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herecomesthefirstday · 5 months

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herecomesthefirstday's year in review

Big things: Published a paper & a letter with my job, moved out of my parents' house and in with my boyfriend, stopped having a job, started watching One Piece, flew to Atlanta even though I hate flying, caught up with One Piece

TOP 20 FILMS OF 2023 / more & more year in review (music, TV, books, games) under readmore

Bottoms

Past Lives

Polite Society

The Holdovers

Oppenheimer

John Wick Chapter 4

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse

Rye Lane

Killers of the Flower Moon

May December

Barbie

Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning

The Pope's Exorcist

Asteroid City

Theater Camp

The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar

You Hurt My Feelings

Poor Things

They Cloned Tyrone

80 For Brady

BEST SHORT OF 2023: Take Me Home

Songs on repeat / movies I watched and rated 4.5 or 5 stars / books read / TV watched / games played by month

January 🎵 Marigolds - Kishi Bashi American Teenager - Ethel Cain 🎬 Hail, Caesar! (2016) 4.5 Embrace of the Serpent (2015) 5 Fail Safe (1964) 4.5 Honorable mention: The Best Years of Our Lives (1946) 3.5 📚 World War Z - Max Brooks 🔁1/16 Gideon the Ninth - Tamsyn Muir 1/18 Harrow the Ninth - Tamsyn Muir 1/23 Nona the Ninth - Tamsyn Muir 1/26 📺 Dark

February 🎵 Partita for 8 Voices - Roomful of Teeth God Is a Freak - Peach PRC 🎬 Third Kind (2018) 4.5 Showgirls (1995) 4.5 Lord of the Rings trilogy (2001-2003) 🔁 5 📚 The Memory Police - Yōko Ogawa 2/7 Authority - Jeff VanderMeer 2/15 📺 Crazy Ex-Girlfriend 🔁 Bloodline S1

March 🎵 Not Another Rockstar - Maisie Peters 🎬 Banshees of Inisherin (2022) 4.5 John Wick (2014) 🔁 4.5 John Wick: Chapter 3 (2019) 🔁 5 Honorable mention: 80 for Brady (2023) 3 📚 Acceptance - Jeff VanderMeer 3/4 How To Hide An Empire - Daniel Immerwahr 📺 Crazy Ex-Girlfriend 🔁 Yellowjackets S1 🔁 S2 Poker Face Defending Jacob

April 🎵 2 Be Loved (Am I Ready) - Lizzo Daytona Sand - Orville Peck Little Dark Age - MGMT 🎬 John Wick: Chapter 4 (2023) 4.5 Honorable mention: Rye Lane (2023) 4 📚 How To Hide An Empire - Daniel Immerwahr 4/1 📺 Succession Grey's Anatomy Yellowjackets

May 🎵 Home - Diana Ross Lipstick Lover - Janelle Monáe Gloria - Laura Branigan 🎬 Polite Society (2023) 5 The Joy Luck Club (1993) 4.5 Crank (2006) 4.5 📺 Succession Grey's Anatomy Yellowjackets White Lotus 🎮 Tears of the Kingdom

June 🎵 Lipstick Lover - Janelle Monáe Movin' Out - Billy Joel 🎬 The Fabelmans (2022) 4.5 Casablanca (1942) 🔁 4.5 Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023) 4.5 Deep Blue Sea (1999) 5 What We Do In The Shadows (2014) 🔁 5 📺 White Lotus Grey's Anatomy Marriage The Bear 🎮 Tears of the Kingdom

July 🎵 My House - Diana Ross Both Sides Now - Joni Mitchell 🎬 Lady Bird (2017) 🔁 4.5 Pacific Rim (2013) 🔁 5 Whiplash (2014) 5 The Watermelon Woman (1996) 4.5 Howl's Moving Castle (2004) 🔁 4.5 Oppenheimer (2023) 4.5 📺 The Bear Grey's Anatomy Black Mirror What We Do In The Shadows Foundation 🎮 Tears of the Kingdom Rocket League

August 🎵 It's All Coming Back To Me Now - Celine Dion Adagio in D Minor - John Murphy 🎬 Marcel the Shell with Shoes On (2021) 4.5 📺 Foundation Only Murders in the Building Grey's Anatomy One Piece 🎮 Tears of the Kingdom We Love Katamari 📚 The Name of the Rose - Umberto Eco

September 🎵 American Pie - Don McLean 🎬 Bottoms (2023) 5 📺 One Piece Foundation Grey's Anatomy 🎮 We Love Katamari 📚 The Name of the Rose - Umberto Eco (9/9) Stone Butch Blues - Leslie Feinberg (9/26)

October 🎵 No One Comes Close - Infinity Song New Body Rhumba - LCD Soundsystem No One Dies From Love - Tove Lo 🎬 Past Lives (2023) 5 Deep Blue Sea (1999) 🔁 5 📺 One Piece Grey's Anatomy Lupin GBBO 📚 Arsène Lupin, Gentleman-Thief - Maurice Leblanc (10/26)

November 🎵 Liability - Lorde Together in Electric Dreams - Philip Oakey & Giorgio Moroder 🎬 Annette (2021) 4.5 Electric Dreams (1984) 5 Honorable Mention: Light & Magic (2022) 4 📺 One Piece Grey's Anatomy GBBO The Crown Mindhunter 🔁 📚 The Uranium Club - Miriam E. Hiebert (11/16)

December 🎵 Isumagijunnaitaungituq (The Unforgiven) - Elisapie Butchered Tongue - Hozier Christmas Baby - Infinity Song Home For Christmas - Infinity Song 🎬 The Holdovers (2023) 4.5 x2 Take Me Home (2023) 5 - short Pro Pool (2022) 4.5 - short Mamma Mia! (2008) 5 🔁 Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again (2018) 5 🔁 The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992) 5 🔁 Honorable mention: The Quiet Girl (2022) 4 📺 One Piece Grey's Anatomy Only Murders in the Building New Amsterdam Frieren Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch From Mercury The Crown Pokémon Concierge 🎮 Fall Guys Super Smash Bros. Ultimate 📚 Station Eleven - Emily St. John Mandel (12/25)

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thereaderstea · 3 years

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Hello tor-mon!

I just saw your response and honestly you flatter me too much, you re-read it ten times? This is the highest form of praise!

Secondly, I was wondering what things you personally like to see in the horror/yandere genre? I have been trying to come up with ideas for my next fic and am a little stumped. So, I figured who better to ask than my favorite reviewer in the whole world?

What is a fic you always wanted to read in this genre? AUs you don't see too often? Something you just really want to see! I'd love to hear your thoughts 💜💜💜

Merry meet, deliciae! Of course! Your writing is the perfect material to reread! I reread your fics all the time, and your writing never loses its effect! True beauty!

First, I’m honored 🥺 And second, I’ve got you, deliciae! A lot of these ideas are supernatural/paranormal/magical because that’s my usual realm and I am wholly unoriginal and empty-headed when it comes to the Normal world 😅

Yandere AUs

Among Us au: I believe this is a potent au filled with lots of possibilities, especially with the addition of the Town of Us roles (Imposter Lovers immediately screamed yandere at me). The two possibilities that stuck out to me was 1) the classic yandere is the imposter and mc is a crewmate (and mayhap the crew think the mc is sus 🤭), and 2) the mc is the imposter with a yandere crewmate (i.e. the yandere!crewmate simps for the mc).

Battle Royale au: I remember you mentioning a long while back about starting your blog in part because of chinkbihh’s Quarter Quell but wasn’t sure what else to bring to the table? I have a singular idea and some alternate settings that employ a similar taste of the Hunger Games (because I, too, love chinkbihh’s yandere Hunger Games idea):

Hunger Games: game designer and hunger games survivor. The yandere is on the game’s designing team and the mc is a survivor in the games. The yandere does all they can to ensure the mc’s safety and victory in the games, and well, the mc may escape the games unscathed but they can’t escape the yandere’s clutches.

S.O.S.: This is a game on Steam. You’re on La Cuna island, where you have to fight monsters, avoid becoming infected by the monsters, yoink a crystal on the island before other players do, call in the helicopter, and secure your spot home. There are thirty-two players, only three seats home, and you definitely didn’t sign up for this fight to the death 😅

Dead by Daylight: This is a game on Steam. There’s one killer and four survivors (but who says it has to be those numbers?). The survivors have to fix the generators to open the gates and escape, and the killer is having fun chasing the survivors, messing with them using their special abilities, taking them down, throwing them on hooks, and sacrificing them to the Entity. It’s ten times more terrifying to play with friends, and while I love the teaming up, I love a shameless, no-regrets betrayal between good friends more 🙂 (sacrifice, sacrifice, sacrifice)

Witch au: I believe there are a few aspects of the witch-y world that could be brewed with yandere, namely:

love potions

curses, hexes: anyone who tries to get between the mc and the yandere is cursed

a case of an accidental summoning of a djinn, demon, or some other being who becomes rather fond (and possessive) of the witch (or vice versa!)

empathy (specifically feeling others’ emotions): this could create some good internal conflict. If the mc is an empath, then what if they feel the yandere’s ‘love’; would the mc also become a yandere?

fortune telling/scrying/clairvoyance or claircognizance/psychometry: you’ve actually hinted at this concept in Solar Eclipse and it’s such an intriguing concept, so here’s another version

dream walking/lucid dreaming/astral projecting: I read a book where the mc dreams of a town and her duty is to protect the town from the djinn. She loses her brother and so when the djinn approaches her in her dreams she makes a deal with a djinn to get him back (sort of like Persephone :D), but she didn’t think it was a real deal until she woke up. The interesting part was that she was chained to the djinn, and the djinn could use those chains to summon her to him, even across dimensions.

Tuatha Dé Danann/Sidhe/Fae au: besides the Unseelie being cool candidates for yanderes (glamour, master manipulators, and typically violent? perfect grounds to make a yandere), there are aspects of Fae folklore that I love and think would be pretty cool in yandere:

names: names hold power and if you tell a Faerie your name (specifically your full, true name), they hold power over you. the Fae are tricky, so it can be easy to literally hand your name over to them.

faerie rings: if you step in a faerie ring, you’re trapped until the Faerie who created the ring comes to collect their trappings. But faerie rings are also rumored to be portals into the Fae realm

selkie: in folklore, men would convince a selkie to marry them and hide their seal skin as a means to trap the selkie with them. if the selkie ever finds her seal skin, she’ll dip on the man and return to the ocean.

Slaugh Sidhe, or the Wild Host/Wild Hunt: the Slaugh Sidhe are hosts of restless, unforgiven dead, sometimes rumored to be Fallen Angels. I believe the Headless Horseman is in the Hunt as well. They roam the Earth on Samhain and hunt during the night; they prey on humans and will steal their souls. You can also inadvertently call the Slaugh to you by saying their name during nightfall or feeling hopeless (they prey on sadness, broken hearts, and the depressed).

each-uisce, or each-uisge: a shapeshifting water-horse; it typically takes the form of a man on land and a horse in water. Though if in the form of a horse on land, a human mounts them, and they smell water, the uisce will drag the human down into the water and eat them

zombie apocalypse au: I haven’t seen too many yanderes in the zombie apocalypse, but it sounds pretty cool (way I see it, the yandere is prepared to keep mc alive and the mc gets to kick some zombie booty! win-win!)

Yandere Situations

Storyteller: this is the perfect place to crack out fairytales! the Storyteller forces the character to live out retellings of fairytales (best if used with people the character knows).

Shapeshifter: the yandere!shapeshifter shifts into a new person every time their relationship with the mc goes wrong. Doesn’t matter how many times it takes, the shapeshifter can become as many people as they have to be to end up with the mc :)

Resurrection: the mc kills the yandere plenty of times, but the yandere resurrects themselves every time. In the time it takes for the yandere to resurrect themselves, the mc runs/escapes, trying to get as far as they can away from the yandere. The yandere is rather amused with the game of cat and mouse; how far will the mc get this time?

Necromancy: the yandere is a necromancer and perhaps didn’t get to save the mc in time (or killed the mc themselves) and so they reanimated the mc. Maybe the mc loses a little bit of their soul with every revival, maybe they don’t, but one thing’s for sure: death isn’t an escape :)

Phasmophobia: this is another game on Steam. you are on a team a paranormal investigators, and you’re trying to document what type of ghost is haunting a location. This time may be your biggest break yet, but your latest ghost is a huge puzzle and also rather keen on keeping you...

Yandere Pairings/Characters

human and angel (bonus if there are clipped wings ☺)

witch and familiar

serial killer and grim reaper

forgotten deity and lone follower

thief and detective

time traveler and immortal

~*~

I hope this helps spark something even if you don’t use any of them, and lmk if I should clarify something or if you need more assistance! I’m happy to help ☺

Blessed be, deliciae! and may writer’s block not plague you!

your lil monster delight, tor-mon 🖤

#asks #deepdarkdelights #deliciae #yandere #letters from deliciae #ik a lot of these may not be conventional yandere stuff #but i see a lot of potential in them #and i hope this helps! ^.^

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caithyra · 4 years

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Don’t think about it...

...Because when you do, the Thieves’ Guild/Nightingale questline just becomes more and more disturbing, and you might just end up feeling sympathy for the guy you have no choice but to kill.

Basically, I am trying to create an abbreviated timeline of Skyrim’s characters’ history just in case I get off my butt and write fanfic, and I ran into this:

Mercer Frey is at most, around 50 years old in 4E 201. I guess this because he lives in the sewers (illnesses flow down with the dung and trash+no sunlight is aging and bad for the health, so if he was older he would probably be sick) and crouches (ages the joints) all his life, yet was spry enough to climb a giant statue and pry jewels that had been in the rock for millennia loose. If he was in his 60s with his lifestyle he likely couldn’t have done that, Skeleton Key or no Skeleton Key (also, not a single gray hair that I could see, so...).

Subtracting 25 years after Gallus’ death, gives us around 25 years old. subtracting at least 3 years of Karliah being a regular Nightingale not on the lamb, because she seems pretty comfortable with the role and the Skyrim locations (and was also the lover of an adult, we get perilously close to underage the further back we push this, and she’d been his “little nightingale” for so long she was obsessed with killing Mercer 25 years later), he would be around 22 years old when she was inducted.

And he was a senior Nightingale, I would guess at least 5 years her senior as a Nightingale.

So when Gallus and Karliah’s mother sold his soul to Nocturnal, he would have been around 17 years old at the oldest. And given how small a margin I’ve given these years, I would guess the more likely age for Mercer’s selling of soul would have been 15 years old.

