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insanescriptist · 7 months ago

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Flip the Table

Casually eavesdropping on what should be highly secure frequencies, Jason sipped his beer in a sleezy saloon style sports bar somewhere on the Vegas strip, nominally watching college(?) football; he's a hockey fan because baseball's boring as shit to watch and he's never got the appeal about American football. Football to the rest of the world was at least worth watching for the drama. Something had the Justice League in a tizzy and Zatanna -the one who normally covered Vegas when it came to the costumed crazies- was off world; Jason didn't have the details exactly but it sounded like Zatanna was dealing with some magical planar stuff and was not expected back for at least six more days. Assuming all went well.

So like any reasonable person who's going away for a time, she turned on her home security, had the alerts wired over to a friend -in this case Justice League Dark- gave a list of what was needed to be done and when -the pick up my mail and mow my lawn equivalants- went on her trip, trusting that the JLD were watching over her city and it wouldn't be on fire when she got back.

Such glorious hope.

And thus something happened so when Jason pulled into Vegas proper to investigate a desperate -read last hope- lead on a missing person's case, Jason happened to spy one of the lesser members of the JLD losing their shit in the sky. And so in a moment of civic duty, Jason started spying on them.

Magic was not something anyone trained by the Bat really ever got comfortable about, but chances were magic bullshit was going to intervene in his case. Justice League shit spilled over everything, all the time. Ghost cultists tripping Zatanna's necromancy alarms or whatever they were, was not Jason's business. Not unless the presumed cultists -those that had survived- had the person he was looking for.

No, he was looking at a missing person's case and his lead was 1. cold and 2. a longshot and 3. in a city full of tourists and catering staff, where "seen anything unusual lately" could be "there was this trio of tourists arguing how sex with your best friend doesn't count as cheating," or "someone having a meltdown over the delayed shipping of organic blueberries to the hotel," or "Sarah Maria got murdered a couple weeks ago on the job, but I haven't seen any notice about her funeral stuff on her social media, why yes, I do know she's dead, oh, she's dead and I'm an idiot for expecting someone dead to post on their socials their funeral deets."

Point was, he could look and ask all he wanted, beat feet for days, but the chances of this lead panning out were basically so minuscule that Jason could treat this more as a hobby case while on vacation. He still did his due diligence, asked the staff a few questions, called the guests on the same floor during the time period of their stay about how they found their stay, ran into the dead end of shitty business practices -they recorded over their own records every two weeks- and so unless Jason got the ability to do magic and do a "point me!" spell, the case would turn cold. It sucked when it happened but sometimes the evidence wasn't there. Or wasn't noticed or was destroyed before it could be collected. Sometimes people just didn't remember shit until three weeks later, which with some follow up digging gave him the lead to the hotel. Which got him nothing after that.

As Jason Todd didn't gain an innate ability to do magic that he was aware of that actually counted as magic bullshit magic instead of a couple cantrips, all he could do was get a beer and some food in a Vegas style Texas saloon bar. Which not his first choice, but it was full enough no one really paid attention to anyone. Technically a sport's bar but also very much was not. It was also busy enough that Jason ended up getting asked if someone could set with him at his table -which real Jason said hell no to, but cover Jason did agree to-

Oh. Meta. Jason realized quickly. Oh no, he's hot.

His hair is on fire!

How did the server miss that? Most metas don't casually out themselves like that! Too many people willing to target them for whatever power.

That hair was flaming, tied back in a low tail; Jason blinked and the hair flickered color, looked like normal hair -black- and then back to white fire, then black fire, some tv static abomination of color, white hair and then black hair. Another blink and it appeared to be black flames for hair and yeah, Jason closed his eyes. Pointedly ignored the hair thing. If the meta asked, Jason was judging him for the stupid little goatee.

The rest of the meta was built along the same lines as Jason himself, tall, broad and built. Packed with muscle, which was something to make note of; metas usually were more durable and could hit harder, so Jason casually made note to not get hit if a fight broke out.

Which it might, or probably would.

That's just how Jason's luck ran. To shit.

Said meta also ordered food and a beer, didn't even get asked for ID -unfair bias- and judging by the sound, turned in the seat to look at the American football screen that Jason had been ignoring. His hair had at least settled to black flames instead of the glitchy hair.

Of course as this was Vegas, people gambled on outcomes of games too. Which is how Jason learned the meta was rich enough to blow a couple grand -not expensive in the world of supers- but more than what the average person would be comfortable betting.

There were better ways to piss away money than gambling on sports. Like on over priced burgers and onion rings with an order of mozzerella sticks. The burger was good, admittedly Jason's had better and then some party of guys was yelling at the ref on a screen. And yup, that's some altercation with another table but the barman broke it up with a couple of words.

His tablemate muttered something about the ref having made the right call if one of the players wanted to continue a career professionally and Jason used that as social leverage to get a name -Dan, no last name given- and a bit more in-depth explanation on what stakes were going on; he's a hockey guy, not a football guy.

Some time later, Dan had caught him up on the football drama -nothing compared to the hockey drama- and conversation had drifted significantly from sports, lightly touched on family -Dan had siblings he shared little about other than they existed, which fair, they could also be metas and at risk- much like Jason did -he had siblings that existed, no further details- and parents weren't mentioned. Instead a lot of engineering talk, a slide into ethics -Dan's opinion on killing super villains was very much that some people needed Ended- and some small talk about how Dan's high school English teacher cursed in classical book titles.

Soon the easy joy of potential friendship ended when his phone rang; that was the Batman ringtone and Jason felt no guilt hanging up on him. And again. And again.

Then Dick rang and nope. He was not dealing with their shit. Dick would just sweeten up whatever shit B wanted to shovel.

And then Oracle's ringtone rang. Oh, now that was serious. Justice League shit spilling into his life again. No fucking doubt about it.

"Uh-huh, so what's up? Because I gotta say, I am a couple drinks in and the whole bar is waiting for one of the football teams to fumble or foul up their next play so they can throw down."

"Jay-" She started because much like Bruce, she would rather go straight into the mission, and Jason absolutely had wrong-footed her. Because instead of making excuses to leave, Jason had absolutely stayed. So now she had to rephrase things on the fly because who knows who might be listening in. "Hey, it's on the news that the Justice League is showing up in Vegas; something about investigating something magical showing up."

"Uh-huh, that's not a surprise. There was some magic ninny flying in a panic earlier. I decided it wasn't my business."

"I hadn't heard that," -bullshit, she just hadn't double-checked that herself yet- "but what I did hear that some cult might have succeeded in bringing something over."

"Uh-huh. Well, no one's praying to Cthulu yet, there's been no troublemaking beyond the usual human malice and nothing's on fire."

"We were just concer-" And Jason hung up on Oracle.

He'd pay for that later, but petty was satisfying now.

"Sounded important."

"Was bullshit."

"So an entity summoned by a cult that tripped a bunch of magicians into a tizzy-"

Yeah, those sharp ears were not for show. Enhanced hearing check. "That's a bunch of incompetents panicking." Time for his good guess to hit or miss. "You're not going to decide to destroy Vegas, are you?"

"Done it before, doing it again seems pointlessly petty." Statements Jason wasn't going to prod further right now.

"And what if Wisconson University loses?"

"Might flip the table." Dan shrugged.

"More beer?" Jason asked.

"Sure."

