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#non-comittal make-out
marthaclas86 · 2 months
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unpopular #Preath take!
Love Tobin and Christen! But the more I’m watching and learning about them, a few things are becoming clearer;
Tobin is pretty emotionally immature but also mature - it’s unreal to me that she would have someone like Christen by her side and be “non committal”. It almost seems like she has issues being vulnerable to be “with someone forever” even though she can probably acknowledge she is definitely fighting above the league with Christen as her partner.
Christen is mature and exquisite. Her weakness seems to be Tobin - who she wants “innately”. She probably loves Tobin so much given that Tobin and her carefree self makes her feel free herself. Her love shows through when she acknowledges that she is “okay” with Tobins non comittal stance at the moment - this is clearly not what Christen wants!
Tobin seems to love just talking about soccer - but in alot Of ways she appears to have some narcissistic traits….why does she think that she can only talk on her re inc platform and that too only with Christen. she just loves to hear herself I would think and makes most things about her own perspective or opinion. Notice how she does NOT get invited to talk about her views - she was an excellent player but not the best. Christen seems to give her most attention yet often Tobins insights take specific digs at Christens soccer experience (point in case during last recap show).
Christen is truly overall marketable and in demand. She will thrive on her own anywhere — but she seems to still have some insecurities. What she doesn’t realize that people like Tobin (slightly immature and definitely on the spectrum) definitely need her to get their so called “brilliant” ideas out to the world.
I truly pray and hope that Christen comes back and did not hamper her career due to the break she wanted to be with Tobin.
what do you all think?
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the-archangel · 9 months
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Johnny's Guitar
“It’s too damn hot,” complains Kerry as he dangles his feet in the pool and begins his second strawberry daquiri of the morning, “we’d be better off inside, I reckon with the blinds down and the air-con on it prolly isn’t more than 80 or 85 in there.” He has a point, the sun in the City has been relentless for weeks, creeping up to the low hundreds with people advised to stay in their homes, but Kerry has never been one to follow instructions, however sensible they may be.
Johnny has been keeping out of his way for most of the morning, he knows how pissed Kerry gets when he wakes up to him instead of V, it’s not like he does it on purpose, though it is nice to be able to stretch V’s ‘ganic legs every now and again. They’d come back from a job late last night after two straight days of recon, V was just exhausted. Johnny can feel him at the back of his head, awake but unresponsive, he’s not too worried just yet, but will go over to see Vik if the situation hasn’t improved later.
“Since I’m here,” Johnny offers, “we could crack open the guitars, have a jam?”
Kerry pauses mid-sip, how many years had he waited to play with Johnny again, just wished that they could jam together and recreate that magic? He slides his shades down his nose to look the other man in the eye, “Nah, don’t think so, thirty years ago maybe but not now.” Johnny shrugs like as if it meant nothing to him anyway, “Your old guitar’s still here somewhere,” Kerry reminds him, “not gonna stop you if you want to give it an outing.”
Grunting non-comittally, Johnny stalks back inside, he remembers giving the guitar to Kerry after that gig at the Red Dirt, but it was way before he and V were together so he’s got no idea what Kerry did with it afterwards and the idea of sorting through the detritus all over the villa to look for it isn’t particularly appealing. Johnny stands in the doorway, fists resting on V’s hips and surveys the room.
“What’ya looking for?” V appears next to Johnny, sitting on the arm of the nearest couch.
“My guitar, the one we gave to Kerry. Any ideas?”
“Na, not seen it. Nance is still pissed with me for giving it away though, I know that.”
Technically, the guitar hadn’t been theirs to give. Nancy had had it in storage for all these years along with most of the Samurai stuff and it would have gone straight back there if it hadn’t been passed to Kerry.
“She’ll get over it, but where the fuck is it?”
They begin to semi-methodically search the villa, starting upstairs through the lounge, bar and bedroom, then down again until they were back where they started. “We could just ask him?” V suggests.
“You ask him since you’re up and annoying again.” Johnny tells the merc, taking a seat to allow him back into his body without it falling over.
It takes just a moment to readjust, V makes his way back out to the pool, Kerry looking warily over from his position on a lounger, but soon brightening as he recognises his input’s walk and cheeky grin. “Thank fuck V, you feelin better?”
“Yeah, all good. Listen Ker, we’ve looked everywhere for that guitar, can’t find it. Can you remember where you put it?”
“Hmm,” Kerry puts down his empty glass and leans forward, brow wrinkling in concentration, “nope, no idea. I was so hyper after the gig, plus I’d taken all kinds of shady shit to get me through it, don’t remember much about it if I’m honest. Must be around somewhere though.” Shrugging he sits back and holds his hand out for V to sit next to him. They pass the afternoon sipping various cocktails and lounging in the shaded end of the pool, the guitar all but forgotten.
-
The weather has finally broken, thunderstorms have been lashing the City for two days, it’s been especially bad up here in the hills with no shelter from the worst of the rain and hail. This sort of weather brings out the worst in people, as well as a spate of other thefts, Kerry’s precious Aerondight has been stolen and despite it being found within a couple of hours of it going missing, Kerry is still mad as hell and V is on the warpath.
“Those fucking fuckers!!” Kerry has been stomping around his scratched and dented car since it was returned nearly an hour ago, “I’m gonna rip their fucking shitty heads off of their pathetic shoulders when I get my hands on them.”
“I told you I’d deal with it Ker, I’ve got a lead I’m gonna follow up but you’ve gotta promise to calm down and not do anything dumb.”
Kerry’s head whips up to look the merc in the eye, “You bring them here when you find them, I want to deal with them personally!”
“Not sure that’s a good idea, but I’ll let you know what I find. Gotta delta but I’ll be back later, don’t worry, I’ll deal with it.”
Rogue’s got some info for him so V heads off to the Afterlife, not a lot goes on without her knowing about it and the low lives who klepped the car had been on her radar for a couple of months now, it’s just fortunate that she’s got a merc itching to bring them in without her needing to lay out any eddies for it. Mercs working without a fixer walk a dangerous path in the city, all too easy to tread on someone’s toes and for these guys their time was up. V heads straight to her booth and she waves him inside.
“V, I’m glad you called. Had a report that these two gonks were trying to sell a million eddie car for ennies and figured they must be who you were looking for.”
The car had been recovered because of its state-of-the-art tracking device, how the thieves didn’t realise it had one was beyond V, they must be the dumbest of the dumb, but for once the NCPD had done their job and tracked the car to a back street in Arroyo where the perps were attempting to sell it to a Tyger Claws gang boss. As soon as the police entered the scene the street emptied of all but the car, which was recovered and returned to Kerry, the Tyger Claw was pissed at being taken for a ride and had gone to Rogue to request vengeance, it was rare a day fell so fortuitously for anyone in this City.
“I’ll pass you the deets of the last place they were holed up, I doubt that they’re still there but it may give you some clues as to where they are now.” A glow of her irises and the details land on V’s holo.
“I’m on it, I’ll keep you posted.” He says, already half-way to the exit.
-
V sits with his engine idling outside a warehouse in Little China. When he got the address he couldn’t help but smile, he knew this area like the back of his hand and could feel that the goons were nearby. He wipes the thin trail of blood coming from his nose away with the back of his hand, shit, not now. “Johnny?” he shouts hoping to shock the Rockerboy into making an early appearance.
“You look like shit, we need to deal with this situation before worrying about a pair of unhinged gangoons.”
“Na, promised Kerry. You need to find them, I’m….I’m not…”
Johnny feels the Porsche around him, solid and purring. V would be mad as hell if he didn’t follow the job through, so against his better judgement he turns off the engine, pulls up the deets and heads into the warehouse.
It’s empty as they expected it would be, fast food receipts litter the floor and there’s no shortage of potential clues, but where to start? Johnny picks through some of the paper on the floor, he can feel an itch at the back of his head, V is getting impatient, but he just doesn’t know what he’s looking for. He wanders into the back room, an old laptop lies abandoned on the desk, surely they can’t be that dumb? Johnny’s netrunning skills are non-existent, but enough of V is awake to give him an in to the computer, messages going back days scroll up the screen, they really are that dumb, muses Johnny.
 Ten minutes later, Johnny is watching from behind a wall as various dubious-looking individuals come and go from a house in Kabuki, he reckons he’s seen seven go in and maybe three come out, he’s pretty happy with those odds. The messages pointed to this being a hot drop point for klepped goods, looks like they were right on the money. Staying low, Johnny makes his way to the back of the building, he’d spotted a ledge that he can probably climb up and launch a surprise attack on the inhabitants, he’s more than ready for a scrap, but before he can pull himself up to the second storey, a familiar sound stops him in his tracks.
The DeLuze Orphean is one of the rarest and highly sought after guitars in the world, especially if it has the pedigree of having belonged to a bone fide Rockerboy like Johnny Silverhand, but these bozos seriously have no idea of what they’ve gotten their hands on. Johnny’s eyebrows knit together in disgust as he hears his beloved guitar being subjected to what sounds like an horrific murder before the opening bars of Pon Pon Shit are tortured out of its strings. He is going to go absolutely ape on their asses when he gets in there, no mercy.
Johnny had bought the guitar with the first Samurai pay check he ever received, sure Kerry had largely written ‘Bleed the Beat’, but back then they shared everything, credits included, and both were more than happy with their pay day after years of living off klepped booze and cigarettes. He’d kept it with him all through his career playing it on his solo work way after Samurai disbanded. Before the Red Dirt gig, the last time he’d seen it had been at Nancy’s apartment the day before the tower fell, he'd can’t even remember now why he’d gone there with it, maybe to say goodbye, but he left it there and walked away. Now he very much wanted it back.
He feels for his gun in the back of his pants, taking comfort in the weight of it, and pulls himself up easily onto the ledge outside the upper-storey window. There’s no-one in the room on the other side and the fucking amateurs have left the window wide open, an open invitation for anyone to step inside, so Johnny does, landing with a thump which surely would have alerted anyone downstairs, but no, his luck is holding and with revolver in hand he makes his way cautiously down the stairs.
V is beginning to come around, but he’s aware enough to know that taking over now would be a gonk move and Johnny seems to be doing OK anyway, but he can feel the merc in his head, tense and increasingly alert. “Too bad we can’t see ‘round corners.” Johnny thinks, V hums in agreement. Shreds of conversation make their way up the stairwell,
“C’mon Louis, four fifty’s a decent price,”
“I dunno, looks pretty old and beat up, I’ll give you two hundred.”
Johnny winces, brand new it cost over twenty thousand eddies, with its history it’s worth many times that now, to him though of course, it’s priceless. “We’ll see who looks ‘beat up’,” he mutters under his breath rounding the corner at the bottom of the stairs. Two of the goons are sat on a tired looking couch, the Orphean on the floor between them, if V were here they could take them down silently, but Johnny’s never been shy of making a noisy entrance. Two heads turn towards the doorway at the sound of the Malorian’s hammer being cocked, two faces are forever caught in a rictus of surprise as Johnny’s bullets find their brains.
