#cooler remix

[bitternace]

WHY ARE YOU SO EVIL!!! /POS. ATTACKING YOU.

Xemnas and Xigbar for 37 if that number hasn't been done? If it has, how about 74?

no puedo pedirle lo eterno a un simple mortal // ay, todo lo que he hecho por ti.

[ID: a mostly black and white drawing with a purple overlay of xigbar and xemnas shown from the hip up on the left side of the image. the background is black and has some diagonal lines with a bit of transparency on the right side. the shadows are harsh, with only a bit of light falling on their faces.

they stand before each other turned to the audience. xigbar, holds the handle and the middle of No Name before him, head tilted down as he looks to the audience. xemnas stands a full head taller behind xigbar, his left hand held some distance below the bladed tip of No Name, his left eye is covered by his fringe.

xemnas visible eye is painted ochre with a white pupil, while xigbar's eye is white and gold. The eyes on no name's handle and the gazing eye on the blade are a vibrant cyan. the caption reads the spanish lyrics "i can't ask a simple mortal for a forever" and "oh, everything i've done for you." /End ID.]

close-up under keep reading.

[musicalmoritz]

Hi, we’re going to see this scene animated in January

I’m going to scream

[spikes-jonze]

I will properly scan these at some point but this has actually made my year, these are so cute

[meowingshojofanatic]

In the end... All readers are like the Oldest Dream

[unopenablebox]

oh my god i was trying to remember something about which part of i-guess-now-ukraine my dad's family was from and we have this incredibly goofy Family History Website some of my aunts and uncles maintain so i just looked there and

there's a section my uncle wrote about the Old Country that's like "[some guy] found our website looking for more information on the town both our families are from, and his family history is remarkably similar to ours! his great-great-uncle joseph ALSO fled to america after shooting a cossack who was attacking a local woman! crazy!!!"

and like. buddy.

[ponysongbracket]

Pony Song Bracket

I Am Octavia

20% Cooler

[beardedhandstoadshark]

Fun fact: the Smash Bros Ultimate design for Sheik, despite using the Twilight Princess iteration (that was scrapped for tp and then reused in smash from Brawl onwards to go with tp Zelda), now also incorporates design elements of Hyrule Warriors Sheik, in particular the addition of pieces of armor that weren’t there before on any other version of Sheik either in SSB or LOZ.

[shaykai]

I’m trying to not be disappointed in Side Order but then I remember that the base game + plus the DLC is $90 and the music in it wasn’t very good despite three idols (all three of which we have songs from in other games and they’re bops) all being there and I’m not good about it actually

[fizzseed]

and when season 5 opens with everybody wants to rule the world by tears for fears what then

[just-absolutely-super]

Just imagine Remix as a moody teenager

I can totally see him say; "whatever" to Megaman XD

Mega: Remix, your maintenance is due soon, don’t forget to go to your uncle alright?

Remix: Yeah, yeah, Dad, I know, whatever

Mega: GASP

Remix: What?

Mega: You… You whatever’d me…

Remix: Yeeeeeah?

Mega: A-And I’m not Papa anymore…

Remix: Well I’m not a baby anymore so—oh man, Dad, are you for real?

Mega: I knew this day would happen but I wasn’t prepared! My little boy isn’t little anymore and he thinks he doesn’t need me anymore!

Remix: Oh man… Mom! Dad is being—

Roll: I’m not Mama anymore?! Noooo!

Remix: Geez… Patch didn’t warn me about this, I don’t think he had to go through with this…

[oncillabrigade]

Consider:

The Bats all have personalized ring tones for one another, but everyone has both a civilian and a Bat ring tone. The civilian ones are chaos, with everyone choosing whatever they want for their various family members and friends. BUT! Everyone has a single Bat tone that all other team members use for them.

The catch? Bruce forbid them from choosing their own Bat ring tones because he proposed this plan back in Dick's Robin days and he IMMEDIATELY picked "Toxic." The choice was not well received.

Bruce: Dick, I will not be alerted to the fact that you're in danger by some Britney Spears song.

Dick: First of all, it is not some Britney song, it is the Britney song. That song finally won her a Grammy.

Bruce: *sighs*

Dick: Second of all, it won't tell you when I'm in danger... it'll tell you when Robin is.

Bruce:

Bruce: I'm taking the Walkman out of the Robin kit.