#dc x dp #Jason Todd #Dan Phantom

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sailorspren · 8 months ago

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I'm not a cosmere theories freak but I do have one theory I'm very passionate about which is that the pure tones of Roshar sound like sine wave synths! Let me explain :) I am taking "pure" to mean "consisting of only one note (and no overtones)", which is basically the definition of a sine wave. A sine wave is the representation of a single frequency with no harmonics and is considered an acoustically pure tone. Sine waves don't occur naturally - real world sounds always have overtones, in varying quantities. We can synthesize sine waves, however, and they sound like this (I played it in different pitches so you can get an idea of the timbre):

Here's a visual representation of a sine wave:

So this is what I imagine it sounds like when Dalinar opens a perpendicularity, or when singers hear pure notes in highstorms. And because the sound of a sine wave is so unnatural, it would really stand out and feel otherworldly on a planet that doesn't have modern technology - and I feel like that fits the description.

We also know that it's possible to use tuning forks to play the three pure tones of roshar and pull the matching types of light out of gemstones. While acoustic instruments can't produce a truly pure note (aka a sine audio wave), tuning forks come pretty close. They initially produce high overtones, but those fade out quickly, and then the forks keep resonating with a pure tone. It makes sense that tuning forks are the closest Rosharan humans can get to synthesizing a sine wave!

There's also the fact that Raboniel can sing the pure notes and get the lights to respond, while Navani can't. Is it just because Raboniel's pitch is more accurate, or do singers have an physiological ability to produce notes with less overtones? This is really interesting to me...

And one more fun thing to consider. You know what other instrument comes pretty close to producing a pure tone? The flute! Hoid gave Kaladin a flute... idk if it actually has any reasoning behind it but I really hope it does 😂 imagine how cool it will be if it will be used for musical magic system stuff

#cosmere #stormlight archive #stormlight theories #cosmere theories #rhythm of war #rhythm of war spoilers #cosmere music theory

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creature-wizard · 25 days ago

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A common element in conspiracy thinking is believing you can find the truth by filtering out the elements of any given conspiracy myth that you don't agree or vibe with and replace them with things that fit your own worldview.

An example of this are New Agers with progressive-leaning values who believe in stuff like reptilian aliens while discarding queerphobic conspiracy theories about homosexuality and transgender being part of the reptilian agenda. They decide that this anti-queer stuff is coming from disinfo agents or from people who just haven't raised their vibrational frequencies high enough.

It doesn't really cross their minds to ask themselves whether there's any actual evidence for the existence of reptilian aliens that holds up under critical examination, nor to deeply investigate the origins of the alien mythology they believe in. They just think that they can project whatever they want to believe onto it, and they're good.

Now don't get me wrong, it is good that they support trans and gay rights, and that they look at these queerphobic narratives and go, "hmm, that's not right." That is very good, and I am glad that they are out there pushing back against these hateful narratives. Just because someone isn't doing the work perfectly, doesn't mean it's nothing.

But the problem here is, the mythology itself was constructed by the kind of hateful people these folks claim to oppose. Today's reptilian alien mythology was put together by David Icke, combining ideas from Zechariah Sitchin, Alexander Hislop, and centuries' worth of antisemitic conspiracy theories. (Icke essentially said in The Biggest Secret that The Protocols of the Learned Elders of Zion are basically true if you swap out Jews for reptilians!)

Now of course, the nature of knowledge and discovery is that people who are on the right track can still be wrong about some things. But we don't just decide what they're right about and they're wrong about by picking out the bits that resonate with us or align with our politics and discarding the rest. We do it by demanding and conducting better research.

So just how do you conduct effective research? Well, for one thing you develop better information literacy. Here's a resource for that.

You develop your critical thinking skills. Here's a guide.

You learn to recognize unethical manipulation techniques.

You familiarize yourself with the characteristics of pseudoscience and the characteristics of conspiracy thinking.

You also familiarize yourself with how the scientific method works.

You can also look up any number of basic "how to research" guides. Here's one.

The kind of pick-and-choose behavior I talked about is what a lot of proponents of alter programming conspiracy theories do. They think that if they just filter out the stuff about the Illuminati and ancient satanic cults, then they've got the reality of the situation all figured out. It doesn't cross their minds that the fact that their favorite authors are quoting people who were found to be unethical or were outright conspiracy theorists should be sufficient to call the entire thing into question.

You don't get closer to the truth by picking and choosing what you want to believe.

You get closer to the truth through actual research and science, and accepting what the evidence suggests even when it doesn't validate your preconceptions.

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raven-at-the-writing-desk · 10 months ago

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umehara appears (again)

I know he’s a prolific VA but tell me why I keep getting jumpscared by this man 😭 This is like the 7th time where I’ve consumed media, went “wow, this voice is nice and it sounds kinda familiar!”, then looked up the VA and found out it was UMEHARA… I don’t think I’ve run into any other TWST VA in the stuff I play/watch to this frequency…

AnYWAY

I wanted to share that Umehara voices this character in a recent GBF story event; it’s a younger version of a 68-year old butler-knight ex-mercenary named Sevastian. In the past, he was known as Wolfe and??? His hair actually looks similar to Leona’s (color and length) and he’s basically this world’s version of a beastman (Erune) and also his cleavage is showing.

Over the course of the story, Wolfe falls in love with a woman. All GBF story events are fully voiced, SO WE CANONICALLY HAVE A L*ONA VOICE CLIP OF HIM SUGGESTING TO ADOPT A Cheka CHILD WITH A HUMAN 💀 AS WELL AS OTHER ROMANTIC LINES… (I mean, yeah, Umehara has also voiced in real otome games but I feel this character is the closest in tone and attitude to Leona, making his lines the most transferrable to TWST.)

P.S. Okay but picture L*ona in this fit, I think he’d kill it—

We also get various lines that feel like things Leona has actually said before or would actually say:

“You’re really going to ignore what I just said and invite me along?” I swear to god Leona has said this before to both Silver and Rook for being overly friendly or insistent that he join them for an activity.

“I, on the other hand, wish you could vacate my life permanently,” sounds like a sarcastic formal comeback he’d pull out when forced to put on airs but he still wants to insult the other person. HIS PETTY ERA………………. ……. …… ….. … . .. ….. .. . … .. . . .. . . .

Those are only two examples, but there’s a lot more on the actual event story OTL

I CAN’T BELIEVE THIS, IT’S A PERSONAL ATTACK ON L*ONA SIMPS/j

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princessaffirms · 2 months ago

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how do you know law of assumption is real? have you ever experienced anything supernatural?

hi angel! ₊˚⊹♡ i love this question so much, thank you for asking!✨

for me, the law of assumption just makes sense. it’s literally how the mind, consciousness, and reality interact.

your thoughts, beliefs, and assumptions SET the BLUEPRINT for how you experience the world around you.

going back to the basics of the law: your 3D doesn’t create your assumptions — your assumptions create your 3D. the 3D is literally just a projection of your assumptions. always.

and ever since i learned about it, it’s just made SO MUCH SENSE!

even on a neuroscience level, IT MAKES SO MUCH SENSE! your thoughts and beliefs literally shape how you perceive and experience reality.

your brain is WIRED to filter, interpret, and prioritize information based on what you assume to be TRUE.

when you change your assumptions, you’re not just shifting your energy. you’re literally rewiring your brain’s filters and creating a new version of reality to experience.

so of course the 3D would start reflecting that back to you!

