#i mean punk culture has bad people in it but most of us actively try to keep them out unlike y'all lazy ass posers with your own groups

[punkeropercyjackson]

I literally do not understand how most people perfer punk as just the aesthetic after knowing about the culture.Sickest music ever,learning to make your own shit,UNlearning internalized bigotry,helping people,being weird as fuck,breaking the law,sense of community and solidarity,kids looking up to you and getting them join in.What is the downside compared to looking cool with piercings and dyed hair but not even being willing to be rude to people who actually deserve it instead of trying to be Mcu quip-adjacent,it's like we're an entirely different species.Are you guys afraid to develop personalities?Is that why you kin Mcu characters?

[moorishflower]

I got tagged by @softest-punk to talk about BOOKS

Rules: 10 (non-ancient) books for people to get to know you better, or that you just really like.

Idk how we're defining non-ancient but I'm going to assume nothing pre-1400s just because people are listing Shakespeare? Which means I can't include Beowulf :< But know that Beowulf is on here in my heart

The Dark Elf Trilogy by R.A. Salvatore. Hoo boy. Baby's first fantasy novels. I fell in love with Drizzt Do'urden LONG before I knew what being edgy or goth was, and I was absolutely fascinated by the intricate politics of Menzoberranzan, but even MORE fascinated by the Underdark. This terrifying, harsh alien landscape all in darkness, lit only sometimes by phosphorescent fungi, populated by monstrous creatures and inhuman beings with complex cultures...I was actively less interested in the Forgotten Realms books when Drizzt left the Underdark! To this day I'm really fascinated by survival literature and hostile landscapes, and I find things like deserts and cave systems to be extremely beautiful. Also, I had a crush on Jarlaxle, but so did everybody else, so.

Don Quixote (El ingenioso hidalgo don Quixote de la Mancha) by Miguel de Cervantes. I originally read Don Quixote in college, and I fell in love with how it played around with the idea of stories, and how we use them to view the world. I wrote an entire paper about how Don Quixote serves as a sort of trickster figure, because we're meant to learn from his mistakes, but there are honestly so many different ways you can read the text! Is he insane? Is he the ONLY person in the world trying to do the right thing, and its only the rigid outline of society that's actively preventing him from doing it? Also, has one of the single most important quotes to ever be put to a page. "There is no book so bad...that it does not have something good in it."

Dragon's Milk by Susan Fletcher. This was the first book about dragons that I read. I think it probably wouldn't hold up well if I read it again? But I remember being in love with it when I was about 9 or 10. It felt VERY gritty to me (there's death! injury! grief!) at the time, lol.

John Dies at the End by David Wong. HERE'S a book that taught me a lot about fucking around with genre conventions. I reread JDatE about three times in the beginning to make sure I was getting everything, and I still reread it like...once a year or two years or so? Horror is a really special genre to me because there's so much you can learn from it and use it to convey. JDatE was one of the first successful horror COMEDY novels I read.

The Dark Tower series by Stephen King. I couldn't possibly choose a single book, so don't ask me to! This is meant to be read as a series anyways, even more so than other series. King is one of my favorite authors, and I've read pretty much his entire body of work, but there's something special about The Dark Tower books. They're so huge, and far-reaching, and they accomplish so MUCH and manage to entwine so many different threads into one (nearly, no one's perfect, lol) cohesive whole. I'm sure there are a lot of fantasy and scifi novels that manage to weave as many threads as King does here, but man, there's something SO satisfying about being able to go through the Tower books, and recognizing all the references to so many other books by him. <3

Feet of Clay by Terry Pratchett. WORDS IN THE HEART CANNOT BE TAKEN. Fuck, what a good book. About personhood, about self determination, about acceptance. Feet of Clay is definitely THE City Watch book for me, followed very closely by Night Watch.

Inferno by Dante Alighieri. Does this count as ancient? I don't care. Inferno was one of my introductions to translation and how word choice can change the entire effect of a sentence. I read it first in middle school, on my own, and then more in depth in high school and college, and I used to keep my annotated copy by my bed in my dorm, so I could go through it whenever I was stressed. I got really into etymology because of Inferno, an interest I still have today!

The Sound and the Fury by William Faulkner. When I read this in high school, the teacher for the class warned us that it was going to be a difficult read and that we would probably need a timeline she had made in order to follow along. But I didn't need the timeline. The leaps in time and space and narration all made perfect sense to me! It wasn't actually that hard to follow along, and the story being told between the words by Benjy was horrifying and fascinating and terribly sad! And then you got to the other parts and it was CONFIRMED to be horrifying and sad! Anyways The Sound and the Fury is a really cool example of nonlinear, unreliable, stream of consciousness narration and I like it a lot.

The Mistborn trilogy by Brandon Sanderson. Just a really cool magic system. Really interesting worldbuilding. But it's the magic system that gets me.

Across the Acheron by Monique Wittig. Baby's first feminist lesbian book. I got Across the Acheron because I was intrigued by another version of Inferno. Instead, I figured out I wasn't straight! Like all feminist literature there's a lot of ways to read this and it probably hasn't held up as well as I would like, but I am indebted to it for like, letting 14 y/o me realize that not just liking boys was okay, so!

[writteninscarlet]

hc + 🎵 for a music-themed headcanon

hc + 🌍 for a travel-themed headcanon

Thematic Headcanon Meme ;; accepting

music;;

“Growing up, music was all around us. My mother was a good singer. My father could play a few instruments. I can’t say I inherited either talent, really, though I’ve worked hard and can play piano to some extent,” she replied, smiling softly. There were many good and bad memories about her past, and the music ones tended to be good. “After they… were gone, music still followed us. We travelled Europe mostly, at the start, and Pietro was always good at getting us into concerts. We heard so many bands playing. His favourite always seemed to lean towards rock and punk…” She gave a hum, a shrug. “There was never a favourite genre for me. I heard a song and I either liked it, or I didn’t.”

“But it was nice to relax for a while with those. And we saw a lot of good bands.” A bright smile. “I’d like to go to more concerts. I suppose I should see about that some time. These days, music is just background for me - instrumental usually, when at work or meditating or yoga.”

bonus;; Wanda may not be a singer, but she can hold a key and isn’t terrible. She’ll get involved if there’s karaoke - though she’ll need a nudge. Since most of her travel (since ya know, pushing up birthday etc) was around the late 90s/early noughties as she first joined avengers, its bands and songs from those decades she loves best. But some of her favourite band experiences have been seeing groups fronted by women, new or old - such as Blondie (even though the drummer impressed her most) or The Cranberries or Garbage.

travel;:

“I love to travel.” A quick and easy answer. “We travelled with our parents, then Pietro and I travelled together. There are so many beautiful places in the world, so many cultures and ideas. It’s incredible.” There were plenty of bad experiences, and it was strange and awful how many people ran them out for being mutants (or actually, mostly because she was a witch) but on the whole things were GOOD. People were incredible, nature so amazing. “I enjoy getting to travel and try new experiences. I would love to travel more outside of America and Europe, where most of my travel has been so far.”

“I travel with the Avengers of course, but it’s different going for work than for pleasure. Isn’t it? I enjoy short trips and long trips. I’m not one for beach holidays though, but a day at the beach can be relaxing.”

bonus;; when she says she likes short and long trips, she means it in a lot of ways. Wanda will enjoy travel even just to the city, depending on who it’s with and what they do. She enjoys experiences and activities, and even in the city there’s things she yet to see or experience. When travelling abroad, she likes to see different cultures as respectfully as possible (going for work and fighting doesn’t quite cut it). She enjoys ancient cultures and could listen to someone talk about that sort of subject or their home land or anything like that for hours.

[purplesurveys]

1649

1. What are you doing at this exact moment? (I want details, people!) I’m taking this survey while sitting on the couch in the living room, which we FINALLY got professionally cleaned after Agi must have peed 47549835734 times on it; and I currently have Jimin’s Like Crazy playing on loudspeaker from my phone right beside me. Dogs are resting in front of me having just finished their dinner. Am also cautiously watching the time because I plan on working again by 10 PM so I can finish a couple of slides on a Powerpoint I’m in the middle of finishing.

2. The one song you will never get sick of? Additionally, any song recommendations? I really really feel this way the most about Namjoon’s Closer.

3. Name everything you have ever wanted to be (occupations and random things, like animals!) Writer, journalist, housewife, lawyer, art curator, historian, mom, bird (so I can fly and travel), dog (so that I never have to work lol).

4. What is the best fanfic you have ever read (lmao) There were a couple of AJ/Punk fanfics I enjoyed back in the day, but sadly the author took them down (and I think even deleted their account altogether) so my memory of the story is lost to time. More recently, I’m obsessed with this AO3 writer’s Namjin works; I go back to my favorite scenes from time to time to give me the giddies lol.

5. Name every fandom you have ever been in! Beyoncé, wrestling if that counts as a fandom, One Direction, BTS. I like and have liked a number of other things too like Paramore, THAT British YouTuber crew, and Good Mythical Morning, but I wouldn’t say I was ever active in any of those fandoms; I just enjoy ‘em on my own time.

6. What is the saddest movie you have ever watched? Additionally, movie recommendations? Requiem For A Dream, Portrait of a Lady on Fire, Life Is Beautiful, and ROMAN FUCKING HOLIDAY holy shit the last scene amazes and pisses me off every time lmao. 

As for movie recs, I’d also go for Roman Holiday.

7. If you could direct your own TV show/movie, what would it be like? A snoozefest...I like to keep my life uneventful.

8. The cringiest account/fan account you’ve ever made? (oh god) The first one that I made when I was around 11; it was my Twitter account for everything Beyoncé. I would’ve given my wrestling Tumblr as an answer too, but in retrospect I don’t think it was necessarily cringe; I was just being the modern-day fangirl/stan before stan culture was even a thing. Meaning to say the shit I posted was definitely more out-there than anything back in 2014, but if I look at that Tumblr now (it’s still alive!), it honestly holds up, lmao. Looks like every other stan account that we otherwise have nowadays.

9. What is your aesthetic? Describe it to us in list form. Hmm okay I’ll try but I’m honestly so over the place idek if I have one.

K-pop merch

A wall of custom Polaroid printouts of BTS members

Dogs

Coffee and a pastry

Laptop stickers

Museums

Peach soju

Oversized t-shirts and sweaters and baggy joggers

Bucket hats

Printed socks

Muted shades

Listening to lofi or piano music at 2 AM

10. What is one thing that has been bugging you recently that you just need to talk about? That I am so bad with money.

11. One thing you’ve always wished you could do / be good at? Play the piano.

12. Put a picture of your best (or your worst!) fanart/drawing ever! I don’t draw.

13. The best book you have ever read? Additionally, any book recommendations? I haven’t read any that I’d consider an all-time favorite. 14. Most exotic food you’ve ever had? Crocodile sisig.

15. Post a picture of the weirdest/funniest text conversation you’ve ever had! Idk if there is one. I have lots of funny convos with friends, but I’m not sure if any of them would be the funniest.

16. Random fun fact about you! I blocked Zayn Malik for like five years after he left the band. LOL

17. What do you think of me? Ahh! Idek who you are!

18. Do you have any fake names? Pseudonyms? Idk, stage names, street names? If not, what would it be? Nope. 19. What is your idea of a perfect life? One where you’ve reached a level of contentment in a way that you’re comfortable and happy with every decision you make, and face mistakes with a lesson and an, “On to the next.”

20. Finish the sentence: “Oh, to be a _____” Nepo baby? Lmao

21. Is there a stranger you would like to meet again? Sure, the nice fan sitting beside me at Seonho’s fanmeet who gave me a slogan when she saw that I didn’t manage to get one.

22. Post a picture of you/someone you know doing something weird. Do it, you won’t. Coward. (Obviously the pic doesn’t have to have a face in it) I would but my phone is at 1% and the charger is upstaaaaaaaairs, lol.

23. Is there a place you feel homesick for even though you’ve never been there? Well, no. I don’t think the homesickness would be genuine that way.

24. Basic, but what’s your sign? Taurus.

25. What sign do you act like? What sign do you wish you were? None of these astrology questions plz.

26. What is one unusual thing you do? Surveys? < Agree.

[anthonybialy]

No Punk, No Disco, Yes Suffering

It doesn’t seem like anyone is having a superfly time during our 1970s throwback.  The return of everything regrettable with none of the style prevents a groovy vibe.  Broke people worried about the last of their stuff getting pinched can’t even appreciate active nostalgia ironically.  This decade’s victims are too worried about muggers commandeering the bags full of cash it takes to buy a bag of apples.

Browsing through a nostalgic Instagram account sharing iconic moments from half a century ago offers momentary distraction from an economy whose stagnation approaches permanence.  The thorough lack of an identifiable cultural character makes regression feel banal.

The lack of creativity spurred by present decline is the most glaring part.  We won’t even get the gritty reality of punk or decadent fantasy of disco out of sinking.  The good and bad news is present future-dwellers can hide inside with a bit more than four channels and all our stuff brought to the doorstep.  The persistent urge to shied ourselves from harm undoubtedly means prosperity permeates.

Bringing to mind classic sitcom moments only offers so much comfort.  Shoppers feel like Mary Tyler Moore exasperatingly putting beef that’s way too costly into her cart.  We’re not getting the charmingly hilarious look at a modern career woman forging her path.  You have some nerve presuming someone’s gender, sexist.  The latest understanding of biology doesn’t exactly seem advanced.

How far will harkening go?  I fear they’ll bring 8-tracks back.  The prototypical clunky format is almost as inconvenient as inflation.  Geezers who like browsing a mighty shelf of music think would be nice to have tangible items again, although they’ll probably just get ripped off.  Humans who turned out to be unreasonably optimistic thought we cured brutes taking what belongs to others.  Rampant thievery’s return is like polio making as comeback.  The experiment’s conclusions getting replicated shocks those who claim to align with science.

There are better ways to get thrills than using sidewalks.  Cities are back to making forests seem safe in a reminder of just how close civilization teeters to chaos.  Ceding territory to the criminally insane has failed to inspire fond reminiscing.  You’ll notice that those who adoringly call garbage-strewn street photos gritty aren’t presently inhabiting the ominous scenes.  Fools seduced by decay daftly try their best to recreate them.  There are better ways to get thrills than making the Upper West Side dangerous again.

Taking away the barriers to chaos turns out to cause more of it.  I am also shocked.  You’d think that might be a lesson worth retaining.  But the worst part of widely challenging times half a century ago was not remembering why life was a downer.  There sure doesn’t seem to be as much progress as anticipated.

Advanced times feature countless surprises that shouldn’t be such.  Tolerating quality of life crimes lowers quality of life.  Foes of the crime against humanity known as cash bail are the only ones shocked.  An alarming percentage of vertical surfaces are covered in graffiti that’s not quite as festive as fans of antisocial behavior claimed.  Alleged artists can’t paint with consent.

