6VpM3kaez?si=gWSv88vdShKSnHhLJ_80pQ

[laruna]

— THE GLASS LOGS.

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐆𝐋𝐀𝐒𝐒 𝐋𝐎𝐆𝐒 are a series of video logs posted in 2013 by GLASS, then-producer for Big Hit Entertainment. Introductory in nature, the logs were intended to inform prospective fans about the members of the company’s upcoming boy group, BTS (방탄소년단). Each log was posted a day after the member it was about posted a solo log. Subbed by GLASS herself, she took on an educational role, even referring to herself as ‘professor’ throughout. Alongside shows like American Hustle Life, the mini-series was considered a great help in getting new people, particularly international fans, into the group.

While she never revealed her name, she was often referred to by their then-small fanbase as Glass, Professor Glass, or the affectionate nickname Bangsie, due to her prominent bangs.

GLASS LOG: RAP MONSTER TRANSCRIPT [ 130108 ]

Hello, and welcome GLASS LOG #1... an introduction to GLASS and of course our Rapmon-oppa, whom you met yesterday!

My name is GLASS!  I was born in 1996, real name... none of your business! You get to know nothing about me. I am wrapped in mystery. Kekeke~ Just kidding! I’ll tell you a little bit. You see, I’m something of a musical prodigy. Please clap! I work as a producer for Big Hit Entertainment. They don’t have a lot of resources, but they have a lot of passion! And really, isn’t that what matters when it comes to producing music?! As someone who has done stuff related to music for a long time, that’s what I think.

Now let’s talk about Rap Monster, who I have known so long. Real name, Kim Namjoon! Born 1994 in Ilsan! You might know him as Runch Randa or Nexist or Largo or just Randa. He’s got lots of names. You see, he’s been in the rap game for quite some time, so he’s quite smart when it’s about music. Rapmon-oppa really is always thinking. He’s smart in a way not many people are. He can even speak English! He always works so hard to use his mind to make sure he writes the best songs for ARMY.

Who’s ARMY, you ask? That’s you, the fans! Maybe, possibly, in the future? It’s either that or Bangwools. But from now on, I’ll call you ARMY, okay? I think it’s easier to say and quite cute. Rapmon-oppa actually helped come up with that, you know? He’s so thoughtful, it’s like he has an entire solar system inside his brain. And he uses that big sexy brain to think of you, ARMY! Remember that!

That’s Professor GLASS’s lesson for today! Please support our Bangtan Boys and take care of Big Hit’s sexy brain leader, Rap Monster~!  Kekeke~

GLASS LOG: JIN TRANSCRIPT [ 130113 ]

Hello, and welcome GLASS LOG #2... an introduction to Jin-oppa!

Real name, Kim Seokjin! Born in 1992! Kim Seokjin is... so handsome... but don’t let that fool you! He is much more than just a pretty face. Jin is full of charms and talents. Musically, he’s got the voice of an angel~ To match his face appropriately, don’t you think?

As the oldest, he’ also had much more time in this world compared to everybody else in the dorms, you know? So I think he’s the best at basic life skills, too... in my opinion, Jin cooks and drives the best out of everyone. He’s also the best at emoting and at telling jokes. He’s quite easy to be around.

But there’s nobody he wants to be more than you, ARMY! He’s always happy to see you all and always wants to make you smile and laugh! Ah, I know he’s handsome, but don’t let that intimidate you, okay, ARMY?  Kekeke~

That’s Professor GLASS’s lesson for today! Please support our Bangtan Boys and take care of Big Hit’s ultra visual vocalist, Jin~!

GLASS LOG: JIMIN TRANSCRIPT [ 130126 ]

Hello, and welcome GLASS LOG #3... an introduction to Jimin-oppa!

This oppa’s name is Park Jimin, born in 1995! Ah, what to say of Park Jimin... only good things, I think. Everyone likes him. He’s smart, he’s polite. He’s a sweet thing, really, and really talented, too. What’s he so talented in, you ask? Jiminie is our main dancer!

Dance is an art form I’m not well-versed in. There’s something crazy in how one can say so little, but tell so much just through their movements, don’t you think? His dancing when he first arrived was so pretty and so smooth. I thought, ‘how is he going to be a dancer in a group like this?’ But our Jiminie is so versatile. It seems he can do any dancing, any singing he sets his mind to.

And you know who it’s for? ARMY! Lovely, lovely, lovely ARMY~ That’s what he calls you, hehe. Jiminie wants to impress everyone, I think. He’s like the teacher’s pet of the whole world, kekeke. But more than anyone, he wants to impress you, so be nice to him, okay? He’s working hard!

That’s Professor GLASS’s lesson for today! Please support our Bangtan Boys and take care of Big Hit’s sweet dancer Jimin~!

GLASS LOG: JUNGKOOK TRANSCRIPT [ 130209 ]

Hello, and welcome GLASS LOG #4... an introduction to Jungkook!

Real name Jeon Jungkook, born in 1997! Gukkie, my sweet little brother~ The only one littler than even me, the prodigy GLASS! But you know what? Our Jungkook is a prodigy, too! Even though he’s the youngest, he really is so talented at so many different things. Really, I can’t think of a single thing he’s bad at. He’s like your mom’s friend’s son, you know? If my mom met him, I bet she’d say to my little brother, ‘Why can’t you be more like Jungkook?’ Hehe.

Sadly, our Kookie has trouble with seeing all these good things about himself, but aren’t we all like that? Ah, he’s so smart, but he still says, ‘noona, I wish I were better at studying... I feel so dumb, sometimes.’ But you know what makes him feel confident? The love of ARMY.  Kekeke~

He really works so hard. Sometimes the others will try to get him out of practicing late at the practice room and he goes, ‘no, I want to get this perfect so that I don’t disappoint ARMY!’ He really loves you guys so much. ARMY, when you see Jungkook, make sure to show him lots of love, okay?

That’s Professor GLASS’s lesson for today! Please support our Bangtan Boys and takecare of Big Hit’s golden maknae Jungkook~!

GLASS LOG: SUGA TRANSCRIPT [ 130218 ]

Hello, and welcome GLASS LOG #5... an introduction to Suga-oppa! 

Real name Min Yoongi, this oppa was born in 1993! ...oh, In Daegu! He told me to mention that specifically. He really loves his home, you know? But that’s off-topic, hehe. Ah, what to say of Min Suga... 

He likes... lamb skewers! He dislikes... studying! He fears... cows! His biggest talent is... sleeping! Hehe, just kidding. Really, he’s very talented when it comes to music. I mean, he’s an idol, right? Hehe. But really, he’s even a better producer than me, I think! He really loves music so much. It’s his first love.

So much that at first, I thought he’d much prefer to stay in the shadows and work on music as a producer, but that isn’t the case. Music may be his first love, but ARMY is his favorite love forever~

He can seem like he’s really shy, but he really adores ARMY so much, you know~? Don’t worry if he plays push-and-pull with you for a little bit. He’s really just like a cat. At the end of the day, the love of ARMY pulls him out of his shell~

That’s Professor GLASS’s lesson for today! Please support our Bangtan Boys and take care of Big Hit’s studio genius Min Suga~!

GLASS LOG: J-HOPE 130108 TRANSCRIPT [ 130220 ]

Hello, and welcome GLASS LOG #6... an introduction to Hobi-oppa!

Real name Jung Hoseok, this oppa was born in 1994! Ah, what to say about Hobi... he always makes us smile. And laugh. And cry. Hobi-oppa makes you feel every single emotion, I think, all without saying anything. Amazing, isn’t it? That’s because he’s a very good dancer, just like our Jimin!

But at the same time, he’s so different! Before, I said our Jiminie was very flowy, no? Hobi is very different. His dancing has always been aggressive and full of energy, like a big ball of fire! He was even famous before, you know? Everyone called him Smiling Hoya! He would dance on the street and in competitions, always popping and locking and... other stuff I don’t know much about. Haha. 

It fits very well with the image of Bangtan Sonyeondan, I think, so he didn’t have to change it as much when we got here. That doesn’t mean he works any less hard, though, our hope is always working hard! He gets so serious about it, too. It can be scary! But he’s only so serious because he wants to be perfect for you, okay, ARMY? Please appreciate him when you see him~ His heart is so warm!

That’s Professor GLASS’s lesson for today! Please support our Bangtan Boys and take care of Big Hit’s cool dancer, J-Hope~!

GLASS LOG: V 130108 TRANSCRIPT [ 130604 ]

Hello, and welcome GLASS LOG #7... an introduction to V-oppa!

This oppa was born in 1995! Real name, Kim Taehyung! Such a simple name for a man who really isn’t simple at all, don’t you think?

It’s strange that he was kept in the shadows for so long when he’s the one I think takes the longest time to get to know and understand well, hehe. That’s why you haven’t seen him do any logs or post anything on social media yet! But he will, very, very soon! This is a little secret, but Big Hit called him Bangtan’s secret weapon for a long time. We wanted to get ARMY excited for someone, and who better to award their excitement with than our strange, handsome V?

Ah, he was so strange, even from the day everyone first met him. We called it alien speak, the way that he talked. I even nicknamed him Taelien, hehe. He’s such a unique person. Hey may be hard to understand, but understand that his love for ARMY is true and pure! He’s been itching to meet you, you know. He’s missed you so much when he couldn’t talk to you! He’s really happy to finally be able to get to meet you and talk to you, so welcome him lovingly, okay, ARMY?

That’s Professor GLASS’s lesson for today! Please support our Bangtan Boys and take care of Big Hit’s secret weapon, Kim Taetae!

[mediaeval-muse]

Video Game Review: GreedFall (Spiders, 2018)

Genres: action RPG, fantasy

Premise: Players assume the role of De Sardet, a human noble who arrives on the recently-discovered island of Teer Fradee. Able to ally with either the natives who inhabit the land and/or any of the foreign nations competing to colonize it, De Sardet seeks out a cure for the mysterious illness that plagues their family, while also battling monsters and magic.

Platform Played On: PC (Windows)

Rating: 3/5 stars

Disclaimer: My rating is in response to multiple aspects of the game, not just its politics. If I were evaluating solely on politics and gave the developers the benefit of the doubt that they were trying to make something with a good message, my rating would be around the 1 to 2-star range, depending on player choices.

***Full review under the cut.***

I am evaluating this game based on four key aspects: story, characters, gameplay, and visuals.

Story: I’m immediately wary of any pop culture item that tries to tell a story about colonialism and Indigeneity because it usually ends up indulging in colonialist fantasies rather than critiquing them. Complex, morally-grey stories are great and all, but when it comes to tales about colonialism, “both sides” narratives tend to look a little insensitive. So, I can’t tell you why I decided to play GreedFall, other than I heard that it filled the Dragon Age-sized hole in people’s hearts. Since I’d rather use my own judgment than read video game reviews, I bought this game on sale and gave it a go. If nothing else, I told myself, I could use my history and literary analysis chops to say something intelligent about it.

In terms of politics, I don’t think GreedFall was as terrible as games where the goal in itself is colonization, but I also don’t think it achieved a narrative that was critical enough of colonization. De Sardet’s primary goal is to achieve balance between all the nations (which I’m calling factions because they’re mostly that). While I can admire that GreedFall really pushed for peaceful relationships, as well as pushed back against abuse and racism, I ultimately thought the developers didn’t consider how the struggle for balance actually facilitates colonialism. This game presents colonialism a diplomatic issue, so as a result, Teer Fradee is kind of a fantasy where colonists can settle on native land while maintaining friendly relationships with Indigenous peoples (at least, if you play it that way - at worst, you can seize absolute power). The experience was similar to the one I had playing BioShock Infinite, whose politics involve a “both sides” argument - the difference is that BioShock Infinite made explicitly clear by the end of the game that Booker was the true villain. With de Sardet, it’s a bit more ambiguous, depending on how you play, but I do think the game pushes you to be diplomatic rather than power-hungry. As a whole, it brings up the very valid question of whether or not colonialism should be in media period, or if there’s some value to be derived from consuming problematic media that tries to do good and talking about it.

Still, I have to give credit where credit is due. GreedFall had the guts to actually try to tackle little-discussed themes in this game, such as forced conversion, abuse within the sciences, and institutionalized bullying. While the missions associated with these big themes were accomplished with varying degrees of success, many of them added emotional depth to the game. Companions would have emotional reactions to these quests that tugged at my heartstrings, and there were never any shots of graphic violence or mutilated bodies, so it didn’t feel like I was playing the game for an edgy thrill. All of the side quests had a lot of bearing on the main plot and the worldbuilding - I don’t think I encountered any “fetch quests,” so most of the things I was doing actually related to enhancing my understanding of the world and its social dynamics.

The game also did a good job of presenting players with factions that were constantly in conflict with one another, lending an added layer of complexity to all the political aspects of the plot. Character’s personal quests were also very well done and had emotional depth. Vasco’s arc about learning about his true family was a nice exploration of birth family vs found family (he’s a sailor whose birth family gave him to the naval faction, the Nauts). Kurt’s quest was also a good one about the bonds between military recruits and really showed his commitment to people over institutions (he’s de Sardet’s commander at arms). Siora’s quests were more about staying true to her culture (she’s a native and daughter of one of a now-deceased tribe leader), while Aphra’s were about learning to be open minded when learning about a different culture (she’s a scientist interested in plants). Petrus’ were a mix of taking down the head of his Church and helping your character find their roots (he’s something of a pastor who also wields magic to fight). You can tell that the developers were inspired by Bioware games in that you can cultivate reputations with your companions and eventually romance them. Many of these romances are available to both male and female PCs, so there’s potential for a queer ship.

I will say that by the end of game, I was emotionally wrecked, despite all the political problems. So, I do think the developers of this game have a good sense of storytelling - I just wish they had done better politically.

Characters: Similar to Mass Effect or Dragon Age, GreedFall gives players a player-controlled character (PC) and a host of companions to take on an adventuring party. De Sardet, the PC, doesn’t have much personality when they’re being diplomatic, but I did enjoy the moments when they were confronted with information that impacted them emotionally. I played a female de Sardet, and the voice actress did a good job of balancing emotion with the facade that’s required of a diplomat. Constantin, de Sardet’s cousin and governor of New Serene (one of a few colonial settlements on Teer Fradee), is also carefully written as a charismatic, sympathetic nobleman’s son who wants to prove his worth. He and de Sardet share a close bond, which made moral decisions a bit more personal and emotionally difficult. I do think he became a scapegoat for all the evils of colonization, though, and I wish more was done with him to implicate every colonizer on the island. The companions are likewise very likable and fairly unique. Each of them had personal quests and stories that were compelling and sympathetic. I do wish there had been more opportunities to chat with them, or that they talked to each other during exploration (like Bioware companions do). I also appreciated that the Teer Fradee natives weren’t one, homogeneous group. I think too often we see pop culture try to write Indigenous peoples as having the same culture and goals, but with this game, there was some variety regarding what the best course of action would be against an invading force. I’m sure, however, that the depiction of the natives overall was problematic, but I’m not well-versed enough in native representation in pop culture to articulate the issues. While they weren’t portrayed as primitive or child-like (at least, I didn’t think so), I don’t doubt that there were tropes in there that I just couldn’t recognize (for example, Siora maybe a Chief’s Daughter/Indian Princess trope - it’s complicated). I suggest finding and reading an Indigenous critique of the game. (There’s also this one, which is valid, and I do think the game’s efforts and failures are worth talking about.)

Gameplay: This RPG mainly relies on balancing skills, talents, and attributes. Skills define what weapons you can use and how (one-handed blades, two-handed blades, firearms, magic, etc). Talents are things like charisma, science, or lockpicking - stuff which will affect the way you interact with the world. Attributes are mental and physical abilities like strength or willpower which affect how you wield weapons. Overall, the process of leveling up and gaining points to spend in these areas was pretty straight-forward, and I enjoyed the mental challenge of building a character that fit my play style.

Combat was a little clunky; basic attacks ran just fine for me, but there wasn’t much grace in the way characters dodged or rolled. I also kept getting thrown off by the fact that you can’t press space to jump! But in all, it wasn’t the worst experience. Enemies had helpful health bars, and I enjoyed the combination of a pistol and a rapier to finish off my foes. The diplomatic elements were by far the best part of gameplay for me. If players assign their skill points well, de Sardet can use a number of different tactics and choose from multiple dialogue options, from intimidation to taking advantage of intuition to laying on the charisma. It was fun to figure out which tactic would work on which characters, and how my skill sets translated into consequences for my decisions. I do think, however, that more options could have been presented to players in terms of dialogue choices and role-playing elements. While players make important choices regarding how to handle any given situation, there was little opportunity to purely role play. More opportunities to influence the direction or tone of the dialogue in non-crucial situations, I think, would have helped and made my De Sardet feel more unique.

Visuals: Aesthetically, I very much appreciated that we were given a fantasy game that wasn’t set in the faux Middle Ages. I loved the 18th century vibe to all the clothing and town layouts, and each of the maps were distinct and fully-realized, from the urban settings to the natural ones. There was a bit of repetition in the urban layouts; the palaces, for example, were the same, and some houses were recycled, but it wasn’t nearly as bad as Dragon Age II. I also appreciated that there were people of various races and genders in all positions and all social circles. There were women in the guard, women working on ships, and so on, without any hint that it was unusual. There was also a fairly wide variety of skin tones, with people of color being included in higher social classes and not relegated to lowly servant roles. There are some problems in that “diversity washing” detracts from the racial conflicts that were very present in the 18th century. I don’t think the developers thought through the implications of putting POC in positions of power where they could commit violent colonial acts against the natives. The creatures on the island were interesting to look at. Their designs frequently combined natural imagery (such as vines and wood) with horror to create foes with an eldritch, elemental vibe. The same creepiness was reflected in the fictional disease that afflicts the colonists; the afflicted had black, vine-like tendrils running through the skin, and there was an impending sense of dread whenever I looked at someone who was infected. Despite all the things I liked, GreedFall’s biggest problem is its animation. For a game that was made in 2019, facial expressions and combat are quite clunky, to the point where the characters felt robotic. I understand that not every video game needs to have top-tier level animation, but playing GreedFall was similar to my experiences playing the first Witcher game or the first Mass Effect or Dragon Age: Origins games. Still technically playable, but it feels very outdated.

In-Game Triggers: violence (especially racial violence), colonialism, racism, religious zealotry, torture, 

I feel the need to point out that while I don’t think this game is gory or explicit in any way (PG-13 would be my rating), there are some scenes that people may find triggering. There’s also one where a Native is killed by a religious zealot, and I found it extremely upsetting (it happens when you first enter San Matheus, if you need a heads up). Other than that, you never actually see characters torture native peoples, but you do hear about it later.

Recommendations: I would recommend this game if you’re interested in the 18th century, the age of imperialism, role-playing games, and fantasy. You might also like this game if you’re a fan of Bioware RPGs.

[firstpuffin]

Possible improvements to the potential second Spider-Man PS4 game: costumes

This is the last one, folks! Honest!

I absolutely had to write something about the costumes and I was originally upset at there being no black symbiote costume until I realised there might be a reason for that: #ps4venom. Urgh, I just made a hashtag; can’t believe I went there. Anyway, Venom should appear in the second game so I’m hyped.

