#lil bit of characterization I keep in the back pocket

[beliscary]

sir terence...

[meamiiikiii]

a star being appeared in your apartment, wdyd?

(aka loop getting reverse isekaied into the modern office au)

also there are some scattered mumblings on loop in this AU under the cut if anyone's interested (spoilers for all of ISAT, including 2hats!)

vvv

TLDR - The Universe keeps fucking with Loop and they are not really happy about it, regardless of timing.

While I haven't decided anything 100% concrete for Loop, the idea of a reverse isekaied Loop in general is interesting to me, so I'll be exploring that a bit here. Especially in terms of timing on when Loop gets taken out of their timeline. At least in terms of immediate outlook within this AU. So, for now, have a couple of those thoughts! 

---

The two main points in time I am currently considering are the following:

1. From when they gave up their original wish and made a new one.

In this instance, I feel like their arc would play a bit similar to in game

Seeing this new world as different & peaceful

Since they don’t have to deal with the loops anymore, just watch whatever happens.

Be a lil silly for funsies! The chaos that can ensue with a star being existing within a modern world! 

Even though it hurts to see Siffrin’s team hanging around, they really don’t have anywhere to go at the moment (hard to hide a star being in this type of world)

To a slow realization of how unfair this whole situation is. In comparison to all of the horrors they went through, this Siffrin has it so easy.

This Siffrin gets to live an idyllic life, free from the world calamity of being frozen & the literal time loop.

This Siffrin gets to freely hang around their family team, with no foreseeable "end" to being with them in sight.

This Siffrin had their original wish, the wish Loop wanted granted, handed to them on a silver platter. 

This Siffrin, nor anyone in this world, would ever be able to come close to understanding what Loop went through; Loop would never truly be seen in this world, not fully anyway.

What does The Universe have against them, to put them into this world and make them witness all of this?

It should have been them, with this carefree type of life, given all they went through.

2. AFTER the fight with Siffrin.

This leans a bit more lighthearted than the last, since Loop would have gone through all the development from the game via convos + the talk at the very end with Siffrin, and has a bit more peace about their whole deal.

Perhaps they would still see the same conclusions as above, since healing from the horrors would not happen all at once, if ever, with additional flavor

Underlying bitterness in why the script is still going. 

Why is The Universe asking for them to continue into a new world and role?

Haven’t they had enough, once making them witness another Siffrin’s loops and perfect ending, and now a completely idyllic Siffrin’s life from the get go?

However, there is also a bit of hope in the entire situation. Since if The Universe keeps deciding to fuck with them (as in, sending them to different world lines) there is still, technically, the chance of going backward as well.

To their original timeline and to their family.

Once could have been a one-off, but twice?

Perhaps three world jumps might be the minimum to go back, following standard wishing rituals?

More hope in this one from the get-go, with that thought in mind.

---

Though there are probably other points in time that would be interesting too! 

Another one I was considering was RIGHT BEFORE the fight with Siffrin, perhaps even mid-fight. However, I don't think that makes much sense for this particular AU ASAFASFASDAS. Can you imagine if Loop just spawned into this world, doesn't realize this is a completely different Siffrin, and attacks on sight?????

Honestly the idea of a reverse-isekaied Loop into different AU's in general is neat, would love to see other people's takes on it!!  Especially cuz of the various reactions/conclusions Loop could have/make based on the scenario/circumstances would be interesting, if that makes sense. At least I think there is something in that thought? I dunno!

I feel like I am missing some characterization bits in here, but that was the main gist of it for now since I cannot remember LMAO.

Mumblings over, thanks for reading my silly thoughts if you got this far!!!

[thedo0zyslider]

Explosions Across Lifetimes - Chapter 6: Getting Over It - 2k words

A03 link

Scott and Jimmy have a talk, it goes a little better than expected honestly.

Some notes!

This chapter feels a lil rough around the edges to me. I knew it needed to happen, but didn't have the right ideas to execute it perfectly (as evidenced by the word count being only 2k when these are usually 3-7k) i kinda just wanted to get it done lol The others will be not as rough though!! as i have some clear ideas for those!! Hope you enjoy nonetheless :D

Btw, how would you guys feel about some prequels? Specially involving the Jimmy-Fwhip rivalry and a pov of Scott throughout this whole series (which i need. bc his characterization feels a bit of a mess to me here. please also note the newly added scosage tag that i want to sink my teeth into a bit more) i also have quite a few what-if scenarios regarding the s1 finale (and what we have of 2's lol)

ALSO ALSO if you guys have any songs the fic (or just fwhimmy in general) remind you of please drop them below!! got a sudden urge to find some of those!!

NOW ONTO THE FIC!!

The Codfather saw Scott fairly soon after Fwhip’s little collapse, only meeting a week after. He stayed in Grimlands until the Count was back to his usual self again, spouting some sort of bullshit excuse to his council members all the while. He had scheduled a meeting with the Rivendells ruler though. Fwhip’s venting of the situation made Jimmy realize that enough was enough. All three of them needed to consult the issues at hand, and ignoring it was obviously not helping.

He’d made sure to dress warmly, very familiar with the too cold climate of Rivendell. It didn’t bother him as much as it used to and Jimmy could handle extreme temperature changes (which was probably a demigod thing to be honest,) but he was still a fish, and fish weren’t meant to be in below freezing weather, godly powers or not. Didn’t help that elven ice magic tended to make the kingdom colder than it actually was.

Jimmy wore a variation of his usual Codfather attire, just with a long, somewhat fluffy coat around his shoulders and winter pants, accommodated with black gloves and boots often used for things like mountain climbing. He quite liked how he looked in this outfit, the cod had to admit. It gave him a certain elegance he wasn’t known to have. If the biting wind ever started to numb his face he could pull the Codfather’s head down to protect it. The garment was usually worn atop the head like a normal hat was, the tail trailing down the current owner's neck, but it could also be worn like a mask. It was usually used as a mask for things like battles and ceremonies, so his fellow emperors had seen Jimmy with the hat down plenty of times. The little black eyes weren't actually eyes, though they appeared to be, they were eye holes covered by tinted fabric, serving as an extra shield for the cod leader’s eyes.

