#if Interpolation has 1 fan it's me

[basilbellona]

Patron Saint of Lost Things and Quantum Moons

Solanum Outer Wilds I would become quantum with you... I based this piece on chapter 25 from @tippertot 's fic, Interpolation. I thought of her clutching the models of Brittle Hollow and Ember Twin like roses at a funeral and it was over for me.

[deliciousangelfestival]

Love Was Never Part Of The Plan - 1

Summary: You are a jewel thief who’s semi-retired, but you agree to take one last job. However, there’s a catch: you have to steal the jewels from an auction where your former lover is now the head of security.

Character: Security!Bucky x Thief!Female Reader

Main Masterlist || If you enjoy my work, please consider buying me a coffee on Ko-fi 🙏🏻

Part 1 , Part 2 , Part 3 , Part 4 , -

By the way, I published my book Arrogant Ex-Husband and Dad, I Can't Let You Go by Alina C. Bing on Kindle.

Thank you to everyone who has read this chapter. Leave a comment and Reblog, please. I'd love to hear your thoughts. ❤️

The souvenir store was quiet. Almost too quiet.

Wooden masks lined the walls beside racks of overpriced T-shirts that said things like I Climbed Mt. Rinjani and Bali Vibes Only. Cheap postcards curled under the humidity, their glossy finishes fading under the sun filtering through the dusty window. A lazy ceiling fan stirred the warm air like it couldn’t be bothered.

A group of tourists wandered in, wide-eyed and smiling—until they saw the price tags.

“Seventy dollars for a keychain?” one of them blurted.

They turned on their heels and scurried out, muttering in disbelief.

“Come again,” you said, not looking up from your Kindle, where a tawdry romance novel had just reached the part where the heroine was about to run off with the stable boy.

“Seriously, how is this place still operating?” one of the tourists whispered near the door. “The prices are insane.”

“Money laundering,” their friend replied under their breath. “It’s just a front.”

“Shhh. Not so loud,” the other hushed.

A smirk tugged at your lips. Not half wrong, you thought. But they had no idea just how deep that truth went.

This wasn’t just a front. It was a hideout.

Because you used to be one of the top jewelry thieves in the world. Top three, if you were being modest. Interpol had your face on a board somewhere—red-circled, underlined, probably with notes like extremely dangerous and deceptively charming. You were a ghost now, buried in fake names and burned passports, sipping instant coffee behind a counter full of overpriced junk.

You’d had it all once: the thrill, the heists, the world at your feet. But success demanded sacrifices—friends, family... love.

Especially love.

You still thought about him sometimes. The way his eyes crinkled when he laughed, the smell of his cologne, his Sunday habit of buying the same two donuts—one glazed, one chocolate sprinkles. He was too good. Too pure for the world you lived in.

The bell above the door jingled.

You didn’t look up.

Footsteps—slow, deliberate—crossed the floorboards. You could already hear the smirk in his voice before he spoke.

“So this is how you enjoy your retirement?” he asked, lacing mockery with elegance, his British accent as annoyingly smooth as ever.

“This store isn’t dog-friendly,” you replied dryly, eyes still on your Kindle.

He chuckled. The sound hadn’t changed. Infuriatingly charming. “Don’t you miss an old friend?”

He leaned in and rested his elbow on your desk, now face-to-face with you.

You sighed, closed your Kindle with a soft snap, and finally looked up. “What do you want, Edward?”

He smiled, and time did a strange thing—it slipped for a moment, like you were back in Paris, or Istanbul, or anywhere you'd danced on the edge of danger together.

“I’ll go straight to the point,” he said.

From the inside pocket of his blazer, he pulled out a velvet pouch, casually as if it were a piece of gum. He opened it and held something up to the light.

Your breath caught.

The diamond shimmered unnaturally, catching light in a way that seemed to bend it.

“Is that—” you started.

Your eyes narrowed. You tilted your head.

“Wait. That’s not real.”

Edward raised an eyebrow, impressed. “Correct. It’s a replica.”

You crossed your arms, leaning back in your chair. “So you’re into counterfeits now?”

He shook his head. “No. I just wanted to give you a preview.”

He dangled the diamond between two fingers like a baited hook.

“This,” he said, voice dropping, “will be making its first public appearance… at the upcoming auction.”

Your heart stuttered.

It couldn’t be.

The Lazarus Diamond.

A gem whispered about in underworld circles for decades. Said to be cursed, said to be priceless. No one knew where it was—some claimed it was locked in a dictator’s underground vault, others said it was sewn into the pillow of a mad queen. One rumor claimed it had been smuggled onto a spaceship, hidden in plain sight among the stars.

You’d only ever seen it in sketches, in a rare, out-of-print book hand-drawn by the original creators—diamond smiths who vanished not long after its final cut.

“I thought it was a myth,” you whispered.

Edward’s eyes gleamed. “It’s very real. And the real one will be there. In glass. Surrounded by armed guards, lasers, pressure sensors… and a few people who will kill for it.”

You stared at him, the weight of the moment settling in.

This wasn’t a sales pitch. It was a challenge.

“Why are you telling me this?” you asked carefully.

He leaned in closer, his voice low and dangerous. “Because I know you, love. You’re bored out of your mind. Selling fake tribal masks to tourists and reading romance novels in a dusty shop? That’s not you.”

His gaze sharpened. “But this? This is you. One last job.”

Your pulse quickened.

You hated that he was right.

Your hands itch. That familiar tingle in your fingertips—the one you thought you'd buried four years ago—starts to creep back like a ghost. Your heart races, hammering against your ribs like it’s trying to break out.

You stare at the diamond in Edward’s hand.

Fake or not, it calls to you.

There’s something primal about it, like the curiosity of a child wanting to prove if the Loch Ness Monster is real. That diamond is your Nessie. The kind of thing that wakes something feral in your blood. The thrill. The hunger.

You swallow hard, trying to shove it down.

No. You promised yourself. You walked away. You let go.

But the sensation won’t fade. It never does.

Edward watches you with that infuriating smirk, like a cat who’s already caught the mouse. “I can see you’re holding back,” he said, his voice low and taunting. “Let it go. Kleptomaniacs like us? We never really stop.”

You glance at him, jaw tight. “Why me, Edward? I quit. I’ve left that life behind.”

He raises both hands in mock surrender, feigning innocence. “Sure, sure. Four years is a long time. And hey—no one has to steal when they’re already robbing tourists blind with twenty-dollar keychains made in a warehouse probably worse than China’s worst factory.”

You narrow your eyes.

He leans in, tone suddenly all business. “Do you want to hear how much the job pays?”

Silence.

Then, casually, “Four million. Each.”

You blink. “Eight million dollars?”

Edward gives a single, slow nod. “Clean split. No middlemen. Just you and me. Old times.”

You hesitate.

“Where’s the auction?”

“The Valmont Gallery,” he says smoothly. “You’ve hit it before—remember the ruby job?”

Your fingers instinctively touch the red gem on your earring—small, unassuming, and worth enough to buy a small country.

“I did take that ruby necklace from under six guards' noses,” you murmur.

Edward grins. “And now you're wearing the earrings. Sentimental.”

Then, with a flourish, he produces a folded sheet of paper from seemingly nowhere—sleight of hand, smooth as silk. He always does it dramatically since he used to be a magician. “Contract,” he says, laying it on the counter. “Sign here.”

You raise an eyebrow. “So this is why you came back?”

But you’re already picking up the pen.

You sign without hesitation. That itch in your fingers? It's back in full force.

You slide the contract across the counter. “This should be easy.”

“Ah,” you say, suddenly serious. “What about the security?”

Edward’s smirk falters. Just a flicker—but you catch it.

He reaches into his coat and pulls out a thick, sealed folder. He sets it in front of you carefully, almost reverently.

“You’ve signed the contract,” he says. “Which means once you open this, you can’t kill me. That’s the deal.”

You scoff. “You always did have trust issues.”

Still, you open the folder.

And then—your stomach drops.

Your eyes widen. Your breath catches. Your fingers tighten on the edge of the folder.

The floor feels like it tilts slightly beneath you.

Edward just leans back, hands in his pockets, watching your face with a wicked gleam in his eyes.

You look up at him, fury dancing in your gaze.

“You motherfucker,” you whisper.

💎💎💎💎

The room buzzed with tension.

Rows of high-definition monitors covered the walls, each displaying different angles of the estate: the main gallery, the vault, the loading bays, even the staff lounge. The glow of the screens cast a bluish light across the room. The hum of surveillance equipment blended with the quiet clicking of keyboards and murmurs of the security team.

Technicians in uniform moved swiftly between stations, calibrating motion detectors, checking thermal sensors, and scanning for electronic interference.

“We’ve scanned every corner, sir,” one officer reported, glancing over his shoulder at the man standing in the center of the room. “No blind spots. Everything’s tight.”

The man didn’t respond right away. He stood with his hands clasped behind his back, gaze fixed on the central monitor where the diamond exhibit was displayed. His presence alone demanded attention—calm, composed, and quietly commanding.