The thing is, he and Karliah would have been about the same age (as an elf, she looks younger, heck, her grandmother, Barenziah, was pretty spry and popping out her mother at the age of 379, and if Karliah is only as young as Mercer, then Karliah’s mother popped Karliah out when she was around 170+ years old) and as a Breton, he probably matures slower than a regular mannish race without half-elven ancestry (a half-elven Emperor, Cassynder, is remarked upon to have aged “like a Breton” suggesting slower maturity, as he died of ill health and so certainly did not have the lifespan of a Breton).

And on top of it all, the way Karliah’s life plays out in Gallus’ book (Nightingales Vol.2), it seems like her lover and her mother waited until she was an adult before inducting her to give her a better choice, unlike Mercer (who was likely inducted because Karliah’s grandfather died, or because Lorthus, who may or may not have been Karliah’s father, died in Whiterun’s dungeons, and because it needs to be a Trinity and they didn’t think Karliah would have been ready), who was put in the position of selling his soul as a child while pressured by authority figures that it was a great honor.

Not only that, but Frey is not a Breton name. In fact, as a surname, it seems very Nordic, and given that there is no trace of Mercer’s background or parentage and that the highest population of Bretons and Reachmen lives under the thumb of Nords as serfs (and children take the race of the mother) in the Reach and that he picks a second-in-command with a Reach accent...

Yeah, so it seems more like Mercer’s conception may or may not have been consensual. That he somehow ended up in Gallus’ path when he was a very young child (at best, his mother died when he was very young and his father either also died or there was no relationship so he didn’t recognize Mercer, or Gallus kidnapped him), and Mercer grows into his midteens in the guild when the guildmaster and a legendary figure (Nightingale, Karliah’s mother) either convinces him to sell his soul to Nocturnal, or tricks him like Karliah tricked the Dragonborn and Brynjolf.

And then he grows into adulthood and realizes what they’ve done to him (eternal slavery even beyond death, even worse than the Reachmen in the Reach).

Is it really any wonder he “desecrates” Nocturnal’s shrine to live large while he can? Why he kills Gallus when Gallus starts trying to be all moral about it? (Oh, and given the sticky timeline, if Karliah is any younger than Mercer and not the same age or older, her and Gallus’ relationship likely started when she was barely legal after he watched her from her mid-teenage years as her guildmaster and superior; isn’t Gallus a swell, moral guy? Totally a honorable thief!) because he now hates Gallus? Is it any wonder that Karliah is framed when Mercer’s entire life and death has revolved around her and her family/lover?

Notice that for 25 years, he was content taking care of the Thieves’ Guild and only skimming the top of the (dwindling) profits and practically did everything to keep it running (again, I do not believe the Guild fell on hard times because of Mercer, given that their luck is sooo bad that they randomly recruit the Last Dragonborn when it is at its worse. Given how little the other leaders seems to do, it seems more self-inflicted, also given that the Last Dragonborn can fix it all up by doing a bunch of regular quests any thief in the guild, but most especially senior members like Brynjolf, Vex and Delvin, could have done).

Also I would like to point out that Karliah lies or is paranoid when she says that she’s been hunted for 25 years by Mercer’s contacts, given that there is only evidence of him having 3 contacts who would do such a thing, and the Black-Briars knew nothing, the Dark Brotherhood certainly wasn’t wasting their dwindling resources (they were hunted to near extinction 13 years ago and were losing Sanctuaries even before that) on her and the Thieves’ Guild were all surprised she still existed.

Given that Karliah constantly lies about things like this (even Gallus, in his book, contradicts her attributing everything to him, by pointing out that her mother and Mercer were there in the same capacity), she’s likely lying. But then again, Gallus had the gall to lie to my face as a ghost (stating he wasn’t in the Sepulcher when the sealing happened and then stating with certainty what happened during the sealing, even though only Daedric Princes would know enough to make an accurate guess, and even then might be wrong unless they’re Nocturnal herself), so maybe he lied in his book?

But anyway, back to Mercer. So for 25 years he’s been content being guildmaster.

And it is only when Karliah shows up again and escapes his attempt at killing her that he empties the vault and leaves (and again, Karliah was trying to destroy the guild in a more permanent way by angering Maven Black-Briar. At least you can refill an empty vault, you cannot refill the ranks of killed master thieves so easily. Then, when the Dragonborn gives Karliah the option of an in with the guild, she just skates right on in and no one points this out. Either that or her plan was so stupid, she planned, as the known killer of the previous guildmaster, to walk into the guild with the current guildmaster paralyzed over her shoulder waving her boyfriend’s supposed diary in an unreadable language and claim innocence? Also, a thief’s diary that only mentions what she needs us to know but not his great love for his “little nightingale”? Or even just “we danced the horizontal tango yesterday, her mother is angry because she thinks I’m too old for her, fortunately she was killed by mercenaries finding our super secret hideout that only I and Mercer knew about~Time to turn little Karliah into my little nightingale~”).

Like imagine if Karliah moved on from her (creepy) boyfriend and made a life for herself outside Skyrim? The only thing the guild to complain about when it comes to Mercer would be his admin fees (skimming) because no one else have done the accounting for 25 years (looking at you, Bryn and Del, oh and notice how long it took for Gallus to notice? He was guildmaster but did he foist the admin work on Mercer too? On top of selling Mercer’s soul?) and doesn’t want to step up in any capacity to do any of his work (See Guildmaster Dragonborn despite there being three senior leaders left in the Thieves Guild; at the least Companions killed off Kodlak [who dreamed about you] and Skjor and caused a schism on the lycanthropy topic between Aela and the twins before you became the Harbinger who is just a mediator and advisor, and you just arbitrarily becomes the Listener because “Sweet Mother” is a fucking troll who played deadbeat to her “children” for 13 years, and I cannot really justify the Archmage thing, but I can do it much better than the Guildmaster thing).

And there wouldn’t have been any selling of souls to a demonic goddess Karliah calls a “scolding mother” who is more deadbeat than the Night Mother and who, like the Night Mother, keeps you in servitude beyond your death.

But like I said, don’t think about it.

Oh and I’m not the only one who is kind of put off by Karliah’s “specialness” what with being the secret granddaughter of THE Nightingale and Queen Barenziah, and the only Dunmer I can think of without ash-red eyes (even Vivec’s Dunmer half had a red eye, and he was considered as powerful as a god, just to show how all-encompassing Azura’s curse was) and instead have violet eyes, and how everyone praises how smart and skilled she is while everything she does is stupid and failing?

Oh right. I need to stop thinking about this quest-line and the fact that my only choice was killing the child victim of a demonic cult after he grew up and tried to escape for the crime of taking some going-away-money I could replace in five minutes, just to avenge some dude who sells children’s soul into slavery after his girlfriend tricks me into selling mine and... Okay, not thinking about it!

#skyrim #mercer frey #thieves' guild #nightingales #gallus desidenius #barenziah #karliah the liar #nocturnal #rant #gallus is just so bad when you think about the timeline #like he had time to introduce karliah to enthir and they had time to become friends #to the point that enthir doesn't believe she killed his best friend even though that's what everyone's saying #saying that mercer's soul was sold when he was 15 years old is being generous #because the more I look at the timeline #anything between 12-17 seems possible #and that 12 limit only exists because I hope Nocturnal would refuse anyone younger #sympathy for the assigned devil of the narrative #like gallus totally had it coming #okay need to stop thinking about this questline

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hermitologist · 4 years

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My 20 Favorite Records of 2019

Lists! Everyone loves them. Here’s another one.

These are the records I liked the most this year. That doesn’t mean they’re the *best*, that means I liked them. You might not. That’s fine! You might be livid that Porpoise Corpse’s neo-classical folk prog double LP isn’t on my list because it’s an easy top 5 record for you, but maybe electric mandolin solos, blast beats, and harpsichord runs aren’t my thing. That’s fine too! It’s infinitely cooler and far more productive to let people enjoy the art they enjoy rather than wasting precious minutes of your life trying to convince the entire internet to have the exact same taste in music.

That said ...

This years list is chock full of the usual, if you’re familiar with my taste at all -- tons of super heavy bummer jams, a handful of Radiohead-adjacent mid-tempo rock of the indie or emo variety, some hearty post-rock, some tried-and-true vets doing the thing they do very well ... again, and a few outliers. The honorable mentions list gets considerably more eclectic if you’re looking for stuff that sounds less like a soundtrack to various stages of the apocalypse.

As always, I welcome your suggestions for records and podcasts I might’ve missed the boat on. There’s way too much good stuff out there to keep up with, so PLEASE help me out.

Also: When I am not being a lazy pile of crap, I try to haul my dadbod around town for a run a few days a week and will listen to/briefly review a record in the process. Almost every record on this list has been a part of one of those posts, so if you’re interested in such a thing, please check out my Instagram.

BONUS: I put together a playlist on Spotify of my favorite song from each of my top 20 records, and a separate one for the 51 other records I liked this year, so if you’re overwhelmed and don’t know where to start, just needle drop a little and see if anything grabs you. And if anyone’s feeling productive and has time to do an Apple Music playlist, I’ll link and credit you.

Top 20 Spotify Playlist

Top 20 Apple Music Playlist -- Thanks, Austin!

Other Faves Spotify Playlist

But before we get to the Top 20, a couple of records that deserve a nod ...

Record I Listened To The Most In 2019 Whether I Wanted To Or Not

Angel Du$t - Pretty Buff

This is my four-year-old son’s favorite record, and while I’m trying to round out his musical palate by throwing on all sorts of different bands while we’re hanging out, he insists on either “no music” or “The Basketball Song” (which is “Big Ass Love”). I have no idea how or why his little amazingly weird brain equates the song with basketball (a sport he doesn’t really play or watch or think about ever, to my knowledge), but it does. He LOVES IT. I’ve got to admit, I didn't care for the song all that much when I first heard it, but it’s an earworm, and some 3000 plays later, I love it, and I love the record. Funny how that works out.

Record That Came out in 2009, But I Didn’t Discover Until 2019

Self-Evident - Endings

Endings was neck-and-neck with my favorite record of 2019 for spins this year. Coincidentally, the it was recommended by someone from the band who made my #1 record, and it has moments where it sounds a whole hell of a lot like my #1 record. Blows my mind that a band that was/is so incredibly in my wheelhouse sonically, that has released nine LPs over an 18 year career, and operates in circles incredibly close to a ton of bands I love and respect and nerd out about music with somehow managed to elude me for the better part of two decades. At any rate I’m incredibly stoked to have finally found them, absolutely love them, and honestly might’ve listened to this LP 20 times in a matter of a few days when I got my first taste. It’s that good.

And now for the list ...

20) Remote Viewing - It’s Better This Way

Super nasty, dark, sludgy, well-crafted noise rock out of London that fits somewhere in between KEN Mode and early-Kowloon Walled City sonically. You’d think it was pretty crazy to have a band be so locked in and fully formed as early as LP2, but then you find out they’re ex-members of Palehorse, Million Dead, and I Want You Dead and it all kinda makes sense. Unfortunately, the song on the playlist is from a previous LP (because the new one is inexplicably not on Spotify), but you can and should get the new record on Bandcamp.

19) From Indian Lakes - Dimly Lit

I’ve been a big fan of FIL for years, but have always been at a bit of a loss when it comes time to describe them. It’s hazy and dreamy, but not quite shoegazey ... it’s insanely infectious and pleasing to the ear, but not really poppy ... it’s forward-thinking and experimental, but not quite art-rock or groggy at all. It’s just excellent. Full stop. If you dig anything from Tycho, to Radiohead, to The Cure, to Slowdive you’ll enjoy this.

18) Stray From The Path - Internal Atomics

Furious, mathy, riff-heavy hardcore from Long Island that sounds like a reformed Rage Against The Machine had spent the past two decades doing steroids, mainlining Red Bull, and studying the finer points of Moshology. The breakdowns are massive, the drumming absolutely mental, and the vocals pissed as hell. At my advanced age, it’s rare that a record makes me want to pit and/or try to deadlift cars, but this one’s got that magic.

17) Glassing - Spotted Horse

Mostly spazzy, occasionally dreamy, black-metal sprinkled post-hardcore that fits in very well with bands like Portrayal Of Guilt and Respire in the rebirth of traditional screamo. It’s fits and starts of chaos and beauty, and it all sounds and feels like it could completely go off the rails at any time which is what made bands like Orchid and Majority Rule and Saetia so great back in the day.

16) La Dispute - Panorama

It’s no secret that I’m a big La Dispute fan (Thrice has toured the US with them twice in the past decade), and I love all of their records, but I’m pretty sure I can say with full confidence that this is the best record they’ve ever made. Everything is firing at peak performance, and the way the record is arranged and sequenced makes it feel more like a film score than a collection of songs. It’s a complete work -- meant to be listened to as such, which is a daunting artistic task, but they pulled it off in grand fashion.

15) Russian Circles - Blood Year

This band has been in the upper echelon of post-rock bands for as long as I can remember, and Blood Year is another incredible addition to their already stellar discography. These guys are all absolute monsters at their given instruments, and one of the best live rock bands on the planet, so getting to hear them do their thing on a record that manages to actually capture that live energy and ambience really does the trick for me.

14) Greet Death - New Hell

This one kinda came outta nowhere for me, as I (ashamedly) was not familiar with them prior to giving New Hell a spin. It blew me away. I’m a total sucker for bummer jams, and this record is full of top-quality sludgy, sad, shoegazey goodness. If you dig Cloakroom, O’ Brother, or Pianos Become The Teeth this is gonna be right up your alley.

13) Sleep Token - Sundowning

Another record that came out of nowhere to knock me on my ass. I downloaded it before a transatlantic flight on a whim (after hearing about 30 seconds of the opening track), hoping that it would be a nice, mellow companion to ease my in-flight anxiety. And it was, but whoa was it so much more than that. It kinda sounds like a collab between Active Child and Deftones -- poppy, melancholic piano ballads, brought to crushing crescendos via super heavy drop-tuned sludge -- which sounds like a mess, but it works so well. It’s a killer record and probably would’ve landed higher on this year’s list if it hadn’t come out so late in the year.

12) Big Thief - UFOF

This one’s a bit of an outlier, and a damn good one at that. I came across UFOF via a friend’s recommendation before the hype train had left the station, and honestly didn’t know what to expect. Said recommendation simply said that it was good and infectious and probably a few other things that I can’t recall, but didn’t mention the folk thing (which is great because I probably would have passed). The friend was right. It’s good (maybe even great), incredibly infectious, and gave me a nice reprieve from the heavy stuff I tend to listen to on the regular.