The outfit notified his citizens that he was traveling to Rivendell, as going to the Crystal cliffs only really required the coat and thicker pants. Gem’s amethysts and lack of ice magic kept her kingdom at a survivable temperature than her neighbor.

He was given words of encouragement from his citizens as he set off, some children even giving him good luck charms on his way out. The Codfather smiled at the action, taking the small items and making sure the cod children saw that their gifts were securely held in his jacket pocket. Cod folk always liked giving gifts to people for difficult events or days, and they certainly knew of recent events in the emperor's circle. Every citizen in all twelve empires probably knew, which was bad. It was bad for Scott and Rivendell’s image, and Jimmy hoped any blame would be directed at the elven king rather than his citizens, since they had been unaware of the rulers' secret keeping. It was also bad because Sausage and Joey probably knew, since both of them could be whores for gossip. And if they knew then Xornorth knew, and they’d lost a potential upper hand against the demon.

Caleb accompanied him just past the wall surrounding their home. It was mostly to keep the children following them in the empire, and to give Jimmy some last words of encouragement, because Cod knows he needed it. He planned to walk a little ways, then began flying at some point, his elytra uncomfortable strapped against his jacket. It was mostly because he wanted to delay the inevitable just a little bit longer, and he hadn’t given a concrete date for the meeting, just that he’d show up when he showed up. Rivendell was used to surprise visits from Codfolk anyways, they knew he didn’t like any sort of formal preparation.

They reached the wall, and Jimmy bent down to flash a toothy grin at the few kids still following, fondly ruffling some hair as well. Caleb bid Jimmy his goodbye quickly before ushering the cod children back within the safety of the wall, picking up a partially rowdy one while the other two were herded in front of him. The Codfather took a moment to giggle at the sight, before turning around and stepping foot outside the kingdom, the wall’s gate creaking shut behind him. It was a shame the children had to leave so early, he wouldn’t have minded letting them go a little father. The trip was just bringing the group a little too close to Mythland for Jimmy’s liking.

He never traveled through Mythland, since he and Sausage were usually enemies. Normally he traveled just outside the border, right on the line where it became taboo to attack him, because he wasn’t technically in their agreed upon border. Not even Fwhip, back when they were enemies, could justify Sausage attacking what was, by a law, a traveling emperor with a right for safe passage, if they were not breaking any agreed upon travel regulations. The only way those could be broken were by diplomatic missions, such as trade deals, which Jimmy had used the day he and Fwhip had their little….realization. Attacking a person traveling through neutral ground would just be an asshole move, though these sorts of political debates were normally avoided by use of elytra.

But today he would not risk Sausage’s wrath, and wouldn’t until the demon issues were resolved. He gave Mythland a wide breadth, which led him straight through Mangrovia, the neutral territory for all empires that was uncomfortably close to Joey. He’d decided to fly over that part of the land though, as this outfit was meant for the opposite of the humid jungle air. He’d walk the rest of the way there, which was fine by him. The elves would probably prefer to see him approach after recent tensions anyways.

He considered making a detour to House Blossom, an empire that he could travel through, since Katherine’s kingdom was basically Mangrovia 2.0 due to her alliances. Jimmy made excuses to himself, like he didn’t see Katherine that often, or that he needed some of her export, but he knew he just wanted to delay the inevitable. The one excuse he made that actually somewhat worked was talking to Katherine about Scott. The two were best friends, so she could probably talk him through things, and knowing the elf he definitely needed that right now. He’d do that later though, on his way back. Jimmy had taken enough detours.

He climbed the cold mountains of Rivendell a little slower than he liked, as the area was seemingly more cold than it normally was. The weather seemed to shift with Scotts mood; Jimmy had noticed, and the elf’s mood was probably pretty sour as of late. The Codfather mask was flipped down pretty soon after entering the biome, the icy cold breaking the cod ruler’s skin after only a moment. The place was definitely feeling the effect of Scott’s emotions.

The codfolk reached the elven kingdom within a day, guards escorting him to the palace as soon as he stepped foot in the lower part of the city. It was a familiar routine, being happily greeted into his allies kingdom and led to either Scott’s house or the royal castle. Except for a small amount of tension filling the air the moment was sickeningly familiar, and if Jimmy closed his eyes he could imagine that it was a different time and he was here for a much happier reason.

Scott’s private residence seemed off limits for this visit, even though Jimmy would’ve preferred that more than the palace. The walls of that place had a lot of ears, it was no such place for whatever conversation the two emperors were about to have but Jimmy supposed he;d have to endure just this once. Though he did wince at the startled look some royal advisors and even guards gave him as he walked past. The Codfather’s head was apparently very intimidating when flipped downward, but Jimmy didn’t really look himself in the mirror before battle, so he wasn’t sure how much truth that held.

He was led to Scotts meeting room, since the elven king seemed to be hauled up in his palace; presumably drowning in his own misery if the weather said as much. It took a little coaxing, and announcing Jimmy’s presence, for Scott to shove away his sour attitude and open the door.

“Scott.” The codfolk said, only after the door had slammed shut behind him. The other ruler was sitting in a chair, looking half dead on his feet. He clearly hadn’t been resting properly, and Jimmy had a momentary flash of Fwhip just a few days prior.

“Codfather.” The elf responded and Jimmy winced at the other man’s tone. He sat down in a chair near the ruler, musing that just because Scott felt terrible didn’t mean he had to act terrible as well. “We’ve been through too much for the cold formalities, petal.” Jimmy returned the others biting tone, throwing in the old nickname for more effect, and maybe to remind both of them just why exactly Jimmy was here. It worked though, because Scott full body winced at his words.

“You know why I’m here.” The Codfather said after a long moment of silence, pulling his jacket around himself more tightly. He didn’t want to have this conversion, and especially not in the cold; the faster it happened then the better it was for both of them.