“Good,” he said finally, voice low but firm.

James Barnes—Bucky to the people who dared to get close—had worked security at Valmont for six years. Before this, he’d served in the Navy—special ops. He didn’t talk much about it, but the way he moved, the way he watched—it was obvious he’d been trained for danger. And since taking over head of security, not a single breach had occurred under his watch.

He wasn’t always this rigid. Once, he’d been warmer, easier to laugh. That was before the gallery was hit four years ago. A master thief slipped past his system, stealing a priceless ruby necklace that once belonged to Queen Amélie of France.

The very same month, his girlfriend asked him to break up, because he was busy with the gallery.

He blamed himself for both.

So he poured everything into the gallery. Upgraded systems. Increased patrols. Refused any margin of error.

Now, with the Lazarus Diamond arriving in one week, the stakes were higher than ever.

“There won’t be a second chance,” Bucky muttered under his breath.

He turned to the team. “I’ll do an inspection myself.”

“Yes, sir.”

Bucky moved through the marble halls like a shadow. His shoulder-length hair—untied, slightly tousled—fell just past his jaw, framing his face with rugged intensity. He checked every security camera casing for tampering, tapped each fire alarm to test response time, and noted a minor delay in one of the motion sensor lights.

He flagged it on his tablet instantly.

The gallery was pristine. Elegant glass cases showcased centuries-old relics under precision lighting. Velvet ropes lined the perimeter. Bucky scanned for signs of vandalism, irregularities in air pressure, and electronic noise. All clear.

Occasionally, tourists approached with confused expressions, clutching maps and murmuring in foreign languages.

“This way to the Impressionist Wing.” “No, ma’am, the auction preview begins next week.” “Sir, please step behind the barrier. Thank you.”

He liked the calm of the place. It was the visitors who brought the chaos—but it was manageable. Predictable.

Until it wasn’t.

He rounded a corner, deep in his route, when—

Thud. He collided with someone. A bag hit the ground. Lipsticks, pens, a phone, a compact mirror spilled across the floor.

“Shit—sorry, ma’am,” Bucky said quickly, kneeling to help.

His fingers brushed over a lipstick tube—deep red. The same brand. The same shade he bought once in Paris.

He froze.

The voice above him broke the illusion. Soft. Familiar. Dangerous. “Thank you. That’s… important to me.”

His head snapped up.

His breath caught.

You stood there.

Hair tucked behind your ears, a polite smile on your face—but your eyes were a storm.

“Hi, Bucky.”

For a full second, he just stared at you—like a ghost had walked in from the past.

When he finally spoke, his voice was quiet, cautious. “Oh. Hi. You’re… here.”

You gave a nervous shrug, trying to play it cool. “Yeah. I… kinda missed home.”

Your voice trembled slightly, betraying the chaos inside you.

Bucky looked even better than you remembered. He hadn’t tied his hair back—just let it fall freely, slightly windblown. His jaw was sharper. Shoulders broader. That quiet, deadly calm about him had only deepened. He looked like someone who could command a room without raising his voice.

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck you, Edward.

Your mind spun.

He knew. Edward knew. That bastard sent you here, knowing the head of security was your ex-boyfriend.

My book Arrogant Ex-Husband and Dad, I Can't Let You Go by Alina C. Bing are on Kindle. Check it out!

Link for Arrogant Ex-Husband

Amazon.com

Link for Dad I Can't Let You Go

Amazon.com: Dad, I Can't Let You Go eBook : Bing, Alina C.: Kindle Store

Want to join the taglist?

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[tc9972]

Nils Höglander random textpost

1, A happy place for avid hunter Nils Höglander is quietly stalking a moose in the northern wildness of Sweden.

2, This ten-minute long video is mostly delightful. Höglander is pretty quiet and reserved with the media, largely because he’s dealing with not only a new team, but a new country and a language with which he’s still not fully comfortable. The video gives some insight into his personality and how his teammates view him.

But then, about two minutes into the video, there’s a moment that defies comprehension.

Höglander takes a water bottle and sprays both his socks and the inside of his skate before putting it on.

3, “I guess I have to say hockey is the hardest,” said Hoglander. “But if you’ve never been out in the forest or anything, it’s kind of hard to know what to do. If you bring Petey (Elias Pettersson) he would have no idea what to do, he’s a city boy.”

4, Q. Do you have a hidden talent? Music or cooking?

A. I’m not into music at all in doing it by myself (instrument). I would always say something outdoors. I’m a big unicycle guy. I have one. That’s my hidden talent.

5, Nils Höglander pulled in a decent crop of votes for the team’s biggest Swiftie, as he was nominated by Erik Brännström, Aatu Räty, and Elias Pettersson. He later claimed that “Love Story” was his favourite song by her. Höglander’s history with being a fan of Swift dates back to a TikTok posted last year, in which he said he’d rather meet her than her boyfriend, Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce.

6, Nils Höglander Spotify Wrapped- ���Viva La Vida” by Soppgirobygget

I don’t know what I expected but it certainly wasn’t this.

I guess I expected this to be a cover of “Viva La Vida” by Coldplay. Instead, it’s a dance track that interpolates “Misirlou” by Dick Dale, then throws in a bridge that’s basically just the chorus of “Whoomp! (There It Is)” by Tag Team.

This is a straight-up party song and it’s a lot of fun, even if the lyrics are hilariously crass. While mostly in Norwegian, there are a few English phrases thrown in, like “Bitch, make it clap.”

Here are a couple choice phrases from the song translated into English via Google Translate: “Big babes, big drinks, big asses make me happy,” “Shake the bum and I’ll post it on Snap,” and “I have a skull fracture and proven gonorrhea.”

7, Then there are the unicycles. Höglander has a knack for juggling while unicycling, as well as stickhandling while on a unicycle. It’s a talent shared by Pettersson, whose dad could ride a unicycle, so he taught himself to do it as well. 

“The unicycle thing is just for fun,” said Höglander. “I haven’t seen Petey yet, but I will have a match with him.”

“We haven’t had a battle yet,” said Pettersson, “or done it face-to-face but from the videos I’ve seen, he’s better. Sucks to say, but...”

8, There is no doubt about who is responsible for the cooking at the Pettersson/Höglander home.

– I take on the cooking, otherwise it won't be as good on the table, says Pettersson.

– He is careful about that so he has to be responsible for it, says Höglander.

What do you stand for then? – Put away the dishes. Luckily we have a dishwasher so it's easy, says Höglander. (Elias has also said that Hoggy used to cook rice like pasta, not measuring water or anything, b4 he stepped in to teach him better but I can't find the video)

9, "My friend found Höglander on Tinder... guess this means he’s in Vancouver already?"

10, It’s Hoagie, not Hoggy

Note the umlaut. It means the first syllable of the rookie’s name rhymes with brogue or doge, not log or dog.

11, And finally, here’s a fact that is bound to make many of you feel very old: Höglander’s birthday is December 20, 2000, making him the first Vancouver Canuck born after the millennium. Remember the Titans came out before he did; Gladiator and Almost Famous, too.

12, n the northern wilderness of his tiny village of Brocktrask, Sweden — population 20 hearty outdoor enthusiasts — you first have to stalk the very large and imposing moose. And that could take a lot of time.

13, The name “Nyssa” has many meaning, including “goal” (Greek) or “friendly elf” (Scandinavian). It is also Nils’ nickname with his SHL teammates. While Hoglander’s size may make him elf-like, he’s more feisty than friendly, taking a five-game suspension earlier this season for throwing a reverse elbow. Since the suspension ,he has been very productive as a 19 year old in the SHL, scoring four goals and three assists in 12 games.

14, So I was just texting with Nils Höglander and he has agreed to not score any goals against Canada at the World Juniors if we can find him some good fishing spots around Vancouver. — Chris Faber

15,

Achievements

Two-time SHL Goal of the Year (2019, 2020)

Won a bronze medal with Team Sweden at the 2020 World Junior Championship

16, Funny story. A couple of my friends who are into fishing decided to randomly invite Hoglander out fishing on the Vedder river during his rookie year through a DM on instagram. He ended up replying and saying he’d love to go. They ended up meeting up and spending a day out on the water and had a successful trip. They go out fishing still to this day"

17, "It all started back in Skellefteå, in northern Sweden, where he moved at age 11. The forward from Burträsk, who turns 18 on Thursday, spent much of his spare time with wheels under his feet.

”We spent almost every night during the summer playing street hockey. We played at the rink when the ice was melted for the summer, and placed hockey nets on the concrete. We had goalies and arranged tournaments. Sometimes we stayed until way past midnight”, Nils Höglander recalls.

The janitor of the small arena often didn’t know that Nils and his friends were there, they weren’t really allowed to hang out in the building as late as they did. When they couldn’t play at the rink they used a tennis court instead.

“It really was the highlight of the summer.”

18, Pettersson's gaming hobby didn't keep him from having a career year and he's certainly not the only Canuck to spend time playing Call of Duty. His fellow Swede, Nils Höglander, evidently also spends a fair amount of time playing Call of Duty. He proved as much in a collaboration with the Seattle Surge, a professional Call of Duty League (CDL) team that is co-owned by Canucks Sports and Entertainment.

