#AND THE SOLDIERS. MARCH BEHIND ME. I CAN HEAR THEM BEAT THEIR SPEARS

[patroclusdefencesquad]

knowing every last one of them is painted in light as i Make Myself Acquinted With The Saint Of NEVER GETTING IT RIGHT

blossoms is THEE most satisfying song to sing along to. the way it just trips off the tongue is so pleasing to me

[aries-of-spades]

And the soldiers march behind me, I can hear them beat their spears. And for the first time in all my life, I know I'm more than what I fear.

I finished it! :D This was... definitely a project. Took a while but I'm SUPER proud if how it came out. And i think this unlocked my childhood love for drawing triangles and filling them in lmao.

Closeups and explanations/rambling under the cut.

Going down the line we have:

Helsknight in the colleseum! This one and Tanguish’s window on the other side don't correspond to specific scenes, but are sort of a moment of triumph for each of them. The shine effect and rays of light from the sword were very fun to do, and this image composition has been sitting as a little thumbnail in my sketchbook for a while because i didnt know what to do with it.

The Candlebright window(as I've been referring to it). It's nice to have been able to extend this so you can see the rest of Helsknight as well as Tanguish. Easily one of my favorite scenes from the fic. And i like making light rays vaguely symbolic. How here they shine on both of them, while coming from Tanguish's direction, unlike in the Welsknight window. I wish cameras could pick up the colors right and me trying to use the color adjuster worked, because the background light is more orangy than in this image, cause it's supposed to be like bronze colored.

Dancing window. Nothing’s changed here, since this was the center of the original painting, but I still love it. Sort of spotlight with stars moving around. I like when they dance :)

Dramatic Welsknight window. I love how his blue really stands out against the gold light, while Tanguish's blue blemds into the floor. A looming danger and something trying to make themself invisible. Also the light here comes from a sharper angle, and is broken by Welsknight’s cast shadow.

Tanguish window! Similar to the Helsknight window, no specific scene, but a moment of triumph, looking over the city. In Helsknight's window, the eyes of hels are on him, but in this one, Tanguish looks over everything with no one knowing he's there. Yaey parallels. This one had a lot of reworking the design to make the scene more 3d. The glow from the lava was really fun. Tbh, I feel like this window looks better from afar. But I was somehow able to make Tanguish's blue warm enough to fit the colors.

I actually kept track of how much time I spent to make this, including the original peice. So this whole painting is the combined work of 22 and a half total hours! *confetti noises* yeah, that's kinda a lot.

Btw, the canvas is over 2 feet long.

Yaey!

Also i fell off a chair trying to hang this above my foor.

@silverskye13

[fuck-you-upmusicbracket]

Blossoms (The Amazing Devil)

My dress is on fire/And I hurl myself, I heal myself, I drag myself like a rug in the rain/And my saint, she is dancing/As every step I choose to take begins to set the world aflame/And the soldiers march behind me/I can hear them beat their spears/And for the first time in all my life I know/I'm more than what I fear

"I think it has something to do with the power of being able to let go of someone that hurt you and know you have other people supporting you and/or going through the same thing. Those people are the "soldiers". The lyrics I highlighted are representative of the pain of letting go and how it feels like you will hurt forever but at the same time you've never felt freer in your life. It's also just a really pleasing song to sing and I've been singing along to it on loop while writing this submission. If it's your cup of tea, try it sometime!"

Take Me To War (The Crane Wives)

All of the words I've swallowed/All of the sharp things I've kept in my mouth/I am always bleeding out/Take me to war/Honey, I dare you/I'll be the sweetest thing/To ever scare you/Give me a fight I can't resist/Give me something to break with my fists

"You know when like. you're just *angry.* and you want to fight something, want to *hurt* someone. that sick, burning *anger* that sits heavy on your tongue. that's this song. It's made to scream with a gravely, angry tone, throat raw and torn."

[space-bee3s]

GOT MY FIRST TAD TATTOO

I designed it myself because I just loved that song so much

Particularly the verse “the soldiers march behind me, I can hear them beat their spears. And for the first time in all my life I know i’m more than what I fear”

[mag-lore]

Maedhros songs!!

for day 1 of @feanorianweek

- Blossoms by The Amazing Devil

And every step I choose to take begins to set the world aflame // And the soldiers march behind me // I can hear them beat their spears

- Blood Tears by Blind Guardian

each night I cry in pain // alive // though the end appears my friend

- The Rockrose and the Thistle by The Amazing Devil

And you cry out to the sky // I've run out of my words, my song // just let me die, me die

- Achilles Come Down by Gang of Youths

hurt and grieve but don't suffer alone

- Right to Die by AlicebanD

and since I cannot be set free, there's nothing left for me // for now it seems that they control my right to die

- Can't Go Back by The Crane Wives

You can't be always trying to dig up // what you've already buried

- Rule #33- Pyre by Fish in a Birdcage

Lord knows I've tried to be who you look to // when all the light burns out my pyre

- How to Rest by The Crane Wives

As all you've ever wanted is an escape // those of us who vow never to love again, to love again // are making liars out of honest men

[ironwingedhawk]