　 . ★⋆. ࿐࿔　✦　　　.　　. 　 ˚　.ੈ✧̣̇˳·˖

the times i shifted my mindset, held a new story, and persisted even if i didn’t necessarily see immediate results in the 3D (although you can definitely instantly manifest)? those were the times my ENTIRE REALITY SHIFTED around me. opportunities showed up. people changed how they treated me. “impossible” things just “magically” worked themselves out.

but it wasn’t random. it wasn’t luck. it was me.

the consistency, frequency, and ACCURACY of my manifestations materializing and being reflected to me simply cannot be chalked up to chance.

and the more i practiced it consciously, the more undeniable it became.

it’s not about “forcing” the universe. it’s about becoming the version of you who already lives in your desired reality, and letting the 3D rearrange to match that. not worrying about the how, the when or the why, but instead just FOCUSING on the end goal and LIVING in that! it’ll all work itself out somehow, and that’s the beauty of the law. you don’t HAVE to understand the “logic” or the “how”. 🤍 you can just receive!

　 . ★⋆. ࿐࿔　✦　　　.　　. 　 ˚　.ੈ✧̣̇˳·˖

💐✨ about supernatural experiences:

if you mean things like ghosts, telekinesis, or traditional “paranormal” stuff: PERSONALLY, i haven’t experienced that, although it’s not really something i believe in or care much to believe in! and that’s okay. you don’t have to believe in the paranormal to recognize the incredible power of your own mind.

but if you want to assume that you experience those kinds of experiences and you wholeheartedly believe, assume, and accept that as true? who’s to say that you can’t? your reality is your own, and you get to set the rules based on your assumptions, beliefs, and what you accept as NORMAL.

when i talk about “supernatural” experiences with the law, i’m referring to the way reality starts to mirror what i’ve assumed, scripted, or visualized, in ways that feel so undeniably magical and precise.

things like:

• the way people treat me shifting to reflect me being the princess in my relationships (romantically, platonically, etc.)

• being known for both brains and beauty: my reputation literally matching the identity i affirmed for myself (“the local princess” energy!)

• getting high grades or grade changes even when, logically, the 3D odds didn’t seem in my favor

• specific scenarios i visualized or wrote on my vision board now existing in my camera roll as lived-out memories

these are the kinds of “supernatural” things i experience daily — but they’re not really supernatural at all.

they’re natural outcomes of assuming, persisting, and living from the end.

　 . ★⋆. ࿐࿔　✦　　　.　　. 　 ˚　.ੈ✧̣̇˳·˖

you are not a passive observer here. you are the operant power.

you always have been.

　 . ★⋆. ࿐࿔　✦　　　.　　. 　 ˚　.ੈ✧̣̇˳·˖

💐✨ quick note about early learning and the 3D shaping our assumptions:

when we’re little and unconscious of our power, the 3D can shape a lot of our early assumptions: through our environment growing up, childhood experiences, and what we were taught to believe was “normal.”

but once you become aware that you are the operant power, you’re no longer at the mercy of the 3D.

you stop letting the 3D create your assumptions, and you start letting your assumptions create your 3D.

that’s when everything changes.

　 . ★⋆. ࿐࿔　✦　　　.　　. 　 ˚　.ੈ✧̣̇˳·˖

i hope this helped clarify some things! and again, what’s possible or doable is really only limited by your own beliefs and assumptions. as i mentioned earlier, it ALWAYS goes back to the fundamental principle of the law: your assumptions CREATE your reality.

please feel free to reach out again if you have any more questions!! 🥹🫶✨

much love and light always! <3

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am-i-the-asshole-official · 1 year ago

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Would I Be the Asshole if I date my FWB without telling them I am aromantic?

I (23F) am fwb with May (24F) May is bisexual and I am an aromantic allosexual lesbian. No one knows I am aromantic, I don’t plan on telling anyone.

Background: May and I have been friends for 2.5 years. We met in college through a mutual friend (Frank 23M) but we were never really close until the summer after graduation when she and her ex boyfriend broke up. Frank had been out of town but I was around and was there for May. About a month after they broke up May and I got a little drunk and May started talking about how she had realized she was bi when she was with her ex-boyfriend and she had never gotten to be with a girl. One thing led to another and we fucked. Since then we’ve hooked up with relative frequency, but mostly we just hang out with Frank as a trio. May and I obviously had the Conversation when we first started getting together but she had just broken up with her ex and didn’t want to start a new relationship.

Situation at hand: up until very recently I thought Frank had no idea about me and May. I guess he knows though! Because he told me that May has expressed to him wanting to be more than fwb with me, and he wants to solve our “useless lesbian drama” and just officially date. I basically told him that I had no idea May was into me romantically and that I would talk to her about what we are.

What I want judgement on: I like May! I think she’s fun and nice and pretty and has very good opinions on reality TV drama. However. I am aromantic, I don’t feel romantic attraction to her or anyone. I’m not romance repulsed though, I think dating and romance stuff is really fun. If I tell May I am aro, though, she will likely no longer want to date me

For May, dating me and dating an alloromantic person would be indistinguishable. For me, I would get to spend more time with a person I like, do fun dating stuff, and would move to being exclusive with her. This seems like it would benefit everyone, but I would not be telling her the full truth.

So WIBTA for dating her and not telling her I am aro?

P.S. by the time this has posted I will probably have already spoken to her but it will still be good to know.

#aita #am i the asshole

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stranger-things-yapper · 1 month ago

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I really, truly believe that if El and Dustin ever got together, they'd do crime. I can fully see them teaming up to break into places and steal stuff. Like Dustin makes up a plan, El opens locked doors and knocks out security and disables cameras, they go in and out unscathed and terrorize comercial buildings everywhere.

Now that we have Steve and Robin working at a radio station, it gives me reason to imagine a Stranger Things Pirate Radio AU. El and Dustin set up the broadcast, Jonathan is the DJ, making several mixtapes to play on air, and he also teams up with Will to make flyers to spread the word of the frequency they hijacked so people can listen to them if they want (Jonathan takes photos, Will makes the designs). Robin is the radio host, talking about breaking norms and inspiring people to think for themselves. Steve is co-host, there to banter with her and provide entertainment (and most times to be the butt of the joke because he is really good at that).

Nancy provides important news stories that established newspapers won't talk about, to give some variety to the program. Eddie convinces Jonathan to play a few of Corroded Coffin's original songs, because there's nothing more metal than a pirate radio station made by the people, for the people. Dustin acts as a supporting host when Steve or Robin or both can't make it to their show, and El learns how to work the broadcast to cover for Dustin in those occasions. They have Eddie (and his van) on call so that whenever their location is busted, they can put all the equipment in the van and lay low until they have a new location to broadcast from.

Just a bunch of rebellious teens and young adults making something for themselves in a world that will never give them anything on a silver platter.

Also I imagine this being a prime scenario for not only Henderhop, but for Stonathan and Ronance as well because of course it is. Rebellion's gotta have a little queer in it, it's basically a requirement. I can imagine: Steve trying to get Jonathan to respect him (because he refuses to accept that his music taste is bland and Jonathan has to realize he's wrong) and Jonathan being endeared by how cringefail he actually is ("No, we are NOT playing Bruce Springsteen"); Nancy and Robin spending a lot of time together because of their work at the station, Nancy being excited to be a part of something important and grateful to Robin for giving her the opportunity, meanwhile Robin is unsure of what to do with all this praise and can only blush and try her hardest to not ruin things by talking too much.