Höglander faced off against Amer “Pred” Zulbeari, who is one of the best Call of Duty players in the world. When the Surge won the CDL 2022 Major III Grand Final, Pred was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player, then was named Rookie of the Year for the 2022 CDL season.  

With that in mind, it’s at least a little bit surprising that Höglander — decidedly not a professional e-gamer — managed to hold his own in a 1v1 match against Pred.

Höglander, playing under the handle “HitTheDeke,” seemed to legitimately catch Pred off-guard with how well he played, as the power forward matched him kill for kill at first. At the 2:40 mark, Pred looks legitimately taken aback, looking towards the camera crew as if making sure he’s not being pranked by being secretly matched up against another pro.

19,

VANCOUVER – Not only has he a dream job, Nils Hoglander has a dream commute to go with it.

Each morning the Vancouver Canucks are home, the Swedish rookie leaves his 22nd-floor apartment that overlooks the city, gets in an elevator and rides down to the bottom of the Rogers Arena. That’s his commute. No car, no transit, no rain.

This is rink-rat heaven.

“Taking an elevator to get to the rink would be like a dream for Nils,” Chris Abbott, the Canadian general manager of Hoglander’s former team, Rogle BK, told Sportsnet. “You’ll have to turn the lights out to get him to leave. You’ll never find a guy who wants to be on the ice more. I’d be out for a run and I’d see him skating on rollerblades with a bunch of kids in the middle of nowhere. He loves being around the rink and loves his teammates, and I think that goes a long way for him to focus on what he needs to do to stay in the NHL.”

20, Hoglander said he is accustomed to living on his own. He misses the camaraderie of teammates away from the rink, but spends his afternoons FaceTiming his family and friends in Sweden. His mom, Maria, is a teacher and his dad, Anders, a professional test driver for auto-makers.

“Cool job,” Hoglander said.

He also spends a lot of time with friends and teammates playing video games online. Call of Duty is his favourite, and Pettersson and Canuck Adam Gaudette are regular gamers, he said.

21,

When did Nils' interest in hockey arise? (asking Nils' parents) – He was probably no more than two and a half years old when he started skating. He could skate straight away, which is almost crazy. So did Tilda. – Before that, both of them had skied quite a bit, both downhill and cross-country. Both of them competed a lot on skis and we often had to throw them in the car straight from the podium to go to a hockey match.

22,

Nils Höglander seems to be a very strong person and his parents believe that this may be due to the tough times he experienced growing up. – Yes, but if we look back at how he was during his youth, he was, as we say, a “squirt”. He was everywhere and nowhere. Much like he sometimes is on the hockey field, laughs Höglander’s parents and continues: – I think everything he has been through, both with Tilda and the Skellefteå time, has been built on this Norrland-like stability. None of us parents can otherwise put our finger on why he has become so strong within himself, because we also feel that he is.

23,

And always with a smile on his face… – It takes a lot for him not to smile. When he smiles, he has fun. You have to be humble about life and the world. All people are different, but you should try to treat everyone well and not get carried away too much.

24,

When Brännström came to the Canucks, one of the faces he recognized was Nils Höglander.

The two Swedes have known each other for over 10 years and their first memory goes back to a hockey camp in Sweden where Brännström’s dad was the coach.

At that camp, Höglander was playing forward but the surprise came when Brännström told us that he was a goaltender at the time. Brännström said he was either 11 or 12 at the time and he was playing goaltender when he was playing up an age group.

25, Who's more likely to be a cool parent? Elias Pettersson: "I like to think I would be a cool parent, but I'll say Nils Hoglander. He's from up north in Sweden. He's just a very funny guy."

26, Who's more likely to be a cool parent? Elias Pettersson: "I like to think I would be a cool parent, but I'll say Nils Hoglander. He's from up north in Sweden. He's just a very funny guy"

Who's more likely to get lost in a road city? Quinn Hughes:"Probably Hoglander"

27, Who on your team is most likely to get lost on the road? (asking Quinn Hughes) Quinn: "I feel like Hog-man. (You're such a good person!) No, I'm gonna explain myself. He is literally from a town in Sweden with like 15 people. Like, grocery story 2 hours away"

28, Höglander was voted the worst golfer last year…

[interpolgearpage]

Paul Banks guitars [and their history]

Paul Banks is the lead singer and guitarist of interpol. while the other guitarist, Daniel Kessler, is the main source of structure in many of interpols songs, i feel like what paul brings to the table is pretty substantial, and can definitely affect the mood of the song.

[paul playing his favorite guitar, his les paul custom.]

Gibson Les Paul Custom

"It’s been my setup since day one and it’s all I pretty much use to this day.” -Paul Banks, via music radar

paul banks received this guitar in high school, so from around 1992 to 1996. seeing as he got the guitar from a friend, we don't know the exact origin. however, he has said he got it in a trade. "I happened upon my Les Paul, which also suited me because I'm a big Neil Young fan. But that came about from a trade, or I got it for a song, from a good friend of mine in high school." whatever the case, i don't think we'll know what pickups were in it anytime soon. there are a couple of mods done to the instrument, which i'll go over now. his MAIN les paul in the earlier days had a black ABR style bridge, in exchange for a gold one. the pickup cover were removed as well, and he added dunlop straplocks. these mods carry over to his modern era les paul, a guitar he started using (live at least) around 2005-2007, and uses to this day. the main differentiating factor between these guitars is the choice of knob. pauls earlier les paul has black top hat knobs [1], while his newer one sports black speed knobs [2]. we know that these are different guitars, because we can see both of them in the same picture [3].

[1. note the absence of pickup covers, and straplocks. black bridge, and top hat knobs.]

[1. same guitar, though pre-straplock.]

[2. note the speed knobs.]

[3. two guitars, the one in the background has top hat knobs. ]

Fender Jaguar

"The Jaguar actually came about specifically within Interpol because I had written a part in which I wanted whammy, and I don't like Les Pauls with Bigsbys."

Paul Banks got this for a song he wanted a tremolo bar on, most likely No I in Threesome. the guitar is a Fender American Vintage Re-issue 1962 Jaguar, in black. paul hasnt done too many mods to this instrument, though their are a few changes, most importantly, the pickup swap. he changed the stock jaguar pickups to seymour duncan hot rails sometime after recording our love to admire [1]. while this definitely changed the sound a lot, this was after OLTA, so i wont bother finding dates, as the songs the jaguar was likely used on wouldve been the stock single coils. next up, the pickguard. the american vintage jags in black came with a tortoise shell pickguard, but pauls has a black one. what gives? well, seeing as carlos' jazz bass came with a white guard, but that was switched to black, its not outlandish to believe that this was done by paul or his tech, to give the jag a darker look. paul also put tape on the guitars lower horns control switches, most likely to stop his hand from accidently hitting the switches, and changing his sound mid song [2]. he also had black pickup covers put on the pickups.

[before the pickup swap]

[1,2. hot rails as well as tape.}

Intermission

if you ask me, pauls les paul custom and jaguar are the two guitars youd definitively need to get his sound, and also the two guitars HE uses to get his sound. but what other guitars has paul used with interpol? lets see.

Les Paul Deluxe

used during the TOTBL era, this guitar is sort of a mystery. for one, he didnt seem to favor it for certain songs, using his les paul custom and deluxe interchangeably for many songs, even playing full shows with his deluxe. secondly, from what ive seen, this instrument was NOT used after the TOTBL era. its probable that this instrument was either used on a few songs from TOTBL, and brought along on tour as a backup that paul just happened to really like and play alot, or it was rented for shows over seas. either way, its an interesting case.

[the mysterious gold top deluxe. wonder what song hes playing here?]

Flying V

paul has stated that he thinks the flying v is the coolest looking guitar out there. to each their own, i guess. that doesnt matter, what matters is that he played this instrument in the barricade music video. he used this guitar at the end of the OLTA era, during the self titled era, and has rarely been seen with it after that.

[paul with his v]

Conclusion

there is one more guitar i didnt bring up, so ill do it here now, and its his dave murray strat. he hasnt used it live with interpol, though it is seen in behind the scenes footage of el pintor. anyways, leave a comment if youd like me to cook up a list of what guitars i think were used on each song! i hope you enjoyed reading this, next up i think ill go over his amps and other equipment. till next time.

[Paul Banks.]