Dick: *offended gasp*

(Yes, Dick is old enough for a Walkman. No, you will not change my mind. Yes, the Tim-and-on siblings all find that hilarious. Yes, Jason has to be VERY careful not to mention that he borrowed that Walkman for years because he was uncomfortable taking expensive electronics out and about with him.)

Anyway!

Dick then proposes a slew of other songs for the whole team to use, all of which are pop culture references, e.g. the Scrubs theme because they're not Superman and also they're a dysfunctional family of coworkers; the theme from the Godfather because "let's be honest, B, we are basically our own mafia"; "Where is My Mind" by the Pixies because lol identity shenanigans, etc. The list is endless. Bruce spends weeks groaning every time his son texts him.

Eventually, they compromise on the version of "The Entertainer" from The Sting because they're hiding in plain sight to enact a mission defending good people in a hard world. Bruce, Dick, and Alfred are all so pleased with this that they each take a different section of the song as their ring tone.

Then Barbara becomes Batgirl, so she gets a section... and then Jason becomes Robin and gets one, too... and then Tim, then Steph, and then Cass is taken in, and... uh oh. That's a lot of people for one song.

But it's family tradition! They can't stop now. That would be so unfair to the new kids, B!

So they start using alternate arrangements of the song. Bruce has mellowed slightly on the "no choosing your own" thing. As long as it's a version of "The Entertainer" (within reason) he'll allow it.

Tim retroactively changes his ring tone to a weird groove-ska arrangement Bart randomly sent him on YouTube because have you met Tim Drake? Of course he went for hilarious obscurity. (Bruce grits his teeth and approves it after lots of prompting from Dick and Alfred). Steph makes it her mission to find a weirder one (Bruce agrees because he's too tired to deal with accusations of favoritism).

Cass creates her own arrangement on theremin because apparently she knows how to play the theremin. No one is sure why. Upon inquiry, she just says, "spooky noises are fun," but does not elaborate further even when she's asked to do so. A Batgirl's gotta have her secrets—Babs taught her that.

When Jason starts working with his family again, he pays an aspiring music producer within Red Hood's ranks to create a minor key remix of the original Robin II ring tone. His siblings (minus Cass) are VERY jealous he has his own personalized arrangement. Dick, Tim, and Steph end up paying this goon who owns Garage Band to do ones for them, too. Duke does the same when he joins the team.

Meanwhile, in a fit of little brotherly pique, Damian steals Tim's original ring tone. He hopes to rub salt in the Robin replacement wounds. He fails! Tim finds it beyond funny that Damian's ring tone is groove-ska. So Damian quietly pays the amateur producer to make him one that's cooler than Tim's. He pays a ludicrous amount, though, because Steph paid for one cooler than Jason's and Tim paid for one cooler than Steph's.

(Dick wanted one cooler than Jason's too, but he had $63.02 in his bank account at the time and Bruce flat out refused to use the Batbudget on "a super cool ring tone that's better than Jay's." Eventually, Dick just paid himself for an averagely cool one. In installments.)

At this point, the Bats have single-handedly given this fledgling producer enough money to quit being a goon and start an indie music studio. His first customers are mostly superheroes from out of town who like what the Bats have going on and want their own team ring tones. Harley and Ivy get in on that action, too.

Then, as word spreads, every local crook/henchperson with a side band (there are many) flocks to the studio to have their stuff produced by one of their own. Gotham rogues suddenly have an unemployment problem, while the city finds itself with a flourishing indie music scene that puts Metropolis' to shame. The entire state of New Jersey is celebrating the dual victory.

Dick has never been so glad someone doesn't like Britney Spears' magnum opus.

[g-xix]

☁️💢Gone, Gone / iloveyou | ChrisMD

Highschool AU ChrisMD x Reader! fluff & angst Summary: Sharing the sadness that comes with your best friend, first love, absolute world, leaving you <3 (tw: mildly cringe if u dont deep it) Wordcount: 1.8k

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The familiar blonde tumbled onto the grassy spot besides you, joining you in lying flat on the tall hill, letting the lush green grass tickle the back of his neck - breathing in the crisp Spring-nearly-Summer air that dried the fixture-sweat off of the back of his neck, orange-y sunset panorama painting his pale skin a gorgeous tan that he'd undeniably develop as the summer rolled in.