The other problems at hand are momentarily forgotten as Johnny makes a bee-line for his instrument, he frowns at the blood-spattered paint-work before deciding it actually looks kinda cool and carefully places it back in its case.
“You did good Johnny,” V appears beside him, arms crossed and nodding as he looks at the stunned looking bodies, “but they’re not the ones who klepped Kerry’s car, reckon they must be cowering in the kitchen somewhere, sit down I’m coming in.”
Sighing Johnny perches on the arm of the couch, only someone who knows them really well would notice the transition, but it’s V that now stalks into the other room, gun in one hand, knife in the other. He was quite right, the two remaining goons have their backs up against the counter, arms raised, and are already stringing jibberish together in what V presumes is a plea for their lives. Whilst the gun holds one paralysed and sobbing, the other decides that sprinting for the backdoor would be a nova idea, until a knife pins his arm to it that is.
Mercs are not famed for their forgiving nature, especially when they’re working on their own time recovering (or avenging) the klepped goods of their friends. “We didn’t klep the guitar,” the pinned goon wails, “it was in the trunk of a car we found, just wanted to make some easy eddies.”
“This car,” V growls, keeping his voice as even as he can, “where exactly did you ‘find’ it?”
“Arroyo,” the sobbing goon at the point of V’s gun blurts out, “left behind after a NCPD bust.”
V kinda admires the quick thinking but doesn’t believe a word of it. “And before that?”
A look passes between the two men, the door-guy licks his lips and gulps nervously, “You’re the merc ain’t ya? That old Rockerboy’s input? I’ve seen you in the screamsheets. Look, maybe we could come to some kinda deal?”
“Yeah, maybe,” agrees V shooting him cleanly through the heart and causing the man crouched in front of him to soil himself, “but I guess we’ll never know.” He looks down at the pathetic sight at his feet weighing up his options, these guys were clearly a shit tonne out of their depth, but Night City is the wrong place to look for sympathy or forgiveness. “You’re going to tell your chooms what happened here, ALL of it, if I don’t hear a rumour about a dickhead merc left crying in his own shit for messing with Kerry Eurodyne sometime in the next 24 hours then I will hunt you down. Understand?”
Driving home with the guitar in the back and Johnny in the passenger seat V taps his thumb on the steering wheel along with the crappy music on the radio, Johnny sees V’s taste in most things as a project for him to work on, musical taste most of all. “I can’t believe that Kerry left my fucking guitar in his trunk all this time, anything coulda happened to it.”
V smirks, “We did good there, made a solid team.” he offers to the flickering image beside him, Johnny nods pensively,
“Yeah, too bad it can’t last.”
They pass the rest of the journey in a thoughtful silence.
-
Having very slightly calmed down since V left hours earlier, Kerry stares at the blood-stained knife that V has dropped onto the bar in front of him, “Ha, fuckers! You messed em up first, right? Course you did. They won’t be messing with us again in a hurry.” He doesn’t notice the flush of V’s cheek when he refers to them both as ‘us’.
“Nah, think we’ll be good,” he replies, grinning at the gossip on the feed from the Afterlife, “Don’t think anyone will mess with us for a good, long time.”
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An Aquarius Venus
What I have noticed is that most people just like to think too much about the stuff we said or did, like the things we did that we even almost forgot or didn't give much importance to, can mean a lot to someone and that leaves us confused. (Detached😂) For e.g, Aqua venus is also a humanitarian, so if you are even a stranger who we can help , we will. This doesn't mean you become very special to us, that is simply just how we are. I think we romanticize (blame venus) helping people, 'changing the world for better' kind of ideology. So it happens that we try to stay and help someone struggling, who may imagined or take it very personally and then expect us to be more , it's not like we don't appreciate your gratefulness and no, we are not exactly non committal or phobic, it is just that when we did that for you, we didn't expect it to be something more. But then you blame us to be detached or withdraw, like what?? I didn't sign up for this😶 especially with people who have heavy Neptune or Pisces, (honorable mention : scorpios and Virgo, that analyze each and every thing) they end up making too many fantasies( sometimes misunderstandings) out of a small word that we frankly even forget, and end up breaking their dream castle. But can you honestly blame us that you thought of things we didn't promise or talked about? That being said, we aren't really Heartbreakers or players (that depends on the person) , we do love and comitt to people we care about. We are loyal if you won our hearts. Friends or lovers. Once we promised to be with you , trust us we will. Just don't rush too much. Let it be real between us. ~ an Aqua venus💙
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deltaruminations · 5 months
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started very non-comittally drafting up a script for a gaster character analysis video i may or may not ever make and listened to ANOTHER HIM and darkness falls to re-experience them again like i did last year and. man. i just love gaster so much dude. it makes me sad when theorists are only willing to entertain these weirdly flanderized and more or less entirely imagined assumptions about him being evil/insane/fundamentally unknowable/unsentimental and purely interested in science because it’s really not that hard to find evidence of emotional depth to him that’s very much intelligible and ‘human’izing and it’s so much more compelling than the stuff theorists keep pulling out of thin air and treating as if it might as well be true
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paladinsbrainrot · 2 years
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Generation Loss: Teaser Trailer Analysis
Let's talk about that new teaser trailer for Generation Loss, shall we? I plan to analyze it in depth, though factual opinions aside, I really like this teaser. Much up my alley!
Along with the Generation Loss account on Twitter changing it's profile picture and banner, today we've gotten the new Generation Loss teaser which can be found here. It is titled '1', so I'm assuming we'll receive more teasers like this.
We know literally nothing about GenLoss, so I suppose it will be very hard to analyze but I am going to try my best. This analysis will probably just cover some possible storylines for the actual show.
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For 13 seconds we have a video of a television screen playing static. There is a small Generation Loss (i should say the weird random mark which we don't know the importance of) logo on the left of the television screen, that or it is just a splatter of blood.
Then, words flash upon the screen: don't hide, don't escape, don't talk, don't hesitate, don't conform. Assuming this is our main character threatening someone else. Someone who might have committed many crimes, or maybe this is an accomplice to the main character.
Then we get our first non-word flashes, and they are as follows: (Numbered for better analyzing)
1.
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2.
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3.
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4.
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5.
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These images flash for a second time.
Now, time to analyze.
I feel like I'm going to need to establish the different characters who I think will be appearing in this horror series. 1) We'll have Ranboo, most likely our main character, who finds tapes of someone who's committed crimes. (I think Ranboo leaked some stuff that he was working on for GenLoss in one of his streams, and this was one of the conclusions we could draw from that snippet) 2) Our crime committer, who is probably the subject of this teaser. I am assuming that either the series will take place over this one person, or each episode will focus on different people. So this person will change over time. 3) There will be a person who makes the tapes. Towards the end of this analysis I explain my reasoning for this character, and why the tapes were not made by this crime comitter.
Alrighty then, now I think it's safe to start analyzing.
One thing I've noticed is that all of these photos have the GenLoss logo in them somewhere. 1 has it cut off near the face, 2 has it in the background on a whiteboard, 3 has it as the description of the polaroid, 4 has it on the chalkboard, and I'm pretty sure 5 has it to the left of the person.
I think that the person in these tapes is our crime committer. They probably have created some association involving crime, or at least a subtle association which makes people do something but they aren't aware of what they are doing. This is where the logo comes in; this logo is the symbol or insignia for this association or project.
It looks like our crime committer is a primary school teacher (that or he teaches something after/before school hours). This can be seen in photos 2 and 4. He's definetly brainwashing the kids of some sort, whether or not they are aware of this happening.
The initials of this person is I. Z., I believe, which can be drawn from picture number 1. Hard to tell what this stands for.
Also, the face of our crime committer is blocked out in red, always. The only time it isn't blocked out is in photo 1 where it looks like they have a cloth over their head. The students are blocked out in black.
(Also, is it just me or is there red writing on the 5th photo? There is a Generation Loss logo on the left side of the person, but there appears to be stuff on the right side too. I don't know if this is worth getting in to)
More static appears, then we get this:
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'Learn the history' of what happened, probably. This is definetly an intro to a tape.
'Find the Founder' flashes and for a second 'Kill' flashes overtop of 'Find'. I'm assuming our crime committed is the founder of an organization, and somebody is out to kill them. Maybe this founder also went missing, or disappeared, hence the word 'find'.
Also, the very last second of the video displays this:
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Guessing this show is bound to deceive us.
Anyways, here's what I've drawn from this teaser trailer.
-One day, our main character Ranboo finds tapes. Tapes of which contain history of someone who nobody's ever heard of before, who may have committed many crimes or started an all powerful organization in plain shadows. The person who founded this group (our crime comitter) is probably NOT the one who made the tapes. Someone out to get them probably made it instead, in hopes of someone finding the tapes and killing them. Why would the Founder make tapes instructing one to kill themselves? -I'm also assuming there is going to be hidden messages in these tapes. They're probably going to come across as nothing but after closer inspection they'll be pretty horrifying. This ties in the last screenshot in this post.
Anyhow, I'm very excited for Generation Loss. Expect more teasers, and I believeee Ranboo said we could be getting the actual show (or at least part of it) by the end of the year.
I'd like to hear others thoughts haha. Let me know your ideas for what Generation Loss might be!
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Today in anthropology we were talking about religion and we ended up discussing things at the end of lecture & the conversation shifted to beliefs about LGBT ppl and... a bunch of people were saying things like "my daughter hid herself from me for YEARS before coming out and I asked her, why didn't you tell me sooner?" And the response these people got from their loved ones was always "I thought you'd judge me"
And you know, the longer these people talked, the more I knew exactly why their loved ones didn't tell them. And the more I knew exactly what kinds of things they say to their loved ones' faces about this stuff. They say things like "I don't care what you do with your love or with your life" and "keep that flashy stuff away from me, don't make me do any of that" in the same breath. One of the women got into a rant about how the rainbow doesn't belong to gay people, because she loved rainbows too. And my anthropology professor (an elderly white woman) spent the whole time nodding and agreeing with her every step of the way. And then complaining about how her granddaughter couldn't "decide if she was gay or not, since she's always bouncing between boys and girls left and right".....
Not to mention, during the lecture, myself and two other non-religious (or at least, non-Christian as one of the other people was into wicca but non-comittal) people were singled out by the professor and bombarded with questions about why we don't believe in God, why we left the church, why the Bible doesn't mean anything to us, over and over. And, surprise surprise, the three of us were the only lgbt people in the classroom (that were out, at least. Also, I'd like to clarify that religion or lack thereof is not a sexuality indicator... it's just that the atmosphere in the classroom after lecture ended wasn't surprising in this regard based on the questioning we had to sit through about Christianity).
It was probably the most uncomfortable two and a half hours I'd ever experienced on campus so far. The tension in my neck didn't leave until an hour into my next class. Anthropology is supposed to be a subject with a very open-minded base for study, because you learn about cultures all over the world. But this was very much the opposite, and introducing new ideas to this room (oh my GOD you should've seen people's reactions - including the professors reaction - when the lecture covered any religion other than the common Christian denominations holy shit dude I wanted to start yelling and throwing things) is such an exhausting battle and even when you think you've established even a slight bit of begrudging respect - or at least enough respect for them to leave you be - they whip around and start things all over again. You constantly have to either fight to defend your ideas or suffer in uncomfortable silence while they judge and make fun of others like you or others that differ from the majority.
