#maybe the producers expected there to be a lot more 'ooooh these people are so attracted to each other. will they cheat??' tension

[coquelicoq]

these french people are more prudish than i was expecting. right now a major source of drama is that one guy takes off his shirt sometimes. uhhhh...okay. you guys literally have public nude beaches but okay.

[trashyswitch]

The Real Reasoning Behind All of This

Pocket is getting sick and tired of the pressure that comes with writing fanfics. So, she starts to imagine the characters she's written about, and imagines what advice they would give her and what comforting strategies they would use. And as she predicted, lots of tickles!

Pocket was growling and throwing her phone around the room. So many expectations. So many ideas given to her. She has no excuse to not write now. But she just didn’t. Want to.

She hated when she felt like this. It felt like she was letting everyone down by not pushing herself to fucking write. She knew Shannon was fine with the no writing, but were others okay with it?! Probably not.

She walked up to the fridge and was about to reach for a smirnoff.

[Alcohol doesn’t solve problems]

[Alcohol will make your life miserable]

[It’s a fake high, Pocket.]

[SUGAR]

Pocket angrily closed the fridge and grabbed some chocolate covered almonds instead. She didn’t wanna do the work...It was so much work...She hated waiting for the moments she got into hyper focus. That was the only way she would get her fanfics done at a reasonable time. She relied on those hyper focus episodes. Perhaps if she skipped out on her ADHD med, she would have more energy to do the work. But nope...The adhd med is supposed to help her focus. But the ADHD med drained all her energy. Every time she missed her pill, she would wind up with extra energy. She would be filled with adrenaline. It felt like a sugar high...Or a buzz.

Pocket had recently figured out that a buzz from alcohol was very similar to ADHD adrenaline rushes. It was a fun little fact that she found to be very interesting and yet...disappointing. Finding out the truth meant she didn’t need alcohol to experience happiness. But skipping the ADHD meds couldn’t be the answer to all her problems. There were benefits to her pill. There were days that she didn’t want to be a ball of energy. There were days that she wanted to lounge. And that pill allowed her to do that without issue.

So is being drunk like having ADHD? Maybe for her. But is ADHD like being drunk all the time without the hangover?

Who. Knows.

Pocket looked down at her dog and smiled. She was laying against her leg with her back upwards towards the ceiling. She looked like a loaf of burnt toast...with a bandana tied around her neck. She was a sleepy girl...A fun girl...A cute widdle bean. And definitely a somft girl.

Pocket began to stare off into space as she stared at the white screen on her laptop. Nothing to write...nothing.

Why was she like this? Why is she here? Why can’t she write right now?

Snoring doggo. She snores a lot.

“Hey Kiddo…” Someone said beside her.

She turned to the left, and smiled. “Hi Patton.”

“Why so down?” He asked.

“I can’t write worth my life.” She complained.

“Well, no matter what you think about your writing, I always support you and will help you when things go wrong.” Patton told her. “So tell me: What’s going wrong?” He asked.

Pocket looked down. “I have no motivation left…”

Patton nodded. “Well, you did go through a phase of writing nonstop for tickletober…” Patton reminded her.

Pocket nodded. “Yup...I just want a little more motivation left over and interest. That’s all I ask.” Pocket told him.

Patton nodded. “And motivation, you’ll get again eventually. Now is just not the time.” Patton reminded him.

“Maybe it’s time I changed what I did again…” Pocket thought.

“Changing your way of doing things, is only going to upset the 400 or so followers that you have.” Someone else said.

Pocket looked over to her right. It was William Afton.

“I know…” Pocket muttered.

“Maybe the problem is, you’re too much of a ler to play the lee.” William offered.

“Well...I’m certainly too ler to be a switch…” Pocket mentioned.

“Also, when are you gonna change your status to ‘ler’ instead of ‘switch’?” William asked.

“When are you gonna stop being manipulative?” Pocket asked the murderer in the room.

“T...Touche.” William replied as he faded away.

Soon, another person appeared. ‘Take some time for yourself. It’s what Shannon wants.’ THe person signed.

Pocket looked over and smiled brightly. It was Jamie!

“Hi Jamie!” She greeted him.

‘Hello!’ Jamie replied.

“Getting to be the time to watch your halloween video again.” Pocket mentioned.

‘Happy halloween!’ Jamie signed happily.

Pocket repeated the signs for ‘happy halloween’. She had taken a sign language course before, and learned Sign Language in her own spare time.

“I know exactly what Pocket needs! But only if you want it.” Patton offered.

Pocket smiled brightly. She knew exactly what he was talking about.

“Yes.” Pocket smiled.

‘Wow! You quick!’ Jamie signed.

“I’ll say!” Patton reacted.

William appeared again .“Let’s get to it then. I’m not patient when it comes to tickling.” William said.

“Alright!” Patton ran to her hips and started digging. “Just tell me-”

“BAAAHAHAHAHAHA!” Pocket yelled, laughing hysterically already.

“WOW! I must’ve hit the jackpot!” Patton reacted.

“I’ll say...She’s already a mess of laughter.” William reacted.

“MYHYHYHY HIHIHIPS AHAHARE THE WOHOHORST!” She laughed.

“You kidding me? You’ve got fuckin’ Shakira hips goin’ here.” William reacted.

Jamie hummed silently as he thought long and hard on where else to tickle…

Then he remembered that bellies exist!

Jamie smiled and started skittering his quick fingers on her belly.

“EEEEHehehehehehe! NOHOHohohoho!” She was pushing the arms away and kicking wildly.

“Awww, de poor widdle baby can’t handle de tickles!” Patton teased.

William looked up at Patton. “Is that seriously how you talk to people?” William asked.

“No!” Patton responded, rather offended. Then his face switched to a smirk. “Only when I’m teasing.”

William looked...rather terrified of the face change.

“GUHUHUHUYS! PLEHEHEHEHEHEASE!” Pocket begged.

“Oh yeah…” William muttered.

Patton placed a hand on William’s shoulder. “William, William, William…” He said to him politely. “She loves this.”

Jamie raised an eyebrow. ‘Pocket kicking and pleading.’ Jamie mentioned.

Patton smiled and stopped tickling Pocket. William looked down and stopped tickling as well.

Pocket’s laughter turned to giggles and started lessening to huffs.

But then…

“Why…...why did you stop?” She asked.

William blinked and widened his eyes. “Because breathing is important.”

Patton giggled. “Told ya! I know a lee when I see one~” Patton teased.

William blushed at that and looked away.

Jamie looked at William’s blush out of the corner of his eye, and smirked. He rubbed his hands together and tickled William’s sides.

“WHOAHAHAHAHA! WHOHOHOHO-” William scooted himself away from the random tickle monster that was tickling him, and turned to see Jamie in the same spot he was in. “Oh...It was you.”

Jamie wiggled his fingers with a smirk from both the lips and the mustache.

“Uh oh…” William got himself up onto his feet and started running. Jamie wasn’t far behind him as he chased Will around the room.

Pocket watched this whole thing and giggled. It was so funny seeing the most innocent man chasing the murderer for tickles around her room.

“Now: Let’s get this lee mood dealt with.” Patton decided.

Patton started tickling Pocket again and specifically focused on the sides and belly this time. Pocket laughed and giggled as she kicked her feet and flailed her arms around all over again.

“OHohohohoho nohohohoho! Pahahahahahat!” Pocket laughed.

“Yessss?” Patton replied.

“Ihihihit tihihihicklehehes!” Pocket laughed.

OHOHO SHIHIHIT- HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!” Someone else shouted.

Patton stopped tickling and turned around. As it would turn out, Jamie had already caught William and was now tickling the man.

“IHIHIHI- WHAHAHAHAT’S YOHOHOUR NAHAHAHAME AHAHAHAGAHAHAIN?! JAHAHAHACK??” William asked.

Jamie widened his eyes, stopped tickling him and completely lost himself in laughter. This man couldn’t even bother to remember his name right?! Wow! It’s a wonder he kept a business afloat for as long as he did!

Pocket smiled and enjoyed watching Jamie laugh his head off. It was nice to be able to imagine these characters.

“Alright. One more tickle attack, then I’m all done!” Patton decided.

Pocket nodded and opened her arms to him. Patton happily took it and tried tickling her ribs next. He started at the bottom ribs.

“EEEHEHEHE!” Pocket laughed before collapsing to the floor. It would seem that Pocket was SUPER ticklish on her lower ribs!

Patton tried moving upwards.

“PAHAHAhahahahat! Hahahahahehehe!” She laughed.

“Ooooh! Not so ticklish on your middle ribs, huh?” Patton said out loud.

“Nohohoho...Just thehehe bohohottom rihihibs.” Pocket replied.

“Good to know!” Patton started digging into her bottom ribs and focusing on the spot between the ribs too.

“BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! NAHAHAHAHAHA!” Pocket laughed.

Patton slowed his fingers down and stopped pushing as hard. “Your laughter...is so much different when you’re tickled! Are you faking your laugh often?” Patton asked.

“Nohoho...Ihihi juhuhust hahahave dihihifferent tihihickle lahahaughter.” Pocket told him.

“Well, good to know! I’m happy to know you’re not forcing yourself to laugh.” Patton replied.

Patton took a moment or two to look at the progress between William and Jamie. As one would probably expect, William was now getting his revenge on Jamie! And while the tickling wasn’t producing much of a laughter sound, Jamie was certainly making wheezes and visual reactions.

‘Stop stop stop stop stop!’ Jamie kept signing.

“Why would I stop? You’re clearly loving this!” William reacted.

Patton laughed at that. “Yohou’re not wrong about that.” Patton confirmed for him.