  Anyway, I love the range of costumes they have in the game, including Tobey Maguire’s suit, but anyone who played the PS1 games or read the comics knows there is a whole bunch left: the original Iron Spider (which I really want [and appeared in the DLC!]), Captain Universe, the other Ben Reilly costume, the Superior Spider-Man costume, and more I both do and don’t know (there are so many!). Heck, Spidey himself jokes about making a green suit for Earth day; I’d love to see that.

–damn, they need to put this game on the Playstation Store-

  Despite this, there are a few issues with the costume situation.

Acquisition

One of the more boring side missions is to track the Black Cat’s thefts only to find out that she was stealing a legitimate fortune as a distraction so that she can 1; break in and steal her gear back from the police and 2; give Spidey a costume she designed for him. I really like this as it’s a cool and immersive way to give you a new costume, and it reminds me of the comics where she was so smitten with the black costume that she made him one, and this new black and red (so sexy!) is doubtless in my top 5 for the game.

-the costume in question-

  It’s also cool because the main costume for the game was partly designed by Octavious, so that’s two suits provided in a cool and immersive way. Unfortunately, besides the one that Peter makes for the final battle (also in my top 5) they are the only immersive suit acquisitions which gets particularly annoying for the Negative suit. Am I being nitpicky?

  Absolutely!

  See, at some point this costume just appears as one that you can craft, but not long at all after I got it there is a bit where Mr Negative (as in Negative suit) uses his odd power on you, dragging you to a negative world where it would be a perfect first appearance and it would make sense for it to then appear as a craftable suit.

  It just feels like an odd oversight.

-this is... not actually the suit in question; it’s the PS1 version and damn, they need to put this game on the Playstation Store-

The costumes themselves

Each costume comes with a suit power but is generally pointless other than for aesthetic purposes which is kinda disappointing, especially given that once crafted any suit can have any power. Certain things allow you to slightly increase certain stats but that’s about it. What I want is probably very basic: I want the metal suits to increase defence, the black suits to increase stealth etc. There could be other bonuses too, like the High Velocity suit to have a constant minor speed increase and such.

  I want another reason to change outfits, or at least some common-sense stat changes.

-Spider Armor MK III- This metal chest plate stretches as he moves-

  Something else that would be cool would be upgrading the powers you get or better yet, the suits themselves. You can always have three “Suit mods”, so how about upgrading for more? If each suit had a completely unique extra, like my suggestion for the High Velocity suit, then it would be really cool to upgrade that further.

  And yeah it takes tokens to upgrade, but you don’t need to create a ton of side quests, just let us farm tokens from the same missions. We can already repeat them so why not?

  Another issue that I had was understanding the suit powers themselves and there are a number I still can’t figure out, and I suspect that some of them were nerfed in an attempt to stop them from being overpowered. This is a shame as I think they were weakened a bit too far, like the stealth field that doesn’t cover much ground and is very easy to walk out of.

What else?

When it comes to suit complaints I think I’m out, but what else could be added? Well if we have two Spider-Men in the sequel then that could mean more suits. Sure, Miles only has like three that I know of: the Spider-Man cosplay that he starts with, his suit from SHEILD and the Spider-Verse version, but who said that the game creators can’t design some more? Or maybe the suits work for either character just to up the choice?

  How about hats? This YouTuber I follow has this hat that people associate with him and for his video thumbnails he has photoshopped the hat onto Spidey’s noggin. So what if that was an option? It’s an easy means of customisation and a better collectable than newspapers (I’ve been getting the same newspaper for ages and I don’t know why!).

  Like seriously, how cool would that be?

  Actually, on a similar note, one of the comics Spider-Man at a fancy party with Silver Sable and he’s wearing a tux over his outfit, so how about different clothes that go over the costumes? Like a tux, a dress, a ninja outfit or some armour or something? The options are endless and really cool.

-the thumbnail in question-

And that’s that. I’ve done my best to address various problems within the game and to offer suggestions. Of course I don’t expect this to be used as a checklist by the games developers, they’ll never actually see it, but I’ve said my bit and it never hurts to have an example of constructive criticism floating about rather than just negative old criticism.

[jacktherph]

Actually, instead of a shoutout, could we get your opinion on the rp please? Thank you!

hi there @kismetrpg! i’m happy to give you an opinion. since you didn’t specify private, i will post this on my blog. feel free to ask me to take it down if that was a mistake.

NOTE: all opinions expressed here are mine, jack’s, belonging to jack. i make no claims to knowing what is best for every group – i only offer advice based on my experiences, what i’ve seen in the community, and my personal knowledge. no one person knows what is best for you or any group other than yourself; because you were the one who put all of this together in the first place. so take everything i say as a suggestion, and remember that you have accomplished so much!!

and if you have any questions, want feedback on something specific, or want elaborations on anything said in this opinion, don’t hesitate to message me!!

this isn’t just an opinion, it’s a shoutout and a rec! @kismetrpg looks like a really cool new supernatural-themed rpg set in new orleans, y’all!! with a unique lore, awesome factions, and tons of different species to take on, this is an rpg worth checking out!! they open on january 5th!

start: 1.20 | pause: 1.21 - 1.25 | end: 1.36TOTAL: 12 minutes to read all pages (please don’t take this as a measure of anything, I simply time myself and am a speed reader)

Before I say anything about the group and pages, this is a blanket recommendation: Read up on Apostrophe Rules and go through your pages with an editing eye. I’m definitely guilty of mixing up my apostrophe rules sometimes but I definitely noticed a lot of mistakes in pages like your plot. Fixing these can improve the overall professional atmosphere of your group!

My first impression was this: this is definitely a group I would have considered joining when I was looking for rpgs to check out!! You have a lot of lore, great details and descriptions provided, and the blanket plot seems really interesting. This is a fascinating looking roleplay, so I want to give you my kudos. Well done! The main is very clean, minimalist, if that’s what you were going for. All attention is definitely diverted to the heading image. Unfortunately without seeing the advertised “supernatural rpg” font, I wouldn’t know this group has supernatural intentions based solely on looks. I don’t know if you planned/wanted that, but I wanted to include that in case you were so inclined. Your sidebars are clean-cut and to the point and will, no doubt, fill up with things once you open I’m sure. I do like the blanket trigger warning on the top of the About–I don’t know if some might deem it entirely necessary, but you want potential members to know what they’ll be looking at before they delve into your info, and I respect that.

A word on your Navigation: I don’t know if, in your theme, you can divide the navigation up more than by two headings, but if you can I would recommend it. Personally, I would divide it into: “Before Application,” including plot, rules, app, forms, etc / “Lore,” (or similar title) including your info on the Council, Silence, bestiary, locations, etc / & “After Applying,” with what you have. If that doesn’t appeal to you, I would say just try and reorganize the links? Why I say this: because jumping around from lore, lore, to app info, to lore, to form info, all in the top was kind of confusing for me. I get having the most important things first but it did seem a bit mish-moshed.

Your Plot is spot-on. You gave me background, you gave me current happenings, you gave me how things went down, and that’s excellent. One thing: think about including a paragraph on when/how/why the Council was formed? I think that would wrap it all up nicely and send a potential member into the “Chapter One” section seamlessly. Because I was suddenly like “wait who are these guys?? Where did they come from??” when I saw their name. Just a thought. As a writer I adored how you put it in as a “Chapter.” Something about the word choice really made me feel like I was entering at the beginning of a story by applying.

Your Rules are standard and fill every criteria for base lsrpgs that I, personally, am aware of. Your last bullet-point in “God Modding” however brought up a curiosity that you might want to think about putting somewhere in your lore: the rock-paper-scissors effect of the supernaturals. Who beats who? Who has a natural weakness to who? Etc etc. Just something to think about? I like that your Activity Check window is 48 hours. Very appealing to people who want to join but also worry about Check limits. QUESTION: At the top of your Rules, you say this is a “canon and original character roleplay.” What canon? I couldn’t find a fandom influence–not a blatant one. If you don’t mean from a fandom, you might want to rephrase to avoid people applying with fandom canon characters. If you mean YOUR canon, might I suggest “an original canon and original character roleplay” instead?

I don’t really feel like I can give an opinion on your Lore pages – after all, the Lore is yours. But it all reads very simply, cleanly, and to-the-point. I feel like if I have any questions they are easily answered by hitting up the main, too. (And as an admin of an rpg with a lot of lore, just be prepared to answer questions that are answered already, semi-often. It happens, am I right? ;) ) Something that would be cool: snippets from the Holy Book of the False Silence. HERE a popular video game, Dragon Age, wrote actual verses from their in-world “scripture,” maybe you could too. It would be very immersive and exciting for people who are Followers!

I love your Location page – plain and simple. There’s pictures, info, territory info, even economy info! You really did your research on the Big Easy, huh? That is great because it can mean potential members will feel immersed. I also like that you included a form for new locations to be added; it makes the members feel more included for sure.

And your Bestiary makes me melt. Firstly, I love the theme. You provide a great deal of information and also the essentials needed; a good balance for people who have a species in mind and people who are species-shopping! Great images, great aesthetic too. But one thing: the Bestiary is very dark compared to the main and all other pages. That struck me. Would you consider going lighter with it, or going darker with the main? Something to give it a balance.

Your app is smart and clean – asks for the necessary info on the character but that’s it. I don’t really understand what you mean when you say “Be calm!” at the top but if you like it, it doesn’t change anything. Simple apps have their benefits for sure, especially on the person reading and reviewing them. Personally, I’d recommend adding a question or two unique to your group, but that’s just a suggestion. It works well either way.

So about your Follow List… it confused the hell out of me, I’m going to be honest. Some characters had blogs, some links were dead, who are these people? As I understand it you haven’t opened yet? I’m a little lost at what to say here because I don’t want to make assumptions, ramble, and be wrong. So if you want to talk that one out together, feel free to message me! Otherwise, that confusion is an outsider’s opinion and might extend to potential members as well. Your Events Blog showed information from 4-5 years ago though, and I’d recommend either archiving it or deleting those posts because it does make a knee-jerk implication that you’ve already begun things.

My FAVOURITE THING about this rpg: your plot and lore. While supernatural-themed rpgs are still pretty common in the rpc, you took your idea with a fresh heart and great twists and the vitality of it is definitely something that I can see giving you a good membership, as well as great stories to thrill those members with. Main plots, side plots, factions; all things that make a great lsrpg in Jack’s book™.

My LEAST FAVOURITE THING about this rpg: you have a lot going on–a good thing–but somehow when I return to the main it feels a bit… hollow. Maybe that’s because you’re still prepping and not-yet open. Maybe that will change when you get events and plots going. Unfortunately I can’t quite describe it, and please feel free to disregard this as rambling, but I feel like something needs to solidify this group in my mind and heart. Something in the story, perhaps, that leaves me craving to know what will happen. But you’re probably working on that with your plots, I’m sure.

Overall, this is a group with potential brimming from the proverbial cauldron. You have a lot going on and a lot to finish up and already some great generated interest. I think anyone who looks at this group can feel like they have a new world to play in, but also the comforts of the supernatural rpg genre to form a community within. I wish you the best of luck, admin!!

Sincerely,Jack

[everythingmusicandfilm]

Scorpion / Drake Album Review

On the 29th of June 2018 Drake released his highly anticipated double album Scorpion. Whilst Side A is mainly rap orientated and features some incredible bangers, Side B is more R&B and it gets real emotional real fast. The two sides represent angry/bitter Drake vs self searching Drake. The album is definitely drama orientated as Drake recognises how much his music is analysed. He takes this and makes it his own to create a stand out album that will have people talking for years to come.

SIDE A

“Survival”

“Survival”, the first track on the album is about Drake’s career and his rap game (“House on  both coasts but I live on the charts”). He talks about being independent from his label and his beef with other rappers (potentially Meek Mill and Diddy). This song introduces us to the album and lets us know that he will dive into the drama (“Now I gotta deal with all this drama and deal with myself”). The electronic tones over the beat along with the pure passive aggressive rap verse create an intriguing intro to this album (“This just the intro, let me not get ahead of myself”).

“Nonstop”

On this track, Drake praises his own abilities as a rapper and talks about the behind the scenes of being a musician (“I can’t go in public like a civilian for real”). The hook of the song is sampled from a Memphis Tape from 1995 by Mack Daddy Ju and D.J. Squeeky. The rapping on this track is insane as it should be when you’re rapping about how good you are at rapping…(“Money for revenge, man, that’s hardly an expense”). The song has an enriching deep bass with a serious bounce and Drake’s flow on this track has me seriously excited for the rest of the album.

“Elevate”

“Elevate” is about Drake looking back on his accomplishments and what he has done for his friends and family but also wanting to pursue more in life (“I’m in bed awake, thinkin’ how’d I make, all this happen for myself and my family”). One of the more pulsing beats of any of the tracks on the album and some in depth lyrics (“I wanna thank God for workin’ way harder than Satan”). Although it has a slow start this track just gets better as the song goes on.

“Emotionless”

Wow this song had me speechless first listen. “Emotionless” is the first song on the album where Drake acknowledges his son (“I wasn’t hidin’ my kid from the world I was hidin’ the world from my kid”). This is a response to Pusha T’s diss track of Drake. Drake also addresses this social media obsessed society that we live in (“I know a girl whose one goal was to visit Rome then she finally got to Rome and all she did was post pictures for people at home, cause all that mattered was impressin’ everybody she’s known”). The choral singing by Mariah Carey at the start of the song is impressive and surprising and when the beat comes in you know it’s going to be a good song. The lyrics in this song are the best so far and this track was instantly one of my favourites when I first listened to the album.

“God’s Plan”

“God’s Plan” was the first song released from the album and it definitely paved way for Drake’s ongoing success. The song addresses how being in the music industry means people want him to fail but he knows that God won’t let that happen (“I see the things that they wishin’ on me”). He also talks about the struggle of finding legit friends in the industry as most people who enter his life have a motive to benefit themselves. Another topic of the song is Drake honoring his old life before his success. The song is a feel good track with an enticing beat and potentially the most iconic lyrics of the entire album…(“She said ‘do you love me?’ I tell her ‘only partly’, I only love my bed and my momma I’m sorry”). Drake used the $996,631.00 budget for the music video to donate to families, schools and charities.

“I’m Upset”

Potentially the most basic lyrics from the album, Drake in “I’m Upset” addresses how he thinks he needs to protect his money from the women in his life (“I’m a always take the money over sex, that’s why they need me out the way, what you expect?”). Another song playing to his ego and stressing about the problems of being rich although it has interesting relevance after the track “Emotionless”.

“8 out of 10”

On “8 Out of 10” Drake talks about his life at the moment and how he realises that people will always judge and criticise him but he knows that he is still a success (“Your sister is pressin’ play, your trainer is pressin’ play, your wifey your wifey your wifey your wifey - (true)”). This track has an intriguing beat with enticing background vocals…(“I don’t like to talk when there’s nothin’ else left to say”). The song mentions his son once again and is a representation of Drake overcoming criticism to continue releasing bangers.

“Mob Ties”

“Mob Ties” is Drake’s way of severing ties with people who have betrayed him and people who have criminal pasts. The piano sample is from “Affirmative Action” by Nas’ Mafioso and it reminds me of a Linkin Park song for some reason or the background of a mafia movie. The chorus of this song is by far the best part and the tune is one that has been stuck in my head for days (“It’s too late for all that lovey-dovey shit, I’m your brother shit, all that other shit”).

“Can’t Take a Joke”

In “Can’t Take a Joke”, Drake addresses his life as a celebrity as he is living in Hidden Hills, always taking vacations and hanging with friends who ‘can’t take a joke’ (“If they come to Hidden Hills then I know they know the deal”). He stresses about not wanting to fuel the fire with his haters but also he knows that he can’t just sit back. This song continues the themes from “I’m Upset”. Drake’s rap game in this track is strooooong. His strong flow and unusual tempo makes this track unique and it is definitely one of my favourites from the album..(“and I gotta own the things I rap about just for my pride, you know when it comes to pride I can’t put that shit aside”).

“Sandra’s Rose”

“Sandra’s Rose” is about how fame has affected Drake’s life. It is about the money and the girls and how he gets discredited for it (“I’m standin’ at the top of where you n***** are climbin’ to reach, I even got my very own initials inscribed on my sheets”). ‘Sandra’s Rose’ could refer to himself as his mother’s name is Sandra and she used to be a florist (“My mother had a flower shop, but I was Sandra’s Rose”). The lyrics in this track are very in-depth (“Bury me and I’ll be born again, I walk in godly form amongst the mortal men”) and even include a reference to the B side of the album (“Spoiler alert: the second act is tragic”). This song is fill of cold lyrics and soulful background vocals.

“Talk Up”

“Talk Up” is about the road Drake took to get to his success (“My money is young, my problems are old I promise I’m bridgin’ the gap”). Jay-Z raps about his experiences as a rapper (“Already a hood legend, I ain’t need no shine”). The collaboration with Jay-Z is an interesting surprise and is definitely impressive as he manages to reference Donald Trump, Kanye West and the death of XXXtentacion in one verse. This is particularly surprising seeing as XXXtentacion only died last week. The beat in this song is on fire and the rap is definitely a favourite among many Drake and Jay-Z fans.

“Is There More”

On “Is There More” Drake addresses how he is more than just a rapper but at the same time he questions what this ‘more’ is (“Is there more to life than digits and bankin’ accounts? Is there more to life than sayin’ I figured it out?”). The song includes some ambient sounds in the background, reflecting a seek for purpose and Nai Palm ends the song. The song shows Drake’s powerful rapping skills and the lyrics are a lot to unpack. The track is the last song on Side A which is mostly rap songs about his fame and success and it preludes to the Side B where we glimpse into this life Drake has that he doesn’t rap about.

Side A

Wow Side A is definitely my favourite side of the album and I am very very impressed. It is a representation of ‘Drake the rapper’ as he gets angry and vents about his way to success and reflects on his life. The lyrics definitely play to Drake’s ego as he brags about his success. In these twelve songs, Drake shows all sides of himself and proves his rap game is better than ever. The deep bass beats, strong vocal flow and lyrics that make me speechless make this the best we have seen from Drake.

SIDE B

“Peak”

On “Peak” Drake discusses his failed relationships that reached their ‘peak’ and then didn’t work out. He refers a lot to British culture, hinting that the girl he is talking about is British (“England breeds proper girls”). The song has mellow electronic sounds that remind me of “Marvin’s Room” and it introduces the Side B of the album as the more R&B side. The outro of the song is Stefflon Don, Vinessa Douglas and Rhea Kpaka. Overall a rather underwhelming start to the second half of the album.

“Summer Games”

“Summer Games” slows the tempo down as Drake addresses his heartbreak that occurred during the summer. Drake states in a very obvious way that the girl said ‘I love you’ too early and he wasn’t ready for the commitment (“You said ‘I love you’ too fast, so much for that, girl, summer just started and we’re already done”). He also addresses the effects of the internet in relationships (“You say I led you on but you followed me, I follow one of your friends you unfollow me”). The song has a very vintage electronic groove with deep synth sounds.

“Jaded”

“Jaded” is referring to the idea of being overworked or having too much of something (“Always felt like stickin’ round’s the same as being stuck”). Some believe this track is about Jorja Smith who is a bit younger than Drake (“Differences in ages, you’re old enough but you’re still a baby”). Drake is singing a lot more on this track but the song just seems like a filler song and it does not stand out. The deep bass drums and synth overlays help pick it up however (“Yes I’m hurting, yes I’m Jaded”).