Very sweet kids who think progress is inevitable have prevented it.  Modern folks suffer just like our polyester-clad ancestors.  Today is much worse because of the precedent.  Our ancestors already endured avoidable agonies so we didn’t have to, which makes neglecting difficult lessons even more insulting to previous generations.

The job is too big for one person, as long as it’s the kind of person who somehow gets elected.  A series of presidents who shrugged as events they spurred spun out of control have claimed there’s nothing to be done.  The limply powerful either hope voters don’t remember or don’t care as they already got hired.  An all-powerful government can’t do anything right and inflicts plenty of wrong.

Presuming intervention is simply part of life as it makes same life a hassle is the sort of exhausting surrender that itself exposed all to danger.  Government meddles with ordinary business as it lets felons practice their unsavory trade, which at least isn’t as awful as diabolical Earth menacing.  Evil on a smaller scale is the closest the beleaguered get to relief.

The Cold War is back in an annoying variation.  Acting as if the Berlin Wall is still in place is the only thing worse than accepting it as permanent when it stood.  The existence of evil regimes is accepted as inevitable by those possessing the unused power to confront them.  It’s tough to use imperialist mean American might for those who think the commies had a point about communal good over greed.  We’re all sharing empty shelves like the gray section of Germany’s most prominent city.

Getting ripped off in multiple senses is even worse when everything’s boring.  Our present advanced and regressive age lacks the distinct style of the dangerous decade we’re copying.  Our world is in worse shape even if we avoid Bread.  Carbohydrates are a luxury.

A person who lived through it doesn’t seem to remember what he’s presently eating for lunch, much less how much hurting his lame thoughts inflict in practice.  Retro doofus Joe Biden was already haunting the Senate not learning how deleterious liberal infiltration is.  Maintaining principles is unwise if they’re daft.  Endorsing every rotten notion was unfortunate when they were obviously bad ideas.

Innumerable examples in the meantime just make his drive to spread inflation and global woe that much sadder.  Half a century spent not learning is even more regrettable than avocado appliances.

[joy1579]

Hey! So... When I started to play Mystic messenger I was a teenager, so I was wondering how the boys and Jaehee would react discovering that MC was a teenager too (platonic of course) I loved your headcanons btw ♥️

gah its been forever and a day since i was a kid. and even then i was like really bad at being a kid heh what do teenagers do? all i did was hide in the library and avoid socializing oops. whatever i had a lot of fun writing this! honestly i think they would all be very protective of you since the RFA really feels like one big family!

Jumin

He is proud of you and wants to provide you with future opportunities because that’s how he cares about people, by giving them a means to earn money and have purpose. Also he is very interested in what you can teach him about pop culture.  

-        Age doesn’t matter to him too much. Maturity does and you had proven your maturity by helping the RFA faithfully and well

-        In fact, he is very proud of how well you did and mentions that your professionalism at such a young age shows great potential should you apply to C&R (you know him well enough to take it for the compliment it is intended to be)

-        His presence practically drips with “proud dad preparing for his daughter’s future” vibes and considering the 11-year age gap you suppose you couldn’t ask for much better

-        That is until he hears you chatting on the phone and using slang he’s never heard before

-        Now he’s curious and asking questions. You show him some him some vines you have saved and teach him a bit about pop culture leading to an unlikely but very fun friendship

-        You and he tease zen a lot by having Jumin use made up slang and you pretending its super cool and zen’s just not with it. Also imagine getting Jumin to do a secret handshake just to piss Zen off. It ends with the “nyah” pose

Yoosung

Acts like your best friend that you enjoy teasing. He wants to be a good role model but that shiz is hard. You two bond a lot over stories about school and the struggles of exams.

-        He is very relieved to not be the youngest anymore because now maybe everyone will stop treating him like a baby. (spoiler alert they won’t. Ever.)

-        He worries that he’s supposed to act like a big brother. He doesn’t know how to do that! He’s always been the baby brother, or the youngest member, or the newest intern. How does one be responsible?

-        Tries and fails to intimidate guys away from you to “protect” you (but zen said it was his duty to keep you safe! He said all men are wolves MC!)

-        “If all men are wolves why isn’t he worried about you Yoosung?” “huh? Hey wait yeah! Does he not think I’m a man?!” “ go get em tiger. give zen a piece of your mind”

-        He helps you with homework a lot but no cheating! He tells you about the time he cheated to pass a class only to get to the next level class and understand NOTHING it took a lot of tutoring and studying and work to fix that mess. Best to learn it now while it’s still learnable.

-        He refuses to teach you LOL “don’t end up like me MC! Be better!” you learn it anyway and end up playing with him frequently. The rest of the RFA blame him for this much to his dismay.

Saeyoung

he wants to protect you in his own frankly silly way. still meme’s it up but doesnt want anyone “corrupting” you. actually he kind of treats you the way he would treat saeran.

-        He fights with V for the first time when V suggests leaving you in Rika’s apartment (with a bomb) but reluctantly comes around and does what V says

-        Stays a meme lord and is psyched if you can manage to out meme him

-        Definitely teases you about your age a lot (Yoosung is secretly glad to not be the ONLY one getting teased for being young)

-        “guys we have to protect the baby she has her whole life ahead of her”

-        Is the most adamant about not swearing, drinking or smoking around you

-        “y’all need Jesus there are CHILDREN here”

-        You may have to call him out on this behavior because seriously wtf you know for a fact hacking isn’t the most ethical or legal occupation and he’s gonna lecture you?!?

-        He may joke around but he up’s his protection game up about 10 notches because for real you have your whole life ahead of you

Zen

he basically adopts you okay. he wants to be your cool big brother friend and be everything his family never was for him. he takes care of you and stands up for you every chance he can.

-        He finds out very early on because the second he starts flirting seven shuts that shit down telling him your too young for that. He asks how young and is shocked but recovers pretty fast

-        You know the protective big brother trope? Yeah that’s him

-        He’s your ride or die friend too. Need a ride to school? He’s there on his bike, some dick is harassing you? He’s there to scare the punk off, and even though he doesn’t want to fight a kid he will if he has too

-        If its girls who are harassing, you he picks you up to give your rep a bit of a boost (it never hurts to be seen with such a handsome guy after all and if he shows up on his bike he’s also got the badass vibe going on)

-        He has ALWAYS wanted a little sister and now he’s adopted you. You’re his little sis now and he’s wrapped around your finger. He swears he’ll be a better brother than his brother was

-        He is so proud of all your accomplishments and is determined to encourage your dreams the way his parents never did (he might be living his family wishes vicariously through you but hey he treats you good so it’s cool)

Jaehee

-        She’s a bit worried about you taking on such a big responsibility as the RFA guest liaison at such a young age. What if your grads drop? Or you family gets upset? What if you had to also work a part time job and this interfered your young you need to be able to rest and live your life. (when you point out that she should do the same she brushes you off)

-        Not much changes honestly, she’s always been the RFA’s mom after all.

-        She gets a little stricter about language and “inappropriate” topics

-        She definitely encourages you to study and do well in school (and avoid any job’s Mr. Han offers you)

-        She still down to be your friend though! She’s all ears when you need to vent about school and you are always ready to lend an ear back when Jumin is giving you a hard time

-        You swap girl power ballads and she helps you set up a Zen fan club at your high school

Saeran

-        Look he didn’t intend to kidnap and actual kid and he’s honestly a bit panicked when he finds out your age you looked older than that he swears

-        Thankfully your mature enough and smart enough to do what’s needed of you and he supposes as long as you don’t have a family searching for you it should be okay

Ray

-        He’s a little more reserved but honestly not much changes he’s still innocent and devoted he calls you princess and tries to spoil you as much as he can he may not see you as a romantic interest but your still his obsession.

-        He likes that you trusted him even more since your young and therefor more vulnerable. You’re his family now, a better family than he’s ever had.

-        If you are the princess, he is your knight in the strictest definition. Which is to say he is devoted to protecting and serving you out of dedication and reverence rather than romance.

Unknown

-        He’s more verbally aggressive than physically aggressive

-        He doesn’t try as hard to seem intimidating because he thinks of you as a child, and he doesn’t have to prove how tough he is to a child it’s obvious after all.

-        Also his visits are simultaneously shorter and more frequent. Shorter because he tends to get flashbacks easier (since he sees you as a child despite you being a teen) and more frequent because they are less satisfying since he doesn’t let himself be physically aggressive.

Vanderwood

(IDK why but I feel like he probably had an actual family with a girlfriend/wife and possibly a very very young daughter before the agency. Maybe she left him and that’s why he’s so impressed by MC’s dedication in the secret ending. Or maybe they’re both dead because broken hearts make more money than whole ones. Either way I think a teen MC would remind him of his possible family and so he would be hell bent on separating you from the danger and drama of literally everything that happens in the game.)

-        He’s legitimately (and rightfully) concerned about you when he see’s you on seven’s CCTV feed

-        protective and angry dad mode activated

-        threatens to tazer seven into oblivion if he lets something (or causes something to) happen to you

-        “what the hell are you doing she’s a civilian AND she’s got her whole life before her, you and I might have thrown away our lives but she didn’t! whatever’s going on you had better fix it NOW”

-        He is not speaking with you. No way no how. Every word he says to you puts you more in danger and he is not having your life on his conscious

-        That being said the second you’re in danger he is all in on ANNIHILATING whatever has put you in danger

[voidcat]

of Pamphlets & Bass Guitars

– Prologue

Characters: Oikawa Tooru/Reader

Genre: lowkey enemies to lovers, punk au, feminist reader

Word Count: 1.2k 

A/N: That’s what happens when I listen to Bikini Kill at 2am and pretend I don’t have any finals left. This au is for Nicole & I. Watch me get rid of the ugly Seijoh pants;)

Pants (chapter 2)

Life for Oikawa Tooru is good. It must be.

Going to Aoba Johsai with his best friend, playing volleyball and winning matches, being everyone’s favorite… All fun and games for sure. His life is good but that doesn’t mean he is satisfyed, pleased, fully content with it. Always looking for something new, for a change, for a course of actions.

Life in Aoba Johsai is never still, never stable. That’s mostly thanks to none other than Oikawa Tooru. Admired by many, avoided by few, gathering attention no matter what. Be it crossing the dress code on a constant, starting debates whenever he gets a chance, showing very little care or respect to the school administration, the list goes on.

Long story short, being a typical, text-book bad boy and getting on your nerves whenever he crosses your mind, not that he is on your mind often.

Your life Aoba Johsai is good. Keeping a low profile, attending classes, spending time with the few and dear people you call friends, longing for more, wanting to fight for more.

It doesn’t even take much for the change. Not when the social norms, the society are filled with issues, not when people normalize behaviors that should not be excused. It’s not even a matter of being a victim or being on the receiving end; it’s all just a matter of having a conscience, common sense and a heart.

Seeing boys being disrespectful and excluding towards anyone they seem ‘inferior’ is the fuel, their friends excusing these actions lights the first spark.

You start one by one. Gathering courage to speak up in class is difficult at first, not even the teacher believing it at first, the students talking amongst each other as you speak; but it gets easier each time. With gained experience, comes confidence and that’s what one needs to keep eyes glued on them, you soon find out.

Next thing you know, you’re debating with a classmate, a little too loud. If yelling and a primal act of dominance is what will make him listen to an opinion other than his, then so be it: a yelling contest.

That’s how it starts, with baby steps. Still wanting to lay low, you choose to fight with words: With a short article, the topic is not even that big of a pressing matter, it’s more on the pop culture side. You know it will be read, if it gets published, that is.

Article by article, soon enough you have a column of your own. Writing under a nickname, accepting questions once in a while, choosing variety of topics to discuss and to point out. The feedback is more than you foresaw, it keeps you motivated in a way.

That’s how you meet Seiji. Going to the school’s newspaper once in a while to submit an article or two, times spent waiting for the head editor are dreadful. Standing with a binder, nothing else to do but wait wait and wait. Seeing how tense you are, he approaches you one day, making small talk and keeping both of you occupied until the wait is over. He asks about the articles one day, some days he talks about a music album recently released, always providing a distraction when most needed, soon enough you two become friends. You submit the articles directly to him after a while, not bothering to wait for someone who cannot take 5 seconds off to take few pieces of paper.

Debates in class and writing articles turn into more short after. Having someone to discuss topics, actually looking for more ways to interact with people, educate them if needed… Seiji offers publishing some of your articles in his father’s newspaper one day. Not as frequent as the school paper but at least one per season. You kindly decline the offer but this gives an idea for pamphlets and a handmade fanzine of sort.

One by one, step by step, getting more and more active each day life is just starting to be interesting for you.

-

It’s not even that often for Oikawa Tooru to cross your mind.

You don’t share classes, you both have different group of friends, you don’t go around tailing him, he doesn’t go around debating with you. Not leaving the classroom much, you don’t even see him, only the squeals of girls remind you of his existence once in a while but that’s it. You two have never interacted before and you intend to keep that way.

Deciding to have your lunch outside one day, a book in one hand there you are. There’s a group of girls not so far away from you talking and giggling about god knows what.

You get an answer to that, like it or not. Talking, more like ranking, the boys in sports teams. “And what about Oikawa-san? Ah, he’s such a bad boy.” A girl says a bit too loud, probably fake-fanning herself as she speaks.

Then suddenly, the squealing starts. Right when Raskolnikov was about to commit the crime.

“Tsk. Now now girls. Thank you for the compliments but you’re mistaken about one thing.” A new voice fills the air, calm and collected, sounds a little smug too. You realize you’ve never heard Oikawa Tooru talk before.

“Oh, is that so? Apologies Oikawa-san! What is it, can you tell us?”

Looking up from your book to watch the scene few meters away from you, you can see the cheeky grin he has on. It’s as fake as the sickeningly sweet voice the girls are using in his presence.

“I am not a ‘bad boy’-“ he makes air quotes as he spits the two words. “-I am punk.”

Oikawa Tooru? Punk? Like he would know the first thing about punk.

“Oikawa-san! What is punk?” The girl seems genuinely curious. You wish you could just walk up and give a proper explanation to her, maybe a brief history and meaning of punk, just like she and he movement itself deserves.

Oikawa starts strolling, changing directions and taking turns. He stops in front of a garbage can.

Clank. Kicking over the can with a kick a tad too furious, he points at the knocked over can. “See? That’s punk.”

Is he serious?.. He cannot be serious. Rolling your eyes with a huff, you try to find the last sentence you read. Your eyes are more focused on somewhere else though.

The girl who spoke to him first walks over to another nearby can and imitates him. “That’s punk?” with a hopeful look in her eyes and in her voice she asks.

“No, that’s just trendy.” His voice flat now. He almost sounds disappointed.

The confused expression on the girl’s face makes the scene only sadder, more pathetic.

Is that seriously a reaction to give after pulling off a cheap trick like his and getting bummed out that the girl imitated him? Who is he to judge?

Turning his head and waving over to someone “Oh, Iwa-chan! Wait up!” he spares the girls one last glance. “That’s my cue to leave now. See ya!” With that, he is gone.