I'm never fucking taking anthropology again
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marlsmcks · 2 years
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Actually Legible Plot Ideas
Still just basic ideas, we should totally go in depth and cry over them ok
- Family dynamics - siblings, cousins, family friends, etc
The McKinnon family was established within the Ministry and Wizengamot. Marlene has maybe 2 or 3 older siblings. She’s the black sheep for being a pretty untamed addition to a family of orderly Ravenclaws with deep political ambitions. The eldest was named Carys, she was working her way up in the ministry before an untimely demise that Marlene (and her family) see herself as responsible for. 
Additional Background: The Pureblood McKinnons were not particularly welcomed so mid-war they were targets, but did not know much of Marlene’s involvement with the Order. They assumed she was in Auror training only. Marlene was attempting to transport Carys safely to another location when they were attacked. Message me for further sob story painful information ;). 
- Shipping - all about dynamics baybee
As noted,I’ll ship anything once, flings, unrequited, will they won’t they, what are they, literally just go wild. Marlene was not good at relationships and honestly, she enjoyed her fun. The idea of anything deep would freak her out so she was always very non-comittal. 
If there was every someone she was in love with, she’d never say anything and up until very recently would have been too immature to even realize such a thing. That person would likely have to wait for her to be ready, if that day ever came - or literally spell if out for her. (I’m talking slowburn babyyy)
I can also add that a younger Marlene was never really convinced she was a good person for a lot of reasons, so some classic toxicity is almost welcome (for character development)
- An Off-Shoot Of The Above, aka - the negative influences from her youth and early 20s when she was just the daughter of powerful people who was easy to manipulate
Since Marlene’s family was pretty powerful, she would have been an interesting target for Death Eaters to convert back in the day. She was clearly an insecure youth who needed some guidance. I think blending this with her chaotic on/off relationships would highlight how she had to make her decisions eventually. I’d love to see where this leaves the pair nowadays
- The girl squad
I’m a huge fan of the classic Marauder gal-pals, but this could really evolve to any version of that. We’re just talking the best people from her teen years. The ones who know how to handle her rough sides, the ones who she fights with but loves too deeply to ever leave. The muggleborn besties who she would defend till the very end. 
- somebody who makes her get her shitzz together
Maybe this started in Auror training, but this person was not light on her. Marlene used to get by on exceptional skill alone - which isn’t the only thing as she so learned later on. They probably still come around every now and then out of concern. They probably also know much more about what happened with Carys McKinnon.
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nickterrone · 2 years
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How to Become a Non-Smoker in 6 Steps
 If you've made the decision to kick the smoking habit once and for all, you’re going to want to keep reading. Why? Because the simple fact is that quitting cigarettes for more than just a few weeks, a few months or even a few years is a simple formula. A formula which you CANNOT take short cuts on. Having been a smoker myself and having helped more than 1,300 people quit smoking over the last 6 years, I’m now pretty confident that I know what it takes to not only stop smoking, but REMAIN a non-smoker.
The simple fact is that no matter what method you use to stop smoking, you're going to have to put in some serious effort and comittment. no one can do it for you. However with the right preparation you make this journey a little easier for yourself and this is the purpose of this artricle.
Now, I’m going to be totally honest here and tell you something that my hypnotherapist colleagues would probably shot me for telling you, and that is: with the right mindset YOU CAN QUIT SMOKING ON YOUR OWN!! That’s right. Although I do help people quit with Hypnosis and Neuro Linguistic Programing (NLP), all you really need to kick the habit once and for all is the right mindset and then perhaps a few tips and techniques. And guess what? You’re going to get both of those things in this short blog, hence if you are REALLY ready to quit, I think you’ll find this a worthwhile read and Hypnosis for Quit Smoking Sydney.
You might have heard some of the things I’m going to share with you below, BUT, I’m sure you’ll also read a thing or two that you may not have heard before or known about cigarettes, smoking and quitting. If you get even just one tip, idea or technique that makes your next attempt more successful, then I’m sure you’d agree that this blog will have been worth your time. You just never know what small piece of advice might be the difference that makes the difference.
It’s important to know right up front that without the right mental preparation beforehand, no stop smoking aid is going to part the skies for you and 'work'. Every method will require you to put in some effort and commitment to say no when you’re faced with the opportunity to smoke during those inevitable moments when you’ll be tested.
Here's ths seceret to having ANY stop smoking aid work for you . 
YOU MAKE IT WORK!
I really want to stress that because I often speak to smokers who want something to do all the work for them. They are the exact people who will inevitablly find quitting a struggle. Having said that, here's the interesting paradox, the people who are 100% comitted to making the aid work for them are always the ones who find the aid to be amazingly helpful. Hm . . . does this seem interesting to you?
Here's another simple fact. Once you have decided to stop smoking you are going to find one of two things that will determine how sucessful you are at remaining a non-smoker for the rest of your life and that is either:
1) An excuse to smoke, or
2) The comittment to be stronger than your excuses.
PERIOD! Pretty simple really.
I’m now going to share with you the 6 Steps to PERMANENTLY Stop Smoking Hypnosis Sydney.
Step 1: It’s not enough to know you should quit, need to quit or have to quit. You have to WANT to quit! Some smokers want all the obvious benefits of not smoking WITHOUT quitting cigarettes, and this obviously isn’t going to happen. One way to create a MASSIVE want to quit is to get COMPLETELY clear on as many reasons to quit as possible. Take out a piece of paper or use your ‘notes’ section on your smart phone and write at the top of the page: ‘I decided to quit on (day/month/year) for the following reasons…’ and then write down each and every reason WHY you really really want to quit. The key here is to be as specific as possible. Eg; don’t just write ‘for my health’, but ‘increased lung capacity’ or ‘increased endurance’ etc. Once you have this list it’s up to you to use it by keeping it close to you and looking at it often, morning and night, not only leading up to the day you quit, but also every time after your quit date whenever you are contemplating a cigarette.
Step 2: Increase your belief that you actually CAN quit by understanding that smoking is MORE of a psychological habit rather than a drug addiction. You may already have this belief but the more you can reinforce it the more empowered you’re going to be able to quit on your own. You see too many smokers have bought into the idea that they are drug addicts addicted to nicotine, so it gives them an excuse and reinforces a disempowering story, which is the exact story the drug companies want you to believe. But if quitting was all about ‘nicotine’ then the patch would work every time for everyone, but it doesn’t! The simple fact is that no replacement therapy is going to give you the mindset needed to quit. The fact that second hand smokers don’t feel the need to rush out and start smoking but can get the same illnesses as a smoker is another proof that the cigarette smoke is bad for your body but doesn’t get you ‘hooked’ on cigarettes. And how do you form and maintain a habit? By the repetition of an action. Since it takes about 10 draws to finish a cigarette if you multiply the number of cigarettes you’re having in a day by 10 that’s how many times you’re bringing your fingers to your lips a day. Big number isn’t it?
Hypnotherapy in Sydney - But the biggest test if a drug or chemical is truly addictive to the body or not is to notice what happens to the body when you stop taking it all of a sudden. The really addictive drugs out there are heroin, cocaine and amphetamines. If you’re a daily user of any of these kinds of drugs and have been for a while and you try to stop all of a sudden, you’re going to feel some SERIOUS withdraw symptoms. Things like severe vomiting, shaking, sweating, muscle cramps, insomnia etc. Now who goes through this when they quit cigarettes? Nothing like that. Another indicator is to see the effects of the drug on new born babies. Of course we all know that cigarette smoke is bad for an unborn child, but it only elevates the risk of an effect on them, it’s not a guarantee. But if the mother is addicted to any of the hard drugs mentioned above, that new born is going to be an addicted mess 100% of the time!
The mind body connection is just SO powerful and smokers prove this to themselves every time they walk into an airport and jump on an airplane for 10 to 13 hours. You see the moment you walk into an airport you have the mindset of ‘smoking just isn’t an option’ and so your brain produces the corresponding chemicals associated with that kind of mental conviction, it sends these chemicals to your cells and you feel fine. BUT, as soon as that plane starts to descend and your mindset switches from ‘it’s not possible’ to ‘I can have one in 20 minutes’, your brain now produces those corresponding chemicals, feeds them to your cells and all of a sudden you feel anxious, edgy and irritable. The drug companies will tell you that’s nicotine withdraw but if that’s true why weren’t you experiencing those feelings 1 hr into the flight? Hm . . . So the message here is get a 100% conviction that smoking just isn’t an option so your brain can do it’s job and support you with the brain chemistry that will allow you to FEEL like quitting is easy.
Step 3: Prepare for your ‘STOP Day’ by starting to break your habit and routine of smoking and slowly starting to reduce the cigarettes you’re having. There are a few ways to do this. Start by asking yourself how many cigarettes you think you REALLY can’t go without (it’s probably a LOT less than you’re having in a day), and put those cigarettes in a separate container and only bring those ones for the day leaving the rest of the packet at home. This forces you to think about the ones you’re having more and eliminates the ones you’re smoking literally on automatic pilot which you could have gone without. It’s no guarantee you won’t just go buy more, but it’ll make it harder and that’s the point.
Start trying to delay as many smokes as you can by putting them off by 20 or 30 minutes. During the times that you’re smoking leading up to your quit day start to think of yourself as a non-smoker by contemplating the other things you could (and will) be doing in that moment when you’re not smoking. Be familiar with your triggers and start to mentally prepare a plan of attack as to how and what you’re going to do instead from that day onwards. At least a week or two before your quit day start to use a clear glass jar, at least 1ltr in size for your ash tray and butts. Start to collect them all and slowly top it up with water. Take a look at it often as it builds. This can be used after your quit day as well. Any time you THINK you want a cigarette, just look at this jar or take a smell of it and this should kill your urge pretty quickly. Realise that studies have shown it takes 21 days to break a habit so make this your hump day and give yourself a chance to adapt to a new routine.
Step 4: The day you decide to quit your body is going to be going through a detox process and some may feel this process a little more than others. The good news is that it only takes 3 to 5 days for every chemical in a cigarette to leave your body. There are 2 simple things you can do to support your body during this process and that is having plenty of natural sugars and drink plenty of water. Why natural sugars? Because what a lot of people don’t know about cigarettes is that there is a LOT of sugar in cigarettes! Yep, that’s right, 8 to 18% of one cigarette is sugar. Surprised? Most people are when they hear that. You see when they harvest tobacco from the fields to get rid of the foul, horrible, disgusting, bitter taste of raw tobacco they soak the leaves in large vats of sugar water where all kinds of flavouring and additives called ‘casings’ are then added to the tobacco.