Scott sighed, a tried kind of sound, resting his head against his hands briefly. “Go ahead, ask whatever questions you need to.” It was a bit unsettling to see him so compliant, Scott was never compliant. He was usually the one asking questions and shooting sassy remarks. Jimmy pushed the uneasiness away through, taking his chance to spit some more venom at his disgraced ex.

“Why did you lie to us? To me ?” The Codfather tipped his mask up slightly, allowing Scott to see his expression in full. He shivered from the ever persistent and getting colder iciness in the air.

“I..didn’t know how to go about it really,” Scott murmured, slowly meeting the gaze of his fellow emperor. “It’s kinda a whole thing ,” He made a hand gesture along with the last word, scrunching up his face as if the word didn’t describe the situation properly. “When you suddenly remember you grew up with a whole sibling and then finding out their evil and corrupted and want you dead. I didn’t know how to process it, so I did the easiest thing. I didn’t say anything.”

“Which led to you lying .” Jimmy finished, hissing out the last word.

“I didn’t mean to hurt you-”

“But you did,” It was getting harder by the minute for the Codfather to keep his voice steady. If the other noticed how it wavered with hurt he didn’t acknowledge it outside of another small wince.

“I know.” Scott said, searching his disgruntled ex’s gaze almost desperately. “I’m sorry, I really am.” Jimmy could tell he was sincere at least, by the look he was being given. The cod did still have one last question though, one that had been bothering him. He hoped the answer wouldn't be yes; that would complicate…well, everything .

“Do you still love me?”

“No. I don’t. You were right.” The elf admitted, blushing a bit despite himself. “It’s not real,” His voice was confident and reassuring, yet he still fiddled with his hands anxiously.

“I wish it was ,” Scott added quietly. Part of Jimmy used to wish that too, before a month ago, before Fwhip. He opened his mouth to say something, but closed it quickly, letting a small silence fill the room. The cod focused on a part of the wall, wondering where they would be if it was real.

“I don’t think I was processing that well either.” Rivendell’s leader spoke again. “On top of all the brother stuff.”

Clearly. Jimmy thought, but didn’t say aloud. Now wasn’t the time for sarcasm. “I didn’t process it well either, to be fair. I did start avoiding you a bit near the end.” He said instead, admitting to his own fault in the relationship. “It’s a bit of a mindfuck to realize you're feeling emotions that aren't really yours,” Scott just hummed and nodded in response.

“I’m happy for you though,” The elf said with a small smile. “You and Fwhip.”

“….Thanks,” Jimmy took a moment to respond, a bit surprised. He didn’t think Scott was bitter per say, just that he was still getting over everything. The Codfather wasn’t sure if he’d congratulate Scott so soon if their roles were reversed, but Scott wasn’t him. Maybe this was one thing Scott wouldn’t be petty over, though he was never actually petty over anything that mattered this much in the first place.

“Sorry for after the meeting, by the way.” The elf kept talking, not letting Jimmy get a word in edgewise. “I guess I’m just still-”

“Getting over it?” Jimmy managed to cut through the other mans rambling, echoing his earlier thoughts.

“Yeah,” Scott smiled lightly again. “Getting over it.”

They talked for another hour, maybe less than that, neither were checking the time much. The cod empire was to uphold all current trades with Rivendell, which was a pleasant surprise to its king. Scott had been expecting at least one trade agreement of lesser significance to be revoked, and Jimmy had very heavily considered it. But his people weren’t known for their riches, and it was important to keep whatever deals they could. So with much debate and discussion between his own thoughts and his council, Jimmy had decided to only break the few agreements from Mythland; ones from the earlier days and the singular totem trade he had with the Lost Empire. Those two were dangerous, and Scott wasn’t dangerous. He was just a liar. Not a good thing to be, and the king was certainly paying for it tenfold without Jimmy.

He forgot what else they talked about other than politics, because that was most of what they talked about. There was still a bit of tension in the air, some stiffness to their interactions despite the earlier conversation. They weren’t friends again, not fully, and Jimmy was still unsure on how much of Scott’s word he should trust. He could tell the elf had a bit of a fake smile as well, like he was forcing happiness into his expression. The air outside was still bitterly cold.

But all in all Jimmy left the cod empire more reassured than he had been when he arrived, yet not at the same time. There was no progress on what to do about the demon, nor had the other emperors consulted each other much about the lies they’d been fed from Rivendell’s king. They were at a standstill, them and the demon it seemed. No one wanted to make the first move, to mess it up, to play a wrong move on the chessboard that was the state of the world right now. Everything was in Scott’s hands really, if Jimmy thought about it. Which he certainly was doing on his return journey, cod mask once more flicked dowards to avoid his ex’s sharp winter weather that had gotten worse since he left the meeting.

Scott knew the most about his brother, even if it was limited. The only ones who might know more were possessed by Xornorth. Scott had all the power here, what moves to make and how to approach it was all up to him, simply because no one else knew what to do. This was ancient Rivendell magic connected to Gods , not anything that was universally taught in the Crystal Cliffs. All Jimmy and his fellow rulers could do was ward off the corruption in the lands, only for it to come back bigger and stronger the next day.

As if sensing his inner troubles the wind picked up around him. The Codfather tightened his coat around him again and made sure his mask fully covered his face, not letting even a small shiver pierce him.

Somehow, it felt like the storm was only just beginning.

[chilling-seavey]

Nothing Revealed/Everything Denied (c.s.) - Chapter Three

A/N I have a busy day of college work ahead of me...working on your future is not easy...ugh...so here’s a lil chapter to tide you over before I can get to my concepts you have sent in! Let me know what you think of Christian and/or Michelle! 

Tyler and all of Christian’s friends were pleasantly surprised with his positive turn around after the meeting, and even Kobe noticed Christian’s sudden positive mood. It was like he was a new man, ready to take on LA like he had planned to all along. Christian read the entire manuscript twice over the very night he came home from the meeting, making Tyler listen to all of his lines at least once after dinner. The oldest brother almost missed their youngest’s usual constant singing over Christian’s historical rambling, but he was glad that Christian finally found something for himself meaning there was going to be less self-loathing spirals over the dinner table.