“See?” William smiled and continued to tickle Jamie for a little longer before stopping to let him breathe.

“Not so bad for a lee, huh Jamie?” William teased.

Jamie flipped him off as a response.

Aaaand that earned Jamie even more tickles.

Pocket was helped up by Patton and was given a big bear hug. “Thank you Patton.” She told him.

“No problem, Kiddo!” Patton replied.

“And thank you William and Jamie!” Pocket said next.

‘You’re welcome! Love you!’ Jamie signed.

“Glad to help kid. And for the love of god, take a break.” William ordered. “You deserve it.”

Pocket watched as the characters faded out of existence. Pocket smiled to herself, feeling a lot better. She wasn’t really motivated from the experience, but she did feel a little more inspired again. She felt like she had a better grasp of why she did these fanfics in the first place: To just have fun. And sometimes, the fun will feel like a chore...but that’s okay. It’ll get better.

Now to get these new, fresh ideas into motion before she forgets!

But quickly, a little sentence popped into her head:

[“For the love of god, take a break.”]

Yeah...Maybe he’s right. She didn’t really feel motivated to get anything more going yet. She just felt...super inspired with no energy to make it.

The brain was too tired to do what the heart wanted.

So, Pocket grabbed her laptop, turned on some Lo-fi music and decided to take a nap.

[“You deserve it.”]

This might be my last fanfic before Tickletober rolls around. So, I hope you enjoyed it!

[littlemessyjessi]

Oooh OH OH Valentina sounds so great!! I’m so happy that you’re happy :’)

Is there anything you can (or want, it goes without question that you don’t have to) to tell us about her!

Ooooh! Of course! Any chance to talk about my baby! Even if it embarasses her when I gush but I don’t care because she’s a goddess and I’m very lucky to have her.

She is great btw.  An angel.  A gift. Love my life and enabler of my snack addition. 

So yeah! 

Valentina, or Val, is my lovely boo of quite some time now.  We actually met because she wanted a tarot reading and booked an appointment.  Well, actually that’s a lie.  We met once at roller derby.  I was skating and being a little gremlin and she was in the crowd.  I got one look at her and promptly plowed into the siding and then crashed on my face. 

But sadly she’d been dating someone at the time and truthfully so was I. 

So we didn’t talk about for quite some time.  But THEN she heard that I did witchcraft and art professionally and booked an appointment.  We did her reading and then later she calls me up and she was like, I just really enjoyed talking to you and I didn’t know if you were doing anything.   I was like, it’s cool what’s up? 

And she was like, you wanna watch a movie together? And it was like eleven at night and I had my bonnet on and I didn’t plan on leaving the house. So we legit pulled up Coming to America on Amazon Prime and watched it together over video chat.  

Which, by the way, have you watched the sequel ?   Highly entertaining lol. A little silly in parts but it’s Eddie Murphy.  It’s to be expected. 

Anyway, we clicked and we’ve been inseperable ever since. 

So let’s talk Val.  Well, she’s Cuban and she’s very proud of this. 

My stomach is very proud of this as well because she feeds me well. 

She is fucking brilliant.  Absolutely marvelously clever.  

She loves her job and I love that she loves her job.   

She works in architecture and I salivate at her blue prints and then watching her sketch out her visions.  I fucking die.  I’d share some if it weren’t for the fact she designs for people’s home and that’s kind of an infringement of privacy and we can’t really do that.  I’ll ask if I can show some of her sketch books maybe though.   Idk.

Let’s see she is a Taurus and true to being a Taurus in a lot of ways.  My high strung Cancer ass will freak out but she can bring me back down to reality really easily.  

She’s beautiful.  So beautiful.   She used to have super long dark hair but she recently did the big chop so she could donate it.  We’ve bleached it and hopefully are dying it lavender in a couple of days.  Which I think will look lovely with her big beautiful brown eyes and her sweet caramel skin.   Also, great with her cheekbones and her gloriously chubby cheeks and her perfect little double chin.  Ugh, she’s an angel, I tell you.    

I’d show you a picture but I never post pics of myself just due to my job (outside of pro witch and artist) and she feels about the same.  It’s just a personal thing I reckon.  

Let’s see, she loves to swim but is deathly afraid of jellyfish for some reason.   She thinks mice are cute but if one runs in front of her she will jump on the table. 

Her favorite color is purple but she secretly has an obsession with orange for some reason.  I think she has a ginger kink b/c of my hair lol. 

She is really chill most of the time but good lord it’s a long fuse on a big bomb if you ever piss her off.  Fiercely protective.   

She is tol bean.  I am smol bean.  She calls me Tiny.  I resent this. 

She picks me.  I resent this..... although secretly convenient when I pass out and she carries me to bed.   My back thanks her for not letting me sleep upside down on the couch when I sugar crash.   

She loves bubble baths more than anything on earth. Her favorite scent is blackberry so I constantly scour the etsy for anything blackberry scented. 

She still uses that violet baby cologne that her grandmother used on her when she was a baby.   She claims if we ever produce that our spawn will have it to. 

I don’t argue because i know better. 

I could go on and on because I love her so much.  I can’t wait to marry her.  We’re trying to wait until the rona situation is a little better for the wedding but we don’t want a big one anyway.  So who knows?   

I don’t really care what we do as long as i get to spend the rest of my life with her.  

We can get married in a trash can for all I care. 

Anyway, that’s just a peek at my Val. 

I hope you liked it. 

Also, Val if you see this, I know you ate the last oreo.  I forgive you but I just want you to know that I know it was you.   My godson doesn’t have any teeth yet, babe.   Try again. 

Also, I’m sorry about the hyperactive rant earlier and drinking all the kool aid.  I’ll make more and I get you a Reese’s later, my love.  

=====

Anyway, thanks for asking that question.  I’ll always gush about my boo. 

All my love, 

Kenny

[scottymcgeesterwrites]

Final Fantasy Review

Year: 1987 Original Platform: Famicom Also available on: Nintendo (NES), GameBoy Advance (Final Fantasy I & II: Dawn of Souls), PlayStation One (Final Fantasy Origins), PSP (Anniversary Edition) Version I played: PSP

Synopsis:

The world is in danger. Four monstrous fiends, each corresponding to an element of nature, have wreaked havoc on the world, causing each of the four elemental orbs (in later remakes, crystals) to turn dark. Four Heroes of Light, each holding their own orb, meet and band together to take on these fiends and restore nature to its proper balance.

Gameplay: The original game introduced the Job System. The six jobs are Warrior, Thief, Monk, Black Mage, White Mage, and Red Mage. Each have their own stats. You are free to name each of your heroes. Later on the game, each job can be upgraded.

We are introduced to a classic setup of turn-based combat. Final Fantasy was notable for being the first video game RPG to show your characters on the right and the enemies on the left; all previous video game RPGs had a first-person view with the enemy directly in front of you.You choose your action between Fight, Magic, Drink, Item or Run. Then the enemy takes their turn.

It’s a simple system that at the time was already well-known. It was really the Job System that intrigued players. Black Mages perform destructive magic, White Mages heal and restore, Warriors are the powerhouses, Monks deal damage without weapons, and Thieves can run from battles successfully (they cannot steal, as later games would introduce that). The game can be quite difficult on the original Famicom and NES. It was made at a time when technology was limited, so developers had to make the game harder so that people spent more time playing it. There’s a gaming term that I’ll be using in many of these Final Fantasy reviews called “grinding”. Grinding is when you end up having to run around and fight monsters for the sake of leveling up your characters. There is a lot of that in this game, as well as the early Final Fantasy games in general. Unlike games today, the direction isn’t fully laid out. You are thrown into the world and wander about from town to town to figure out where to go next. Instead of games like today where other non-playable characters (NPCs for short) tell you what to do in cutscenes and whatever, you actually have to approach the NPCs and find out the information. The overall effect is more open-world. You walk across fields and oceans and deserts. There are caves and other secret places to find more items. From a modern gamer’s perspective, the exploring can be quite bare and – for lack of better word – boring. The remakes, like the PSP version that I played, brightened it up with updated graphics. They also added a couple extra dungeons. I actually spent time in those extra dungeons believing they were part of the story, appalled by how difficult they were, when I later found out they were extras put in for the PSP version. That has happened a lot to me with remakes of old RPGs (Chrono Trigger for the DS, another example). A little more obvious sign would have helped to make me realize that I didn’t need to finish those extra dungeons. The pace is definitely slower than the other Final Fantasy games. Most of your time is spent grinding. Grinding can sometimes be a wary word when talking about video game RPGs. If an RPG is too boring or tedious, grinding is the last thing you want to hear. But even when an RPG is fun, grinding means that you need to spend time battling enemies, and that means hopefully you don’t have a huge backlog of other video games. It's probably why I never got around to finishing the original NES version on an emulator. Once and a while I'd be pumped up about going through with it but then as I played I just. . .got distracted by other video games that I wanted to finish.

You definitely need time and patience. The most aggravating thing about the original version (Famicom/NES) is that if your character is set to attack an enemy but another one of your characters defeats it first, that character attacks nothing but air when it's their turn. It was a very annoying issue that they fixed in all subsequent remakes. When comparing the original to any other version, the original always is the best way to experience the game. It can also be the hardest and most time-consuming. You would need to pay attention to this game entirely and not be distracted by anything else.

The PSP version is watered down. I found it infinitely easier than the NES version. I actually played them side-by-side to figure out at what point the difficulty branched off. Right away when you venture to save Princess Sara, I realized that the PSP version gives more XP per battle than the NES version. Hence, you have to grind more in the original version.

Graphics:

Everybody loves some 8-bits, but let’s be honest here – there’s a whole lot of black empty space going on when you battle.