Hypnotist for Confidence near me, It’s for this reason that smokers stick to their ‘smooth’ brand because they get used to the distinct flavour. There’s even sugar in the paper that it’s wrapped in. So what does this mean? It means that when you stop smoking all of a sudden your blood sugar levels are going to drop and then you’ll experience the same things that diabetics experience when they have a blood sugar drop. This includes headaches, moodiness, irritability, slight hand shaking, all the things that the drug companies call ‘nicotine withdraws’. The simple solution is to have natural sugars which include fruit juice, fruit and honey. Try to avoid artificial sweets like soft drinks, energy drinks, lollies, chocolates, desserts and sweets. These give you a sugar rush and then a sugar crash, just like kids experience when they have that stuff.
The water is obviously important because our bodies are 75% water but the chemicals in cigarettes prevent your cells from absorbing water. It’s for this reason that smoking has the aging effect on skin because your cells are literally starved of water. It’s also what people are noticing when they might say that you look great after quitting. What they are observing is more water in your eyes and skin. Drinking plenty of water will help your detox process happen a lot faster and will help with circulation and as your circulation improves so will every other system and organ in your body. It also prevents most headaches. I suggest drinking at least 2 litres a day long term and the natural sugar intake for about 2 weeks.
Step 5: Be mindful and have a plan to prepare yourself for your old triggers ESPECIALLY the two most common reasons why people relapse: stress and alcohol! Don’t let these scenarios trick you. Start by researching stress management techniques. There are plenty of simple processes one can learn to cope with small and major life stressors. Deep breathing techniques are fast, simple yet effective. Emotional Freedom Technique or EFT is also a fast and simple process which I regularly use and teach my clients. Its roots are in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and It works with the body’s meridian lines where the life force or ‘chi’ is said to flow through. Stress is said to be a sign that these channels are blocked and releasing them through either acupuncture, acupressure massage or even just tapping, as in EFT, it can stimulate the flow of the energy, release the block and bring the body back to its natural state of wellbeing in body mind and spirit. Or you can try exercise, yoga, meditation, reading, walking, hot baths etc. Anything that helps you to unwind and detach is going to help.
Beware of alcohol and its ability to reduce your decision making ability which can easily lead to thinking like: ‘well, maybe just a puff, one won’t hurt, I’ve gone ages, I deserve it’ etc. You might feel you need to go without a drink for the first week or two. Or use your reasons for quitting list, read it on your way to your party or night out so you can reinforce to yourself the reasons you made the decision to quit.
Step 6: Use your own subconscious mind to become a non-smoker. One easy way to do this is to make use of two naturally occurring hypnotic states during your day. This is the moment just before you fall asleep at night and just when you’ve woken up in the morning. It may not be a long time, but you only need a couple of minutes during that half-awake/half-asleep state to send powerful imagery to your unconscious mind. During this state visualise yourself looking at a movie screen and seeing yourself right in the middle of a moment in your day that use to be a trigger but as a NON-SMOKER. Make the picture bright, sharp, vivid, focussed, colourful, hear the sounds you would hear, feel the feelings of being a confident non-smoker in that moment. Shrink the image to the size of a postcard; imagine holding it in front of you, still seeing yourself in the image. Then imagine floating out above a timeline to some unspecified time in the future where you’re going to drop the postcard as it slots into your future timeline. Then imagine floating back to now. Once you know the process it only takes 3 minutes to do.
BONUS Step: Get help from an expert! If all else fails, get in touch with an expert on quitting who not only understands the mindset needed to quit, but is also equipped to work with you on a subconscious level to help disconnect the deeper connections to the smoking habit. Although I know what I have shared can help you quit, if you come across the right tool which address the smoking problem at its CAUSE, it can feel like such an easier battle to win.
Nick Terrone is a psychotherapist, hypnotherapist, speaker author and a HeartMath® Certified Coach/Mentor. He has healed thousands of people from addictive behaviours and relationship problems over the past 15 years in private practice, government organisations and schools. Of Italian heritage, ‘Terrone” means ‘person of the earth’.
As a teenager, Nick asked himself three big questions that would help shape not only his life but also his career.
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kiranatrix · 3 years
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I always had believed that there is a part of Light deep down that knows that what he is doing as Kira might be wrong because we never saw him hating on Soichiro for firmly condemning Kira's actions. If Light truly 100% was sure he is in the right, then he would have seen him thinking "Oh, my father is evil", but we never saw that. Well, at least, that's mine interpretation.
Hi anon. Light’s thinking here is contradictory, but it’s typical for him to hold two conflicting ideas in his mind, such as his views on martyrdom as well as all these:
Light does indeed know that Kira is considered a murderer by many (and that murder, on its face, is wrong), but he is willing to sacrifice himself and commit murder to create a world where murder won’t exist.
Light sees himself as righteous but also believes Kira is capable of evil acts. However, in his mind, these are all in the service of the greater good and therefore necessary.
Soichiro is Light’s hero but Light also considers Soichiro foolish and naive about what real justice looks like and what it takes
Light does not hate the people who are against Kira, he pities them for being unable to see his vision. Unless they are actively trying to hurt/stop/kill him (and he can’t manage them in other ways like the Task Force), Kira does not de facto kill those who don’t support him. Primarily because Light is a convincer, he wants the chance to explain what Kira is by actions (or words, if safe to or he has nothing to lose).
We do see Light have strong reactions to his father criticizing Kira, but hate is not a part of it for Light. Obata illustrates these instances differently than how Light is usually presented— face obscured by shadows or hair, hiding the emotions he’s feeling until he can ‘recover’ and act appropriately again. 👇
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Always found this so interesting that Light channeled the hurt and disappointment he felt from the criticism into equal passion for the ‘correct response’ his father expected to hear. When he is recovered and lying, he shows his face to Soichiro. And when he was alone with Ryuk who knows the truth, he had nothing to say, face obscured once more. We see another instance with Sayu, face hidden and a non-comittal response:
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It was painful to have his own family misunderstand him but that was a cost of being Kira, and he’d pay it until he could convince them. I think he believed that as the world came to accept Kira (as much of it did over the years) his father would come around too. Light pays close attention throughout the manga about the overall opinion of Kira— it matters. Of course, Soichiro died before Light ever got the chance to convince him, which makes a scene with Matsuda shortly after more tragic through his eyes:
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This conversation sounds somewhat rehearsed from Light’s end (and once more we see his face/emotions hidden). It is nearly out of character for Light to offer up such pro-Kira opinions around the Task Force, but I believe he does so due the the timing— his father just died and this is what he would have like to have said to Soichiro. He can understand the conflict Matsuda has, of being a cop meant to catch Kira vs. having doubts that Kira is only doing evil. Those panels also illustrate Light’s paradoxical opinions about his own righteousness and capacity for evil acts, how much the acceptance matters to him, how he thinks of himself as a martyr, and how the end result/greater good justifies short-term evil.
But anyway, this is the conflict he wanted to see in Soichiro, that thread he could have gently pulled at until his father became convinced or at least understood him. Instead, Soichiro dies believing the same thing he stated to Light here:
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And we know this because despite taking the Shinigami eye deal and saying he could and would use the Death Note to kill, when it came down to it, he couldn’t do it.
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Which makes Light thinks ‘you fool’.....Soichiro would rather die than take a life, even that of a criminal. Soichiro made a mistake Light couldn’t understand, and to him, ended up dying ‘for nothing.’ It’s all about results.
Tldr; Light was deeply affected by Soichiro’s rebuke of Kira and while he knew that Kira did commit some acts of evil, he always saw them in service to the greater good
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hullo! if you’re still taking intimacy prompts, 49 please :)))
of course! I’m so sorry it took me longer than I meant it to. Thank you so much for prompting me, and I hope you enjoy <3
49. Taking care of them when they’re ill + Fitzsimmons
i think it’s called love 
{Read on Ao3 if you’d like to!} or you can read it all here:)
Fitz’s body is entirely too heavy and he can’t find the energy to even lift his head when he hears the front door of his flat open and then shut, though he winces at the slamming of it in the frame, only to instantly regret it. Even when there’s footsteps along the laminate floor in the living room and the hall, and his bedroom door swimming open, he can’t find the will to move. He hopes that, if it is a murderer, they’ll do him a favour and just kill him outright, saving him from the mortal hell he finds himself trying to just breathe through.
“Well, well, well,” a voice says. “Look at the state of you.”
It’s not a murderer, unfortunately. It’s Jemma, and she’s sounding far too happy. A murderer might have been preferable.
“Ungghh,” he groans, not even opening his eyes. For a moment a bolt of fear runs through him – is he even dressed? – before he feels the softness of the duvet and his heart slides back down his throat and into his chest. “I’m ill.”
“I can see that.” He can just imagine her looking disapprovingly at his state, standing at the bottom of the bed as she probably is. “What happened?”
“Yelling,” is what he manages to get out. “Bobbi was yelling at Hunter and then he was yelling at Daisy and then Daisy was yelling at… me? And then Mack yelled at all of us.”
“Well it’s never a good night if Mack starts yelling at you.” The bottom of his bed dips slightly as he imagines she sits down on it. “You’re in quite the state.”
“Uh-huh. I dunno what happened after all the yelling.”
“I thought Scotsmen were supposed to be able to handle their alcohol.”
He’d really like to give her a full Fitz glare, but all that he’s able to manage is a furrow of his brow and even that makes his stomach flip. “That’s a really unfair stereotype.”
“But entirely true in your case.”
It’s a fair point, and something he frequently boasts about when he has a few in his system, but he hopes she doesn’t bring it up. He moans into his pillow again as he recognises the tase of something in the back of his throat.
“Daisy made me drink wine.”
Jemma inhales sharply. “Oh, yes, I could see how that would put you in this state. Your kryptonite of alcoholic beverages.”
The amused sympathy in her tone means that he can’t resist cracking open one eye. Thankfully the curtains are closed and so the light in the room is bearable to his sensitive retinas, yet it’s not so dark that he can’t make Jemma out, as clearly as ever, sitting on the bottom of the bed. She looks far too fresh for his current state, and he knows it’s only her empathy that’s keeping her from gloating about it.
“You’re looking proud of herself,” he says, opening the other eye and gingerly turning to face her properly. “Bet you’re glad you didn’t come out.”
“Well the paper that needed editing was just too much fun to miss out on,” she laughs. “But no. I was sad I missed it until I saw you lying here.”
He licks his lips, mouth feeling dry. “Why are you here again?”
“Daisy and Hunter sent me many videos of the shenanigans you all got up to and there were far too many bottles of wine on the table which I just knew someone would make you drink so they could hear you sing and so,” she holds up a reusable shopping bag, “I brought you some things I thought you could do with this morning.”
“Jemma…” he sighs with gratitude, and something else which he doesn’t dare name. “You are the best.”
She tilts her head. “I’m going to remember that when you call me the absolute worst for leaving that anatomy journal open on your desk again.”
“Hey,” he struggles to sit up, the queasy feeling in his stomach momentarily dissipating. “You can’t just leave those kinds of pictures out, it’s-”
“It’s my job and you shouldn’t have looked at if you knew it was going to make you sick. You’re always doing-”
“-so unfair - it was my desk!”
“-one time I needed something-”
“-called you the supreme worse, not absolute, you just-”
“-so picky, honestly-”
“-dead things, Jemma!”