And the soldiers march behind me

I can hear them beat their spears

And for the first time in all my life

I know I'm more than what I fear

[flootdraws]

My dress is on fire

And I hurl myself, I heal myself

I drag myself like a rug in the rain

And my saint she is dancing

As every step I choose to take

Begins to set the world aflame

And the soldiers march behind me

I can hear them beat their spears

And for the first time in all my life

I know I’m more than what I fear

blossoms, the amazing devil

[dragonologist-phd]

📻 + Helfella? :)

Blossoms - The Amazing Devil

And I stare at the soldiers before me All my blossoms that have waited to fall And I walk, And I walk, And I walk, And I walk Knowing every last one of them is painted in light As I make myself acquainted with the saint of never getting it right ... As every step I choose to take begins to set the world aflame And the soldiers march behind me I can hear them beat their spears And for the first time in all my life I know I'm more than what I fear ... And my soldiers sit by Like I'm newly baptised In the blossoms that fell from above ... I whisper aloud to my saint "Oh we, we're gonna get on"

this one's more vibes than the actual interpretation of the song but the vibes are so good for Helfella's turn against aedyr. that moment when:

she's finally meeting her god face to face + waking up to see her countrymen burning Fior to the ground + anger that's been stamped down inside her for so long is finally rising to the surface + she's putting her usual passivity aside and openly standing against aedyr

and she's definitely not happy about it any of it, but there is a certain exhilaration and freedom that comes with it all

Send me 📻 + an oc and I’ll give you a random song off their playlist + an explanation of why it’s there

[committingwarcrimes]

And the soldiers march behind me // I can hear them beat their spears

And for the first time in all my life // I know I'm more than what I fear

— The Amazing Devil, Blossoms

[twofoursixohjuan]

📻 for tippet also

shuffle... jackpot! 'Blossoms' by The Amazing Devil!

So the thing about Tippet is she's a sole survivor — she was part of a troupe of bards who led a revolt against a corrupt ruler and were all killed bar one, so the survivor's guilt is kinda strong in this one. And afterwards she couldn't stand everyone looking at her like a hero or a victim or both, so she just...left.

So I gather up the candle, I jangle the chimes / And I mop up what is left of my lungs

Bells are important around here! And Tippet was injured in the attack and had to spend a fair while healing up before she was strong enough to go anywhere — mopping up what's left of her lungs.

And I pack what is needed for the journey to come / All my books, all my bracken and booze / And the door shuts behind me and I breathe in the air / And say, yeah, well, I'm sorry too

Tippet left her home unobtrusively and headed out on her own. She knew it would upset her parents and she's sorry, but she couldn't stand staying in the same place any longer.

And I walk, and I walk / And I walk, and I walk / Knowing every last one of them is painted in light / As I make myself acquainted with the saint of never getting it right

She's got a bit of a mental journey to go on as well as a physical one (walk and I walk). The soldiers painted in light are the memories of her fellow bards — everything she does is trying to be someone they would be proud of. But she needs to make peace with her guilt and the fact that she can't save everyone, "the saint of never getting it right".

And every step I choose to take begins to set the world aflame / And the soldiers march behind me / I can hear them beat their spears / And for the first time in all my life, I know I'm more than what I fear

Triumphant section! Once Tippet has made peace with herself and discovered who she really wants to be, she's fucking unstoppable. If she's more than what she fears she's more than her worst memory, and she can stop defining herself by the deaths around her.

[silvercaptain24]

The weight of my phone

Like a tablet of stone

Seems to grow with the words I just read

And it silently falls

From my hand to the floor

With the wonders I wished I had said

And for a time there is timelessness

Endless furore

To the dark I said pour and forgot to say when

And the words that you wrote

Come back blacker than smoke:

"I'm so sorry, I've done it again"

So I gather up the candlelight

Jangle the chimes

And mop up what is left of my lungs

And I climb up the ladder

Had I taken more care

I might have seen all the rot in the rungs

And I pack what is needed

For the journey to come

All my books, all my bracken and booze

And the door shuts behind me

And I breathe in the air

And say "Yeah, well I'm sorry too"

And I stare at the soldiers before me

All my blossoms that have waited to fall

And I walk

And I walk

And I walk

And I walk

Knowing every last one of them is painted in light

As I make myself acquainted with the saint of never getting it right

My dress is on fire

And I hurl myself, I heal myself, I drag myself like a rug in the rain

And my saint she is dancing

As every step I choose to take begins to set the world aflame

And the soldiers march behind me

I can hear them beat their spears

And for the first time in all my life

I know I'm more than what I fear

And I stare

At the soldiers before me

All my blossoms that have waited to rise

And I walk (I will walk)

And I walk (I will walk)

And I walk (With you)

And I walk

And I walk (I will walk)

And I walk (I will walk)

And I walk (With you)

And I walk

And I run (Love run)

And I run (Love run)

And I scream out to the sky

(Love run, love run)

You do not get to hurt me just because I asked you once

If you were alright

And I look at the phone

On the floor and I drink

That nice wine you were saving, it's saving me now love

And my soldiers sit by

Like I'm newly baptised

In the blossoms that fell from above

And I pick up the phone

Dial your number and wait

And shine like my petals once shone

And just as it's ringing

I whisper aloud to my saint

"Oh we, we're gonna get on"