11) Cave In - Final Transmission

I’m beyond thankful we got any new music from Cave In after Caleb passed. They owed us nothing, and had every right to walk away, but managed to rally to release a killer record that is heavy both sonically and conceptually, and still manages to give me chills despite being live demos recorded in a rehearsal room. There are few bands on the planet who’ve inspired me like Cave In have, and seeing them pull together to grieve and forge ahead to continue to build their legacy is even more inspiring. What a band.

10) Pedro The Lion - Phoenix

My favorite singer/songwriter of my generation decided to revive the project that made me a fan of his in the first place. That project put out a record for the first time in 15 years, and I had unreasonably high expectations for it. Phoenix delivered and then some. I remember sitting at my kitchen table, weeping into my cup of coffee the first time I heard Phoenix, the same way Control used to make it seem like the inside of the Thrice van was getting a little dusty during cross-country drives back in the early 00s. It blows my mind that David Bazan can be such a prolific artist, write such insanely powerful music, and seem incapable of writing a dud song.

9) Coilguns - Watchwinders

This Swiss noise-rock band kicks unbelievable amounts of ass. Their Millenials LP made my favorites list last year, and when I heard they had a follow up coming out a little over a year later, my gut reaction was to worry they’d blow it with a new record that was either rushed and/or half-assed, or lose the plot and take a hard left turn and make something markedly un-Coilguns. They did neither. The made an absolute monster of an album, that was apparently written in the studio, and is full of live energy in rawness that is pretty tough to capture in a sterile atmosphere like a studio. Watchwinders dropped in late October, and if I’d had a bit more time with it, I could see it moving up to my Top 5. It’s that good. I find myself going back to it constantly.

8) Blessed - Salt

This record kinda defies description, but it reminds me of everything from Pile to Menomena to Interpol to La Dispute to Devo at times. As scatterbrained and incongruent as that might sound, I assure you it rules. It was in verrrry heavy rotation this year -- mostly for the utterly filthy drum groove on the final track. If you like your music catchy, but slathered in weird, this is definitely gonna do the thing for you. It’s an incredible record.

7) Herod - Sombre Dessein

I hadn’t heard of this band before they popped up on a Spotify playlist early this year, and when “Reckoning” hit, it absolutely flattened me. You know that nuclear apocalypse scene from Terminator 2? That’s what “Reckoning” did to me. It was undoubtedly my favorite ultra-heavy track of the year, and while it’s my favorite song on the record by a pretty large margin, the rest of Sombre Dessein kicks ass too. It’s 42 minutes of crushing heaviness that kinda sounds like a blend of Cult Of Luna, Meshuggah, and Gojira. Heavy. Pissed. Unrelenting. And Outstanding.

6) Pile - Green & Grey

Every time I try to describe Pile to someone I fail. On Wikipedia they’re described as “indie rock”, which ... sure, I suppose? There’s a little post-punk in there, a little post-rock, a little noise-rock, nods to classic rock (maybe?), a little of that southern magic that made Colour Revolt so great (but Pile’s from Boston so hmm ... ), some country even? Do you like weird guitars? Freakish musicians? Melancholic crooning? I dunno. It’s all over the place, but in the best ways possible. They’re a singular band, and so damn good. Green & Grey is stellar addition to a discography that is already full of incredible music ... even if the album cover gives makes me want to fold those blankets and put them away.

5) PUP - Morbid Stuff

Was this the year that PUP broke? Definitely seems like it, and rightfully so. Morbid Stuff is my favorite thing they’ve ever done, but I’ve absolutely loved everything they’ve ever put out, so that’s saying a lot. Per usual, it’s insanely infectious and anthemic without being traditionally poppy or relying on tropes to burrow into your skull and take up residence there. It’s uplifting musically, but kinda depressing lyrically, which does this weird push/pull thing in my brain that makes it impossible to stop listening to. The musicianship is fantastic, the guitar parts especially -- like the guitar line in “Scorpion Hill” wow. I really needed a record to fill the gaping void between the metal/sludge/noise and the ambient/downtempo electronica I listened to this year, and Morbid Stuff fit the bill perfectly.

4) Cult Of Luna - A Dawn To Fear

These guys belong on the Mount Rushmore of Post-Rock/Metal with Neurosis and Isis. Nobody has done it better than them over the past two decades, and A Dawn To Fear is arguably their best work to date. It, like any Cult Of Luna requires a great deal of patience, but man if they don’t make the wait worth it. They’re the masters of the slow build to an absolutely crushing climax, the dynamic shifts that leave you feeling like you got hit by a freight train, the nuanced instrumentation that tells a different story each time you listen to a certain section of a song. They’re absolute masters at their craft, and this record is them at their peak.

3) Big|Brave - A Gaze Among Them

Another record that came out of nowhere to completely floor me. I hadn’t heard a single note from this band until a friend recommended I check out the opening track, “Muted Shifting Of Space”. I did ... and that plodding drum and bass pulse with dark, swirling, ethereal guitar swells/feedback and soaring vocals building into a huge release of sludgy, drop-tuned goodness checked off all the boxes for me. I was hooked. The atmosphere and dynamics Big|Brave have built their sound around give every song a cinematic feel -- if you close your eyes, can you see drone footage of landscapes too? . If you dig post-rock/metal that is experimental around the edges, moody, absurdly heavy, and has both feet firmly planted in sludge, this is a must-have record.

2) Cloudkicker - Unending

If you’ve been following me on social media or reading these year-end lists for a while you’re probably pretty familiar with Cloudkicker by now because any time we get new music I can’t shut up about it and the record invariably ends up on this list. This instance is no different. Unending is the first LP we’ve gotten from Ben Sharp in four years, and it’s worth the wait and then some. He’s managed to pull from every era of CK and turn it into a masterpiece mash-up of styles without it ever feeling rehashed or uninspired. I’d go far as to say this tops Beacons and Fade for me, and comes awfully close to challenging Subsume for my favorite Cloudkicker record of all time and space. There’s soooo much progressive and djenty masturbatory metal garbage floating in the ether right now. Hearing the one of the kings do the damn thing properly is incredibly refreshing.

1) Town Portal - Of Violence

No surprise here. I’ve been crapping my pants about this band ever since my good friend Scott Evans shared their music with me a couple years ago. I’ve been unhealthily obsessed ever since. The magical progressive rock/metal these three guys are capable melts and massages my brain in a way few bands ever have. Of Violence is incredibly mathy without ever feeling awkward, it’s melodic without being conventional, it’s discordant without being abrasive, it’s heavy as shit without being overloaded with distortion, it’s progressive as hell without ever coming remotely close to devolving into a wankfest, and it’s damn near perfect in every way. Songwriting? Great. Tones? Phenomenal. Musicianship? Otherworldly. Execution? Flawless. Mix? Perfect. Replayability? (Not a word, but ... ) PUT THIS RECORD ON A GODDAMN LOOP AND NEVER TURN IT OFF. Can you tell I like it? You might too, so give it a listen. And if by chance you do not like it, please see a doctor. You’re broken.

OTHER STUFF I REALLY ENJOYED THIS YEAR

HEAVY JAMS

METZ - Automat

Buildings - Negative Sound

Helms Alee - Noctiluca

Minors - Abject Bodies

Periphery - Periphery 4: HAIL STAN

Employed To Serve - Eternal Forward Motion

Elizabeth Colour Wheel - Nocero

Defeater - S/T

Pelican - Nighttime Stories

Spotlights - Love And Decay

Great Falls - A Sense of Rest

Baroness - Gold & Grey

The End of the Ocean - -aire

Vous Autres - Champ du Sang

Brutus - Nest

Torche - Admission

Glose - The Second Best of Glose

Throes - In The Hands of an Angry God

Slipknot - We Are Not Your Kind

meth. - Mother of Red Light

SECT - Blood of the Beasts

Kublai Khan TX - Absolute

Seizures - Reverie of the Revolving Diamond

Dead Kiwis - Systematic Home Run

Norma Jean - All Hail

Refused - War Music

Chamber - Ripping / Pulling / Tearing

MIDRANGE JAMS

Jimmy Eat World - Surviving

Elbow - Giants of All Sizes

Raketkanon - RKTKN #3

Bad Religion - Age of Unreason

The Appleseed Cast - The Fleeting Light of Impermanence

DIIV - Deceiver

Idiot Pilot - Blue Blood

Microwave - Death Is A Warm Blanket

Low Dose - S/T

SWMRS - Berkeley’s On Fire

Self-Evident - Lost Inside The Machinery

B. Hamilton - Nothing and Nowhere

MELLOW JAMS

Trade Wind - Certain Freedoms

Square Peg Round Hole - Branches

Great Grandpa - Four of Arrows

Local Natives - Violet Street

Rhone - Leaving State

Shlohmo - The End

Tycho - Weather

Bon Iver - i,i

Drowse - Light Mirror

Bonniesongs - Energetic Mind

Telefon Tel Aviv - Dreams Are Not Enough

GoGo Penguin - Ocean In A Drop

Bent Knee - You Know What They Mean

THE PODCAST QUEUE

The Deadcast (RIP) - sports, culture

Chapo Trap House - politics

The Rich Roll Podcast - health, wellness, endurance sports

Hang Up & Listen - sports

Effectively Wild - baseball

The Gist - current events

The Downbeat - drums, humor

To Live & Die In LA - true crime

FilmDrunk Frotcast - movies, culture, humor

The Modern Drummer Podcast with Mike & Mike - drums (duh)

The Trap Set - also drums

Song Exploder - songwriting

#music #AOTY #endoftheyearlist #topalbums

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azrxels · 6 years

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i did just see AZRIEL bustling through the halls, he is a GUARD for HOUSE BARATHEON. his loyalties lie with POPPY BARATHEON & HIMSELF, and i have heard that he can be QUIET but others have said he is OBSERVANT & LETHAL, maybe he will make it out of here alive

Alright tis Kitty - introducing my fifth baby. I am very excited about him and I hope you enjoy him just as much as I do.

Trigger warnings: mentions of: debt, slavery (somewhat?), violence

Azriel was raised alongside two others (unrelated) by a gruff man who made a living off of the favors he sold. It was made clear from day one that this man was not his father and that the three children had been sold as a payment of a debt their parents owed. In turn, they would need to work for their freedom. But everyday they slept beneath a roof, were fed and clothes added to the debt they owed.

The man they were raised by was more a criminal then an honorable man, but due to so many looking the other way, many thought him to be respectable leader within their community. His business was conducted in the dark - shady deals and unthinkable favors granted to anyone who was willing to pay the price ( one that remain unnamed, but often came later and with a heavy interest ). For this reason, the people who worked for him had seedy skill sets ( from thieves to trained assassins, they were all lethal ).

Originally, the three children competed - each trying to quickly pay off their debt to be free - but when the task proved to be made all the more difficult, they learned to work together.

Over the years, they found themselves each being trained in something particular ( a lure for men, a thief, and Azriel a trained killer ).

Each forgot their debt overtime, falling into a comfortable pattern of life - one made easier when they were frequently paid with heavy bags of coin.

At twenty five - when the man who’d raised them was contemplating selling one of the two women he’d been raised with for a pretty coin ( a move he deemed would pay off her debt despite the fact that she would become property of someone else ) - Azriel used the first blade gifted to him by this man to slit his throat. The action set a hefty bounty on his head, and he was forced to flee. His two companions took the opportunity and followed him.

Escaping onto a boat bound for the seven kingdoms, the three arrived with nothing but the clothes on their backs, a singular blade between the trio, and a set of skills that had no place within such a land. They tried to find a comfortable place to live but nothing ever really felt like home. Occasionally stealing food or bread, the trio was near starving when they entered the border of the Stormlands.

Due to lack of strength and a mind more focused on food then on the skill set that had become second nature, he was caught stealing was set to be dragged before the Ruling Lord Baratheon when he and his escort were intercepted by Poppy. She’d taken one look at him and demanded his release. And though he’d been ready to run the moment he had the chance, she dragged him to the kitchens to be fed and offered employment he couldn’t refuse.

Fetching his two companions, the trio settled into Storm Ends - each taking upon a job and agreeing to spy & gather any information they deemed necessary before reporting it back to the Baratheon girl. Their agreement was that they could leave whenever they pleased, something Poppy agreed to willingly so long as they didn’t betray her prior to this.

Over time, Azriel settled in and found himself trusting Poppy - going so far as swearing his loyalty to her. She is now the third person he genuinely trusts.

Basics:

He earned the nickname of Shadow Killer while in Essos.

He’s from Essos originally ( he will not disclose the exact location so don’t bother asking ) but has been in the Seven Kingdoms for about nine years

He’s very quiet and observes more often then not? He’s not mean but will more likely make you uncomfortable by how blunt he is then anything.

Connections!

Give me the two he was raised with ( but discuss it with me because I have an idea of their relationship already )

People he’s met since his arrival in the Kingdoms? Maybe before he ended up with the Baratheons? Or when he traveled with Poppy?

#gloriedintro #he was destruction given form and purpose | character development #debt tw #slavery tw #violence tw #murder tw

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secondscion · 6 years

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6, 11, 24, 30

6. Most likely to survive the zombie apocalypse

Here are my rankings, from most to least likely to survive:

1. Bettyn: When she fell to Mordremoth, she was transformed by the blighting process to be a more efficient killer. She builds up adrenaline faster in fights, has enhanced reflexes, tires slower, can sense the weak points of foes, and has a big ole vine growing out of her back that can knock away any foes behind her. On top of that, as a thief she can shadowstep, so I think she would be the most likely to survive because she can beat lone zombies with her combat prowess, and can shadowstep away from large swarms and also as a sylvari she’s immune to zhaitan’s magic. She does lose points for being the least likely to cooperate with other survivors though, since she’d be afraid they would attack her.

2. Osmia: I think Osmia would thrive in a group setting. She’s pragmatic, has leadership experience, and has had to make tough decisions before. She can also handle herself well in a fight. If she was on her own though, I don’t think she’d be able to survive for very long.

3. Kleo: Kleo��s not a soldier, but can handle themself in a fight and have a good mind for survival. They are very pragmatic and always looking for ways to solve problems, which I think would be a good trait to have in an apocalypse. Kleo also gets bonus points for the fact that their current state is literally fighting off waves of awakened in Metrica Province.

4. Grylla: Grylla is also good in a fight, but since Heart of Thorns, her mental state has not been good. She can barely sleep without getting traumatic nightmares of being thrown off an airship by her girlfriend, and it’s hard to be good at fighting when you’re sleep deprived. She’s also just really depressed right now and is in a cycle of self-hatred, and all of these things combined were bad enough that the Vigil put her on forced leave (which she promptly ignored, going off to fight Balthazar with Dragon’s Watch). So, while she’s good at combat, I think her general physical and mental exhaustion would put her at a major disadvantage.