But the show is where Robin really shines, and the way she talks about how the patriarchy harms both women and men causes shifts in the dynamics around the radio station. Steve gets progressively more touchy with Jonathan because "men should be able to display physical affection just like women are", causing Jonathan to panic internally while trying to play it cool on the outside, and Nancy starts fumbling her words A LOT when she's alone with Robin and their one-on-one interactions get increasingly chaotic.

And in the middle of all of that, we have the nights where they all go out to eat at the only open diner after midnight; we have the tense moments where they are trying to avoid suspicion from the police; we have the little moments where they see the good impact their work is having in the community. They may be on borrowed time, but they are gonna be forever changed by this endeavor, even if it is short-lived.

#stranger things #pirate radio AU #eleven hopper #dustin henderson #henderhop #jonathan byers #steve harrington #stonathan #nancy wheeler #robin buckley #ronance

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magnus-marmot · 2 months ago

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Comparing Control (the game) to TMAGP

So I finally got around to playing the video game Control after Alex mentioned having been inspired by it in the season 1 QnA. (I started the game years ago but my old computer refused to run it.) And I can definitely see some of the inspiration.

The Federal Bureau of Control is what the OIAR wishes it could be. Their job is to basically track down Altered Objects, Altered World Events and Objects of Power, research them, contain them and then put out an "official" story for the public to avoid any further panic. It's reminiscent of the SCP Foundation, and functionally it combines the purposes of both the Magnus Institute and the OIAR. The player is also given loads of lore on the paranormal events through a variety of media, including letters from concerned citizens, official reports, internal correspondence, recorded interviews, radio/TV programs and so on, which reminds me of the way TMAGP is formatted. I recommend you play it if you're interested in this kind of stuff and some action-oriented gameplay. It's actually super interesting, and I understand how it could fill up the creative tank, so to speak.

What really caught my interest was that I noticed a striking similarity between the explicit metaphysics of Control and the theories I've had for TMAGP. Like to the point where I'm doubting myself because surely the inspiration couldn't be that direct. Let me explain, and then you can be the judge (also some surface-level spoilers for Control).

Control metaphysics and how they relate

In Control, the AWEs seem to be largely caused by people's thoughts and beliefs. People's perceptions morph reality by creating archetypes in the collective unconscious, which then manifest into paranatural objects and events. The FBC uses fancy (pseudo-)scientific language like parapsychology and parakinesis, they talk about rituals and the collective unconscious and resonance and frequencies. They are concerned with Thresholds, which are places in the world where different dimensions leak into each other. The Bureau itself is an altered location (or a Place of Power), in which the architecture keeps shifting unexpectedly and which seems to work like a nexus that creates links to other altered locations, objects or phenomena. For example, you can find a light switch that doesn't connect to anything, but by pulling it three times (ie. performing a small ritual), you get transported to a motel that's kind of like every motel you've ever been at and also none of them. Just the amalgamation of the concepts people connect to motels.

If you've read any of my TMAGP theories, all of these ideas should at least vaguely ring a bell. Everything from the collective unconscious to people's thoughts being manifested in reality, the liminal spaces created by the amalgamation of those thoughts, and the mercurial locations where the dimensions bleed into each other. The difference being that I use archaic alchemy concepts for my points, while the game uses modernised language that at least tries to pass as scientific. Which, mind you, is not incompatible with alchemy either. For example, modern Rosicrucians still rely on alchemical language, but they often apply it more metaphorically to the modern (though equally pseudoscientific) concept of resonance and manifestation. I guess I'll very briefly break those ideas down too.

Resonance and alchemy

The metaphysics in Control revolve around vibrations and resonating frequencies. This is based on the real world belief that everything in the universe is vibrating at a certain frequency, and similar frequencies attract each other (known as the Law of Attraction by those who buy into it). The idea is that you can manifest things and outcomes into reality by aligning the frequency of your thoughts with whatever you want to manifest. Think of something real hard and it will come to you, be it good or bad.

This idea is not necessarily new, even if the language for it is (at least relatively speaking). Pythagoreans thought that there's a universal harmony created by the movements of celestial bodies, and it's reflected on our lives on Earth ("as above, so below"). This concept was equated with anima mundi or the world soul, and it's the same idea that alchemists later associated with either Aether or Mercury or both (depending on who you asked). Mercury is the shared life force on our earthly plane and it reflects the Aether that makes up the heavenly plane. Changes in one must be seen in the other ("as above, so below"). And we've come a full circle.

My take-away from this

I don't think Alex has directly stolen any ideas from the game, and while I can definitely see some inspiration, the feel of the two pieces of media are totally different. So I'm not drawing these comparisons to prove a point, I just thought it would be interesting to talk about them. But we're definitely dealing with classical alchemy concepts in TMAGP, and we've even been explicitly told that Fr3-d1's code utilises alchemy. I'd also be more worried about the conclusions I've been making if episode 40 didn't make this whole manifestation aspect abundantly clear and difficult to doubt.

But on the other hand, we do have some instances where music (ie. vibrations) is contributing to the paranormal. We've got the violin that produced aetherial, soul-healing music when fed with blood and drove the audience mad when not. We've got Bonzo's theme song, which seems to either summon Mr Bonzo or just follows him around. And most recently, we've got the nursery rhyme that is directly linked to Heinrich Unheimlich and possibly helped in his creation. So I'm not entirely discounting the possibility that we're dealing with vibrations/resonance in some capacity.

Conclusion

This became a pretty incoherent and rambly post, and I doubt many are interested to read about this topic in the first place. So if you made it this far, here's a bonus reason for playing Control: the altered objects are contained in a panopticon that's physically linked to an archive. (The archive is underwhelming but this set-up still tickled me.) Also there's a creepy janitor with a thick Finnish accent who sings Finnish iskelmä songs and loves using directly (and intentionally badly) translated Finnish idioms such as "blow up into pussy splinters" and I love him.

#written after tmagp40 #yapping #this post is for me #the magnus protocol #tmagp #tmagp spoilers #tmagp speculation #control game #ahti the janitor

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yuzuyoon · 2 months ago

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wanna know a secret? there's basically no such thing as "raw vocals" in kpop.

there are some rare, specific moments in kpop that are completely raw but they're so rare, they're pretty unremarkable. for a majority of fans, it's difficult for them to understand what raw vocals are, especially when all they've heard is a voice with vocal processing affecting their every syllable. but when you get into mixing (live or studio) and you actually hear raw vocals and your job is to make them sound not raw, it's easy to pinpoint where the vocal processing is.

it's difficult for kpop fans to understand that they almost never hear their idols sing completely unprocessed and insulting for some reason? it shouldn't be insulting though, every single artist out there uses vocal processing. kpop, western, etc. and the thing about vocal processing? it isn't just so that they hit the right notes or their voice doesn't sound shaky. it's also about making sure that their dynamic level stays even so they aren't either inaudible or making your ears bleed. it's about cutting down cutting down certain frequencies so that you aren't flinching cause when they hit certain notes it sounds like an icepick to your ears. it's about making sure their mic isn't picking up the noise around them and making the mix muddy or feeding back.