Two days after the first meeting, Christian and Michelle had planned to meet up to get to know each other better and discuss more in depth ideas when it came to characterization. There was no one who knew Christian’s character better than the woman who wrote him.

So they met up for lunch one afternoon at a small restaurant in Santa Monica. It was a hot day in mid-May, the sky a cloudless blue and the sun was beating down heavily onto the boardwalk patio. Christian was running late for their scheduled meet up time, parking not easy to find by the beach on such a nice day, and he was nearly running to make it on time, a bit of a frazzled mess when he reached the restaurant.

Michelle was already sat at the table, hair pulled back in a ponytail and sunglasses perched on her nose like she was fully used to the LA heat, laughing lightly at him as she rushed to join her.

“I’m so sorry. Parking was a nightmare.” Christian sighed, setting his perfectly crisp copy of the screenplay on the tabletop.

“No problem.” Michelle eyed the book. “Gosh, did you even open it?”

“Yes. It’s freaking incredible!” Christian gushed as the waiter came over to pour him a glass of water. He thanked him as he walked away and he reached to take a sip before continuing, “You have no idea. I read it to my brother. And our dog. It’s a masterpiece.”

“I don’t know about masterpiece.” Michelle chuckled at his obvious excitement.

“Oh, I do.” Christian nodded insistently, setting his water glass back down on the table. He pulled over the script in front of him and rifled through it. “The character is so well built, it’s incredible. You often see the action in war films but never the repercussions and how deeply it can change someone but here, even down to his family photograph in his breast pocket…”

Christian faded out with a small shake of his head.

The waiter came back to take their orders, putting a momentary pause on the conversation.

When he left again, Michelle was biting back a smile as she watched Christian scanning his lines again, “I’m glad you’re so excited. I was worried you would think it was dumb.”

“Why would you think that?” Christian frowned lightly at her as he closed the script again to give her his full attention.

She shrugged, swirling her straw around her drink, “You probably had something so much more interesting going on.”

“Believe me, I definitely didn’t.” Christian scoffed.

“Doubt that.” Michelle shot him a haphazard smile. “You’re in LA of all places, friends with YouTubers and singers, driving Tesla’s, killing the Instagram game…probably have directors lining up at your door with gigs.”

“I don’t want to make myself sound lame but that is not the case at all.” Christian explained, “I was working at the gym down the street from our house for money, my brother’s income is what keeps a roof over our heads, and my Instagram is that of a poser. I’m basically a fake.”

Michelle frowned a moment, shuffling in her chair with his blatant honestly, “You haven’t had an acting gig yet?”

“Little things, yeah. My friends brought me in for this little YouTube show they produced which was nice.”

“Yeah, Prom Knight, I saw it.” Michelle nodded.

Christian cracked a small smile, “Yeah, well that was about the extent of my acting career. Until you came in and pulled me out of the gutter.”

“Well I’m very glad I decided to publish then.” Michelle smiled at him, holding her hand up for a high five. Christian laughed and smacked his hand against hers.

“Hey, what made you want to chose me so badly? The guy with a fake-glamourous life on Instagram and a weak resume?” Christian asked lightheartedly, desperate for the answer he had be wondering about since he received the first email.

Michelle chuckled lightly to herself, taking a moment to sip from her drink before glancing out at the people walking past on the boardwalk, “I saw your acting reels on YouTube.”

“You just happened to run into my old college stuff on YouTube?” Christian raised an eyebrow.

“Yeah.” Michelle looked back at him, tucking her sunglasses to the top of her head. “Is that unbelievable to you?”

“Slightly, yeah.” Christian chuckled. “You could have any actor you wanted. Brad Pitt, Tom Holland, Jonah Hill even…and you demanded that I be called in. Risking your entire novel’s future career and yours on my response.”

“I figured you wouldn’t say no.” Michelle shrugged.

“Oh really? Why’s that?”

“Because I heard that a roll like this was one of your dreams.”

“Oh, Lord in heaven, please don’t tell me you watched my livestreams.”

“One or two.” Michelle chuckled. “You’re quite entertaining.”

“I’m glad you think so.” Christian laughed to hide his slight embarrassment.

“But, honestly, I watched your Orange Flower Water Adaptation and I adored how well you could implement emotion so naturally. It gave me chills…for real.” Michelle added. “You deserve more than you’ve been cut in life, I mean it.”

“You’re too kind.” Christian hung his head back with a sigh and a wide smile he couldn’t hold back, disbelieving that this was even real. He sat up straight again, leaning forward towards her over the table, “Oh, gosh, I don’t even know what to say.”

“Just promise me that you’ll put everything in you into this gig.”

“Of course. It’s what you deserve.”

“It’s what you deserve, Christian. This isn’t just a great opportunity for my novel, this is your chance to get your name out there.”

“Yeah.” Christian breathed, picking up the screenplay gently in his hands, admiring it with near adoration.

“We’re going to make a blockbuster film together, Seavey. I can feel it.” Michelle said seriously.

Christian looked back up at her and grinned, excitement bubbling up in his stomach at their new journey that was just starting. He held up his hand for another high five and she gave it to him, winking at him just as their food was set on the table in front of them.

[ofgeneration]

━ ✧ ( nico mirallegro, 26, he/him ) did you hear about generation’s new record ? it’s totally bitchin’ ! isaac carberry was killing it as lead vocalist. people who have interviewed him say they’re really quixotic & convivial, but they can be sort of impish & ungovernable if you catch him at a bad time. a mischievous grin, northern grit, your ex-record label’s offices looking like a jackson pollock after getting your revenge in the form of vandalism.

hello, my loves! — i’m jess, i’m 22 and over in rainy england. i’m recently done with university which gives me a lot of downtime until i find a job so hopefully i can dedicate a lot of that downtime to this fuckin’ rp because it’s gonna be lit i just know it. i’m a huge stone roses fan and 80s/90s-music-obsessed in general so getting to play this character is super exciting for me, so without further ado, meet my trash son: mr isaac carberry. PLEASE HMU FOR PLOTS!