5. Delilah: Delilah has one major advantage: When she is in danger, a large, OP, fiery beast appears to protect her. However, she’s a nerd at heart who only has basic combat training, so all it would take is for one zombie to bite her while her beast was dealing with the others and she would be a goner. Sorry, Delilah.

11. Most likely to steal free samples

Kleo would just grab the whole tray and walk away with so much assertiveness that the employees could do nothing about it. Who is this asura? Why did they just take our entire tray of new Tyria Joe’s Chocolate Nutty Bars? IDK but they’re ignoring any attempt we make to stop them and this kind of stuff is above my pay grade.

24. Most likely to go to a party just for the food

Delilah would so much rather be hidden in some secret nook at the Priory, translating an ancient scroll, but instead she’s at this party because the host is the only person who can afford smoked crab in this economy and, while the food that the Priory provides to its researchers is alright, sometimes you just want to eat fancy food. Also one time she found something that looked suspiciously like bloodstone dust in her soup.

Osmia gets an honorable mention because, while she appreciates the free food and would much rather be anywhere else, it’s more that she has to appear at certain social functions as The Commander.

30. Most likely to have had an embarrassing middle-school emo phase

Kleo for sure. Kleo still sometimes puts on the tyrian equivalent of Welcome to the Black Parade while they’re working because sometimes it’s 4 am and you have to get this axe done by 9 am and the only thing sustaining you is Asuran Red Bull and sometimes the only way to power through that is by singing along as loud as you possible can to Tyrian Gerard Way’s majestic voice.

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pixie-skull · 6 years

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# 12 Post, part 2: FINALLY Top Ten 2D Animated Women’s List

Update August 12th! Updates in bold.

So I am behind on my promise and seeing this net neutrality could happen here my top lady crushes. I try to go into detail. I have to admit number 10 going to be confusing see her movie has different animation styles, so I try find a picture of which one I like more. ON TO THE DELAYED LISTED. Reminder none of my new crushes can be made after 2016, when I graduate high school. Warning lots of breasts. Hey I am Pan, as in pansexuality, so yes I am mostly romantic, yet I want to clarify, I am not liking the characters for that. Also, I tried list movies from animated companies, or else this be Disney mostly. XD Here the RULES https://indigo-psyduck.tumblr.com/post/167091245072/post-12-part-1-rules-for-animated-crush-list

10. 2010′s Dante's Inferno: An Animated Epic Beatrice. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l1C9WtnOr7Y So now I said I have two styles I really like, yes this movie has 5 or 6 styles. O.O

So I chose this design of ALL other, maybe has a close second, yet this (due to it enhances the Souls and Demons)

Now on to the reasons she wins number 10. Her personality, hopeful, positive, loyal, patient (still annoyed at Dante for what he did), honest, and just an embodiment of virtues. So besides being someone who so kind to have what happened to her is heartbreaking. Plus her overall appearance was attractive too. I am not sure why women’s almost naked I feel more comfortable seeing, yet men’s and non-binary I feel my demisexual side bit more antsy. Yes middle school me was both freaked out and at the same time enjoyed the film. Helps also I was figuring out my sexuality and came out in mid high school. Oh and she stands ups for herself and tries not to be a prize. Unlike the video game, she is not a pushover. D: XD Also I am now sure I am asexual.

9. 2000′s Titan AE, Akima.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AXmcVV3WJWwEven though this movie was hard to watch(the CGI :( ), the characters and their designs are very fun to watch. Now besides being voiced by the attractive Drew Berrymore (fun fact is bi), the haircut, and those eyebrows, there more to Akima. I like she reminds of (the stunning) Zoe from Firefly due to both pilots (in a sense) so have the voice call the shots, she can take care of herself, knows how to fight yet be not a killer, and more. I do personally headcanon her as bi. She very low on the list for I admit I saw the movie sooner than I like to admit, so she not as much a childhood crush, as a new one. Only her animated style was constant, unlike 10. Sorry, the gif changed her appearance a bit, I know in the movie she of Asian descent.

8. Now nine was tempted to put Gwen from “Total Drama Island”, first two seasons (I have a soft spot for dyed hair and punk and goth look), until I saw this movie. (I do plan do a maybe top five of TV 2D women)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVbX1NeWY9s&t=3s1992 Cool’s World Lonette.

(I like how her hair so cute and messy here^ A sweet, short, messy, haircut. Also yes her body also quite nice XD ) I really find her kindness endearing such a negative world. Even though I like all eye colors, dark green eyes I am a sucker for. Also she was loving to Frank, makes hope for someone as affectionate as her. I know she Holli look very much in common, but Holli I felt lacked in such romance tenderness.

This smile ^ so adorable.

7. 1999′s Scooby-Doo! and the Witch's Ghost Luna https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=92jw0fxXca4

(in Violet and short red hair)I could have easily put this whole band down, yet I wanted pick their second singer. The fact she sings, plays an instrument, in an eco goth band, dyed hair, her parent helped give the band their fangs, and more, is why I like her so much. Also she drawn in this movie she more drawn with details and for that she is more attractive.https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/p__/images/8/8c/New-ghrfh-the-hex-girls-24106229-720-480.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20110909113258&path-prefix=protagonist < - - - Close up on her.

6. 1993′s The Thief and the Cobbler, Yum-Yum.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yZibUpH-AME&list=PL18B0CA620B61D076 and https://vimeo.com/88602144

Shocked how few royals are on this list, especially for being a 90′s kid. So why Princess Yum-Yum, even though she a weird blend of Aladdin (I bring this up to claimed Disney and if they or if they did NOT steal from this movie) Jasmine (I also have a crush on her too) of having a voice and using her power, but sometimes seems underdeveloped in comparison. However to me that is only when compared, so she to me is still fleshed out. I am happy to see her make the band of thieves due what she says, she merciful, she helps Tack and does her fair of saving the day. Not just a pretty face, she actual does something.

5. ANY DC comics Batman adaptation of Selina Kyle also known as Catwoman.

(^ Not to stereotype, yet this “gay” haircut I love so much on her)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LjQPXvQ7ZPQ

Now on to why I like her. First bonus is she cannoned as Bi as bisexuality. Now to the rest, she a character who in the grey waves of morals. She is either a villainess, anti-hero, or whatever. I enjoy also how much a tease she can be to Batman (thanks to her I can be like to my relationships too sometimes), she loves animals, she inspires me with her self defense and flexibility. Catwoman also she makes me comfortable being her dominate power force. I want to clarify I am waiting till marriage. XD I also like she kinda an example of a character, who can depicted with different racial background, body types, and more. I am aware some characters can not have such changes, yet Catwoman a positive example of done right.

4. 2003′s Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas, Marina.

Shout to @animagix101and @thenamelessdoll edits of her, if from a racebend to giving her more muscles, thank you.Now why do I like this short haired ambassador? One she stands up for what she believes in, she a quick learner, she gives off vibes like she could be bi, poly, or pan, and is fearless, yet gives mercy. Her relationship is shown on screen to grow, not just boom love, yet (I do not like Sinbad by the way, I much more like Proteus). I was tempted to give this spotlight as a tie to Moses Tzipporah, yet I know ties are not fun for most people.

3. Sailor Moon (90′s version), Michiru Kaiou AKA Sailor Neptune.

Now I know I am making this my 2D animated ladies from MOVIES, but she did make appearances in film. Sorry too the gif makes more pale (yes the characters in the anime are suppose to be Japanese). Shout out she also in the LGBTQ+ Community, cannoned as lesbian. Now on to why I like the Sailor Guardian of the planet Neptune? Besides having colorful hair (I am sorry dyed hair a bonus for me, like how accents are a bonus for other people), she has a colorful personality. XD She very artsy (I like people who can have a passion in something that is like theater, music, etc), romantic (like dang she and Sailor Uranus are soooooooooooooooo cute), funny, clever, and more.

2. Okay this rule is broken of only MOVIE ladies, yet this a childhood crush since my elementary school years. 1996′s The Incredible Hulk animated Series and any other Hulk/Marvel product, Jennifer Walters AKA She-Hulk.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MStHVaHNf_Y

XD Yes that scene beyond suggestive and yes her voice by the stunning Cree Summers. So what makes a delight, she can be funny and serious, an amazing lawyer (I believe the comic staff did this be part of the second wave of feminism [no hating for this, okay to be a feminist or have the ideas of one to want equality with men), confident in her body and mind, she has colorful hair, she so strong that I be happy be held by her, and more. XD It is kinda takes to her women of any height (she is “5'10" (in human form) 6'7" (as She-Hulk” according to http://marvel.com/characters/51/she-hulk) because tall Titanesses need some love. Also yes sucker for either her She-Hulk green eyes or her Jennifer’s form with brown eyes and this cute haircut. So Bruce Banner or Hulk, can you give me your cousin’s number please? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l2j4_C4cvSs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TbVnnImJOYc

1. 1996′s The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Esmeralda.

So I like Disney a lot to choose ONE woman is not easy to do, yet I chose to one who I know for the fact I can say just has more to crush on. For starters her personality (seeing beauty from within a huge trait I love), spreading mercy, standing up her others, her sense of Faith (I am Spiritual, so her song to me a great representation of faith - - - > https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MEEpavnk7Uw ), her voice (both speaking and singing <3 <3) rich (I thank real life cutie Demi Moore, in Ghost her haircut is something I want to mimic on day), and more. Looks, well as long you are not a woman who is straight and a man who is gay, I find it hard to believe you can not understand how she is a jaw dropper. I personally head cannon her Pan as in Pansexuality.

So before you assume anything, yes there one more cutie after this, why, because I like to count zero. XD

Honorable Mentions:

X-Men:

Raven Darkholme AKA Mystique (fun fact I believe she is cannoned as Bi, even though I heancanon as Pan)

Ororo Munroe AKA Storm (XD the Pan flag I love it)

Disney:

2001′s Atlantis: The Lost Empire Kida

1991′s Beauty and the Beast Belle (I love her hazel eyes and dimples)

1999′s Iron Giant: Annie

0. 1982′s The Last Unicorn, Lady Amalthea. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q-TioQfT-jg

Even though yes she barely seems happy, just something about her that so stunning. If her indigo eyes, silver hair (I want to maybe dye my hair like her’s one day, when my hair longer), or moment of smiling.

Okay now I looked at her physical appearance, how does Amalthea win by personality. With light spoilers (not going into detail) she starts and end the movie on a quest for herself and it is empowering to see her just do this for she wants to. Not out of love, a prophecy, nope just wanted to save more like her. She is does not give up, she goes on. Amalthea strong in her morals, she helps her friends, her arch is powerful, and so much more. PLEASE READ THE BOOK TOO! =D So I like to point out (because my sibling and I had a debate) I liked her when HUMAN and she call herself human, not sure why this confused my sibling.

*Please anyone name what traits stick out as reoccurring in my named character crushes.*

I challenge @thenamelessdoll @sailorzelda94 @myhollie1911 @cereittanyprincess15 @deanscourse ANYONE else to make their top animated women’s, men’s, non-binary, or your top animated crush list.

I want to clear up that listing women easier because men tend be less developed. So my top 10 men list be BOTH movies and TV, so I make a top 3 tv cartoon ladies.

@theghostlightison

So since I made this, I am making a top five different, details of why I like them stay the same, yet different spots

5. Maria

4. Sailor Neptune

3. Catwoman

2. Amalthea (I kinda like this “mad” gif looks more like checking someone out. XD ^*_*^ )

1. Esmeralda (I still hope to use this quote one day)

0. She-Hulk

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belladonaofylisse-blog · 7 years

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A NIGHTMARE COME TRUE: Iole & Eion Recruitment

@felostheir

After searching for Maxwell, Iole encounters someone from her past...

CONTENT WARNING: Gender slurs and Death

RECRUITABLE UNITS:

Iole — Level 5 War Cleric, Equipped with a Killer Axe, Mend staff, and a concoction, starts as allied unit ( Talk with Maxwell to recruit ) Eion — Level 3 Valkyrie, Equipped with an Elwind tome, a Mend staff, and a concoction, starts as a allied unit ( Automatically recruited with Iole ) Issak — Level 7 Sage, Equipped with an Arcthunder tome, a Physic staff, and an elixir, starts as allied unit ( Automatically recruited with Iole )

BOSS: Askari — Level 5 Musketeer, Equipped with a Musket and a Dracoshield ( Dropped when defeated ) ENEMIES: 7 Dark Mages, 6 Duelists, 1 Thief, 2 Sorcerers, and 3 Assassins

SCRIPT.

Pyrros: About what exactly? Uh… If you don’t mind me prying, sir. Maxwell: ...You said that Iole left Ylisstol to look for me, correct? Maxwell: How long ago was that again? Pyrros: ...It’s been three weeks, she left after we were briefed on Lord Lucien’s death. Maxwell: And no one’s received word of where she is since then? Pyrros: No, sir… Not since she left Rhea. Maxwell: … Maxwell: To think she would put herself in harm’s way solely to find me… Pyrros: Yes, it was extremely rash of her. I tried to convince her stay, but… Pyrros: Nothing could’ve changed her mind. Pyrros: Your frustration is understandable, sir. Maxwell: I wouldn’t say I’m frustrated… I feel more guilty than anything...

Soldier: Sir Maxwell! Lieutenant Vallis and Private Ài along with a sage were spotted being pursued by a large group of bandits! Maxwell: What!? Pyrros: Then that scream… I-It was Iole’s!? Soldier: They’re towards the cliff side, just ahead of us! Pyrros: We have to hurry and get Elene! Pyrros: W-Wait! Sir Maxwell, what are you doing!? Maxwell: Go find Elene, I’ll meet you both ahead. Pyrros: But you shouldn’t- Maxwell: I SAID GO! Pyrros: Y-Yes, sir! Pyrros: (What did they mean by not deserving her…?)

• • •

Eion: Iole, you’re being paranoid! You haven’t slept in days, the exhaustion is getting to you. Iole: ...I’m sorry, y-you’re right. Iole: There’s no way he could’ve-

➸

ON MAP ( before battle ):

Maxwell: Gods, why did she have to go through all this trouble just because of me…? Maxwell: No matter, I need to find her and make sure she’s safe… Eion: Iole, get behind me and Father Issak! We’ll protect you from these bastards! Iole: N-No, I refuse to cower behind you like I did with my mother! Issak: Iole… Issak: W-wait… Is that another enemy? Iole: N-No! That’s… That’s Maxwell!! Eion: W-wait, Iole! Don’t run off again, g-get back here!