“Nice For What”

After three slow dragging songs, Side B has finally turned up with “Nice For What”. “Nice For What” is a love letter to the women in his life as Drake addresses female empowerment. He knows what women go through in this digital age and the resistance they are met with but he wants them to know that he understands and appreciates them (“I’ve been peepin’ what you bringin’ to the table, workin’ hard girl everything paid for”). The pre-chorus and chorus is sung by Lauryn Hill and she definitely heightens the song (“Care for me, care for me, you said you’d care for me”). Also Leticia Wright is the one who says (“Watch the breakdown”). This upbeat number is an attempt to celebrate all the women who are suffering and their hard work (“You know dark days, you know hard times”). The fantastic R&B beat, the crisp drums and empathetic lyrics create a R&B spectacle I can’t get enough of.

“Finesse”

“Finesse” is about a woman in Drake’s life who he would rather have a kid with than his son’s real mother, Sophie Brussaux (“I want my baby to have your eyes”). The harmonies in this song are impressive and the hook is enticing. The slow R&B chorus and Drake’s voice dragging the notes creates a rather unique song with a haunting beat (“Can’t be in a room with you and stand on differents sides, you stay on my mind”).

“Ratchet Happy Birthday”

This track is a mellow upbeat song with slightly immature lyrics (“Petty bullshit shouldn’t excite you on your birthday”). Drake sings about a woman he knows who is lacking emotional feeling (“To be, to feel, to fill, that emptiness inside you”). Ironically this song does the same thing and is not a song I’m exactly raving about. It fails to dive into the bounce it so clearly needs and ends up dragging.

“That’s How You Feel”

“That’s How You Feel” addresses a girl Drake is interested in but he’s not sure if she feels the same way (“Told you I couldn’t really draw the line”). In this track Drake samples the live performance of Nicki Minaj’s “Boss Ass Bitch” (“Rule number one to be a boss-ass bitch”), potentially the best part of the whole song. The chorus has a unique rhythm that is easy to get stuck in your head (“I know you like to drink ‘til the sun up, grind ‘til you come up, work all winter, shine all summer”). This song has really good production and is a good mixture between rapping and singing.

“Blue Tint”

“Blue Tint” addresses an ex that Drake has got back together with and how he is surprised that she has changed and he’s ready to give her another chance (“Look who I’m fuckin’ again, I had her on ice but then I watched the ice get thin”). He also frequently refers to his money, power and reputation in the rap game (“My window got blue in the tint ooh”). Future also features on this song (“Blue faces, I got blue diamonds, blue tint yeah”). This song has a great modern drum beat however I do wish Future featured a little more on the song.

“In My Feelings”

No matter where I am, whenever this song comes on I will automatically start dancing. This is by far one of my favourite tracks from the album. The song is a love letter to the members of City Girls, a pop musical girl group (“Kiki, do you love me? Are you riding? Say you’ll never ever leave from beside me”). There are several vocal samples including the track “Smoking Gun” by Magnolia Shorty. Also “Lollipop” by Lil Wayne is used and the seventh episode of Atlanta, which stars Childish Gambino. The episode was titled ‘Champagne Papi’ and the character is saying how he needs a photo with Drake for his instagram. The song has a sick New Orleans bounce that makes you want to dance all night long, it is a pure R&B track (“Two bad bitches and we kissin’ in the wraith”).

“Don’t Matter To Me”

“Don’t Matter To Me” features a collaboration with the King of Pop himself, Michael Jackson (“It don’t matter to me what you say”). The featured vocals of the late Michael Jackson give the song a rather nostalgic feel or a slightly haunting one, I haven’t decided which yet. In Drake’s verse he addresses an ugly breakup with an ex (“Drinking’s enough of a vice, drugs just aren’t suiting you right”). The song mixes classic R&B vibes with a modern edge and whether MJ’s vocals are welcoming or haunting, they are definitely surprising.

“After Dark”

Definitely the more sensual of lyrics on the album, “After Dark” addresses a girl Drake wants to hook up with and he explains exactly how he will do it (“Put your phone down, you’re gonna need two hands, after dark”). Drake sounds really good on this track, definitely some of his best vocals. The featured vocals from Ty Dolla $ign are impressive and they kind of steal the song (“You said ‘do anything but just don’t lie to me’, I said I ride for you girl you said you ride for me”). The song has a thumping beat with an interesting guitar riff. It is a true R&B beat and the collaboration between Drake, Ty Dolla and Static is one I didn’t know I needed so bad.

“Final Fantasy”

Just when you thought “After Dark” was as sexual as it was gonna get, Drake comes through with “Final Fantasy”. On this track Drake describes his sexual fantasies as he realises he does not address this often so he wants to tell this girl exactly what he wants (“Yeah I never really talk about dick that I wanna give you, or places I wanna get to, neck grab, head grab, arch back, heart attack, cardiac”). The song features a sample from the video game ‘Final Fantasy’. The song is a raw and honest view of Drake’s sex life (“Make that face up if you dare but just be prepared that I am gonna cause that lipstick to smear”), (“I hope that the apocalypse is the only thing that doesn’t come now - well what now?”). I really like the keys in the background and Drake rapping over R&B beats is definitely something I love to hear.

“March 14”

“March 14”, the final track of the album and let’s be honest whenever a Drake song has a date or place as the title you know it’s gonna be good. On this track, Drake has an in-depth honest conversation about his child (“She’s not my lover like Billie Jean but the kid is mine”). He discusses the idea of being a single father and how that was something he disliked about his own father growing up (“Single father, I hate when I hear it, I use to challenge my parents on every album now I’m embarrassed to tell ‘em I ended up as a co-parent”). He tells his son that he won’t have to worry about the struggles of having separated parents (“I don’t want you worry ‘bout whose house you live at or who loves you more...I’m too proud to let that come between me and you now”). The date March 14 could refer to the day Drake played ‘Fortnite’ with Ninja or the day he met Kanye West to help record his album. A melodic piano comes in at the end as Drake addresses his pain (“No one to guide me, I’m all alone, no one to cry on I need shelter from the rain, to ease the pain, I’m changing from boy to a man”). Proving that although he may rap about being successful and powerful, he is still lost and searching for himself.

Side B

Side B dragged in a few places and it is definitely a representation of ‘Drake the singer’. It may be slightly bitter but it is also extremely raw and honest. Side B has more slow R&B tracks reminiscent of his early career. While there are shining moments, the music on Side B doesn’t seem to stick as much as Side A.

Overall I think Scorpion is an album for the ages. Some lyrics are immature or bitter and some are just an outright brag about his fame, money and power. However with his climb to success and struggles he’s encountered on the way, it seems only fair that Drake should be allowed to rap about this. Side A is definitely the more rap focused side and it produces some quality jams like “Emotionless”, “God’s Plan” and “Talk Up”. Side B is the more raw and emotional R&B side that produces some honest and enticing tracks like “Nice For What”, “In My Feelings” and “March 14”. Side A is definitely my favourite side as it proves Drake’s rap game is stronger than ever, whereas Side B although had its shining moments, seemed to drag a little. The album may be more of a circle than an ongoing journey but it takes us on an emotional roller coaster that we will no doubt be experiencing for years to come.

[simplyonehellofahokage]

Can I ask you why you don’t like Minakushi?

I put this under the cut because it got RIDICULOUSLY LONGJC.

I don’t necessarily dislike it. When it’s well-written, orfor some reason just jives with me I think it’s one of the cutest and arguablyone of the healthier ships in the series. For example, if you are the same anonthat sent those two MinaKushi asks, I thought they were rather fun. Othertimes, depending on the source at best it inspires apathy and at worst, createsa certain dislike for one or both of them. I think my conflicting feelings stemfrom the difference between how their individual characters are portrayed in canonverses how fanon portrays them. Please keep in mind, all of this reflects myown personal experience and nothing more.

When it comes to canon, I don’t have a lot of problems withit. True, I don’t care for the damsel in distress bit but I argue if Kushinahadn’t had the cunning to leave her hair as a trail no one would’ve found her.So she played a large part in her own rescue. Minato also suffers from theHinata complex of watching her from afar and not really doing anything until itescalates from school yard bullying to international incident. I understand hisreasoning, not wanting to infringe on her right to defend her own honor (let’sbe real she’d probably kick his ass if he tried to play her hero back at theacademy), but he could have at least let her know that he didn’t dislike her,as she had assumed. Maybe I’m nitpicking (I probably am, I hate themisunderstood/miscommunication trope I really do) but it isn’t the only issue Ihave with it.

It was speculated for a while that Minato was Naruto’s dadbefore it was officially revealed and that just drummed up the mystery of whohis mother could be even more. With that, came my own expectations and guessesand when Kushina was finally revealed…she didn’t exactly match what I imagined.She wasn’t a bad character by any means, in fact I found her rather fun but thedissonance between the reality and what I thought kind of stayed with me. Itdoesn’t help her full potential wasn’t really allowed to bloom. I have so manyquestions about her old home, about her that are never really answered andgiven the narrative, it’s understandable why. She is long dead before the firstchapter and it’s all thanks to ninja bullshit we even get to meet her but itleft me dissatisfied.

The video games that included her gave more crumbs but notones I necessarily liked. Let me be clear, there is absolutely nothing wrongwith being a housewife. It’s one of the hardest, most underappreciated jobs inthe world and it doesn’t have the usual benefits like a retirement plan or paidvacation. People are always judging. That being said, why would you make one ofher attacks be slapping the shit out of someone with a frying pan? I thought ‘oh,well that’s amusing at least. I wonder what her main attack is’ and….it wasjust the same thing she did as a kid. Turning red, hair floating and justbeating the shit out of the poor NPC you picked for that round. We are told shehas a unique ninjutsu style and uses fuuinjutsu….so why weren’t either of thoseused instead? Why wasn’t this used as an opportunity to learn more about her? Ilike Kushina, but I wished more had been done with her.  

Minato suffers from the same problem in that we have some informationbut not enough. I still don’t know what his motivation was for becoming Hokageto this day. There are aspects of his personality I don’t really care for, butthen it may make me pettier of a person if I’m being honest. I don’t like thathe forgave Obito so easily, the man was responsible for not only his death butthe death of his love, and nearly destroyed their home. Also he nearly killedNaruto and made him an orphan. I don’t hate Obito but the dude did a LOT offucked up shit both in and out of the Land of Fire and Minato just….forgivesthat and even takes responsibility for it. It makes it hard to connect with himas a character that way because dude has to be a saint to do all that. I alsodon’t really care much for his naïveté when it came to sealing Kurama inNaruto. He grew up with Kushina, who was bullied just because she was from adifferent village. He should have known that Naruto would have it worse, butmaybe his blinding optimism is both a negative and a positive of hispersonality. His choices are also bound by the plot of the story, and becausewhat happened that night is told so far into the series, Minato’s hands arefairly tied so that the timeline stays consistent …even if it doesn’t exactly painthim in a positive (or always intelligent) light. I may not like any of thesethings but I can live with them and work with them.

Fanon portrayals can, in my experience, can either make thecharacters and the ship great or take one of their aspects and just…twists itfurther. It gets to the point where they are unrecognizable from their canoncounterparts. People are allowed to write what they want, I will never, ever tell anyone what they canor can’t write or what topics they can or can’t explore. But I take responsibilityfor my own happiness and health, and won’t read fics where Kushina is reducedto an overbearing bitch or ones where Minato is reduced to someone viler than theseries’ worst villains. Or the ones where they are the neglectful parents, apopular troupe in the Naruto and Harry Potter fandoms and I get the appeal, butthere is only so many times I could read it before I wanted to bang my headinto a wall because their actions crossed from cruelty into outright stupidity.These examples, I must admit, have left quite an impact on me.

In the end I suppose, I take it case by case when it comesto MinaKushi. I’m willing to role play it but I ship primarily with chemistry.Just because its canon isn’t a guarantee it will happen and I don’t want toforce a romantic involvement if for some reason the muses aren’t clicking. Itgets awkward fast. Romance isn’t the only aspect of their relationship I wantto explore either. What about them as friends? As rivals? As enemies? Asteammates? How would things change and how would they differ if they were in anAU?  All avenues are open and I’m willingto walk down them at least once.

[mvssmallow]

Cloudy With A Chance

Part 20: …of Ex and Why

Masterlist

He’s back at work and back with a sense of dejà vu.

“So. It’s just…over?” Donghyuk asks gently.

He nods and looks out the window instead of making eye contact.

Donghyuk furrows his brows and chews on the take-away coffee cup in confusion. “Oh. I thought things were going well…..wait wait, that’s not important right now. How are you holding up? Do you want to talk about it or do you want to get back to work?”

He just shrugs and twirls his pen around his fingers. “I don’t know what I want. My head is like…I don’t even know. Like a bomb went off.”

“You don’t have to tell me but why did you guys break up?”

He sighs heavily. “My parents found out. I kind of went crazy.”

Donghyuk takes a sips and nods all knowingly, as usual. “Hmmm.”

“Was it the wrong decision?” He asks.

“Well. What do you think?”

“Of course it was the wrong decision.” He says quietly, almost to himself. “It was a stupid decision.”

“So why did you do it? If you knew it was wrong?”

The frustration and anger floods him all over again. “I don’t know Donghyuk! I don’t know! It was like, everyone wanted me to be something. My parents wanted a normal son. Jiwon wanted a normal boyfriend. They just all wanted something from me, constantly. I was just so pissed off at everyone. I just wanted everything to go away and leave me alone for a day.”

He starts drawing circles in his notebook and colouring them all in black. “I don’t deserve him anyway. He’s dealt with enough of my shit. All I did was hold him back from the life he should be living. He’s a rapper. What am I? Some boring writer just dragging him down with all this. I don’t know. It’s probably for the best. He’s probably sitting there wondering why he even bothered with me in the first place.”

Donghyuk stops nodding in agreeance. “Is that what he said?”

“No, he never said it but I know he must think it sometimes. Like when he can hear me lying to my mum on the phone. Or when people want to come over and I say no. He’s social. He likes people. I’m the opposite, all I want to do is stay home. The more I think about it, the more sense it makes. It’s better that we broke up before any real damage was done, you know?”

Donghyuk just sips his coffee in silence.

“Aren’t you going to say anything?”

“Only if you want me to…..”

He rolls his eyes. “Why would I tell you if I didn’t want your opinion? Do I look like I can figure anything out by myself right now?”

Donghyuk frowns before putting his cup on the table between them. “I’m not sure what to say but do you want to hear a story?”

He nods, relieved for a distraction at least.

“So, there used to be a writer here called Alex. He was from London and worked with us in the year before you started. We were inseparable after a month. It was just the biggest type of foolish love you could imagine. The type where you matched on every level there was to match on. He could already speak Korean but I insisted on learning English anyways and he’s probably the reason I can still speak it so well now. We used to co-write articles, all crazy concepts and unique ideas that really got Daily Grind more popular in the initial stages of the magazine. They’re part of the reason I got promoted so fast. Anyway, four months down the road, the overanalytical-paranoia kicks in, and I ask about the ex-relationships. I didn’t want to know but I had to know, had to figure where I stood in comparison. It turns out that his last few relationships were with all these mensa level professors and published authors. You know, of actual books and literature.”

“Sometimes it’s a mistake to dig into the past.” Donghyuk says with a shake of his head. “All it did was make me more afraid. After he told me I just felt small, like I was lacking physically, intellectually and in experience, like I didn’t fit his trend and was just some experiment. And here’s the messed up thing: I let everyone convince me it was true. That he was just going to eventually go back to being with what he’s always been with. Of course he was nice to me, he was in South Korea, what other choice did he have? So I friendzoned him instead of waiting around to get hurt. It didn’t make a difference, I got hurt anyway. What I completely did not understand was that he didn’t even think like that. He wasn’t looking for those guys any more. He was looking for regular me. By the time I figured this all out, it was too late. He had moved on and all I had to show for it was regret and some of the best pieces I will probably ever write.” 

“He was The Guy. I knew that from the beginning. In some ways, I’m always going to be looking for someone like him.“

There’s a long pause after Donghyuk finishes. “That’s the problem with people like us. We always end up with too many regrets. Life is easy if you let your brain decide everything, it’ll always reason and pick self-preservation. But reasoning doesn’t work when it comes to these things and the heart doesn’t know any logic or rational thought. It doesn’t care about self-preservation. That’s why they say, crazy in love.”

He thinks about Donghyuk’s words long after work finishes. He thinks about it as he eats alone, watches TV alone and sleeps alone. There’s no messy apartment to tidy up, no wrinkled shirts to iron, no mismatched socks to fold. He thought he wanted to be alone. He’s used to feeling alone. Alone protects him. But now? He can’t stand it anymore.

*****

“So, your apartment is still available if you want to move back.” Yo says over dinner. “I made a few enquiries today.”

He nods. “Yeah, thanks. I’ll, um, give them a call tomorrow.”

Yo reaches over to pat his back. “There’s no rush, you know that right? We’re happy to have you here until you sort things out a bit. It’s okay.”

“It’ll be like college all over again.” June says with a chuckle. “Only I’m less poor, Yo can cook more than instant ramen and grilled cheese toasties and you’re slightly cleaner. Slightly.”

They all laugh. It feels good to laugh, even if it’s just for a little while.

But after the distractions of work and playing video games with June or helping Yo tidy the kitchen, he’s alone again. Alone in the spare bedroom with all his belongings in a bag on the floor and staring at someone else’s ceiling. Even the traffic outside the window sounds different. Everything is different. And even though he’s known Yo and June for almost his entire life, this isn’t his home. He already has one.

Part of him still can’t believe it. Part of him is just waiting for Hanbin to answer his phone calls tomorrow. He doesn’t want to think about the other part. He can’t let himself think about it. It’s been so long since he let himself go to all those dark places and who knows how long it’d take him to get out of one again.

So, no.

He won’t believe it’s over.

He won’t until Hanbin gets married to someone else.

Then it’d be over.

But he doesn’t want to think about that either.

Turning over, he punches the pillow in frustration. “Arghhh!”

This is the cruelest part of a break-up; the thoughts. Loops and movies and highlight reels of moments, smiles, words, feelings. They play over and over again in his head and after awhile it’s nothing but torture. He wants to remember them, hold onto them, file them somewhere nobody can reach but at the same time, he wants them just to fade away and let him sleep.

But sleep doesn’t come easy anymore. Not when there’s no warm weight next to him and no-one clawing at his arm in the middle of the night.

He tries to think about the upcoming mic night instead but scrolling through all the half-finished verses on his phone just gets him more depressed. He’s written better, been better, and rapping about cars and money just seems trivial right now. It’s 2:30 when his eyes finally close out of exhaustion and in the darkness there are only images of Hanbin’s sad face staring at him as he leaves the apartment.

Sleep isn’t really sleep anymore.

He goes back to eating breakfast alone. There aren’t notes or sneaky Oreos snuck into his lunchbox. There aren’t any random messages on his phone to read and laugh at. No jokes over dinner or in bed. His entire being misses Hanbin but the worst thing, by far, is going to sleep alone and knowing that he’s just going to wake up alone in 6 hours.

His mind hangs on for a few days, it even makes it to a whole week, but everything falls apart by the second. That’s when he starts to believe that life without Hanbin might be permanent. So what if he feels sorry for himself? So what?

“Jesus, slow down Jiwon!” June says in exasperation and reaches over to take the shotglass from his fingers.