have we heard jimin's raw vocals? actually yes. when you see a clip of jimin, or anyone in bts, singing without a mic, that's raw. it's kinda hard to explain, but i think the best example is bts's perfect man performance. i made a video (of course i did)

so in the first clip, i really hate to say it because the behind the scenes showed that bts was completely capable of singing the song live, but the official released performance is lipsynced. i mean, it's really really obvious. but that makes this performance perfect for a comparison.

in the first clip, jimin's vocals are completely flat. as in there are no pitch deviations or shakiness, which is only possible through autotune and pitch correction. no singer, no matter how good they are, can sing a song with notes so perfect their note looks completely flat. additionally, his volume, or dynamics, stay completely the same. when you sing, especially while dancing, some words and parts of the phrase are going to come out louder or quieter. his dynamic range does not change in the first clip. his voice is completely smooth. it's perfect. which just is not possible

in the second clip, you can hear the natural "shakiness" or his voice. now i don't mean his voice is shaky or pitchy, i just don't know how to put it. our voices aren't pianos that can produce a perfectly on tune note. you can hear that in the second clip. you can also hear his dynamics and how he gets louder and quieter on different words. it's not perfect. which is how he actually sounds.

i think bts fans are lucky that we have so many behind the scenes, lives, and variety episodes where we do get an opportunity to hear bts's raw vocals because tons of artists dont have those types of things online (because their companies know that their raw voice doesn't sound how it does on the records).

if you have any questions about this, like a clip that you think might be raw, or a clip you want analyzed, or something that you're confused about, just send me an ask! i can tell you if a clip is lipsynced, backtrack, live, etc. not with 100% accuracy but my job is to listen to raw vocals and make them sound...not raw and i grew up around this stuff, so i have an ear for it.

#i'll do another post on what processing happens on live vocals #like at a concert #there's a lot more than you think #haha i forgot how much i love making these posts #i used jimin as an example but this type of stuff is true for everyone #jimin #vocal analysis

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diapydemon · 3 months ago

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A Little Magik, Chapter 4

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Content Warning: ABDL, MDLB, MDLG, diapers, Spanking, manipulation

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Read chapter 3 here.

Chapter 4: The Magik Temper Tantrum

“Are you excited for our field trip at the end of the week?” Alveria gushed from across the desk.

“Sure, but we’re just going into a low level dungeon, right?”

Alveria frowned, “So you’re not excited?”

“No, it’s not that,” I reassured, “it’s just that we’ve been to plenty of dungeons together before.”

“True, but you’ve never been able to practice magik in a dungeon before.”

“What magik?” I gestured to the wrap around bookshelves of Alveria’s library, “I’ve spent the last two weeks singing nursery rhymes, filling in coloring sheets, and completing worksheets.”

“We really need to work on your patience, cutie,” she smiled at me, “but if you ask me extra sweetly I’ll teach you some basic, practical magik.”

I rolled my eyes, “Ms. Alveria, will you pretty, pretty please teach me some practical magik?

“Dawww, You’re just the cutest thing!” She doted, “how could I say no?”

I sighed in resignation.

“First,” she asked, “how many senses do you have?”

“Uhm… five?” I answered with some trepidation; the question felt too easy.

“Right now that’s true,” she nodded, “but certain runes open up something like a sixth sense that allows you to sense magik more easily.”

“Really?” My voice radiated curiosity, “a rune will give me a sixth sense?”

“Sort of.” Alveria explained, “do you remember how you would feel my magik on you when I would heal you or imbue you with any support magik?”

“Uh-huh,” I nodded, “it felt gentle and warm like a nice bath.”

“Ahww thanks cutie,” she smiled at me.

For some reason that made me blush.

“Well, this rune will help you sense passive magik that isn’t directly affecting you, but is still surrounding you.”

“Ah… so this spell is good for detecting magical traps and stuff?”

“That and more! Everything that’s alive or was once alive has a magical frequency to it.”

Alveria gestured around the library with a wave, “Even these books have a magical frequency; the pages come from trees, and the leather bookcovers come from cows. As such, you can sense their magical frequency.”

“Wait,” I looked at the mahogany wooden desk, “so everything has a magical frequency then?”

“That’s right, smarty pants!”

I blushed; even after weeks of Alveria praising me like a child, I still wasn’t used to it.

“So, how do I activate this heightened sense?”

“With runes,” she smiled, “hence why I’ve been hammering them home for you the last couple weeks.”

“Cool!” I was excited, but I was still missing something: “Uhmm… I know a lot of runes and what they mean, but I still don’t know how to activate them.”

“I’m about to teach you, silly!” Alveria raised her pointer finger and began drawing the Silver Mirror rune in the air, “For more permanent spells, you need more permanent ink, but for temporary, fast-paced spells this method works fine.”

I raised my finger up in imitation of her.

“Focus on the magik aura that tingles on the edge of your skin, and imagine it welling up on your fingertip. The magik gathering there will serve as the ink that you’ll write with,” she explained.

“Now, draw the rune that I do. I’ll go slow, so you can follow along.”

My finger traced intricate curves into the air, and I could feel a small, extremely familiar magik take shape in front of me.

“Good job cutie. Now drag the rune you created through the air and over your ear. Then repeat the process for your other ear.”

I followed Alveria’s directions, and I soon felt a small magical weight that hung on my ears like dangling earrings. I immediately noticed the different auditory world I had stepped into: the mahogany table offered a low hum, the pages of the books produced intermittent chirping, and even Alveria herself produced a comforting melody.

This spell didn’t just heighten my magical sense, I could also hear non-magical sounds that I wouldn’t have been able to otherwise. I heard birds caw in the distance, pieces of conversation from merchants in the square below, and even the rustling of the gentle wind. Is this how Alveria heard the world all the time? No wonder she caught me sneaking out of bed the other night.

“This is awesome!” I exclaimed.

“I’m glad you’re enjoying it, but try not to overwhelm yourself too much, ok?”

“What are you talking about?,” I grinned, “I feel like I just discovered a whole new world!”

Alveria frowned, “don’t push yourself too hard; it’s still your first time and —“

“Ughhh,” I was suddenly unable to differentiate all the magik noise, and it all jumbled together into one, migraine-inducing mess of sound. I felt like I had the worst hangover of my life. On top of that, my nose started bleeding.

Before I even noticed her get up, Alveria had wrapped me in her arms.

“Shhhh, you’re okay cutie,” the warmth of her body and the magical melody of her frequency begin to overpower the asynchronous clutter, and it provided some relief. Soon, the temporary runes faded from my ears on their own, and my senses had returned to normal.

“What… what was that?”

“That,” Alveria rubbed my back while continuing her embrace, “was the first time you used magik. It’s like that for everyone, and shouldn’t be even a fourth as bad the second time.”

“Oh… ok,” I said weekly, “Well, let’s try it again.”

“No cutie,” Alveria shook her head, “I think it would be best to put you down for a nap after that.”

My eyes widened. I was just starting to make real progress, and she wanted me to stop!? And she didn’t just want me to stop, she wanted to ‘put me down for a nap’? Bullshit!

“No!” I shouted louder than I meant to, “I don’t want to nap; I want to do more magik!”

Alveria’s lips formed a thin serious line, “Cutie—“

“No!” I stood up from the chair, “No more cutie this or cutie that! I am not a baby, Alveria, and I want to learn magik; not take a nap!”

My emotions and senses were all in a jumble, so I didn’t even notice Alveria grab my wrist and pull me into her lap until it was too late. She held me down by the small of my back, and peppered my backside with a barrage of quick swats. They didn’t hurt, but the shock of being spanked completely stunned me. I felt water start to well up in my eyes.

