#untitled grian game

[niftukkun]

honk (“honk!”) if you’re hungry for chaos! come on, “honk! honk!” like a horrible goose!

for the second week of @/shepscapades 's hermitcraft character design event, i offer grian as a chaotic goose!

so originally my concept was actually grian as the lamb from cult of the lamb, but then memories of the untitled goose game descended upon me like visions from an angry god, so i couldnt not do grian as The Goose. it fits, really, since the whole point of the goose game is to spread unmitigated chaos, and grian thrives on chaos and unpredictability

for notes on character design,, i actually didnt know what to do at first? like, ok, grian as the goose, but do i just draw a goose? make grian into a goose hybrid and thatse it? i actually really debated letting him keep his red jumper cause while its a big indicator of Grian its also,, really out of place for goose if that makes sense. my next pass at designs was arguably worse since it was more or less just a naked harpy with no resemblance to grian OR the goose game.

i actually ended up taking inspiration from one of my ocs (lycomedes my beloved boy i will one day post you) and gave grian this. mask-not-mask? if you look at the art there isnt actually a line separating mask from skin so that implies its less a mask and more His Face and that fit more than actually giving him a beak or just a plain human esque face so i kept it and it looks great! i also gave him arms instead of a more harpy esque No Hands look because Despite My Best Efforts it did not look good :(

to keep him looking like grian i gave him the hair i started doing specifically for grian and also little red highlights here and there (notable places include the eyes because Slay and the nails because Slay (im only half joking here)) but other than that i kind of did nothing else and am shocked at how much silhouette actually matters?? like it registers to me as grian despite yknow looking nothing like his actual minecraft skin so. win!! hell yeah!!!

little details include the bell i spent way too much time on, the sign that im far too proud of (its so good!!) and of course, the crowning piece, the Untitled Grian Game logo (and grian face) (its so funny to me i keep laughing whenever i look into those soulless minecraft eyes) (its so good!!!!!)

[t0esniffer69]

[behind-you-gem]

Considering Grian’s fishing obsession lately, I’ve seen suggestions for various aquatic bird hybrids he could be. Heron Grian, Kingfisher Grian, Duck Grian, Penguin Grian….

I see you all. I hear you. But consider:

Goose Grian.

The ultimate “untitled goose game” style annoying goose.

[unexpectedly-haunted]

Woe! Renchanting Fic Recommendations be upon ye!

Lamplight AU by skelew: A DnD style/Fantasy AU series where Martyn, captured and separated from his traveling party, finds an almost-forgotten god trapped in the basement. He becomes this god’s paladin in a bid to escape, and Ren, stuck in the form of fire, is happy to help. Adventures and a significant amount of arson follow, and the series is currently in progress! Words: 20,949 Works: 6

Missing or Obstructed by skelew: Post-Third Life AU centered on Ren and Grian. Waking up back on Hermitcraft after dying, these two are the only ones who remember the game. Grian struggles with his victory, and Ren sets out to find Martyn. Words: 2609 Chapters: 1/?

Wooden Mausoleum by skelew: Third Life AU where Martyn follows through on his planned betrayal. Fantastic and heartfelt angst, I cannot recommend enough. Words: 3807 Chapters: 1/1

yes, the only way out is down by skelew: Hey, remember when Martyn executed Ren? And it took three strikes to finally kill him? Wasn’t that fucked up? That’s what this fic is. Words: 1248 Chapters: 1/1

Domino Effect by pixiemage: Martyn-centric Third Life time loop fic with quality renchanting characterisation! Incorporates Watcher lore and Watcher! Grian in an interesting and engaging way. Words: 39557 Chapters: 3/?

winter as a metaphor for approaching ends by donnerstag: Ren ventures into a blizzard to find Martyn when he doesn’t come home. A reflection on loyalty in a death game. Loved the dialogue, have reread several times already. Words: 3880 Chapters: 1/1

falling doesn’t feel so bad (when i know you’ve fallen this way too) by mangop1e: Ren’s tests of loyalty, now featuring a soul-binding magic ritual. Described as including “imtimacy” “but like in the emotional way” “in the homies way” “in the “youre my king and i’m your faithful right hand” way” and it delivers!  Words: 5148 Chapters: 1/1

sharp & glorious thorn by majorkirastan: Ren and Martyn have a late night talk. I think about this one at least three times a week. Words: 2098 Chapters: 1/1

you’ve always been my north star by genesis_frog: A character study of Third Life Martyn and, by extension, Ren. Formatted as a 5 + 1 and really, really good! Words: 3346 Chapters: 1/1

ain’t it warming you, the world going up in flames? by crowleysflamingbentley: The tnt trap outside Dogwarts goes off, and Martyn sees red. This does not go so well for Scar. Really fun idea and I love how it was written! Somewhat open-ended. Words: 1327 Chapters: 1/1