And with that, you decide you do not like Oikawa Tooru. He is nothing but an arrogant, punk wanna-be. You hope that was the first and the last time you find yourself in the same surrounding as him. Oh how wrong you are.

[ultralurker-69]

Generally, I don’t like “unpopular opinion” posts. This is because I feel most people use it as a shitty defence from criticism from their ill-thought-out opinions. However, I’d like to share some of my unpopular (possibly, I don’t actually know how popular they are) views on various works today. So, instead of using the label “unpopular” as a way to hide from criticism, I actively encourage people to disagree with me, or at least discuss what I’ve said in a constructive manner. So, here are some of my thoughts on various books, films, TV shows, games, etc.:

“Art” is not a measure of quality, it’s a form of expression. Bad art (or rather, art you personally dislike) is still art.

I really don’t see the appeal in shipping characters. It just comes across as a bit weird to me. However, if it’s just fictional characters, then that’s fine. It’s when people start shipping celebrities/real people that I have a major problem.

Adventure Time really isn’t that good of a show. Certain aspects and episodes are good, but overall it’s just average. Similar shows like Gravity Falls and Regular Show are way better.

The whole “dragons vs wyverns” debate in The Elder Scrolls and media with similar depicitons of dragons is irritatingly pedantic. The way I see it is if this is what a dragon looks like in this fictional universe, then it’s a dragon. End of discussion.

Sonic the Hedgehog (2020) is the best video game film adaptation ever. The plot is simple and some of the jokes are cringey, admittedly. However, the CGI is fairly decent, the characters aren’t 2-dimensional, and there are plently of nice nods to the games and Sonic’s impact on pop culture. It works as a family film and more than deserves to be the highest-grossing superhero film of 2020 (is Sonic a superhero? I don’t know, decide that amongst yourselves).

I have no interest in reading Terry Pratchett’s work. Nothing against the man or his stuff, they might be great. It’s just I know several people who never shut the fuck up about them. So not only am I sick of hearing about Discworld, but I also feel like they’ll just reject me if I read the books and don’t like them to the extent they do.

“Forced diversity” in video games (or any media, for that matter) is one of the most bullshit things I’ve ever heard. Having characters that aren’t straight, white men is not “forcing” diversity because, guess what?, people who aren’t straight white men exist in this world and deserve to be represented in media just as much (if not more so, only because of their chronic lack of representation in Western media).

The Sex Pistols suck ass. Johnny Rotten has always been, and continues to be, a gigantic knob. Sid Vicious couldn’t play bass worth a shit and probably killed Nancy. Their music is horrendous. Other punk/punk rock acts are way better (the Jam, Killing Joke, Bad Religion, etc.) and I wish people would stop holding them up as these untouchable music gods.

The Guy Ritchie Sherlock Holmes films are way better than the BBC show Sherlock. If you like Sherlock, fine. All power to you. I just find Holmes in that interpretation to be an unlikeable douchebag with seemingly magic powers. He’s a dick in Ritchie’s films, sure, but he’s a good person at heart and his powers of deduction feel grounded in reality, but stylised to be interesting for a film, which works.

Something that’s bugged me ever since I first heard & saw it back in 2010 was something from the Doctor Who episode “The Time of Angels”. The whole “any image of an Angel becomes an Angel” is so stupid and takes away the horror from the original “Blink”. So does this mean I could draw an Angel and it would come after me? Or if I took a photo of a churchyard and didn’t notice one in the backgroud it would try to send me back in time? I think the idea was to make them seem more terrifying, but all it does it raise so many questions to the point where it ruins my suspension of disbelief.

So, there’s some of my unpopular opinions. Let me know what you think. Again, I encourage discussion and disagreement.

[deadly-cipher]

Dear Alternative Community Gatekeepers, Stop

Alternative is not a label which you can give to one 'group' of people. alternatives are non conformists who have no social group. you cant recognise an alternative person by what they wear or look like, so dont try to. they dont all wear the same clothes (like moshers, chavs, goths, indies or any other group of people who try to be individual but all seem to like the same stuff, wear the same clothes and only listen to music which their friends like). alternative people enjoy listening to whatever the hell they like, because they dont just like one type of music, they may just enjoy music on a whole, or it may just depend what kind of a mood they are in to what kind of music they listen too at that time. although this term is based around mysic it also applys to clothes as i said above many groups try to all wear the same stuff in order to fit in, alternatives wear whatever they like, if its designer, and they like it, they will wear it. if its got the name of a band on, and they like it, they will wear it. if there is a song which is by slipnot, and they like it, they will listen to it. if there is a song, which is by eminem, they will listen too it. Punk is not about a certain hair colour, style, or music, although music does take a large part in most punks lives.  Punk is about liking what you like, being yourself, saying what you think and FUCK ALL THE REST.  You don't need a two foot high red mohawk to be a punk, although that is wicked cool. You don't need sleeves, a backpiece, or any tattoos at all to be punk. You don't need a Misfits, Casualties, Sex Pistols or any band like that jacket to be punk. You don't need anything to be punk except for awareness, self respect, respect for others and an open mind. A Goth is someone who sees beauty in the dark side of life. Today's society is focused on negating darkness because it is associated with evil. Think about it - in almost every fairy tale, who is the antagonist? The brunette. Who is the protagonist? The blonde. Dark is evil, evil is bad, and therefore we should wipe all trace of it from our lives. Unfortunately, that's simply not possible. No matter how hard society tries, people still die. Day turns into night. Love becomes loss. It's a fact of life. So while everyone else is denying an entire half of life, the Goths embrace ALL of life, good and bad. Goths understand that the best and most lasting joy is tinged with a little sadness, and that all love is bittersweet. Goths understand that not everybody has to be happy 24/7, and that the way to succeed is not by pretending you are. Sunlit skies are beautiful, yes, but so are dark cloudy ones. What is white without black? What is a rose without thorns? Thus, by embracing the shadows as well as the sun, Goths are, in many cases, actually more emotionally healthy than those in mainstream society.  Emo is an emotional person. They are not depressed all the time and some are acually very happy at times. They do smile, they don't sit in a corner crying all day. Some are actually quite popular and laugh and joke around lots. NB: Emo does not mean the person cuts themselves, they might but that is not why they're emo. The word "scene" coves a large spectrum throughout recent history, but its most modern definition is used to describe certian subcultures and movements. The most notoriously famous and targeted is the alternative music scene, or more specifically, branches of the alternative music scene such as hardcore, indie, fashoionxcore, etc. A breed of scenesters (people on the scene) has begun to come to the forefront. These scenesters are usually very music-savvy and loyal to a few specific genres (typically hardcore, metal, indie, retro, 80's new wave, classic rock, etc. to name a few), of which they dress to exemplify. It is hard to pin down a style for a scene male or female, considering the trends amongst them vary from coast to coast, and certian fads come in and out within their ranks. Typically, though, many scene kids will have facial piercings, tattoos, and longer hair. It is not unusual to see teased hair with long bangs on males, or short fauxhawks (a mohawk without the sides shaved, a fashion-friendly version) on females. It is almost a throwback to the revolution of Britian's glam era, very androgynous and fresh. Scenesters take a lot of pride in their overall image, and often they appreciate shock value. Oftentimes they are thrifty, employing their abilities as bargian-hunters and do-it-yourself gurus to do something unique with their style. Large vintage sunglasses, retro patterns, tight jeans, classic metal/band tees, plastic jewelry, and heavy eye makeup are just some of the incorperations into scene style for either sex. This style and showmanship is at its height during shows (concerts), where often scene kids will meet their friends and size up strangers who visit their turf. There indeed is competition among scenesters...sometimes friendly, sometimes not. Shows are in fact not just concerts, but often a means of socialization for those on the scene. Those people who partake in scene lifestyle often choose to date/socialize only with those like them, which can cause bitterness or rejection to outsiders. The music scene is often associated with other areas that scenesters are interested in, which is liekely, art, photography, creative writing, poetry, tattoos & piercings, civil rights, animal rights, etc. Many scene kids have strong beliefs about these things and consider those who do not to be "posers." They feel that their scene style is not only a fashion statement, but an all-encompassing lifestyle. Many scene kids incorperate their future plans into their lifestyle, going into careers such as journalism, photography, artistry, piercing, tattooing, working for magazines, being musicians, hairstylists, running venues and/or coffee shops, etc. This tends to cause scene kids to congregate, visit, or even move to big cities to find opportunities to meet other scenesters, find jobs that suit them, or to live where they have a plethora of activities that they enjoy readily at their disposal. Recently internet revolutions like myspace.com have provided a new means for the ideas of scene culture to be spead, for scenesters to find new friends, bands, and activities. Scensters design stylish and graphic profile pages to both draw attention to themselves and to find others like them, and many people have joined up with the scene fad due to internet advertising. The downside of many scene atmospheres is that some scene kids tend to develop a superior mentality. Some who are especially popular and affluent can make it harder for the younger, yet-aspiring scenesters to join in with the subculture. This is not always the case, however. Different areas breed different demographics of scene kids. Perhaps part of their attitude comes from the problem that scenesters have begun to feel threatened about their culture being jeopardized because of a sort of trickle down effect. The internet is permitting easy access for anyone who would want to don scene-esque style and jump right in to a culture that scenesters feel they have built from the ground up and developed into a complex lifestyle. However, this lends many to get caught up in popularity contests in local areas as well as on the world wide web. Unfortunately, this can also lead to rifts in scenes. Groups of hardcore scenesters start "crews," often characterized by fierce brotherhood to the point of violence against others who are unlike them or who are in other crews. The scene is dividing amongst itself, due to purists who feel the scene is about music only, and those who have taken the scene fashion to be almost, if not equally, as important as the music itself. Some of the fashionable scenesters stick to their musical roots, but often due to the aforementioned trickle-down effect, there are people joining the scene who are not interested in the music, but are only in it for the attention. Thus, the scene will continue to divide. Whether they will admit it or not, kids interested in this lifestyle of excitement, concerts, body modification, fashion, and overall alluringly unusual aesthetics will continually be labeled as "scene." They chose an alternative path because they wanted to find acceptance elsewhere. Now, they face a community just like any other: one of all different types of people, who have different opinions and standards. It has its pros and cons, ups and downs, just like any lifestyle does. A metalhead is somebody who loves heavy metal. Don't always have the "look". And it's not even necessary to listen to just the classic metal bands, you can listen to the subgenres. You just have to appreciate the genre as a whole. The term: Short for independent rock. In terms of music it would be independent of major labels/mainstream stuff. History: grew out from 60s garage, 70s punk, and 80s post punk it started in the mid 80s as alternative/college radio music. Once nirvana hit big the alternative genre split: the popular side was just alternative(Smashing Pumpkins, Hole, No Doubt, etc.) and the other half that wasn't mainstream(by choice or not) became indie rock(Pavement, Sebadoh, Built To Spill, etc). Some bands have signed to major labels but are still considered indie(Modest Mouse, etc.). Go figure. Sound: In the begining indie sounded like alternative(because it was) but it grew more experimental and weird. In Britain indie has more of a typical sound like Radiohead, Muse, etc. rather than a definition based on 'the scene.'  The scene: if you really think all indie kids do is try to be cooler than other people then... well.. you're mostly right.

[stratamuzak]

Interview with Voltagehawk

STRATA: What artists in particular you are drawn to (alive or deceased) that you listen to for particular moods? Such as happy/sad/contemplative/etc… Explain why you might listen to one artist for a particular mood.

CHASE AROCHA When I want to feel inspired I listen to a lot of the different projects of Mike Patton. Be it Faith No More, Mr. Bungle, Peeping Tom, or Tomahawk, the range of styles of music is so diverse that I’ve been listening for like 15 years and I haven’t gotten bored yet, haha. When I want to relax or chill, I love BadBadNotGood, an amazing jazz artist doing incredible arrangements all in a hip-hop context. It’s great! Or Ray Lynch, I really love his writing and use of counterpoint melody. Then if I’m getting hyped I put on something like Dying Fetus or Vitriol, or Maximum the Hormone. And any other time I’m blaring Kamasi Washington, Robert Glasper and Sturgill Simpson.

DAN FENTON I think a lot of the time music finds my mood. Sort of more a spiritual or cosmic connection. When I was a kid my mom would make us watch musicals if we stayed home sick from school. Jokes was on her because I hated school but I loved learning musical scores and how to write dynamic parts and movements. The fact that people like Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire, Frank Sinatra or Marlon Brand were also amazing actors only added to that unlikely education. I learned how to really feel music between that and the intense very bloody hymns we had to sing in church. I understand the sentiment but that shit is harder than a lot of black metal. “Are you washed in the blood of the lamb”. Hard core shit. Sorry, I digress. During the making of our most recent record which is called Electric Thunder and set for release later this year or early next (hard to navigate releases with all this pandemic shit) I listened exclusively to film scores, classical music and radio evangelists. I am not religious but I grew up in a preacher’s home and when I needed to get my creative push and anger at its peak, I listened to preachers who were clearly greed driven and motivated by the lust for power. It made my adrenaline rush in anger and it came out in the recording for sure. I am a huge fan of Hans Zimmer and Vangelis. Each of these artists move me in powerful ways. The juxtaposition of darkness and light both in traditional instrumentation and experimental synth based work. Just musical giants. When I am feeling frustrated about the social issues I see everyday in my East Nashville neighborhood I listen to KRS-One, Kamasi Washington, Outkast. A lot of protest music. I am in love with band IDLES from the UK. Such powerful lyrics tackling issues like the need for male vulnerability, equality for all and the  seemingly ironic brutal beat down of toxic masculinity. That band is great if you’re happy, mad, sad, whatever.

STRATA: Do you have a process you go through prior to writing, playing, and even performing?

CHASE AROCHA I do a lot of breathing exercises like the Wim Hof techniques. I have generalized anxiety disorder and I used to get horrible debilitating panic attacks, it helped me get into breathing and meditation. Anxiety will never go away but you learn ways to live with it and push through your panic. I think about how much this means to me and how long I’ve spent doing it, I try to see that I value myself as a person and then from that thinking I can just let go and play music. Only approaching it with love and not worrying about mistakes because that’s how we learn.

DAN FENTON The entire thing is one process. Like a heros journey of sorts. I listen and meditate everyday, I believe in a cosmic river of inspiration that flows from an energy that is and has always been. I believe if you listen hard enough and give yourself to the music the muse will send your mind transmissions that may only be a section of a song, or perhaps they are an entire album, but everyday I show up. A few years ago I read this book called The War Of Art, by Steven Pressfield. In this book he describes the invisible force he calls the Resistance. The Resistance may be things both “good or bad”, but they are anything that keeps you from showing up for your art. So I show up everyday, you can ask the dudes in the band, they receive a work tape maybe twice a week with new shit to try out. If I don’t feel that muse working I don’t force it, but I instead wait on further transmissions from the cosmic womb. All sounds crazy, but my story is crazy, so crazy makes the most sense. In the studio I have many processes. I found while recording vocals I perform better in complete darkness, I have realized how much I live inside my head and how active my imagination is and equally ADD my eyes are. So when I can’t see it brings to life the imagery and the passion of the song. I can see all those people I write about, all the landscapes, the love, lust, joy and pain. I also do some method stuff, keep things in my pockets pertaining to a character I may be portraying in a song. Wanna be Daniel Day Lewis shit.