“Hey! I need that!” He tries to grab it back but the contents are already gone.

“I think you’ve had enough. How are you gonna perform like this?”

He shrugs. “I’ve been worse.”

June looks at him with skeptical concern. “You sure you wanna go on? You can just back out, say you’re sick or something. It’s just a mic night. Probably no record company scouts here.”

He shakes his head. “No, I want to do it.”

By the time the music kicks in he’s regretting it and wishes he had just listened to June after all. It’s not bad but it’s a mess, as if his heart was just bleeding erratically all over the stage. If he was any more sober he’d feel embarrassed but with 4 shots and a beer in his stomach, he can’t say there’s anything beyond the numbness.

forget a promenade, let’s juggernaut down memory lane,  leave no thought alive, to the slaughter house i’m taking my pain time to sever my brain from my heart and soul my knees are burning hot, but God is cold, I’ve been told

One day you’ll know too much of heaven’s a sin after the show, it’s only hell that it brings so take it slow and let time heal everything they say that time flies, but you keep breaking its wings you’ll never fade, fade to black please fade, fade to black but the nightmares come back

-t.t

When it’s over he ignores everyone’s concerned looks and walks straight back to the bar.

“Shit, Kim. What’s up with the depressing lyrics?”

He looks up to see one of the rap competitors grinning at him. He can’t even remember the guy’s name and takes the time to swallow his gin before answering. “Just felt like it.”

“What have you even got to be depressed about anyway? You’ve been killing it lately, even Mino’s getting scared. Hey, where’s that guy you’re with?”

He clenches his jaw. “Not here.”

“Why? He dump your ugly ass?” The guy jokes.

He doesn’t answer. Just shakes his head and keeps drinking.

The guy doesn’t stop talking and it grates on his already frayed nerves. “His fucking face, man. Half the guys backstage want to fuck his face, the other half want to fuck-”

He remembers reaching the bottom of his glass of gin before his right fist connects with a slackened jaw. There’s a sickening crunch and collapse of bone as the guy stumbles back in shock.

They just stare at each other for a second before launching forward, fists swinging and connecting with anything within reach. A punch to the gut, knuckles across his left eyebrow, nails scratching a trail down his face and finally, a knee into his chest that has him falling head first into the corner of a table and splitting his lip. 

He ignores the nose bleed, the taste of blood in his mouth, the bursts of pain every time his fist hits the face beneath him. He had it coming. They both had it coming. 

“JIWON! What the fuck-”

June’s loud voice rings in his ears before four strong arms eventually pull him away from the fight. His left eye is swollen and his vision blurry but he can see security dragging the other guy in the opposite direction. 

“No wonder he dumped your ass. You’re nothing but a fucking loser!” The guy shouts at him through a mouth full of bloody teeth. 

He makes to stand up again but June’s hard face comes into view. “NO. ENOUGH.”

Yoyo stands in the middle, placating security and the club’s management with the kind of diplomacy and level-headed intelligence that both he and June lack. His shirt is roughly peeled off and used in some vain attempt to slow down the bleeding.

“What the fuck is wrong with you? Is this is how you’re gonna act now?” June asks. It comes out more sad than scolding and that just makes him feel worse somehow.

Yo eventually comes over with a stern face and hurried words. “We need to get out of here right now. You’re lucky they like you so much.”

He lets them lead him through the club, right past the half-cheering half-judging crowd, and buckle him into the backseat of June’s black Audi. 

His right hand is twisted, swollen, deformed. He looks at it with fascination, knowing somewhere in the back of his mind that it would be screaming out in pain if not for the industrial levels of alcohol in his system. 

“I can’t believe this!” Yo exclaims from the driver’s seat. “I can’t believe this is how tonight ended. He’s lucky that that other guy is stupid and won’t remember enough to press charges.”

June shakes his head. “That other guy is a dick. I know him. He was probably starting some shit as usual. He’s done it before. It must’ve been something really bad for Jiwon to do that.” 

“Don’t defend him June!” Yo replies in irritation. “That other guy might be a dick but what about our guy? He dislocated a jaw. That’s hardly something to be proud of!”

“I’m not defending him! You’re talking like he just randomly decided to punch a dude in the face. He’s not like that.”

The car lurches forward abruptly as Yoyo breaks hard at the red light. “I know he isn’t! Don’t you talk like I don’t know him too! I’ve known him almost as long as you have.”

He sighs in the backseat. He always thought he was a good person. He was a good person wasn’t he? So why was he ruining everything around him?

“Let’s just get him to the hospital. We’ll talk about the rest at home.”

Hospital.

What.

“I don’t need to go to a hospital-” He starts.

“Yes, you do.” Yoyo says, warning and finality loud and clear in his voice. “And if either of you have a problem with it, so help me God, I will end you both right now.”

****

He gets a Emergency Department resident stitching him up. It hurts more that the actual fight.

“Rough night huh?”

“Something like that.”

“Get into a fight?”

“Yep.”

“Wasn’t over a girl was it?” The resident teases him with a crooked smile. “Please tell me it was a better story than that.”

He chuckles and lets himself relax a bit. “No. It wasn’t over a girl. It was over a guy.”

“Oh yeah? What’s his name?”

“Hanbin. You know how everyone thinks their boyfriend is the best guy on the planet? Well, he is actually is the best guy on the planet. Too good for me anyway.”

“So, what did he think of all this?” 

He can feel the pull of the sutures against his left eyebrow. It was weird and foreign and everything just felt so strange right now. “He wasn’t even there. We broke up. I got into a fight and he wasn’t even there to see it.”

“Well, this might leave a scar. Show him that.” The resident says, sitting back after he’s tied the last suture and applied a bandage over the top. “Guys loves scars don’t they?”

He laughs again, he likes this guy. “I’ll be even uglier than when he left me.”

The resident stands and starts clearing away the examination table. “If he’s the right guy, he’ll come back and not even notice the new level of ugly. Now. Let’s see this hand of yours.”

It’s a mess. Bruised, swollen and-

“Broken.” 

“Broken?” He echoes in disbelief. 

The resident nods and points out the fracture on his xrays. “Fifth metacarpal. Also know as a Boxer’s Fracture. Luckily for you there’s minimal angulation or rotation.”

“And that’s good?”

“Yes. You won’t need reduction or surgery. And it’s not an open fracture so all you’ll need for it to heal is time. I’m going to apply a support bandage and get you a sling for elevation.”

He nods and watches as his hand disappears behind layers of white crepe bandaging. 

No home. No boyfriend. And now, with his broken hand, probably no job.

Thank God they gave him morphine.

“Remorse?”

“Yeah.”

“People do crazy things for love.”

“Yeah, I know. You ever done anything crazy, doc?”

There’s a pause before the bandaging continues. “Well, I got into med school to impress a girl and to convince her parents to let us date. She left me for some long haired musician by second year. All I have to show for it is this medical degree, a stable job and my Lexus.” 

They both laugh. 

“Damm, that’s cold though. Did you forgive her?”

The resident tapes up the ends of the bandage. “Over time. I could never resent her anyway. She changed my life. Some pains are just worth it in the end.”

****

“You’re a cliche.”

He’s hearing things. 

He must be. 

“A stupid cliche.”

And tripping hard on the morphine they gave him.

He turns over and sits up too fast, causing his head to spin, vision to black-out and headache to spike behind his left eye. “Argh….”

A hand pushes his shoulder until he’s lying against the hospital bed again. “Stay down.”

That voice. He knows that voice. 

He loves that voice.

“My head hurts.” He groans, eyes still shut to calm down the vertigo.

“Probably from carrying around that big brain all day.”

When the world stops moving, he opens his eyes, blinks a few times to get rid of the blur and once his vision clears, Hanbin’s face comes into view, like a picture from a dream. 

That must be the morphine talking.

“Are you really here? What are you doing here? Why are all dressed up?”

He takes in the crisp white shirt, pressed black pants and neatly styled hair. He has never seen Hanbin dressed up like this. This is a fever dream. Or maybe his batch of morphine was spiked with LSD.

“I heard some rapper got into a fight. It was all over the news.” Hanbin says with a shrug. 

His eyes widen. “I was on the news?”

Hanbin shakes his head with a small smile. “No. June told me. What the hell were you-”

“Okay, Jiwon. You’re free to go!” The resident walks back into his cubicle holding a box of pain medication and discharge papers, only halting when he sees Hanbin. “Oh. Hello. I’m Dr. Lee. And you must be…”

“This is the Hanbin.” 

“Ohhh. You’re Hanbin. Right right.”

It’s the drawn out ‘oh’ that has Hanbin furrowing his brows in confusion. “Yes….hello. Um, thank you for taking care of him. So he can go now?”

“Yes. But he came with two others. Will they-”

Hanbin shakes his head. “I sent them home. I’ll take him.”

“Oh good!” The resident says with a smile. When Hanbin isn’t looking he swears he saw a wink thrown in his direction. 

He watches as Hanbin listens to the instructions on medication use and reads the letter detailing future follow up appointments. Where was June? Where was Yo? Why was Hanbin even here? 

“Well, good luck Jiwon.” The resident says with a knowing grin before leaning closer to his ear and whispering, “Looks like it was worth it in the end, huh?”

He looks over his shoulder to see Hanbin folding his bloody shirt away and reaching into a bag to pull out a clean hoody. 

“Yeah.”

But if he thought their reunion was going to be some beautiful montage of hugs and apologies, he was sadly mistaken. 

“What were you thinking? Were you even thinking?” Hanbin rants at the wheel as they drive down the highway. “What if the other guy makes a report to the police? And you were drunk? I’ve seen you drunk. You’re all useless drunk. How can you even fight drunk?”

He lets Hanbin talk and finds himself smiling out the window as the world whizzes by. 

“Why are you smiling? Is this funny to you? Yeah, it’s really funny getting a text saying you were at the hospital with an emergency. And June! He didn’t even reply for 10 minutes about why you were there so I got a speeding ticket and heart attack on the way. He can pay for it. No! YOU can pay for it. Well, no you can’t. How are you even going to go to work with a broken hand. A broken hand, Jiwon! Jesus.”

They get to a red light and he starts giggling at the absurdity of the entire situation. It really doesn’t help Hanbin’s mood.

“This isn’t cool. You could’ve really injured a guy. You could’ve really injured yourself! Did you even think about that?” Hanbin asks, distress etched all over his face. 

He stops laughing as the guilt begins to eat away at him. “But I’m fine. I’ll be fine.”

“Yeah, you’ll be just fine. What about me, huh? Not like I’ve been mentally unstable lately or anything. I really love having to think about you dying or something.”

“I’m sorry.” He says as the light turns green. 

Hanbin looks over at him, eyes softening for a moment before changing gears. “It’s okay.” 

He watches Hanbin drive for a few minutes and it hits him: this is the first time he’s been in the passengers seat in Hanbin’s car. Hanbin hates driving anywhere so why was he even driving now?

“Why did you send June and Yo home? They could’ve taken me. I’m staying there anyway. It doesn’t make any logical sense for you to come all this way-”

“I didn’t come because of logic.” Hanbin says. 

He doesn’t get it. “So why did you come?”

“I just….I just thought something happened to you.”

“So what? You came because you were curious?” 

Hanbin shakes his head in frustration, his knuckles white and tense at the wheel. “I just wanted to make sure you were okay. I didn’t want to end things like this.”

It hits a nerve. “Like what? Things already ended. You told me to leave, remember?”

“And you’re the one that left!” Hanbin snaps.

“I left because you told me to!” He snaps back. “You said you wanted time alone! I didn’t do it because I wanted to leave.”

The cars pulls up into a familiar driveway. 

He just stares out the window before turning towards the driver’s side. “How sick are you? Or do you just like it when we suffer?”

“What?” Hanbin looks at him in confusion.

He gestures out the window and points up to the fourth floor. “Why did you drive me back here? To remind me of everything I’m not allowed to have? No offence but I think I’m all maxed out on bad luck tonight, okay? I’ll walk back to June’s if I have to.” 

He tries to take off his seatbelt but his right hand is bandaged and it’s too awkward reaching around the sling with his left. Not that it stops him from trying. 

“Jiwon. Stop…stop…” Hanbin’s words are soft, scared, sad. He has to ignore it. He can’t get dragged back into this game where all he does is lose. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I just wanted to take care of you. It should be me.”

“Why should it be you? Why?!” He can hear the sharp edges in his voice. He’ll regret this later. He regrets it now. “I don’t want your pity, okay? You think you can just tell me you don’t want me one minute then suddenly decide to come back when you feel guilty? You can’t do that to people! You can’t play with them like that! Do you really think I’m going to just sit here…..”

He finally struggles out of the seatbelt and gets out of the car. 

"I’m not! That’s not what I’m doing.” Hanbin scrambles out of his seat to follow him down the driveway. “Can you just stop and listen for a minute!?”

He stops walking as they get to the corner of the road. His mind is spinning and the thoughts inside his head are all jumbled by the alcohol and drugs in his system. “Fine. But no more bullshit, Hanbin. Say what you need to say. I can’t think about this anymore. It’s fucking killing me.”

“I just….I came to take you home.” 

“Why?”

He knows it’s cruel, putting Hanbin on the spot like this, he can see the struggle on his face but it’s too late, they were too far gone and he needs to know. Now or never.

“Because….I wanted you home.” 

He looks at Hanbin’s scared face and takes a step towards him. “Why?”

“Because I missed you.”

He shakes his head and keeps walking. “Not good enough. Why?”

“You know why.” 

He stops when they’re only an arms length away. “I told you, no more bullshit. Why did you come?”

To his credit, Hanbin doesn’t look away this time. The scared expression replaced with some kind of quiet defiance. “I came to get you back. I wanted you to come back.”

He wasn’t expecting Hanbin to be that blunt and honest. “Why?” He says, softer this time.

Hanbin scowls and punches him on the arm. “Now you’re just being annoying.”

He grins smugly, causing the cut on his lip to bleed again. “Yeah, I know. But tell me. Just this once.”

Hanbin rolls his eyes and sighs before reaching out to dab at the cut with the sleeve of his shirt. “Because I like you. You asshole.”

He uses his good arm to pull Hanbin forward until they’re inches apart. “See, it wasn’t that hard right?”

Hanbin grimaces, pretends to resist. “Because you weren’t the one saying it.”

“Okay. My turn, then?”

“No, you don’t have to say anything…”

“I’m an asshole and I like you too.”

The small dimple-smile that he gets in return is worth every hit he took. He holds Hanbin’s face with his good hand, taking his time to remember everything again. Just in case.

“Hi, baby.”

“Hi.” 

“Wanna go home now?”

“Yeah.”

Hanbin’s fingers find his, their bodies fitting neatly against each other’s as they walk back up the street and take the familiar stairs to the fourth floor. 

He lets out a loud sigh when they step inside the apartment. He was only gone for two weeks but it felt like so much longer. He missed everything, even the stupid wall clock that always ticks too loudly. He really just wants to dive head first into their bed but the grip on his arm pulls him from going any further. 

“You’re all sweaty and bloody. It’s kinda gross.” Hanbin says, screwing up his nose. 

He yawns, suddenly overcome by exhaustion as the long day catches up with him. Toeing off his Jordans he’s surprised at the way his feet automatically jam themselves into the Winnie The Pooh slippers by the door. They never even moved from their position in the line-up. 

He doesn’t remember that much after that. Hanbin draws him a bath, tapes a plastic bag around his right hand and makes him sit in the warm bubbles. He rests his head on a stack of towels and blinks sleepily. 

“I haven’t had anyone give me a bath since I was a kid.”

Hanbin snorts. “You’re still a kid.”

Hanbin’s fingers massage his scalp gently and he sighs as the warm water runs down his skin. “Mmmm, it’s nice.” 

“Jiwon?”

“Hrmm?”

“What happened at the club?”

“Some guy was talking shit.”

“That deserves a punch in the face does it?”

“He was talking shit about you.”

The damp towel scrubbing at the dried blood near his jaw pauses for a split second. “So what? You’re going to start a fight with every guy who talks shit about me?”

He shrugs. “Maybe. Depends on the shit.”

“Stupid…..so stupid….” Hanbin mutters. 

He hums in agreeance. 

“Hey, you got blood all over Richard Parker.” Hanbin says, holding out his right arm and scrubbing at all the dried blood splattered over his tiger tattoo. “Makes him look badass.”

“He was already a badass. He knows maths.”

Hanbin laughs and he smiles into the stack of towels, it splits his lip again but some pains really are worth it in the end.

****

Soundtrack for this chapter: 

The Scientist | ENL | Someone Like You (for Donghyuk)

[knightofbalance-13]

I’ve decided to switch focus for a moment from RWDE to this, a sort of hyperbolic series of videos criticizing Video Games. I will might also cover his Twilight Princess/Skyward Sword too but I wanna hit this because I am very well versed in Pokemon and I have been a fan of the series since I picked up an old Red Version back in the early 2000′s so yeah, I have been a long term fan having played the games from Red to X and the only reason I don’t play Sun or Moon is because I haven’t gotten the games. I have done quite a bit of research on them though so I feel confident that I can debate this. So let’s begin:

0:25

Actually yes, they have. A lot. Like the Steel Type which WASN’T a part of Generation 1, Berries, alternate Pokeballs with differing catch rates based on conditions, Natures, Physical/Special Split, Double Battles, Held items, Evs and Ivs, Abilities, Breeding, EV training, Poke-amie, Mega Evolution which completely changed the game, Roaming Legendaries, the Fairy Type and re typing of previous Pokemon, the Alolan forms, Poekpolaga, Z-Moves and many others because I don’t do competitive battles. And this is all coming without delving into how THESE aspects are changed and built upon, such as the Triple battle, Rotation battle and Inverse Battle being built off of the Double Battles along with the various new Pokeballs, The change with the Physical Special Spilit, the sheer variety of the held items and the Abilities that are rare like Hidden Abilities or Mega Abilities. And then we have spin off games, such as the Mystery Dungeon Series, the Ranger series, the Rumble series, Pokemon COnquest, Pokemon Snap, Poke Collseum, Pokemon XD, Pokken and such. This is simply not true.

1:50

This Mario analogy really bites him in the ass because if Pokemon is nothing but these turn based battles, then Mario would be, by his logic, nothing but jumping around. And once again, this only applies to the Pokemon main series, not the spin offs which have dungeon crawling, adventure games, beat em ups, stradegy games, photo shooting and fighting games. So this compliant still doesn’t hold up and with  the Mario analogy kind of gives an air of willful ignorance.

2:08

“Copy and Paste”? Really? So the fact that there are new characters, new locations, new cities, new types of battles, new items and so are completely disregarded? If so, then no wonder you have a problem: you aren’t taking things into account. And then there’s the fact that not every Pokemon fan watches trailers so that flaw doesn’t apply to them and is thus not a universal criticism.

3:22

*Groans and growls* A. That doesn’t even make sense considering wild Pokemon cannot stall the game like that, they would have no concept of such a thing being WILD Pokemon, another Pokemon means more experience points without having to look for more Pokemon, grinding is inherently slow so “quickly” doesn’t even make sense, you are pretty much guaranteed to be stronger than any none Legendary Wild pokemon in the game so a second pokemon would pose no threat and this could have just been avoided if you mentioned how in generation 5 when you are faced by two wild pokemon you could send out two. I know this is a joke but the joke is so poorly written and so badly enacted that there’s no humor for me to suspend my disbelief for him.