But hey, that was due to the limitations at the time. Battles may seem more boring to you due to the lack of detail to catch your eye.

The later remakes added a floor or ground where appropriate. The PSP remake did a good job of giving a facelift to the original, as shown below. It has this cute, rounded feel to the characters.

(My favorite battle background was in the final battle.)

The opening FMV sequence is ripped straight from the Playstation One remake. That didn’t age well. It’s awkward as hell. Want to see how awkward it looks? It looks mad awkward. Don’t say I didn’t warn you. Just look it up. I don’t want to sully this post by posting a screenshot. In my opinion, they should have created a brand new opening FMV sequence for the PSP version.

Story: The first several minutes of the game acts as a prologue. The Four Heroes of Light save a princess - Sara - from the clutches of Garland, and then the King of Coneria allows a bridge to be built for them to enter the world and save it. It’s not until that bridge is built that the game truly starts and the title screen actually displays – much like a late opening title in a movie. In retrospect, saving a princess probably seemed like the most common trope in video games throughout the '80's. Gamers would have been used to it by then. That short prologue acts like a trope-breaker. The average gamer would have probably expected the game to be like Mario or Zelda. Oh yeah, save the princess from some evil fiend, okay, got it. They would have then maybe been perked with interest when they "defeated" Garland so quickly, and then when the King of Coneria lets them pass into the world and the title screen opens up with the theme song, they maybe were like, "Ooooh. NOW it starts." Final Fantasy then plunged them into a wide open world.

The bulk of the story is mostly comprised of self-contained incidents. You run into someone who needs help with a thing so you do that thing and then you’re on your merry way again. You know what would be a great adaptation of this game? A Netflix series. It’s very episodic. First you deal with these pirates led by Bikke, then get a ship to sail across the land and go on a sort of delivery quest for a crown, a crystal eye, an herb, a magic key, until the main story picks up with defeating the Four Fiends and bringing light to the darkened orbs. There's no real huge spoiler other than the time travel paradox at the end, which had me wracking my head a bit. It's quite admirable that a game this early in video game console history produced a higher concept plot involving time travel. Music:

Composer Nobuo Uematsu created a legendary score that immediately became on par with the Mario and Zelda theme songs.  The Prelude/Crystal theme – the harp-like scale that we are all familiar with – was actually composed last. Uematsu had complete the score when Sakaguchi approached him at the last minute realizing they needed music for the game’s introduction. None of them had any idea that the theme would become a staple for Final Fantasy.

Due to the technical limitations at the time, you can imagine that the soundtrack is limited, but even so it was still quite expansive for its time. There are several individual tunes for dungeons, for sailing your ship and for flying your airship. The map theme will have you humming it without realizing it.

Uematsu drew his inspiration from two sources – classic rock and living in Shikoku, an island off Japan. The melodic world map theme in Final Fantasy (and the rest of the series) derives from the picturesque memories he has of the island. The town theme is reminiscent of the sleepy villages – as he was never a city person. Meanwhile, the battle theme has undertones of rock music.

There’s only one battle theme, even when fighting bosses and the final boss, but the amazing thing is that it never gets old.

Final Fantasy games are known for their great battle songs. The opening bassline always gets you in the groove to fight. You’re fighting but want to sing at the same time. Maybe that’s the brilliance of Uematsu; because of the fact that you need to grind many times in these old Final Fantasy games, he created a tune that you wouldn’t get tired of because it’s not so serious or mundane.

Not to crap on other great developers, but other video game RPGs at the time of Final Fantasy didn’t quite have memorable battle music. Just look up the battle theme to the first Dragon Quest game (released before Final Fantasy). You can imagine how that simple tune could get old really quick. I could be pulling this out of my ass, but after Final Fantasy, it seemed that battle music in video game RPGs suddenly got better. If you listen to the Dragon Quest IV battle theme, there is a portion that sounds similar to the battle theme of Final Fantasy.

The PSP version adds more tracks, specifically to the boss battles, and I like how they incorporate the original battle motif thrown into the new battle songs. The original battle theme has a guitar and drums added, which is the style that Final Fantasy battle music was known for by then.

There is one last thing to note about the score that I found very interesting for its day and age. You see, in a movie score, you have themes and motifs, just like a video game score. But in a movie score, other tracks reference those themes and motifs. For example, you have The Raider’s March in the Indiana Jones films; that’s the theme for the character Indiana Jones. Then in the movie, whenever Indy does something badass, you hear his theme blare in that instance. Obviously the entire theme doesn’t play, but it is incorporated in snippets throughout.

Uematsu actually does this with the Town Theme. He incorporates it at the ending music in the epilogue. It took me a while to try to understand why. Then it hit me. The epilogue mentions the heroes becoming legends as people talk about them. Legends are told and spread in towns.

It’s a very small detail. It’s such a small detail that it could be nothing but if it is what I think it is, then it’s cool that he was already in the mindset of passing on themes and motifs throughout the game, treating it like a movie.

Notable Theme:

I already posted the main themes in the introduction, but here’s the original battle theme:

Verdict:

A strong debut to the Final Fantasy series. To a modern gamer though, you may be spoiled by the fast-paced, eye-catching video games of today. When console games first hit the market, developers had to create games that took longer than the average arcade game to finish, or else kids would get bored with their games in minutes and gee, wouldn’t that be a waste since they paid way more than a quarter? Thus, that’s another reason why old games are harder. Given the technical limitations at the time, developers couldn’t expand much on the game, so there’s a lot of leveling up and grinding because what else could you do? You know? Ultimately, playing a video game back then was all about honing your skill with that game.

Ideally, you could play through every Final Fantasy game in order of their release, and that would give you a greater sense of the evolution of the gameplay and the series as a whole. However, most people reading this (and me) are probably more modern gamers – and as such, our perspective is biased on what feels “exciting” and “remarkable”. The first Final Fantasy game could feel boring and tedious to you now, but if you put it in the context of when it was made, this was entertainment for hours on end. This is basically like watching one of those silent adventure films starring Douglas Fairbanks. Yeah, you’ve been spoiled with more amazing stuff like The Matrix and Star Wars, but golly – this stuff blew people’s minds back in the day.

Direct Sequel? No. However, there have been multiple remakes, which I have already listed above.

[harrv]

I saw this on my other fandom so I hope you don't mind. Make a list of your top 20 favorite fics. Then, tag 20 people (or as many as you like) ❤️

ooooh okay! i never made a long ass ficrec before so here we go *cracks knuckles* 

[not in particular order!] [all are harry/louis]

~ also, i tag anyone who wants to do a fic rec! just say i tag u :)

1. Unbelievers by isthatyoularry / 136k

It’s Louis’ senior year, and he’s dead set on doing it right. However, along with his pair of cleats, a healthy dose of sarcasm and his ridiculous best friend, he’s also got a complicated family, a terrifyingly uncertain future, and a mortal enemy making his life just that much worse. Mortal enemies “with benefits” was not exactly the plan.

Or: The one where Louis and Harry definitely aren’t friends, and football is everything.

2. Young & Beautiful by Velvetoscar / 227k

Louis, to his horror, attends an elitist university in which the name Zayn Malik means something, Niall Horan doesn’t stop talking, there are pianos everywhere, and Harry Styles, only son of a drug-addled, clinically insane ex-rocker, has a perfect smile and empty eyes.

3. Gods & Monsters by Velvetoscar / 201k

The instructions were simple: seduce and destroy Harry Styles. Not once did they discuss the option of Louis actually falling in love. So, naturally, that’s exactly what he did.

4. all we can do is keep breathing by @avocadolouie / 149k+ (as of june 7)

“Harry, I-I’m so sorry…” Louis stutters out, trying to keep his voice level and even, to portray a depiction of strength, but with the way Harry is looking at him, staring at him like he has a personal passage way straight to Louis’ soul, it’s so hard, nearly impossible.

That simple opening phrase, that short introductory acknowledgement that is often rushed out so easily, painlessly, at a safe distance. Giving a doctor the ability to portray empathy without true emotion, without feeling the full brunt and sheer force of the underlying pain itself.

But Louis feels it, he feels the crushing agony laced behind the phrase, he feels the weight of the painful words slipping from his lips, the cause and effect that the three-word expression holds. The distantly empty “I’m so sorry” that doctors throw out in self-preservation, isn’t at all empty for him. Louis recognizes it, he understands it, he feels it.

a fated story of two broken and battered boys who barely survived the unimaginable and how the love of one little brave girl defies all the odds and somehow puts them back together.

[more under the cut]

5. Empty Gold by rainbow_kings / 148k

AU where Louis Tomlinson attends the vigorous, demanding performing arts school: Guildhall in hopes to complete his theatre degree. He is a scholarship student, always having to work twice as hard to prove his worth which has caused him to feel resentment and anger towards his subordinate position.

Harry Styles is the wealthy, naturally gifted actor who effortlessly snatches all the main roles within the class. The complete contrast to everything Louis is.Louis Tomlinson and Harry Styles have had bad blood and despised each other for the two years they attended Guildhall together, making each task a competition between each other.

In the final year, when Guildhall produces and performs an original play, Louis is heartbroken to learn the lead role has been been received to Harry and he’s the second role. He’s mostly terrified, however, when he realises he has to date Harry in the play as their characters. They come together through awkward stage kisses that transforms to hate sex, heated arguments, rehearsal times after lectures and baking carrot cake together.