RECRUITMENT:

Maxwell: Have the dastards harmed you? Iole: N-No, I’m fine… but someone’s harmed you, it seems… Iole: ...That scar doesn’t look like it’s healing well. Have you been taking care of it properly? Maxwell: I have done… some things to deal with it, but it is a frivolous matter. Especially with this battle at hand. Iole: It is not a frivolous matter, not in the slightest! Do you know how easily scars can get infected if you don’t properly care for them? Iole: After this battle is done, you’re going to allow me to take care of your wound. And I won’t take no for an answer! Maxwell: … *chuckles* Very well. Once we route the enemy, I suppose I have no choice but to submit to your care. Maxwell: As long as it does not interfere with anyone else's. Iole: I’ll be able to do both, trust me… Iole: But you’re the one who will be my top priority. I came all this way to find you and make sure you were safe, after all. Iole: Though, my priorities need to shift for the time being. Especially with who is on this battlefield. Maxwell: Wait, is this an enemy you have encountered before? Iole: Yes… He’s my birth father… Iole: You must be careful around him, he won’t hesitate to shoot you where you stand. And if he realizes that you’re here to help me, he’ll show you no mercy… Maxwell: … I no longer plan on showing any mercy to him, anyway. So, it is quite fitting. Maxwell: He can do his best, but if he gets near enough, he will be feeling my axe. Iole: M-Maxwell, that’s not… Just… stay safe, please… Iole: I don’t want to lose you either… Maxwell: Do not worry, Iole. This battle will not end me. Maxwell: Let’s end it quickly, since that man does not deserve a second thought. Iole: ...Yes, let’s. Iole: But I’m staying by your side from now on, someone has to be there for you now...

SPECIAL TURN CONVERSATIONS:

— Issak & Maxwell

Issak: Ha ha! No, no, we haven’t. But I’ve been rather excited to do so! Issak: Iole’s awfully fond of you, after all. How could I not be? Maxwell: E-Excited… Oh. Are you her father? Father Issak, correct? Maxwell: I was unaware that Iole talked about me with her father. Maxwell: (That is quite nerve-wracking) Issak: Yes, I am her father. Very proud of that fact, as well! Issak: And of course, she’s told me about you. You come up in her letters home constantly! Issak: I was not exaggerating when I said she’s fond of you. Maxwell: Constantly? That is kind of her, but I am hardly worthy of her fondness… Maxwell: She is a wonderful soldier and woman. I can see why you are proud of her. As her friend and superior officer, I am proud of her as well. Maxwell: I will say, it is unfortunate that we must meet in battle instead of in a more peaceful setting. Issak: Agreed. It is truly a shame… Issak: But you shouldn’t say such things. I would say you are the most deserving of her fondness. Issak: You burst onto this battlefield because you heard Iole scream, right? That shows me that you are definitely worthy of her. Issak: Anyways… I won’t be able to take care of her much longer, I’m glad that there seems to be someone that would care for her just as much as I do… Maxwell: Father Issak, just because she may be far away from you, does not mean you need to worry. She is a very capable woman… and she will visit you often. Maxwell: But, we must finish getting to know each other better after the battle. It is only fair that if you know so much about me, that you share a few things about Iole as well. *chuckles* Issak: ...You’re right. I’m sure she’ll visit often. Issak: But that’s not exactly what I was implying. Eion did mention that you’re a little slow on the uptake. Issak: Well, my blessing still stands. Ha ha! Maxwell: B-Blessing? Father Issak, what--

— Issak & Pyrros

Pyrros: Is there something wrong with my face? Issak: H-huh? Oh, no. There’s nothing wrong at all. Issak: I just find it curious that you look like… Issak: Wait a moment. Might you be… Pyrros? Issak: The boy that’s the captain of the platoon that Iole looks after? Pyrros: Yes, that’s correct. I didn’t know Iole would talk about me to you. Pyrros: And...who do I look like? Issak: … Ha Ha, don’t worry about it! My imagination must be getting to me, is all. Issak: Not surprising, I’m an old man, after all! Issak: Ah, yes! She has mentioned you before, a few times actually. She says you’re quite the capable captain and a rather nice kid! Pyrros: I-I see. I’m honored to hear that… Pyrros: Your daughter is quite a dear friend to me so I will do my best to help her. Pyrros: ...So, I guess I would help you as well for her sake. No matter how odd you are. Issak: I am rather odd, aren’t I. Issak: (He’s just like you, isn’t he…? ) Issak: Well, boy? This battle won’t end itself, we’ve got plenty of work left to do! Issak: Tell me if you need any healing, alright? Pyrros: Understood, sir. Pyrros: (...Why does it feel like he knows something about me that I am not aware of?)

BOSS ENCOUNTER:

— Default

Askari: Oh, how cute. You’re trying to protect my fly-by-night daughter? Askari: What a shame that you’re about to die, you won’t get to enjoy the sight of her bloodied body…

— Issak v. Askari

Issak: Yes, I’ve heard quite a lot about how you tormented my wife and daughter… Askari: YOUR wife and daughter? AHA HA HA! Askari: Oh, Nura. You little whore… Issak: DON’T YOU DARE CALL HER THAT, YOU BASTARD! Askari: Ohoo~! Did I happen to strike a nerve? Issak: Enough talk, I will not allow you to insult my family any longer!

— Iole v. Askari

Askari: You don’t intend to hide behind someone like you used to with your mother? Askari: My, I remember how much you would cry and tremble as you cowered behind her… Askari: It was so cute… Iole: SHUT UP! JUST SHUT UP! Askari: Not so quiet now, I see! Your rage is far too amusing! Iole: ARGH, THAT’S IT! Iole: PREPARE TO SUFFER AS MUCH AS I HAVE!

— Defeated

Askari: Y-You think this is over? I’m far from being done here!

➸

Askari: Oh, you haven’t changed in the slightest… Askari: Tell me, are you still frightened of guns? I still remember how you would tremble when I would point my pistol at your mother’s head… Askari: Do you remember that, dear? Do you remember how much your mother would sob as I pressed on the trigger? Askari: It was so amusing to see you both like that… I miss it.

Askari quickly brings his musket to point between Iole’s eyes, she freezes in place.

A gunshot goes off, echoing through the battlefield, as Issak pushes Iole out of Askari’s line of fire. The bullet hits Issak directly in the chest.

Eion: ISSAK! Askari: Huh? Askari: My, what an interesting turn of events! It almost brings a tear to my eye! Askari: I wish I could relish in this, but I believe I’ve overstayed my welcome. Askari: But, don’t fret. Askari: I’ll be back for you, Iole…

Askari turns and vanishes with the few words of a hex. Iole quickly rushes to Issak’s side while the others look on in horror.

Issak: *Coughs* Iole... Iole: D-Don’t worry, f-father. I-I’ll heal you, y-you’re going to b-be okay. Issak: Y-you know as well as I do that bullet wounds like this don’t heal… Iole: *Sob* F-Father, please don’t say that! Y-you can’t die, I can’t lose you! Issak: Iole… My sweet child…

Issak places his hand on Iole’s cheek.

Issak: I k-knew that this day would come soon. T-that’s why I decided to c-come with you. Issak: I-I wanted to spend m-my last moments with my beloved daughter… Iole: *Sob* Oh, father... Issak: I-Iole, know that you and Eion brought so much light into my life… You kept me going after your mother passed... I love both of you so m-much. Issak: I’ll finally get to see her again, w-won’t I? And Willa, too... Issak: Before I go, p-promise me something. Promise t-that… that you’ll k-keep yourself safe… Iole: O-Of course.

Issak’s hand falls to his side as his eyes close.

Iole buries her head in Issak’s chest as she sobs. Eion falls to the ground, clasping a hand over his mouth.

Pyrros: E-Eion!? Eion: *Sniff* T-this c-can’t be h-happening… Eion: *Sob* Please… T-This all has to be j-just a nightmare…

• • •

Soldier: The arrangements have been made to send Father Vallis back to the city of Rhea, sire. Elene: Yes, good. Thank you very much. Maxwell: … Elene: Maxwell, you’re staring off in the distance again. Maxwell: ...I apologize. Maxwell: Ah... Could you excuse me for a moment? Elene: Don’t apologize, Max… Elene: You can go talk to her. Maxwell: …Thank you.

• • •

Iole: I tend to put on a smile whenever I’m upset… Iole: But you know that already, don’t you? Maxwell: Iole… Maxwell: I know that you want to be strong for everyone, but- Iole: Don’t try to convince me to go home, Maxwell. Iole: If you think I would ever leave your side again, then you are sorely mistaken. Maxwell: ...I wasn’t going to suggest that at all. Iole: You… weren’t? Maxwell: No, not at all. I don’t blame you for not wanting to go home. Maxwell: We all need something to help distract us from our grief… Maxwell: Perhaps, I could be that something for you... Iole: M-Maxwell? Maxwell: Iole… You’re very dear to me, I’m willing to do anything if it means that I could see you happy… Maxwell: So… Please, allow me to be a shoulder for you to cry upon. I want to be there for you… Maxwell: A-As your friend. Iole: Ah… Iole: Yes, as a friend… Iole: ( Ha… I thought for a second they were… ) Iole: Thank you, Maxwell. I’m truly blessed to have someone like you in my life… Iole: But please don’t fret over me, I don’t matter in the slightest. Iole: All that matters now is that I keep the few people that I care for alive… Iole: And that includes you. Maxwell: Iole- Iole: I apologize, but I need to start making preparations for taking care of that scar of your’s. If you’ll excuse me… Maxwell: Iole, wait- Maxwell: Ah… She’s gone. Maxwell: … Maxwell: *Sigh*

#fire emblem #felh #fe lost heir #fire emblem lost heir #felh : recruitment #oc : iole #oc : eion #WELP AFTER 50 TRIES OF UPLOADING THIS #hopefully this will work #ALSO I AM SO SORRY

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lifemessesofkj · 4 years

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Bell Let’s Talk Day (2020 Weekly Life Update 4)

It’s a little earlier in the day than usual, I have time right now and I don’t have a table in my fav student lounge to work at, so I’m taking the opportunity to blog!

It’s one of my favorite days, #BellLetsTalk Day. Mental health is so, SO, important, even if you don’t have a diagnosis of a disorder. Having an open dialogue in the general public can be so important for when you do need help in the future, or when you do have a friend, or family, or coworker that needs help. I love my parents, but I know that my relationship with my mental health was impacted negatively by their ideas that anxiety is something that you can overcome with willpower, and that there’s nothing for me to be anxious about. Some of this has changed, my mom’s had some of her own anxiety require medication. I see anxiety, stress, and other psychopathological disorders in my friends, in an absolutely absurd amount of the students around me at school. I’m even taking a class about them this semester, I just wrote a test on it this morning. So please send those text messages, snaps, tweets, to get that dialogue started and raise that money for mental health services.

Other things going on right now? Uhhhh, pretty much the usual. I’m trying to buckle down on school, and slowly I am making progress. As always it’s super busy, maintaining school and work, and then home responsibilities (my roommates are a good force in the universe that never complain about me slacking on my portion of choring). Added on top of that my social life, a new relationship, and creative outlets, and I’m not sure how I’m still able to watch TV. (The clear answer is that I can’t and everything else suffers every time I pick up the remote).

Station 19 and Grey’s Anatomy both came back on in the past week. Their crossover was really great in the first half with Station 19, however as great episode of Grey’s was a little soured by the fact that the only Station 19 character on deck was Ben Warren. But they are getting better at the crossover thing, I think it’s really good for people who only watch Grey’s Anatomy, and I liked having Station 19 before Grey’s, after 2 years of the other way around.

The Bold Type also came back on this week, but I didn’t watch it. The Bold Type is a summer show, I wasn’t ready for it to come back on in January, also it’s ALSO on Thursday. I just don’t have time.

One show I was more than excited to come back on is Prodigal Son. I definitely mentioned this before in some of my 2019 blog posts. It’s become my favorite new show, following a profiler, Malcolm Bright, the son of an infamous serial killer, The Surgeon, Dr. Martin Whitley. I highly recommend watching the first half of season 1 and following the second half going forwards.

Other than all that, I haven’t had time for much else. I’ve been watching a lot of House, I’m on season 3, but I’m also deep into podcast-land, I’ve been listening to podcasts in most of my free time, interspersed with The Lightning Thief soundtrack in honor of the fact that Alex is reading Percy Jackson and the Olympians for the first time (and loving it).

Hope everyone is having a great week, I’m heading into a busy weekend, with a little study get together with my friend Annie, working Friday which is unusual for me, a date Friday night, and then just more school work than I’m willing to admit I’ve let accumulate.

I’ll update you next week on how I’ve done! -KJ

#weekly update #weekly life #bellletstalk #bell lets talk #my life

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maniactypewriter · 4 years

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The backlog Week 4 [where the hell have you been edition]

I LIVE! In all seriousness, when im at school, I don't have access to my gaming computer and my laptop doesnt have enough space free for a project like this. Anyway, I am back for the next month, so let's get to the first game(s)

Anomaly warzone earth + Anomaly 2 playtime: 4 hours total

Im bundling these two together as they are very similar in game play. In Warzone Earth, you play as the 14th platoon deployed into the heart of the Anomaly, a giant mysterious dome that crash landed on top of Baghdad and tokyo. As the platoon leader, its your job to make sure the convoy of APCs and walking missile platforms gets through the level safely. The game refers to itself as a tower offense game. Essentially its a tower defense game, but instead of placing down towers, you are the targets that the towers are shooting at. Your vehicle team is constantly moving forward and its your job as commander to choose the right path for the vehicles to drive down and to strategically deploy the four power ups at your disposal. Your tools include a repair which heals your units, a smoke screen which makes enemies less likely to hit your units, and a decoy, which enemies will shoot at instead of your units. Usually the player is spending their time babysitting the convoy and rushing to collect more powers as they are dropped from killed enemies. Each mission has a different objective, but it usually devolves into, get to a place and kill all the towers.

Anomaly 2 is much the same as its predecessor. Set in the far future after an alien invasion, the earth has frozen over and humanity’s numbers are dwindling. Humanity’s only hope is a single convoy on their way through a frozen america to get to New york. As this is the future, humanity's weapons have evolved as well. The standard ACP with a gatling gun on top has evolved into a car with two gatling guns. And it also turns into a walking mech flamethrowers mounted on either arm. Bad ass. The power ups have also changed a little. You have your standard repair bubble, there is a focus power up which will tell all your units to focus fire on one tower you want particularly dead and an emp type power up which will disable enemy towers for a short while. Anomaly 2 also has multiplayer, but I didn't play that as it is most likely dead at time of play.