BACKGROUND

born 14th april 1960 in manchester, england to a normal working-class family, isaac was the first born child of james & rose carberry, with a younger sister coming along a few years later. the little family of four lived fairly happily, but struggled financially just as many people did in northern england at the time. 

when isaac was five, his father lost his job as a result of coalmine closures, and times were tough. however, the family kept their spirits high by keeping close-knit, as well as listening to a whole lotta’ music. music was key in the carberry household. it was all around you at all times.

when times would get particularly bleak, his dad would pick up an guitar and play to the kids. he wasn’t very good but watching someone play an instrument and have fun with it sparked something in the eyes of isaac carberry.

tw violence, corporal punishment — during his teenage years, he was a problem child. he was the kid that always got pulled out of class by the headmaster to receive the cane in his office. he could never sit still, was always cracking jokes when he should’ve been doing his schoolwork, etc. it wasn’t talked about at the time, so it went unnoticed, but what isaac was probably dealing with was undiagnosed ADHD. despite this, though, he was a clever child. he had a way with words and looked forward to english class every week, where he would take great pleasure in writing exercises, especially poetry. 

writing was a dreamy, escapist haven for isaac, and this extended to his life outside of school, too. the works he was producing were mostly tongue-in-cheek, light-hearted stories and poems with a recurring “stop taking life so seriously” theme. when he turned 16, however, these poems began to turn into songs. this started to take up a lot of his time especially when he finished secondary school at 16 and went onto sixth form college, where he took music alongside english.

isaac desperately wanted to learn to play guitar, so that he could form some structural melodies to these songs, but struggled with honing the skill of learning an instrument. luckily, when he was 18, he made three friends who could do just that. the four kids would bounce ideas off of each other and hold jam sessions in the tiny little basement of isaac’s family home, but things never went much further than that (at least not yet, anyway.)

isaac decided against going to university, mostly since his family lacked the funds, and instead picked up a full-time job in a grocery store to help out his household’s shared income. 

in 1979, margaret thatcher came into power as the UK’s prime minister, and times got even bleaker. money was even tighter and the working-class situation became an even harder one to be in. the carberry family started sending isaac out on the street after work to sing some of his songs for tips. 

in 1983, aged 23, isaac was in a dark place. no opportunity, no degree, no wealth in the family to fall back on. he ‘rallied up the troops’ so to speak and practically begged his friends to start a band with him. he had plenty of material, after all.

to his relief, they said yes, and were determined to make it work. they were hungry for attention and throwing themselves at any gig opportunities they could get, to get them a bit of money into their pockets. that was it, GENERATION was truly alive and kicking.

at a show supporting another band, generation were noticed by a fellow musician, who took a shine to the band and booked them to support his upcoming uk tour. thus, the band were rising to prominence. fast forward a year and before isaac even had the chance to process it, generation were shaping up to be the biggest band in the uk. isaac could finally give his family everything they needed to better their situation and was having the most amazing time ever doing what he loved.

after independently releasing their own singles, the band got themselves a record deal in early 1985 and released their first full record, a self-titled album. their management wanted to introduce them to US audiences, and thus — that’s how we find ourselves here. 

PERSONALITY

ok sorry for that LONG ass background here’s the nice lil fun part where we can just dick around lmao hey meet my baby boy chaotic aries who is a lovable mess and i will protect him at all costs

literally so much of his personality is inspired by myself lmao we love an aries legend with ADHD but also i owe some of his characterization to the stone roses’ ian brown so if you ever want a look into isaac, watch some interviews or smth because Big Isaac Mood. the last aesthetic in his app references this video

nice, but a fuckin firecracker of a man. intense boi!! he’s a Lot

on first impressions he’s cool and collected and laidback but when you get to know him he can be very exhausting to be around, talks a lot, never tires of energy, etc

has that lopsided, wonky grin that you can’t help but love

lowkey isn’t really overwhelmed by the fame at all, he’s kind of narcissistic in the fact that he??? just feels like it’s really deserved? he knows hes talented jfjhgfjkghf

lowkey maybe highkey a sweetheart

a favourite with the ladies but not good w commitment

has slept around a lot. ladies, fellas, you name it. probably has it in him to settle down someday since he likes the idea of falling in love, but just hasn’t found it as of yet 

charisma literally oozes from him

tw drugs & alcohol / dOeSnT LiKe To sHoW eMoTioNs but then will literally cry w u and pour his heart out if you’re close enough to him or if he’s hella drunk or high on ecstasy 

Reyt fokin’ northern accent, yeh get meh?

man i dont even know can i just post this dumb shit already because this is getting LONG

WANTED CONNECTIONS

ex-girlfriend / groupie — i have this as a wc on the main

best friends will prob be taken by his bandmates but at the time of writing this only one other spot is taken so maybe ill branch out

give me some ppl who just DONT fucking like him

hookups / ex-hookups

someone he can be a bad influence on

someone who is a bad influence on him

someone he’s had beef w in the industry, maybe they said some shit about his band in an interview or something

a slow burn love interest plot................. listen.... gimme the one person he’s falling for and would consider being tied down for. i’d be so soft for that

gimme anything and everything my babies

[doomedandstoned]

Finland’s KAISER Dazzle With  Fuzz-Soaked LP, ‘1st Sound’

~By Billy Goate~

Album Art: Marie Bergeron

What a way to get over the hump of the mid-week humdrums -- with an advance listen to what is sure to be one of the most rocked-about records out of Finland this year. I speak of '1st Sound' (2018), the brand spankin' new spin from Helsinki stoner metal trio, KAISER.

1st Sound is nothing short of a rock 'n' roll odyssey. Pex (bass), RiQ (drums), and Otu (guitar, vox) have bottled up a lot of inspiration since their self-titled debut in 2014. As I shared in our previous feature on the band ("Chasing Kaiser"), my discovery of the Helsinki trio dates back at least a year or two prior when I randomly happened upon a single of theirs on Soundcloud.