Cold Comfort by redwinterroses: In the aftermath of the Red King’s rise, Martyn struggles with continuing bloodlust. Ren continues to trust him anyway. Close to a happy ending. Words: 2460 Chapters: 1/1

Nothing Gold Can Stay by redwinterroses: Third Life AU where Dogwarts wins, and Ren and Martyn are the last two left standing. Intense angst with a hopeful ending. Words: 3581 Chapters: 1/1

Heavy Hands, Heavy Hearts by librius: Dogwarts wins AU, and they both want to other one to live. All angst baby! Words: 1965 Chapters: 1/1

untitled by redwinterroses: Ren the King dreams of his dead Hand, who has some words for him. Such a cool concept, and the imagery is still haunting me. Words: 1460 Chapters: 1/1

also, here’s my ao3! i have a lot of renchanting there + plan on writing more :D

[tubbytarchia]

ji

first thing he does is steal from sausage. hes still trying to fish for a nametag though. hes stealing lapis from sausage to enchant his fishing rod so he can enchant it so he can fish a nametag.

he steals another disc and i think he does now actually have all of the ones on the server.

oli and aimsey are still the only ones who died... with less than 2 weeks left i think most people are gonna survive! although they still have the ender dragon to do. and jim wants to host a tournament/fight ring type thing for the final day

he fishes up a power4 infinity bow

he stops fishing then gets attacked by a skeleton. he doesnt have a shield???? i.zonedout

someone in chat mentions untitled goose game..... i think that could be a fun stream....... please..... it might be tomorrow

he starts building a new room in his house for his nether portal in the same style as the main room

his favourite numbers are 3 and 7

jimmy calls etho a silly man for not liking when people build portals without the corners

his portal is long.

he goes through and his nether spawns pretty good :) hes right by a fortress. i also know aimsey died via piglin brute so theres probably a bastion nearby too? he didnt look around too much so unsure....

he immediately started getting attacked by a ghast so he kills it. it breaks his portal BUT he has his flint on him...... yay no getting stuck in the nether

after like 45 minutes of distractions he is back to fishing for a nametag. his dog will get a name eventually im sure.

he does not get the nametag

short summary cuz its a shorter stream + way more chill than usual :P

Steal a nametag: X X X Steal Lapis to enchant your fishing rod so you can fish a nametag: ✓

Still sad Oli is already out... blonde boyfriend.,.. Glad the others are doing well though. Etho IS silly for that but at the same time I get it. Aesthetic matters

This cursed nametag is about to give Jimmy the mending book treatment that Grian got at the start of HC S10 istg

[wingshowdown]

Here are the contenders (alphabetically)

Aisa (One Piece)

Aisha (Winx Club)

Aizawa Mint (Tokyo Mew Mew)

Alata (Tensai Sentai Goseiger)

Albedo (Overlord)

Allay (Minecraft)

Ananas Dragon Cookie (Cookie Run)

Angel Cookie (Cookie Run)

Angel Cure Berry (Fresh Precure)

Angel Cure Passion (Fresh Precure)

Angel Cure Peach (Fresh Precure)

Angel Cure Pine (Fresh Precure)

Angel Devil (Chainsaw Man)

Angella (She-Ra and the Princesses of Power)

Aradia Megido (Homestuck)

Aroma (Go! Princess Precure)

Asreil (Undertale)

Aziraphale (Good Omens)

Barbatos (Genshin Impact)

Beck (Disney Fairies)

Bird Person (Rick and Morty)

Bird That Carries You Over A Disproportionately Small Gap (Undertale)

Blackjack (Percy Jackson)

Brietta (Barbie and the Magic of Pegasus)

Butterfly (The Last Unicorn)

Castiel (Supernatural)

Charizard (Pokémon)

Cheese (Sonic the Hedgehog)

Cloud Strife (Final Fantasy)

Colt (Hunter x Hunter)

Corvin D’Oro (Montress)

Crona (Soul Eater)

Crowley (Good Omens)

Cthulu (The Call of Cthulu)

Cure Felice (Mahoutsukai Precure)

Cure Grace (Healin’Good style) (Healin’Good Precure)