STRATA: Your own current project, discuss the process your music went through as you built each layer. From beginning to the end of it. 

CHASE AROCHA This all started with our drummer Jarrad having a vision and going through trials and errors of finding the right people to execute that. Along the way Dan, Tyler, and I all came into the picture and that vision morphed into something we all felt was not even from us. Like we were an antenna receiving a signal and these riffs and lyrics quickly meshed into something I haven’t heard before. Part hard rock, part jazz, part punk and hardcore. All with this message of love and truth being the reason for living. To end the ones controlling our thoughts and dividing us or tribalism and greed. I feel like we made something worth listening to and that’s all I feel like you can really hope for.

DAN FENTON The self titled record that we have available now on all streaming platforms was two different profound stages in my life all in the making of one record. When we began, Jarrad and I partied a fuck ton, and I was descending into some serious personal shit with alcohol. It was bad, I couldn’t get through a day without way too high of a blood alcohol level. Before we finished vocals on the record, I stayed up one night working and drinking, perhaps I had never stopped from how many nights before, who fucking knows. Anyhow, I died for 9 minutes on the side porch of my house. Fully shut down, fucking dead. Mind you, I didn’t want to die, I just didn’t know how to lay off the bottle. Woke up in the ICU surrounded by my band, my wife and what few friends I had left. At that moment Voltagehawk became a complete family to me. I spent a stint in rehab (Jarrad drove me) and that was several years ago now. When I got out I went back to finish the record, make some amends and chase this thing out for real. So that was some info on the first record. The new Album which is a 13 song space odyssey named Electric Thunder, after our beloved Electric Thunder Studio owned and operated by our resident space wizard producer Geoff Piller, was not so dramatic. After I got my shit together and my mind cleared up I began to write everyday like a mad man. Song after song after song came like never before. I think we cut 15 songs out before we settled on the final 13. Our process as a band is often for myself or one of the other dudes to present a bare bones or often finished idea to the band and we run it through the Hawk Filter. The Hawk Filter is just the decomposition and reconstruction of every rough idea till it fits us. Which is silly to say because if we like, it we do it, not a matter of genre worship. Shit’s good, do it. Always do what’s best for the song.

STRATA: Can your music personally be an open door to breath and bend in the world of artistic exploration? In Other Words… how comfortable are you as an artist exploring other types of music and creating projects that might be totally  different than what you are creating now?

CHASE AROCHA There is so much great music in the world in so many styles, why shouldn’t we try to explore them all! I’m always trying something I haven’t done before, not always as a challenge, but I would hope it’s natural for people to do in art. We shouldn’t be the same people we were 2 years ago, let alone 10. I love jazz, Death Metal, and country music. If you can find a really fun and genuine way to blend those then that’s absolutely what you should do! Don’t be tied down to what kind of music you’re making and just make music.

DAN FENTON That’s all we do all day. Everything on this planet, and above it, and in it’s majestic seas and mountains, all these people of all the cultures of all the world and their energy and their culture all influence and musical inspiration is welcome. Our philosophy is never say no, and jump off the cliff, and pull yourself back up. Meaning: try all the musical options then settle on the one we believe is the most amazing. So much of our influence is from cinema and books, video games, you name it. I’ll pluck a support cable on every bridge I see ‘til I am dead just to see if it speaks to me. Sonically there are no fucking rules, and if you impose rules, fuck your rules. We love to create, to talk about creating and then to birth something new is beyond amazing.

STRATA: Are you open to change your style, genre even, and approach to how and what you create every time you enter a studio? Or do you find once you have a formula in place do you find it best to stay with what you know? Many times artists will change how they approach their songwriting and even their recording staff/producers.

CHASE AROCHA

Like I said before, I believe that you should just make music and with that should come constant experimentation. When we record we find sounds from all over the place. From children’s toy instruments, to skateboard wheels spinning to imitate rain. Our writing is kind of always evolving and changing. Dan is an amazing writer who literally has lyrics and melodies pouring out of his hands and face. Everyday he has new ideas and records and sends them to everyone. Jarrad is great at taking those riffs and making suggestions on how the structure could be of a song along with feel. I am obsessed with adding layers of guitars however I can, but I also write a lot and send tracks as well. Tyler is a tone junkie on the bass, filling in the bottom end and has such a great approach to being independent from the guitars with his lines. We send tracks back and forth to each other then we get in a room and flesh them out. The whole time in the process the songs are constantly changing and evolving into the sound we have. We are always open to change and never believe in the word No when discussing music and art. You try every idea and see what works and what doesn’t. Sometimes when one member has a vision of how a song should go and is trying to communicate that,  you should respect his idea and see it through. If it doesn’t work that’s okay, we tried!

DAN FENTON Voltagehawk is ever evolving. As it stands, we spend way too much time trying to pigeon hole what people will refer to our sound as. I don’t care what you call it as long as it moves you. I listen to everything from John Coltrane and Tom Waits to Napalm Death and Motorhead, Antonio Lucio Vivaldi to Kamasi Washington. IDLES and Bad Brains. If you refuse to evolve as an artist, experimenting, growing, trying new methods, all these elements then you cannot grow as a human being. Too many people are happy where they are, just okay, making the same music that their dads made and trying to cosplay some kind of yesteryear. We don’t do that shit, we’re us, that’s it. We grow, when you hear the Electric Thunder for the first time you will understand everything. If you burn some sage next to a photo of Carl Sagan while you listen to Electric Thunder, you will see the cosmic river in your minds eye. The world is full of people with a blockage in their brain. They cannot see that this bullshit we call a life is just a series of labor for hire gigs that leave us rapidly in the middle. We’re trying to break away from it all and follow our feathers, our truth, our search for enlightenment on our hero’s journey. I’ll leave you with this. Know Thyself.

[hello-amine-benaissa]

Blog Post #17/18 (20 points) Due Tuesday at Midnight

The last two weeks of class are going to be intertwined. Next week we will watch a documentary on Bob Dylan. It was going to be Pete Seeger, but I only have that on DVD, so we’ve switched it!

The last week of class we will be surveying modern protest songs together during class time. Lots of fun! In preparation for that, please complete the two assignments below.

Download the article from Moodle about Socially Responsible Music Consumption.

1. Turn to the appendix and complete the interview questions for yourself and post them here. (Don’t forget the one on the next page.)

The main factors that influenced my purchase are the need for me to have it and how much of an essential item it is to me, alongside how much I like it. So basically the need and desire for this purchased item.

The last music related purchase was Eminem’s latest album “Music to be murdered by”.

I mainly bought this album because I am big fan of rap music and Eminem signature fast rapping style, alongside really enjoying the songs in the album.

My kind of music is very diverse since I enjoy any type of song as long as it has a melodic tune and great context. But the genres that I prefer are rap and classical music.

I mainly consume music through spotify and youtube.

The current music industry is not so appealing to me since it mostly leans on the same rebellious ideas and context of partying and breaking the rules.

My favorite musicians really know how to leave a positive emotional or nostalgic impact on me as a person.

I definitely continue to prefer buying albums of my favorite artists which limits my perspective on music.

I don’t consider any social responsibility when buying music as long as it’s from my favorite artists and knowing that I’ll enjoy it.

I honestly can’t think of ways musicians are engaging in socially responsible behavior except when it comes to the lyrical messages, that either have a positive or negative impact, they are sharing with the audience.

 No, I can’t think of any examples of socially responsible behavior within the music industry except for the mumble rap contributing to unacceptable sexual behaviors, drug or alcohol use, and violent illegal activities.

I have never attended live music events. But if I do, I would definitely  consider the general aspects of socially responsible behavior.

 I have never attended musical live events. But if I do, I would engage in socially responsible behavior.

A socially responsible musician is an artist who takes into consideration the lyrical messages and context of his music while studying the general impact it would have on the listener whether it’s positive or negative.

I definitely believe it is important for them to act in a socially responsible way in order to achieve the general benefit of the audience.

I would accept to buying an album or attending a concert of an artist that I perceive to be engaged in socially responsible behavior as long a I enjoy his music and art.

I have attended a live music event.

I would compare the role that social responsibility plays in everyday consumption decisions to music consumption decisions to our consumption of visual contents on the internet or television. The more beneficial and positive the impact of the music has on the listener, the more this music supports social responsibility.

Social responsibility is an ethical framework which suggests that an entity, be it an organization or individual, has an obligation to act for the benefit of society at large.

Read the article, focusing on the results section (skim the beginning).

1. Discuss how authenticity is important to an artist’s efficacy in promoting a social or political.

I believe it’s important for the artist to establish, at least minimal, authenticity not only because it would help his work to financially succeed and maintain the market value of the created art, but also enabling the listener to understand the practice and history of this art as an intelligible history of the expression of values, beliefs, and ideas, both for artists and their audiences. Furthermore, art influences society by changing opinions, instilling values and translating experiences across space and time. At the end, this shows how art authenticity promotes the social or political notion of responsibility affecting the fundamental sense of self and representing the repository of a society's collective memory.

2. Cite an example from the text.

As the article discussed the results of their experiment: “Musicians are also considered to be more authentic in their promotion of social causes where they are actively involved in these behaviors themselves. For example, although one of our participants here expresses frustration at one of his favorite bands for their seemingly repetitive promotion of homelessness and the implications therein, he recognizes that they have legitimacy to locally campaign for this particular social cause.” (T. Green, page 240)

3. Can you think of an example you have witnessed of either an artist promoting something that didn’t seem authentic and one promoting that did? Post a link or video if you can.

Whenever I imagine of artists promoting something that’s definitely not authentic, I think of all the useless mumble rap advertising sexual activities, drug use, and violence while pretending they are cool and modern unlike normal civilized people. Most of this music uses strong language and visuals in their music videos, hence, I don’t believe I can post an example of this unauthentic music on Tumblr. In contrast, unauthentic music doesn’t have to be useless with a bad impact. Therefore, I think a good song that promotes the same inauthentic idea of dancing and being happy, but still have a positive impact is Daft Punk’s “Get Lucky” ft. Pharrell Williams, Nile Rodgers.

Nevertheless, a good example of a song that promotes an authentic idea with a positive impact is the example of Bob Dylan’s song “Knockin' on Heaven's Door”.

Read this piece on what makes a good protest song, at least historically, and how that may be changing today.

1. Write a paragraph on what you think makes a good protest song. Reference the article and choose to agree or disagree with something they said.

The article states a solid argument that shows what makes a good protest song is its durability across our history and how its message is a response to multiple conflicts and debates. As the son of Minnesota’s Iron Range argued in the article about how Bob Dylan’s folk music is a good example of how much meaning and depth a song can have: ““Blowin’ in the Wind” endures, he said, because its message of being responsive to suffering can apply to so many episodes in history.” I totally agree with this idea since music reflects the culture and folklore of a society. This is seen in our national rhythm, compatriotic song, traditional songs, which emerge from classical literature, epics and heroic poems. Songs and music mirror history, values, norms and the mentality of a society.

2. Look up a favorite artist (keep going until you find something) and find some ways in which they are trying to make a positive impact. This can be either charities, benefit concerts, lyrical messages, etc. Share you findings.

I really enjoy John Denver’s music because it shares a strong message of belonging and nostalgia to your home country or setting where you grew up. For example, “Country Roads” is such a good song, not only it was sung well with great lyrics and context, but also in its transcendent ability to evoke feelings of home and belonging. Although I am not from West Virginia, listening to this song made me miss Morocco everytime thanks to its broad lyrical messages which supports the previous argument I agreed with. This song uses a relaxing beat with slow tempo allowing the listener to truly indulge and experience the song’s relatable ideas. In addition, I think the song is strong enough to evoke the listener’s feelings and memories thanks to the description of famous places in West Virginia which helps the listener to remember his home and the memories they spent in them. These findings show how music can relate to a person using meaningful lyrics alongside a good beat, much like “Country Roads” that uses the mentioned methods to stimulate the audience.

3. Discuss if you think they are effective, why or why not.

I certainly believe the methods “Country Roads” uses are very effective thanks to the relatable lyrical messages and emotional context it shares with the listeners. Furthermore, it shows what makes a good protest song displaying the beautiful and meaningful lyrics that appeal to a broad audience and emotionally influence the listeners. Hence, a good folk song bypasses the listener’s beliefs, ideologies, and nationality allowing the music to reach out and relate to them. At the end, the methods of creating nostalgic lyrics alongside a relaxing tune helps the song become even more effective and enjoyable.

[vinodiriso]

Kou/cha. [HANMEI]

@mita-rashi requested a HanMei drabble, something like two weeks ago. This is my headcanon of how they first met. Enjoy.

NOTES:

1: Mei in Chinese can be written with either the character 美 (meaning ‘beautiful’) or the character 梅 (meaning ‘plum’, Japanese: ‘ume’).

Hanzo had already done something for that woman in the handful of months he had spent in the Overwatch base, after the night he faced Genji in combat. Most of the times, it was heavy lifting... literally. He was used to carry around boxes of stuff from his sea days, and he always managed to come across the lab when there was some weighty science machines to move. He never actually cared about it, it was just some minor chores and nothing was ever so hefty to trouble him.

The archer didn’t give much thought to the white-coat-wearing people that needed his help, the only thing that stroke him as odd was how nice one of them was to him. It was not like she was baking him cookies, that be written down, but at least she didn’t shoot him those sour looks he got from various other agents, like that cowboy wannabe or the punk hairdo.

That afternoon, Hanzo was coming fresh out of the shower after an entire morning of shooting practice. He made his way into the base’s small kitchen and started looking for his secret stash, until he heard a voice from behind him: “please, can you take the box on the second from top shelf?”

Hanzo complied without further questioning and grabbed it. He turned to give it to the person requesting it, only to be met by one of the scientists he had helped various times. He didn’t remember her name… not like it was news. He was bad with names, with memories, everything was always a blurry fog.

“There you go,” he mumbled, his words were gentle but his tone wasn’t. She didn’t seem to mind.

“Thank you. Can you make a little room for me too?”

Hanzo stepped to the side and the woman entered the small kitchen. Hanzo returned to his activity of retrieving his belongings. Finally he found the box he was looking for, behind a can of coffee (ugh, he hated coffee). He uncorked it and the amazing, full scent of tea leaves invaded his nostrils.

It was really hard in their days to find actual tea leaves and not extracts, or flavoured tea bags. Agriculture was on the brink of collapse after ways to create synthetic food with cheap processes were invented. Real food costed a hell of a lot money nowadays, and those tea leaves were a most expensive treasure for Hanzo; he rarely shared it with anyone.

“Bai Jiguan, right?” the woman commented with a giggle. “You have a good taste for tea.”