Alveria lifted me with surprising strength —probably magically enhanced— and placed me sitting in her lap facing her.

I couldn’t raise my watery eyes to meet hers.

She raised my head with a gentle finger under my chin, “I didn’t want to have to spank you, but you were throwing a temper tantrum.”

I didn’t say anything, instead just allowing a slow tear to roll down my cheek. Alveria was right, and that didn’t help calm me down.

Alveria wiped the tear from my face, “Look cutie, I get it. Learning magik is fun and exciting, and it should be. But you’re my apprentice and responsibility. You have to trust that I have your best interest at heart and will guide you to learn at the pace you need to learn at, okay?”

“O-okay,” my crying slowed and eventually stopped.

“Now do you have anything to say to Ms. Alveria?”

“I-I’m sorry I got upset and yelled.”

“Thank you cutie, I appreciate that,” she offered a gentle smile, “I know your first time using magik can take a lot out of you, so how about we get you down for that nap.”

I nodded.

Alveria led me by the hand to my bedroom, but took me to the changing table before my bed or even wardrobe.

“…Ms. Alveria?” I asked with a shaky voice. I may have had a temper tantrum, but I did not need diapers.

“Cutie,” she squeezed my hand, “Using magik for the first time affects people in a lot of different ways. I think it would be good just in case.”

“But I—“

“Cutie,” her voice became firmer, “please don’t make me spank you again.”

I lowered my head in defeat, “O-okay Ms. Alveria.”

Soon after, I was lifted onto the changing table and my pants and underwear were gently pulled down my legs. Alveria chose an infantile diaper with cartoonish knights, castles, dragons, and princesses on it. I couldn’t say or do anything except feel the heat of my blushing cheeks. She methodically lifted my legs up and slid the diaper under me before sprinkling my groin with a generous helping of baby powder; now I didn’t just look like a baby, I smelled like one too.

Alveria then led me to the wardrobe where I was dressed in yet another magically imbued onesie. This one also had the crotch snaps to make diaper changes easier. I chose not to think about that too much.

Then she tucked me into bed and raised the bars.

“I actually have something I’ve been meaning to give you,” she smiled down at me.

“Really?”

“Mmm-hmm,” in a flash of magik Alveria produced a baby blue stuffed animal that looked like a dragon and placed him in the bed with me, “to help you fight off anymore nightmares,” she winked at me.

“T-thanks,” I hugged the stuffie.

“Sweet dreams,” Alveria planted a gentle kiss on my forehead before departing.

As she left, I felt semi-familiar magik envelop me, feeling its warmth strongest in my crotch and my arms. Where my new diaper and stuffed friend were. The magik reminded me of Alveria, but it was slightly different. I felt incredibly relaxed and began to drift to sleep. Maybe this was the strange magik in my aura. I decided it didn’t matter right now before yawning and drifting to sleep.

Read Chapter 5 here.

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As Aways, All Characters Depicted are 18+

#A Little Magik #ab dl lifestyle #mdlbmommy #ab dl diaper #mdlb relationship #mdlbcommunity #mdlglittle #mdlgkink #gender neutral reader

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cygnus-rex · 3 months ago

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Etho answered my question on quantum physics!!!

I cannot even begin to describe how meaningful this is. I sincerely hope he’s inspired to learn more and through this he can inspire others too. Quantum physics was a key factor in changing my life and how I see the universe, the world, other people, and myself.

Even learning about just really basic stuff without getting too much into the math aspect: the double slit experiment, quantum entanglement, how water can react to sound, frequencies in general. It’s incredible and fascinating and thought provoking.

I’m so honored that he answered my question!

Also his new video is really cute and fun, go check it out!

#ethoslab #comment of the day #quantum physics

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poppitron360 · 5 months ago

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@cometmoons so for some reason tumblr has glitched and isn’t letting me respond to the ask you sent me so I’m just gonna do it like this.

OK OK OK OK OK OK SO-

There is SO MUCH to talk about with Wouldn’t You Like. I feel like it’s hard to describe on a written post so I took the liberty of downloading a music notation app and transcribing the bits I wanted to talk about (This took me aaaages. But it was a really fun process and taught me a lot.)

Be warned this is a LONG post.

Firstly, here’s my overall take on the narrative of this song:

Odysseus is one of the smartest heroes of Greek Myth. He’s a mentee of Athena. He’s tactical. Yes, he is a fighter, but he’s for the most part a strategist and he uses diplomacy and cunning and his words to defeat his foes. Big Slytherin energy. Up until this point, that’s all he’s ever used. Eurylochus has doubted and challenged this approach, and has now come to him, saying that Circe is too powerful to defeat and that they should just run away. Odysseus “Pride is my fatal flaw” of Ithaca is insisting on fighting Circe, but is realising that he might not be able to talk his way out of it.

Hermes has now shown up like “hey ✨dAhLiNg✨how about you try something different? DRUGS!”, offering him a taste of something he’s never had before… power.

This, in my opinion, is a big step in Odysseus’ fall from man into monster, and Jay uses music in so many different ways to convey that, so let’s start with a break down of the song one section at a time:

Intro:

For most of the song, you’ve got the Lyre/Harp playing- Hemes’ signature instrument, which is significant to him because according to myth he invented the Lyre. This is the first thing we hear in the song, immediately setting up the things you need to identify his character.

Harps and Lyres are typically used in film and videogame music to give a mystical, magical atmosphere. I love how Jay blends modern (1980s) Synthpop with more classical, eclectic instruments that don’t normally fit the style. I’m assuming for budgeting reasons he’s using a VST or some kind of sample pack and not a real harp (session musicians are EXPENSIVE), but still- you hardly ever hear a harp in this kind of music but it WORKS.

The introduction played by the harp also lays out something that is shown throughout the whole song:

AEOLIAN MODE!!!!

Modes are hard to explain bc I barely understand them myself (I said music theory was my special interest, not that I was any good at it) but according to the Wikepedia article I’m reading about them right now, they were used a lot in ANCIENT GREECE. The Aeolian mode specifically was used a lot back then. The word “Aeolian” comes from… you guessed it- the Islands of Aeolus!!!

Aeolus, being the God of the wind- Aeolian mode is this mystical, free-flowing mode that simulates the feeling of wind.

You know when you hear a high wind through a telegraph pole you get this whistling sound? That’s basically a rudimentary, naturally occurring Aeolian Harp. There’s a whole Physics lecture about sound frequencies and microtones and shit in here that I am not yet qualified to give but this kind of stuff FASCINATES me about music.

I found this 60sec short that explains Aeolian mode really well from a channel I really like: https://youtu.be/bJ6TRQ3k45Q?si=sksSz4xyf_96uMrp It’ll give a much more concise explanation than I could, but basically all you need to know is that the melodies are in this special scale.

Aeolian mode is the natural minor scale. It’s often used to feel spooky and mystical- perfect for a song like Wouldn’t You Like where this magical character is singing about a magical plant. It’s not the standard G minor scale, but something a little more twisted and not really something we’re used to hearing, giving it a mysterious quality.

This is established immediately by the harpline, and sets the entire tone of the song. We then hear his trademark giggle, and so in the first 3 seconds we know everything we need to know about who Hermes is and what he’s like.