Cure Infini (HUGtto Precure)

Cure Parfait (Kira Kira Precure a la Mode)

Cure Princess (Happiness Charge Precure)

Cyprin (Spyro the Dragon)

Dahlia (Barbie: Fairytopia)

Dark Pit (Kid Icarus: Uprising)

Dark Pretty Cure (Heartcatch Precure)

Discord (My Little Pony)

Dragonite (Pokémon)

Duck (Princess TuTu)

Eda (The Owl House)

Elina (Barbie: Fairytopia)

Emyr (The Witch King)

Ender Dragon (Minecraft)

Eternal Sailor Moon (Sailor Moon)

Fairy Godmother (Shrek 2)

Fledge (The Chronicles of Narnia)

Fluttershy (My Little Pony)

Genesis Rhapsodos (Final Fantasy)

Giratina (Pokémon)

Goddess Hylia (Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild)

Grian (Hermitcraft/Evo)

Happy (Fairy Tail)

Hawks (My Hero Academia)

Howl (Howl’s Moving Castle)

Hue (Barbie Fairytopia)

Icarus (Greek mythology)

Iridessa (Disney Fairies)

Irma (W.I.T.C.H.)

Jake Long (American Dragon Jake Long)

Joshua Kiryu (The World Ends With You)

Junior Troopa (Paper Mario)

Kaepora Gaebora (Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time)

Konan (Naruto)

Kushina Anna (K)

Link's Loftwing (Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword)

Little Bird Holding a Rat (Spirited Away)

Lock (Go! Princess Precure)

Lychee Dragon Cookie (Cookie Run)

Mario (with wing cap) (Super Mario 64)

Mariposa (Barbie: Mariposa)

Max (Magical Boy)

Medli (Legend of Zelda: Windwaker)

Megeara (Hades)

Meta Knight (Kirby)

Monet (One Piece)

Paarthurnax (Skyrim)

Palutena (Kid Icarus: Uprising)

Panty (Panty and Stocking)

Parakarry (Paper Mario)

Penelope (Barbie as Rapunzel)

Philza (Origin SMP)

Pikario (Kira Kira Precure a la Mode)

Pit (Kid Icarus: Uprising)

Postman (Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass)

Prilla (Disney Fairies)

Rainbow Dash (My Little Pony)

Raphaella La Cognizi (The Mechanisms)

Rem (Death Note)

Ridley (Metroid)

Rouge the Bat (Sonic the Hedgehog)

Royale Candy (Smile Precure)

Ruby the Red Fairy (Rainbow Magic)

Rufioh Nitram (Homestuck)

Ryuk (Death Note)

Sam (180° Angel)

Sephiroth (Final Fantasy)

Shantae (bat form) (Shantae: Half Genie Hero)

Sigrún (God of War: Ragnarok)

Smaug (The Hobbit)

Spamton NEO (Deltarune)

Spyro (Spyro the Dragon)

Star Butterfly (Star vs. the Forces of Evil)

Stocking (Panty and Stocking)

Tank (Forever After)

Terezi Pyrope (Homestuck)

The Sorceress (He-Man)

Tinker Bell (Peter Pan)

Tobias (Animorphs)

Toothiana (Rise of the Guardians

Toothless (How to Train Your Dragon)

Tropius (Pokémon)

Tsunderplane (Undertale)

Twilight Sparkle (My Little Pony)

Untitled Goose (Untitled Goose Game)

Venger (Dungeons and Dragons)

Vex (Minecraft)

Vidia (Disney Fairies)

Vriska Serket (Homestuck)

Winged Pikmin (Pikmin 3)

Yasha (Critical Role)

Yume (Mewkledreamy)

[pruechaosbracket]

Pure Chaos Bracket Links/Guide

Submissions and Rules (Closed)

Preliminary Rounds (4/15 - 4/22)

Kokichi (Danganronpa) VS Junko (Danganronpa)

Amethyst (Steven Universe) VS Peridot (Steven Universe)

Jenkins (Red vs Blue) VS Team Red (Red vs Blue)

Dirk Gently (Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency) VS Bart Curlish(Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency)

Glenn Close (Dungeons and Daddies) VS Lark and Sparrow (Dungeons and Daddies) VS Scam Likely (Dungeons and Daddies)

Eda Clawthorne and King (The Owl House) VS The Collector (The Owl House)

Round 1-A (4/23 - 4/30)

Henry Stickmin (The Henry Stickmin Collection) VS Damien LaVey (Monster Prom)