“Ugh, Fitz!”
It’s a decisive ugh Fitz. One to end them all. She picks a can of lemonade out of the bag and holds it out to him. His ultimate hangover cure. “Do you want this or not?”
“I do.” He takes it from her, and tries not to wince when the sound of the can opening goes straight through his head. “Maybe you’re not the worst.”
“Why thank you.” And then she grins. “Though you do look the worst right now.”
“Thanks for that,” he grumbles, taking a sip of the lemonade.
“Oh, come on, Fitz.” She brings out her homemade sandwich, the only thing he can eat being as severely hungover as he is. “You know you love me really.”
It’s all he can do not to choke on his juice. “Mhmm,” he hums non-comittally, lucky that Jemma’s gone back to her bag so that she can’t see his face, which he is just sure has his true feelings emblazoned all over it.
“I brought you some box sets that we can watch together,” she says, head still in the bag. “I also have your ice-cream for when you get to the craving sweet things stage. Oh, and I have a voucher for pizza we can use because we both know you’ll be absolutely starving later.”
He frowns at the suggestion that she’ll be here all day. Not because he doesn’t want her to stay, but because there’s a part of him that just can’t quite believe she does. “You don’t have to babysit me, you know.”
Head coming up, she blinks at him as though she doesn’t quite comprehend. “What ae you on about? Of course I’m not babysitting you.”
“Just saying, you don’t have to stay if you’ve got more exciting plans. I’ll be alright.” There’s suddenly a very vicious somersaulting of his stomach and he grimaces as he swallows. “Eventually.”
“Fitz, it’s a Saturday. A day that I usually spend with you anyway, and being with you and getting to make fun of you whilst you’re in such a state is even better.” She smiles, patting him on the leg. “Trust me, there’s nowhere else I’d rather be.”
His stomach flips for a second time, but it’s got nothing to do with the alcohol.
Jemma stands up, taking the bag with her. “I’m going to go put Doctor Who in the DVD player and get the living room all set up. You finish your lemonade and then go for a shower.” She wrinkles her nose. “You smell like Hunter’s after the last time he broke up with Bobbi.”
“Oh, God,” he groans. He feels like he might just be able to handle a shower, the sugary goodness now replacing the wine in his veins. “Alright, yeah. I can do that.”
“I’m sure you can. I’ll put your sandwich on a plate for you.”
She’s almost out the door when Fitz says, “Wait, Jemma!”
Her head pops back around. “Everything alright?”
“Just…” suddenly his cotton-wool mouth is back. “Just thanks, for this. I appreciate it.”
“Oh, Fitz, of course. You’re my best friend in the world, and I know you’d do the same for me.”
She smiles and then leaves, and instantly he flops back down onto his pillow, trying to suppress a groan that he knows she’d be able to hear.
You know you love me really.
The words play on a loop in his mind. He’s never been very good at hiding his feelings, and it’s a wonder she still doesn’t know just how close to the truth she really came.
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beaten down again--
i should know better, after watching MAID, how spousal abuse works- but how to handle it back is my condundrum. OK- tivo doesn;t have all the channels- back and forth, is it tivo or cable??  IDK, how are you going to handle it??- badger badger- I’m not sure, but don;t worry I’ll work on it today- blew up at me- fine, you’ll do something but won;t tell me what- no, we’re just getting into a fight- cuts me off when i want to talk, and then goes on and on--this is the usual pattern,, he badgers-- what are you going to do about it?? and whatever I say is in cement at that time- i can’t change, delay, cuz that;s what i said i;d do, by golly-- so i’ve learned to be non-comittal   I’ll do what i want when i see fit- that way i don;t have to reexplain what changes i’m making--eg i said i’d call this am- but i got busy so now i’ll call this pm instead- i know this is enough to send him spiraling out of control- gotta walk the eggshells around him when he;s spinning like this..  now he’s flying off the handle cuz i’m not taking it seriously enuf to commit to what exactly i’m going to try to do--damned if I do,, damned if I don’t. Jeesz- what a piece of work- Go mediate for a while, calm myself down, peace, peace peace...
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sybilltrelawnxy · 3 years
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05: A memory that your character wishes to erase
“Sybill, have you ever heard of Cassandra Trelawney?”
When she shakes her head no, it is the first time Sybill has ever lied to her father. But she can tell from the look on his face that he does not expect her to know the name, and beyond that, he doesn’t want her to. What she doesn’t yet understand is why. It’s just a name to her, at this point, a name that has been whispered to her in her sleep, surrounded by so many other things. Some good, some nighmare material. 
(A tower swathed in blue light with overstuffed bookshelves and a chess table tucked away in the corner, groups of kids laughing in the grass as a professor makes the flowers dance, that same tower turned to rubble as students run and scream.)
Magic isn’t a secret, Hogwarts isn’t a secret, but the two generations of Trelawney have plenty of their own as they stare across the kitchen table at eachother. Sybill wants to throw a tantrum. Tell me, she wants to scream, tell me why I knew you were going to surprise me with pancakes for breakfast today.
Instead Sybill sits and waits quietly while her mother washes dishes, and her father orders his thoughts. “Well.” He starts, more nervous than she has ever seen him. “She was your great great grandmother...” The story starts with a woman who sounds too familiar; a little off kilter, away with the fairies, just an odd child... Until she was an even odder grown-up, making claims she had no proof for, spouting crazy ideas and expecting to be believed. Having dreams she couldn’t explain.
Sybill has no idea how she manages to keep a straight face while her father tells her that there are some wizaring families who still laugh at their name, who will know that there is a Trelawney child starting Hogwarts this year and may have taught their own children to mock her. 
There is a strange new sort of sadness twisting about in her gut, but it’s not because she might be bullied- that would not be new- no, it’s because Sybill is realizing she can never be honest with her father again. He’s put a lot of effort into clearing the family name, and she could destroy all that work right here right now in just one sentence. It’s crystal clear that he thinks Cassandra was as batty as everyone else does, and that this should be Sybill’s stance too.
So she scoffs, makes some non-comittal comments about facts and logic, then stuffs her mouth with pancakes to avoid the pressure of having to say anything else. 
Suddenly, she cannot wait to open the wax sealer letter lying on the kitchen counter, and she cannot wait to get out of this house.
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supercodi · 4 years
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Motivation vs. Discipline. I have spoken on this topic a lot but I think it is one of those things that is always good to revisit 😁 - People often ask me “how do you stay motivated?” Or “where do you find the discipline?” Well. - I am not always motivated. No one is. If you think you are someone who can escape a case of the “ I don’t wanna’s” you are in for an unpleasant surprise. 🤪 - Everyone goes through periods of highs and lows with motivation. That is just how it works. Period. So if you are struggling with feeling motivated right now, just know it’s normal. There isn’t something wrong with you. You are not less than, and you are not weak. 💪 - When motivation is low, this is where discipline comes into play. - I’m going to be real with you: Sometimes you have to do shit you don’t want to do. Life is full of shit we don’t want to do. 😤 - So how do you find the discipline? How do you get yourself to do shit you don’t want to? - Stop giving yourself options. - Those days where you end up missing a workout— you might recall trying to bargain with yourself or offer yourself multiple options out of your workout. - “I’ll do it in the evening.” “I’ll make it up tomorrow.” “I’ll just skip one day.” - Believe it or not, it is a lot less stressful when you 100% commit and make things non-optional. 😬 - You no longer have to bargain or compromise with yourself. All you have to do is do what you had originally committed to do. 👌 - This might sound like some tough love bullshit... but sticking with the commitments you made to yourself is 100% self care. - Commit to yourself because: you matter, you want to be a better version of yourself, you want to find out what else you are capable of. 💪 - So on that note: Yes there are times where taking a rest day is the better form of self care, just don’t bullshit yourself. I say this with love ❤️🤗 - #motivation #discipline #workout #physique #prep #weightloss #fatloss #ftm #ftmfitness #ftmbodybuilding #bdoybuilding #gym #workout #strength #legday #hardwork #selfcare #comittment #health https://www.instagram.com/p/CFDN7S_Mwbr/?igshid=p3up1c4y453g
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mfingenius · 5 years
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Hello! If you’re feeling up to it, would it be ok if you wrote a little ficlet on jealous Laurent? Maybe modern AU? Or anything really, up to you! Your recent one on blushing Laurent nearly destroyed me in class so 😭😭♥️♥️♥️
“What’re you doin’ here poutin’?” Auguste slurrs lightly, dropping on the couch next to Laurent. “It’s a party! You’re supposed to be happy!”
“I’m not pouting,” Laurent says petulantly. He doesn’t bother to point out that he doesn’t like parties, nor alcohol, and that the only reason he’s here is his brother - the co-leader of the Frat House - and his boyfriend, the other co-leader.
Lazar gives him a deadpan look, impressive while he’s this drunk. “I may be drunk, blondie, but ’m not blind.”
Laurent’s pout deepens, and Lazar flashes him a dirty grin. Laurent glares, mood souring further, and, almost unwillingly, his eyes slide back to the original reason his mood was poor.
“Oh,” Lazar says, following his eyes to Damen, standing near one of the tables and talking to Vannes. “Why don’ you jus’ talk to him?”
Laurent’s glare is withering to any sober person; Lazar, however, gets stupidly brave when he’s drunk, and he merely rolls his eyes at Laurent and pets his hair lightly, as if Laurent is some sort of pet.
“I am not going to talk to him.” Laurent says. It’s not like Damen’s done anything wrong, really, and it’s ridiculous that Laurent is feeling this way; Vannes is a lesbian, and he knows Damen would never cheat on him, but he had two glasses of something called Griva and he is not thinking rationally. “I just-”
He waves a hand.
“You’re jealous.” Lazar nods understandingly, and Laurent’s gaze snaps to him.
“I am not jealous!” He snaps. “I do not get jealous.”
“Sure you’re not, blondie.” Lazar says, rolling his eyes. A mischevious glint enters his eyes, and Laurent braces himself for a bad idea; though Lazar and Damen don’t dislike each other, they don’t get along, either. Damen heard Lazar talk about Laurent too many times before they began dating to really like him now. “You want to get his attention?”
“How?” Laurent asks suspiciously.
Lazar shrugs. “Damen’s like a guard dog when it comes to you. I just need to do this,” he places his hand on Laurent’s thigh. “And he’ll be right over.”
Laurent rolls his eyes. “No he won’t.”
He moves to get Lazar’s hand off his thigh, but someone beats him to it. Damen’s hand - much bigger and stronger than Laurent’s - grabs Lazar’s wrist and takes it away from Laurent’s thigh forcibly.
“Is there a problem here?” Damen asks icily, glowering at Lazar.
Though he started drinking when the party started - a few hours ago - he’s not drunk yet; he can hold his alcohol much better than Laurent can.
“Of course not,” Lazar grins. “See you later, blondie.”
And he walks away with a wink, making Damen glare venomously at his retreating form.
“Are you paying attention to me now?” Laurent asks, not quite over his jealousy yet.