His chest heaved, up and away from the earth, his lungs filling with swathes of delicious air - still warm from the sunny day - and yet refreshing and grounding with it's cooler, nightly undertones.

He could help but let his head lazily roll to the side, eyes brushing over your features - the way your lips slightly parted, hands folded over your stomach peacefully - eyes glittering in the golden sunset hues.

"How'd your game go?" As if the silent melody of the peaceful evening wasn't enough, your mellifluous voice was metaphoric music to Chris' ears.

"Great," He breathed, lying back and enjoying the peace. "Scored a last minute, won the game."

"What a hero you are." You smiled, your sarcasm earning a playful bump. "Good for you, keep it up and Mourinho will be on your doorstep in no time."

That earned a snort from Chris, making your little heart bloom at moments like these.

As end-of-year exam stresses faded away and days stretched out as Summer approached, days filled with laze and autonomy clouded your vision, and provoked urges of doing absolutely nothing. Absolutely nothing with your favourite person, though.

Your hand was lifted slightly, before it was blanketed underneath Chris' warm palm, his digits threading through yours and painting a smile on your lips as your own fingers held his - the thumb that oh so gently ran over the velvety back of your hand bringing delicate butterflies stirring in your stomach.

It made your heart ache knowing your childhood best friend, love interest, eye-candy boy was leaving next Summer though.

To great London. To pursue that YouTube career, his footballing goals - heck, he could even follow the biology route in University if he really wanted. He'd made it so clear he was rearing to go, nothing was holding his excitement back, and it made all energy in your body sink when you were reminded he'd be leaving. But you couldn't tell that to him - hold him back. No, you'd silently let him know that you were already mourning his loss even whilst he was still here - but you'd never verbally made any statements. You weren't gonna hold your starboy back.

"We're gonna spend this Summer together, right?" You let your gaze turn to meet Chris' soothing blue eyes, the mere sight of them already applying soft kisses over the pain you felt filling your chest.

"What, like last Summer - and the Summer before that - and the one before that?" He questioned mockingly. "Yeah, obviously."

You scoffed at his humour, letting your head turn away again, not feeling quite as soothed by his words and instead feeling that angst within your chest multiply, dragging the feather light carelessness that Summer should've brought, transforming it into a heavy sinking feeling.

"C'mon, I'm just playing around - sorry, love," He squeezed your hand, picking up on your melancholic mentality and displaying his guilt within the apologetic tone. "...You know, I always say I can't wait to go to London - and I really am - but every so often I get some... second thought..."

That made your head roll back around, tucking your hair behind your face and cushioning your cheekbone by slipping a hand between your face and the rough, stubble-y grass that licked your skin.

"What do you mean, I was sold that you were counting down the days before you were off."

"Well, I mean, don't get my wrong I am, but..." Chris sucked in a deep breath, breaking eye contact as he confided. "I'm just scared and, well, it's kind of pathetic really..."

You watched him trail off, shutting his own eyes as he himself shut himself off, isolating those thoughts he'd hate to let out and let manifest. You couldn't bare seeing that confident, boisterous loud-mouth shut up though. Especially not from self-consciousness. 

"No, go on," Your hands had separated slightly, but yours crawled back into his, connecting him back to yourself and squeezing his hand as a gesture of presence. "Better to share it than to let it bottle up..."

"...It's... It's just..." Chris let out a deep sigh. It reminded you of the age of you two. That you weren't young teens, able to just mess around and be weird because you were still going to change and had your whole teenhood ahead of you. No, you were grown - able to make decisions for yourself now. And Chris already looked worn down from that autonomy, tired of those choices that could no longer be decided with the help of a omniscient-seeming parent. "I think the only reason I don't really want to go is because... I can't bare to leave you."

That brought a heart pang different to the pain you'd felt all those times you mourned the date Chris would leave to live in London. 

Empathy flooded your body, this sort of soothing - and yet sinking - sensation that you'd been so blind basking in your own self-pity, that you'd completely forgotten how Chris would be feeling. He was just like you - still developing that late-teen-going-adult freedom and learning to cope with that - learning to cope with the fact that he still felt like a child but had to pretend to fulfil a role of being mature and grown.

No, the heart of him wept just as much as yours at the prospect of growing up and leaving his childhood home, his childhood Isle, and his childhood best friend - which unbeknown to you - was the hardest part for him.