6. Crave by @dimpled-halo​ / 89k

All eyes are on Louis Tomlinson to bring new talent to save Hanover Records from the mess the previous executive left behind. His newest artist, Harry Styles, is charismatic and everything Louis needs to revive the label. It’s up to Louis and his team to make Harry the star he was born to be. When Harry and Louis come face to face, it isn’t the first time they’ve met, and their worlds are about to be turned upside down.

7. Needing You More and More, Let’s Give Love A Try by supernope / 33k

When Harry gets pregnant after a one night stand, Louis helps him get everything together, from buying pregnancy clothes to taking him on a babymoon. Somewhere along the way, they realize that their feelings for each other are more than platonic. 

8. The Night Sky is Changing Overhead by @domestic-harry / 124k

“Um, sorry, but I believe that’s actually mine,”

Harry said a bit awkwardly, pointing at the cup. The man huffed, slightly narrowing his blue eyes, “Nope, large Americano, dash of cream.” He held the coffee up closer to Harry and honestly, Harry knew exactly what was in the cup because it was his coffee.

“Right,” Harry slowly drawled out as if he was talking to a toddler, “Which would make that mine.”“

Look, I really don’t have time for this, I’m running late. And this,” he said before he took a sip from the cup, “Is mine.”

Harry’s jaw dropped and he held his hands out, failing them slightly, “Wha-you can’t just drink it!”

“Well I did, so, do you still want it or can I be on my way?” The man challenged.Harry shook his head disbelievingly, “Take it, but for the record, it says Harry on it.”

The man turned the cup around and a sharp laugh came out of his mouth, “Well, shit.” He looked at Harry, a smile stretched across his face as crinkles formed next to his eyes. “Thanks, Harry.”

9. the wonderlands by stylinsoncity / 150k

Harry’s daughter, Andy, is signed to Louis’ girl band. Her path to success is marked by competition, chaos, and for Harry, a love affair.

10. If I Was Stronger by haloeverlasting / 50k

Harry lets out a breath she hadn’t even realized she’d been holding. She feels tingly, and hot, and absolutely terrified, but the next time she looks in the mirror, she sees someone she knows intimately. She sees that girl with bright green eyes, and unruly hair, and parted lips, and she loses her breath a moment, because while she knows that girl inside and out, she hasn’t been honest with herself until… well, now.

“I might be gay.”

A Girl Direction AU where Louis holds universes inside her, and Harry just wants to hold her.

11. Now In A Minute by @avocadolouie / 150k

13 feels like yesterday for many people, but for Louis it actually was.More than anything in the world, Louis Tomlinson dreams of growing up. Simply skipping over all of the awkward, embarrassing years of teenage existence and getting on with life. Real life.

So when thirteen-year-old Louis wakes up in the body of his thirty-year-old self, he expected everything in his adult life to be picture perfect. And maybe it is. He has it all…or so it seems.

Except his favorite person and lifelong best mate, Harry Styles, is totally missing from the equation and Louis doesn’t understand why. He has a lot of catching up to do and as adult life turns out to be more than what he bargained for, Louis can’t help wondering why a life that seemed so perfect, feels so empty.

Or the 13 going on 30 au that should have been done years ago.

12. Fake It Till You Make It by @avocadolouie / 136k

In a twisted turn of events, Louis finds himself posing as the brother of his fiancé, Harry, for an annual company retreat.

Did he sign up for this? No.

Is he doing it anyway? Yes.

Can they actually pull this off? Probably not.

13. precious little thing by mercutionotromeo / 21k

Niall grins deviously and hits “make call”, putting his phone on speaker. They lean in close to peer down at the screen, heads knocking lightly together. Dull rings reverberate quietly around the room and mix with the monotonous buzz of the lights. It rings for a while - maybe six or seven times - then the other line picks up.

There’s a slow, steady inhale, and a low voice purrs, “Hi, sexy.”

Jesus - this guy has barely said two words, and both of them have made Harry’s cock twitch in his jeans. That’s not even getting to what those words are, and why he’s saying them, and how Harry’s stomach is dropping into his shoes at the mere thought of him saying… other words. Words like “cock”, and “please”, and “come”.

Also known as: a university AU featuring phone sex operator Louis, copious amounts of sweet, soft kink discovery, and Louis being Harry’s Daddy.

14. Say You’ll Remember by whisperdlullaby / 93k

au. louis and harry are best mates that are only half aware that they’re also soulmates. alternatively, louis goes to university and harry travels the world, and they always manage to find their way back to each other.

takes place over nine years, in which they love and hurt, make mistakes and learn, and above all, grow.

15. Grenadine Sunshine by @horsegirlharry / 18k

Harry’s only sixteen, it shows right now, and Louis wants…he wants so many things. He wants to taste the faint, sugary ghost of lip gloss, he wants to cup Harry’s face between his palms and swipe the shimmery wet shadows from beneath his eyes. He wants to show him everything he knows, even though he doesn’t know anything about this, about kissing boys or flirting with them or doing their makeup or even showing them it’s okay to want to wear makeup in the first place. Still, Louis just wants, wants and wants and wants. It’s what Harry does to him.

16. California Sold by isthatyoularry / 123k

Notoriously closeted boyband member Harry Styles is famous on a global scale, meanwhile Louis, as his best friend, is back home in Manchester, living the typical life of a 24 year old. When Harry needs Louis with him in LA, a publicity stunt gone wrong changes their friendship forever.

A fake-relationship AU between two lifelong best friends.

17. Do Not Go Gentle by afirethatcannotdie / 70k

“This is all a game to you, isn’t it? Well, it’s not for me. This is a real life or death situation,” Louis says, spitting the words at him. “And I just don’t think you’re cut out for it.”

For a moment, they stare at each other in complete silence. Harry can feel his blood thrumming between his ears, can see Louis glaring at him, feels red-hot anger. And then all he feels, oppressively and desperately, is lust.

Suddenly Louis is surging up to him to press his lips against Harry’s. Harry walks the two of them backwards, pressing Louis back against the door. Louis oomphs in surprise and brings his hands under Harry’s scrub top, scratching at his lower back.

“Lock — oh — lock the… fucking door,” Louis mutters.

When Harry Styles starts his first day as a surgical intern, he expects a lot of things: to treat patients, to observe a surgery, to feel a bit overwhelmed. What he definitely doesn’t expect, however, is that the handsome guy he kicked out of his bed this morning is also an intern.A Grey’s Anatomy AU where tensions are high, Harry and Louis are hooking up in secret, and no one has time for love. Or do they?

18. Finding Lou by stylinsoncity / 60k

Louis is the nomadic stranger who wanders into Harry’s bookstore. Harry is the skeptic who falls for him.

19. Coax the Cold by MediaWhore  / 86k

England, 1897.

English Professor Louis Tomlinson’s passion for the occult has been a source of mockery and derision for most of his life. When he hears whispers of a travelling freak show newly established in London claiming the existence of a monstrous sea hybrid, half-man, half-fish, Louis sees it as his ticket to credibility amongst his peers. The summer he spends undercover working on the show, however, gives him much more than that. 

20. Here In The Afterglow by @fondleeds

“If you hadn’t noticed, I don’t have many friends,” Louis whispers, the blossom of insecurity in his stomach unfurling and clawing its way into his throat.

Harry is silent for a long time, and then he speaks; a soft, slow uncurl that makes Louis’ stomach shake. “I’ll be your friend.”

-1970’s AU. In a tiny town in Idaho, Louis’ life is changed forever by the arrival of a curious stranger. 

[supernatural-firstwatch]

Season 3 Episode 9: Malleus Maleficarum

That tile makes me think of Maleficent from Sleeping Beauty.

- Ew! WTF IS THIS WHITE CHICK DOING TO JANET?? Through the cunning use of her toothbrush??

- Mr. Dutton is hiding something. Look at this face. He has his suspicions about who might have wanted to hurt Janet.

- WITCHES! Old school witches! Like Maleficent from Sleeping Beauty? LOL! Dean. “i hate witches! Always spewing their bodily fluids everywhere. It’s downright unsanitary!” Look who’s talking!

- Amanda has a cut on her hand. I saw that bandage, Amanda!!! But I know you’re a red herring. Oh, ew, fucking gross! Ok, maybe not a red herring. Honey. I don’t think you should eat that platter of chicken. It’s got maggots all over it. Unless you’re Puma, Timon, or Simba, you’ll get food poisoning. Oh, looks like Amanda has an ax to grind with more than Janet Dutton. Looks like hubby is next on her list.

- EEEEWWWWW!!!!!! THE BURGER HE’S EATING HAS MAGGOTS IN IT!!! DEAN IS RIGHT!!! DOWNRIGHT UNSANITARY!!!!

- Sam and Dean to the rescue! 

- OH AMANDA!!!! WHAT’S SLASHING YOUR WRISTS??? Do witches really make pacts with the Devil for their powers? Just cause her spell didn’t work the one time, she’s dead? And the boys were not expecting her to be dead, so clearly this is not witch craftery as usual. Witch on witch killing!!!! 

- So, is the book club a cleverly hidden cover for the coven to get together? What the fuck are these three idiots getting themselves into? Are they making deals with the Devil to make their lives better? Also, blonde chick totally knows that Amanda didn’t kill herself. 

- There was a slight moment there between Sam and Dean after Sam said the witches needed to be stopped where Dean clearly was like “Woah, Sam’s going dark on me.” But yeah... They are witches and murderers and they’re unlikely to stop. If I were Elizabeth I would be worried about my health. 