[wufflesvetinari]

wyllstarion rec list part 2

[part 1]

hi. i keep the wyllstarion tag open always on a chrome tab in my heart. the theme of this set is "look at the goddamn CRAFT in this thing!!!" as i slam my fist into the ground, weeping

"It's a long road (it's a long walk)" - @acephalouscreature. LISTEN. would you like to read a fairy tale set in hell, starring a guy (wyll) who KNOWS he is in a fairy tale set in hell, and thinks he has all of the tropes figured out despite his inexplicable amnesia? weird how that random handsome guy who keeps offering him dangerous bargains seems to be pretty invested in keeping him alive. this is a fic that drops you straight into the action and trusts you to unpack what is going on--and then unfolds in a gorgeous and achingly romantic way that still manages to play by fairy tale rules to a t!!! featuring deft dramatic irony + Wordplay As Life-Saving Strategy

"a desk is a friend your heart makes" - @jellyfishline. plucked straight from the summary: "Or, sometimes recovery isn't linear and you have to go hide under a desk about it." there are, certainly, many post-canon h/c fics in which trauma reemerges and Character A has to comfort Character B. what you DON'T see every day is such a deft balance between humor and h/c. this fic knows that trauma responses can honestly be a bit ridiculous, and lets astarion work through it while having both genuine pathos AND entertaining dialog. again i say: CRAFT.

"Someone Has To" - @shelbyroundthemountain. i read this last march, closed the tab, kept thinking about it on and off for nearly a year, and then happily found it again this morning. wyll lets slip he did survival sex work a few times before he was established as the Blade. he has no idea why astarion's making such a big deal about it now. i think what stuck with me about this fic was the deft psychology of it: a Thing can happen to two different people and they can come away with vastly different reactions based on context and personality. this is ESPECIALLY true when it comes to things like sex that are so embedded in the *gestures* "we live in a society" of it all

"a sentimental jury" - domoda. ok so this is straight-up a complete, cohesive noir in under 3k words. this is constructed like original short fiction. this has astarion as a parisian femme fatale and wyll as a put-upon but ultimately honorable german interpol officer with ulterior motives (!!). i read this like i watch a film. voice and prose immaculate. i feel fortunate to exist in a world where someone thought to make this. two thumbs up

"sewn in the lining of me" - @duckbunny. hey, so, uh! wyll vivisection fic. h/c, whump, etc--it's gnarly in real creative ways, folks!!--but truly what sets it apart for me is the astarion pov: the ways his own experiences layer over everything, the...half-strategic half-instinctive dissociation he undergoes while trying to save wyll's life, the lovely quiet scene between the two of them at the end. this is a fic where you can feel the Psychology with a capital p in every line of the narration. brutal. very very pretty also.

"his vengeance need not be feared" - antimonian. wyll's ready to kill mizora, he totally is, except maybe the WAY he wants to kill her makes him a bad person?? man, let me tell you. the prose on this thing alone. packed with gorgeous character insights, deftly-drawn relationships, a mizora that manages to be deeply unsettling in very few words, and an astarion being anxiously supportive in the only ways he knows how (murder; hovering). also featuring a strong wyll&karlach friendship + bard wyll!!

honorable mention for the ravengard fans: "At dream's end" by hellbell, which is beautiful surreal prose from the pov of a tadpole-possessed ulder re: his son. not wyllstarion, just need you to know abt it

godspeed, fellow travelers

[kibibarel]

reading ur recent posts on lusamine and its just like What ive been sayin... my lord. Empty. notjhing. Theres nothing here in this house. Even though we couldve had everything.. having aether foundation as [one of] your favorite things from pkmn is just curse to open websites and see nothing. No interest posts no "character analysis" from "character analysis website" no fanart... yes theres some But not ENOUGH.... how is aether so small in the form of being recognized... despite being so huge in one of the greatest games in the series.. u can say "Oh but so many missed opportunities" "not enough canon explanation" all u want.. but isnt that what we were born to do.. Expand on one ofthe most interesting things in pkmn ever. i can never find ANYTHING for lusamine other than lame porn and dont get me started on my jack shit for the branch chiefs.. Its sucks out here. Hope you dont mind the rambling in your askbox you are just like the only person i follow/have seen who has also complained about how empty it is out here. i love aether its a pain to enjoy aether

exactlyyyyy.......

i mean i get WHY people might not want to analyze Lusamine...she is an abusive parent (and also has a fucked up relationship with fan favorite Male Character Guzma...and she is also A Female Villain who is allowed to live instead of being put down like a mad dog lmao...) so people don't want to even think about her. i get it, that's too raw for some people...but it is kind of a shame how little most people understand her character and how popular opinion on her seems to be either "if you like Lusamine at all, you are a child abuse apologist" or "LMAOOO LOVE TO HATE HER, GIRLBOSS ❤️❤️" and that's like IT...

remember when Lusamine first got added to Masters and i had to block like 5 people on Day 1 for clogging her tag with character hate....she can't even BE PRESENT IN CANON without people getting mad on a personal level, i'm not surprised few people want to study her the way we do........but come on...you don't have all the facts...she's a tragic monsterfucker who paid a guy to recreate god in her basement! THREE TIMES!!! that's fantastic 😭😭

Faba and Wicke are secondary characters who don't play much of a role in the story so i also get why they aren't very popular...but they Could Be That Deep if you believe in them...Wicke basically double crosses Lusamine by helping Gladion and Lillie get away from her while still continuing to stick around as Assistant Branch Chief? she's the one who works with Interpol on the Ultra Beast Nonsense post-game? she used to be a trainer and went on a Pokéjourney through Kanto once? Faba runs a self-help blog??? come ON

[gayleafpool]

hello beloved leafy i am asking u 1) who do u think varigo’s favorite music artists are and 2) what’s a song/album that reminds you of each of them

does this to you

WAHOOO im about to be so self indulgent with this one thank u mikhail ily

i think var has varied music taste he likes a lil bit of everything :) HOWEVER. list of artists i think would be his favorites: paramore, flyleaf, evanescence, fka twigs and nicole dollanganger. what is the theme there you may ask i don’t know at all really these were the first ones that came to my head. i also think he’d love vocaloid stuff. oh and he’s got an obligatory soft spot for country cuz quirin loves it

meanwhile hugo’s more of a rock guy. i think his favorite artists are a perfect circle, HEALTH, sick puppies, n shinedown. three days grace too probably… and different from the others but i could see him being an interpol and iron&wine fan

as for what albums remind me of them. well u know i have to say preacher’s daughter for var if i have to pick just one i just do. and for hugo devotchka’s album how it ends makes me think of him

[whamss]

Ok I have to ask because you have such based takes on rose as a character,

1) do you read fan fic/ if you don’t what’s your general take on fics interpretation of Rose and other characters in homestuck

2) if you do, please I am begging for any rose character study / rose&kanaya pieces you like, anything will do I just would adore to hear your thoughts. Ao3 is like a drought of mischaracterization of Rose & Kanaya and it hurts my soul.

Oh man, I don't read nearly as much fic as I wish I did not gonna lie, I'm so lazy! (And I suffer from chronic daydreamer disease, where instead of reading fanfic I walk in circles in my room and put Rose Lalonde in Scenarios). I have a few that I've read over the years that I've liked a lot though, so I can try to compile a general list:

the ennui of too late and too little

Starting with this one because it was just posted (and I just read it) and I think it's fantastic! Kanaya POV but Rose-centric, with a particular focus on Rose reflecting back on her childhood with her mom as Kanaya and Rose wander through the wreckage of her childhood home. There's a lot of sweet Rosemary banter in here, and I think the characterization is fantastic. It's a good one if you're like me and want to see Rose actually go through the motions of understanding her mother, balancing her newfound sympathy with her Mom's situation and the things she actually put her through. Her feelings are complicated! And I think the author captured the nuances of how Rose might deal with that very well

And, trying to unfold for you, was brittle

Following the theme of fics about Rose and her mom is the Vampire Slayer Rose AU. This one has slightly less of a Rosemary focus (although it's still there), but explores Rose and her mom's relationship more directly in a way that I think is fantastically developed. It's a very interesting read, albeit a little hard to describe Why it's good unless you read it (read it! It's good!!!). I know you're not asking for Kanaya-centric stuff, but if you like this fic (and are okay with reading or skimming over a tiny bit of smut) I think that this author writes a lot of very solid Kanaya fic. Particularly recommending We Face Back All The Way, a Fallen London AU where Kanaya tries to save Rose's soul from a contract with Dr Scratch, and Where the River Narrows, a fic where post-game Kanaya deals with the precarious future of her race, and wanders the dreambubbles in hopes of solutions (and deals with Some Bullshit along the way. And yes, there's Rosemary. Who do you think I am!!!). From there I also think this is a pretty good author to scroll through in general, lots of bangers in there

Yarn Interpolation

This is a Rose-centric series of two fics that I think is very good. Doomed No Sburb AU where there's no game but Rose's powers develop enough for her to know what she's missing. I don't quite remember the exact specifics of this, but it's a very good beta kids fic with Rose mourning the wife she never met and platonic JadeRose marriage. It's cute and sweet, and I remember it being a fairly cathartic read