"Oh, Chris..." You felt succumbed by the overwhelming urges, and acted on them - turning to wrap your arm over his body, fingers clutching at the football shirt's jersey material which bunched together on the other side of his body, letting your head fall onto his chest - your inhalation allowing you to drink in that same scent he'd sworn by ever since year eight. 

Some peppermint, maybe lavender, some sort of wood-y smell... You felt your body fill with some sort of melancholic peace as your head filled with Chris' smell - his own arm wrapping around your side, sliding down your back until it comfortably sat around the lower area, against your exposed skin.

"Chris, you know..." It broke your heart, being between that rock and hard place - of course you didn't want to tell him to go. You'd never be ready to let him go, and have it your way he'd be by your side forever. But couldn't let yourself be the reason Chris never prospered and kept himself tied to this island where opportunities just didn't come knocking like they could in London. "Go, Chris. I'm not going to hold you back regardless of how much I..."

You didn't feel the lump growing in your throat until it was there, build up of confession and raw emotion that blocked your throat and clogged your words. You couldn't finish your sentence because of it though. Because you weren't going to let Chris hear you choke over your words when you wanted to let him shine, without holding him back yourself.

"You what?" Chris questioned, and you would almost hear a pleading tone within his voice, just wanting to hear what he knew you were going to say. 

Your eyes had been closed. In trembling nerves, you'd blocked all vision from the world around you. Slowly, now, you opened your eyes to look up at Chris - noticing that he was already looking down at you bittersweetly - his skin paler, milky and almost pallid looking as the healthy golden sunset had departed to introduce it's wan moon sister.

Your eyes followed the source, looking up to the sky and finding the crescent in the sky - a sliver of it's full greatness and yet still the brightest in the inky abyss above. The stars were beautiful - little burning pinpricks of gleaming white which illuminated the void with their distant galaxies. 

"Love you." You finished your sentence. Eyes finding the heart-throbbing constellation of Andromeda and Perseus in the sky as the words tumbled from your mouth.

"Please," Chris' voice was quiet as ever, barely audible and thickened with emotion as he heard those sacred words from your mouth for the first ever time. "Look at me and tell me..."

He was like a child. Inconsolable and needy, scared and alone - seeking you for solace. And who were you to deny it from him?

Your eyes turned from the stars in the sky, looking down and capturing the stars beheld in Chris' pupils, watery eyes reflecting every beautiful pinprick within the sky above.

"I love you"

Your lips trembled as you said it, but Chris' hand met your cheek so tenderly, fingers tracing over your jaw whilst his thumb pad caressed your cheek - you could almost feel all that weight and pressure built up in your head evaporating into his hand - your cheek lying and confiding against his hand, letting those fingers guide your face closer to his - sitting himself up by leaning back on his forearm - separating that gap between you and letting your lips find his.

It was affirming - having his lips silencing yours - promising everything would be alright without even saying a word. That most careful, tender, delicate kiss as though anything harder would shatter the either of you, his lips slowly eclipsing yours and melting into your touch. 

"Iloveyou, Iloveyou, Jesus fucking Christ- I can't stop saying it- I love you-"

Chris' breaths were shaky, speech broken with hands tremoring as they pushed your hair behind your shoulder, lips barely parted from yours and still kissing yours with each broken word. 

Maybe it was because he felt that cold, droplet slide down your cheek - his cheek only millimetres away as it was. Maybe that's what triggered him. Because he couldn't help himself in that moment - whispering those three words rolling through his mind like a mantra as he pressed his lips to yours frenziedly, kissing you like there wasn't a second he could miss without having his lips against yours.

And you poignantly kissed back - feeling a tear trailing down his own cheek, wet lashes brushing your own cheeks as he wrapped his arms around your waist, in some feeble, desperate way of protecting his forever, and praying he'd never truly have to say goodbye.

---------------------

Little bit angsty! Little bit deep! Kinda the feels considering ik skl's ending really soon n sm people are leaving, including all the ppl I care about and even those who ik I dislike, but i'm still gna b kinda sad to see them for the last time </3

Alsoooo did smth a lil different by creating a remix of those 2 songs for reading - how do we feel about that? Is that sth you'd perchance wanna see more often? Pls lmk in comments or in my inbox, love u lots!!

Hope you enjoyed reading!! Feel free to interact- whether that be a comment, vote or follow! Requests open, feel free to submit what u wanna see... Much love!!