Speaking of the giggle- I briefly mentioned Panning in my post about Scylla, and while I can’t discern any use of it just by listening, but I imagine Jay’s probably used a subtle amount of it to give the sense of Hermes flying overhead.

Panning is a thing done in audio production where you can choose how much of the sound is heard on the left or the right.

Verse 1 (“I must say”… etc.):

It’s very gentle at this point, the orchestration and vocalisation is calm and lilted. It’s very beautiful, although the minor tonality gives it a slightly uneasy feel. (Often the minor key is described as sounding “sad”, but that’s not always the case. This is a great example).

The harp melody is repetitive, giving a sense of persistence, this adds to the sense of unease. It also has elements of hip-hop, as a gentle beat comes in as the chorus starts.

Chorus 1:

Now the harp cuts out and you’ve got that synth bass-line coming in- the repetitive, insistent beats and this “four-on-the-floor” drum pattern where the bass drum (which sits on the floor) kicks on every beat (in a four-beat bar). This feeling of it almost pounding in your head on every thump.

The instrumentation is very stark, you’ve just got the vocalist, the bass, and the bass drum. This technique is used by Taylor Swift in both the songs “Look What You Made Me Do” and “Vigilante Shit”- this really makes you listen to the lyrics as there’s nothing distracting you. As this is the first time we’re hearing these words, it draws you into what he’s saying.

On the line “Wouldn’t you like to have some of the magic?”, the Lyre comes in, playing this repetitive line that goes up and down and up and down. It’s a repetitive, almost hypnotic sound.

Verse 2 (“She can turn you to an animal”… etc.):

This is when this bluesy piano comes in.

The piano is used a lot in different points of Epic- it’s an essential part of any musical orchestra pit or just a song in general, and crucial in every composers instrumentation arsenal (and was also the first instrument I ever learned to play and my first real taste of music, so it’s not like I’m biased or anything)- but it’s mostly associated with Athena as it’s her signature instrument. It’s a stretch, but my interpretation is that Hermes is trying to appeal to something familiar to Odysseus. So far the only God he’s interacted with at length is Athena, who taught him this idea of being strategic and tactical. Hermes is acknowledging that this is Odysseus’ main way of fighting, while also showing him that there could be something more to it.

The piano plays these low-octave chords in this syncopated rhythm, which adds a layer of intensity that you didn’t have in verse one. This continues into the second chorus.

Chorus 2:

The orchestration is much more intense, pulling the audience (and Odysseus) in.

I’m gonna talk a lot about the musical “language” that Jorge has established for the universe- bits of music theory he’s tied in with themes that don’t necessarily have the same connotations anywhere else, because I think it’s genius.

Jay has said that the mythical beings (Gods, monsters, Odysseus when he kills the suitors) are all able to summon non-diagetic backing vocalists to back them up. Interestingly, Hermes doesn’t use this the first time round, speaking to Ody on his level, and is now rising up and displaying the power he’s tempting him with.

This is when we first hear the backing vocalists. There’s now a group of voices, so there’s more people urging you to taste the flower. Musically speaking, the harmony moving in the same rhythm with the same words as the soloist creates a sense of movement, congruent with Ody’s temptation.

Here is where we get to how this harmony works. This is the section that will actually answer your question.

First of all, I also struggle with overstimulation so I totally get what you’re talking about. There’s a right way and a wrong way to do backing vocals, and I know from experience that writing harmonies as complex as this takes skill and practice.

I think that’s why music is so special to me. The sensory calm certain sounds and songs give me, the good kind of stimulation and the bad kind. It has always made me so curious as to why and how the choices made in music can impact a person psychologically, make the listener feel immersed in a story, inflict specific emotions.

This is what fascinates me about music theory. Yes, it should overwhelm you. Yes, it should sound wrong. But it doesn’t. It WORKS. And what’s so interesting to me is why.

Jorge describes it as “crunchy and punchy” which is honestly perfect.

He is of course, referring to dissonance.

I have been studying music most of my life, and pretty much every music teacher I’ve ever had describes dissonance as just “sounding smushy”. It’s actually “a lack of harmony among musical notes”, usually two notes next to each other played at the same time.

But why does this sound “crunchy” and not “smushy”?

The Melody remains modal, as it has done the entire song. This is our grounding, our “Home”, but the harmony does something different. It’s moving down and up, flowing like wind, like the sea. And it’s doing this chromatically- using notes from the G minor key instead of the Aeolian mode- which creates clashes. Also known as dissonance. Also known as “smushy”.

And this is where we break out the good ol’ notation! I transcribed this myself by ear, so it might not be perfect. I can sight read tablature but not sheet music, so if this is wildly off then I’m sorry. I find it easier to explain music through annotations, but in order to make this screenreader accessible, I’m just gonna cite the lyrics and explain it in the text underneath.

In this section, “Wouldn’t you like to have some of the magic? Wouldn’t you like your outcome preferred?” The melody pretty much remains on C this whole time, only changing at the end of each two-bar phrase. This gives a forceful, repetitive, driving feeling. Hermes is being very persistent here.

For the first two-bar phrase- “Wouldn’t you like to have some of the magic”- both harmonies are the same. They then split at “Wouldn’t you like your outcome preferred?”

“Wouldn’t you”- The harmony starts on G, which is the root of G minor (the key that we are in). This is diatonic (using the notes from the key)- so it sounds nice, not “smushy”.

“Like to”- We then go down to F sharp, which is dissonant to the Aeolian mode, even though it’s the major 7th of G minor. This is why it sounds “smushy”

“Have some of the”- And here is where the “crunchiness” kicks in. It’s resolving down to the flattened 7th, which is F natural. The flattened 7th is the modal note.

“Magic”- The first two-bar phrase ends in E natural, which is dissonant to the mode. The melody also ends in D, which provides a lot of dissonance with the E as they are right next to each other, which can create clashes.

“Wouldn’t you”- This is where the two harmonies split. Harmony 1 goes back to G, which is the root of the mode. Harmony 2 goes down to E flat, which is also consonant (not dissonant).

“Like your”- Harmony 2 goes down to D, which is dissonant with the note in the melody (C) because they are next to each other. Harmony 1 goes to F sharp, which is dissonant to the Aeolian mode, as said before.

“Outcome”- Harmony 1 resolves to an F, and Harmony 2 goes back to an E flat.

“Preferred”- The last two notes “smush” as F natural (Harmony 1) and E natural (Harmony 2) are a semitone apart, then both harmonies join at E natural, which clashes with the D in the melody.

So the pattern goes from “nice” to “smush” to “nice” to “smush” to “nice” to “smush” to “nice” to “even more smush” and then when the next part of the harmony starts “deep in the night” you resolve back to the G, which is the tonic note.

Why does the dissonance work in this song?

It’s passing. Going down by step and resolving to a modal note. Passing notes that resolve don’t have that smushyness. They crunch.

Dissonance is a funny thing. Often musicians stay away from it because it sounds muddy and awkward and not great, but it can at times sound quite sweet, and with skill and knowledge you can learn how to use it effectively.

It also works here because it fits with the aesthetic and Hermes’ character. We’re already in this spooky, mysterious mode. We’re in a minor key. And Jay is using all these other musical techniques to give a slightly uneasy, hypnotic feel. The dissonance feels strange- not the sweet, diatonic harmonies we’re used to hearing. This is what makes this song stand out, and what makes Hermes such an intriguing and appealing character.