Antihero playtime: 70 minutes

Antihero is a competitive digital board game where each player plays as a master thief in a victorian england type setting. As the leader of a thieves guild, you have to go around a burgle the good people of “London” to fund your operations and buy pieces to put around the board. You can hire urchins to occupy specific buildings for special bonuses, hire thugs to block access to areas, and gangs to off your opponent's units and hunt down targets (as well as making a little extra dosh along the way.) this game takes advantage of being a digital board game because everything your opponent does is done mostly in secret. Obscured by the smog of war, you can not see what your opponent is doing, which could spell your doom if you aren't fast enough to look into his territory with your master thief.

I am not great at this game. I couldn't get past the second level on easy mode that's how bad I am. However, I can see it is a fun game, and I can see how this game’s multiplayer was popular for a time. However, I dare not go there as I fear that I may be utterly stomped by a player who has had several years more practice than I have at this game.

Apotheon playtime: 4 hours

Apotheon is the story of one greek guy not named kratos going to olympus to kick the butts of all the greek gods. The most striking thing anyone playing this game will notice is the artstyle. It is drawn to resemble Greek pottery paintings. You know the kind. The ones that depict Hercules doing his trials or some other greek hero doing something impressive. Anyway, story. The earth has been screwed over by the gods because chronic rapist Zeus decided to revoke humanity’s access to the things that are necessary to life. Hera picks you as her champion then sends you to mt Olympus to gather the gifts of the gods and maybe smack some sense into her cheating husband along the way. The game play is a 2D mix of dark souls and metroidvania games that are so prevalent in the modern day. However, Apotheon came out before the current wave of soulslikes so there is some small growing pains. Combat is kinda clunky and your character can sprint at 30 miles an hour but immediately slows down to a crawl whenever he so much as touches a staircase. Combat as mentioned before is mildly clunky. It uses a physics engine to do all its swings and stabs. Heavy weapons like a club have a wide swing arc and is directed by which way you tilt the left analog stick. The Reliance on physics to get the job done can lead to some interesting results. I saw one raider in the first area get launched into space after being double teamed by me and a friendly malita man. Apotheon is an interesting game with a stunning artstyle and compelling exploration. Which in this modern age of soulslike metroidvanias, is all you really need to stand out.

Aquaria play time: 1 hour

Speaking of metroidvanias, Aquaria. As the name suggests, the game is an underwater metroidvania mostly concerned with puzzle solving over combat. You play as Naija, a lonely fish lady who can use the power of song to do magic. As a fish lady, you can swim around the oceanic caverns with relative freedom. The game wants to be played with a mouse and keyboard, as my attempt to play it with a controller was thwarted swiftly. As is fitting for a game where the protagonist’s main power is singing, the game has a killer soundtrack. In the little bit ive heard when I was playing, it was some pretty good music. Visuals are decent. The game has a hand painted aesthetic, however some of the animations are kinda stiff and stilted. This game was originally released in 2007 after all. Small indie metroidvanias were not knocking it out of the park yet in terms of animation yet (im sure someone will correct me on that point eventually…) the small amount I played had me swimming around a claustrophobic map going around and solving puzzles that lead me to new areas and new song powers. One of the first i got was the ability to pull around large rocks. The second allowed me to transform into an old fish goddess and shoot energy missiles at hostile fish. While the game is focused on puzzles and exploration, that doesn't mean it is devoid of combat. I feel as this is the weakest part of what i played. I gave up on the game when i died to a puzzle boss who’s apparent solution didn't work. There is probably a lot I didn't see in my short time with the game. There is a whole cooking mechanic that I didn't fully grasp, as well as pets and the ability to decorate the main character’s house with special decorations you found out in the world. I may revisit this game at some later point, but for now its going back into the backlog as I search for more interesting games with less obtuse boss fights.

Armello playtime 2 hours

Armello is yet another digital board game. Set in a fantasy version of zootopia, the king of the land has fallen ill with the Rot. and all the clans of the land have sent their strapingest of adventurers to go and try and claim the throne for themselves. This can be done in one of four ways. Having the most honour points (gained by killing other players, or completing quests), gather four spirit stones and cleansing the king of Rot, having the most Rot yourself, or just straight up murdering the king. In the few matches I have played, the easiest one to achieve is the Honour victory, although that might just be my play style. Like most board games, rounds are taken in turns. Each player has a certain amount of hexes they can move, and landing on spaces will have different effects. Most events that happened as a result of landing on a space are luck based. “Perils” have you rolling dice, quests have you selecting from a circle of icons trying to pick the one that will net you a reward, and a random spinner that could give you anything from rot to gold to teleport you to the other side of the map. Once everyone has had their turn, day turns to night and new monsters spawn on the board. When the sun rises again, the king dies a little from his fantasy aids and gives the person with the most honor points the choice between two Decrees which will most likely be terrible for everyone involved. On top of all this, players have access to a hand of three cards. Which have various effects. Proper use of your cards can lead to victory or defeat depending on who you're playing as. Armello has an online mode, but like the other online modes in this batch of games, I dare not touch for fear of getting crushed. The game also has an online store where you can buy new skins for your dice and new character packs. It's a fun little board game, but im putting it on the shelf for now because i’ve had my fill and have no friends to play it with.

#Anomaly warzone earth #games #video games #writing #review #reviews #Apotheon #Armello #antihero #aquaria #board games #metroidvania

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cuban-feminist-that-gives-a-hoot · 7 years

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Okay! (MASSIVE SPOILERS FOR PERSONA 5)

So, I beat Persona 5 a few days ago and I have thoughts. Lots of them. They’re going under the cut because spoilers! Seriously, there are spoilers in here. Do not read until you’ve beaten the game. Short answer for what I’m about to say is this: I love Persona 5. It is the best Persona game ever and makes Final Fantasy XV look like a goddamn weak shit of a game (well, more than it already does)

On to the spoilers!

Now that we’re under the spoiler category, let’s talk about the twists and everything else in it.

1. Akechi’s plan to get back at Shido is probably the dumbest plan I’ve ever heard of a supposedly smart person come up with. So he hires himself out as an assassin for him in order to get close and gain his trust, and decide that, once he becomes Prime Minister, he’s going to shame him with the knowledge that he’s your dad?

*takes a deep breath* Why in all hells on this earth did he think Shido would feel shame for abandoning him and his mom? Hell, Shido’s shadow flat out admitted that he was going to kill him after becoming Prime Minister. What the fuck was he going to do about that? This plan of his is convoluted and dumb and he is dumb for coming up with it in the first place. The only reason why the plan isn’t any dumber is simply because Akechi’s a teenager and even the smartest of teenagers do not always come up with great plans.

2. The twist about Akechi being the one selling you out and the killer is, well, one that is obvious if you’re paying attention. Yes, it’s mainly the Pancakes bit in June and it’s the biggest clue the game throws at you. Remember this about Persona 5: If something in the game seems off, there’s a reason for it and it will be explained.

3. Getting on the path to the true, good ending is far easier than in vanilla Persona 4 and Persona 4 Golden. In Persona 4, you had to stop them from throwing Namatame in the T.V, name Adachi as the culprit, and don’t go home when you’re prompted to on the last day that you’re in Inaba. However, the answer choices are not so simple and clear-cut in that game compared to Persona 5. In Persona 5, it’s easily just this: Don’t cut a deal with anybody and don’t sell anyone out. You do those two things and you’ll get the good ending with no trouble at all.

4. Goddamn, Shido’s a fucking prick. This asshole wants to do all this shit simply because he wants to be Prime Minister? Seriously?! When the most minor of shit that he’s done was frame you for something you didn’t do, it makes all of Shido’s other shitty actions all the worse for it. I will say, however, that it was sweet, sweet retribution when I kicked his ass for all the shit he put our beloved Trickster through. Also, I can’t be the only one that felt massive shades of Donald Trump in this entire thing with Shido, right?

5. The playable characters: Holy fucking shit, I love them. There is not one character in the Phantom Thieves group that is boring or bad. Everything about these characters are lovable and I want to protect them. There was some neat stuff too, like Ryuji having his moment in Shido’s palace by getting the lifeboat for the team or Makoto coming up with the plan to trick Akechi at the police station to Futaba using a character quirk to bug Akechi’s phone. Like, I am so happy that this team is not a bunch of idiots. Akechi’s smart, but the Phantom Thieves are way smarter than they appear to be. They almost figured out that Akechi was sketchy since the Pancakes incident and they planned for the Trickster to get caught and be interrogated by Sae. This is some meticulous planning done by the team and I love it. <3

Now, onto the characters themselves:

- Ryuji’s a sweetheart. He’s a lovely mix of Yosuke and Kanji. Not exactly an idiot, but someone loyal and determined to stop Kamoshida. He is someone that would’ve sacrificed his life if it meant saving someone. He’s a hero and someone that didn’t deserve the bullshit he went through. I didn’t realize it at first, but after @ominous-musings mentioned it, he also reminds me of another blond, secretly smart hero: Zell Dincht from Final Fantasy VIII. And no, I am not kidding about Zell being smart. Because he is. He’s very smart.

- Ann’s a sweetheart and watching her tear her mask off and getting her Persona was so, sooooo satisfying (hell, just about all of them were). I like her. She’s amazing and the only reason I didn’t date her was because Morgana was so in love with her and I honor the bro code immensely.

- Speaking of Morgana... OMG, I am so, so glad that Morgana’s origins were explained. He is such a darling and, despite the name and the voice, is male. He clearly identifies as such, so no need to assume that Morgana’s anything but male. Cutest Persona mascot ever. Teddie has lost his throne as the cutest and, so has Koromaru (and don’t get me wrong, I love them both. Who doesn’t love Combat Dog and Pun-making Shadow Bear?). I am so happy that he didn’t die in the end. Also, he gets the best moment in the true ending. Clearly, he could work as a mechanic in the future. XD

- Makoto, holy shit. She is awesome. Her codename is Queen and she exemplifies it. She is the goddamn queen and brains of the operation. She is amazing. Were it not for the next character, I would’ve made her my girlfriend. Everything about her is amazing. <3

- Holy fucking shit, Futaba is a darling, protect her from all the evils in the world! She is such a sweetheart and I love her. I made her my girlfriend in my first playthrough and I do not regret it. She is amazing and darling. I love her persona, both initial and ultimate. I just love her. *_*

- Yusuke is a goddamn weirdo. He is also a bit judgy as hell, but you know what? I like his weird, judgy ass. He’s got some of the best lines and his weirdness just fits in so well. Also, his mask is really nice, merely because I am a sucker of the fox motif he has going on with his costume.

- Then, there’s Haru. Now, Haru unfortunately got the short stick in characterization, but the little bit we do get is that she’s sweet and kind. She probably has one of the best Thief costumes out there, but her civilian outfits are... well, even with money, you can’t buy good style and fashion sense. Also, her hair is nice. I like her hair. <3

- Goro Akechi. *takes a deep breath* How dare he presumes to be the second coming of the Ace Detective?! There is only ONE Ace Detective out there and that is Naoto Shirogane! If anyone should be the second coming of the Ace Detective, it’s Makoto Niijima. *clears throat* Beyond that, Akechi can be an irritating tit even before his betrayal comes out. Too bad the twist of him being a villain doesn’t surprise the more observant. I mean, for hell’s sake, his codename is Crow. I have learned to never trust anyone named Crow in any context. Also, apparently Akechi/MC is the most popular ship on Ao3. I get why, I really do, but I don’t like it. :P

- And finally, we have the Trickster himself. And wow, he is pretty. He’s prettier than both the P3 and P4 protagonists and has a bit more of a personality to him. I’m glad he does say a bit more too. He’s cocky, a show-off, and has one of the best smirks around. Also, he has an amazing sense of justice (Hell, all of the playable characters, save Akechi, do). The reason why he got probation was just to save someone else that was being attacked and yet, because of Shido’s dickishness, he got arrested and charged for something he was innocent of. His thief outfit is so damn slick and very well-designed. Also, Arsene is one of the most slickly-designed starter personas ever. And I can’t wait for a 2nd playthrough, just so that I can have Satanael in my party. *_*

6. The Confidant links are also amazing. Just about all of them are good people. My favorites was the Sun, Hierophant, Moon, and Star arcanas. Mainly because all the people with them are just amazing, especially Yoshida and Sojiro.

Holy shit, Yoshida’s entire link is amazing. He’s a politician that has fucked up in the past, but is determined to become an honest, truthful politician that wants to do the right thing. Given the political climate, we need more politicians like Yoshida.

The other one, Sojiro, is the dude that took you in and stuffed you in the attic above his coffee shop. He, like all the other adults, does not have a good first impression, but holy shit, by the end of this game, you want him to adopt you. This is the kind of dude that would’ve adopted the entire group and have them as his own misfit family if he could. He’s such a sweetheart with a gruff exterior. He adopted Futaba after the last relative, a shitty uncle, treated her so horribly that he paid a lot of money to get her out of there and give her a loving home. And then when he finds out that they’re the Phantom Thieves, he’s worried for them, of course, but he’s also accepting of them. Sojiro Sakura is, without a doubt, the best parental figure in a Persona game. Move over, Dojima, we have a new parental figure. <3

All in all, if you haven’t played this game, then what the fuck are you doing reading this? Go get this game and play it! If you only have a PS3, I promise you that it doesn’t look bad on the PS3 at all. It looks excellent on both systems and is worth your time in playing and beating it. If you want to see what a good story and good character development looks like, play this game. Unlike FFXV, where I kept asking myself, “WTF did Squix spend their time on with this game?!”, I don’t have to ask where Atlus spent their time on this game. How they spent their time was making a masterpiece. *_____*

#persona 5 #persona 5 spoilers #seriously I am warning about the spoilers #I'm not spoiling the other big twist #but the twist I am spoiling about is still pretty big #seriously do not read this if you have not even beaten this game

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unstable-reality · 7 years

Text

The Space Between Echoes: Chapter One

On the eve of the Battle of Yavin, Jyn and Cassian are sent to scout out a new location for Alliance headquarters. They grow closer.

But as for the mission, well... It doesn't go quite as planned.

I’m playing fast and loose with Star Wars canon/lore with this; aiming more for the spirit rather than the word.

[AO3]

“It’s my right to be involved.”

She stood in the war room, leaning over the table, hands wrapped around its edge. The air buzzed with the sound of comlinks, of operators relaying instructions and confirming receipts. Half her face was bathed in the blue and green light of a nearby readout, and through its glow she perceived the rest of the space -- dark edges limned with emerald.