To see more, here's my MASTERLIST

And here's my WATTPAD, with 50+ more oneshots to read

p.s. Customise which Oneshots YOU want to be tagged in by submitting your preferences on THIS GOOGLE FORM

[mixergiltron]

Spring has sprung.

It's Spring time in DC,which means we get to enjoy the beauty of the cherry blossoms. The weather wasn't so great this year,but they were still pretty.

(actual cherry blossom pic taken by Uncle Giltron)

And of course,there are Tiki drinks for this occasion.

Mix #160 Cherry Blossom

1.5oz white rum 1oz pineapple juice 1oz cream of coconut 3/4oz lime juice 1/2oz blue curacao 1/2oz cinnamon syrup

Shake well with plenty of ice and pour into hurricane glass.

Created by Justin Wojslaw,from the book Minimalist Tiki. Despite the name,there is no cherry in the drink,and it's actually turquoise colored instead of red. So it's pretty much the perfect drink for the way things work in DC. It's sweet and creamy with a cinnamon profile. Pretty good,if a bit touristy.

Mix #161 Cherry Pie Tai

1.5oz Demerara rum 1/2oz rhum agricole 3/4oz Cherry Heering 3/4oz lemon juice 1/2oz orgeat

Shake with ice and pour into Mai Tai glass.

I love Mai Tais,so a cherry version was perfect to go with the blossoms. Created by Nathan Robinson,it pretty much tastes like a tart cherry Mai Tai. Quite nice.

Mix #162 Paradise Cooler

2oz white rum 1/2oz Cherry Heering 1oz velvet falernum 2oz orange juice 1oz lime juice

Shake with ice and pour into double old fashioned glass. Garnish with cherry speared with an apple slice.

This was the house drink of the Denver Hilton in the 1960's. It's tart and citrus-y with some spice and a bit of cherry finish. Very nice. A good Tiki drink for cherry fans.

Mix #163 Hemingway Daiquiri

2oz white rum 3/4oz lime juice 1/2oz grapefruit juice 1/2oz maraschino liqueur*

Shake with ice until chilled,then strain into coupe glass.

*I used Cherry Heering.

So,the story goes that Ernest Hemingway went into the El Floridita bar in Havana to use the restroom. On the way out the bartender was setting up a line of daiquiris and Hemingway decided to try one. He commented that it wasn't bad,but he preferred twice the rum and no sugar. So the bartender made one his way and named the drink after him. And over time it has morphed into the recipe above. No idea if any of this is true,but it's a good story. Since Ernest was a man's man,I decided to use Smith & Cross navy rum instead of white rum. The result was a VERY tart drink(I did use Heering which is tarter than maraschino liqueur). I didn't want Ernest's ghost to haunt me and call me a wuss,so I finished it,but if I were ever to make another I'd definitely dump in some simple syrup. If tart's your thing,then you might like this.

Mix #164 Ankle Breaker

1oz 151 rum* 1oz Cherry Heering 1oz lemon juice 1/2 oz simple syrup

Shake with ice and pour into double rocks glass.

*I used Wray & Nephew Overproof.

I came across this recipe in a Facebook group. According to Beachbum Berry's book Remixed,this was created in the Swamp Fox Room bar in the Francis Marion Hotel in Charleston, South Carolina sometime in the 1950's. It was inspired by a story about hero of the Revolutionary War,General Francis Marion(AKA,the Swamp Fox),who supposedly broke his ankle jumping from a second-story window of the hotel while trying “to escape sober from a party at which this drink was flowing too freely.” Again,no idea if this is true but a good story is a good story. While 151 rum is intended for this,the poster used Wray & Nephew Overproof(which is "only" 126 proof) and since I have W&N and have been meaning to use it more,I used it too. And since I like funk I also doubled down and used Demerara syrup instead of regular simple. Very nice. This drink is very daiquiri-like. The rum really came forward with just a bit of cherry finish. Of course with overproof rum it had some kick. I'm going to make this again with some other rums just to play around with it.

So until next time,have a cocktail and enjoy the pretty flowers.