Show the Lights

Grimdark Rose comes of age and deals with some internalized homophobia along the way. Fun stuff! This was one of the first Rosemary fics I ever read so I hold it close to me, but I think it's a pretty good fic where Rose reckons with her feelings for Kanaya against the prospect of procreation and the continued survival of her species (in between the desire to feel useful to her group as her friends embark on an Egbert rescue mission). Some smatterings of a very fun pitch Vrisrose dynamic in here as well, as a bit of a bonus

love left her screaming at the screen

Speaking of Rose dealing with internalized homophobia, if you spend enough time shifting through Rosemary AO3 you've probably already read or at least heard of this one but I still think it's good enough that I should include it. Very reminiscent of what it was like to be a lesbian teenager in the 2000's, Rose deals with these preconceptions at the end of the world, through an unrequited crush on Jade and Slightly More Requited feelings for Kanaya. This fic was good for me specifically as someone who was always urked by the fact that Rose's sexuality is never really discussed in depth in Homestuck proper (compared to characters like Dave, Dirk, and Jake), and beyond that I think it's a very interesting exploration of how the bigotry and politics from Earth might stick with the kids, even when everyone who would judge them is long dead. This is another author who's fics I think are fun to sit through as well, lots of good Rose and Rosemary stuff in here (will give a particular shout out to think about staying alive, a Rose Strider AU, which is great for those of us in the Put Rose In A Situation camp who also love good gen fic with Rose and Dave)

Reviews Of Young Adult Novels, Mainly Those Prominently Featuring Vampires, And Containing At Least One Love Triangle

This one is just plain silly, but it's one of my favorites. Rose is an alcoholic who writes young adult novels, and Kanaya is her greatest online critic. Sort of an Urban Fantasy, more of an alternate No Game timeline, with a lot of canon elements sprinkled in (classpect powers are still a thing, Dave's that played the game timeline jump, things like that). This one has a very fun Rosemary dynamic, and in general I think Rose's characterization in this is wonderful. It's unfinished but I think it stands very solidly as is, so if you're looking for something goofy and fun to read this is a great fic to turn to

Vermeil Tarnishing

A shorter one shot AU where Rose is a Derse priestess captured by Prospit. This is a fun one I think, lots of fun dialogue with little glimpses into fictional politics, which ends with a bit of a bang. Not a massive Rosemary focus, but the bit of them that we do see is very fun!

> Rose: Reorient

What kind of mutual would I be if I didn't recommend @awellreadmannequin 's Rose fic? Post-game Rose, dealing with her addiction and the mounting threat of a relapse, visits Roxy and Calliope. Very good characterization, Rose's thoughts are rambly and meandering and she is very much Going Through It, but things get better, you know? Good Rose angst, great study of her character with little discussions of philosophy sprinkled in. A look at how Rose's more ironic childhood interests might grow into something more genuine, and take her down a more hopeful path, with some very sweet Rosemary moments near the end of the first chapter and little hints of vrisrosemary in thoughts and dialogue (in Rosemary's hearts). It's still a work in progress, but I think that the first chapter alone is a great read with a very hopeful conclusion, and I look forward to seeing how it pans out, and I think that other people should read it!!! (Best read on a computer or horizontally on a tablet)

[amamfengutv]

Talk to me naace EP Review, Zulo (2022)

By Banzii Mavuso

Track 1. Let’s talk seems like Zulo’s long-awaited announcement of his hero’s journey with delicious vocals sampling a house classic.

A bold announcement of his arrival.

I read a review on Slikour Online by Lesiba that goes: “If you take a look at ZULO cover art you will notice a common character and his name is Tricky, the bunny. In the same way Kanye West used the Dropout Bear, Tricky the bunny is a personification of ZULO and his journey in the South African music industry. Tricky, the bunny is pictured being teleported by a beam of light, a nod to his love of sci-fi. This symbolises ZULO's ascension into the next phase of his career. It's important to note that Tricky isn't resisting the beam of light. In ZULO's words, "the bear is floating because I'm on autopilot."

He is letting everything be. No longer is the old, frustrated figure of Lil Trix. All that is meant for him will come to him. Tricky, the bunny is at the center of a storm, which is purposeful.

Leading up to this EP, ZULO had gone through various tests in his personal life, but he acknowledges that ZULO was born out of the chaos. Tricky being at the center of the storm symbolizes that rebirth.

For me, I discovered Zulo on Instagram about a year ago and gave him a chance. Sonically, Talk to me naace, is one of the best pieces of work I have heard in 2022 and in 2024.

Track 2. Supreme is a deeper dive into his Zuloverse. Supreme, Supreme. Supreme. Sonically it reminds me of a cyborg movie in audio form.

Track 3. Portals is one of my favorite tracks. Why you catching feelings? Colored boy from the burbs. As a producer and vibes bringer, we see him announcing ‘You in the fucking saga.’ We know he doesn’t publicly announce his love for AKA But as SupaMega fans, we are aware of the Saga as his collaboration with Anatii.

As a Virgo, Zulo delights in keeping things in perspective and also vocalizes his love for the Wayans Brothers. The chants in the song make it deeply relevant to South African youth culture. Showcasing the diversity of his country by featuring a variety of artists.

Track 4. JUST VAARBS. Is a flossing, easy chilling, I really do this easy-type song. Okay, Okay, Okay. This is everything you ever wanted. Hocus Potent, the strain is potent. This is my moment. Listing one of his favorite directors Wes Anderston. You talk too much; you tweet too much. I caught my sub. Never meant to cause you any pain. She said, you wanna smell my punani?” Janet Jackson. I should have left you to be happy. Reminiscing of old love and taking accountability as a man. The beat switches a bit to a Kendrick-eque vibe with a Virgo-Michael Jackson salute.

Track 5. Love your life. A potently sweet message wrapped in Eldo, Jozi vibes, chilling with his favorite Jozi artists like Dox. Rsa.

"Relax, take it easy, I know you can’t. Skyf bietjie daarso, Keep feeding my soul. Better part of me that I’ve suppressed. Lost a lotta opportunities in my defense."

"They say your attitude in life defines success."

Name drops Leon Schuster. An Afrikaner older man, a staple in South African comedy industry. Trust the process is the message. Dox RSA comes in with easy vocals reminding us of our favorite musicians Boom Shaka, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah with a Neo Soul Pantsula twist. Sample of a house classic and sultry vocals before the song ends, la la la la la and sax.

Featuring a sample from DJ Ganyani's 'Talk to me' ft. Layla. We see a deeper dive into his interests, true interpretation of sounds. All the elements, samples and interpolations in the album are used in a way that conveys ZULO's vision.

There are moments on the album like "JUST VAARBS" where you can feel the identity of a truly unique South African talent shining through the Kwaito inspired production.

He has moments of pure genius. Every switch in tempo or flow or cadence comes as a surprise. It's the same quality that you experience in a movie that you can't quite tell where it's going. It is more of a listening experience than a song. 

I think that's the one thing I could take away from "Talk to Me Naarce". It's a coming-of-age story.

A journey of ZULO and the experiences that shaped him. In his words, "There is no such thing as slept on. You're just not doing enough. Talk to Me Naarce now!" 

[neon-in-the-night-time]

slept on it, here’s my more in depth review of the wicked movie musical :)

(spoilers ahead)

cynthia erivo’s vocals were everything i could have ever wished for and more

the choreography was also stunning, especially in what is this feeling and dancing through life. they really made good use of the medium

i’m so glad that they didn’t make ariana grande sing all the parts poppy like in hairspray live… her vocals were wonderfully musical theatre-y. personal opinion they could’ve been more musical theatre-y but ariana grande’s gonna ariana grande. i don’t think i could sing those parts even if i warmed up so don’t really have much room to judge

did i mention how amazing cynthia erivo’s vocals are?

erivo and grande fully understood the gelphie assignment. props

the instrumentals interpolating for good when there’s a gelphie friendship breakthrough moment? inspiring.

it felt like every fucking song had dialogue interjections (or at least waaaaaaaay more dialogue interjections than the musical, and way longer ones too). i get that they were trying to pad out the run time but it was so frustrating.

speaking of padding out run time, i’m actually kinda impressed how they managed to make act 1 fit in the run time of the full musical without actually adding any plot details

i said this when they announced it’d be a two-parter a few years ago and i’ll say it again, of all musicals to split into two parts, wicked is kinda a stupid one to split… it’s already a shorter musical. and these days people are used to 3 hour movies. personally i wish they would just put a ten minute intermission into the film like sound of music did. tbh sound of music should be the blueprint for any movie musical. it’s so good. i fucking love sound of music but i digress

loved seeing idina menzel and kristin chenowith cameo but fucking hated the way they did it. that part was unnecessary to one short day wtf. i hate it. actually ruined the song for me. i get they’re your classic theatre divas who have to be the center of attention but come on.

the costumes were fantastic. ariana grande looks washed out in that wig but whatever. also wish they had put her in colors other than pink but that’s nitpicky. the set design was also amazing (even if i wish it was less a one for one recreation of the original judy garland movie for munchkinland and rhe emerald city)

really loved the inclusion of poppies as a reference to the wizard of oz book and movie. don’t remember if that was in the musical since it’s been 7 years since i last saw it but it was a nice touch either way

they took away the emerald city goggles :( in baum’s original book, the emerald city isn’t actually fully green on the inside, it’s just the green-tinted goggles that everyone has to wear to “protect your eyes from the brightness of the emeralds” when actually they just make you think the whole city is built out of emerald when it’s actually just like. granite. they took away this detail in the movie but it was included in the stage musical, even it wasn’t as touched upon as the book

they changed the date rape potion that the ~mysterious man~ feeds to elphie’s mother to a normal aphrodisiac (or at least that’s what i assume based on the fact that ~mysterious man~ also takes a sip of it). (fans of the musical know who the ~mysterious man~ is but i don’t want to spoil it for movie-only watchers)

i love that they gave nessarose more agency. also so happy they cast a disabled actress

i still hate boq.