( Blossoms, The Amazing Devil )

Woah/pos

[fuck-you-upmusicbracket]

Dancing in the Dark (Bruce Springsteen)

I check my look in the mirror/I wanna change my clothes, my hair, my face...There's something happening somewhere/Baby, I just know that there is/You can't start a fire/You can't start a fire without a spark/This gun's for hire/Even if we're just dancing in the dark

I ain't getting nowhere, i'm just living in a dump like this/There's something happening somewhere, baby i just know that there is

"It’s so sad yet hopeful too? Like all the talk of insecurities and miseries and the acceptance of a sort of futility in it all, but you’ve got to try to live anyway. The poppy tune really emphasizes this hopeful notion. Its also very relatable like yeah Mr Springsteen we ARE just dancing in the dark."

"I listened to born in the usa album at 8 years old and it fundamentally changed me forever. was there any aspect of bruce singing about the vietnam war and blue collar work and lost love that was directly relatable to me as a child? nope but the emotions of the songs were instantly so powerful"

Blossoms (The Amazing Devil)

My dress is on fire/And I hurl myself, I heal myself, I drag myself like a rug in the rain/And my saint, she is dancing/As every step I choose to take begins to set the world aflame/And the soldiers march behind me/I can hear them beat their spears/And for the first time in all my life I know/I'm more than what I fear

"I think it has something to do with the power of being able to let go of someone that hurt you and know you have other people supporting you and/or going through the same thing. Those people are the "soldiers". The lyrics I highlighted are representative of the pain of letting go and how it feels like you will hurt forever but at the same time you've never felt freer in your life. It's also just a really pleasing song to sing and I've been singing along to it on loop while writing this submission. If it's your cup of tea, try it sometime!"

Dancing In The dark submitted by @teenageriotmp3 + @smallboyonherbike

[regnantlight]

🎶

The Amazing Devil Lyrics Dash Game

And I stare at the soldiers before me All my blossoms that have waited to fall And I walk And I walk And I walk And I walk Knowing every last one of them is painted in light As I make myself acquainted with the saint of never getting it right

My dress is on fire And I hurl myself, I heal myself, I drag myself like a rug in the rain And my saint she is dancing As every step I choose to take begins to set the world aflame And the soldiers march behind me I can hear them beat their spears And for the first time in all my life I know I'm more than what I fear

[harpersheroes]

CAPTAIN MIRUNA HURATH, amazonian ranger.

my dress is on fire / and i hurl myself, i heal myself, i drag myself like a rug in the rain / and my saint she is dancing / as every step i choose to take begins to set the world aflame / and the soldiers march behind me / i can hear them beat their spears / and for the first time in all my life / i know i'm more than what i fear

[whatspastisprologue-blr]

Okay, now that I'm home and for those who can't listen to the song (you should)....

The context of the overall song SEEMS TO ME, TO BE the end of a relationship. I say it like that because Madeleine and Joey don't tell us what their songs mean so that we don't lose an interpretation that is meaningful to us individually.

"I'm so sorry, I've done it again."/"Yeah, well I'm sorry too."

If the ladder is symbolic, which it probably is because it's TAD, then it seems like the protagonist feels like he should have seen this coming. "And I climb up the ladder. Had I taken more care, I might have seen all the rot in the rungs."

Okay, so that's the overall context of the song, IMHO. Here's where the Saint of Never Getting It Right comes in, as the protagonist is leaving the home he shared with his now-ex partner:

"And I walk, knowing every last one of them is painted in light as I make myself acquainted with the Saint of Never Getting It Right."

It's a snarled bitter line, rueful with this wild galloping tune.

Then, we have:

"My dress is on fire and I hurl myself, I heal myself, I drag myself like a rug in the rain. And my Saint, she is dancing. And every step I choose to take begins to set the world aflame. And the soldiers march behind me; I can hear them beat their spears. And for the first time in all my life, I know I'm more than what I fear."

Finally, the Saint shows up again at the very end of the song:

And I pick up the phone, dial your number and wait, and shine like my petals once shown. And just as it's ringing, I whisper aloud to my Saint, "Oh, we, we're gonna get on."

So.... That's where the Saint of Never Getting It Right shows up in "Blossoms".

Three things, not analysis because I'm not in the mindset for that:

1. Joey is singing the song. And the album art for TAD's second album, "The Horror and the Wild", shows him wearing a dress while Madeleine is wearing a suit. The pictures from the photo shoot shows that he was originally wearing the suit but they swapped outfits at some point.

2. The Saint of Never Getting It Right isn't TAD's only saint. There's also the Saint Of The Paint That's Left In The Pot from "Farewell Wanderlust ".

3. Go listen to The Amazing Devil if you haven't already!

"The Saint of Never Getting It Right."

Commission I got from _3DDRQY@Twitter.

[theygotlost]

Every step I choose to take begins to set the world aflame!

And the soldiers march behind me,

I can hear them beat their spears!

And for the first time in all my life,

I know I'm more than what I fear!

Happy Glorious 25th of May!