[your-fav-is-divorced]

music recs

arms reach: midwest emo band

oingo boingo: new wave 80s band

american head charge: awesome nu metal band

sex pistols: punk band, you've probably heard of them

will wood: just PLEASE listen, his music actually changed my whole way of living

national honor society: they're like a cooler version of the smiths

joost klien: cool europop dude!!!

mommy long legs: cool riot grrl band

also if you ever see me listening to frank sinatra leave me alone i'm having a god complex moment

songs:

pop musik: cool new wave song that makes me feel like a shape

knives out: it's radiohead. you get it.

yeah boy and doll face: it's pierce the veil. you get it.

starfuckers remix: god i love the original i screamed when i heard the remix

compton: it's kendrick. you get it.

tequila sunset: god i love reggae metal

[momotonescreaming]

💜 WIP Weekend 💜

I got tagged by the lovely @pearynice 💜✨ thank you so much!

Rules

In a reblog (or new post w/ rules attached), post up to five (5) file names of your WIPs; not titles, file names.

Post a snippet from one of them. Snippet must be words you wrote in the last 7 days. We’re posting progress here. If you haven’t made any, go make some and come back to post!

After you’ve posted, people can send you an ask with one of your file names. You must then write 3 sentences in that file. If the filename is one you can’t share from (for example, an event fic), write 3 sentences on it anyway, and then 3 more on another to share.

That’s it! You can invite others to join in, or just post. If you tag me in your post, I will send you an ask request!

Wips

Vamp Steve

SHIT VERSION (stomarol)

stommy jogging

nudie patootie

Snippet (from Vamp Steve)

And now that he knows, Eddie can't stop noticing. Spotting them in the crowd, skin just a little too pallid for comfort. Ordering something at the bar that's a little too thick to be red wine. A couple making out in an alcove with a little too much teeth. A flash of fangs, a whiff of their magic.

But Eddie's always been good at that sort of thing. Peering behind the veil, seeing past the glamour, however you want to phrase it. He's a witch, he's good with magic. He can smell it, sense it, feel it permeating the stone beneath his feet and the walls that surround him. The acrid decay of vampire magic, the death and blood prettied up with sex and not-quite-life. It stinks.

But he's here now, he's ordered his drink, and Gareth is really keen to see the band playing next Friday. So Eddie won't make a scene, he won't make them get kicked out. Doesn't mean he can't  bitch and complain though. He's only human — unlike them.

“Can't believe that you'd take me to a fucking vamp club,” Eddie bitches, taking a sip of his beer as he lets his gaze scan over the crowd. Look at the DJ up on stage, remixing various goth, metal, and alternative songs to the swarm of people on the dance floor.  At the tables and chairs that litter the floor, at the row of booths he's sitting in. At the people. At the fucking vampires. “It's so fucking fake.”

“You're just bitter it's cooler in here than any of the shithole bars in basements we usually frequent.” Gareth replies with a smile and a shrug of his shoulders.

No Pressure Tags:

@augustjustice @shares-a-vest @devondespresso @hbyrde36 @starryeyedjanai

@thefreakandthehair @theheadlessphilosopher @aringofsalt @eriquin @nburkhardt

[fruitsofhell]

Yall, its time to ramble about visual/environmental storytelling cause this is silly article is driving me insane.

I won't argue for if the game should have had more constant and involved cutscenes like Robobot or Star Allies, but what I will say is that this game is VERY rich in story through the world design. The Forgotten Land as opposed to say the Land of the Sky in TD or the entire galaxy of Star Allies is like, DROWNING in writing and narrative. It builds so much mystery and intrigue through the theming of every world and even individual levels, with exploring both how the people of the land originally lived and how it's being reclaimed by nature and the animals.

I think the closest things maybe is Robobot and Halcandra in RTDL, the former having great little designs that key you into WHAT Haltmann is doing and what makes it so toxic. Halcandra though is the ultimate grand-daddy, the contrast between it and the Lor, and Egg Engines and Dangerous Dinner is full of theming and clues about the nature and history of the planet. AND THAT IS STORY, THAT IS WRITING! Especially when compared to say Star Allies, where most of the levels of the levels are just ye average Kirby themed fluff with little to say about the Jamba or the state they've left the galaxy in. But when you play through the casino levels of Robobot, as well as delightful theming and level design, you see that Haltmann is erecting literally the most predatory entertainment centers imaginable. When you step off the sleek futuristic Lor into the scrapyards and wastes of Halcandra, you get fun intimidating final worlds, and a good grasp on *why* the people who made the Lor aren't around anymore, and may even start questioning why Magolor made such a great fuss of dragging you to this horrible place. Music is also deeply important to this storytelling. Each of the factories/towers erected in ever world of Robobot's theme is a remix usually of themes related to older mechanical levels, subtly clueing you into where Haltmann go their technology from. Outside the Lor rather than the comfortable motif of Green Greens is this almost comically suspicious and disoriented theme once you're stuck on Halcandra and returning to Magolor with more doubts about his words. The final level inside of the volcano house a theme that is teasing the twist to come, and the theme for fighting Landia before the big reveal is less triumphant, and more majestic and pensive. Possibly trying to evoke more hesitance than confidence, even if most people wouldn't catch on to that on a first run.