[storiesabouteli]

1. I absoluetly LOVED your last fic, you're really absolutely ridiciulously talented at writing

2. Just out of pure interest, do you really not like The Strokes (bc of what reader said in the fic) (no judgement there)? And if yes, what other artists/ bands (besides Inhaler) do you listen to mostly?

1. Thank you so much, I'm glad you liked it!! 😭🫂

2. I'm not a big fan, I think it's a bit underrated… but in the fic, it was intentional because I know they really like it. I enjoy some of it, but overall, his voice doesn’t really win me over (which is a bit controversial because I really like Interpol, and I really enjoy Paul’s voice in their songs. And thinking about it, it’s similar in terms of how it’s hard to understand/get all the words because of the vibe of the music). Anyway, I’m a huge fan of Arctic Monkeys (which includes everything Alex has done; I think he’s a bit of a genius), and I’ve been in love with Catfish and the Bottlemen since I was a teenager, which has shaped a lot of what I listen to today—like Sam Fender, Inhaler, The Killers, Wunderhorse, Fontaines D.C., Haim, Blossoms and others I discovered because of them. Right now, I can also think of Paramore and Phoebe Bridgers, who I listen to a lot as well. What have you been listening to?

[beautifulpersonpeach]

What do you think are the chances SM will drop out of the big 4 eventually soon? All I hear about them recently is how the company CEOs are milking it for all they can without care, I know big ships sink longer but it can't last forever, and Kakao doesn't seem to do SM much good too. Both companies are quite a pair to be honest, lawsuits, investigations and all, Bang PD must be happy he left that disaster for Kakao to deal with 😁 I wonder how SM falling apart would influence the entertainment industry.

***

“eventually soon” feels like an oxymoron lol, but I’ll assume you mean anytime in the next 5 years.

So what are the chances SM drops out?

My gut feeling is 0%. (With a caveat in point 3). SM is still going to be a prominent company in this space for the next 5 years for three reasons.

1. K-pop stans. That company has lasted this long because it’s perfected the model of k-pop - gamifying music consumption - on the largest swarth of fans for the longest time, longer than any other k-pop company. In fact I’d say you’ve not really met a company stan until you’ve met an SM stan because those creatures are the blueprint. Like, I see the way they move, decades later, and feel some respect for Lee Sooman because he’s created a formidable army that’s kept his company rolling through cultism scandals, a government subpoena, an Interpol indictment, several lawsuits from idols under his management, and a HYBE takeover… for starters.

SM dominated 1st and 2nd gen k-pop (alongside YG and JYP for 2nd gen) and a lot of k-pop stans who got in back then were pre-teens and teens. K-pop dominated by SM wasn’t just a hobby for those people, it was their childhood. And they cherish it as such, which also means bias on SM generally skews the way you’d expect. Many 1st and 2nd gen k-pop stans are still very active, they’ve grown up now and are no longer the pre-teens lost in the lights learning about Girls Generation. No. Now, those stans are now the ‘tastemakers’ of k-pop spaces. Much of the mythos around the Big 3 is created and actively sustained by this group of k-pop stans. They are the people you’d typically see being k-pop ‘journalists’ today, they run the main podcasts on k-pop, they moderate the main k-pop forums both in Korea and internationally, and so on. They play a significant part in driving ‘consensus k-pop’ opinions (though ARMYs seem to also make sure they have a voice). K-pop stans will be the first people to tell you how much they “hate” SM for being so shitty in treating their idols, but the bias towards SM in k-pop spaces is implicit. And no, it’s not because of the ‘vocals’.

2. SM’s cost base is low: (I rambled a lot in the first point and now jet lag is kicking in so I’ll try to keep this point brief.) SM spends next to nothing on their staff and talent. Part of the reason HYBE and Kakao could acquire them relatively easily last year, was because that company has next to no cost base, compared to other Big 4 companies. Almost every costing ratio has SM at the bottom compared to peers (excluding legal fees and other non-operating costs); on Korean blinds their employees self-report being the lowest paid among the Big4; Black composers SM hires have reported to The Guardian that the company doesn’t pay them… My point being, even if half of SM’s idol roster stopped putting out music for 1 year, the company’s cost base is so low that they’d still be afloat. Aside from all the auxiliary businesses SM is involved in (they also own hotels in Korea and other businesses), the company is more nimble than it seems at first glance and just needs a bit more time to get stable again.

Which brings me to my 3rd point.

3. New Groups. By this time next year I expect at least one of three things to have happened to SM. I’ll list two. (1) There’s M&A with a Western music label, and (2) SM (as a standalone entity) are back at the topline ratios they were at in 2019. Scenario 2 is already feasible with SM’s Moon&Back partnership, the new girl group debuting in 2024/2025, and RIIZE maintaining their current momentum, even as NCT begins enlisting this year. Nothing revives a company like SM better than new blood, and after the last few years of stagnation, SM is likely to see significant growth from those projects.

I agree with you that nothing lasts forever, empires rise and fall and HYBE will too at some point. And so eventually, SM as we know it will cease to exist. But I’m not expecting it to be anytime soon, save the caveats in point 3.

[jimmy3people0]

guitar hero character headcanons

axel steel - constantly gets into extremely boomerpilled twitter arguments; heart is usually in the right place, however

johnny napalm - as an oldhead british punk, was originally a male model before getting shoved into a band by one of the Top-5 Top-10 Most Evil Talent Scouts in music history; got a #1 hit in the UK about sawing elizabeth II in half hotdog style; now does commercials for greggs

midori - genuinely despises her entire persona and aesthetic and wants to get out of her contract by any means necessary; dudes with nagatoro profile pics insist otherwise

casey lynch - just extremely, unbelievably racist

lars ümlaüt - the most Reddit Wholesome Chungus 100 person in all of scandinavia, and let me tell you, that is a stacked field of contenders

judy nails - used to have a "fan"-run subreddit entirely devoted to counting down to her 18th birthday

eddie knox - has murdered at least four people

pandora - still does not understand why people burst into uncontrollable giggling fits whenever she mentions her stomp box

izzy sparks - is actually really into, like. the strokes, interpol, bloc party, etc. etc.

clive winston - was actually born in florida while his parents were on holiday and plays up his SO BRITISH facade to levels surpassing oasis thrice over to cope with the trauma

xavier stone - I can't even make jokes here dude. xavier went from being the sickest motherfucker ever in GH1 to a caricature of a '70s funk dude in GH2 to a straight up Dr. Thunder-ass hendrixlike in GH3. no man should have to suffer that fate.

[jonathankatwhatever]

It’s 26 May 2025, and I have very little on my mind, perhaps because I posted so late from yesterday. So I’ll take a moment to update myself: I’ve been do a lot of bodyweight cable activities, focusing on building what I’ll call ballet strength into where all that contracts, which involves but doesn’t stop at the entire glute area, and then putting that learning into motion, which has become somewhat absurd because I feel normal now only when I’m moving in some specified manner, meaning it’s not just a walk but a walk with intentionality in enough of its parts that it coheres to me at least as more dance-like movement.

I can only imagine what I’d be like as a girl doing ballet. But that’s

It’s now 27 May 2025. Family minor emergency interruption. Had to go look for something I knew wasn’t lost. It wasn’t.

I have so much to talk about I can’t start. Not sure why. It’s like my mood: can’t quite figure out what I’m feeling. It isn’t that something is wrong. More like dissatisfaction with the state of reality.

I’ve also been troubled by judgmental thoughts on a grand scale. Some go to a fundamental point, which is the extent to which the m and n or a and b of whatever duality is enacted forms and reduces into D3-4Space, into physicality, uniquely, like if you take the entirety of the gs, of the dimensional enclosure, then I have always had trouble seeing how D3-4Spaces would arrange. This has led to the general pathway of treating this entire mission as occurring within a unique space, where unique becomes only. That has always had its problems, not least of which would be the fundamental imagery of this existence as a wandering dot that wavers around a hole as though it’s unaware of the danger. And the question: why do they do that? This has always been visible as more than one dot.

So the metaphor becomes sets versus categories in which all of physical reality is a set within the enclosure of the category. The reason this seems to be coming back appears to be the mechanism just revealed in which the 2:1 enacts over the Bip so that which is similar and unique expresses into ++ along the real axis, which is important to note because that relates to the fan(open/shut) function which expands and compresses the axes. I love that this generates the even negatives as the translation of - -. It’s almost frightening in its beauty, like it can’t be true because it’s so good.