- HAHAHAHA!!! I KNEW A BAG HAD BEEN PLANTED IN THE IMPALA! Mrs. Renee Van Allen looked way too suspicious and like she wanted to take them both out before they got on to them. Oh, wait no, nevermind. It’s just Ruby? HAH!!!! I WAS RIGHT!! THEY DO SERVE DEMONS!!! That entire confrontation with Ruby was GREAT! I like that she’s trying to save Sam. And oh yeah, that is the first time Dean actually meets her. Hah! Her and Dean getting at it. And Sam saved her! Dean does not look pleased! But she has a point Dean, you’re going to be kicking the bucket and leaving Sam to fend for himself so he’ll need as many people in his corner as possible. Though, Ruby is a demon so you can’t really trust them. But the demons don’t like her either sooo... And Sam looked so torn! I wonder if he can sense the demon...? Also, “Witches are whores” LOL!

- YES! DEAN! FINALLY WE ARE HAVING THIS CONVERSATION!!!! “You seem to less and less worried about offing people. It used to ear you up inside.” Oh, great come back there. “Nothing, but it’s just what you’re supposed to do, okay? We’re supposed to drive in the freaking car and freaking argue about this stuff! You go on about the sanctity of life and all that crap.” “Wait, so you’re mad because I’m starting to agree with you?” LOL! OOOOH!!!! “If I’m going to stay in this craphole of a world and fight this war, then I got to change.” “Change into what?” “Into you. I got to be more like you.”

- OH! OH! WHERE’S THE HEX BAG! DEAN IS NOT FEELING WELL!!!! I KNEW THEY WERE GOING TO HEX THEM!!!!! OH SHIT!!! SAM’S GOING OFF TO KILL THE DEMON TO TRY AND SAVE DEAN CAUSE HE CAN’T FIND THE HEX BAG! BUT I BET YOU IT’S ON PURPOSE TO DRAW SAM OUT!!!!

- What did Ruby just pour down his throat? WAIT! Did Ruby do this on purpose to get Sam out of the room??? No. Also, Dean, how would you know how ass tastes like? Something you’d like to share with the class? And real great come back, Dean. “’You’re the short bus.”

- Good work on figuring out who the demon is Sam! WAIT WHAT???? DEMON CAN STOP THE BULLET!!!!! Yes he IS in a lot of trouble! OMG! TAMMI!DEMON JUST SNAPPED MRS. VAN ALLEN’S NECK!! 

- Oooh, there’s another Demon that wants to lead the army! Why is it that the Demons are still waiting for Sam to pony up and lead them? And why would the new Demon overlord wanna-be not want the competition of Sam? DEAN! Oops, nope. RUBY!!! LOL! She’s faking it so hard. And I don’t think Tammi!Demon is buying what she’s selling. Oh! There goes the knife and the attempt at killing the demon! Is Elizabeth going to snag the knife on the floor and kill Tammi!Demon? BECAUSE THAT’S WHAT SHOULD HAPPEN!!!! AWH! She went to witch way. That was silly. And Dean got the knife and killed the Demon.

- I like Ruby.

- HUH! All demons used to be humans? And have forgotten what it means to be human or that they were humans... AWH! There’s no way to save Dean from the pit??? I bet that’s not true. Clearly Dean doesn’t stay in hell because there are freaking 10 more seasons of this show!!!! And Ruby remembers what it’s like to be human!!! And all she wants is for Sam to be ready to fight the war without Dean by his side! 

BUT WHY SAM??? THERE’S MORE TO THIS THAT THEY’RE NOT TELLING YET!!!! These assholes writers and producers are playing the long game. Also, are Sam’s psychic abilities really gone? No more psychic Sam? No more telekinesis, visions, that’s it? You spent 2 seasons setting that up and now that Azazel is dead, no more? Seems... weak. BRING BACK PSYCHIC SAM!!!!

[emilylikestodream]

The empathy game

When was the last time you felt brave? When i was hitchhiking for the first time alone in Kyrgyzstan. Though actually i felt more scared and nervous and wondered what the hell i was doing here and why i didnt just catch the next marshrutka, like my mom would want me to, but as soon as i was in that truck with an amazing sight of the mountains and valleys around me, i was overwhelmed by happiness. And when i crossed the Tajik-Chinese border. Same thing, first i asked myself why the heck i was doing this, and when i was on the chinese side of the border i couldnt believe i had just done this.  what have you worked incredibly hard for? two years ago i was dealing with kind of a depression and an eating disorder and i really worked hard to overcome this. it was fucking worth it. i also worked quite hard i think to find friends and make myself comfortable in shanghai, i think. what would a world populated with clones of you look like? hmm. a lot of confused red heads cycling around in a manner that definitely threatens other peoples health and sanity. we would do yoga and running together, and probably a lot of nice comfy cafes would open up to satisfy our needs for good coffee and a chill place to read books in. we wouldn`t need such things like national borders, cell phones or game of thrones. but we would need an endless supply in flea markets, blue sky and occasional techno nights.  all cows would die because i don`t eat them and i don`t know how to milk them.  actually a world populated just by me would kinda suck because then every place would be the same, and i didn`t have the chance to learn about other people and culture. it would be just me, everywhere. woah. what an imagination.  what do you wish you knew more about? Russia. Not kidding i really wished i knew more about the russian revolution and young people in russia today. and the world in general, i wished i understood better how the world has come to be the place it is today. besides i would really want to learn how to do DIY more - how to sew clothes, how to draw, how to fix cameras  and bicycles, all this stuff. so i don`t have to pay others to do this for me.  when did you appreciate something someone has done for you? pheeew. when my dad phoned my bank to find out why i couldn`t withdraw money. and when he phoned fucking opodo to cancel my flight because online i couldn`t.  if magic was real, which spell would you learn first? i would learn how to teleport myself. it would be so cool if i could just teleport myself to other places, instantly and without having to pay for a flight.  when you were young what did you think was cool but isn`t cool now? ooooh haha so many things. i mean define “young” but when i was 16 i thought cutting up my jeans would be cool, and wearing misfits shirts. i thought drinking until i can`t talk anymore was cool. in general i wasn`t being very grateful and affectionate with myself and others, and thank god i don`t think that`s cool anymore today. what your morning ritual? okay so i get up, do 15-30 minutes of yoga and meditate, and then i have a shower party (=showering and singing along to my favourite songs) and then i make breakfast and coffee or tea and watch the news. i really like mornings.  what is a life goal that you have discarded? maybe becoming a famous writer. i mean i`m not actively pursuing this anymore.  If you could get the answer to any question, which one would you ask? what happened to my travel diary?

when was the last time you felt embarassed? ha when i tried to sneak some bread from my neighbours on the train to shanghai  (i was reaaaally hungry) and they saw me. that was quite embarassing.  what has been incredibly rewarding for you? moving to Shanghai. and before, moving to Hamburg. Travelling, and learning Chinese and some Russian. 

what did you learn from the last book you read? john green - an abundance of katherines first, that its worth continuing a book i don`t like immediately. then, that even people who always seem to get dumped, sometimes ditch others. and that there`s always a happy ending (and if not its not the end yet yesyesyes we all know it) what is your favourite time of the day? definitely and a 100% the early morning. 

what do you enjoy most about getting older? that i become more self-reliant. that things that used to make me sad or angry or shocked don`t bother me that much anymore.  what is a controversial opinion that you have? phew thats hard. i might have to pass. what does home mean to you? home is less a physical place but a feeling to me - i need some good vibes (which mostly includes good people, dim lights and maybe a beer). its not hard for me to feel home in a new place generally. what would happen if everyone became a millionaire?

ha thats kind of an extreme version of the unconditional basic income - okay i guess we would all go on a loooong vacation first and then the economy would either drop or explode - because everyone has the means to buy infintely now, but no one would produce anymore. we would either become selfish and brutal, or kind and gracious, because money wouldnt mean anything to us no more. until the first guys go bankcrupt and then the whole thing would start all over - we would go back to feudalism in less than 100 years i guess. expect capitalism to come back in 300 years. if your mind was an island, what would it look like? what? who thought of that question? okay so i guess like everyone elses mind-island - and impenetrable covert of trees and and bushes that goes far deeper than it seems on the first glimpse. 

[darkcloud-kcalifornia]

Man, not even getting to this one until Monday night, as my weekend… pretty much didn’t exist.  Oh sure, I had Sunday off, but that was full of obligations and other such things.  That and other people wanting to use the TV.  But I’m ready to give commentary on MLP now, as I don’t have to go to bed until around 1 AM tonight.  So anyway, let’s get started with “A Health of Information”?  What’s that about?  No idea.  Somepony becoming a hypochondriac, maybe?

* Fluttershy, Zecora might have known where the stuff was, but you’ve got wings.  Help a zebra out, here!

* And now Zecora’s wet. I blame you for this, Fluttershy.

* Crap, Zecora getting nailed by a toxin she doesn’t recognize probably isn’t a good sign.

* Huh, I’m fine with Zecora having Jazz in her heart, but it probably shouldn’t be that literal.

* “Swamp Fever”? Well, not the most imaginative of names, but accurate enough.

* Zecora’s gonna turn into a tree?  But that’s Fluttershy’s thing!  Although this means that flower wasn’t acting in self-defense, or even hunting, it was acting as a facehugger.  This is the dang tree’s reproductive system.  Also, “Swamp Fever” is no longer accurate enough.

* Fluttershy is counting on finding an ancient, mythical being to heal Zecora?  Man, she sure is lucky this is a fantasy series with at least 3 ancient beings already running around.  Actually, would Discord know anything about Mystical Mask?

* …I would not have guessed competitive cooking as a way Twilight and Spike would spend a lazy afternoon.

* Well, if Fluttershy’s parents knew the legend of Mystical Mask maybe they should seek out a pegasus library instead?  I dunno how broad Twilight’s collection is, but she might just have things mostly related to unicorn interests.  Or for that matter, would checking out the Crystal Empire library be an option?