But the cooler thing, is that while Robobot has this cool theming at key levels, and RtDL does at the end, this type of shit is pervasive ALL throughout Forgotten Land. Every world and nearly every level is a unique, well thought-out set piece! You get to see abandoned towns, cities, malls, stores, factories, resorts, and an amusement park, each which serves as more than just a fun location, but a clear picture of the world and the state its in. This intent is made clearer through the music and tone that goes out of its way to not highlight the destruction of these areas but their beauty, wonder, and mystery through the eyes of an clueless animals and our favorite pink alien. The abandoned Alivel Malls theme is a track as upbeat and peppy as what must've played over it's speakers in it's hayday, because the hustle and bustle breathed back into it by the animals and Kirby just exploring this mysterious complex is just as lively. The theme of the Everbay Coast is peaceful and sunny despite the Holine ruins because it's as part of the scenery to the animals and Kirby as the picturesque palms and sands. And Wondaria!!!!!!!!! OMG WONDARIA WHERE TO EVEN BEGIN WITH EVERY FUCKING LEVEL AND THEME IN WONDARIA!!! THIS IS WHY I CAN'T TAKE THAT CLAIM SERIOUSLY - y'know when I cried at Forgotten Land? In world 3. Not because of a cutscene or a line of dialogue, but just from the sheer emotion the setting evoked in me. The sweet, laid-back, starry-eyed wonder that it expressed from Kirby mixed with my own sense of nostalgia being aware of what that place was, and how beautiful it was to see it rediscovered and adored by Kirby and the animals of the Forgotten Land. It evokes such a strong feeling of bittersweetness, of existential dread comforted by the knowledge that the simple joys and memories we create places like amusement parks to share will continue on as long as there is life in the world. And unlike some of my musings about past games, this was explicitly intentional. What truly brought the tears to my eyes was remembering an interview where the devs were explaining how they were trying to keep the tone light and Kumazaki said specifically they wanted to evoke peace and beauty rather than loss.

LIKE THIS IS WRITING! This is storytelling, this is intention. It's just subtle, but not at all unimportant, and it ties into the more overarching plot. It raises the question constantly of where the people went that is answered by Forgo, and expresses the dichotomy between the simple innocence of the animals compared to the ambitions of the people who abandoned them and that is now possessing their leader. It creates stakes for Elfilis and Forgo's intentions to destroy everything so beautiful and pure about the current world, but as it absolves the current world of guilt, it puts into perspective JUST HOW LONG Forgo must have been locked away that things changed so much. And as softly as the exploits of the original people are portrayed by the game, knowing their treatment of Eliflis and Forgo as a thing of entertainment and tool for innovation is sickening placed in contrast with it. Like back to Wondaria, the way it shows how much space travel must have pervaded the imagination and escapism of the people either before or after Forgo's arrival is insanely smart. And it gives me chills in the best way seeing Kirby run around images of cartoon aliens from a civilization who would never meet him. Of Kirby, Elfilin, and Bandana sticking their head into a cardboard cutout of an astronaut meeting an alien, with the text "wish you were here" above in a script they don't even understand. A SCRIPT THE WRITERS MADE FOR THIS GAME SO THAT THEY COULD ADD MESSAGES LIKE THAT INTO THE WORLD FOR KEEN PLAYERS TO NOTICE AND MAKE CONNECTIONS. Like it's insane. The dedication the Hal Labs has to stuff like this is maddening! It's so sweet and heartfelt and crafty, I'm so pissed off how little respect it gets because people don't understand visual storytelling!!!!! Saying Forgotten Land is light on story is preposterous, it might just be one of the most finely crafted stories the series has had to date, and is just a really solid piece of science fantasy writing in general honestly. It is packed with environmental storytelling that drives me Up The Fucking Wall, Man.