“Huh,” Hanzo commented. “You recognized it by smell alone?”

“My family was in tea shipping when I was little,” she explained, “I was basically raised drinking tea. A habit that stuck. You?”

“My mother,” he said, simply. Why was he even replying to that? It was a personal question.

“I see. And what teas do you enjoy?”

“Huh,” Hanzo was really not used to speak that much. “Oolong tea and… black tea.”

“Oh, so you gonna love this one!” the woman chirped as she opened her own box. Hanzo inhaled the beautiful scent in a deep breath.

“Golden Monkey.”

“That’s right. I’ve never met someone that could guess by scent and not taste, haha!”

Hanzo nodded. He didn’t know what to reply to that, so he didn’t.

“By the way, I haven’t introduced myself. I am Mei-Ling Zhou, nice to meet you, Hanzo,” she didn’t actually say ‘Hanzo’, in her mouth it sounded something like ‘Bhanshoo’. Still, Hanzo could pick up his name even if it had been butchered by a person that clearly couldn’t pronounce it.

“How do you know my name?” Hanzo’s eyebrows furrowed.

“You are Genji’s brother, right? I have never seen him under the mask but I have always imagined he would look something like you do. And McCree said that Genji’s brother always has this… very… troubled face. You fit the description.”

Hanzo doubted someone like McCree would ever say ‘troubled face’, let alone when referring to him. Still, as much as he was irked (for no reason in particular, really, he should have expected to be a juicy piece of gossips for Overwatch agents after his arrival), she tried to soften the blow. She didn’t call him ‘asshole’ face-to-face; Hanzo appreciated tact, even if affected, even if Hanzo himself wasn’t the most tactful person around.

“Mh,” he replied. He rummaged his mind in search for something to say only to be met with failure.  Without anything else to add, he just stuck to filling the boiler. Mei was measuring her serving of dried leaves: she dropped three teaspoons of Golden Monkey in a small porcelain teapot. It looked extremely frail and extremely precious. Hanzo did not have to wander off with imagination to guess it was a real Chinese handcraft. After all, her name was Zhou, was it not?

“It’s a family heirloom,” Mei stated, looking back at him. She didn’t mention the fact she had perceived Hanzo’s gaze or his interest in that tiny object, but still it was worth of praise to be that keen-minded. It took him by surprise. “I always have it with me, wherever I go. My father had it made for me when I was born.”

She showed him the Chinese characters painted on the side.

“Oh, so it’s ‘Mei’ as in ‘beautiful’. I thought it was ‘plum’.” 1

She widened her eyes at his reply, regardless of how stoic. “You can read Chinese?”

“Yes, I picked it up… on the road,” he didn’t mention his life in Taiwan. Too personal.

“How do you read this in Japanese?”

“Uh… ‘bi’. It means ‘beauty’ in Japanese.”

“How do you say ‘beautiful’?”

Hanzo puckered his lips as he recalled the word. It had been such a long time since he had spoken his native language. “Mh… ‘utsukushii’. But it’s the same kanji. It’s… complicated.”

Mei giggled. It was a surprisingly wholesome sound. Hanzo was confused. “I guessed so. Careful, I think the water is ready.”

Hanzo resumed from his deep thoughts of how weird her laugh had him feeling. He grabbed his own tea box, ready to just drop a spoonful in his cup, but Mei stopped him. “Huh-huh. If you are having tea with a Chinese person, I will have you follow the rules. Here.”

She gave him another teapot she recovered from one of the lower cabinets. It was much less fancier than her one, it was a faux terracotta-looking steel thing, but it would have served its purpose. “Do you know how to do it?”

Hanzo nodded. Yes, his mother had taught him many years ago. On top of that, he had seen many people do it. Three teaspoons inside the pot, then fill it with hot water, not boiling. Wait 5 seconds, pour, and throw the water away (the taste is too strong and, at the same time, not rich enough, it’s a bad batch). Refill the teapot, wait 20 seconds (or 40, if one likes a very strong flavour) and eventually pour the serving.

They completed the process in utter silence, without saying a word, almost in symbiosis, so coordinated were the two as they performed each action. It looked very mechanical, on Hanzo’s part, Mei on the other hand was more relaxed and her gestures were a display of an ancient art. Sure, that wasn’t the sophisticated tea ceremony Kung-fu masters invented millennia before, but it was still core to their countries’ traditions. A waste to let it go forgotten, as far as Hanzo was concerned.

“I love this smell,” Mei eventually broke the silence. “Isn’t it… gorgeous?”

Hanzo had to agree. It was one of the few things he enjoyed the most, a moment for relaxation he was used to consume alone, but Mei’s company was strangely… not-unnerving. It wasn’t as peaceful as the solitude of his home, solitary and companionless, but it was a little warmer than his despondency. Soon, Hanzo abandoned that road of thoughts: Mei was a little too perceptive and he didn’t want her to get inside his mind that far.

They sat at one of the table in the dining hall, facing one another. Hanzo wasn’t looking at her, he was quietly sipping his tea. She was squirming a little, as if she was trying really hard to find something to say. It was annoying, how some people couldn’t appreciate a moment of silence. It was rare for that room to be soundless, empty. The mere grazing of their mugs on the table and the soft drinking sounds were a balm for a… troubled mind. He used her word. So he did have a troubled face, after all, if those were the thoughts springing behind it.

Yet, despite of Hanzo’s unappreciative judgement, Mei did not speak a word for long. However, he could feel her gaze on him, studying him, curious as everyone of the freak that killed his own brother. That’s why he preferred staying alone. It wasn’t as annoying when he was the one to despise himself.

“Is it good?” Mei asked.

“What?”

“The tea. You’re glowering.”

“I always look like this,” was his reply. Quite impolite.

Mei gave him a little scorned smile. “I am sorry. I shouldn’t have pried. It’s just that… it seems a little counterproductive to drink tea only to be sour, no?”

Hanzo wasn’t pleased by her statement. Maybe because she was right? “The way I drink tea is none of your business.”

The woman did not answer at his rude shutdown. Hanzo looked at her. She was so normal. Brown eyes, brown hair. She wore glasses. She had dainty little fingers wrapped around her cup, tapping on it so gently. Her hairpin was fashionable and elaborate, with a dangling little snowflake charm. The way she blew on steaming tea was cute.

She raised her eyes only to encounter his, staring. She smiled again. “You really like the teapot, don’t you?”

“Huh?” right next to her cup, there it laid her teapot. She probably misinterpreted the direction of Hanzo’s look, which was a blessing: too many things to explain if she had guessed the archer was indeed observing her. “It’s a fine piece of art.”

The smile on her lips grew a little larger. “Yeah, it’s very cute.”

Mei looked up, her brow creasing as she was trying to recall something… “kawaii?”

Hanzo huffed instinctively in a diverted manner. That was so random it amused him, even if it was really not that cultured humour; her pronunciation and the nonsense of the situation turned it comical. And that expression too, he admitted, was funny.

“Oh, so you can laugh,” Mei teased him. “I thought you were paralysed with that grimace. You should laugh more often. There is a glitter in your eyes when you do. You look… less troubled.”

“You can see people right through, can’t you?” Hanzo was sarcastic.

“I guess it’s what happens when you don’t stop at the surface and bother trying and understand the person you are talking to,” Mei was serious. “Do you ever try, Hanzo? To understand others?”

Oh, that sting. He was immediately thrown back at how he thought it would be hard for her to stay quiet, but she did, then even earlier, how he assumed she knew about him because she had gossiped about him. Maybe, just maybe, she remembered his name from when he had helped the other scientists.

All of a sudden, it became harder to look back at her. Coward.

“Mei!” a panting white coat came in running. “Jackson…!”

She sighed. “Got it. I am coming.”

She took one long sip, then she came to her feet. She looked back at him, biting her lower lip, as if she wanted to add something else. Hanzo prayed she didn’t, he couldn’t bear more humiliation, even if it was unintended as hers.

“See you around?” Mei murmured, giving him yet one soft grin.

“Ha,” Hanzo replied. And, for once, he really meant it.

[purplesurveys]

1115

survey by vintagekid

Name:  Robyn.

Happy with it? I am now, but I certainly wasn’t as a kid. Other kids were cruel and would tease me solely for my name, which made it hard for me to socialize. I got the same bad Batman jokes too many times and I also got called a boy. These seem petty now, but as a kindergartener adjusting to life in school, it had been traumatizing and made me wonder if my classmates were going to remain the way they were for the long run which no 4-year-old should be mulling about, really.

Do you wear stilettos? When I get the chance, which isn’t very often at all. But I do love stilettos.

How important are looks to you? I find this question very vague, but generally looks matter to me to a certain extent, like how I’d want to look nice and proper for a job interview or for formal occasions such as weddings. Relationship-wise, I also think I have to feel a level of physical attraction towards someone for me to consider seeing them.

How often do you download music? I don’t anymore. I stream all my music.

Can you name a philosopher? Socrates.

What would you do if two unicorns tried to whisk you off to candy mountain? I just looked this up and this is apparently in reference to an ancient viral video, like it was around before viral videos were even a universally-acknowledged concept. That said, I don’t have a clue how to respond to this lmao.

You became the deciding vote in an election, which party would you go for? I don’t base my voting decisions on parties because the party system in my country is a tragically broken shitstorm in which every single party rallies the same values and principles, just executed in their own – and usually poor and unsustainable – ways. I do my research on each candidate, see how they answer in debates, look at laws they’ve authored, see which marginalized groups they proactively support (if they do), and decide from there.

Do you have a bzoink account? I don’t but I’ve been a semi-regular visitor since like 2009.

How many phone calls do you typically make in a day? Zero. People usually call me.

What song are you listening to? Tell Me It’s Okay by, surprise surprise, Paramore.

Do you understand things others your age do not? I don’t know. Maybe. Everyone’s bound to understand some things better than others.

Do you hate people that label themselves? Why would I hate that? And why would their chosen label be my business?

How many windows do you have open? None. There’s plenty of mosquitoes at night, so even though the cold evening air would been pleasant to have we have to keep the windows closed by nighttime.

How superstitious are you? Not at all.

If you were in Harry Potter, which house would you be in? I’ve been told either Gryffindor or Ravenclaw.

Which comedian can always crack you up? It’s not a habit of mine to watch comedians.

Are you nagged about being on the computer too much? Not since I was a teenager. Since college I’ve been doing most of my work, if not all of it, through my laptop, and I think my parents understand that I have to use it all the time.

Do you feel bad about anything you've done lately? Nothing comes to mind, no.

What's your texting bill typically like? My SIM is prepaid, so it works the other way around. I put load credits in it only if I know I’ll have to call/text/surf regularly.

What song did you/do you want played at your wedding? Turning Page by Sleeping At Last.

Do you have a lot or hardly any lines on your palms? Idk, a decent amount I guess? I don’t think it hits either extreme.

What's your favourite word? Poignant.

Are you allowed to swear in front of your parents? Yeah. They’ll shoot me a glare sometimes, but I’m in my 20s and...they know they can’t really do anything about it anymore lol.

Do you eat apples? No.

What are your addictions? Coffee, I suppose.

What are some words you use in daily life? I use intensifiers often, like very, really, super, absolutely, etc. I’m also big on expressions hahaha like oh my god, seriously, for real, and ugh.

Do you look things up on Google constantly? Yes.

Where do you get your music from? Spotify. Sometimes YouTube if I wanna look for a leak.

What do you think of people with afros? That they are people with afros...? I don’t really know what you’re looking for me to say, lmfao.

--

survey by charey-chas

Do you like getting your picture taken? Not for the most part. My body instantly gets all frozen and awkward when a camera’s placed in front of me, which I hate because I do wish I could have more photos of myself around. Is your phone anywhere near you? It is not, actually. It feels great and I really should start making it a habit to keep it away from me entirely on weekends. Do you ever enjoy going to school? In my first school, I enjoyed going mainly (and probably only) for my friends; but Catholic school was predominantly a torturous experience. The rigidity isn’t something I look back fondly on, and it felt like being kept on a tight leash for 14 years. College was a lot more enjoyable in every way possible. I liked going to (most of) my classes and learning as much as I loved the vibrant org culture and the general freedom that comes with university life. Have you ever gone on a road trip? Lots. The Philippines is a relatively small country and unless you want to jump to a different island altogether, there are many provinces you can readily travel to by car.  Who do you get along with best in your family?  Nina, my sister. Then my dad. I clash a lot with my mom and I don’t talk to my brother. Based on your personality, what animal do you think you'd be? Cats and I don’t get along very well hahaha but I think I’m similar to them. Would you ever buy anything from an infomercial? Maybe once, just to be able to say that I have. Have you ever made a snow angel? No, because I’ve never seen snow before. Have you stayed in a hotel in the last month? No. We had a brief getaway in Tagaytay but we switched things up and went to rent a condo, instead of book a hotel room, for a weekend. What's your most comfortable outfit? If I want to go for comfortable, I usually go for my rompers or jumpsuits. Do you text or IM more? IM these days. Would you rather listen to music or play it? Listen. I have no music-playing skills whatsoever. Have you ever been in a hot tub? Sure. Do you like pizza? LOVE IT Are you sleeping in your own bed tonight? Yes. If not here, the couch. But most likely it will my bed tonight. Are any of your friends having a sleepover right now? I doubt it. Angela and Hans had an overnight stay in Batangas a few days ago for their Valentine’s shenanigans though, which I guess kinda counts as a sleepover. Have you ever been to a house party? I don’t think so. That’s something I missed out on in my college days, but I don’t mind. Do you listen to your iPod or the radio when you're in the car? I think I keep a good balance. If my phone’s battery is not very high I’ll rely on the radio; and sometimes I’ll sync my phone’s Spotify to the car as well.