* You know you’ve got a problem when Twilight tells you to take a research break.

* Holy crap, Fluttershy actually found it?!  So we’ve got a real name now, Meadowbrook.  …I’mma still call her Mystical Mask.  That’s just cooler.

* Ooooh, the mask was a plague doctor’s mask.  But then those worked based off the miasma hypothesis, which doesn’t leave one with the greatest confidence in her having what would be considered vast medical knowledge by modern standards.

* Ah, Zecora failing to rhyme!  It’s getting serious!

* Honestly I would not expect an ancient wooden city to survive long in a swamp.  Oh well.

* Aww… Twilight bonding over the ages over Mask having lived in a tree.

* Fluttershy’s reached the completely loopy phase of exhaustion.  This would make her what, the third of the Mane 6 we’ve seen reach this state?

* Rocking creepily in the dark is kinda fun.  And I have been known to startle people a lot.  Not even sure how.  A lot of the time I’m just standing there kinda silently, or letting my mind wander while pacing, or coming up to somebody to ask them a question from behind, or… um… on second thought let’s just get back to the show.

* Twilight, no digression to see if Mystical Mask was a tsundere as a kid!

* A young healer trying to find the cure to the plague ravaging her village is nice and dramatic. And I’m guessing Mask did find a cure, as her failing would be kinda dark for this series.

* Well hey, there’s the cure.  Honey from a magical bee immune to the toxin.  I suppose that if they were so poisoned getting the pollen, which is the poison come to think of it, they the honey they produced might have antibodies from their own systems.  That or it’s magic bee honey.

* And then Fluttershy was part tree.  DUN DUN DUN! OK, either Fluttershy got a whiff when the plant sprayed Zecora, or this thing is even more vile than originally thought.

* The show is trying to give a good moral about needing to take care of yourself as well as others. Fluttershy is say HUG THAT MORAL, A LIFE IS COUNTING ON ME HERE!  Gotta give her points for determination, if nothing else.

* And Fluttershy gets knocked out by both the bees and her terminally ill state.  Nice try, but it’s best not to go into boss fights with low HP and status effects.

* Three days out cold. Ouch.  And it’s nice to see that Twilight and Cattail weren’t passive during that time.  Just unsuccessful.

* Ah, so Mask’s mask just so happened to share the Queen’s markings.  Right, time for round… however many passed while Fluttershy was out cold.

* On a completely different subject, I like the design on Cattail’s mask.

* Mission successful! Horray!

* And it turns out that the plague is contagious after all.  Yeah, that tree is pure evil.  Oh well, congratulations Fluttershy and Zecora, you accidentally started an epidemic! Though really considering all they did was seek medical attention it’s hardly something they need to beat themselves up over.

 And that’s the episode. This was a pretty good one. Fluttershy was fairly impressive in this episode, if not the most sensible.  But then the circumstances were ones where, while being unreasonable might not help, it is completely understandable.  The only real gripe I have about this episode is that the moral wasn’t supported the best in the episode.  Sure, they tried to show it near the end there, but Fluttershy’s insane determination at the cost of her health actually did lead to the information on Mystical Mask being discovered.  But overall a good episode.

[badbadmovies-blog1]

Attack of the Crab Monsters - Director Roger Corman; 1957: Looks Like We Got The Dynamite by Mistake

I’ve seen countless bad movies by this point in my life, and none has ever taken the place in my heart that this film has. Attack of the Crab Monsters is the absolute cream of its particular crop; this is the pinnacle of poor quality cinema. Attack of the Crab Monsters is a bad movie you can clearly tell a number of people spent plenty of time on; the special effects are shaky, the dialogue poor and the concept ridiculous. This movie fails at being a quality movie, but it succeeds in being highly entertaining in every possible aspect.

This is a movie both produced and directed by Roger Corman (what a shock), and it bears all the hallmarks of what make movies by the acclaimed master of cheap cinema so enjoyable. Far from modern bad movies like hastily produced Adam Sandler comedies and formulaic romcoms, movies by Corman continue to be so loveable because you get the sense that the people involved seriously enjoyed themselves in the production. It would be disingenuous to claim that a Corman film like Dinoshark is any less of a crash grab than Adam Sandler’s amazing flop Jack & Jill, but Jack & Jill feels like more of a soulless cash grab. Corman produced 35 movies between his first film in 1954 and 1960 alone, and Attack lands squarely in between Not of This Earth and The Undead. Corman, if you’re curious, is still alive and very much still making films; his IMDB roster currently has him at 415 producing credits and 56 directing credits. He currently turns out CGI X vs. Y monster movies for SYFY channel’s in house movie studio. If Roger Corman sounds like a familiar name to you but you don’t spend your weekends taking in the cinematic equivalent of potato chips, it’s probably because Corman was the man behind the so-terrible-it-never-got-released 1994 film The Fantastic Four, which received some renewed publicity and interest a few years ago when the Fantastic Four movie series was rebooted.

Roger Corman and his…special set of skills rose to prominence at exactly the moment Hollywood was getting into radiation based monster horror. With the world gripped by fear of the atomic bomb, Hollywood began turning out dozens of quickly and cheaply made films about radiation and atomic bombs bringing about the end of the world one way or another. The fact that Corman managed to time his emergence into filmmaking so perfectly with this trend is honestly nothing short of divine providence. The plots of these movies are all fairly samey: an atomic test is undertaken in a location thought to be safe and either awakens, angers, or creates a monster (The most famous of these is, of course, Godzilla). Either the monster invades civilization or a small group of scientists, nearly always including exactly one woman, is sent to investigate. The plots begin to diverge here, but they almost always re-synchronize with each other at the end with a quick, timely lesson or quip about the folly of humanity or the power of nature or the danger of science or something passingly similar.

“I’m not so sure you are right Monsieur Quinlan…maybe their bodies are gone, but who can tell of their souls, eh?”

So says the comically fake French accented Jules Deveroux (played by the very American Mel Welles, a frequent actor in Roger Corman’s films) in the first of many amazing lines. What this movie lacks in anything resembling finesse, it makes up for in quotability. The basic outline of the film is as follows: a group of scientists has been sent to a remote island near the Bikini Atoll to study the effects of nuclear testing on the plant and animal life after the previous group of scientists disappeared without a trace.

One of the men assisting in bringing supplies to shore falls off his small boat into the water, and we get our first glimpse of the monster: a large, extremely poorly constructed eye. The fellow who’s fallen off the boat isn’t long for this world. He’s flailing, you get about 2 seconds of paper mache crab, and then the poor dude’s headless corpse is being drug from the water (it’s not a convincing corpse either). So we’re 4 minutes in and already we have our first body. A German man with a fake accent as bad as the Frenchman’s asks why the whole atmosphere of the island feels wrong. Another character notes that there’s “no animal noises of any kind”. Ooooh, spoopy. The camera takes a moment to linger, completely silently (there is no score in this moment), on the confused faces of the German and one of his partners. The movie really wants to make sure you know: this is spooky. It wants you to know so badly it’s going to beat you over the head with it.

As our large and almost completely indistinguishable cast of people who are definitely going to die are unpacking their supplies into their lodgings and scientific lab on this deserted island, which is, of course, an improbably nicely appointed mid century suburban home, random guy #3 moving crates speaks not only my favorite line in this movie, but my favorite line from any movie ever: “Looks like we got the dynamite by mistake”. That about sets the tone.

From this point the movie rolls on in pretty much exactly the same way you’d expect: people start disappearing, disasters start happening, and worrying discoveries start getting made. The menace ends up being, of course, very large, very irradiated crabs. The crabs themselves appear to be paper mache and are hilarious in appearance, clearly somewhat sloppily made.

This is seriously what the crabs look like.

There’s a whole lot of bad dialogue and a whole lot of technobabble. The best bit of the latter has to be the scene where the scientists discover the titular crab monsters are non-solid and objects pass right through them; this gets explained as the crab’s “atoms being too far apart” so that they’re more space than matter. The crowning glory of this film both in concept and execution was the choice to make the crabs telepathic, hyper intelligent, and able to absorb the minds, personalities, and therefore voices of the people they consume, meaning that the crabs are able to communicate with the characters while impersonating the ghosts of their dead friends. The crabs eventually consume the Frenchman, and all this together means the characters are eventually running from a non-solid giant killer crab that’s speaking to them in a bad fake French accent.

I’ve seen actors accused of chewing on the scenery but I have to wonder if an entire movie has ever been accused of it. This whole film spends its time cutting its teeth on the poorly constructed sets around it, making a very audible racket in the process. And my god is it good. Attack suffers from every technical problem imaginable, from bad dialogue to poor SFX to questionable set design to bad acting, and it’s the most fun it’s possible to have watching a film. You will laugh hysterically watching this movie. I recommend taking this one on with a group of like minded friends – Attack of the Crab Monsters is so much more fun together.

[selenelavellan]

All I Want To Do (is have some fun)

Concert AU

Deceit, Fear, Dirthamen belong to @feynites

Back to fluff!

Des squeezes his way through the apartment buildings stairwell, humming an old pop tune under his breath after a day of work. It's not glamorous, but it pays the bills and leaves him a little left over to treat himself with.

And he gets to giggle under his breath each time he asks someone through the phone line if their device is 'properly turned on'.

Selene is lounged across the couch beneath a light blanket, laptop open while she types away, a cold cup of tea perched on their new coffee table.

“Welcome home.” she calls without looking away from the screen. Several notebooks filled to the edges with scribbles and numbers are splayed open around her.

“I see you're still working. New textbook order?”