3:43

Gee, i dunno. Because that’s over 800 POKEMON that you would need to program into the game which is located on a hand held console meaning it has less space and less processing power than a console. Also, Pokemon following you around is your suggestion? Dude, that is the definition of a novelty: as cheap throwaway gimmick that in fact would be just like that “new coat of paint” you were complaining about. All the stuff I mentioned but you refuse to acknowledge actually impacts the gameplay.

4:22

...Would you believe it if I said that this exact analogy is why I decided to do all of this? Yeah, this is a TERRIBLE analogy. First off, you’d HAVE to order the Cheesecake, just like how you’d BUY a pokemon game. If you complain about getting the same basic formula as before, it’s no one’s fault but your own.

Secondly, stuff like Abilities, Fairy Types and Mega Evolution would change the game entirely so it would be exactly the same as before. But you know what IS essentially chocolate shaving? Having your Pokemon follow you around. The one specific compliant so far and it spits in the face of everything else.

Third: The part about not putting chocolate shaving on strawberry would be disgusting if it actually happened, just like how adding in Pokemon following you everywhere would clash with the gimmicks of some of the gyms.

Fourth: The part about being more expensive is just blatantly false: Teh starting price of Pokémon games, at least since Diamond and Pearl, has always been 50 dollars. Are older games cheaper now? Yes but that’s how prices go: The newest games are more expensive because they expanded more than the older games.

Fifth: You can stop ordering cheesecake at many time and look for another dessert, just like you can stop playing the main series of games and look at the spin-offs or just different games. Nobody is forcing you but yourself.

4:32

Hehehehe...

Remember this.

4:37

But if you change the battles, that would be a complete OVERHAUL of the game, that thing you said Pokemon didn’t need to do 5 SECONDS ago!

4:43 And Abilities, and new types, and Mega Evolution, and held items, and Double+ battles...

Also, no unique Z-Moves? Well, sorry Catasrropika, 10 000 000 Volt Thunderbolt, Stoked Sparksurfer, Extremem Evoboost, Pulververizing Pancake, Genesis Supernova Sinister Arrow Raid, Mailcious Moonsault, Oceanic Operetta, Guardian of Alola, Soul-Stealing 7-Star Strike and Clangorous Soulblaze: None of you are unique enough!

4:52 Then don’t USE the Z-Moves: You have a choice to not use them. Even so, you cannot speak for everyone and if this is YOUR issue, that’s YOUR problem, not Gamefreak’s/

5:13 A. The opinionh about Totem Pokemon is personal opinion and without any proof is irrelevant.

And B. What about Kiawe’s trial which is about spotting the difference in the dancing, or Mallow’s trial where you have to find four ingredients or Sophocies’s trial where you have to answer several questions? A bit more expansive than most Pokemon Gyms.

5:30 Because if they did do that: Then the Gym Leaders (oir Captains here) would just feel like a generic trainer. It works for the rivals because you see their teams grow but with Gym Leaders? One battle and that’s it. The types give them more personality and more vibrancy.

5:39

Why are the rivals dumb? What makes them dumb? ... No answer? Well then, they aren’t the dumb ones here.

And if we talk about rivals as a whole: What about Gladion? He’s a call back to older rivals, specifically Silver with his personalty and parental troubles.

6:33

A. YOU DID NOT FINISH THE GAME. This explains why you have made so many mistakes here: You are talking out of your ass and pretending you know this stuff without seeing it for yourself or, lie me, doing any research on them. If you don’t even confirm what you are saying is true, why should anyone believe you?

And B. Exp. Share is OPTIONAL: You have no one to blame for that but yourself if you let your team get that overleveled.

.7:12

A. Pikachu’s voice is literally it saying “pik-a-chu” That’s it. Nothing else. You are directly lying here.

B. That skit is as unfunny as one form modren Family Guy

And C. Pikachu’s only appear in SOS battles and only in two places so they DON’T appear that often. And even if Hau has a Pikachu, he uses it three times and evolves it into a Raichu.

7:40 Then that would break the game, making attacks with low PP completely worthless and making super hard to defeat Pokemon like Shuckle a terror. You say, don’t do a big overhaul but this WOULD be a big overhaul.

8:04 THAT is the very definition of a complete overhaul. You just contradicted yourself AGAIN.

8:15 You mean like a dungeon crawler, or a beat em up or an adventure game or a fighting game? Like the ones that already exist? Yeah, kind of makes it look like you don’t do a lick of research.

8:27 Okay then, what’s your excuse for fans like me, ones who ARE older but still enjoy the new games? Nothing?

8:35 ... He says they should do a spin off game...and references a spin off game...

.. Do I even need to be here?

8:57

A. Teh E-Shop games cost about six bucks a piece: Not really a cash grab.

And B. That part ignores the legal side of things where, by using already existing Pokemon, the creators have every right to protect their intellectual property if they so choose. Not to mention this sin’t even exclusive to Pokemon, which around the time Uranium got hit a Metroid fangame was hit as well so this is clearly Nintendo’s doing.

9:39

...

You know...Nothing...and I mean nothing...pisses me off more than some whiny, entitled, arrogant, pissant pseudo-fan claiming that a creator is being lazy or some shit because all that says is that you understanding NOTHING about what they d Especially since this so called “artistic intergrity” was gone when you started not doing research, contradicting yourself and outright LYING just to push your narrative while insulting the real fans for paying attention to the changes that the creators have done over the years and teh chances tehy’ve taken.

And the most ironic thing is, you putting LESS effort into your videos would actually HELP. Because you already don’t do research or fact check anything you say, you already take footage from other places and the one thing you put effort into were the WORST parts of the video. Remove the original animations and you’d actually have a better product. Funny how stuff rebounds on you.

[melpomenecokr]

﹟ ♡  THIS MONTH IN MUSIC  :  MAY 2019.

                                  ♡♡♡

May was a month that happened and I guess we need to talk about it. 

As barren as the month seemed for impressive releases, there were a few diamonds in the rough, thank God, and as I’m sure you’ve figured out by now, it’s my job to bring them to light, and talk about why these hits stood out among the many (many) misses this month of May had to offer. All complaints aside, I present to you my top five musical recommendations for the month of May. 

Just as they always are, links for purchase and streaming services will be provided at the end of each segment for their respective release. Please remember to support these artists and their music so we can hear more from them in the future. 

#005. “DDU-DDU ddu-ddu (뚜두뚜두)” - SINGLE BY ETUDE♡ (습작) RELEASE DATE: 03 MAY 2019

You all often like to joke with me that I am, for the most part, boy group illiterate, so it may not come with much shock when I say I’ve only knowingly heard a few songs from this group in the past. I tend to listen to almost anything and everything that drifts into my recommended or that I stumble across while browsing MelOn and the like, and I believe that’s how I discovered ETUDE♡ existed in the first place. In the case of “DDU-DDU ddu-ddu” (like the professionals we are on this blog, we’re going to shorten that to just “DDU-DDU” from now on, thank you), however, I actually sought this release out after seeing the video teaser the day prior, because it seemed very intriguing -- and for once, I wasn’t deceived. 

(Just to preface, we’re only going to be talking about the title of this release since this is not an in-depth review, but I would definitely recommend listening to the other two songs, if you’ve got the time.)

“DDU-DDU” is a pop-rap song heavily influenced by trap and EDM with its heavy bass and almost peculiar-sounding beat. Right from when the song starts and the group screams their name into your ear on the first beat drop, you get the sense this is going to be a power anthem about how great and capable they are and how they’re better than everyone else; and as eye-roll worthy as that sounds, that’s actually what makes the title track of this single so great. It knows exactly what it is and it accomplishes its goal perfectly with gutsy raps and surprisingly solid vocals. 

The aforementioned raps are really where this song finds its footing because the chorus isn’t much, but that’s perfectly fine, because with a song like this, the chorus doesn’t have to be groundbreaking. The first rap is delivered by member Yejun, with a slow and suavé kind of flow to it; the kind of rap you would expect to play while the final boss of a video game or the big bad of an action movie makes their first appearance. The punchlines are a little weak, but I think the way this rap flows in itself makes up for that in earnest, it just sounds so good, you don’t really care much about what he’s actually saying. Then, the second rap, delivered by member Saint, follows the chorus and it’s the antithesis of what the preceding rap was; it’s fast-paced, hard-hitting, and really drives home the point of the whole song. I still don’t know that ‘that ddu-du ddu-du du’ is but I fully believe I was hit with it. 

Not to undermine the vocalists, though, because they really did an outstanding job, despite this type of beat and vibe being more fitting for rappers. The main vocalist, Seongwoo, stood out to me because of the way he sang his lines. It’s hard for a lot of k-pop vocalists to portray bravado and confidence with their voices because they are trained to sing in very distinct ways, but he captured that vibe perfectly while still managing to sound stable and light. “DDU-DDU” is the kind of song you play when you need a confidence boost, no doubt about it, and it’s definitely made its way onto my playlist. 

Listen to “ DDU-DDU ddu-ddu (뚜두뚜두)” here and stream the music video here.

#004. “BLAME IT ON YOUR LOVE” - SINGLE BY CHARLI XCX AND LIZZO RELEASE DATE: 15 MAY 2019

These two getting together was completely unexpected on my part, but it was the match made in Heaven that I never saw coming. A snippet of this song actually leaked sometime last year, which had many living in the XCX-verse on the edge of their seats waiting for the project to come back ‘round, and Charli and Lizzo made quite a wave on Twitter when they announced they were doing this piece together. Though I was definitely thrown, I was excited; both artists have a way of being so wonderfully simple and straightforward with their lyrics, but combine that with complex arrangements and composition and messages that it leaves you trapped between two different feelings, and it’s great when music can evoke that strong of a response. 

“Blame It On Your Love” is no exception to this formula these two ladies employ in completely different ways, and their radically different styles come together with a harmony that makes this such a good, and unique song. I wouldn’t be against them forming a duo or doing a collaboration album, to be honest.

Anyway, “Blame It On Your Love” is an eccentric pop song about nervous jitters and different wavelengths making a relationship difficult -- the feelings seem unrequited but it’s hard for Charli to tell because she can’t get close enough to the object of her affections without turning into a nervous wreck, and sabotaging herself when it comes to opening up. Charli’s vocals are broken and slow and create a sense of nervousness and tension that the listener can resonate with, while Lizzo is confident and straightforward (as always) while delivering her short verse near the end of the song. She seems to be giving a completely opposite message than Charli, but because her high-energy rhymes are so different from Charli’s cautious vocals, it works. It’s not detached, either -- it doesn’t seem like it comes out of nowhere, as the production sets the dong up perfectly to have Lizzo give Charli this reality check. Her banter-like ad-libs really make this song so fun and enjoyable, too; despite Lizzo’s contributions seeming relatively small on the surface, she really did her part to make this song the summer-night anthem that it is. 

Overall, I really enjoyed this release, as I knew it was going to be great the moment they announced via social media that they were working together, even if I didn’t immediately know what to expect. I hope these ladies collaborate again in the future; I think when wildly different artists come together and vibe the right way, it can make a memorable spectacle. We need more of that. Some artists are way too full of themselves these days. 

Listen to “Blame It On Your Love” here.

#003. “DEDICATED” - STUDIO ALBUM BY CARLY RAE JEPSEN RELEASE DATE: 17 MAY 2019

If I could only recommend you one underrated artist to stan this year, it would be Carly Rae Jepsen. This is the first time I’ve discussed her on my blog for a while because she sort of fell off the radar after “Call Me Maybe” had the whole world singing in 5-syllable sentences for the better portion of 2012, however she came back onto my life on a better note when “Cut To The Feeling” was pretty much the Pride Anthem of last year. I went back and listened to pretty much everything I had missed from her and when I tell you this girl is not only talented, but pretty much dedicates her career to true retro-esque pop music, I mean it, and I couldn’t mean it more. While I’m sure none of us were as excited to hear “Dedicated” as my best friend’s boyfriend, there was a lot of anticipation surrounding Jepsen’s fourth studio album via her cult following. Now that it’s here, I can verify it was not only worth the wait, but that it didn’t disappoint in the slightest. 

Carly (I’m going to call her by first name for the rest of this segment because I feel foolishly close to her) has the energy and ambition of a pop star with the innocence and modesty of the girl-next-door, and I absolutely love that about her. As much as I need to hear a good, old-fashioned pop song about having sex with a stranger in the back of a stolen SUV every now and then, there’s something so refreshing about Carly’s innate curiosity about love and how desperately she wants to experience it as a young (33 is young, shut up) woman with a big heart. I believe “Dedicated” is the clearest glimpse into her world she’s ever given, and with that, the songs I would like to highlight from this 13-track (not counting the bonus tracks) wonderland of an album are “Now That I Found You”, “Right Words Wrong Time”, and “Real Love.” 

If you haven’t heard “Now That I Found You” by now, I want you to know that I am deeply disappointed in you. This song is everything you’d expect from CRJ and more -- the retro vibes, the high-energy, the stellar vocals and the addictive lyrics blend together to make this not only the song of the summer, but the song of every summer. The delivery of the lovesick lyrics is so earnest and bright that it not only puts you in a great mood, but makes you want to go outside and dance in the rain, regardless of who’s watching, or your high chances of catching a cold. This is exactly the kind of pure, unadulterated pop that Carly delivers consistently without getting stale; it’s so easy to get lost in her world that you won’t even realize 3 minutes and 20 seconds has gone by and you’ll want to replay it 20 times on your drive to work or while sniffing melons at the supermarket. I know this sounds oddly specific, and that’s because it is. I listen to every piece I review 3 times over at least, and this was one of the easiest songs to follow that rule with to date. 

“Right Words Wrong Time” is the second-to-last song on this album, and I think that was done with a concerning degree of intention. It’s a slow, melancholic track about a relationship that just isn’t working because the two lovers are on two different wavelengths. It rings consistent with Carly’s desire for passionate and confident love, as she’s frustrated with her lover for not prioritizing her enough to know what she really seeks in their relationship until its too late. I was considerably surprised by this track, but I think it works so perfectly for this album’s overarching layout and themes because it teaches the listener that you should never settle in a relationship, and you should know when you’ve given enough chances. It’s not a song you could break out in a full-choreographed dance to at any given time, but it doesn’t need to be for the message it’s trying to convey. Carly’s soft vocals and the simple, tastefully-repetitive beat amplify what she’s saying in a way that really resonates with the listener, which is exactly what the lyrics of this song demand. It works perfectly. 

Remember that point about “Right Words Wrong Time” intentionally being toward the end for a reason? Well, “Real Love” ends this album and that same concept must have been employed here, too, because this song ties this album together so perfectly, it could honestly work as a formal outro. It sums up what Carly has always been about, wanting “real, real love” in a cold and unforgiving world when she doesn’t know who to trust or who is telling the truth. It’s such a wholesome desire that I think most people can relate to in one way or another, because at the end of the day, a lot of humans just want real, honest relationships that give them a reason to get out of bed on a particularly tough day, or to reassure them that they’re worth something when the world gets them down. This energetic pop song and earnest ballad hybrid showcases just how much CRJ makes music for normal, everyday people who aren’t glamourous rich pop stars constantly feeling like they’re the best. It’s so honest and I can feel how naked she must have felt writing and putting out a song like this, and it shouldn’t go without appreciation. 

Listen to “Dedicated” here and stream the music video for “Now That I Found You” here.

#002. “90s BXTCH” - SINGLE BY KKUMA (꿈아) RELEASE DATE: 26 MAY 2019

If I had been on top of my game this month, this song almost certainly would have missed the cutoff date to be included in this list -- so I guess my turmoil was a blessing in disguise (though it could have always been included in next month’s, I know, but I like to be optimistic sometimes). 

Kkuma is one of those artists that, even if by some tragedy you don’t like her, you have to respect her because of how iconic her style is, what she stands for, and the fact that she’s probably produced some of your favourite Korean artists’ biggest hits. She’s really been outdoing herself this year by releasing so much music after leaving her fans with very little the last year and a half, and nothing she’s put out has been bad. Period. 

(The reason I haven’t been reviewing them all individually is because I’m nearly certain that she’s gearing up to release an album this year, by the way. I’m not a fake stan, I promise). 

“90s BXTCH” stood out to me this month because of how utterly Kkuma it is -- she’s basically pioneered the 90′s aesthetic in the Korean music industry and she knows that with a song like this, from the descriptions of classic 90′s aesthetics and imagery to the way this song sounds like it could have been ahead of its time during its release in 1996. The chorus references “Sade,” though I’m not entirely sure if it’s referring to the solo artist or the band she was in that was named after her -- either way, Sade is a 90′s icon known for her soulful vocals and unique style, and Kkuma mirrors that in 2019 in a way that is indescribable. It’s a perfect allusion.  

As the single description states, the track is an ambitious mix of 90′s R&B and contemporary hip-hop, and it works so beautifully, showing that old trends really never die because they always come back in one way or another. Kkuma makes it clear through this song that while she’s a simple woman, she isn’t basic; she enjoys the finer things in life but they’re not all she cares about. The song has an underlying message about being true to yourself no matter what everyone else is doing, and also that it’s a beautiful life when you mind your own business and do things your own way. The seamless blend of vocals and rap is done so well that it’s nearly undetectable when she’s switching from one to another, and I love that this woman literally has no rules when she puts out a song -- that she can do whatever she wants and still make something incredible. 

The beat of the song is just as relaxed and confident as the lyrics, and given that Kkuma writes and produces her own music, I’m not surprised by this, though I am impressed by how in-tune she is with her own aesthetic and her own music. Kkuma prioritizes aesthetics a lot in both her visuals and sound, and “90s BXTCH” is like the final boss as all of that culminates and she shows you exactly who she is and what she’s about in just one song. It takes strength, confidence, and self-awareness for an artist to do that, and Kkuma’s got all of that and more. I really hope to see this included on a future album of the same caliber. 

Listen to “90s BXTCH” here and stream the music video here. 

#001. “DUSK V. DAWN (황혼 대 새벽)” - REISSUE ALBUM BY NINEBANG (나인뱅) RELEASE DATE: 03 MAY 2019

If you’ve spent more than five minutes on my blog at any given time after NINEBANG’s debut in May of last year, this probably is no surprise to you. Especially when his age bracket and status as a rookie is considered, NINEBANG is one of the best artists out there right now, and the best male vocalist in the industry, by far. I was elated to see that his second mini-album “Eclipse” was being repackaged into a full-length album, and boy am I satisfied with the new material sprinkled into an already-great work. 

Whenever K-pop artists do repackage albums, I get a bit nervous that they’re either going to add bland remixes or re-hash the same song structure they had in the initial release, or completely destroy the synergy of the original release, if it had any to begin with. As much as I admire NINEBANG, I couldn’t evade those worries with him, and I was pleasantly proven wrong as the new material fits like a glove among the original material in terms of themes and structure. Whoever arranged this tracklist deserves a gold medal, as I especially appreciated how the new songs weren’t just tacked onto the end like an afterthought. 

So, that considered I want to exclusively focus on the new material, as I reviewed “Eclipse” in the past. The songs I have selected to pitch to you are, of course “WANT”,  “Artistic Groove”, and “Nightdrive.” 