There’s this “up and down” melodic pattern that occurs throughout the song in several places. While Harmony 2 is doing that, Harmony 1 is just going down, repeatedly. I find it interesting that Odysseus isn’t rising to this power, but falling to it. It hints at Hermes’ trickster nature. These musical motifs (harmony, the harpline, the synthline, etc.) go up and down and up and down and up and down like gentle waves. We’re on the ocean. It’s lulling, compelling, hypnotic. “Come hither” whispering in the ear. It’s creepy, to be honest, and shows a darker side of the song that I will talk about later.

Bridge (“Here in the root of this flower”…etc):

Jorge has talked about how this is one of his favourite bits to sing, and musically that makes perfect sense.

Firstly, you’ve gotta hand it to Troy Doherty’s amazing performance. Hermes is so expressive even without seeing him.

Quick note about vocal techniques- YOU CAN HEAR SMILES. The act of smiling changes the shape of your mouth and thus changes the quality of your voice. You can HEAR Troy break out into a smile on the line “Though it’s only for a moment, ‘til you’ve beaten your opponent”. This is also my theory as to why the line “Penelope Whyyyy, you know I’m too shyy” is so stuck in everyone’s mind. Try singing it without smiling and then try singing it while smiling. Do you think it would’ve been that catchy if Jay wasn’t such a cutie pie?

Smiling is contagious, even if you’re only subconsciously noticing it. Hearing a smile gives you that little hit of dopamine.

When we hit the bridge, the piano, bass, and backing vocals cut out. Again, it’s just drums, harp, and lead vocals. This signifies a new section of music and also does the same trick as before- drawing you into the vocalist- but this time making you focus on the melody instead of the lyrics.

This whole bit is solely in Aeolian mode. The downward motion of the bridge increases the intensity of the song, dragging you into his words, falling into the power of the root. It’s sort of a callback to the downward motion to the second harmony line.

The constant quaver rhythm of this rising and falling conjunct “stepwise” melody gives a spiralling feeling, leading downwards. The rhythm is almost conversational, which fits with a mode like Aeolian that flows like the wind. It’s also why it’s so catchy and fun to sing. I love how Jorge composes in this uncommon scale in this particular pattern to reflect this idea.

There’s also one particular detail about the rhythm of this riff that compositionally shows something even deeper:

THIS IS IN TRIPLETS.

DO YOU KNOW WHAT TRIPLETS SYMBOLISE IN EPIC???

RUTHLESSNESS.

Ruthlessness is usually a theme reserved for Poseidon, Act 1 Athena, and Act 2 Odysseus. You wouldn’t expect a “friendly” God like Hermes to be using it. But he is. He’s being persistent, constant. He is trying every trick in his bag to persuade Ody to take the flower.

Jay is VERY deliberate about his arrangements and his composition, so this is not a coincidence. He has established this “language” of musical voices, rhythmical voices, and motivic voices to symbolise all his characters and themes. It’s fascinating to me that he made this choice for Hermes. Ever so subtly hinting that the God might not be as benevolent as he seems.

Chorus 3:

The instrumentation of this new chorus is pretty similar to Chorus 2, except…

These DRUMS.

I asked my dad about these while I was staying with my parents over the Xmas holidays, and it resulted in a 5-minuite-long infodump about a specific type of drum used in 80s pop music (yeah I totally definitely don’t see the family resemblance at all /sarcasm). Any Brit in the audience might recognise this drum sound as sounding almost identical the intro to a show called East Enders (which I never watched, but was aware of) and idk if that was Jay’s intention, but the drums apparently have a long and complicated history, which I will give you the abbreviated version. (If this is too much information you can skip the next paragraph if you so wish, I realise this can be overwhelming)

Bass drum called the Simmons’ drum- electronic drum pad- famous for being hexagonal- they were radical in that they gave an electronic palette to modern dummers- they weren’t well-built and the very earliest ones were made from the same composite materials as police riot gear- caused repetitive strain injury that became known by session drummers as “Simmon’s wrist” because it was a bit like using your drumsticks on concrete (What’s that? You don’t think music is as intense as sport? Musicians get injured just as much as footballers do)- the sound is one of the most distinctive sounds in 80s music and entirely synthetic, generated through synthesis so some poor technician had to sit and programme a synthesiser to sound like a tom-tom- in the 90s and early 00s it was seen as cheap and over-the-top but is now looked on with a sense of love and nostalgia.

This is, of course, a sample of the Simmon’s drum as I doubt Jorge owns a real one.

So what does that do for Hermes? It grounds the song it its 80s retro aesthetic, creating Hermes’ unique stylistic voice. Jorge has described how he got the idea for Hermes’ sound when he saw a retro, multi-coloured lamp that made him think of 80s music. Each character in Epic has their own soundscape, and this very particular drum sound adds to it.

It also adds intensity to this final chorus. These loud, heavy drum sounds give that adrenaline rush that the previous verses and choruses have been building to, when Odysseus finally takes the flower.

Then we get Odysseus singing the “oOOOooOoOOhHHHhs” as he eats the holy moly, then the chorus ends, and we get a repeat of the harpline from the intro as he thanks Hermes for the help.

My conclusion:

Odysseus has made a Faustian pact with Hermes, the trickster god. While Hermes’s words are friendly with no ill-intent, the composition and orchestration lean more towards this idea of “making a deal with the devil”. Gods know the game, and how it’s played. You, mere mortal, do not. When they entreat mortals to do their bidding will offer riches, money, fame, success, magic, power, but very rarely are their motives sound.

This is Odysseus’ first taste of the magic that separates gods and monsters from mortals. He is able to fight Circe as an equal, and this new development teaches him that he doesn’t always have to be strategic and diplomatic, but ruthless and relentless as well.

I know that the fandom see Troy Doherty’s performance of Hermes as “omg babygirl so slayyyy!!!” But there’s actually a deeper level to what he’s doing here. He’s a trickster God, tempting and teasing Odysseus down a path of magic and power- giving him the first taste of something that will later drive him into becoming the Monster. Hermes is almost seducing him to the dark side, using rhetorical questions, waving the Holy Moly in front of his face and saying “Come on. You know you want it. Wouldn’t you like a taste of the power? Wouldn’t you like to be victorious for once?” In his lyrics describing a “taste” of the power being something almost like a temptation. Odysseus is breaking from his norm- using magic and might instead of logic, diplomacy and reasoning. While he’s doing it to save his men, this is a major step in his descent into monsterhood, and it’s fascinating how Jay does this not only lyrically, but musically as well, using what’s called “word painting” (music and words working together) to create the sense of hypnotism and manipulation.

Hermes is being:

Ruthless (triplets),

Ceaseless (repetition),

Persuasive (rhetorical questions),

And hypnotic (lilting, lulling melody).

He’s drawing you in, forcing you to listen to him (stark instrumentation focusing on the vocals, then increasing the instrumentation as the intensity progressively increases, culminating in this big, expressive final chorus with this pwerful drum sound)

Overall Jorge uses all these techniques to show Hermes manipulating Odysseus into taking the flower. By subconsciously making you feel the temptation that Ody- the Narrator- is feeling through music and orchestration.

So anyway, those are my thoughts on “Wouldn’t you like”. I didn’t even have time to talk about “Dangerous”- perhaps I’ll make a separate post about that but no promises. Thank you so much for reading if you made it to the end!

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