“Just a new edition for next year,” Selene hums “They don't want kids copying the homework from the previous years class, so I have to at least rearrange some questions before orders go out.”

Des nods, flipping through the mail pile. 

Bill, past due notice, bill, coupons, and... “Is this the new lease?”

Selene finally looks up from her laptop. “Oh. Yeah. Our lease is up soon, so management dropped that off and asked if we'd be renewing again.”

“We're not, right?”

Selenes eyebrows scrunch together curiously. “Of course we're renewing. Where else would we go?”

“Oh, I dunno, off the top of my head we could, maybe, move in with our devastatingly handsome sig nifs and their place that's ten times bigger than ours? With working hot water?”

“That's...no, I don't think that's a good idea. Let's just renew, and we can maybe revisit this topic next year.”

Des plops down next to her on the couch, causing her laptop to nearly fall to the ground before she can catch it. “What's wrong with this year?”

“Its...” Selene bites down on her bottom lip, her gaze returning to the screen “It's still too early to move in together, don't you think?”

“It's been like a year and a half so, no, not really. I wasn't expecting us to renew last year, either.”

“And that's silly of you,” she reprimands. “There's nothing wrong with having separate apartments.”

“Except that we could be paying a lot less in rent and utilities, if it were split five ways instead of two.” Des argues.

“Oh please,” Selene says with a roll of her eyes “Have you met Fear? Anyplace in our price range, even split five ways, is not going to have a security system they'd be comfortable with.”

“They're fine with the security where we are now.”

“Des, our security system right now is a broken deadbolt, our kitchen knives, and the hope that the asbestos in the hallway will kill intruders before they make it inside. It's one of the reasons they never come over.”

“All the more reason we should move in together!”

“Des...” Selene groans as he shuts the top of her laptop.

“Listen, we spend over half our nights there anyways. We usually all eat together. We could keep an eye on the place while they're touring-”

“We already do that-”

“Exactly!”

She sighs, and Des waits while she seems to mull the matter over.

When she shakes her head and says no anyways, it starts to bug him.

“Selene, there is literally no reason not to do this.”

She turns him down again, and he pouts, trying to figure out how to convince her, before an idea strikes him.

“You know...” he drawls “With the bills split so many ways, I bet you'd finally have some money left over after you get paid for the textbooks.”

“That's all bill and grocery money, Des.”

“Yeah yeah yeah, just hear me out. What if it wasn't? What if, with three other people to share the burden of bills, you had enough left over to, oh, expand your wardrobe? Maybe so it's a bit bigger than 5 shirts and two pairs of pants and whatever you've managed to borrow from me?”

Selene huffs, but he can see the wheels turning in her head as she does the math.

“You could get a bike, like I've seen you eyeing. A motorcycle, even.” he presses.

“Motorcycles mean classes, maintenance, insurance, and a monthly payment that I can't do, so hard pass. Nice try though.”

“We could get a car-”

“That I can't even drive.” she scoffs.

“So we'll teach you. You should learn anyways.”

“I don't need to learn how to drive, Des.”

“You sound like your father,” he prods, before doing an unflattering imitation. “'Those damned demon machines, polluting the planet and producing more lazy generations who refuse to walk anywhere like a true elf should. Harrumph.' “

Selene snorts before breaking out into a small fit of giggles. “He's never said that before.”

“He would though,” Des points out. “You driving would piss him off to no end, which is exactly why you should.”

“That is a good reason,” she smirks “But I can get Deceit to teach me in his car without moving in together.”

Des lets out a loud groan, sitting up just so he can dramatically swoon back against her.

“Come oooooooon Selene. You haven't lived with anyone else but me ever since Carina and-” he pauses.

Sits up straight.

“You never moved in with Carina.”

“That's true,” Selene agrees, suddenly somber as she reopens her laptop.

“You dated her for five years.”

“Also true.”

He whips around so that he's face to face with Selene. “You've never lived with anyone but me.”

“Still true.” she hums.

“Oh no. Ooooh no, I am not waiting four more years for you to realize this is a stable relationship and we're not going to have to run away in the middle of the night. I need a regular dose of vitamin D in the morning before we're old and gray, Selene.”

“We can buy vitamin D pills if you-Oh, I just got that. Gross, by the way. And you don't know what could happen in the next few years. We wouldn't want to leave them holding the bill because the two of us had to leave again and broke the lease. What if something happened while they were out on tour, and we had to leave without saying goodbye?”

“I think they'd still be devastated if we left them with no warning regardless of our living situation.”

“But it'd be worse if they had to deal with getting rid of all our crap.” Selene argues. She sighs, tone going a little softer as she continues. “How are we going to keep hiding your clinic rehab meetings if we're living with them? Or what if the Carta finds us, and destroys whatever place we're sharing with them, and they get hurt, or worse? It's just...it's not a good idea, Des.”

Des lets out an overly put upon sigh before draping himself over Selene. “Fiiiiiine.”

She places a kiss to the top of his head and glances over to the coffee table, where he somehow moved her laptop while she wasn't looking. “Can I get back to work now?”

“Can we cuddle first?” he pouts through large, exaggerated eyes and lashes.

She hesitates before finally nodding and relaxing beneath him. “Yeah, alright. I'll finish it later.”

–

It's about a week later until Des is finally alone with Fear.

“So my and Selenes lease is up soon,” he tells them.

Fear doesn't respond, but they do pause in their preparation for dinner.

“She thinks we should renew.”

Fear puts down the knife, and makes their way over to Des before holding their hand out “Do you have the new agreement offer with you?”

Des grins, and pulls the folded up set of papers from his back pocket before handing them over.

Fears eyes slide across the agreement, their features becoming even more unhappy than they normally appear as they read through it.

“They really expect you to pay that much to live in that place?”

“It's robbery is what it is,” Des nods “I told Selene we should move in with you all, but she thinks it's a bad idea.”

Fear glances up from the lease with a raised eyebrow “Then why bring it up?”

“Because I know you're smart enough to see it's the best solution to our problem, babe.”

Fear gives a small 'hm' in response before tucking the lease into the back of their jeans. “Come help me shave the carrots.”

Des wiggles his eyebrows playfully at the potential innuendo, and strides into the kitchen to help anyways.

–

A couple more days pass, and the whole group is relaxing comfortably around Deceit, Fear, and Dirthamens apartment in various states of undress. Selene is typing away on another set of revisions, perched in Dirthamens lap on one of their chairs while Des braids through Deceits growing length of hair on the floor.

Fear looks up from their phone, breaking the relative silence. “Any of us good with yard work?”

Selene mutters “I can garden a bit, if that's what you mean.” without looking up from her computer screen.

Their head tilts slightly in consideration, and they quietly mutter 'I wonder if the yard could be re-purposed' before their attention returns to their phone.

Des glances over at them anyways, eyebrow raising curiously until Fear gives them a small 'I'm looking into it but don't tell anyone else yet' indication.

Grinning to himself, pleased with what may have been put into motion, Des returns to braiding Deceits hair, humming an old pop song beneath his breath.

[bassismybf]

Mick Jacobs sits down with Canada’s rising start RALPH

Accented with golden accessories and a sleek blonde cut, Raffa “RALPH” Weyman exudes a cool confidence that may intimidate a stranger. But in conversation, Weyman is inviting and chatty, eager to share anything from her genre (“Synthpop disco soul”) to her morning routine (coffee and a crossword).

A string of releases over the past two years has led to a six-song EP, debuting this week, and notice as one of Canada’s rising stars, so she’s been keeping busy.

Seated at the Alchemist in Los Angeles’ Koreatown neighborhood, Weyman told me about her plans for 2017, her studio routines and quirks, and why travel is a much needed form of inspiration.

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

I like the collar you’re wearing, it’s a nice touch

This was a gift to myself for just achieving some things that I felt good about. My friend owns a designer consignment shop in Toronto, and this came in. I wasn’t even thinking about buying it, I just put it on.

Then this woman, a regular customer, decked out in head-to-toe designer who always comes in and tears everything apart, sees the collar on me and goes “Oh my god, what is that? I’ll buy that right now!” And all of a sudden I was like “You know I think I might get it…” She continued trying to buy it off my body and I’m like “hehe, no.”

And now it’s one of my favorite pieces.

And it comes with a great story. So what are some of these goals you reached?

The fact that I have an EP that’s done and is coming out in a few days, with six songs that I feel very strongly proud of, I think that’s incredibly gratifying. People will ask me “Oh, is this uncomfortable, listening to you own music?”. To be honest, no, I really enjoy all the songs. They were crafted with a lot of thought and enjoyment.

We are already two months into 2017. Your EP is done, you’ve been travelling, how are you spending your time here in Los Angeles?

Overall, it’s nice having a break from your routine. Here I’ve done lots of hiking, eating well, and going out late. Sometimes it’s nice to just say yes to every house party.

The nice thing about LA is you’re always meeting new people, and you never know who they’ll be. Toronto is big, but it’s small if you’ve been there a long time. Going to new places, writing and talking with new people, and making connections has been great. I spent much of this week in the studio writing with different producers. I have my last writing session this Monday. While here I actually wrote my favorite song that I’ve ever written.

So, when can we expect to hear that one?

Ooooh, I don’t know! Right now it’s just a demo, but ideally it would be an album song, the next hit after the EP has had its time. That, if anything, is worth being out here.

I’ve seen that you’ve Tweeted about working with people who’ve worked with major acts like the Spice Girls in the past. How do you choose who you work with?