Across from her, General Draven draped his forearms over the back of a chair. Mon Mothma stood beside him, hands linked. It was surreal, to think that the last time Jyn had been party to such a scene, she’d been a prisoner, a bargaining chip. She was in a much better position, this time around.

Not that it was making a lick of difference.

“I’m sorry,” Mothma said. “I understand why you want to be a part of it, but that operation simply hasn’t a role for you.”

Draven straightened and took a step. “You aren’t a fighter pilot, Erso. You’re a thief.”

Her body grew stiff. “Oh, is that all I am? Still?” She lifted her chin.

“Not all, no; but still? Yes,” he responded. “It’s what you’re best at, isn’t it? It’s why you were able to accomplish what you did on Scarif. You scout. You case. You infiltrate.”

She narrowed her eyes. Only a few days had passed. Her injuries had not required full or even partial submersion; topical care had sufficed, and since being cleared, she’d wandered about in something of a daze. The initial rush of victory had given way to listlessness. She knew exactly where it came from, but she’d never been good at facing that sort of thing. She yearned for a distraction. She yearned to get back into the fight, to get out there and finish the task that had been given to her, that was made for her, that represented everything that moral duty alone could never get her to acknowledge.

The men and women around her, the strangers who now all seemed to know her intimately, could be a bit much. She’d been alone and drifting for so many years. But they were eager, as eager as she was, and she found herself feeding off their energy. The news about Alderaan only made them more impatient. And it made her burn, with fervor, to take her father’s sacrifice and transform it into something worthwhile.

When Mothma had summoned her, she’d hoped it meant the time had come. Now, it looked as if that might not be the case. It looked an awful lot like they might just sideline her, despite her history, despite what she’d done.

What would that mean for her? Would there be any reasons left for her to stay? Most of them were gone.

Most.

Mothma glanced at Draven and took a breath. “In light of recent events, we believe that the Empire will soon know the location of this base. We need to begin planning an evacuation. That requires the identification of a fallback position.”

Jyn frowned. “You don’t already have one?”

“There are several possibilities, but we need to make certain they’re still beneath the Empire’s attention before making a selection.”

She breathed, slow. Her gaze moved to the table. In its inert state, it was a simple star map, with the dark expanse of space carved into concentric circles. She had an inkling of where they were headed with this, and she wasn’t sure how she felt about it.

“What’s that got to do with me?”

There was a pause long enough to make it obvious that the general wasn’t completely on board with his own proposal. “We would like you to formally join Alliance Intelligence.” His jaw tightened as he said it. “For your first assignment, you’d be deployed as a long-range scout, traveling to potential base locations and reporting back to us on their viability.”

The colors on the readout changed, becoming orange, red. Draven’s features shifted; in this light, he looked more gaunt. More tired. She didn’t want to do it. It made sense, if she thought about it. She was more suited to that sort of work and, well, she wasn’t a fighter pilot, and all of her training and soldiering had fallen into the “guerilla” category.

But it was her right.

“There must be something else,” she said. “I stayed with you to stop the planet killer, to convince you to stop it. I want to be here when it burns.” She rocked on the balls of her feet. “Set me up as an operator if you have to, but don’t send me away.”

“It’s not sending you away; it’s sending you where you’ll be the most useful.”

“I can be useful against the Death Star.” Only a fraction of her believed it.

“No. You can’t.” Draven sighed and shook his head. “Feel free to take it up with General Dodonna if you’d like; he’ll tell you the same thing. If you want to be a part of this fight, then this is what’s on the table, take it or leave it.”

She closed her eyes. Thought of her father. Thought of Saw. Causes were slippery things; she’d learned that from the latter.

Mothma cleared her throat. “It’s worth mentioning that you’d be Captain Andor’s partner on this mission.” The corner of her lips quirked upwards, and she shifted her weight. “He specifically requested you.”

Jyn blinked. She felt a tightening in her core, a tugging that was at once gentle and fierce.

Well. Her father had believed in the Rebellion, right? She could honor him, still, by working to keep it afloat.

She could honor other things, as well.

She closed a fist around her kyber crystal.

“Fine. When do we start?”

Cassian looked exhausted.

It took a fair bit out of a person, convalescing in a bacta tank, and he’d spent 16 hours floating in the one on base. He’d slept for a full solar day afterwards. She knew, because she’d asked after him, often enough that the medical droids had started being curt with her.

Their irritation had reminded her of K-2.

They moved through the interior of the temple, packs slung over their shoulders. It was always busy, always bustling, but at this moment, at this hour, activity had died down just enough for them to be able to comfortably walk abreast. She felt an urge to reach for his hand. She ignored it.

“No matter what they’ve told us, this is partly about loyalty,” he said. His gait had a hitch to it. Bacta couldn’t fix everything. “I disobeyed, and so did you; there can’t not be consequences for that. But they also can’t deny what we’ve done for them.” He shrugged. “So, this is what we get.”

“I take it you’re not thrilled with this, either.”

“No. I’d rather be here. Like you.” He shot her a glance. “But I also know that this is needed. And it’s better than nothing.”

They’d been briefed a few hours before, not long after she’d accepted the assignment. The sight of him, the first proper one she’d had since he’d been taken away from her after Scarif, had warmed her, had secured her in her decision. There were a handful of worlds, selected over months and years by various operatives. Cassian had been among those who’d cultivated contacts in the systems around them. His rank, combined with the breadth of his network, made him an obvious choice for the mission. But there were others who could have done it, and it wouldn’t have been remiss for the Alliance to have chosen them, particularly under the current circumstances.

They’d hadn’t, however. They’d decided that he was their man, and she wasn’t about to leave him when he wanted her. Not after he’d refused to leave her.

The corridor they travelled turned sharply right, and then opened onto the hangar bay. Several hundred feet of clay-colored cement lay before them, terminating in a darkness that clawed its way upward, to the tops of trees, to a jagged skyline that framed the purple-black of night sky, the pinprick glow of stars. Rebels hurried between ships, hopping over and around cables, shouting to one another, waving in sign. Some sat, or stood in circles. The air was filled with chatter.

Cassian dipped his head toward hers. “We could get lucky, of course. I’ve highlighted our best bets. If one of them pans out, we may be able to get back here in time for the show.” A cluster of laughter erupted to their right. “But I don’t have too much hope for that.” He leaned close. “Is that going to be a problem for you?” His breath tickled her ear.

“A little.” More than a little, really. “I wanna see that kriffing thing go down.”

“I know.” His fingers wrapped, briefly, around her upper arm. “Believe me, I know.”

He led her across the hangar, toward a wedge-shaped ship that was a handful of meters smaller than a U-wing. Ground personnel hovered about it. The hatch lay forward of its exhaust and just to the right of an upward slope, which evened out at the cockpit. She’d seen only a few such ships in her day. It had always been under illicit circumstances.

“Are we going to be smuggling on the side?”

He smiled at her. He hadn’t smiled much, if at all, when she’d first met him. “Some people transport goods legitimately, Jyn.”

She strongly doubted that “some people” would include him, if he’d ever had to bring in a haul. “If you say so.”

They boarded and made their way to the cabin; it had been divided into separate sections by thin, after-market plasteel walls -- a cheap, ad-hoc modification. Jyn chose a bunk, dropped her pack, shoved it underneath. Retrieved her blaster (if they were boarded...). Paused to think. She could hear Cassian moving about in the compartment to her right. Her stomach flipped; she took a deep breath, pursed her lips, let it out, slowly. Smiled, just a bit.

She thought of the moment they’d shared on Scarif, in the turbolift, and wondered.

The cockpit was a squat trapezoid; the seats were tucked close together, and lay barely half a meter from the door. When she entered, Cassian was already there, settled into the pilot’s seat, head tilted back, running through calculations. The engine hummed, and the comlink was a well of noise, singing with lilting tones, static, half-formed instructions. The channel was open. He lifted the headphones and settled them over his ears, didn’t bother to pull down the mic.

“Anyone who should know already does.”

She sat beside him. A half-realized notion, a sense that something was not quite right, teetered on the edge of her thoughts.

“We’re heading to Derso first,” he said. “It’s the most hospitable of our options.”

The engine’s hum galloped up a steep crescendo, became a roar. She gripped the arms of her seat.

It was always grueling to leave a world’s atmosphere. The thrust, the force of it, pushed one back, back, tried to bury. And the initial transition to light-speed improved upon that sensation. It felt, to her, as if her flesh was aiming to break free of her bones, as if her body desired nothing more than to stay in the space that it was leaving behind, while her spirit longed to sunder itself from it. There were equations, drawn up by people far smarter than she, that explained exactly what it was she was experiencing. But she didn’t see the point in knowing something if the knowing didn’t impact the doing.

“You all right?”

“Fine.” It had ended, in any case.

“Good.”

The stars had become a cascade of light, a stream of vibrant blue-white. The ship had become a gentle lullaby, consistent, true, lulling. Her body had caught up with her soul, but her stomach clenched with an unnameable anxiety.

“They’re naming a squadron after him.”

Jyn furrowed her brow. Cassian hadn’t spoken since they’d pulled away. “What’s that?”

“Bodhi.” His eyes met hers. “Rogue Squadron. It’s his.”

“Oh. Right.” Listlessness. “I’d heard about that.” She looked down. He’d known her father. He’d brought the task to her. He’d been very brave, braver than she had been or could ever be, surely. “I’m glad. He deserves it.” Deserved a hell of a lot more, if she had any say.

“Yes. He does.”

His hand brushed hers. Her fingers curled upwards and, for a moment, became linked with his.

That’s when she realized what was wrong: there was no droid with them.

“So,” she said. She was fidgety. “Where are we going if this place doesn’t work out?”

Their hands separated. He looked at her for a moment, considering, then pushed himself forwards and up, retrieved a sheet of flimsiplast from the inner pocket of his jacket. Handed it to her. On it was a list of systems, each bearing a mark to its left. “If it turns out we can’t use Derso, we have a few decent alternatives.” He leaned over her, and his scent and the heat of his body invaded her space. She breathed in. Her back arched. “But these I’d like to avoid, if we can help it.” His finger slid, paused, three times.

“I’ve heard of Borga.” Swamp planet. “Can’t blame you for not wanting to go there.” Wet and stinking and nigh impossible to properly land on and suitable only as, from what she’d been told, a last resort for the desperate. “What’s wrong with the other two?”

“Edelis is in a heavy volcanic period,” he replied. “And Hoth...” He paused. “Hoth is a frozen wasteland.”

She eyed him. The obvious question hung on her lips: you’re from Fest, aren’t you? But, of course, she wasn’t supposed to know that, and although he likely wouldn’t be surprised that she’d found it out, it was doubtful he’d appreciate the admission. Their brand of trust relied, at least in part, on them maintaining the polite fiction that they weren’t actually the people they were.

She dropped the flimsi onto the console, drew up her leg, settled her heel onto the edge of her seat. In the first year after Saw had left her, she’d picked up work as a farmhand. She’d needed credits, and lodging, and food, all of it badly enough to answer the first posting she’d come across. Her employers’ dwelling had sat at the crest of a gentle slope, half-submerged in the earth, surrounded by yellowing condensers. On an overcast day, when the air had been thick with moisture, and a near-constant breeze had sliced through her tunic, she’d looked over the space and felt her stomach lurch and her throat close. She hadn’t taken a farm job since.

“You like Yavin 4, don’t you.”

Silence, for a moment.

“Sure, I like it well enough,” he said. “It’s certainly not the worst place I’ve lived.” His forehead creased, and his eyes danced over her face. “Why?”

Because it’s nearly the opposite of what you want to avoid. “It suits you.”

He snorted. “It suits me? And what is that supposed to mean?”

Instead of replying, she rejoined their hands.

#rogue one #rebelcaptain #jyssian #jyn x andor #cassian x jyn #au #;fics and drabbles #;space between echoes

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maxfreedmanwrites-blog · 6 years

Text

MUSIC I LIKED IN 2017 THE MOST WRETCHED YEAR

It’s been a shit year for the world at large. Even when progressives gain more government seats, right-wing bullshit continues to enact hateful policies that expand the gap between the wealthy and everyone else. I truly mean it when I say that music, the conversations we have about it, and the many other people I know who care about it kept me going this year. This has always been true, but it felt even more true this year.

I’m not going to write about all of these at length like I did in my half-year post. Some might have comments like “wow, this aged well,” or “man, this didn’t age well,” or “I work with this band, and here’s how you can get to know them.” I’ll link to any ones I’ve written about. I’ll share listening links for all.

This year was quite good musically (but it’s no 2014, a year that still feels mythical):

Throughout, * means I work with the artist

SONGS

HONORABLE MENTION, IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER:

Arca - "Desafío" | from Arca

Balún - "Teletransporte" | single

Big Thief - "Shark Smile" | from Capacity

Blanck Mass - "Silent Treatment" | from World Eater

Blessed - "Headache" | from II (review at Post-Trash)

Fufanu - "Liability" * (we do their media, more love for them in Albums) | from Sports

Jay Som - "Baybee" | from Everybody Works

LCD Soundsystem - “how do you sleep” | from american dream

Leyya - "Zoo" ^ (used to work with these folks) | single

Makthaverskan - "in my dreams" | from III

Mozart's Sister - "My Heart Is Wild" | from Field of Love (feature at FLOOD)

Odonis Odonis - “Vision” | from No Pop

Shilpa Ray - “EMT Police and the Fire Department” | from Door Girl (review at Post-Trash)

TORRES - "Righteous Woman" | from Three Futures

“I am not a righteous woman/I’m more of an ass man”

Yoke Lore - "Only You" * (we do his radio, good interview at Atwood Magazine) | from Goodpain

Zola Jesus - "Veka” | from Okovi

Zula - “City World” | from 6 Passes (review at Post-Trash)

TOP 20, RANKED:

20. Palm - "Walkie Talkie" | from Shadow Expert

Though I’m iffy on the EP, I’m excited for the new album next year, and this song slays.

19. Omni - “Equestrian” | from Multi-task (review at Paste)

If all post-punk was this jerky and minimal, I wouldn’t complain.

18. Högni - “Crash” | from Two Trains

I saw this guy on a whim at Iceland Airwaves and haven’t been able to stop listening since then. The synth that comes in at 2:45 completes me.

17. Gabriel Garzón-Montano - "The Game" | from Jardín

16. Julien Baker - “Turn Out the Lights” | from Turn Out the Lights

Can we get more of Julien Baker doing the quiet-to-loud burst?

15. Hundred Waters - “Blanket Me” | from Communicating

This song is borderline melodramatic, and I really like it.

14. Lorde - “Green Light” | from Melodrama

Pop perfection, as we all know.