Starting with the title track, “WANT” is perhaps the best of this dark, sultry image NINEBANG is exploring with both this album and it’s initial release. It’s a contemporary R&B and Pop hybrid, drawing the listener into NINEBANG’s sultry charms and powerful yet versatile voice. The lyrics are actually pretty simple and somewhat repetitive, but the way they are delivered makes this song the great listen that it is. I actually recommend you watch live performances of this song, too, because they are really something. I’ve never been a good dancer but watching someone not only outsing the industry but move so fluidly while doing so is beyond my realm of understanding. Anyway, “WANT” does its job to make you horny but it also incites this sense of curiosity in the listener, too; like the feeling you get when you know you’re about to indulge in a sinful pleasure but you wonder what the consequences will actually be, and if they’ll even be worth worrying over in comparison to the pleasure itself. This song spells out temptation with bold letters between NINEBANG’s seductive vocals and the spell-like lyrics. It’s not a listen for the faint of heart, but it’s a great song by a great artist, and that’s always worth your time.

Next is “Artistic Groove,” and if you thought “WANT” was a little dirty, we’re just getting started. This song is packed with innuendos and suggestive tones, to the point where my eyebrows were almost flying off my face the entire time I was listening to it. It’s so good, though; the way he lays out his sexuality and sensuality for the listener to explore. It, in turn, can make the listener feel confident and sexy, on top of being the kind of song you just have to move to. It makes a fleeting attraction feel like something deep and profound, like the excuses you make in your head before a hookup, and while that can be a little dangerous for the weak-willed (like me), it’s the kind of unapologetic self-expression and view into the artist’s mind that I like to see in music. I like to know that I’m listening to a person sometimes, and not some untouchable god, as much life as that can give me, too. 

Finally, let’s end this segment right by talking about Nightdrive. I actually wasn’t sure how I felt about this song the first time I listened to it, but it grew on me by the second time, and by the third, I was belting out the chorus to my neighbours’ dismay. This track features another great vocalist, June of GEMINI, who you may remember from last months’ TMIM post. I can tell these two are friends because they work together really well; their singing styles are pretty different and wouldn’t work together in even a slightly different setting, but they made them work in this suave R&B track about a blossoming attraction in the confined space of a car. The way the verses and bridge build up to the loud and funky chorus via both the lyrical structure and the arrangement of the song itself is so smooth and easy on the ears, while it simultaneously builds anticipation in your chest, and I really enjoy getting invested in a song like that. Their chemistry is really what makes this listen so enjoyable, because I honestly feel as though if anyone else released this song, it wouldn’t have been that great. It just goes to show how specific music can be. 

Listen to “Dusk V. Dawn (황혼 대 새벽)” here and stream its music videos here and here. 

This concludes May’s installment of “This Month in Music”! I hope you found something new or learned to appreciate something you may not have before through these recommendations. Please remember to support the artists by visiting their respective links, and enjoy their music legally. Also, be sure to tell me about your own recommendations from this month in the comments, and feel free to respectfully discuss any of the points I’ve made here, whether you agreed or disagreed. 

Love always, see you next month!  ♡ 

[masterofthez]

The odd state of Undertale the Musical in my mind

In case you’ve missed it back in the fall of 2015 a video game by Tobby Fox called Undertale came out. Sense then it has such become every popular, and for good reason. It is a RPG with the combat being rhythm based or bullet hell depending on how you want to go through the game. It is also very simple with the game play never becoming truly complex. It has a lot of unexplored things in the world that give people things to speculate on. It’s also a very quirky game with a lot of great humor through out. It’s music is spectacular (which I’ll get back to in a minute). Undetale is my favorite video game for all of those reasons and for the fact that it is analytical. It’s a game that looks at video games as a whole. I won’t go to much into that stuff, but if you want some of that you can find Mother’s Basement’s talk about it and Talking Simulator’s more casual discussion/play through of it. But today I’m mostly going to focus on something interesting that has come out of the fandom of Undertale. It premiered live last night and can now be watched on Youtube. Undertale the Musical.

Now before I get into my deeper thoughts on the musical let me just say that I really liked this. I’m glad I watched it and I’ll probably watch it again. As a person who loves Undertale and really like musicals I walked away from this feeling satisfied. All of the songs where based off of the music from the actual game. All the voice actors preformed their parts well. It was something I enjoyed, but I just don’t know if it was something that should have been done. 

Undertale is a deconstruction on a genre, but not of the fantasy genre. Well, okay. It is a little with the monsters over all being good people, but that’s a small aspect. It is a deconstruction of an RPG which is where I feel the argument for an adaptation falls apart. For those not really well versed in games, genres work a little differently in games. They are not grouped in the surface level stuff like westerns, fantasy, mystery, ect.(although those are still there), games are also grouped in genres around how they are played (fighting, plat former, visual novel, ect.). These genres are unique to games. Other medias like novels and movies tend to only really have one way to experience a story. Video games just are not like that. Sometimes to continue the story you have to figure out what is incorrect about the information just given. Sometimes it is being able to hit a button in time with the music. Sometimes it is to sneak past some people. It’s those player interactions that define video game genre. It’s also why this musical will always be lacking in my mind. 

Undertale is looking at something unique to the medium of video games, to the point where what makes it so powerful just cannot be translated into another medium. This is all shown in small ways like with the player naming the main character in the very beginning of the game to later learn that you actually named a character that had died long before the story beginnings, or how the player character is able to hide behind objects that would only hid someone if they looked at it from the third person view that the player does. But the biggest reason why it doesn’t translate is because of the main character’s ability to go back in time and try events over again. This is a power that every RPG character has. It’s just called saving your game and then reloading when you fail and try again. But Undertale remembers whenever the player does that. You kill someone then you go back because you felt bad about it? The game remembers. You constantly die to the same fight? The game remembers. This goes to the point where the final boss’ plan at the end is to take control of your save data. Even at the end of the game if you have reached the best ending of the game where everyone is alive and happy, one of the characters who is aware of the power to reload saves tells you the player, not the player character, but you the person with the controller, to not play through the game again because now everyone has had a happy ending. Going back will only make their lives worse.

Now the musical tries it’s best to capture this by having the main character go back in time after the choices they make give them a good ending, but not the best ending. Now the reason why the main character can do that in the game makes sense on a meta level. They are just starting over the game and making different choices, but videos don’t really work that way. This needs some form of explanation for exactly why a character can do it. And this is where my conflict comes from. I know this is based off of a game. I know why they can do what they do in the story, but only in the context of the game which this is not. If this were to be a better adaption then more time should have been thought about what makes a musical a unique genre. Because this is a musical. Characters are aware of that. The major villain Flowy goes so far as to say that this is all a show and that he and the main character are just playing parts which is in contract to what he would say in the game where he’d say this is all a game. Going down that road would have lead to a less faithful adaptation, but I don’t think that is a bad thing. It just comes with the territory. 

Now, after all of that I still recommend you watch it if you love the game. This really is a project made by fans for fans. It won’t capture every aspect of what made the game amazing, and by trying I think it falters. But it still captures a lot of it from the dates to the quirky characters to the sadness that the king and queen feel. I say to give it a watch if you’ve played the game. It’s a fun 4 hours.

[incorrectmlpquotes]

I watched My Little Pony: Equestrian Girls (2013)

Or: This wasn’t what I signed up for when I started watching this show, but now I’m suckered in.

If I was better at planning things, I would have started with this review. But, here we are.

Some history As stated previously, I was not exactly excited to watch the Equestrian Girls movie (mainly because this commercial still haunts my nightmares). It was a lot better than I had expected, but that doesn’t mean it does;t have flaws. Lots and lots of flaws. The biggest of which being: this feels like fan fiction. Now, let me elaborate: I have seen a lot of people compare works to fan fiction implying that it’s bad or poorly written. That is not at all true or fair. Fan fiction can be complex and well-written and way more interesting than a lot of published fiction. But there are certain thing s a writer can get away with in fan fiction that doesn’t work in other writing. For example, in stories based on, say, a popular tv show, you don’t need to go into detail about a character’s appearance or characteristics because the reader already knows all of those details. A good writer uses a pre-established world and people to get right to the meat of a story and explore other aspects of them. That would be fine, except this movie was intended to be a back-door pilot to a new show.  Let that sink in: they wanted to take a familiar and complex universe with a unique premise and make a high school au. 

The high school au is actually an easy to understand phenomenon. The advice most given to young writers is “write what you know.” I’m not going to discuss whether or not this is good advice, but it does explain a few things. The average age for fan fiction writers is 12-20. What do people in this age know a lot about? The building they spend eight hours a day, five days a week for sixteen years sitting in, thinking about tv shows. Why shouldn’t they write bout their favorite characters doing the same? The problem arises when Hollywood executives who haven’t been in a high school for thirty years decide to screw up a simple concept by taking your favorite characters and using every high school cliche in the book. They do that so often in this movie, I made a bingo game for it. Feel free to play along:

Enough stalling, to the movie:

The film starts with the princess summit. If you didn’t see the (I can’t believe I’m writing this) controversial season three finale where resident brainiac Twilight Sparkle becomes a princess alicorn, too bad. This is not explained and will be a pretty important plot point. It is nice that they give some brief characterization at the beginning, but they don’t say the other Mane Six’s names. Didn’t this come out in theaters? A movie- even one based off a tv show- should provide this information so if someone who’s never seen the show watches it, they can understand the references. The Rugrats movies did it, the Wild Thornberrys movie did it,  and this movie should have done it.

Perchance could this hooded figure that’s creeping about after dark be a villain? Meet Sunset Shimmer. She was Princess Celestia’s  pupil who went rogue after her desire for great power overtook her good nature. Sound familiar?

No? Good

Ah plot contrivances . I understand that these are the bedrock to most movies based in magical universes, but it shouldn’t make me think “how convenient” every five minutes. Maybe I wouldn’t feel this way if it were actually explained what a moon means. They have days. They have months. They have years. HOW LONG IS A MOON? EXPLAIN YOUR UNIT OF TIME, EQUESTRIA!!!

Ok, Twilight’s reaction to being turned in to a human (?) is hilarious. I read that the writers made Spike a dog to avoid the weird dragon age implication, and it is pretty funny, but why does he know how she should act in this world? (And why does that outfit make her look like an anime character?)

I know they needed to get all the characters we the audience are familiar with into one long sight gag, but why is Diamond Tiara in a high school?  How do ages translate in this universe? It’s things like this that reinforce the fan fiction argument

About the songs in this: they’re not great. They aren’t terrible by any means, but after season three (I actually quite enjoyed the songs in the finale) it’s a tad dissappointing

Over fourteen minutes in and we finally get to meet the Mane 6 doppelgängers and the villain antagonist of the piece. Aaaaand she’s a one-dimensional mean girl stereotype. Twilight can fight the literal spirit of chaos, but can she survive Regina George?

Actual Disney Princess Fluttershy. But how does she carry around any books without crushing those animals? My high school backpack would have squished Angel bunny

Princess Celestia: thousand year old omniscient being who raises the sun, demoted to a public high school principal. Not even a school board super intendant. It sucks to be you, babe. That design is beyond hideous btw

The instant they said “princess”, I just knew we were in for a ride. Look, that was the easiest comparison for what was going on in the MLP-verse, but the princess of a dance doesn’t really do anything. They get their pictures the school paper, and maybe the yearbook and that’s all. It’s not like she’s running for class president or something that would actually affect the student body

So are they seniors? There are three pictures of Sunset winning the title, so… 

The moments of self-awareness are really jarring, especially because the principal just spoke to a new student without asking for transcripts or grades or anything

You know, maybe show a little more than just one scene of making Fluttershy cry (a feat so easy her pet rabbit does it on a regular basis) if you want me to believe that Sunset is so mean and scary. She’s not exactly Heather Chandler

If there is one phrase that needs to be expunged from screen-writers’ vocabulary, it is “rule the school.” It is quite possibly the single worst cliche I have ever seen and is usually the worst part of any high school movie. Maybe if Sunset was using her magic to control these people it would be different, but we don’t see that. The lunch room would be the perfect setting to showcase how she divides people in order to keep them weak (a la the Hunger Games), but no such luck

Some hilarious foreshadowing at the hands of Pinkie, and some flat exposition from Applejack. We get it! Sunset is a mean girl! Those exist, but it doesn’t make her an all-powerful villain! So far Rainbow Dash has been presented as a better antagonist than her. Your close friend can do more to stab you in the back than someone who’s shows up just complain about decorations

Sunset disrespected the cider! Kick her ass, AJ!

I’m really glad they found the only poorly-lit corner of the school to have the confrontation scene. But honestly, isn’t running unopposed kind of a pathetic way to win? Like, wouldn’t Sunset rather crush someone on her way to victory to establish dominance? The addition of the new mythos as to what happens when an element of harmony is brought to another universe is actually a nice addition, but I bet we won’t hear about it again until the climax    

So the Main 6 5 were friends and something split them apart? I bet it must be something very serious to divide such a close friend group. Or perhaps a simple yet frustrating misunderstanding that ruins all suspense. Probably the latter. That photo of the younger characters is the most adorable thing i’ve ever seen, though

The moment I’ve been waiting thirty two minutes for: Rarity’s appearance! And it took me that long to figure out that they are basically all wearing the same outfit. I think this might be the case of designing for the merchandise before designing the characters: Doll skirts are waaaaaay easier to sew than doll pants, and those knee-high boots mean less anatomy to worry about. Did that toy line take off? I feel like I never see them in stores...

I suppose I should be asking why the school would care about someone they’ve never met doing something embarassing on a video, but in real life everyone would just assume Twilight was on drugs. Also, I’m pretty sure smear campaigns would get you disqualified from the race

So technology ruined their friendship. That’s not what’s said, but that is what’s being implied

This is the biggest example of how you can get by without detailed characterization in fan fiction but not published writing: the audience know what element each pony doppelgänger stands for because they’ve had three seasons to earn that trait. These characters have not. For the most part, none of them have even slightly acted like them. Rarity’s really the only one, being generous and helping someone she had never met hide from the crowd who has come to mock her shame. I suppose Fluttershy was kind, but Twilight stood up for her first and she was kind of just returning the favor. Applejack has’t had the chance to be honest (providing exposition does not count), Pinkie was visibly angry at one point, and and ending a friendship over a petty squabble is the exact opposite of loyalty. Rainbow Dash would not have ended the feud if Twilight hadn’t intervened. I know this is a seventy minute movie and they have to move the story along, but maybe have less montages and more exploration of character. Friendship is Magic parts 1 and 2 was only forty five minutes only and they managed to introduce a new world, characters, and a plot setup while keeping the story going

And just like that, the conflict is resolved. Rainbow’s design is HORRIBLE. What is up with that skirt? And more importantly: how does being bad at a sport mean you will be a good princess? Wouldn’t her willingness to fix a friendship say more about her character? 

 On to the annoying blue elephant in the room: I hate Flash Sentry. I hate him as a character plot device and I have no use for him. Here is what I have written in my notes for this scene:

Looking past the fact that only one main character has ever shown an interest in a romantic relationship, watching the normally competent and intelligent Twilight act awkward around a boy who (need I remind you) is a different species than she, makes me sick to my stomach. If you like him: fine. If you ship them: whatever. I do not care. This is not the worst ship I have seen come out of this show/movie, but he has no personality or character. He is generic “boy” character who could have been written out and the movie would have been the same. Every time he is in a scene, I roll my eyes and groan. That is all I’m going to say about him

Rarity being overly dramatic gives me life, but the speech about unity just beats you over the head with the movie’s message. I get the comparison, but being part of a school is not the same thing as being a part of a community or kingdom. The second you graduate, you stop caring about your high school. School pride is not the same thing as nationalism

So just to be clear: girl messes up using a copier = comedy gold. Group sings a frankly embarrassing song to the entire lunchroom = best thing ever, let’s vote for her. In real life, the principal would have just walked in and suspended all of them

Why on earth would they manually doctor the photos? It would be so much work to cut those things out. Is there no photoshop equivalent in this world? Why leave a paper trail? But, on the plus side, here is an actual dilemma! Twilight has to figure out another- Oh wait no, let’s resolve that instantly by having Blue Hair McThiscouldhavebeenliterallyanyone find the photos. It’s almost as if this scene was pointless.

Don’t flirt in front of the administer! Geez

Oh look, more conflict. Twilight has to get the crown and leave tonight. Maybe that scene did have a point. Some actual stakes, if this changed the plan to get the crown. But it doesn’t. We know they are going to redecorate the gym. This is just slowing down the plot and taking time away from developing the characters

This is a genuinely sweet scene with Spike. It is one of the best scenes in the whole movie, and it brings up a good point: Twilight feels alone because she is the only one who understands the full weight of what getting (or more importantly: possibly losing)  the crown means, in this universe and her home. But she’s not alone because the people who are depending on her will support her and try to help no matter what the outcome is

HOW LONG IS THIRTY MOONS?!?!

Oh Pinkie Pie. You majestic creature

Oh my gosh, an actually appropriate reactions to a talking animal! Wow. Usually a movie like this would just have a character say, “huh, weird” and no one would react

So the conflict is once again resolved quickly. The problem is no more. This was slightly more satisfying because is did require other people to assist in fixing the gym, thereby bringing the divided school together, but it happened in one musical number. When you rush important plot points, they lose significance

Well, Twilight has six hours until she potentially loses her magic crown to the villain and is stuck in this world while Sunset takes over Equestrian, so IT’S TIME FOR A MAKEOVER MOTAGE!

The animals are helping Fluttershy get ready- this is proof she is a Disney Princess!

Ah yes, the formal cowboy hat. A staple of every dance

I don’t know anyone in real life who’s actually taken a limo to a dance

Remember how I said I wasn’t going to talk about Flash again? Well, I lied. His car screams “douche”, but his personality screams nothing at all because ewe know nothing about this character except he plays the guitar. Granted, that’s usually the amount of info we got about the love interest in a late nineties teen flick, but this isn’t one of those. Maybe instead of that soccer scene, they could have provided reasons for me to care about whether Twilight will dance with him. Just saying

The moment you’ve all been waiting for since it was set up in the first act has arrived. I know you were all on the edge of your seat wondering if Twilight would win. 

Suspense is a tricky thing to do well. You need to build up to it without constantly reminding the audience to the point that they no longer care about it. There is a quote by Alfred Hitchcock that I’m not going to put in its entirety, but here’s the link, that basically says you can’t have a big Thing happen with no buildup. We know that something potentially bad could happen if Sunset gets the crown, but the majority of the movie has been about this darn dance. You almost forget just why Twilight wants to win, other than this is a high school movie. When you only leave fifteen minutes for the climax, with little to no build up (do we even know what Sunset can do?) it’s going to be unsatisfying. I might be putting way to much thought into this kids movie. But wait, no I’m not. This show is not one of the time-wasting cartoons of yore. It covers complex subjects and serious topics, so pardon me if I expect more out of them than cliche after cliche

In a rare display of actual villainy, Sunset offers Twilight a way home in exchange for the crown. This leads to one of the few scenes that shows her self-sacrifice: Twilight cares more about the safety of her home and her friends than her own comfort. I question what has Sunset actually accomplished there that’s so bad, but Twilight is acting noble (and I mean that in the most unsarcastic was possible)

And she just steals the crown. And becomes the most hilarious looking demon ever

How has no one pulled out their cell phone and videotaped this yet?