Well, creatively, when it comes to aesthetics like videos and photography, I’m very lucky in the sense that Toronto (I’ve lived in Toronto my whole life) hosts a very large network of creatives who are really good at what they do, and who are willing and eager to help out and assist on a project if they feel driven and are motivated behind it. I’ve been able to pick and choose who I get to collaborate with on photography and music videos. My best friend just directed the “Tease” video, and our friend Jackson shot it, I had other friends style it. My little brother even assisted on the video, and my older brother directed the first music video that I made for “Trouble”.

Do you think that your music reflects that friendship in how it sounds?

A lot of the people that I’ve collaborated with on the songs I haven’t known them going into the room. When you go into a room with a producer, often it’s you’re two strangers, who were hooked up through managers or friends of friends.

It’s important for me to spend an hour-and-a-half talking to that person, getting a sense of them, letting them get a sense of you. Because you’re going into a room like “alright, here are all of these personal experiences and stories that I’m going to share with you, and we’re going to put it into writing that everyone will hear.” This is a very personal experience, and I feel the songs reflect how I’ve become friends with the people that I work with.

Of the songs on the EP, three of them are with one guy, three of them are with another guy. Both of those producers I’ve cultivated nice friendships with, and I don’t think the songs would be what they were if hadn’t been able to feel comfortable with them.

Is this going to be a very personal EP in terms of what you’re going to talk about?

I think every song that I write has an element of personal experience. Even if it’s a song about dancing with my friends, in order for me to write songs that I connect with, I have to insert something personal into it. But things like that also depend on you as a listener. Some people aren’t picky about lyrics, so they’ll listen to a song and go “Love the beat, love the vibe” that’s it. And that’s cool; as long as you love it and feel good. But I do appreciate when people are like “I love this line, I really connected with this song, that’s me in that line.”

What are your favorite lyrics that you’ve written?

One of my favorite lines is in a song that isn’t on the EP, one that may or may not get released. it was “I’m beginning to think that I’m complicated/Do I get-off on manipulation”

And that’s a very personal line for me, which I didn’t even realize how personal until I wrote it. I was seeing someone who was incredibly kind to me, and I knew that there were more feelings on his end than on mine. But it was so nice to be cared for so deeply, that I kept putting off.

Is this the person in “Cold To The Touch”?

No, actually not. But a lot of lines in “Cold…” are my favorite because each blog that picked up that song had interesting interpretations. The point of the song is that I’m not trying to be an asshole. We’ve all had people who are not honest to us, right? By no means have I always been the person who’s controlling in a relationship; it takes two to tango. You’re in a situation where you like someone, and they’re like not really texting back quickly and you’re like “Just tell me you’re not into it! Don’t make me suffer!” So the point of the song was that I had been in that situation and liked the person, but I realized there was a bit of an imbalance.

What can you tell us about the thoughts and feelings on this EP?

Each song is about relationships with yourself and others, and that each is hard and requires you to dive into yourself and see how it affects you.

When writing songs I try not to gear them towards any specific group. I want my parents to show it to their friends and have it speak to them. As I write I try to avoid gendered pronouns because I want the men I love in my life to be able to identify with my messages as well. I want it to be a universal message that transcends your background, age, sexuality, etc.

When working with a producer or in the studio, what’s your process when it comes to songwriting and inspiration?

It’s different every time. Sometimes I’ll go into a session with an idea, and see what I want to write about that day.

But it also depends on the producer. Two days ago I was in a session with a producer who is so talented, but weirdly needed me to guide the session, which I’m not used to.

How did that feel?

It was good. It was a learning experience because I’m not used to a producer giving me so much control. I’d say “Okay, why don’t we do another take?” and he’d respond “Okay, sure! Let’s do another five then.” All of a sudden I felt I was producing the song myself, which is great because it’s really important to know that. As a young female artist I’m constantly striving to get better at producing my own shit and be comfortable with things like terminology. To go into a session and be able to say you want road sound on the keys, a three-six BPM.

There’s a book called The Art of Production that an uber driver in LA told me to read, and I have been meaning to just sit down and get more familiar with terminology so I can convey exactly what I want.

As you mentioned, you’re a young female artist working with many different male producers. We know that sexism, still alive and well, is something women musicians often face. Have you encountered it at all?

You know what, I’m super lucky. I have thus far only worked with male producers, and they’re lovely. I’ve never felt uncomfortable ever. Yesterday, someone pointed out that I’m going into a room with a strange man who you’ve never met before. But I’ve never felt uncomfortable.

I trust the team that I have behind me to hook me up with producers with good recs. They know me, and won’t put me with someone isn’t going to vibe with me. Also, being managed by a female just makes me feel more comfortable.

Yes, I am surrounded by men in music, and that’s the industry, very male-dominated. But I make a point of also finding, spending time with, and supporting females in music too. Toronto’s great because there are a lot of women in music there who are very supportive of one another. It’s important to feel that. Maybe they’re not running the labels yet, but one day…

We hear a lot more about the Toronto music scene because of—

Drake… *Laughs

And you obviously come from a different side of that, from a background connected to a lot of different creatives in the area. How would you describe your Toronto scene?

Toronto has a very diverse music scene. Right now it is very urban, which is maybe not the best term, and there’s a ton of folk, which is big in Canada in general. For me personally, these two groups are the biggest music scene; that’s where many of my friends, in terms of musicians and creatives slip into.

When people come and visit Toronto, I always refer them to go to this thing called Practice. Because Toronto has so many exceptional musicians, these guys came up with this concept where every Tuesday at this venue, the Drake on Queens Street, they have an onstage live jam. It’s just a bunch of musicians who’ve never played with each other before, no preset songs, and the cast rotates. People will show up with basses, saxophones, and the guys running the event will just call up each musician to form an impromptu band, who then create songs onstage in front of a full audience. You’ll only ever hear these songs once because they’re jams, and the talent is just amazing. I go to these all the time, and am a big supporter of it. When I sing there, I get twelve bars and to just freestyle, sing whatever comes to you. You get a chance to see a bunch of different kinds of artists working together and mixing their style with whatever is happening onstage.

Have you written a song based on something from Practice, and do you get spontaneous when you write?

Kind of. One of my favorite things to do at the end of crafting the structure of the song, I always get the producer to play me the track and I just sing whatever comes. Sometimes it’s harmonies that I hear, oohs and woos and ahhhs. When you hear these in my songs, those little punches are not preconceived, I just came up with them during these run-throughs.

*Laughs. You never know what you’ll do and if it’s going to work. I remember when I first started doing that there’s a part of you that feels stupid going “WOO.” But, going back to cultivating that relationship with a producer, sometimes they’re like “Just do it! Whatever you want!” And sometimes I’m flat, sometimes the harmony is terrible; it’s not a reflection of me as a bad artist, it just doesn’t always work out.

Yeah, because you can’t always be in tune.

And you have to have a sense of humor about making music. For example, sometimes an instrument player will do a guitar riff and it’s just doesn’t land, and you laugh about it. It’s important to maintain a sense of fun and casualness.

Also, it’s important to eat during a session. If you don’t eat, you get grumpy.

What’s your studio food?

I always have a protein or granola bar in my bag, or an apple or banana. I love me a good protein bar, I have one in my bag right now.

One of the first times I worked with one of the producers on the EP, Derek Hoffman, I was running a bit late. I texted him saying “I’m so sorry I’m late!” His response, “No it’s okay! Do you like smoothies?” Uh, yeah, I fucking love smoothies.

So I got to the studio and he just randomly guessed what he thought I’d like and it was a banana, coffee, almond butter smoothie, which is all of my favorite things in a container. That was the way that we formed out relationship, smoothies while we worked together.

Who’s a dream collaborator for you?

I want to have someone come on and do a rap, a little verse or something. I grew up within a hip-hop community back home. My brother did hip-hop for a long time, I listened to a lot of hip-hop and R&B and I love it.

I don’t think you would listen to my music and go “Oh yeah, a rapper, that’s what she needs.” But I love the idea of having genre overlap. There’s an artist in Toronto called Daniel Caesar that I’m obsessed with. I would love to collaborate with him.

Also Anderson Paak. That’s like the dream, though, *laughs. Daniel Caesar is a little more reachable.

What else does 2017 have in store for you?

I’m excited to do another music video. Doing these vids has been a positive experience, sort of an expression of myself that I’m making with people I admire. When it comes to music videos, for the most part it’s been an idea we’ve come up with together. I would love to work with my best friend again, who did the “Tease” video. I’m looking for another video with more views and more responses. I love that people connect with the images, and the goal is to have them connect with your vision.

I think that’s a very Beyoncé way of thinking, the visual and audio combination as a means of expression.

RALPH is very much me, it’s a joy to do photoshoots and come up with concepts.

In 2017 I’m also pumped for shows. 2016 was a lot of writing and putting out songs, which is exciting in its own way when you’re watching your stuff unfold over a computer screen. I’m looking forward to working with my new band, and getting some more face-to-face interaction with fans who are listening to and talking about the music. I’m hoping to have a more IRL presence in 2017.

Oh, and travelling. Hopefully coming back to LA to work on some more music. Travel as a whole is nice because you’re somewhere new with a purpose and direction not just floating around.

So will we be seeing a tour from you this year?

That’s the goal. We just did a show with my new band at the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto, which was cool playing amongst a bunch of dinosaurs. And then I have my EP release party on the 22nd of March.

We have some other festivals in Ontario, hopefully some shows in Montreal. I love performing, and now that we have a body of work done, we can go out and do it.

Would you say you prefer the studio or the stage?

I’ve always loved the stage. As a kid I was a really big personality, and always was the one who would play the lead if we did a skit. Last year we opened for Oh Wonder, and my bandmates were shitting themselves. I remember being thinking that this is the show I’m going to get nervous for; but you know what, I never did.

RALPH’s debut EP arrives this Friday.