--

survey by charey-chas

What song is stuck in your head at the moment? RAVI’s BUM. What's your fathers' middle name? He doesn’t have a second name, but I’m not sharing his legal middle name on here either. How many hours a day do you spend on the computer? On work days, I’d say 8-10 hours. On weekends, maybe a little slightly less than that since I do like getting off the laptop sometimes to rest my eyes. Could you live without the internet? People from the past managed to live without it, so I know I can. It would just be extremely inconvenient; and having been dependent on it for such a long time now, I would likely be clueless on how to navigate most activities. What's something you're really into? Learning about cultural differences!! That’s why reading survey answers has always been fascinating to me. I would love a website that dives into the various everyday behavior people observe in other countries, but the ones that do exist use like 20- or 30-year-old sources, so they aren’t even relevant at all anymore. What's the last movie you saw in theaters? Knives Out. Have you ever seen a movie in 3D or in an IMAX theater? Just once. It was Denise and Leigh’s 18th birthday treat and they brought us to watch Doctor Strange in 3D. Do you prefer skirts, shorts, or skorts? Shorts. Have you ever vandalized? Just a few school chairs in grade school, but otherwise I’m too paranoid for vandalism lol. What's the longest you've stayed up? Maybe a little longer than 24 hours. Who'd you have a sleepover with last? Gabie. When's the last time you baked something? Nearly a decade ago. Our oven was new at the time and I wanted to try baking cookies. Do you like to dance? When I’m alone. Do you scratch mosquito bites, even though you're not supposed to? Yup. Are you afaid of spiders or do you like them? I mean I’m not fond of them, but I also don’t scream and run away when I see them. I just don’t care for them for the most part. What's a pet you've always wanted? I’ve only ever wanted dogs, and now I’ve got two of them. Do you like mice? Not really. Would you ever get a tattoo? Sure. I’ve been considering it for a while now; it’s just a matter of being able to save up for one. Do you prefer to walk in the street or on the sidewalk? Street, if it’s bare and safe enough. Otherwise if I’m in a busy city with regulations and all I’d obviously rather be on the sidewalk. What's your favorite t-shirt? My CM Punk Best in the World merch. Who did you last think about? I remembered Deina when I was thinking about the tattoo question. She got a pawprint tattoo on her wrist shortly before her senior dog passed away and ever since learning about it I’ve also been thinking about getting the same tattoo. Do you like giving hugs? I love giving hugs and it’s an automatic response for me whenever I see someone I love, which is why Covid is such a torture for me. Do you prefer hardwood flooring or carpeting? Hardwood. Did you/will you get a car for your 16th birthday? No. I got a car when I was 17, around six months before I started college. Have you ever eaten a worm? No but I’d be willing to try.

[yyrz]

meet me halfway to your heart

note: part 1 of the sorta sequel of tear the walls down, don't be stupid that i wrote for mmjr week 2018! 

weird characterizations, quirkswap au and momojirou abound! anyway here are the who’s who:

bakugo - momo todoroki - tokoyami deku - kirishima jirou - ashido kaminari - tsuyu aoyama - shouji kouda - shinsou sato - sero ojiro - hagakure uraraka - iida

ao3 link! | fic masterlist!

i.

It starts with an announcement.

“Cultural Festival preparations. Go wild.” Aizawa’s monotone voice didn’t echo like it usually does after an announcement, if only because most everyone erupts in cheers over ideas that they’d like for 1-A to do for the supposed festival the very moment Aizawa’s hand signaled the end of his part of the discussion. Iida and Bakugo are up front in that instant (as Aizawa slinks into his small corner, ignoring the chaos around him), all the while getting everyone to settle accordingly (to no avail, rambunctious as class A was).

Class A is loud in the mornings, a fact only strengthened by the amount of complaints Iida gets from other classes in other buildings about the noise levels that come from their classroom. Even their dorm is no exception — they’ve already decided to set up a mailbox for complaints that Iida and Bakugo have to go through each night. It isn’t a pretty sight to see them, both president and vice-president, hunched over mountains of papers of other students telling them to keep their explosions and general ruckus down.

They were apparently noisier than the support students, which was saying a lot.

But really, it’s to be expected from a class housing Yaoyorozu and her infamous temper — which is the lead cause for all the noise from their side of the school, along with the antics that follow her around.

And because of that (and more), Kyouka’s glad she doesn’t have Ashido’s quirk, especially in moments like this. But then, watching her classmates stand and pull attention to themselves, watching the pink-haired girl effectively make everyone look at her, Ashido is also one of the louder students of their class, so really, it feels like her little thought means nothing.

Well, Kyouka can be loud too, but only on topics that carry her interest.

A festival barely touches any of her hobbies. Well, not yet. She isn’t about to bring up the one idea swimming in her head though, so she simply listens to her classmates and their increasingly absurd activities instead.

“Maid cafe!”

“Who said that??”

Everything (from shouting to chatting to ignoring ideas) ends with Aizawa’s pronouncement that they’ll likely have a seminar if a decision hasn’t been made until the next time they talk about it. So it could be tomorrow, or three weeks later. Even on the day of the festival itself, if they dare test Aizawa. Faces fall at the thought of having a seminar. Even Bakugo frowns, and he had the strangest idea to have a study session .  

Hours after the fact, everyone’s still raving about what they might want to do, groups holding their own brainstorming session in hopes of finding that one idea to rule them all. Kyouka’s group (that is, her, Ashido and Kaminari) have ventured to watching Herotube videos, making do with vine compilations that they can maybe try? For the festival?

Her friends are idiots.

You’re an idiot too, you know. Her brain supplies, unhelpfully, as they watch a certain dish soap video for the seventh time in a row. Kaminari and Ashido have taken to quoting it, and with Kaminari’s perpetually straight face, it becomes all the more hilarious a sight.

They could do that. A comedy show.

In English? Nah. Bad idea.

Unless you tell Present Mic and not Aizawa-sensei?

Still, Kyouka laughs at their antics, making sure to loop the video again — maybe watching it one more time will give them an idea?

.

.

.

It doesn’t but at least they’re having fun.

ii.

Surprisingly, it’s Shinsou who gives them the much needed push to settle on a mini-concert slash rave, walking by just as the trio watch David question why Johnny has nineteen bottles of dish soap, with Johnny retaliating that David should mind his own business, that it’s his life (damn). Kyouka notices Kaminari fidget in his seat when Shinsou points at the autoplay thumbnail, where they can see purple and pink strobe lights flash across after hovering over said thumbnail.

Ashido brightens up at that idea at once, and she wastes no time in roping half the class into agreeing on it. Her enthusiasm encourages most of them at least — Kyouka’s certainly enthralled by how hyperactive Ashido’s become with the idea of a concert.

Actually, she’s giddy in her seat as well. Her idea is given form (verbalized by both Shinsou and Ashido), and Kyouka makes it a point to share her own thoughts that she’s well aware can help them with their show.

Kyouka adores music, what with her musician parents and their currently touring band ( The Alien’s , all five members pink-faced and ready to take on the younger generation with their post-punk pop/rock hybrid style). Kyouka would be with them, mashing keyboards and strumming guitars,  but she’d rather be a hero.

The class erupts once more in cheers, but now with the goal of performing for their schoolmates in mind.

This is actually the beginning of the end for Kyouka, but she doesn’t know about that just yet.

 iii.

 “So we need to pick people for the band,” Ashido says three days after their disastrous homeroom planning, two nights after the decision to showcase a mini-concert (courtesy of one perpetually sleepy Shinsou, who’s currently nursing a baby kitten in his arms), twirling one of her jacks between her fingers as she mumbles, deep in thought. Kyouka only half-listens to her friend, watching some sort of commotion happening within the kitchen instead, attention span stolen while Ashido continued to murmur about a song she’d like someone to hear.

Said someone is probably asleep in her own room, but really, Hagakure has always been an early sleeper compared to the rest of Class A. Something about having gotten used to her schedule at home, where she’d honed her body to a rigid timetable because of her dedication to her martial arts.

Maybe that’s why Ashido’s so smitten with Hagakure.

Said commotion, meanwhile, is really just a shouting Yaoyorozu, berating one of the boys because they touched that one cup she used that came all the way from France… or so she had said. Kyouka doesn’t know really the specifics of it other than they aren’t allowed to touch that one cup (but then someone touched that one cup and now, Yaoyorozu’s rage is an eruption waiting to happen).

Which is curious, because by this point she should be thoroughly done with the boys and cursing at them or crushing them beneath the soles of her sneakers, instead of just mildly talking to them.

Okay, well, shouting is definitely not mild in anyway, but considering who was shouting, it was still a subdued reaction.

Well, whatever. All Kyouka knows is that Yaoyorozu is pretty. She’s pretty when she’s angry, she pretty when she’s not. She just a very pretty girl that Kyouka’s been staring at for the past thirty minutes now, without ever knowing that her eyes have glazed over and her lips have turned into a smile not quite different from her usual ones.

Oh geez, she can feel her cheeks heating up just from thinking about it. That Yaoyorozu’s pretty? Yes, that’s it brain. That Yaoyorozu’s really pretty. Now stop that.

Ashido nudges her, and when Kyouka glances back, clutching her poor side from Ashido’s pointy elbow, she sees the girl wiggling her eyebrows. And really, Ashido only does that when she’s teasing… oh, oh great, was she that obvious?

“You kinda are,” Ashido tells her, laughing as Kyouka’s face brightens three more shades of red, unknowingly having said that out loud, “but also your heartbeat speeds up like crazy when you’re looking at Yaomomo, you know?” She pokes one of her jacks for emphasis, where it’s haphazardly laying beside Kyouka, slithering away now that it’s been caught red-handed.

Jeez.

Kyouka lets out a frustrated sigh, thumping her chest for betraying her like that. It only makes Ashido laugh even more, leaning into Kyouka’s space. Her earphone jacks proceed to poke the poor girl while they both watch as Yaoyorozu quiets down with the promise of a new tea cup, courtesy of the ever brooding Todoroki.

As the boys cheer for their savior, Kyouka’s mind screeches to a halt. Something in their interaction makes Kyouka frown, and the girl beside her shifts her weight, staring at their two recommended students.

“Can you imagine Kyouka? Yaomomo and Todoroki together?”

She mulls over it for a moment. Not that she needs to. “Them? Not really? I mean, Todoroki’s just so… Todoroki and Yaomomo’s—”

“The sun, the stars and the moon of my life that I wouldn’t want to be snatched away by the master of darkness?”

“Mina!”

“Kyouka!” And she’s once again laughing, while Kyouka’s holding her head in her hands. Defeated. Utterly bested. She’s usually just as hyperactive herself but when paired with Ashido, her own personality dips down because Ashido was a force of nature that no one should ever try to face on their own.

Flustered, Kyouka huffs at Ashido, turning their conversation back to their first topic. A not-so-subtle change that Ashido allows, even as her eyebrows are still wriggling in Kyouka’s direction, victory prevalent from the smirk on her face.

“Shouldn’t you look for members for the band? We still need a drummer and a pianist remember?” Kyouka says a little too loudly, an attempt to drown out Ashido’s still giggling reaction.

It works, at least, because Kirishima’s head appears from behind the sofa upon hearing that, pointing his chin to this left, “Oh hey, if you’re looking for a drummer, Bakugo here knows how to play!”

And like a rehearsed set, the demure Bakugo lifts up his own head, immersion with his book broken by Kirishima having called his name, “Ah, yes, I wanted to learn to play the drums. It’s nothing much, really.”

Bakugo playing the drums was something they couldn’t imagine, not from the soft-spoken teen. But his smile is far too wide to be kidding (and anyway, he was too honest to lie), so Kyouka thinks that she’d like to see him play a song. Maybe later, when he isn’t so busy with his book.

“And there you have it! Just a pianist and we’re all set!”

Todoroki appears behind Ashido as she all but shouts, having fled the kitchen where Yaoyorozu was making a new cup to nurse her growing disinterest of everything that’s been going on around her. Probably? Kyouka’s attention (yet again stolen) is spent looking at Yaoyorozu’s movements, fluid and practiced, so she doesn’t hear Todoroki’s words until Ashido’s (again) shouting.

“Yaomomo! You can play the piano?”

Kyouka watches as Yaoyorozu’s hand stills above her cup, eyes flaring with annoyance.

“You dipshit,” is the only thing she says, looking straight at Todoroki as he hums, ignoring how Yaoyorozu’s hands have started to pop out small explosions.

And yet, ever the brave soul that he was, Todoroki ignores those said sounds as he settles beside Ashido. “Dark Shadow and I are in agreement — broaden your horizons and engage with this class once in a while,” he pauses for a beat, before adding, “Plus, you’ve been complaining about those lessons for years. At least let me have the enjoyment of hearing your ‘supposed’ skill.”

“Why you!”

The back and forth that occurs between Todoroki and Yaoyorozu is nothing short of awe-inspiring. In one way, everyone knew that they’ve been friends even before coming to U.A., and as well as being recommended students, were closer than any one of them could be. But in another, watching Todoroki brush off all of Yaoyorozu’s angry cursing towards him is a brave enough story to feature on a daytime show. It’s just that amazing.

Or maybe it’s because he keeps on saying he wants to ascend to the heavens (or some other metaphor for death) and Yaoyorozu’s probably the only person who can do that. Kyouka’s not sure what’s going on in Todoroki’s mind anyway.

“It’s at that moment when she found out that she was fu— oh wait, cursing is Yaomomo’s thing.”

Someone slipped to sit beside her, with Ashido having left her seat in favor of bothering Yaoyorozu, who, in turn, is pestering Todoroki (who had been pulled out of his seat during Kyouka’s little daydreaming) about ‘spilling the beans’ of her apparent knowledge of piano playing.

“Who are you talking to Kaminari?”

“The audience.”

Kaminari sticks out his tongue to point at their door, left ajar by Uraraka as she fled the scene before anyone could coerce her into joining any dancing committee. Which is too bad, because Kyouka knows Ashido would have liked to see everyone dance.

Well, Ashido will be pulling Uraraka back soon. Ashido will be pulling everyone into their performance soon enough.

For now, she focuses on how weird her friend is and how pretty Yaoyorozu is.

iv.

Yaoyorozu’s phone rings in the middle of class one day.

Everyone stops doing what they’ve been doing, hearing a soft, classical tune (of Gymnopedie No. 1, Kyouka will find out after a little research) suddenly playing within their classroom. Kyouka’s gaze wanders towards Yaoyorozu, because that’s where Ashido’s looking at, and people trusted her hearing enough to know that she’s intrigued at hearing something so… calming coming from their explosive classmate.

Yaoyorozu huffs, looking at the screen of her (very expensive) phone, muttering a curse before answering it.

Good thing Aizawa’s not in the room.

“Good morning, mother.”

It’s… shocking to hear her speak so politely.

Kyouka’s eyes sweep their room, and looking around, notice everyone gaping and slack jawed towards Yaoyorozu’s direction. Except for Todoroki, who’s expression was more subdued (though Kyouka can see the subtle smirk on his face, as if he’s expecting something).

“Yes mother, no mother I didn’t take out the battered jeans. Hm, no mother, I’m not going to that party. Yes mother, I know he’s asking but I don’t want to go up to those fu— fudging people.” And it’s also shocking to hear her censor herself. Half of the class is looking at Yaoyorozu like she’ll flip her table over their heads any minute now. But she doesn’t, because it looks like she’s engrossed in her conversation.

“Who told you that? Oh, oh , the son of— I see. Thank you mother. I’ll make sure to thank him for that. Yes, yes, I love you too. Please send me that new set you bought from Italy. Uh-huh, the black with golden outlines. Sure mother, I will.”

And when she sets down her phone, she whips her head to her seatmate, seething.

“Did you seriously just tell mother that I’m playing for your shitty band?”

Todoroki, for all this posturing about not having emotions, allows his smirk to grow — and for the first time in their months together, class A bore witness to a teasing Todoroki Shouto.

“Yes.”

Yaoyorozu blinks, dumbfounded. Everyone’s expecting an explosion, but it never comes. “That settles that!” Ashido shouts just to break the silence that’s filled the room, and everything around Kyouka devolves into chaos.