I question how effective the army of easily wounded humans would be against Equestrian, which is full of creatures who have magic, hooves, and stabbing horns, but whatever

What’s this? Could it be… the magic of friendship? Whoever could have guessed?

This magical pony transformation scene will really come back to haunt me (but at least no one said pony up)

If I’m being fair, this is basically what happened at the end of Friendship is Magic, part 2

So no one’s going to question what just happened? Has the internet desensitized them that much? Don’t act like you know what’s going on Celestia! And How are they going to explain the destroyed property to the insurance company?

Well, the evil has been defeated so it’s time for Twilight to go through the portal and return home. But not without a quick dance first

This scene is cute, I guess. And it is canon that Twilight can’t dance in horse form either

What was their backup plan if Twilight failed? Just wait around there?

Oh good, Twilight has the adventure of a lifetime so let’s end the movie on a really important note: talking about a boy. There’s your moral.

I know I nitpicked a lot (and overused “in real life”) but I do enjoy Equestria Girls. The first time I watched this movie, I was significantly more harsh than I should have been. It’s cute and mostly harmless, with some genuinely funny scenes. Despite the many many plot holes, it is an alright beginning to the series and most of the issues I took with this get resolved in later movies. The antagonist might me mostly absent and doesn’t play a huge role until the last fifteen minutes, but It’s worth sitting through this nonsense to see Sunset’s redemption arc. I don’t know how this would be as a standalone TV show, but there is a line of comics based on it that you can check out.  3.2/5 You know, for a universe that has a character named Cranky Doodle Donkey, Flash Sentry is still the worst name I have seen for a fictional character (and until I rewatched for this review, I thought his name was Flash Century). Here are some unused zingers I had for him: Flash Sentry sounds like a boy band from the early 2000s Flash Sentry sounds like a Flash Gordon fan fiction title Flash Sentry sounds like the name of a bankrupt film company Flash Sentry sounds like a character from Zoolander Flash Sentry sounds like a villain from Rocky IV Flash Sentry sounds like the name of a Fallout Boy song Flash Sentry sounds like the name of a horse that’s predicted to win the Triple Crown but trips during the Belmont … oh, I guess that joke’s not so funny when he’s actually a horse. But enough about me, what did you think? Were there too many scenes of Twilight not understanding the new world, or did those make the movie? Did Trixie have the best line in the entire movie? Will I get the sequel recap up in a timely manner?

[drynights-funnights]

Videotik Review

When pop feeling Taylor Swift introduced her solitary" Me" in April 2019, the tune went viral promptly. It Includes Brenden Urie of Stress! At The Disco as well as the music, the movie is among the both of them dancing and vocal singing at a kaleidoscope of light colors. Not long after the launch, Swift's TikTok accounts published a clip in the motion picture utilizing all the Hashtag, #AnotherLikeMe, as well as it is a verse in the song. "Show us the very best re-creation of the dancing, utilize MEdancechallenge, and also we'll situate our favs," the accounts posted. A great form of TikTo marketing would be to use VideoTik which you can see a full review of here https://youtu.be/efMfu9-PWaU

A week after, #AnotherLikeMe had actually gotten greater than 3 million perspectives. Also, #Medancechallenge had actually acquired over 500,000 point of views on TikTok. It ended up being a promotion triumph for Swift.

If you are uncertain yet why as well as exactly how to embrace this funny and also tongue-in-cheek stage, this is our four finest TikTok advertising assistance.

1) Hashtag Challenge

In 2018, warm late-night TELEVISION host Jimmy Fallon contested The Tonight Show audiences to release videos of these rolling about on the floor, for example, specific tumbleweeds to Western songs on TikTok from the #tumbleweedchallenge. By ancient 2019, over 8,000 #tumbleweedchallenge flicks were shared around TikTok. The response made him comply with a 2nd TikTok difficulty, requesting his audiences to share clips of these drawing mustaches in their faces with an indelible pen.

The challenge would certainly be a large section of TikTok's beauty and accomplishment. Anytime, there'll be numerous obstacles that consumers are participating in. The idea of the #HashtagChallenge includes customers lugging a concept, whether funny, unusual, or requiring some gift, as well as iterating on it utilizing their flicks. Brands use the struggle in precisely the exact same manner Taylor Swift failed by difficult TikTok individuals to make films inspired by the brand's authentic video clip.

2) Creative, Viral Articles

Back in April 2019the the German football team Bayern Munich established a formal profile TikTok preparing to get to prospective young lovers. Although a soccer team seems to be a not likely match for a program that spreads viral, so 15-second films of young adults executing quirky, humorous items, football players' disposition to observe their intentions by dancing on the location made this an ideal video game.

Bayern Munich's TikTok material plan, run in the club headquarters in Germany, involves the social networks group uploading a couple of clips every week of gamers strutting their things. Given that the group began its account, it's obtained virtually 80 000 lovers, as well as its initial 11 short articles have seen more than 4 million events. A great form of TikTo marketing would be to use VideoTik which you can see a full review of here https://youtu.be/efMfu9-PWaU

In 2018 in the united states alone, over 26 million active customers invested, generally, 46 mins on a daily basis over the TikTok. Nonetheless, together with the program still in its infant footwear, there is a true chance for entrepreneurs to increase their makers' achievement as well as susceptability given that it's not yet as puffed up as systems like Instagram as well as Snapchat. Spontaneous, viral articles can, as a result, get you a whole lot farther, in which there is less competition for customers' interest. It's likewise a lot more cost-effective to enlarge your promo on TikTok should you would love to venture right into promotions. The majority of suppliers using the program have started tiny, with this type of natural web content to inspect the waters.

Along with the program offering users the unlimited capability to come to be imaginative, besides, it works specifically well for makers who are offering innovative web content as well as aid. Complying with GlobalWebIndexout of 10 TikTok, consumers share tunes they enjoy to social media, also 53 percent share tunes videos primarily. That is exactly why musicians such as Swift was among the extremely initial to capture the possibility TikTok was introducing.

3) Takeover Ads

The use of advertisements on TikTok remains reasonably new as well as just began in January 2019. When it is mosting likely to cost you cash, it's furthermore a guaranteed technique to obtain eyeballs in your brand name, especially when done properly. There are lots of techniques to utilize promotions on TikTok, in addition to the program, which supplies efficient gauging metrics like clicks, impacts, and also one of a kind reach to establish the achievement of your advertisements.

Takeover ads can be purchased for a brand-new touchdown web page or Hashtag barrier. Additionally, TikTok supplies promotions unique to classes daily. This suggests simply one brand may take control of a course each day. Brand Takeover ads could be in the type of still pictures, motion pictures, or perhaps GIFs.

4) Hashtag Branded Ads

If you are afraid your hashtag difficulty will certainly not remove because you require to it, then you may also buy a hashtag challenge promotion on TikTok. The really initial brand name to do this was style tag Guess along with all the #InMyDenim difficulty. Every customer that began the TikTok program was introduced the battle, which takes a look at started utilizing popular, and also prominent material developers like @ourfire (2.3 million lovers) and additionally @madison_willow (+983 000 fans ). The #InMyDenim difficulty gotten seen over 36 million perspectives.

Sponsored hashtag obstacles are embeded in the kind of a banner ad on the page, which will route individuals right into some challenge page comprising instructions for your obstacle in addition to existing web content using this Hashtag. It'll cost you a little bit of money, where natural hashtags obstacles will certainly not but may deserve your time.

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[christianmenatwork]

Making the Most of the Coronavirus Season-CMAW081-Selah16

S=Something on my Heart

Dichotomy now of slowing down and sense of urgency at same time.  Some of this is being forced upon us, some is our choice which is what I want to focus on, what we choose to reduce and increase during this unique time and maybe even make some paradigm shifts that will continue beyond this crisis. First, let's talk about changes that have been forced upon us. What has slowed down. The economy or more specific to this podcast..work, some of you may have an increase in work especially if you're in medical profession. Most of us have seen a slowdown, or worst case maybe even a loss of a job, and I realize some of you may have been forced to slow because you have actually contracted the coronavirus. Travel.  I'm working from home and as a result I'm spending 2 hours a day at home that I would normally spend in my car, which is a cramped little Fiat, or as I jokingly call my "sports car". When you factor in errands I run between work and home that commute time can add up to 3 or even 4 hours a day. General pace of life, for most of us, has slowed down.  What has increased during this time? Time at home. In some ways, fear and anxiety have increased, though I would argue that as Christians we should be experiencing the opposite emotions, we should be experiencing peace, reassurance, and purpose during this time in contrast to the world around us. It seems to me like there is more time available which is interesting.  The reality is that time is constant. We have the same 24 hours given to us as a gift each day.  The reality is that we are experiencing an increase in certain activities  or you could say an increase in the percentage of time we spend in certain activities.  Let's shift now from what is out of our control to what is in our control. Praise God that gave us free will and the freedom and ability to choose.  So what are some ways we can choose to increase or decrease certain things or maybe a better way of saying it how can we make good choices to best utilize the time that we are given as well as the situation that God has placed us in right now, to make a shift in our behavior and priorities both now and moving forward in our entire lives, both in work and out of work, as well as in the lives of others we impact and interact with in our lives.  I'll start with some broad, philosophical concepts and then bring it back to the practical.  To make it really simple which is generally I've found the best way to be, we need to focus more on God and less on us, or you could say less on the world.  Here are a number of scriptures that speak to this in different ways. Deut 30:19-20a "I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live; that you may love the Lord your God, that you may obey his voice, and that you may cling to Him, for He is your life and the length of your days;".  Colossians 3:2 "Set your mind on things above, no on things on the earth".  Romans 8:5-6 "For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace".  John 3:30 "He must increase, but I must decrease". 1 Cor 3:11-15 "For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay or straw, each one's work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one's work, of what sort it is. If anyone's work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. If anyone's work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire". Matthew 7:13-14 "Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it."  Now, some application.  Let's get into the word and in prayer.  Here are several suggestions for you to get started or to increase your immersion in the word of God. First, WHAT to read. Rayburn Hall - 2 OT, 5 Ps, 1 Prov, 2 NT, Mike Mayo - History, Poetry, Prophets, Gospel, Epistles (what I'm doing using 5 different Bible audio apps. Bobby Hall from Men's Night Out, Fall, 2019 - 8 chapters every day for 30 days (2-1/2 to 3 yrs to read NT), a way to go deep. Chronological.  Where are you in life?-Psalms at night, Proverbs to make a decision, John great place to start to really learn who Jesus is as both God and man and why he came to earth.  HOW - Pray for God to speak to you and not stress over quantity, if you feel led to stay in one verse or one chapter do it.  Value the discipline of having a plan to follow each day but don't turn your plan into a god and fall into legalism. The point is to hear from God not to check off a task on your list. 5 Fingers from Navigators Video about ways to consume the Bible,.  Pick A time (what can you stick to consistently, maybe lunch or break at work, morning, night.  Ask these questions 1. Who wrote this 2. Who were they writing to 3. What is the message 4. What does this reveal about the character of God 5. How is this connected to God “-Adam Union.  There's certainly more we can say about being the spirit including prayer, but let's shift now to what are things of the flesh, things we should be decreasing during this time and moving forward. 2 things to avoid, one is satisfying the lusts of our flesh. With a bit more time on our hands, we will be tempted to indulge in overeating, escaping through alcohol or drugs, or watching a lot of TV, particularly things that don't honor God like pornagraphy. Another thing to avoid is to too inwardly focused.  Spending time alone in prayer and the word is good, relaxing with some TV or a good book or taking a nap is good in moderation, but don't forget to look around to see who God would have us blessing and connecting with. Play a game with your kids, have a cup of coffee and alone time with your wife, text or call your neighbors close by as well as friends, family members and acquaintences far away to see how they are doing and whether they need anything including prayer.  Treat your body as the temple of the Holy Spirit, eat healthy and exercise, take walks or a jog.  Set healthy limits for yourself for eating and drinking.  If you choose to drink alcohol, do so in moderation.  I heard on the Albert Mohler The Briefing podcast that marijuana sales have shot up during this time.  1 Cor 6:12 "All things are lawful for me, but all things are not helpful. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any." Just because Marijuana has become legal in many states doesn't mean we should consume it. Just because the Bible does not say you should not have any alcohol, doesn't mean it's OK to drink beyond moderation in fact it speaks strictly against that. When it comes to our work, just because we may have less oversight working from home, doesn't mean we should be any less productive.  To the extent that we are able, if we are blessed to still be employed, as Colossians 3:23 says "whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men".  Put in a full day's work as you normally would.  Don't be like the servant that buried the talent but rather put your time to good use so that your employer will have a return on their investment in you. Another thought on how to use this time.  Forgive everyone in your life and continue to forgive them.  Here are 3 groups to focus on. First forgive yourself.  During times of reflection, it's easy to think about your past and mistakes you have made. Remember that God has forgiven you and what's good enough for Him should be good enough for you.  Psalm 103:12 says "As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us". You're partnering with the devil and listening to his voice above the Lord's when you continue to condemn yourself and believe his accusations for past wrongs. Second, forgive individuals how have harmed you and if appropriate ask them to forgive you. This includes people who have harmed you in the past as well those harming you now.  Third, forgive groups of people or organizations that have either harmed you directly or done harm or evil in general.  I'm thinking personally about family members as well as about political parties and political leaders. Matthew 6:14-15, immediately after Jesus gave us what we called the Lord's Prayer, he said "For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive their trespasses, either will your father forgive your trespasses". Now back from the practical to the philosophical. Here in NC, Spring has sprung and every day reveals more life as the trees are budding, the birds are chirping and the grass is growing and turning more green.  Life is bursting forth and it makes me think that the paradigm shift that I want to adopt and carry forward beyond this season of the Coronavirus is to live life more abundantly, life in the spirit and not in the flesh, through my work and through my relationship with God, myself, and my family and others in my life.  And when life gets back to "normal", I don't want to fall into old habits that are not God-pleasing and life giving.  I want to look back at this time in my life, whether I'm looking back from this or the other side of heaven, as a time when I made a tangible and meaningful shift to be more a part of God's story and less a part of mine. 

  E=Example of Faith at work

There's been a lot of talk during this Coronavirus about what's essential.  I happen to work for an industry to makes products that are considered essential or critical during this downtime.  This has reminded about how so much of our life is spent on non-essential things, though we've made a habit of calling them needs when they're truly wants.  As an example, in Dave Ramsey's FPU he talks about how we call things like a new car a need when it's truly a want when you have an older car that works fine.  He also talks about how when you're gazelle intense and trying to pay down your debt and get ahead financially, you do things like eat rice and beans, which is a reminder to me that although food is essential to living, the type of food we eat can easily slip into the "wants" category and not the "needs" category.  This also led me not to just think about the value of simplifying our lives and not living in excess, but also how each of us through our work in some way contributes toward God blessing all of humanity.  I've talked in the past about Tim Keller's reference to God's Common Grace in his book "Every Good Endeavor", and how all of our work is sacred to the extent that God sends rain on the just and the unjust, as it says in Matt 5:45, we are a part of the way that God blesses all humans,.  Here are some examples I recently noticed of this common grace.  We just bought a Cat litter system that has separate compartmets, making it easier and cleaner when our 11 year old daughter changes the litter box.  I watched a 3 part series from I believe the Discovery Channel called "Harley and the Davidsons" about how how 2 Davidson brothers and the engineering genius of Bill Harley made a motorcyle that was a step above others and one that has blessed many many people over the last half plus century.,  As a third example, I'm going to reflect on some of the things I've done big and small, that have contributed to God's common grace to other my work and rather than share that with you I invite you ponder on your own career, past present and future and how you are a tool of common grace and as such a great example of faith at work.

A=Announcements

  Will return to weekly release in June after finish with Colson Fellows

  H=Handy tip to increase productivity and effectiveness 

From a quote heard recently from Scott Peltin, Founder, Tignum, is not a faith based organization, but I thought was valuable and pertinent for this time we're in right now "During these critical times it is important to recognize that these are uncharted times and they will require epic leadership. To do this, you will need to show up every day at your best. This means preparing diligently for your day and your critical meetings, recharging your own cognitive and emotional batteries throughout the day, and strategically multiplying your energy throughout your teams. People will need additional direction, extra calmness and self-belief, and a level of humility and vulnerability from you to admit that you don't have all the answers. Great leaders get a little better every day but this doesn't happen by chance.  It must be a choice."

Check out this episode!

[entergamingxp]

Like animals, video game AI is stupidly intelligent • Eurogamer.net

We tend to think of real and virtual spaces as being worlds apart, so why is it that I can’t stop seeing an octopus arm in 2007’s spectacular Dead Space ‘Drag Tentacle,’ the alien appendage of developmental hell? Beyond surface xeno-weirdness, it’s what clever animation and the neural marvel have in common that has me interested. Since an octopus arm is infinitely flexible, it faces a unique challenge. How do you move an arm to set x,y,z coordinates and a certain orientation if it has infinite degrees of freedom in which to do it? How might the octopus arm tackle its virtual cousin’s task of going to grab the player when they could be anywhere in the room – free even to move as the animation is first playing?

You simplify. The former Dead Space developer and current senior core engineer at Sledgehammer Games, Michael Davies, took me through the likely digital solution. The drag tentacle is rigged with an animation skeleton – bones to twist and contort it so animation/code can bend it into different shapes. A trigger box is placed across the full width of the level Isaac needs to be grabbed from, with a pre-canned animation designed specifically to animate to the centre of it. Finally, to line up the animation to the player, inverse kinematic calculations are done on the last handful of tentacle bones to attach the tentacle pincer bone to the ankle bone of Isaac, while also blending the animation to look natural.

The octopus, conversely, constricts any of its flexible arms’ infinite degrees of freedom to three. Two degrees (x and y) in the direction of the arm and one degree (the speed) in the predictable unravelling of the arm. Unbelievably, to simplify fetching, the octopus turns an infinite limb into a human-like virtual joint by propagating neural activity concurrently from its ‘wrist’ (at the object) and central brain and forming an ‘elbow’ where they meet – i.e. exactly where it needs to be for the action.

So what’s the ‘exciting’ parallel? The octopus arm is doing the natural equivalent of a pre-canned animation – outsourcing the collapse of degrees of freedom to its body so that it doesn’t have to rely on a central brain that wouldn’t be able to cope. Similarly, the drag tentacle leans on an animated skeleton to collapse degrees of freedom like a human arm, but also pre-canned animation la octopus, and only directly tracks the player and blends its animation at the last moment – outsourcing to the ‘body’ of the animation and ‘behaviour’ of the scripting.

And it’s not just these appendage cousins. A virtual world having to be encoded and nature having to encode and navigate the real world are both fundamentally about simplification.

Nature having to deal with physics is such a drag.

The only Go champion to ever score a win against Google’s Deepmind ‘AlphaGo’ AI recently retired, declaring AI an entity that simply ‘can’t be defeated’. And yet, according to researchers, even the most powerful neural networks share the intelligence of a honeybee at most. How do you disentangle these statements? I have to bet that if any one contingent of the population is most skeptical of the potential dangers of AI, it’s people who play video games. We’re hobbyist AI crushers. No article on how humanity was only placed on this Earth to create God’s true image in AI would ever convince us otherwise. After all, how can gamers be expected to shake in the presence of these neural network nitwits when we’ve been veritably cosseted by the virtual equivalent of ants with guns?