Damen’s frown turns to him, softening considerably. “Of course I am, sweetheart. I’m always paying attention to you.”
“You weren’t a minute ago,” Laurent says. “When you were talking to Vannes.”
Something in his tone must give him away, because Damen grins lightly. “Is that jealousy I hear?”
“No,” Laurent says. He shifts on the couch, leaving Damen room to sit next to him, immensely pleased when his boyfriend does. “I’m bored. I want to go to sleep.”
“You can sleep in my bed tonight,” Damen offers. There’s no further purpose to his words; he knows Laurent doesn’t like to have sex if either of them is under the influence of Alcohol, and he never pushes after Laurent told him. “I’ll go with you.” He grins and winks. “We can cuddle.”
Laurent shrugs, non-comittal, and Damen frowns lightly.
“Come on, babe,” he says, pulling Laurent into his lap and kissing his cheek. “I love you. You have nothing to be jealous about.”
“I know,” Laurent melts into Damen’s body, happily absorbing Damen’s warmth; he’s always running hot, and Laurent seems to be perpetually cold. “Take me upstairs?”
Damen grins. “Of course, your highness.”
He wraps his hands around Laurent’s thighs and stands, making Laurent squeak embarrassingly and wrap his legs around Damen’s waist and his arms around his neck.
He carries him upstairs to assorted catcalls and a disgusted noise - from Auguste - and when they get to his room, he puts Laurent down on the bed and spoons him, holding him close.
“I love you,” he murmurs against Laurent’s neck.
Laurent grins. “I love you, too.”
He’ll remember to send Lazar a thank-you note.
------------------------------------------------
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Commissions
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happymetalgirl · 4 years
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May 2020
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Umbra Vitae - Shadow of Life
Converge frontman Jacob Bannon is so impressively artistically prolific, sometimes to his own detriment, that I am hardly surprised by the arrival of and results of Shadow of Life, a more death metal-oriented project that still has Converge’s DNA all over it. Still teeming with wild hardcore energy, Shadow of Life is really not all too different in approach from any of Converge’s most direct work, Bannon pulling from a different elemental this time. The project’s brevity works in its favor, but despite being so short, it feels quickly exhausted of its creativity. Converge is made great largely by the dynamic of the band’s direct metalcore aggression and the variety of curveballs they throw in, but Umbra Vitae reduces that to the raw aggression that sure hits hard, but becomes easy to predict after not too long.
6/10
Havok - V
So it’s not as good as Conformicide, but Havok still deliver the goods on their unfortunately unimaginatively named fifth LP. The band’s Megadeth-esque brand of politicallly charged thrash shredding certainly comes at a particularly apt time and the riffs they deliver indeed sound inspired and the performances ripe with frustrating at the various systems that got us to this seminal moment in history. David Sanchez’ piercing, throat-grating screams are as fierce and fiery as ever and impressive in how quickly he’s able to rattle some of his lines off, and the rest of the band remain tight and cohesive across the album’s eleven experience-crafted thrash tunes. Compositionally I feel like there aren’t as many individual high points within songs that made so many tracks on Conformicide such ferocious bangers, but the band certainly still show themselves to be a good few leagues above average when it comes to writing potent thrash. Where I wish the album went harder was the lyrics. Granted this came out right at the beginning of May, before the killing of George Floyd, and was probably recorded and written before if not early on in the pandemic, but it still feels like it could have gone for more than just the usual targets. I appreciate the band’s tackling of the crisis of credibility of modern media on “Post-Truth Era”, their explicit condemnation of the United States’ unhinged military bullying overseas on “Merchants of Death”, and their acknowledgement of the bias/lies of retelling of history by the powerful and how the lies get bigger over time, but I wish the band were this precise and cutting most of the time on this album because so much of its lyricism is super vague, sometimes in a kind of non-comittal way. The song “Fear Campaign” points out the various ingredients in a fascistic rise to authoritarianism happening right now, but it never moves beyond the usual thrash tropes of distrust of government and corporate media. Meanwhile songs like “Don’t Do It” speak just a bit too generally of social despair to pack much of a lyrical punch, while the lyrics to the track “Phantom Force”, whole not particularly offensive, just repetitive paranoid gibberish. It’s not directly related to the music, but it doesn’t help that the band, who have built their identity so heavily on musical political commentary have been rather quiet in the wake of George Floyd’s death and the sharp heightening of the volatility of the political climate. You could argue it shouldn’t impact their music, but it does suggest that they’re intentionally trying to maintain a level of ambiguity in their railing against the system that will allow anyone to read their own ideology into certain crevices, an approach to artistic sociopolitical critique that isn’t really right for this time. Despite that criticism, I still quite enjoy this album for its continuation of the hypercharged thrash the band has been doing so well.
8/10
Green Carnation - Leaves of Yesteryear
Joining the ranks of recently reawakened bands, Green Carnation returns from their fourteen-year slumber with a five-track slab of their trusty slightly gothic/doomy prog and for the most part it goes pretty well. The band’s performances are solid and it sounds like they never even left. The album likes to sway between melancholic (but not entirely hopeless) forms of gothic sorrow and slower classic heavy metal forms of inspiring melody much like Khemmis, Spirit Adrift, or even Pallbearer. I’d say the opening title track is the example most rife with sweet guitar melody that hits this spot well, and while the rest of the album isn’t a drastic drop in quality, the band definitely hit with their best shot first, and overall make a pretty worthwhile comeback.
6/10
Vader - Solitude in Madness
The Polish death metal icons are on their twelfth album now and at this point for them it’s just a matter of proving to themselves that they’re worthy of their status as aforementioned icons of the genre. At this point their solid and consistent discography speaks for itself and justifies the band’s similarly consistent approach. While never being one for overly lengthy projects, Vader’s twelfth is one of their shortest projects to date, not even breaking the half-hour mark, but making great use of its brief runtime nonetheless with vibrant, pummeling performances and just enough compositional dynamic to bring out the quality in everyone’s performances. Sure it’s kind of predictably direct, but that has been Vader’s MO for decades and it continues to deliver ripe, juicy organic death metal, so I’m fine with them not changing their style up with how well they can consistently conjure a half hour or so of sufficiently exciting and potent death metal. What they decline in stylistic evolution they continue to make up for in raw, experienced, and expressive performances, and Solitude in Madness is just another example of it.
7/10
Chaos over Cosmos - II
Dazzling with proggy guitar technicality again on this quick response to last year’s EP, Chaos over Cosmos take another diversion on the vocal front, with the vocals on this album being both much less present and more predominantly unclean. The third track “One Hundred” is probably the standout cut of the four tracks here, layering on the synths and the whispered passages between space-traversing guitar leads. I still think the band could work on making the production a little more crisp and the compositions maybe a little more frequently injected with flair, but I definitely think they’re on the right foot going forward.
6/10
Witchcraft - Black Metal
Going the route of Thou on Inconsolable, Swedish doom occultists Witchcraft bust out an entirely acoustic album quite fit in its ultra depressing tone for these ultra depressing (or enraging) times. Taking such a minimalist approach does pose a bit of a gamble for any band used to a more bulky instrumental arsenal on the make-up-less appeal of the performances at the core of their ethos. Thou absolutely nailed it, and I’d say that Witchcraft are pretty successful here as well, for just how committed to potent acoustic depression Black Metal is. It’s a bit heavy handed at some moments, but for the most part it’s a well-measured half hour of candid sorrow at a rather fitting time for it.
7/10
Tortuga - Deities
I feel like at this point, I’ll give any band points for playing stoner doom and only half sounding like a Black Sabbath rip-off, and Tortuga definitely earn those points. This album actually released on the first day of the new year, but I didn’t hear about it until now, and I figure it’s worth propping up. Deities is the Polish outfit’s sophomore full-length after their eponymous debut in 2017 (which I also missed of course), and it is definitely a breath of fresh air for the genre it represents. Relying not on monotonous Iommi-imitation to carry otherwise thin compositions, Tortuga follow their own uniquely ambient approach to the genre that focuses more on building a dense atmosphere and mood with the thick, hazy guitars and rumbling bass lines than on numbed, bong-worshipping psychedelia. We get a few of the other staple elements of the genre: wild effects-pedal psychedelia, lyrics about mythical Lovecraftian monsters, and audio samples of old-timey Christian fundamentalist preachers fear-mingering about drugs; but none of it sounds contrived or unoriginal. Deities sounds like if Dopethrone-era Electric Wizard had a little more atmospheric dynamic and less on-the-nose Sabbath worship. Granted the vocals on Deities aren’t as fuzzed the fuck out and the bulk of the album is not dedicated to pissed-off, drugged-out, gargantuan heaviness, but it sure is a solid album in the path it walks for itself.
8/10
...and Oceans - Cosmic World Mother
Despite checking all the productional and stylistic boxes for a modern death metal record, Cosmic World Mother offers not very much in the way of anything compositionally or aesthetically unique or exciting. It feels almost like it’s just embodiment of the Emperor/Behemoth-inspired wing of the genre as a hive mind just on autopilot. The band crank out a few brief highlight motifs here and there, the occasional epic pairing of synthetic strings and tremolo-picked guitars, but most of the album is (while competent, no doubt) pretty one-note and predictable in a way that really only becons repeated listens to make sure you’re really sure you’re not missing anything from the homogeneous blend of songs together you remember from your last attempt to stay attentive through it.
6/10
ACxDC - Satan Is King
After a long road to their debut album back in 2014, grindcore stalwarts ACxDC finally follow up with a worthy sophomore effort this year, during which time Full of Hell have happily risen to the occasion on at least two stellar modern grindcore full-length (as loaded of a term as that is for grindcore) releases. But the L.A. quartet is back and quite fired up in the midst of the sociopolitical turmoil that we’ve all been submerged in. While more traditional in its instrumentation, not as laced with industrial noise elements as Full of Hell’s music tends to be, ACxDC captures a similarly powerviolence-adjacent thrashing intensity and the band do not take their foot off the gas at all throughout the 23-minute affair. The guitars blare with a shout all their own and chug with the kind of mechanically smashing crunch found in modern death metal, the drums and the bass lines are never over-the-top in terms of speed or technicality with the band opting more often for synchronized hardcore punches than grinding through blast beats, which probably puts this album deeper into powerviolence territory than I initially let on. And Sergio Amalfitano’s vocals shift from intense death howls and growls to fast-paced blackened hardcore shrieking with respectable fruidity, probably not as erratically as Dylan from Full of Hell, but certainly quite capably. I’ve been turning to a lot of intensely aggressive and violent metal in these infuriating times, particularly grindcore, and Satan Is King has been a solid addition to that alongside the new WVRM and Caustic Wound albums.