Seeing that process reach up the Bip and then over from - - to ++ and back took a lot of work, and you know how much I appreciate the effort it requires. It really is a lot, isn’t it? Being able to see that, to see how this maps the pyramidal gsForm, so we can literally see the axes in - - join at CM1. That’s another point we solved ages ago, that CM1 as a gsForm means it’s Attachment, that it’s the +1, and thus what it Attaches is the structure which we can measure from 0 or from 1, because that is the structure in ++. But the actual Attachment, from the - - perspective is to the 1 and 0 and 0 and 1, and thus to the Bip, which is what describes that structure because the counts of it are made of and reduce to or factor to gsPrimes.

We’ve known this was the answer for many years. What a huge relief to see it written out in such simple but complete terms.

This gets to the Triangular issue which stumped me whenever. Like 2 days ago. That was the vision this morning. It’s reached the point where I hesitate to describe because no words can convey the degree of intimacy required.

The resolution comes from seeing that Triangular meets little hat Regularization, which by the way I found at work in stuff like Farey sequences, which list all the irreducible rationals in order from 0 to n, so a count of F2 is 0/1, then ½, then 1/1, while F3 becomes 0/1, ⅓, ½, ⅔, 1/1. The idea is to insert the next n between, which is the essence of Triangular because it is the 1-0Segment representation, the idealized form of what we think of Cantorial interpolation.

I remember first writing a version of that sentence in the 1990’s. I knew it was this but couldn’t explain why it took this form. Should coulda woulda took until now to eat itself. That’s one of the meanings which is difficult to explain in words, but which appears in images of construction and destruction, of life eating life, which is about as basic an observation as can be made, translated into the eternal process. This is, as we’ve noted many times, where the destructive God imagery comes from, particularly the images of the God who requires sacrifice. And thus how that remains in existence today. In fact, we have identified the mechanism. It isn’t just a prime pole any more; it’s the entire construction relating to and from this. And yes, that makes the ancient pyramidal forms even more powerful as representations. In fact, the idea of the small pyramid at top is a whole Attachment.

Example is that the ben ben stone becomes the evan stone of Hebrew mythology, from which the waters sprung, abstracted beyond the Egyptian gods, but of course connected to this people as their story at this place. A lot of the problems come from the idea that owning the place owns the God and the revelations of truth which emanate from there. It was meant to be more like a watering hole from which all drink. That’s in the idea of waters plural, and it becomes the story of Hagar and Ishmael and the line there will be a well for you. The water of the creation myth of your own, which is exactly what Mohammed said.

I have not yet made it to the morning vision. It was about how at Triangular, we have the obvious issue that we use Triangular as the basic function of SBE and thus of identity. It’s as simple as seeing two rationals and the third between and then seeing that third is the start for an entire branching coming out and reducing to that third End.

I see an issue with an image of interpolation, which is an fD form, and the HG form just described. The answer is in the symmetries, like what you find with Farey sequences, and pairings over the 1/2 rational to the 0 and 1 Ends. Could not be clearer that this represents L-counts as well.

So at the Triangular, what happens? The answer is in specification and non-specification relating Triangular D3 to D2. This occurs in 2 clear gsForms. One is that an End touches flickers to 2 Ends, meaning it touches somewhere and somewhere else, without specification beyond that. This means any touch, from a diameter to all the way around in either direction to all but the label start, which is the same as rotating so they appear to converge even though the gsProcess gap may be large where you can’t see it.

I see that as making a Boundary in which we also have a double touch, a D2 which flickers to a third End, with one expression being the Boundary made by rotating that, so each flicker to the third now central End develops more of its identity without fully specifying it. That’s the power of multi-dimensional identity again, and how it handles infinities as well as concepts like limits. It’s like when you see a smudge on the horizon and it may be land or it may be the enemy fleet or it may be a mirage of some sort.

I need to post something so I can keep working.

[wayblaze]

in no particular order, my top 10 favorite albums of all time:

1) turn on the bright lights - interpol (2002)

so yes I did just say in no particular order but this is absolutely my #1 favorite album of all time. this is just a masterfully constructed album, the flow from song to song is seamless in a vibes sense, and it's definitely better than the sum of its songs when listened to in order. honestly couldn't tell you what the album is about, bc I really think this is a sonic success more than anything else. interpol did not really receive widespread fame and acclaim the way similar bands of the era did, but this album has huge critical success nonetheless. it's really just a masterclass in writing a cohesive and exceptional album

2) yoshimi battles the pink robots - the flaming lips (2002)

now actually starting the no particular order, this awesome concepty-story album, coincidentally also from 2002. so I generally think it's true that a good album is better when it's listened to in order, but compared to the interpol album, I feel like each song on ybtpr stands alone a lot better. not to say the story of yoshimi and the pink robots isn't a good one, but each individual piece of music is also really good. the robot sounds and other effects in this one make it a really fun listen as well

3) the rise and fall of ziggy stardust and the spiders from mars - David Bowie (1972)

first off it is truly impossible to make a top 10 music list and not include David Bowie. this one I think beats out his other masterpieces because he's truly nailed the rise and fall. even just the opening song, five years, has such a great build that mirrors the whole album. it makes listening to Ziggy an immersive experience in a way that few artists can do

4) people who can eat people are the luckiest people in the world - ajj (2007)

moving away from rock albums, this is probably a controversial take but I think this is the best folk punk album out there. while it doesn't make the political and social statements that later ajj albums do, I think ajj's take on the world and what we owe the people around us and the importance of radical compassion is so beautiful. nothing makes me have more faith in my fellow man <3

5) in the aeroplane over the sea - neutral milk hotel (1998)

moving right back into non-controversial takes, up next is neutral milk hotels most famous and well loved album. this one is just an experience to listen to. absolutely insane lyrics and bizarre and discordant melodies make this one stand out to me as my favorite weird album. another band that has just nailed the album is better in order thing, especially with the way some songs will flow into each other

6) dengue fever presents electric cambodia - dengue fever, sinn sisamouth, ros serey sothea, pan ron (2010)

okay so this first off I think it's really important to clarify that dengue fever has remastered and compiled songs that were likely not to get any widespread reach, but the actual writer and singers of these are sinn sisamouth, ros serey sothea, and pan ron. sinn sisamouth was of the most prolific and successful singer-songwriters in cambodia in the 60s and 70s. he was pioneering an incredible blend of traditional cambodian sounds with the psychedelic rock music that was becoming very popular in the west for such an incredibly unique and beautiful sound. sinn sisamouth was killed during the cambodian genocide and between the khmer rouge efforts to keep cambodian works from spreading, writing non English songs, and just the passing of time, he never received the recognition and fame he deserved. this compilation barely scratches the surface, he wrote and recorded hundreds of songs that are getting released on Spotify genuinely monthly. absolutely check him out there's nothing else like it

7) funeral - arcade fire (2004)

this is an album that is definitely better listened to in order but omg are the songs themselves beautiful. I'm an especially big fan of neighborhood #1-4 and une annee sans lumiere. just beautiful piano and vocals but it still maintains the rock album vibe

8) hi this is flume (mixtape) - flume (2019)

moving starkly away from rock, up next is hi this is flume. I'm not nearly as big of an edm fan but this is just so fun to listen to. the songs all flow together in a way that feels like you're listening to a live dj, the featured artists are so awesome, and it just tickles my brain in such a good way

9) recomposed by max richter: vivaldi the four seasons - max richter (2014)

so this is definitively classical music. it's absolutely still recognizable as Vivaldi's four seasons but max richters spin is really what makes a classical album make the top 10. not only does he modernize the composition while still maintaining the source materials story and emotions, but the way he uses synthesizers and even like recordings of ambient noise it's just really cool and unique.

10) canyon candy - javelin (2011)

would be remiss not to include a country album but honestly this is way more an experimental conceptual album that happens to have a Western sound than anything. basically, the band found sound bites and snips from different and random vinyls and mixed all that together in the coolest sounding soundtracky western vibe. there's barely lyrics and it's only about 25 minutes long, but it really does manage to feel like a journey when you listen to it

[normal-thoughts-official]

Why Joe and Nicky deserve to win the sun and moon showdown, and if they don't I'll end up in the INTERPOL Most Wanted list

A not at all dramatic essay

(Plain text version here)

1. Not only do they canonically use moon imagery to refer to each other, but their context adds new symbolism to that metaphor that other duos don't have

If you haven't seen TOG and aren't familiar with the van speech, well, I recommend that you do, but I'll transcribe it for your convenience:

"He's not my 'boyfriend'. This man is more to me than you can dream. He's the moon when I'm lost in darkness and warmth when I shiver in cold. And his kiss still thrills me even after a millennium. His heart overflows with the kindness of which this world is not worthy of. I love this man beyond measure and reason, he's not my 'boyfriend'. He's all and he's more"

Yeah, pretty long way of saying "actually we're husbands", but let's focus on the "he's the moon when I'm lost in darkness" bit. That bit alone is already insanely romantic and enough to make us fans go rabid with this tournament, but there is an extra layer of romanticism to it, because Mr Yusuf al-Kaysani (aka Joe) is Muslim, and in Islam, the moon represents the guidance of Allah through life, the calendar is based on the moon cycles, and the brightness of the moon is compared to both the face of the Prophet Muhammad and the first batch of souls to enter Paradise. Therefore, the moon, in Joe's culture, is intrinsecally linked with the divine, guidance, holiness, and time

So, when Joe compares Nicky to the moon, he's not only saying that he brings light into a dark world; he is saying that he is the very guiding light that leads him to a blessed life, that he is the foundation through which the world and time can be understood, and that his beauty and holiness is comparable to that of the souls of Heaven themselves

Which is all already enough for me to bite through wood, but the specific relationship between the moon and the understanding of time in Joe's culture is also particularly meaningful for Joe and Nicky, because Joe and Nicky are two of the 5 people who are immortal in the entire world. And one of the core themes of the movie is how that sense of timelessness leads them to isolation, and a constant state of loss. There is a deep melancholy that permeates their entire existence due to the fact that time as we know it no longer makes sense to them, and they live outside of it, skirting around eras and history. So, by comparing Nicky to the very body that marked the passage of time for Joe, he is saying that Nicky is what helps him make sense of the impossible, that he is the constant in Joe's eternity, that he brings meaning to their confusing and sometimes alienating existence

But wait! There's more!