All she can think about is how Yaoyorozu’s red in the face. Whether from embarrassment or anger (or something else entirely that she doesn’t want to address), Kyouka doesn’t know.

v.

Yaoyorozu’s addition to the band completes the set.

So they start practicing.

Fortunately, (and apparently, based from what information they can gather from Todoroki), Yaoyorozu can’t really turn down a request from her mom, after having been allowed to go to UA for her schooling. It was a compromise, he said, though the details were kept secret even from him. 

Dark Shadow zoomed in and out of her peripheral, adding little snippets of stories about the three of them growing up.

It’s weird to hear them from Dark Shadow, of all… people?, but the stories paint Yaoyorozu in a better light than how they all thought of her during their first few weeks together.

Dark Shadow’s stories make Kyouka imagine what it would’ve been like to grow up with Yaoyorozu. She can’t seem to get it out of her head, tales of blasting a guest’s face because they insulted Todoroki, hiding behind cupboards to evade tutors, running from their parents to avoid etiquette lessons but failing and going through with it anyway , because they were heirs to their family legacies and it was expected of them.

Compared to her own upbringing, filled with music and constant praise for her various hobbies.

She wonders, not for the first time, if it was lonely living like that. During the days Todoroki and Dark Shadow weren’t with her and she’d have to accept the inevitable as the heiress of a large conglomerate.

Then again, when explosions rock the foundation of their dorm, the thought flies away. Yaoyorozu has always been in charge of her own life, regardless of everything. Maybe that's why she's in a hero school now, training to be number one instead of trudging through a management course.

Maybe that’s why Kyouka's so enamored with the girl, who pushes towards whatever she wants, doing what she has to in order to achieve it. That Yaoyorozu isn't just a pretty face and a powerful quirk — that her drive to be the best pulls in the everyone around her, including Kyouka —

.

.

.

wait a minute.

[gigsoupmusic]

Matt and Kim talk 'Grand' album and their upcoming 'Grand' Ten Year Celebration tour - Interview

Matt and Kim are about to head out on a celebration tour for the 10 year anniversary of their breakout 'Grand' album. The album was recorded by the duo in Matt's childhood home in Vermont. In our interview we talk about 'Grand' and if they would have believed that ten years later they'd be on this celebration tour, expectations they had for the album, and what they are looking forward to on the tour. Of the upcoming tour Matt said “In celebration of its 10 year anniversary, we’re going on a US tour playing our album GRAND in its entirety (as well as a bunch of other songs)! This album totally changed me and Kim’s lives, but some of the songs off GRAND we’ve never even played live before. We're really excited we get to do this trip and we’ve never done anything like it. It’s gonna be special.” Read our full interview below where we talk about Matt and Kim's take on if cereal is a soup, the energy at their live shows, the 'Grand' tour and album, and more. Hey Matt, this is really cool. I was just joking with my friends that my NBA Live 2010 dreams are coming true when I fell in love with your song 'Daylight' and now here I am talking to you. Matt: That is funny. Let me ask you could it have been FIFA? Oh it was definitely both. FIFA is where it definitely took off. FIFA was like what we would play for hours in high school. We would all come together at like 11:00 AM and play until like 7:00 PM when we would do something else with our night. Matt: That is awesome. That is awesome to hear. It is crazy to think about like I think about video games I was into that had like a soundtrack that would be on loop, like how often would it come up when you were playing? Honestly 'Daylight' is literally the only song I remember on that year of FIFA soundtrack. Matt: (Laughs) Okay well it is nice to be IRL. https://youtu.be/WgBeu3FVi60 So I listened to your podcast and that is what I wanted to start on. I have had this question that I have always wanted to ask in an interview but I've never had the right guest. But I feel like you might be the right one Matt because in your podcast you explore different random questions or hypotheticals, and I am curious your take on if cereal could ever be classified as a soup? Matt: Wait... cereal as a soup? (laughs) Okay well one note here, a little bit about me. Cereal had been one of my favorite foods my whole life and I have never tried cereal and milk combined. I'm not vegan, I eat dairy, I just somehow never ended up trying them combined. I just eat my cereal straight out of like sometimes like out of a coffee mug. I will just fill it and just like eat soup like I'm drinking coffee... I mean (laughs) dammit eat cereal like I'm drinking coffee. But to your question most people are eating cereal with milk like sane people and like what does it take for soup? A soup is like a broth, some sort of liquid carrier for them another object. I think you may have a point. I've never heard anyone ask this question but I think it fits the credentials. Yet if you invited someone over for soup and you offered them a bowl of cheerios then I think they are welcome to smack you in the face. See I'm not a soup guy so I think this is my way to try to make it to where "okay I like a soup." Because if I had a friend invite me over for soup I think I would thank them for the offer but tell them I will see them another day. But if I show up and they give me a bowl of fruit loops or something I'm in. Matt: Okay we need to hit one more person with this and that's Kim. Kim will you pull out a headphone I'm just going to ask you a quick question. Kim: Yes Matt: Kim's driving right now we are heading to the studio and soup is her favorite food. Kim: I love soup. Matt: Quick answer is cereal like a bowl of cereal a soup? Kim: No! But I also don't consider fucking gazpacho or whatever that is. That bullshit? That's not soup. Matt: Well Kim loves soup and she says absolutely not on the cereal but then she started going on a rant about even cold soups aren't real soups. Gazpacho that aint soup. That's true but at one time when the milk was being pasteurized part of the cereal was warm. I have this prepped and the definition of broth is "soup consisting of meat and vegetable chunks and often rice" So at least at the minimum I think Rice Krispies can be considered a soup. Matt: BOOM! I think Lawyered. Yup. I trust Kim more than me, I did have to look up cold soups in case you did ask and I have them written in my notes. So I will trust Kim's expertise on this. Matt: Well again with anything and Kim it is full Kim opinion. She is not going to go on technicalities here instead of what she thinks. https://youtu.be/H3fc7MQxV7I (Laughs) I love it. So I saw you guys just Friday in Ogden and wow. I've never seen you guys live and you blew me away with the energy of it. I read that you guys met at Pratt and I lived on Classon across the street from Pratt and that was fun to read but it made me want to ask about Matt & Kim's first show in Brooklyn was that energy always there? Was it a natural thing from the start with you two? How did it start and how has it evolved over the years? Matt: Well yeah I think it certainly stems from where we came from. It is interesting that you were just over in that area, we still live not far from Pratt. But um I think that yeah the scene we came up in in Brooklyn was like a total warehouse loft party scene. It was shows not in venues, it was just people like you know BYOB and there would just be bands playing on the floor and stuff like that. So I think honestly coming out of that there was other bands that were really like the head of like there was this band Japanther who was a big who are friends but also a big influence and there were other bands like The Death Set and all these bands that played like energetic, fun, people are jumping around and knocking each other over. Like that kind of thing and I think that we have tried to hold onto that for all of these years even as it has moved into festival stages and what not. It is about the whole energy of the room or like last weekend the field or whatever. It's not about what is happening on stage it is about activating the whole place. I don't know if we didn't come from that scene if that would be as much of a priority for us but it always has been. Wow that is cool how it started naturally from where you were around and how you have carried it with you because it is a truly energetic show. Before that had either of you done much performing? Matt: No I mean we like yeah I played in punk bands in high school and then we just accidentally started this band. Like Kim had never played drums before, she just wanted to learn drums. So it was I remember you know like we opened for our friends band he made us play a show with him even though we didn't think of ourselves as a real band and that is just when we started. I feel like though there was maybe like our third or fourth show we were playing in someones apartment right over in Clinton Hill close to Pratt and um it was the first time people like danced at our show and I feel like it is similar to like the first time a comedian gets a laugh on stage and they feel the juice. I'm like people are going to get swept up in what I'm doing they are laughing at what I'm saying. I think for me and Kim it was like they are dancing off of the music we're creating right here in front of them and once we got that juice it has just always been doing whatever we can to make that happen. And your show was so artistically done and everything that you did I was so impressed and from using a hip hop song to transition to your song to the stage design. Part of that was on your song 'Now' on Friday it had the words on the background and I love karaoke so it felt like that singing along with you. As part of my love for karaoke I have been asking the same question in every interview and that is if Matt and Kim do karaoke and what your go-to song would be? Matt: Okay so at karaoke I generally don't because even as someone that sings for a living I am terrible at it. I don't know one of my worst performances Matt and Kim or anything was like a karaoke performance I still think about. It was like twelve years ago and a friend convinced me to get up on stage and do 'Under Pressure' and I just bombed and I felt horrible afterwards. But certainly I enjoy going to like when friends are having a karaoke thing and I will dance the hell out of the like I'll get on stage and get weird with them. I think there is also somewhat of an expectation because I am a musician that I am going to be good or something. So I feel like if I was going to do it completely anonymously then it would be fine if I was bad but I feel like it is kind of made extra worse. So I don't have a go-to. What is your go-to? https://youtu.be/JyVzPx4ecHA When it comes to karaoke I think I have become a Destiny's Child cover band. So 'Say My Name' and like 'Independent Woman pt 1' will just about bring the house down every time. Like I don't sing at all, not in the shower, rarely in the car, but I get on a karaoke stage and I just let it go. Matt: Hell yeah! I have to say I have a small history with 'Say My Name' being that I remember being heavily into punk in high school and all of my friends being into punk and the thing about punk is that as much and openminded as I wanted to believe I was it was the most close-minded I have ever been about music. Like when you are deeply in it and you are living it culturally and all of your friends. But then I remember hearing that song 'Say My Name' and I would be like closet listening to it like I couldn't let anyone know how much I liked it. Thank you! I have asked you two self indulgent questions and thank you for allowing that they are totally selfish questions I ask from my own self interest... Matt: No I think if you were listening to the podcast you heard I love talking about things that are you know loosely related to the music but don't have to be about how we recorded things. Oh dang that was my next question... but I wanted to ask about tour. You have the anniversary tour for your 'Grand' album coming up this fall which is exciting. When that album first came out would you believe you'd be doing this tour ten years later and how has the album exceed your expectations? Matt: The beauty was yeah that it had no expectations. We were a band that it was our second album our first album wasn't great. You know some bands their first album is like the one. For us, we tried to make it really quickly because we didn't know how long it took to make an album and you know so we were sort of like feeling like we were on a little bit of a downslope. We were still kind of in the DIY scene, we were just starting to play venues and stuff and we were like "oh well that is as good as it gets." So then when we went to make 'Grand' all we knew is that we just didn't want to make it quick. We had done the other one so fast because we were in a studio so we were like "Lets just record it in my bedroom at my parents house in Vermont." Which is what we did. So we had honestly no expectations it was a pretty Lo-Fi thing but we really like the song. Then it just connected on a level. Still that 'Daylight' song like we are proudly a Indie band and I don't think we were ever supposed to have a song that has 100 million plays on Spotify. And of course we did not expect any of that. And what are you most looking forward to on the 'Grand' tour? Matt: I think it will be cool to do something different. It will be cool to be playing that album from beginning to end. We have never done that with any album before. And then I'm always excited about the other stuff we do too. Like whatever covers we are going to bring, whatever little snippets we will dance to, and different sort of surprises we could think of. That stuff will be fun and those are memorable moments. I mean I'm excited to play the grand album but overall we just love being on tour and it is a great reason to get back on the road again. We try to separate our tours at least 2 or 3 years apart and this one we are able to do a year apart because there is a reason to do another one. So as long as we are on the road, we are happy. You mentioned the snippets and covert things that you do. That was the unique element I think that was at the Matt and Kim live show and it is like this artistic thing that you guys do to transition in. Like I joked that Matt and Kim are masters of transition like the live show I left exhausted because it was a high the entire time. Each song built off each other. The podcast you get rid of the awkward transition between questions with sound mixing transitions perfectly. But yeah what is the process like for creating those moments in the live show? Matt: Well I love that. I take that compliment very seriously I appreciate that. I think energy and momentum are huge to me. I love that our shows continue to get wilder all the way up until the end. As opposed to maybe a show where it starts off with a lot of energy and people are excited and it sort of trails off as it goes along. Because it is hard for a lot of audiences and bands to keep that going for an hour or hour and a half. For us it's like I don't want any dead time I want to keep it moving. You know as far as the little things we add I just have a notes section in my phone and am like try putting Drake and I don't know there aren't a lot of indie bands that will put a Drake song like right in the middle of one of their sets. But I think another thing is we take what we do very seriously we put all of our time and energy and everything into this band but we don't take ourselves very seriously we're not afraid to like go into something that might feel a little silly or whatever that is just fun. We just think what would be the most fun thing to do and we don't have to be one of these indie alternative bands that is just like staring at their feet and like pouting. You talked about momentum and that was perfect. That was what your show did. I told you I left exhausted but in the best way. I couldn't recommend coming out to the 'Grand' tour enough. Matt and Kim are a lot of fun. Thank you for your time and I appreciate the time to talk. Matt: It was a pleasure to talk. Thank you. See more from Matt and Kim on Website, Facebook, Instagram, Podcast, and Twitter. Get your tickets for the can't miss Grand 10 year celebration tour here. https://open.spotify.com/album/2SUbFq7IAYt0rU9rxgCiwM?si=kJUEIl2OR-WbKeR3qeRocQ Read more from GIGsoup writers below. https://www.gigsoupmusic.com/interviews/sonreal-is-one-hundred-percent-himself-in-new-album-the-aaron-lp-exclusive-interview/ https://www.gigsoupmusic.com/interviews/indi-and-the-vegas-talk-influence-la-and-new-focuses/ https://www.gigsoupmusic.com/interviews/exclusive-interview-with-new-orleans-drummer-shawn-myers/ Read the full article

[darling-blurbs]