Bringing every weapon to bear, every piece of potent artillery in their arsenal, Kaiser have devised a salvo of a battle strategy. 1st Sound is a blistered attack of stoner-fuzz and sludge metal that will keep you on the edge of your seat (if indeed you can sit still while listening). What really makes it work is Otu's vibrant singing range that more than once reminded me of the late Chris Cornell, Keith Gibbs from LA heavies Sasquatch, or even Olli "Otu" Surrmunne from Altar of Betelgeuze.

Wait just a darned a minute... Stop the presses! I think I've just made a connection. I can't believe I didn't see it sooner!

Unless it's an incredible coincidence, the powerful voice of Otu in Altar of Betelgeuze and Kaiser are one and the same! This didn't hit me literally, until I was writing this review. I mean, it makes sense, right? Both bands are from Finland, though admittedly, there can be more than one metal singer by the name of Otu. Really, I can't believe I didn't see the connection sooner than this. Altar of Betelqeuze's 'Among The Ruins' (2017 - Transcending Obscurity Records) occupied prime real estate on Doomed & Stoned's Heavy Best list last year. To be fair, the band didn't alert me to this revelation, either. "That's usual for us, the weedheads," jokes bassist RiQ when I confront him with my discovery. Well, in any event I now have yet one more reason to be excited about Kaiser. Otu's vox take both bands to another level of excellence in a scene that has increasingly become saturated by a carnage of riffs. This I can definitely come back to for second helpings!

Among the highlights for me were "Desert Eye," which serves up a fierce ride through the barren wilds, kicking up plenty of sand and gasoline fumes as we attempt escape from the Devil's Hand. Delicious, Kyuss-esque low-end and intricate bass play characterizes this track.

Another standout moment for me came with "Earthquake," which is solidly on the metal side of the "stoner metal" equation. This was actually the song that forced the Altar of Betelgeuze connection for me. I'd just never heard Otu belt loose like this in Kaiser before. It's a fearsome sound that reverberates through most every song on the album.

Mark Friday, May 25th, on the calendar. That's when Kozmik Artifactz/Bilocation Records releases Kaiser's 1st Sound to the world. In the meanwhile, you can listen to it all right here, right now on our bitchin' lil blog!

Give ear...

1st Sound by Kaiser

Track By Track:

A Kaiser Guided Tour Through '1st Sound'

After our last chat with Kaiser, I thought it would be a good time to check in again with the band. Specifically, I was interested in knowing the significance of each of the songs on the new record. As usual, I find their frankness refreshing and occasionally hilarious. (Billy)

HIGH OCTANE SUPERSOUL

This is about how you can (or should) conquer yourself, not living in fear under other people's rules and requirements. You're the star in your life, so you do what you wanna do. There might be some allegories of things that have happened in past, present, and future. The songwriting process is not that special, it's just full of riffs that have been brewing in our pocket for years.

DESERT EYE

This is a compilation from our "travels" that we used to do around the "world" -- do not ask about those you might get lost, too. The writing process is the same, just old riffs butting together.

WE BLEED FOR THIS

This used to be song about intercourse, but then we discovered it's about our songwriting processes in the rehearsal place -- full of lightning, fire, overwhelming joy, and king ideas, but there is also similarity to how this world turns over. I don't know, you people decide.

VOIDMASTER

Everyone should go into this place once in a lifetime: deep, deep down into yourself with nothing around -- no sound, no thoughts, nothing. The song was written like four years ago.

OUROBOROS

This is like a brain fart by force, you know. Our producer said that we need some more songs on the album and this came like in just a few hours. We personally don't like this song that much, but don't mind if it's there. Someone could like it. It’s a pretty cliché story about the circle of stupidity that is humankind -- like a snake who eats his own ass.

INTERMISSION

This is a song. The only song that our bassist had to write.

EARTHQUAKE

This is the very first song that Kaiser had written. It was Otu’s, some old riff that we cultured a little. Then one day, I was in the hangover of my life and this bounced into my head in the same beat as my headache, so I wrote these lyrics and it's about hangover -- THE hangover.

FUZZ OF FURY

One word: Bruce Lee!

KING OF HORIZON

This is little bit similar to "High Octane." Think about how you should live in these end times -- you decide. It's more or less about our owns lives, but you can also build your own vision about it -- you choose the story.

GALACTIC CRUSADE

This is the second song we composed, because our producer said that we needed more songs. I was thinking about a slow song, because we don't play those that much. I did this main riff at home and was little scared ("Will the guys judge me and kick my ass with this unmanly riff?"), but they liked it and when we continued the writing, it crowed more and ended quite effectively. The song itself is about something that ends and you start it from beginning, only to screw it up all over again. Sound familiar?

Follow The Band.

Get Their Music.

[siodymph]

Science Bros Day 2

Ok and here’s my take on the prompt “Pending”! I decided to include Tony going out to lunch with Peter and his family cause why the heck not? (Fair warning though, I haven’t been able to go see the movie yet, I’ve only seen all the interviews the cast have done and what non-spoiler info my sister has told me. So if I get any big characterizations wrong, my bad lol. And just to be careful, I’d give this a spoiler warning for the Spiderman Homecoming.)

And if you have any Science Bro suggestions or requests, send them my way and I’ll publish them alongside the rest of the prompts for this week! M cut off for requests will be next week on the 21st though, so keep that in mind!

You can read this story under the cut or over on my AO3!

word count: 1727

Tony isn’t sure exactly when it happened, but he stopped constantly checking all his phones.

Only his work phone had any traffic. But then again it was a work phone and he was one of the heads of a major international industry. And he usually ignored his work so that phone didn’t really count. It was his three other phones that bothered him. His personal phone, his burner phone, and his ghost phone.

It had been silent on his front for a while now, longer than Tony liked to think about. But he use to still check his personal one, hoping that maybe he didn’t feel it vibrate in his pocket where it stayed nearly 24 hours a day, or that Friday got side-tracked with some scans and forgot to tell him. But somewhere in between all of the accords and its aftermath he must have stopped. He could still try and justify it though. Almost no one ever knew his personal phone, and most people who did he usually saw in person like Pepper and Rhodey and now Peter. He could justify the personal phone being so useless now, even if it still bothered him.