8/10
Old Man Gloom - Seminar VIII: Light of Meaning
The prequel to the band’s previously released full-length this year (Seminar IX: Darkness of Being) finds them in an even more esoteric vein than what they were in back in March. Oscillating between Sumac-esque sludge (which Aaron Turner’s vocals make those parts of the album featuring them all the more uncannily similar to) with subtle experimental flair and more modern-Mastodon/Isis-esque sludgy post-metal to full-on noise music experimentation, the band’s “eighth” “seminar” at the very least makes for a dynamic and interesting listen. Some of the band’s exhibitions in certain styles don’t really do much convincing for their branching off into those directions; some of the noise passages feel kind of like waiting at a traffic meter for a more invigorating portion of the album to kick in, as do some of the less-imaginative sludgy sections. But for what the collective do with their array of experiences, influences, and artistic instincts they come through with more hits than misses, I’d say. The longest track on the album, “Final Defeat” is impressively cohesive in its amalgamation of so many sonic elements. though the subsequent and similarly lengthy “Calling You Home” is an example of the other side of that coin, dragging and uneventful. It’s worth at least a cursory listen for its eccentricity alone, it may vibe with you even more than me, if not, at least it’s an interesting meeting of various creative minds in the post-metal sphere.
7/10
Xibalba - Años en Infierno
Offering an especially weighty slab of sludgy/doomy death metal with some tasteful streaks of hardcore and sludge metal mixed in to the dense swirl, Xibalba bring slow-churning, bulky death metal to the conversation of the various injustices and catastrophes of this year, and the band’s hardcore energy and knack for pummeling rhythms in that vein are exactly the kind of pissed off that such an album as Años en Infierno needs. And that hardcore compositional approach and/or mindset means that Años en Infierno is no homogeneously sluggish record; Xibalba pick up the tempo for rapid-fire hits of deathly hardcore punches and slow down to wind up for devastating finishing blows all with magnificent smoothness. Whether trudging through thick, filthy riff sludge like a massive beast stomping its way through a knee-deep muddy battlefield on slow burners like “La Injusticia” and the doom-laden “El Abismo, Pt. 1” or like that same muscular hulk sprinting on dry land on songs like “Santa Muerte” and “En la Oscuridad”, Xibalba are an organic, brutish force in all the ways I like my death metal and hardcore to be, at the same time.
8/10
Behemoth - A Forest
Named after the cover of The Cure’s “A Forest”, Behemoth’s EP-sized mark on 2020 is ultimately a mild one. Intended clearly to show a more eccentric side of the band with the theatrically tortured guest vocals from Niklas Kvarforth of Shining, the band’s cover of the titular track is really not all that wild for a band who came up from raw shitty black metal roots and traversed their way through blackened death metal to the biblical glory of The Satanist; the band have already shown their vast capacity for branching out from and expanding death metal and black metal, and this cover of The Cure happens to be just a more clumsy, rather than illuminating, display of that ambition. It’s not a terrible cover or a poor representation of Behemoth’s ambition, but I don’t think it’s quite the grand statement the band is making it out to be. The same can be said of the redundant inclusion of the live cut of the cover song. As for the other two tracks on here, “Shadows ov Ea Cast upon Golgotha” (which kind of drags and meanders with no real direction) and the more fast-paced “Evoe” (which is at least a lot more fastinstrumentally vibrant), both are solid enough cuts that sound very well like they could have come from the I Loved You at Your Darkest sessions, though not surprisingly notably below par for that course, much less the high bar of The Satanist, which ultimately makes this kind of a benign addiction to Behemoth’s catalogue.
6/10
Helfró - Helfró
This actually came out in April, but I’m late as it is so what the hell, hailing from the small, but mythic black metal scene of Iceland, Reykyavík’s Helfró make quite the standout statement with their self-titled debut record here. At a modest thirty-seven minutes, Helfró is a stinging and searing, but also impressively aggressively balanced display of black metal and blackened death venom. The guitar riffs are sharp and cutting when they need to be and also quite full-bodied while able to keep up with the high-flying tempo set by the double-bass-blast-beat drumming to capture the delirious hysteria of . The band takes their attack from the icy piercing of mountaintop blizzards of speed and distorted dissonance to fiery rumbles of hellishly low guitars and demonic bellows of damnation, and all with such control and gracefullness; I am all for it! This is a hell of a debut record and I will certainly be looking for more from Helfró to come.
8/10
Asking Alexandria - Like a House on Fire
After being completely put off by the band’s self-titled album a couple years ago, I have not returned to Asking Alexandria at all since then, until now with Like a House on Fire. Honestly, I was kind of expecting some sort of response from the band after such a light and messy album to prove to people like me that they can excel with heavy music still, and I mean the only way to go was up after the catastrophe that was the band’s self-titled album, right? Well I was wrong in the kind of response the band came through with; doubling down instead on their departure from metalcore, Asking Alexandria go all in on pop rock and arena rock in a way that I suppose constitutes a mild improvement, but not a justification for their doubling down. The band bit off way more than they could stylistically chew as they clumsily try to chameleon their way into several styles of pop rock. The class consciousness anthem “They Don’t Want What We Want (And They Don’t Care)” and the alternative metal power ballad “In My Blood” offer a brief glimmer of hope for some vital, conscious arena rock for the album, but the shitty motifs and writing decisions don’t take long to follow. With its gratingly annoying vocal riff, “Down to Hell” sounds like a rejected 2000’s Shinedown song (or a 2010’s Shinedown song). “I Don’t Need You” is a glam rock ballad brough to the 21st century with a knock-off-Halsey feature before “Take Some Time” comes through with more annoying vocal wooing. If not outright awful, Like a House on Fire is most often just aggravatingly wash-rinse-repeat boring and banking on current pop rock trends that Asking Alexandria don’t even have a great handle on. Danny Warsnop’s clean vocals and uncomfortable attempts at coming across sultry are especially hard to listen to, as are the completely out of place and unmeshed EDM elements that pop in and out of various tracks. I wasn’t the biggest fan of Bring Me the Horizon’s last album’s blatant pop campaigning, but holy shit at least they were competent and showed they could handle the variety of styles they implemented. Asking Alexandria are clearly trying a similar angle here but they’re not capable of mimicking Shinedown and Imagine Dragons better than either of those bands, and that’s saying something.
2/10
Revenge - Strike.Smother.Dehumanize
Coming up among all the great new grindcore I’ve been finding these past few months, Revenge bring a distinct blackened edge to the brutish force of grindcore and powerviolence. While a pretty effectively churning grind of manic drumming, chaotic bass lines, and jagged guitar galloping, Strike.Smother.Dehumanize is one of the more homogeneous grindcore records I’ve heard this year, spiced up mostly by the artificially low-rumbling toilet bowl growls (that do lose their novelty before the album’s finish) and the consistent individual flair brought by each members’ performances. But compositionally, the band doesn’t really abide by much more than the usual grindcore mantra of constant intensity, but at that it sure is successful.
7/10
Bleed from Within - Fracture
The fifth album from Glasgow’s Bleed from Within brings such a pedestrian and unambitious of a forty-two-minute offering of melodic metalcore as seemingly possible. It’s just like the definition of a baseline, C-grade performance with passable performances of predictable resortings to of metalcore’s most trodden out tropes; like I saw the opening track’s title, “The End of All We Know”, and I knew exactly how that chorus was gonna go before I even heard it. For its few sick breakdowns like those on “Pathfinder” and “Utopia”, there’s just so much more filler generic metalcore (and some completely unsatisfying breakdowns too) to get through. I’ll give Ali Richardson credit for coming through with some impressive double-bass syncopation that sometimes breaks from the metalcore mold to give the music som brief flashes of being more than ignorable metalcore, and I’ll acknowledge the considerable gusto of Scott Kennedy’s vocal performance across the album as its most consistent positive feature, but it’s not enough to make me eager to return to Fracture as a whole or even throw any tracks into my workout playlist.
5/10
Okkultokrati - La Ilden Lyse
In their prolific first decade or so of action, Okkultokrati have done a decent job injecting grimy hardcore crust punk and a head-turning variety of other styles into the kvlt black metal of their Oslo hometown. After nearly four years of crafting since their most aesthetically ambitious effort to date, Raspberry Dawn, La Ilden Lyse is a bit of a regressive and stylistically reductive letdown after its lush and fascinating predecessor. The production of the black metal elements is much cleaner now, but the trade-off isn’t worth it, especially given that the fuzzier production of the previous albums kind of partially contributed to the unique aesthetic the band cultivated. I don’t know what the point was of going more traditional/typical this time around, but the band certainly aren’t making a stronger case for themselves by blending in MORE with their contemporaries. I hope this is just a one-off and the band get back to making more interesting black metal again soon.
5/10
Alestorm - Curse of the Crystal Coconut
I said in my review of Alestorm’s previous album that I am continuously amazed at how the pirate metal masters are able to keep finding material in their super specific vein, especially with how fresh 2017’s No Grave But the Sea sounded while returning to the more “traditional” sound that characterized the band’s debut album. Somewhat unsurprisingly, Curse of the Crystal Coconut finds the band playing around with their sound a bit in a similar way to what they did on Sunset on the Golden Age, and I would say this year’s effort to grow their sound went a good bit better than it did on that aforementioned preceding album. The band are as irreverent in their wacky sea shanty storytelling as ever (and I wouldn’t have it any other way), though they bring a few “futuristic” (for pirates’ times) elements to the table here, which a folk metal purist could certainly argue are blasphemously out of place on a record about pirate life, but if you’re a purist like that I doubt you’re listening to a sixth Alestorm LP to begin with. I actually think the band did well to make these new elements a part constructive to the overall campy aesthetic of their sound. Opening the canon hatches is “Treasure Chest Party Quest” with a hedonistic schlock rock mission statement that sounds like if Kansas were a bunch of Viner douchebags, but moving into the melodic shanty “Fannybaws” right out of the gate reaffirms the band’s folk metal chops. But it’s the introduction of hip hop elements on “Tortuga” that shows Alestorm is here to sail pirate metal to the farthest corners of the seven seas as they can; the band’s foray into trap territory under the influence of this lighthearted and loveable ambition with Captain Yarrface on this track is honestly impressive. And the band’s experimentation doesn’t end there, with “Zombies Ate My Pirate Ship” also featuring the unexpectedly beautiful vocal feature from Patty Gurdy. All these modern music elements made me ponder the possibility of a modern, internet-pirate-themed Alestorm record; perhaps someday... Beyond just the introduction of electronic elements, the thrashy folk bangers like “Chomp Chomp” and “Pirate’s Scorn” are welcome shots of liquor to jolt the album into pirate eager mode while melodic folk metalcore bangers like he nonsensically gorgeous “Zombies Are My Pirate Ship” are surprisingly invigorating. The quick metaphoric jab at the band’s imitators (or detractors) on “Shit Boat (No Fans)” is a good bit of fighting pirate spirit breaking the fourth wall creatively. There’s also the ridiculously overly epic sequel to the fast-chanting nonsense track, “Wooden Leg”, from Sunset on the Golden Age, whose conclusion is so beautifully stupid *chef’s kiss*. Honestly, I needed this album so badly this year, and I’m glad Alestorm came through with such a fun expansion pack of pirate metal tunes.