Yet pouring water on the prospects of AI now or at any point seems foolhardy. 2011 only just saw the deep learning breakthroughs that have now seen translation and visual/audio recognition advanced to and beyond human capability. Such advancement may manifest day-to-day for the moment as little more than AI-generated auto replies to my girlfriend helpfully offering ‘no’ or ‘nope’ in response to whether I’m having a good day, but the application to research is endless. They can rediscover the laws of physics, reveal what Shakespeare did and didn’t write, and predict when you’re going to die. As a subset of machine learning, deep learning neural networks can be trained on data sets until they reduce their errors enough that they can accurately generalise what they’ve learnt for novel data. With layers of ‘nodes’ loosely analogous to our own neurons, these algorithms are powerful, if fundamentally not ‘intelligent’ tools. They employ an incredible level of pattern matching in place of semantic understanding (although the field isn’t without efforts contrariwise). It’s controversial for some to call them AI at all.

Yet, in the gaming space we’ve had the dramatic developments of the fight for human supremacy seeming definitively lost on the battlefield of the game of Go (the more mathematical alternative to chess) in 2015 to Deepmind’s reinforcement learning program, AlphaGo, with technically mindless but ‘creative’ flourishes. And then the salt being veritably rubbed in when Deepmind’s AlphaStar became a Starcraft II grandmaster capable of eviscerating 99.8 per cent of players – as I was writing this feature no less. No AI article will ever be up to date. Again, this isn’t necessarily as impressive as the hype it generates. If anything, it’s AI’s blind proficiency that makes it potentially dangerous. It doesn’t have to be conscious or even particularly intelligent to be better than you at discrete tasks or effectively hurt you through weapon systems and social media and search algorithm filter bubbles. As with the atomic breakthroughs, never bet against science’s potential to better and/or ruin your life.

I think what bothers me most about AI discussions is some of the absentees. Whilst we’re doing our best to expunge this planet of all other company, we aren’t quite alone in a room with AI yet. AI is often referred to as if it’s our one chance at meeting our equal outside of ourselves and yet evolutionary theory has shown us that the entirety of the animal kingdom is in fact one big family tree. Within animals is everything of what we are. The building blocks of higher cognition are preserved within living exhibits all around us – nothing just materialised within humans suddenly and apropos of nothing. And what of lowly video game AI? Are there no benefits to its approaches?

Defining intelligence is plagued by the inherent bias of it being us doing the defining. As Jerome Pesenti, VP of artificial intelligence at Facebook, says of DeepMind and OpenAI’s efforts towards an artificial general intelligence (AGI), it’s ‘disingenuous’ to think of the endpoint of an AGI as being human intelligence because human intelligence ‘isn’t very general.’ We’re enamoured with it as a differentiating factor, but by many a measure we can be beaten out by those we dismiss. If intelligence is defined by information processing and how quickly we can process high volumes of information, pigeons rule the roost. Learning speed? Human infants are bested by bees, pigeons, rats and rabbits. How exactly do you make a test ecologically neutral between an infant and a bee? Most often you can’t – except perhaps in visual tests.

The overwhelming point, however, is that you can’t define humanity’s unique traits as intelligent and grind the rest of the animal kingdom into dust. All behaviour that has survived must be to some degree de facto intelligent if they all effectively achieve their objectives like an Alpha algorithm. Just as popular culture’s depiction of linear evolution is a falsity (we are all equally evolved on this earth apart from *insert politician’s name here*), so is it often true for intelligence. Intelligence is therefore only a rough approximation of the complexity of a natural/virtual agent’s objectives that are fulfilled, but evolutionary solutions in behaviour and bodies are also intelligent. Even if we define intelligence on the basis of how much prior information is needed for the acquisition of a new skill, to what extent is it that our bodies and behaviours factor in? We are all incredibly versed in what pushing a human cognitively looks like – do we know fully what that means for most other animals on the planet? Small brains often just have to find alternative means to achieve their objectives; often by leaning instead on the animal’s environment or body for a solution. Think of the perfect circle formed by a scorpion or spider’s legs. Detecting vibrations spatially is simplified to a matter of which leg the vibrations reach first. No complex computation necessary.

Demis Hassabis (left), CEO and founder of DeepMind, and Lee Sedol (right), Go champion, the first of what will be many to capitulate to the AI juggernaut. Pictured middle – the biggest postitnote in human history. Pictured elsewhere – a postitnote conference. (Image credit: Deepmind)

The key to any investigation of intelligence is that the approach is bottom-up as opposed to top-down. This applies to animal studies. Instead of seeking human-level speech or numeracy in dolphins or tool-use in bees and proving next to nothing, we can ground experiments in analysing how dolphins actually communicate or count in their lives. We can work out what a reasonable test of novel skill acquisition looks like for their toolset. We can look to animal cognition and try to find the evolutionary roots of such abilities in an ecologically valid way.

It applies to AI. The development of deep or reinforcement learning algorithms that accept no top-down imposed-rules, but autonomously train themselves by means of networks that resemble our own neurons inherently has great potential insight to lend on how our brains work. The only issue we now see is that the gaps in data that AI combs off of Google or even scientific data are effectively society wide top-down provisions that invariably bias AI against minorities and women. It’s just another way ‘reference man’ might further plague society. Then we have bioinspired robots, that by dint of being situated in an ecologically-valid environment and taking biological inspiration for their bodies, can actually shed light on how and why animal behaviour, and by extension our own, works.

Enter video game AI – a curious thing. By not exercising the muscles of the very latest AI research it’s left in a place that is frankly fascinating. Evidently fascinating to a large contingent of gamers too, if excellent resources like the YouTube channel, AI and Games is anything to go by. Like the exhibits that buzz around us, developers often leverage much the same strategies evolution has employed to solve intelligence in small-brained animals. However, the term I’ll be borrowing for the closest description of video game AI agents was coined by Valentino Braitenberg in his ‘Vehicles, Experiments in Synthetic Psychology’ way back in 1984. Braitenberg machines are simple thought experiment vehicles, a car for example, with simple reactive sensors responding perhaps to light driving the wheels. Given only the barest of increases in connection complexity between the wheels and sensors, a complex environment and several stimuli present and the vehicle will appear, for all intents and purposes, an intelligent, thinking being. Its behaviour is motivated, goal-oriented, dynamic and adaptive to changes. Yet, underneath it all, there is no processing, no cognitive processes in memory or reasoning – nothing. This, at least in part describes what a small-brained insect running on just innate behaviour is. Given enough additional connections, could it even describe humanity with a consciousness cherry on top? Additionally, Heider and Simmel with their 1944 experiment wherein subjects were shown an animation of simple geometric shape tragedy demonstrated that as social beings our natural inclination is to irrationally project agency, social behaviours and intentions onto things that don’t share our capacities. The problem of AI for gaming is already half-solved by our social intelligence alone. Combined, Braitenberg vehicle-emulating AI systems and our overly-emotional brains produce an irresistible illusion.

Braitenberg vehicles – a crossed connection changes an aversion to the sun to love at first sight. No brain in sight. (Image credit: Alexander Rybalov)

What I’ve grown to love about games is that as engine-run simulations they are often forced to solve scientific problems bottom-up and in bioinspired ways. Whatever complexity it’s given, video game AI has massive advantages over AlphaGo/Star and their ilk purely by having bodies/animations that are situated in a virtual environment. ‘Situatedness’ refers to the fact that as agents we only ever exist in the context of an environment and a body. Thus, no natural complex behaviour has ever emerged without a body interacting with an environment – a brain-body-environment interaction. Being situated in an environment with other conspecific (same species) agents demanded complex social behavior that drove both brain evolution and intelligence in primates and birds (the social intelligence hypothesis). Indeed, Anil Seth argues that consciousness itself is the result of self-sustaining, surviving bodies more than intelligence. Far from the popular culture concern that your phone will one day gain consciousness, it’s hard to conceive that a complex, yet formless, lonely and thriving AI could thus ever share our suffering.

It’s easy to be negative about the lack of progress in gaming’s AI systems, but a whistlestop tour, whilst showing some impressively long delays between theory and implementation, also has a handful of significant advances. Finite state machine (FSM) systems were first based on research from 1955, way before they saw their popular implementation in everything from Pac-Man to the more complex Half-Life 1. It wasn’t until 2005 that Goal-Oriented Action Planning (GOAP) successfully introduced agent planning to FSM game AI in F.E.A.R. Even so, the underlying research sees its origins in the 70s! More recently we’ve seen everything from the enhanced hierarchical finite state machines (HFSMs) in Wolfenstein New Order and DOOM 2016, and the more vigorous advances in AI behavioural trees in Halo 2 and 3 and hierarchical task networks (HTNs) in Killzone 3 and Horizon Zero Dawn. We still see the oldies persist too with FSMs used for the Arkham games and GOAP used for Deus Ex Human Revolution. There’s no one size fits all method. Whilst the lack of mass migration to any one system seems astonishing, the selection and modification of AI systems on a game-by-game basis to fit the niche of a game’s requirements is one of the medium’s greatest strengths.

Every game can be a new opportunity for ingenious new solutions that befits their design – even if they’re not making use of the latest HTN planner. See DOOM 2016 and its seemingly outdated use of HFSMs with all their drawbacks, but also its ingenious inversion of the AI cover system of RAGE. Instead of seeking out cover, it seeks out an open position near cover to maximise visibility to the player and enhance the combat flow. It’s certainly not traditional intelligence. The usual survival pressures have been flipped on their head to create agents that have a deathwish. It’s not an advancement in computation, it’s just clever behaviour emerging from simple rules to fit the niche of the game. Is video game AI not quite like our animal and algorithmic friends in being entirely fit for purpose in this way? Intelligently stupid?

Full of RAGE – its AI that is.

Whilst gaming is appropriated as the next problem to have neural networks solve whilst in the shoes human players would usually don, the appetite for creating robust virtual agents with the sharp edge of progress isn’t there yet. The question is, would we want it? It’s tempting to just riff on the past and suggest we might see 2011’s deep learning advancements become mainstream in 2040, but what we’d be contemplating is games utterly transformed from the purpose-led design of today to something both outrageously resource-intensive and wholly unpredictable. If game designers currently use what’s tantamount to intelligent design to create agents – carving their behaviour to a specific game title’s niche – perhaps deep learning algorithms would be more like guided evolution. In many ways the hand of the designer and artistry is lost. Would it even yield gaming improvements?

Conceivably. Consider the recent AI Dungeon 2 text adventure game that uses OpenAI’s deep learning language models to respond to any input. Whilst it’s not perfect, there’s something joyous about one of the most infamously inflexible gaming genres becoming infinitely so. There are also the endless possibilities of deep learning generated animations and environments – even whole games. Online toxicity could be a thing of the past. As for behaviour, whilst they probably wouldn’t yield intelligently stupid solutions like those employed by our deathwish demons, what if deep learning techniques were kept in their own lane? Having discrete AI systems that could benefit from deep learning like experimental reactive dialogue could conserve elsewhere the creativity of the video game AI of today. Otherwise, games might have to experience a complete paradigm shift – evolve with their agents – to even make it work. Can you also ensure it’s not just the preserve of those with resources?

Simple vehicles or not, there are some beautiful, humbling parallels in how we as human beings and game AI fundamentally work. The American psychologist, JJ Gibson, who pioneered ecological psychology argued that far from amazing world-processors, our brains contain ‘matched filters,’ neurons that are tuned into the frequencies of and resonate with our natural environment by directly extracting information from the world. Essentially, much like an Apple product (given we are nature’s product), we thus have all the proprietary ports for which our environment can readily slot into. In possession of the most complex object in the known universe or not, we simply don’t have the processing power spare to generate an entire internal model of reality. However, we can recognise the parts that we evolved to by being afforded them dynamically. These include filtering for textures, geometry, facial recognition and reading, movement, biological motion (natural-looking motion), folk physics (our innate notions of the rules of nature) – just to mention a few. All animals have their own. But, expert sensory filterers though we are, it’s worth pointing out that perception is the result of the arrow in the opposite direction too (brain outwards). The below optical illusion will have you perceive A as darker than B because your brain predicts a shadow from the object. Connect them with your fingers and you’ll find they’re the exact same shade. What easier way to filter reality than to project expectations – hallucinate it?

‘Perceptions are controlled hallucinations. Reality is the hallucinations we agree on.’ -Anil Seth. (Image credit: Edward H. Adelson)

So where the goal and object-oriented lives of a soldier from 2005’s F.E.A.R. might have looked a thousand miles away from our own, so too are they constructed by designers to resonate selectively with their environment. Quite pleasingly to me, F.E.A.R.s agents have short but frequent plans with an average of less than three actions that they plan to execute. Pac-Man ghosts have only single action plans! This is compared to a potential thirty actions in an HTN. Whilst I understand that these hierarchies of strings of tasks allow for faster, more varied, more adaptive agents, there’s a purity to the ultra reactive F.E.A.R. In a small way, it feels more in keeping with our imperfect reactive brains, whilst in both cases being due to our different kinds of memory limitations. The eye-mind hypothesis suggests that for us there is no appreciable lag between what we visually fixate and process. You acquire info when you need it and minimise any use of memory. When you’re walking, you fixate ahead of you to deliver the motor information for the required thrust to your grounded foot. VR tests too can demonstrate our ‘just in time’ computation. When colour/size categorising and moving objects onto a conveyor belt, subjects suffer from change blindness with dramatic object size and colour changes being entirely missed when subjects have already moved on to and fixated on the belt. Animals, AI and humans – we are all reactive agents.

Consider the sad existence of a F.E.A.R. soldier. He’s nothing but an algorithmically moving animation blind to everything in the world but pathfinding navmesh nodes, ‘SmartObjects’ and the player – but then who are we to talk? It’s amazing to think how visually and cognitively blind we are outside our ecological resonances to everything in the world. Unlike a simple FSM approach, he’s a flexible Braitenberg vehicle whose sensors dynamically switch him between behaviours without any set transitions. Interestingly, what he’s sensing doesn’t comprise light or heat or even his fellow squadmates, but the very abstract, heuristic ‘level of threat.’ This gives us the illusion of some self-preservation as he moves to cover, dodge rolls when aimed at or blind fires when shot at. In truth, there’s nothing behind the eyes – only sensors driving wheels, or, in this case, flexible behaviours. You could conceive of the not-so-easy switch to an AI that senses more natural stimuli and the addition of some deep learning stand-ins for memory and reasoning ability, but it’s amazing to think of the complexity gap between those propositions and yet how effective the former solution is. It simply writes itself that the exact same AI system is shared by twenty or so rats in the world at any one time – mistakenly left on in perpetuity in the background to hog resources as you play. The soldiers are really no more complex than the rats they step over.

Nothing to fear but a heuristic for fear itself.

Algorithms that efficiently handle pathfinding aren’t unlike an ant’s toolkit, only with less complexity. For a set of coordinates, the A* algorithm optimises a path to a goal by splitting the difference between a path formed from chaining the lowest cost path states and a long-term considering path based on the lowest heuristic values (e.g. how far any next path state is from the goal). Given a living being can’t be handed coordinates directly from ‘God’, they too have to rely on simple, robust and some rule-of-thumb heuristic solutions to cope. Ants use an in-built pedometer and in-built compass using the sun as a cue to take a direct path back to their nest after foraging (path integration) whilst also continuously learning simple views (based on shapes) of the world that they can tend towards replicating when rewalking a familiar route. Travelling further from the nest increases uncertainty, so it’s thought that, much like the pathfinding algorithms, they use heuristic values to optimally weight their methods. This negates the need for actual ‘certainty calculations’ in a small-brained animal. However, even on an entirely familiar route an ant has used for its entire life, if you were to pick them up when they are nest-inbound with food and move them to where they’d usually be nest-outbound without food they’d freeze like an Alien from Aliens: Colonial Marines. With all their robustness otherwise, why? Whilst goal-oriented like a F.E.A.R. soldier, they are more rigidly compartmentalised in how they approach their goals. If you teleported a bot holding the flag in any game’s game of capture the flag across the map, it wouldn’t make a blind bit of difference. In this case, extraordinarily, ants almost have the same kind of inflexibility of earlier game AI with FSM-like inflexible transitions between their behaviours. They simply can’t access memories for the outward route whilst holding food. Whilst having to do so much less, the simple flexibility of game AI appears more intelligent. With the benefit of spatial cells in humans, we’re unlikely to become so navigationally unstuck, but our experience of conditional, prompted memories isn’t so unlike the stranded ants.

Perhaps the biggest spoiler of some semblance of individual agency in most games is the existence of some necessary coordinator/director/overlord AI systems. These exist behind the scenes whispering secrets agent-wide when ideally they could all be managing on their own reactively. It’s the illusionary theatre performance nature of video game AI. By far the most most impressive trick in F.E.A.R. is how in spite of being completely blind to one another, a soldier committing to an action (e.g. flanking) has the ‘squad coordinator’ feed the dialogue to another soldier to suggest the first do the said action its already committed to! The coordinator goes over the heads of the individual agents to use them for a simple but effective illusion of communication. Horizon Zero Dawn has ‘the collective,’ which manages the distribution of the machine fauna in their herds. Managing a lot of agents as a well-designed, but loose collective just makes sense. What’s interesting is how these systems act in place of the senses of the agents. The director of Alien Isolation particularly comes to mind in how it drip feeds information including the location of the player to the Alien AI in place of a completely grounded agent. It’s like a Braitenberg vehicle receiving signals from an omnipotent system to enhance its compliance to expected behaviours. The behaviour is emerging from the ether in these situations and not the environment. How might deep learning approach these visitations from ‘God?’ Indirect communication in a collective isn’t entirely divorced from reality, however. Bee foragers assess the state of their hive by how long they have to wait to have their pollen unloaded by storer bees. It’s a gross inefficiency – they could just store it themselves. Without any conscious decisions being made, a force outside of themselves in the dynamics of their collective organisation is allowing them to communicate information by independent discovery. The behaviour is intelligent so that the bees don’t have to be.

Behaviour is intelligent. Whether its produced by small brains or big brains in many ways is inconsequential. Deciding the next step in video game AI might be a matter of control. There’s a fascinating Quake 3 Arena story about a gamer leaving the neural network-based bot AI to fight it out for four years, only to return to a ceasefire. Fascinating for several reasons. One, it’s completely false. Two, people sufficiently believed from their contact with AI as it stands that it could be true. Three, it’s an interesting but completely adverse game outcome that you could easily conceive bottom-up AI of delivering. Why would you want it? But, and I can make this case passionately, in many ways video game AI of today is not inferior or less true to life than neural networks. They embody essential truths of nature and intelligence; that nature tends towards solutions that simplify; that small brains or indeed brainless vehicles can see intelligent behaviour emerge from the situatedness of their bodies interacting in environments they resonate with.

Perhaps the real future is presentational. The Last of Us 2 is adopting elaborate systems that further any illusion of intelligence by giving inter-agent recognised names and personalities to its vehicle husks. Whether we ever stop virtually burning them with magnifying glasses or not, let’s hear it for the ants of our favourite pastime. Intelligently stupid as they are, they might be as real as it gets.

from EnterGamingXP https://entergamingxp.com/2020/01/like-animals-video-game-ai-is-stupidly-intelligent-%e2%80%a2-eurogamer-net/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=like-animals-video-game-ai-is-stupidly-intelligent-%25e2%2580%25a2-eurogamer-net