And he could honestly do the same for his burner phone too. The one Cap mailed him had been silent for months now too. Granted he’d expected that from him and his merry men. They’d said Tony should call them if he needed them, Steven never said anything about it being the other way around. He got that. Still though, even after everything that had gone down, sometimes he wished Steve or Nat would call. Just to check up on everything. Even if they just argued the whole time.

But that never happened. That phone stayed silent. Locked in his desk he rarely used, in an office he barely visited. And the same went for his last phone. One that was next to untraceable, kept locked in his bedroom with a stack of written letters and photos, and only had one number.

It had only been his only way of reaching Bruce, and now for several months it’s now become completely useless. The last message was a text from Bruce,

Bye Tony. I’ll contact you when I get back from Asgard

He had sent him that mere moments before he left this world entirely. And he was still waiting for that follow up. God, it’s been months since he looked at this phone last. And he couldn’t help but be reminded of that fact as he held the phone now. He was surprised he hadn’t had to dust the thing it’d been so long.

There was still no response, and he realized he hadn’t expected to find any either.

He’d tried some out-of-the-box attempts at communicating with Bruce too, but nothing seemed to work. Gave him any sign.

He hadn’t given up. He was too stubborn to ever really try something like that. And he hadn’t accepted the circumstances. But when he checked those phones for what felt like the first time in ages to find it still message-less. He felt something different, something weaker than all the anger and self-imposed isolation he’d put on himself and the whole spiral afterwards. It felt like something different now.

Whatever it was he didn’t like it.

“Wherever you are, hope you’re doing alright big guy.” Tony muttered quietly, scrolling back through the handful of texts saved onto the phone.

Friday cut off his train of thought suddenly as she came on the speaker just over his head.

“Sir? Just a reminder you planned a lunch today in an hour with Ms. Potts, Mr. Parker and his family.”

He sighed heavily. “Yeah, I know. I’m on it… Thanks Friday.”

Before leaving his room he tucked the ghost pone in his pocket. He wasn’t even sure why he wanted to bring it with him. Maybe impulse? Sentiment even? He didn’t give himself time to think about it anymore. Shoving all the thoughts about phones and all the people who never seemed to use them into the back of his head.

~~~

It was nice to see Peter outside of suits and cover-ups, especially when the city wasn’t being torn apart. How the kid always managed to seem so chipper and positive, Tony had no clue. But he was happy to see that even after everything that he’d gotten swept up in, the kid seemed to be holding up well. Tony saw him waiting outside with his Aunt and one his friends along with Pepper.

Last one to show up to any social occasional, as usual, Tony pulled up to the café and handed off his car to the valet.

Pepper was the first to see him. Waving him over. “About time you showed up!”

“Always gotta show up fashionably late.” Tony said smirking back.

Peter approached him next, grinning, along with his Aunt May. When she found out her nephew’s secret things had been a bit tense between him and her, he did technically put her nephew in direct line of danger and kept a pretty big secret from her. But she’d been surprisingly forgiving, much more than most people were towards him. So now they were fine enough to go out for lunch together.

And then there was the last member of their little group, the only one he hadn’t met before and the only other person who knew Peter’s little secret, Ned Leeds. As he greeted him, Tony tried to keep that relaxed attitude.

“So you’re the guy behind the computer,” Tony said. “Well, it’s nice to finally meet you!”

Poor kid, Ned looked so out of sorts. He looked towards Tony somehow both terrified and beaming. “You know me?”

“Of course!” Tony replied easily as their small group stepped into the café. “You always gotta know the guys behind the computer, they’re the ones who make all this hero business possible. God knows where I’d be without Pepper here.” He gestured towards her. She shook her head in response, smirking. “So both you, and you know Pete’s lil secret here?”

“Yep! Caught him climbing on the ceiling.” Ned said. “Pretty awesome.”

“Honestly, how he thought he could keep anything from his own Aunt is beyond me.” Aunt May teased. Peter for his part could only look embarrassed when she went to scruff up his hair.

“Jeez, what ever happened to lying low, keeping a secret identity?” Tony said. And he snorted when he saw the look Pepper shot him.

“Oh my god! You did not just ask him that,” Pepper said, unable to believe what she just heard. “You. The guy who announced he was Iron Man on live TV to the entire world!”

“Oh come on! We both know I never could have sold that script SHIELD tried to give me.”

“Not to mention the time you willingly gave a terrorist your home address and dared him to come fight you.” Ned added quietly, unsure if what he said was aright but relaxing some when Pepper smiled towards him.

“Thank you! This kid gets it!”

Tony raised his hands in defense. “Hey! I never said do as I do! I think I actually told you to do the opposite!”

That made everyone laugh some as they sat down at their table.

~~~

The five of them had made their small talk, it had all felt so light, fun even. It almost reminded Tony of how things use to be years ago before he ever became Iron Man. And it had been nice talking tech and engineering with kids like Peter and Ned who just seemed so excited about everything, passionate about new ideas, ready to get creative. Both of them had a great future ahead of them, especially if they got out of the hero business while they still could in his opinion. Aunt May was always a delight to talk to.

And it was nice to finally be in a more civil space with Pepper. They had agreed they needed some space, but it was nice that after everything, the living hell that had been their year, they could still be friends. And that was something that had become rather spars for Tony.

But after today it reminded him he wasn’t completely on his own. It had been nice. Like really nice. Not just the fake polite that had become Tony’s version nice. It was kinda sad actually that this was such a surprise to him, that this afternoon he’d actually enjoyed himself.

If nothing else it had let him drop a little weight of his shoulders, something that had become rare for him. And as he began dressing down into something more comfortable he found himself smiling. Thinking about it all still brought a smile to his face so if that was anything to go by then today’s lunch had gone amazing. When his phone began buzzing he assumed it was Pepper wanting to say something about the lunch maybe.

Until he realized that he didn’t have his personal phone in his pocket. He had Bruce’s.

Almost numbly he pulled the phone out of his pocket. It only vibrated once so it wasn’t a call. And when he unlocked the screen he read the text. The first message from Bruce in forever. It was a giant wall of text all sent at once. He could hear his voice in his head as he read.