8/10
Sorcerer - Lamenting of the Innocent
I don’t know what happened. I loved this album the first time I heard it, but my enjoyment with every subsequent listen since then has been significantly diminished. Perhaps I was just appreciative of the dose of classic heavy metal with tasteful modern production updates to liven up my repertoire of new albums to listen to. As grand, nostalgic, and even 2000’s-Maiden-esque as Sorcerer’s sixth album is, I can’t help but feel at least somewhat distracted by how heavily derivative it is of the NWOBHM, even as it takes some cues from Candlemass and Dream Theater to elevate its grandiosity through proggy, epic doom metal. Now all those influences do combine into a generally effective and exciting aesthetic, and I do think the core sound the band have tapped into is potent and worth chasing, as evidenced by songs like “Institoris” and “Dance with the Devil”, but that sound at its best doesn’t show up in full enough on this album. Lamenting of the Innocent is hampered so heavily by its length and the proportion of that length that is comprised of filler balladry like “Deliverance” or the just slightly too dragged out “Where Spirits Die” and unnecessary repetition that draws out even the better parts of the album like the title track. For all this nit-picking, I feel like I should at least emphasize that I do still quite like this album for its solid performances, especially Anders Engberg’s tactful operatic vocals and the distinctly NWOBHM-style duel-guitar soloing from Kristian Niemann and Peter Hallgren. I do hope that Sorcerer do continue to distill their sound down to its best elements because I could see them being a shining beacon for the continued reverence for the era of heavy metal they so heavily emulate.
7/10
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comicteaparty · 4 years
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February 29th-March 6th, 2020 Creator Babble Archive
The archive for the Creator Babble chat that occurred from February 29th, 2020 to March 6th, 2020.  The chat focused on the following question:
What is the thing you’re proudest about regarding your story?
Deo101 [Millennium]
I hope saying "That I'm actually doing it, and that I'm still doing it and loving every minute of it" Is an okay answer ^^ there is a lot that I am very proud of myself for with regards to this comic, but I think I take the most pride in actually sticking with something for this long.
carcarchu
I agree with deo, sticking with it is what i'm most proud of and it's probably one of the hardest things to do
Capitania do Azar
Hah I can't say I'm proud of everything, right?
It's hard to put it in words but I really enjoy the comic making process and I'm proud of what I'm accomplishing with it, both in terms of writing and of art. And I think it's rather visible that I put a ton of effort into it
Spring-heeled Jack
I am proud that I prepped ahead of time because the last two times I tried, I didn't. Both times I got about 10 pages in and quit because I felt overwhelmed. With the story itself, I think I'm proud of my characters. Characters are the easiest part for me (plot and central conflict I always flounder on) but I'm still so pleased with them.(edited)
Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)
For me, it's just getting the work out there. Actually finishing chapters. compared to the first comic story I want to put out, this story I know for sure where its going and gives me a sense of ease? There's some days when I feel i'm slumping along but in the end, I'm pretty happy how it turned out. Pretty much what Deo and carcarchu said lol: my story is long but not super long, but I'm glad I'm still working on it among my other stories I want to share (edited)
Ash🦀
For me, what I'm most proud of is my artist, Katie. We're a collaborative team, I'm just the writer so I don't do much. And she takes my words and just... adds so much life to them. Seeing every page she makes is so amazing. Every time she's growing in her style in leaps and bounds, and seeing her push her lighting, expressions, and unusual panel styles, ugh, it's just so cool seeing her grow. I am so proud of her and what she's done, she's a total rockstar and I love her. I couldn't have done this without her, and every day I'm more grateful to her.
DanitheCarutor
That is a really good question, I don't really show pride in stuff I do usually. I guess the closest to being proud was either when my new comic passed the stopping mark for my old comic, which was discontinued at chapter 3, or when I got chapter 1 rescanned for print recently. The latter was kinda challenging because I rebubbled the whole chapter, and how I rebubbled was a little... awkward, pasting over the old bubbles in photoshop afterward.
Sorry! Apparently the image file was weird.
keii’ii (Heart of Keol)
I actually semi-recently wrote a raving tweet thread relevant to this topic. Basically, for years and years, I did not know what it meant to be proud of your work. I've been happy with my work, both the process and the result. But was "proud of my work" completely synonymous with "happy with my work"? I legit did not know. Even asked a former English teacher friend, who's very good at explaining this sorta things, and I still didn't get it. Then as I made progress through the most recent chapter, I noticed this brand new, strange feeling welling up in me. Yep, you guessed it. For the first time ever after starting this comic, I was proud of what I was making. Not just happy with it, but proud of it. Took me a while to realize, oh, this is proud. Afterward, something happened IRL that temporarily borked my sense of time (one specific week felt like months). So because it felt like it had been months since I made it, I got to experience the last couple pages of the chapter as a reader, not its creator. And I gotta say, thank you past me, you've made something truly heartfelt, and you had every reason to be proud of this. In short: I'm proud of how my comic is an honest reflection of what my heart wants to see, what I want to read. And I'm proud of my most recent chapter being the pinnacle of that. I hope to make more, higher pinnacles down the road, as I continue my way through this story.
spacerocketbunny
I'm proud of how me and @FeatherNotes(Krispy) have shaped our characters and fleshed them out! I'm also super proud of our team dynamic and how if something didn't feel right in the story or art etc., we've always challenged it and come up with something better and stronger! Because we've been so thorough and willing to reconsider, I'm always perfectly comfortable to stand by what we've put out there, even if we've had to go back and fix past mistakes!
Mei
Hoh boy, the thing I'm proudest about in My Husband is a Cultist is the audience interaction. I've been told the comic is funny, and that makes me immensely chuffed, because it means I'm doing something right. I'm always so nervous when putting my work out there with how it's going to be received. That seeing people engage with the story and find it funny and liking the characters... it just warms my heart so much, and it makes me truly feel like I'm on the right path. I'm also pretty proud of the stuff I've written that's not been featured in the comic yet. I look forward to developing those and making them come to life, and I hope people enjoy the grittier parts of this strange comedy as much as I do! And mostly I'm proud that I'm still doing it and haven't given up yet. My lord, I just don't know how it's gonna keep going! but hopefully just onwards and upwards!
eli [a winged tale]
Reading through all of these and I’m so touched. Super proud of you all!
I’m most proud in finally chasing my dreams. Life threw me a bunch of curveballs and creating this comic is a reflection of how I dealt with things and at the same time be thankful for what I have. When I reread my comic I can see mistakes but I also see parts of myself that are genuine. I can’t wait to continue on the story and let the comic be part of my life moving forwards
LadyLazuli (Phantomarine)
My comic went on so long behind the scenes before I was comfortable enough to share it, so I tend to think of my past self quite differently than my current self. So, I'm very proud of 'past me!' She started the project completely unaware of how long it would last or what it would become - just a few characters and story threads and a whoooole lot of ambition - and my present self has had the pleasure of weaving those threads into a project I'm truly proud of. The comic has brought me so much joy - much of it delayed, like a ticking time bomb - and it's all thanks to my younger self. She wasn't sure of what she was doing - but now I know she made some excellent decisions in the beginning. I'm very grateful she started all of this. It's made my life all the more joyful
chalcara [Nyx+Nyssa]
I got a BUFFER. My first non-fancomic died because of work-comittments and lack of buffer, but on Nyx+Nyssa I manage to work ahead. More than anything I am proud of the discipline I developed to allow for that.
FeatheryJustice
I'm proud of almost completing Teasday. I had some long hiatuses but I will finish the story for now. Also proud of where I grown from the beginning of that story to now. The time and effort shows that I did do a lot, which makes me really happy to know.
Nutty (Court of Roses)
I'm proud of a lot of the work that goes into my comic, but what I'm most proud of was this page. I wanted this to be grand and a pivotal moment if what the comic was about. I don't think even a couple years I could've done anything at this scale, but I split the areas into chunks that I completed over the span of two weeks. Always look upon this page fondly.
eli [a winged tale]
That is gorgeous!
Spring-heeled Jack
Impressive!
snuffysam (Super Galaxy Knights)
I can point out four moments in Super Galaxy Knights http://sgkdr.thecomicseries.com/comics/ that I'm the most proud of - 1. The end of Book 1 Chapter 4. Chapter 4 was intended to be a big "growing the beard" moment for the comic's action setpieces - the first three chapters were more about introducing characters and plot elements than actual action, so I consider chapter 4 to be the first "real" fight of the comic. The way the action was presented in chapter 4 would go on to represent how action would be presented throughout the rest of the comic, and IMO I pulled it off fantastically. 2. The end of Book 1. Kinda self-explanatory, but Book 1 was the first major story arc of the comic - the fact that I managed to pull together a satisfying conclusion, something that I theoretically could have ended the comic on, was super satisfying to me. 3. This page: http://sgkdr.thecomicseries.com/images/comics/160/30997a1543363807f2141157006.gif . When I wrote in my Book 2 script "they fight for a bit in a big looping animation" back in 2016 I was hoping my animation skills would advance to the point where I could pull it off. And it turns out, they did. 4. Well... today. Ever since starting the comic back on leap day 2016, I knew today would be a big milestone, and I'm proud of myself for sticking with this project long enough to get to this four year mark.
Eightfish (Puppeteer)
oh my god, that looks incredible and I've never seen a page like that before!
Cronaj (Whispers of the Past)
I am not very far into my comic, but when I try to think about what I am most proud of in my work, it is definitely all the behind-the-scenes work I have put into the comic. The world-building. The map-making, language developing, culture exploring, building a political structure, writing histories, character work, etc. All this time and energy I devoted to something that wouldn't be seen by others for many years to come. It is only now starting to come to fruition, despite technically having been working on this project since 2014, with the first scripts, the first character designs, and the first paragraphs about the world of Whispers of the Past. All this work that nobody will ever see. I am proud of sticking with it and putting my heart and soul into it despite the lack of return for so long. I have given up my adolescence to this project, and I am giving up the rest of my youth. But when I think about it, there is no worthier recipient. Because without this story, I feel like a large part of my identity would be gone.
snuffysam (Super Galaxy Knights)
Thank you @Eightfish (Puppeteer) ! The storyboarding alone for that animation took a week so I'm glad you like it!
eli [a winged tale]
I totally get you Cronaj! So much goes behind the scenes but that creates the world’s depths and it will resonate with readers! continues dedicating the rest of my life to comics
SL Black
@Cronaj (Whispers of the Past) yes! There is so much prep work involved. I have three full scripts for UO that will never see the light of day (mostly because they are terrible). Comics are such a marathon. All that hard work will be appreciated so much by your readers!
Cronaj (Whispers of the Past)
@SL Black Man... That sounds like me. I myself went through at least 3 scripts too. I'm glad I'm not the only one who feels this way about the BTS work
Desnik
I'm proud that I'm putting myself out there with a WIP comic script and learning how to not only write, but collaborate with other writers.
renieplayerone
Im really proud that i started a comic and have stuck with it for a year and just how much ive learned by making it^^
Eightfish (Puppeteer)
I'm proud that even after 70 pages I've never missed a scheduled update!(edited)
Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)
Awe yeee thats always good to have a streak like that!
eli [a winged tale]
That is #goals!
Cronaj (Whispers of the Past)
Agreed!
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