13. yaeji - “raingurl” | from EP2

12. Vince Staples - “Yeah Right” | from Big Fish Theory

boy yeah right yeah right yeah right. BOY YEAH RIGHT YEAH RIGHT YEAH RIGHT

11. zuli - “kubadiver” * (we do his radio, Rolling Stone says you should listen) | from on human freakout mountain

10. Mammút - "Kinder Versions" | from Kinder Versions

I don’t work directly with this band, but I work with Iceland Airwaves, which they play every year, and the Reykjavik Calling concert series, which they played this year. In their Stereogum interview, they talk about how this song came together, and it’s really interesting and a testament to what makes this song amazing.

9. Perfume Genius - "Wreath” | from No Shape

8. Kelela - “Frontline” | from Take Me Apart

This is the most straightforward song on the album. It’s weird that it’s my favorite.

7. Run the Jewels ft. Kamasi Washington - “Thursday in the Danger Room” | from RTJ3

I’m still not over the whole “Run the Jewels made a sad song” thing.

6. Dream Wife - “Somebody” | from Dream Wife

This song is so sticky and vicious in all the right ways. I’m having a bit of trouble getting into the couple of other songs from the self-titled debut LP coming out next year, but this song is awesome.

5. Kelly Lee Owens ft. Jenny Hval - “Anxi” | from Kelly Lee Owens (feature at FLOOD)

“CBM” is a bit better, but since the version on the album is no different than the version on last year’s Oleic, I’m not counting it here. Also, “Throwing Lines” is worth mentioning here too as a therapeutic slice of heaven.

4. (Sandy) Alex G - “Brick” | from Rocket

3. Moses Sumney - “Lonely World” | from Aromanticism

The 2017 version is produced differently than the 2016 version, so it’s on here. What a killer song.

2. St. Vincent - “Los Ageless” | from MASSEDUCTION (review at Paste)

This has been a St. Vincent classic since the very first time I heard it.

1. Priests - “JJ” | from Nothing Feels Natural

Okay, technically, it came out in October 2016 when the album was announced, but the album came out this year, and it’s amazing. So it’s on here. (Pitchfork said “Oblivion” was the best song of 2012, but it came out in 2011. This has precedent.)

ALBUMS

HONORABLE MENTION, IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER:

All Our Exes Live in Texas - When We Fall * (we do their radio and are pretty much their US/Canada spiritual guides) | Listen: “Tell Me”

Arca - Arca | Listen: “Reverie”

Big Thief - Capacity | Listen: “Mythological Beauty”

Blanck Mass - World Eater | Listen: “The Rat”

The Districts - Popular Manipulations (review at Paste) | Listen: “Salt”

Feist - Pleasure | Listen: “Century”

FOAM - Coping Mechanisms * (we did media outreach for them, New Noise Mag has more) | Listen: “Get on Board”

Hand Habits - Wildly Idle (Humble Before the Void) | Listen: “Actress”

Högni - Two Trains | Listen: “Komdu með”

Kendrick Lamar - DAMN. | everyone has listened to this, come on

Kllo - Backwater (review at Paste) | Listen: “Downfall”

Mozart's Sister - Field of Love (feature at FLOOD) | Listen: “Moment 2 Moment”

Omni - Multi-task (review at Paste) | Listen: “Southbound Station”

Palm - Shadow Expert EP | Listen: “Shadow Expert”

Protomartyr - Relatives in Descent | Listen: “Don’t Go to Anacita”

Soley - Endless Summer (review at Paste) | Listen: “Grow”

Sylvan Esso - What Now | Listen: “Kick Jump Twist”

This Is The Kit - Moonshine Freeze (review at Paste) | Listen: “Hotter Colder”

Yoke Lore - Goodpain * | Listen: “Goodpain”

Zola Jesus - Okovi | Listen: “Exhumed”

Zula - 6 Passes (review at Post-Trash) | Listen: “All Except”

TOP 20, RANKED:

20. LCD Soundsystem - american dream | Listen: “tonite”

I thought I was over this band. I’m not. This may be my favorite album of theirs, but I don’t often make it through albums this long. “how do you sleep” is perfect.

19. Lorde - Melodrama | again, everyone has listened to this

18. Yaeji - yaeji EP/EP2 | Listen: “Feel It Out”

I’ve combined two EPs into an album! Yaeji is that good. Her debut album, whenever that comes, is going to be incredible.

17. Kelela - Take Me Apart | Listen: “LMK”

16. Julien Baker - Turn Out the Lights | Listen: “Appointments”

15. Gabriel Garzón-Montano - Jardín | Listen: “Sour Mango”

This album dropped a good deal from my half-year rankings. The great songs are still brilliant, but the others haven’t aged perfectly. Regardless, he’s a fantastic live performer.

14. Run the Jewels - RTJ3 | Listen: “Stay Gold”

Another case of “many songs still slay, others aged imperfectly.”

13. Mammút - Kinder Versions | Listen: “Breathe Into Me”

12. TORRES - Three Futures | Listen: “Three Futures”

It’s a St. Vincent album. I love St. Vincent. (TORRES has the words STRANGE MERCY tattooed on her forearm.)

11. Vince Staples - Big Fish Theory | Listen: “745″

10. Perfume Genius - No Shape | Listen: “Slip Away”

This is one of two albums ever about which I can say, “This sounds like nothing else I’ve ever heard, and it’s amazing.” The other is Portishead’s Third, which I listened to more this year than I listened to most of the albums on this list.

9. Zuli - on human freakout mountain * | Listen: “blaze”

Such a brilliant songwriter and dogmatic performer. Think Weezer plus Beach Boys, with Bitte Orca worship (aka me in the club) tossed in.

8. Kelly Lee Owens - Kelly Lee Owens | Listen: “CBM” (feature at FLOOD)

I was surprised at the more pastoral moments on the album at first, which is why it was lower on my half-year list. Those moments have aged brilliantly. I’d rank it even higher if I hadn’t already submitted my list to like three other places before publishing this.

7. Alvvays - Antisocialites | Listen: “Saved by a Waif”

Still the best pop band around. Simple songs, but not obvious, and so pristinely produced.

6. Moses Sumney - Aromanticism | Listen: “Plastic”

These songs never leave my head. What a weird and fascinating sound.

5. Fufanu - Sports * (we do media outreach for them, Stereogum has more) | Listen: “Sports”

Fufanu and Mammút are Iceland’s best rock bands, both live and on record. Sports is a brilliant mesh of rock and techno. I love working with these dudes.

4. (Sandy) Alex G - Rocket | Listen: “Proud”

I’ve gone from “Alex G is overrated as fuck” to “damn, Rocket is amazing.”

3. Jay Som - Everybody Works | Listen: “The Bus Song”

Most of the time, the cliche of a “record to get lost in” makes me roll my eyes. This is a record to get lost in.

2. St. Vincent - MASSEDUCTION (review at Paste) | Listen: “Pills”

My favorite artist of all time has a new album! It’s amazing! For the first time, it’s a grower, not an instant hit. It’s no Strange Mercy, but I prefer it a bit more than the always fantastic Actor. I definitely like it more than the weird and lovable St. Vincent and the precious but still solid Marry Me.

1. Priests - Nothing Feels Natural | Listen: “Nothing Feels Natural”

I expect this album to make my top ten of the decade. I’ve already rambled enough about how much I love it. I promise you it’s worth a listen. Hell, I ranked it higher than a St. Vincent album. That should tell you everything.

#year-end lists #2017 music #best of 2017 #best albums of 2017 #top albums of 2017 #best songs of 2017 #top songs of 2017 #2017

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cherita · 7 years

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Top 5 Favorite Books With Witches

What is it about witches that we find so compelling?

We all know the stereotypes: an evil crone with a cackling laugh and warts on an ugly honker of a nose, generally using her magic to scare – if not out-and-out harm little kids.

Or she’s the stunning femme fatale, the seductive sorceress wielding magical potions to bring men to their knees so that she might usurp their power for herself. Neither of those stereotypes are particularly positive, and yet the allure of the witch endures.

Perhaps it’s the more positive stereotypes that aren’t always mentioned, but still often present – the sisterhood of covens, the importance of family traditions, the inner strength that can come from honoring ones’ ancestral heritage. And, increasingly in today’s world, the wisdom learned from working with nature and respecting the power of the earth.

Maybe it’s as simple as the witch being the OG feminist icon, a powerful woman (hence the negative stereotypes) who defines herself on her own terms in a world doing its best to strip her of her power. Whatever the reason, I’m drawn to witches in popular culture and I know I’m not alone. So here are five of my favorite witchy books...

The Witching Hour

by Anne Rice

This is one of my favorite books ever, and certainly my favorite by Anne Rice. Granted, there are no incantations or potions, and these witches derive most of their power from a ghost, but there are psychic powers like telepathy and telekinesis. Mostly, though, I love the mystery and history of it all – it’s just as much a story of New Orleans as it is family saga of the Mayfair witches.

Synopsis: Demonstrating once again her gift for spellbinding storytelling, Anne Rice makes real for us a great dynasty of four centuries of witches–a family given to poetry and incest, murder and philosophy, a family that over the ages is itself haunted by a powerful, dangerous, and seductive being called Lasher who haunts the Mayfair women.

Moving in time from today’s New Orleans and San Francisco to long-ago Amsterdam and the France of Louis XIV, from the coffee plantations of Port-au-Prince to Civil War New Orleans and back to today, Anne Rice has spun a mesmerizing tale that challenges everything we believe in.

“A huge and sprawling tale of horror.” THE NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW

Season of the Witch

by Natasha Mostert

I love this book about two beautiful, wealthy sisters living alone in their Victorian familial home, probably for all those reasons – I don’t have a sister myself, and I’m forever fascinated by the different portrayals of sisterhood. Plus, there’s alchemy and remote viewing, a realistic portrayal of computer hacking and corporate espionage, and a pretty cool take on memory palaces...

Synopsis: Season of the Witch tells the story of Gabriel Blackstone: hacker, information thief, and skilled “remote viewer.” Asked by a former lover to investigate the disappearance of her stepson, Gabriel’s suspicions fall on Minnaloushe and Morrighan Monk, two beautiful sisters who live in a rambling Victorian house in London.

Independently wealthy, the sisters spend their time dabbling in alchemy and the ancient Art of Memory—invented by the Greeks and used by alchemists and magi such as Giordano Bruno and Leonardo Da Vinci. The sisters are white, or “solar,” witches, who aim to use alchemy not to turn lead into gold but to attain ultimate knowledge and therefore ultimate power. Gabriel soon becomes convinced that his client’s son had been murdered and that one of the women is the killer. But which one?

As Gabriel infiltrates the world of the sisters, he finds himself drawn inexorably deeper— becoming entranced even as he realizes that he is in mortal danger. When he is caught snooping, Gabriel must race to unlock their secrets before they can retaliate. To save himself— and the one he loves, presuming she is not guilty—Gabriel will have to fight one of the sisters within the landscape of her own mind.

Unholy Ghosts

by Stacia Kane

The world of the Downside Ghosts urban fantasy series is just so cool. It’s gritty and dark and dystopian, with a lead character who is a tattooed, ghost-hunting witch with strong magic powers… and equally strong addiction issues, complete with accompanying low self-esteem and self-loathing. All of which makes her vulnerable and sad and real, even though the world she inhabits is not. Plus, she lives in a former church with stained glass windows, and how cool is that?

Synopsis: THE DEPARTED HAVE ARRIVED.

The world is not the way it was. The dead have risen, and the living are under attack. The powerful Church of Real Truth, in charge since the government fell, has sworn to reimburse citizens being harassed by the deceased. Enter Chess Putnam, a fully tattooed witch and freewheeling ghost hunter. She’s got a real talent for banishing the wicked dead.

But Chess is keeping a dark secret: She owes a lot of money to a murderous drug lord named Bump, who wants immediate payback in the form of a dangerous job that involves black magic, human sacrifice, a nefarious demonic creature, and enough wicked energy to wipe out a city of souls. Toss in lust for a rival gang leader and a dangerous attraction to Bump’s ruthless enforcer, and Chess begins to wonder if the rush is really worth it. Hell, yeah.

The Witches of Eastwick

by John Updike

This book about small-town witches is often hailed as a feminist classic, and just as often criticized for being misogynistic. Personally, I’m probably too biased to say either way – I read this book as a girl right after seeing the movie, so book and film are inextricably linked in my mind. And Cher reminds me of my grandmother, who was beautiful and “witchy” in her own way with her homemade concoctions for glowing skin and non-frizzy hair, so I can’t help but to see my grandmother in this. Plus, I am a sucker for prose porn, and John Updike gives good prose...

Synopsis: Toward the end of the Vietnam era, in a snug little Rhode Island seacoast town, wonderful powers have descended upon Alexandra, Jane, and Sukie, bewitching divorcées with sudden access to all that is female, fecund, and mysterious. Alexandra, a sculptor, summons thunderstorms; Jane, a cellist, floats on the air; and Sukie, the local gossip columnist, turns milk into cream.

Their happy little coven takes on new, malignant life when a dark and moneyed stranger, Darryl Van Horne, refurbishes the long-derelict Lenox mansion and invites them in to play. Thenceforth scandal flits through the darkening, crooked streets of Eastwick—and through the even darker fantasies of the town’s collective psyche.

Labyrinth Lost

by Zoraida Cordova

This is a YA urban fantasy book about a Latina bruja. From Brooklyn. Who happens to be bisexual. I mean… all the casual diversity in this book was just amazing to read! I even overlooked the love triangle because of it – and that’s a trope I tend to hate in YA. Probably because it didn’t take over the story, and also because there were so many things I loved in this book: sisters and family and ancestors, botanicas and magic, all the culture and mythology and an adventure through the Underworld that was just awesome. This was only the first book in this series, but I can’t wait for more.

Synopsis: Nothing says Happy Birthday like summoning the spirits of your dead relatives.

Alex is a bruja, the most powerful witch in a generation…and she hates magic. At her Deathday celebration, Alex performs a spell to rid herself of her power. But it backfires. Her whole family vanishes into thin air, leaving her alone with Nova, a brujo boy she can’t trust. A boy whose intentions are as dark as the strange marks on his skin.

The only way to get her family back is to travel with Nova to Los Lagos, a land in-between, as dark as Limbo and as strange as Wonderland…

Your turn: what's your favorite witchy read?

#booklr #labyrinth lost #the witches of eastwick #blog #the Witching Hour #witches #stacia kane #season of the witch #book lists #witchcraft #unholy ghosts #john updike #zoraida cordova #natasha mostert #Anne Rice #fantasy #magic #urban fantasy

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