Hi T-Bone. Sorry it’s been so long. Things haven’t gone according to plan. Asgard is gone, hopefully not forever. Got in a gladiator battle ring. Regrouped with Thor and we’re working out a plan. I’ll be out of reach again soon. I’ll have another chance to talk in roughly four earth months. I’ll have a stronger connection then, we’ll actually be able to talk. I’ll explain everything. Love you.

Slowly he set the phone back down, mind reeling. That text only gave him more questions than answers. But it was too late to try responding to him. Looks like he’d have to wait for four more months to find out what the hell had happened to Bruce.

At least he was doing ok. He was looking forwards to Bruce’s explanation for everything that happened to him and Thor. Maybe when he got a connection again he’d be able to call. He really missed his voice.

[thesinglesjukebox]

RICO NASTY - TIME FLIES

[7.40]

Week 2 of AMNESTY FORTNIGHT!!!!111!11!1 begins with this prolific rapper, and our highest score thus far.

Leah Isobel: The images of flight and air -- time, planes, weather, death -- and the track's headsick treble aren't exactly uneasy, but like Rico's hook they aren't exactly grounded either. They're surreal, blasted with light and low on contrast, compressed into a small pocket of space. This is a great look for Rico, who seems to get energy from confined spaces. Her characteristic yawp doesn't feel angry here, or even gleeful, but content; she glides down on a wind current to boast about her back porch and then skates away again. From the sky, everyone's problems seem so small. [8]

Julian Axelrod: Every rapper these days is dead, dying, or wants to die. It's all very bleak, and we're living in a very bleak world, and music writers rejoice at the thematic consistency of it all. But in a year where death and despair haunted every corner of daily life, nothing brought me more catharsis than a scream-sung ode to being alive. Rico Nasty's music is often characterized by its rage, which is understandable; how many artists make you wanna break cinderblocks just by trilling their own name? But her anger is always undercut with glee, like she's relishing every moment before she obliterates your entire shit. "Time Flies" pushes this duality into thrilling new territory, as Rico turns her warrior cry into a pop star croon over wheezing reflecting pool synths. Her guttural wail of "Five days straight no rest, oh well" is a statement of weary triumph after scaling unimaginable heights. (Now accepting funding for my Rico Nasty biopic Women on the Verge of a Nervous Bussdown.) She knows she could die at any moment; we all could. But these rare moments of hard-earned joy form a worthy legacy. [9]

Wayne Weizhen Zhang: Rico Nasty and Kenny Beats's Anger Management collaboration is a 9-track, 18-minute display of pure, explosive energy. Released several months after, "Time Flies" is the moment she takes a moment to survey the wreckage and reflect on how she got to the top. The lyricism here is stellar, reflecting urgency and rejecting complacency ("I live every day like I'll die by the nighttime"), and also celebrating, however uneasily ("Nothing ever lasts long, I'm always beating the odds"). Rico Nasty's flow is melodic, peak-Uzi, almost sweet -- but she's still going as hard in the way that we've come to expect. [8]

Alfred Soto: Dance music is all the more compelling when an anonymity handles the vocals. Anonymity and blankness aren't synonymous, though. Rico Nasty is neither, but she sings like a regular person, a woman sorting out problems with which we tousle every week. [7]

Kayla Beardslee: Given all the year-end list blurbs I've read about Anger Management being a vicious, snarling project, this bright song was not what I expected from my first listen to Rico Nasty. That's not a bad thing, though: the lyrics are about Rico working her ass off to succeed, but this would be a perfect soundtrack to a laid-back summer drive. "Time Flies" does, however, take a bit to prove its message. The first verse is a generic "wow I'm great, bitches be mad" brag that could be transplanted into an entirely different song (say, a phoned-in Minaj guest verse) without losing anything, but the second verse does expand on the ways Rico has worked to build her fame -- traveling the world, signing deals, taking action to change her life rather than complaining -- finally justifying the chorus's urge to make the most of your life while you can. [5]

Iain Mew: The backing is neon bright and keeps up a bubbly excitement, especially in the high pitched synths that float across, but there's a certain grinding quality to its incessant progression as well. That's perfect for Rico Nasty, whose delivery of "oh well" alone gets across all the same feelings even more vividly. It adds up to a song that's a surge of positive energy with plenty of depth within it too. [7]

Kylo Nocom: Every time I play this I receive diminishing returns. The beat to this sounds like the Uzi material I listened to in 2016 and yet it's still so unfeeling. Rico's attempted profundities sustain the song, but only just enough, never attaining any degree of excellence. [6]

Jacob Sujin Kuppermann: On Nasty, Rico was a rapper almost entirely composed of rage and spite. On tracks like "Transformer," she made punk-rap wannabees like Lil Gnar seem like try-hards, her anger so pure and chaotic that it was almost unpleasant at times. In the year since Nasty, she's managed to take that anger and distill it into something joyful and freeing. On her collab tape with Kenny Beats and the one-off single she did with "Mo Bamba" producers Take a Daytrip, she mixed around with flows and experimental production. Here, though, she takes a Madden soundtrack loosie and goes full melodic on it, sounding like a more coherent Uzi, a exuberant prophet that floats on a sci-fi beat. It's almost too clean, lacking some of the edge that earlier iterations of Rico wore, but it's a good enough time that such concerns seem like quibbles. [8]

Nortey Dowuona: A shimmering synth mosaic with a frozen layer of bass blankets a shuddering percussion line, and thumbing bass drums buoy Rico's sharp yet plaintive voice. She thoughtfully ponders the sudden shortening of her days ahead. [10]

Joshua Minsoo Kim: It leaves a strong impression because the wind tunnel production is pleasant; it's calming in its false tumult. Rico Nasty has some good melodies but this is a song that has the odd effect of feeling like it's entirely inconsequential, sounding both too short and too long. It's like keeping a half-decent TikTok video on repeat for three straight minutes. [6]

[Read, comment and vote on The Singles Jukebox]