Character Sheet I found on Deviantart

Verse: (The universe your character belongs to. Can be original or fanfiction. [Ex: Original : The name of your book, movie, game or whatever. Fanfiction: Pokemon, Star Trek, Naruto, ect.) Date: (The date this sheet was completed.) Full Name: (Self explanatory) Pronunciation: (Self explanatory) Nickname/Alias: (Does your character have a pet name, fake identity, or any other thing they like to go by? Put it here.) Meaning: ([Ex: Emily means "admiring" and William means "protector"] If you aren't sure your character's name has a meaning look it up, I'm sure you'll find something. If it's a fantasy name you made yourself, give it a meaning.) Origin: (How did you come up with your character's name?) Title: (Do have a title along with their name? [Ex: Sir, Captain, Ms.]) Pet Name: (What do other people call your character? [kid, squirt, babe, ect] May be insulting, endearing, or a combination of both. May have more than one, if other characters call them different things. ID Number: (A number that may also be used to identify your character, such as tournaments and prison settings) Signature: (What is their handwriting like?) Gender: (Self explanatory) Gender Role: (Does your character generally act more feminine or masculine?) Orientation: (Ex: Straight, Bisexual, Homosexual) Real Age: (How old your character is in years) Age Appearance: (How old does your character look? This is mostly for immortal creatures such as deities, but can be used with anybody. [if someone looks older or younger than their age) Birthday: (Self explanatory) Deathday: (May not have one yet) Birthplace: (Where was your character born?) Astrological Sign: (Western) Zodiac Sign: (Eastern) Immediate Family: (Who was your character raised by?) Distant Family: (The ones they don't see every day) Parenting: (Were their parents strict or fun-loving?) Upbringing: (What morals and ideals were your characters raised with?) Infancy: ([0-2] What was it like when your character was a baby? Were they nurtured or dropped at birth?) Childhood: ([3-12] What was it like for your character growing as a kid ?) Adolescence: ([13-17] Teen years) Adulthood: ([18+] When your character has fully matured. If your character isn't yet an adult, plan what would happen to them in the future.) Coming of Age: (When and how did your character "grow up"?) Evolution: (How has your character changed since they were younger?) Species: (Human, animal, or a fantasy race) Ethnicity: (Self Explanatory) Blood Type: (Self explanatory) Preferred Hand: (Right handed, left handed, or ambidextrous?) Facial Type: (Ex: Oval, heart, square, round, ) Eye Color: (Self explanatory) Hair Color (Self Explanatory) Hairstyle: (Self explanatory) Skin Tone: (Self Explanatory) Complexion: (Self explanatory) Makeup: (If any) Body Type: (Endomorph, Ectomorph, Mesomorph, or somewhere in between?) Build: (Long legs, chubby cheeks, or muscular arms?) Height: (In inches) Weight: (In pounds) Cup Size: (Self explanatory) Facial Hair: (If applicable) Shoe Size: (Self Explanatory) Birthmarks/scars: (Self explanatory) Distinguishing Features: (Something unique that stands out) Health: (How healthy is your character?) Energy: (How much energy does your character have on a daily basis?) Memory: (How well does your character remember things, and what do they remember?) Senses: (Are any of your character's senses better or worse than others?) Allergies: (Self Explanatory. May be optional.) Handicaps: ([Ex: A limp, deafness, missing an eye] May be optional.) Medication: (What meds do your character take, if any?) Phobias: (Things that simply terrify your character. May be trivial or debilitating. Try to have at least one.) Addictions: (Drugs, alcohol, gambling, or bad teen romance) Mental Disorders: ([Ex: Depression, Bipolar Disorder, Paranoia.] May be optional.) Style: (The overall style your character shows, not just limited to clothing. Ex: Punk, Goth, Nerd) Mode of Dress: (Don't describe their clothes here. Describe how they wear their clothes. Two people can wear a suit, but each will wear it differently. [Ex: Is the shirt tucked in?]) Grooming: (Well-kept or messy?) Posture: (How does your character present themselves? Ex: Stiff, slouchy, suggestive) Gait: (The speed and style which how your character moves) Coordination: (How physically fit is your character? Also add things like reflexes, ect.) Habits and Mannerisms: (Any nervous ticks or unconscious habits your character might have. Ex: Nail biting, crosses arms, or twirls hair) Scent: (What does your character smell like? Good or bad? How strong?) Mood: (What mood are you most likely to catch your character in?) Attitude: (How does your character interact with others?) Stability: (How emotionally consistant are they?) Expressiveness: (Do they hide emotion or let it out openly?) When Happy: (Ex: Whistles, sings, skips) When Depressed: (Ex: locks themself in their room, listens to music, hugs a stuffed animal) When Angry: (Ex: Punches walls, screams at people, trolls online) Note: These are generalizations. Different situations will create different reactions. Current Residence: (Where does your character live right now? May or may not include a geographical location) Community: (What does the general population act like where your character lives?) Family: ([Ex: Parents, children, siblings] Include stepfamilies if it applies, and label as such.) Friends: (Who does your character like to hang out with?) Enemies: (Who does your character despise?) Bosses: (Who does your character answer to) Followers: (Who answers to your character?) Heroes: (Who does your character look up to?) Rivals: (Who are they competing with?) Relates to: (Who is similar to your character?) Pets/Familiars: (Describe a pet your character owns, real or fantasy and give it a name.) Wardrobe: (Describe your character's closet. What is their formal, casual, or other kind of wear?) Equipment: (Refers to tools or weapons your character may use. [Ex: A sword for a warrior] Accessories: (Tattoos, piercing, jewelry, glasses, ect.) Trinkets: (Applies to but not limited to good luck charms, purses, watches, or any other items they carry with them almost all the time.) Funds: (How much cash does your character have on hand, and how much at home/in the bank?) Home: (What is your character's house like? Describe it's overall appearance, [Ex: Shabby, fancy] type of house, [Trailer, mansion] and describe things such as the yard, wallpaper, or any other information. Things like bedrooms count as your character's home.) Neighborhood: (What are the people and places near your character like?) Transportation: (How does your character get around? [Ex: Car, bus, bike]) License Plate Number: (Can be regular numbers, or something more creative. Adjust for your country.) Collections: (Does your character like to hoard or collect anything?) Most valuable possession: (In money) Prized Possession: (What object does your character value above all else?) Lovers: (From childhood crushes, to exes, to a married partner, who does your character love?) Marital Status: (Ex: Single, Taken, Dating, Available) Sex Life: (Pretty self explanatory) Type: (Eros/ragma/Banquet/Mania/Ludus/Storge) Turn-Ons: (What does your character want to see in their ideal mate?) Turn Offs: (What tends to make them back off) Position: (Dom/Sub) Plays: (Bondage, roleplay, ect.) Fetishes: (Self Explanatory) Virginity: (How many times have they "done it"?) Element: (Fire/Water/Air/Earth) Occupation: (Self explanatory) Work Ethnic: (How hard does your character work? How do they feel about their job?) Rank: (How high up are they on the corporate ladder?) Income: (How much money do they make?) Wealth Status: (How well financed is your character? Ex: Upper, middle, or lower class) Experience: (Include things like pasts jobs, or things that contributed to current occupation.) Organizations/Affiliations: (Who does your character side with?) IQ: (Self explanatory) Education: (How good is their education?) School: (What was their school like?) Grade: (What grades would they get?) Special Education: (Did they ever get held back or get honor role?) Social Stereotype: (ex: nerd, goth, punk) Degrees: (What degrees did/would they earn in school?) Intelligence: (Linguistic/logical/spatial/kinesthetic/musical/interpersonal/intrapersonal/naturalist) Extracurricular Activities: (Such as P.E. or art) Religion: (Self Explanatory) Morals: (What does your character find morally right or wrong?) Crime Record: (Relationship with authority, laws broken, and crimes committed.) Motivation: (What moves your character? [Ex: Power, money, love)] Priorities: (What does your character place first, second, and third?) Philosophy: (Your character's outlook on life) Political Party: (Ex: Democrat, Republican, Liberal, or Conservative) Etiquette: (How good our your characters manners? Do they bow or chew with their mouth open?) Culture: (Any things your character may do specific to a certain culture. [Ex: Bowing in Japan] Do your research on this one or you could offend people. ) Influences: (Who or what inspires your character to change? Do they influence anyone else?) Relates to: (Who can your character relate to?) Traditions: (Does your character sit around the table with their family? What holidays do they celebrate?) Superstitions: (spilling salt, knocking on wood) Main Goal: (Driving force in the story. May be subject to change.) Minor Goals/Ambitions: (What is your character trying to accomplish?) Career: (What would be your character's dream job?) Desires: (What does your character want?) Wishlist: (What material items does your character want?) Accomplishments: (Did they succeed in any goals?) Greatest Achievement: (Self Explanatory) Biggest Failure: (Self Explanatory) Secrets: (Everyone has at least one) Regrets: (Self Explanatory) Worries: (What do they worry about?) Best Dream:  (What would be the best thing that could possibly happen to your character?) Worst Nightmare: (The worst thing that could ever happen?) Best Memories: (A few stand out memories from the past. [keep it short and sweet]) Worst Memories: (A few stand out memories from the past. [keep it short and sweet]) Hobbies/Interests: (What does your character like to do for fun?) Skills/Talents: (Similar to hobbies, but refers to the level of skill a character has. For example, a character could like playing violin but isn't very good at it or vice versa.) Likes: (What does your character like?) Dislikes: (What can't they stand?) Sense of Humor: (Dark/dry/witty/sarcastic/dirty/childish/sophisticated/ironic) Pet Peeves: (Similar to dislikes, only more relating to human behavior than specific objects. Ex: When people tap on things or when people say "You're not fat!" when you really are) Superstitions/Beliefs: (Does your character believe in conspiracy theories or aliens? Do they throw salt over their shoulder or knock on wood?) Dreams/Nightmares: (What do they dream about? [at night]) Quirks: (The strange little things that your character does to make them unique. Ex: Sleeps with their feet on the pillow or runs their hand along a pole as they walk beside it.) Savvy: (What is your character particularly well-informed of? [Ex: Politically, nature) Can't understand: (Something they just can't get into, such as English literate or obsession with sports) Closet Hobby: (Something that your character likes but isn't too obvious.) Guilty Pleasure: (You know...) Strengths: (What makes them stand a bit above the crowd? [Ex: Courageous, good listener, calm under pressure] Not supernatural abilities.) Flaws: (Refers to negative personality traits, not a weakness. Make sure it's a deep flaw that could actually affect your character, not something trivial like "She can't dance". [Ex: Lies constantly, socially backwards, hot-tempered]) Perception: (How does your character generally see the world?) Conflicts: (What issues make your character want two things, but they can't have both?) Instincts: (What they are unconsciously driven to do) Lures: (What are they inexplicably drawn to be near? Ex: Power, money, the helpless) Soft Spot: (Their vulnerability, what they feel sorry for or have particularly good feelings toward) Cruel Streak: (What makes a character act against their usual morals, and act especially mean? (everyone has something that can do this to them)) Powers/Abilities: (Here is where to put any superhuman powers and other abilities your character possesses. Be sure to balance them out with weaknesses, or your character loses credibility. This section may be optional depending on what genre you write.) Origin: (How did they get their powers?) Source: (How do they use their powers? [ex: shoots fire from hands, can read minds with their ring) Ability: (How adept are they at using said powers? Weaknesses: (Make it something that your character exclusively is weak to, and keep it credible. [Ex: A 4-headed radioactive dinosaur is not a credible weakness.]) Immunities: ([Ex: cannot be burned] Be very careful with this one.) Restrictions: (An absolute necessity for those with supernatural powers. [Ex: Can only breathe fire when angry or can only cast darkness spells twice a day]) Alternate Forms: (Transformations, shape shifting abilities, dark side, ect.) Extra Anatomy: (Such as wings or a third eye) Favorite Colors: Favorite Animals: Favorite Mythological Creatures: Favorite Places: (Ex: Fav City, State, or Country) Favorite Landmarks: (Ex: Eiffel Tower, Mt. Rushmore) Favorite Flavors: (Ex: Vanilla, Sour, Strawberry) Favorite Foods: Favorite Drinks: Favorite Characters: (Not one of yours) Favorite Genre: Favorite Books: Favorite Movies:   Favorite Games: Favorite Shows: Favorite Music: Favorite Bands: Favorite Songs: Favorite Sports: Favorite Stores: Favorite Subjects: Favorite Numbers: Favorite Websites: Favorite Words: Favorite Quotations: (Can be lengthy and philosophical or just simple clichés such as "Every dog has his day) Least Favorite Colors: Least Favorite Animals: Least Favorite Mythological Creatures: Least Favorite Places: Favorite Landmarks: Least Favorite Flavors: Least Favorite Foods: Least Favorite Drinks: Least Favorite Characters: Least Favorite Genre: Least Favorite Books: Least Favorite Movies:   Least Favorite Games: Least Favorite Shows: Least Favorite Music: Least Favorite Bands: Least Favorite Songs: Least Favorite Sports: Least Favorite Stores: Least Favorite Subjects: Least Favorite Numbers: Least Favorite Websites: Least Favorite Words: Least Favorite Quotations: (Can be lengthy and philosophical or just simple clichés such as "Every dog has his day) Languages: (What languages does your character speak and how fluently?) Accent: (Self explanatory) Voice: (High pitched, low pitched) Speech Impediments: (Stutters, slurs, or whistles) Greetings and Farewells: (How does your character say hello and goodbye?) State of Mind: (Ask your character "how are you" and see how they respond) Compliment: (Have your character say something nice) Insult: (Have your character insult someone) Expletive: (Can be an actual cuss (Ex: Dammit) or some kind of substitute. (Ex: Darn it!) Laughter: (What does your character's laugh sound like?) Tag Line: (Something your character says a lot in everyday sentences. Can often be filled with a sound or vocalization. Ex: Lol, dude, uh) Signature Quote: (Something significant your character says. Doesn't have to be meaningful, just make it memorable.) Reputation: (What does the general population think of your character?) First Impressions: (What would you first think of this character upon meeting them?) Stranger Impressions: (If someone was told about the character but didn't know them, what would they think?) Friendly Impressions: (What do people who are friends or acquaintances of your character think of them?) Enemy Impressions: (What do people who can't stand your character think? If you can't think of anyone who hates your character, we have a problem.) Familiar Impressions: (What do people very close to your character think of them? Ex: Family, lovers) Compliments: (What are some good things other people would say of your character? [heroic, good listener]) Insults: (Would anyone like to call your character a whore, jerk, or stupid?) Self-Impression: (What does your character really think of themselves deep down?) MBTI Personality Type: [Ex: ENTP, ISTJ] Temperament: (Chloric/Sanguine/Melancholic/Phlegmatic) May also be called color types, such as yellow, red, blue, or green) Enneagram: (The Reformer/The Helper/The Achiever/The Individualist/The Investigator/The Loyalist/The Enthusiast/The Challenger/The Peacemaker) Ego/Superego/Id: (Superego is aims for perfection, society, and the idea of right and wrong. Id is unconscious desires and instincts - Which of these are they most driven by? The Self: (The center/core of your character) The Shadow: (The opposite qualities your character themselves does not believe they possess, but do subconsciously) The Anima/Animus: (The part of the character of the opposite gender) Persona/Mask: (What they present to the world, or the side they use to protect themselves) Role: (What purpose does your character serve? [mentor, leader]) Fulfillment: (How well do they serve that role?) Significance: (Why does your character matter?) Alignment: (Good/Evil/Neutral/Lawful/Chaotic) Comparison: (Compare your character to some kind of animal, object, or anything else you can think of.) Symbol: (Does your character have any kind of recurring symbol that represents them? [Ex: a rose, a black cat, a sunset] Could be blatant or subtle.) Song: (A song you think best suits your character) Vice: (Pride/Greed/Gluttony/Lust/Envy/Sloth/Wrath) Virtue: (Patience/Diligence/Chastity/Temperance/Charity/Kindness/Humility) Defining Moment: (This is it. The single greatest moment of your character, when they truly become alive.) Tropes: (What about your character is stereotypical or cliched? [You can't say nothing. Every character has some kind of cliche in them]) Originality: (What makes your character different from one like them? One Word: (Use a single adjective to sum up your character in a nutshell) Character Sheet © Character-Resource