Because Joe and Nicky met in al-Quds (also known as Jerusalem) in the year 493 AH (also known as 1099 CE in the Gregorian Calendar) and had to travel together across the desert for a long time, which means that, for the first few years of their life together, they were in fact relying on the moon to guide them in their path. So they both have a deep intrinsic understanding of how the moon is a compass, the most reliable thing in uncertainty. And the moon has been guiding their steps, their relationship, since their paths were first joined. And they weren't separated since

Like. Listen, I'm sure Star Trek is great and its fans are lovely, and I salute the Star Trek fandom for everything it did for fandom history in general, but you cannot tell me that Spirk has this much baggage associated with the sunmoon symbolism. It just doesn't. If this were a hand touching tournament, no one would have as much symbolism linked to it than y'all, but when it comes to being the sun and moon, no one is doing it like Joe and Nicky

2. The most appealing aspect of the SunMoon dynamic is how they need to defeat all odds to be with each other, and Joe and Nicky have that in spades

"Oh I don't think that's the most ap-" IRRELEVANT. I'll talk about the other ones too. Just keep reading, okay? /joking

As you might know, Joe and Nicky met on opposite sides of a battlefield. They killed each other. (Many times). And what happened then?

They ressurrected and became immortal. That alone is already impossible, but it gets better - even for the rules of immortality in their universe, Joe and Nicky are still an impossibility that has never happened before or since

Because in The Old Guard, immortality is extremely rare. There have only ever been 7 immortals in the entire history of humanity. There are usually several millennia between the appearance of one immortal and the next one. Other than them, the shortest time gap between one immortal appearing and the next was 800 years. But Joe and Nicky became immortal at the same time, on the same day. Their very existence bends the rules of an universe that already bends the rules of the universe they lived in beforehand anyway. Joe and Nicky being together defies the very fabric of time, and if that isn't some sun and moon shit, I don't know what is

But it's not just some destiny shit either. Joe and Nicky were also not supposed to be together by other standards. For starters, they were on opposite sides of a war. Nicky was a fucking priest, and he joined the goddamn actual honest to god crusades. He was hateful and ignorant and awful, and when he chose Joe, he left behind everything he knew before him. All his certainties, his beliefs, his faith, his family, everything he had ever been taught. I'm also gonna go ahead and say that that ties into the whole "the sun is what makes the moon shine" metaphor - because everything that defines Nicky as he is now is the direct result of how meeting Joe changed him

And listen, listen to me. I'm not saying that he stopped being a bigot for Joe, because if he did, I doubt Joe would want him. He did it because it was the right thing to do, and he was wrong and ignorant and indoctrinated by the church. But he still had to make the choice to turn his back to all that, and that plain and simply would not have happened if he hadn't met Joe. It was Nicky's own effort, but meeting Joe was the catalyst

Joe, similarly, had to overcome a lifetime's worth of (well earned) resentment and hatred for what Nicky did. Joe forgiving Nicky at all is already nearly an impossibility (and he would be well within his right to never do that), but he didn't just forgive Nicky, he fell in love with him. And he chose him, well aware of how bloody and terrible his past was, and despite the fact that there is no way he wasn't deeply conflicted about what he felt for Nicky after everything the Christians put him through. I cannot even begin to imagine how hard this process must have been for Joe, and it was one he didn't have to go through at all - which means that he chose to

And that's not even taking into account the very personal resentments between the two of them, because they weren't just on opposing armies, they literally and personally killed each other. Several times over. And yet, impossibly, against all logic, against everything they had ever felt and believed in prior to each other, against possibly their own desires, they fell in love. They fell in love and have been hopelessly devoted to each other every since

And THEN, on top of all that at the beginning of their relationship, they lived as an interracial, interfaith*, gay couple, through what were undoubtedly the worst times in humanity's history to be either of those things. For 900 years, they had to love each other in secret and with varying degrees of risk associated with ever being found out as a couple, or even with being associated with each other at all to begin with

(*It is debatable what their current relationship with their respective original faiths is, since it isn't mentioned in the movie. But even if both of them had turned their back on their religions, they are still culturally Christian and culturally Muslim, and that makes a difference. Personally, though, I don't think either of them turned their backs on their religions, although I do believe Nicky turned his back to the Catholic Church as an institution for obvious reasons)

That's not even counting all the incredibly traumatic shit that they went through ever since (which I won't mention in detail because it's spoilers and also this is long enough already) and that would definitely break a couple with a less unbreakable bond. Through centuries and centuries of pain and regret, they have chosen nothing and no one but each other, first and foremost, no matter what that meant.

Nicky even brings it up in the comics:

[ID: Joe and Nicky touching foreheads with their eyes closed. Nicky is holding Joe's chin and he says, "why is it so difficult, Joe? We've been afforded more time than any lovers I can name. And still, every moment we scrape together feels precious. Something always happens-" End ID]

(From the Tales Through Time one-shot series. I generally think the comics are meh and the movie is where it's at, but I do recommend reading this one. It is set before the movie happens so there are no spoilers)

There has never been a time where being together was easy, and yet, Joe and Nicky chose each other no matter what. They chose each other even when it meant being separated and getting only scraps of time together in secret. If that isn't some sun and moon shit, I don't know what is

3. They complement each other

And not in the dumb stereotypical "the sunshine one and the grumpy one" way either. For starters, Joe isn't bubbly, and Nicky isn't grumpy. No, they have two characteristics that I think represent the sun and moon way better than that anyway - Joe is an extremely intense person, and Nicky, an extremely cool headed one

Joe doesn't feel anything by halves, and despite the fact that he has lived through several lifetimes, it still seems as if everything he goes through is happening for the first time. Every time Nicky or another one of the family dies, Joe looks just as desperate as he would a millennium ago, despite the fact that he's had centuries to get used to the fact that they die and then come back to life. He's the only one who's that affected by it (obviously none of them enjoy seeing each other die, but the rest seem to have accepted to some degree that it's a part of their lives, or at least gotten used to it). He has experienced so many horrible things, yet he is still as affected and disgusted by it every time, going as far as lashing out sometimes. When he's angry, no one is able to hold him back from yelling at the person he's angry at (not even Nicky). Similarly, not even an actual van full of armed homophobic guards is able to stop him from simply dropping a passionate speech about how important Nicky is to him, complete with getting misty-eyed and kissing him at the end (and I'm not even bringing up the fact that both of them have their hands and their feet tied)

To me, that is the most sun-coded possible trait, because the sun is intense, hard to ignore, and quite literally burning. The intensity with which Joe feels also feels like it could burn, but it's also what makes him so warm and loving

Nicky is also a pretty intense person, but, unlike Joe, he is super cool headed about it. For starters, Nicky is a sniper; he is capable of staying still for hours at a time, observing, figuring out the best time to strike. That demands an amount of control over himself, his feelings, even his instincts, that is admirable. But he's not just like that on a mission; Nicky is very careful with what he says, when he speaks, what he lets other people see of him. His expressions are all subtle, contained, and even when he is in a state of murderous rage, he doesn't lash out. He doesn't lose control. The same way that the moon and the sun share their brightness, Joe and Nicky share their intensity, but Nicky is able to subdue it while Joe burns with it and lets that be his strength

Where Joe is expansive and wears his heart on his sleeve, Nicky is cautious and guarded. Where Joe gets lost in his own feelings and loses sight of what they need to do, Nicky keeps their heads straight and reminds him of what they need to do. Like the moon that guides one through the desert

They're different and complementary, but also intrinsecally tied to each other. They have the same spark where it matters, but present it in different, complementary ways. They are a part of each other, but they're also themselves first and foremost. That's what the sun and moon are all about

Sun and moon imagery has been the staple of the Joenicky fandom since day fucking 1, and for good reasons

VOTE JOE AND NICKY IN THE SUN AND MOON DUO SHOWDOWN