Pearl (Splatoon) VS Mei (Lego Monkie Kid)

Deadpool (Marvel) VS Toph (Avatar: The Last Airbender)

Yakko, Wakko, and Dot (Animanics) VS Edward Elric (Fullmetal Alchemist)

Marx (Kirby) VS Nikolai Gogol (Bungo Stary Dogs)

Grian and Scar (3rd Life) VS Jevil (Deltarune)

Luffy (One Piece) VS Dimentio (Super Paper Mario)

Team Red (Red vs Blue) VS Alina Gray (Magia Record)

Round 1-B (4/25 - 5/2)

Mort (All Hail King Julian) VS Loki (Norse Mythology)

Benrey (Half-Life VR but the AI is Self-Aware) VS BOb (Slime Rancher)

Yin-Yang (Inanimate Insanity) VS Remus (Sanders Sides)

Slimecicle (QSMP) VS Happy Chaos (Guilty Gear)

Junko (Danganronpa) VS The Collector (The Owl House)

Discord (MLP: Friendship is Magic) VS Chili Pepper Cookie (Cookie Run Kingdom) *Please note that I forgot to change the names in the header*

Chungledown Bim (Fantasy High) VS Bart Curlish (Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency)

Eris (Greek Mythology) VS Phonegingi (Dialtown)

Round 1-C (4/27 - 5/4)

• Dewey (Ducktales) VS The Goose (Untitled Goose Game) • Klaus (Umbrella Academy) VS Stede Bonnet (Our Flag Means Death) • Courtney (Dead End: Paranormal Park) VS Dakota Cole (Just Roll With It) • Krampy (Cattails) VS The Lamb (Cult of the Lamb) • Kairos Theodosian (A Practical Guide to Evil) VS Taako, Magnus, and Merle (The Adventure Zone) • Wei Wuxian (Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation) VS Tiny Tina (Borderlands) • Blitzo (Helluva Boss) VS Jester (Critical Role)

Barry Swift (Team StarKid) VS Giovanni Pottage (Epithet Erased)

Round 1-D (4/29 - 5/6)

Wataru Hibiki (Ensemble Stars) VS Lyer (Mia’s World)

Oli (Empires SMP) VS Dr Doofenshmirtz (Phineas and Ferb)

Sam and Max (Sam and Max) VS Scam Likely (Dungeons and Daddies)

Gregory (FNAF) VS Peridot (Steven Universe)

Max, Niki, and Neil (Camp Camp) VS Four (BFB)

Bill Cipher (Gravity Falls) VS Docm77 (Hermitcraft)

Rocky (Lackadaisy) VS The User (There Is No Game)

Donnie (Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles) VS Dr. Eggman (Sonic the Hedgehog)

ROUND 2-A 5/14 - 5/21

Henry Stickmin (The Henry Stickmin Collection) VS Pearl (Splatoon)

Toph (Avatar: The Last Airbender) VS Yakko, Wakko, and Dot (Animanics)

Marx (Kirby) VS Jevil (Deltarune)

Dimentio (Super Paper Mario) VS Team Red (Red VS Blue)

Mort (All Hail King Julien) VS Benrey (Half-Life VR but the AI is Self-Aware)

Yin-Yang (Inanimate Insanity) VS Charlie Slimecicle (QSMP)

The Collector (The Owl House) VS Discord (MLP: Friendship is Magic)

Chungledown Bim (Fantasy High) VS Phonegingi (Dialtown)

ROUND 2-B 7/21 - 7/28

The Goose (Untitled Goose Game) VS Klaus Hargreeves (Umbrella Acadamy)

Dakota Cole (Just Roll With It) VS The Lamb (Cult of the Lamb)

Takoo, Magnus, and Merle (The Adventure Zone) VS Tiny Tina (Bordar Lands)

Jester (Critical Roll) VS Giovanni Potage (Epithet Erased)

Wataru Hibiki (Ensemble Stars) and Lyer (Mia's World) VS Oli (Empires SMP) and Dr. Doofensmirtz (Phineas and Ferb)

Sam and Max (Sam and Max) VS Peridot (Steven Universe)

Four (Battle For Dream Island) VS Bill Cipher (Gravity Falls)

Rocky (Lackadaisy) VS Donnatello (Rise of the TMNT) and Dr. Eggman (Sonic the Hedgehog)

ROUND 3 9/23 - 9/30

Henry Stickmin (The Henry Stickmin Collection) VS Yakko, Wakko, and Dot (Animanics)

Marx (Kirby) VS Team Red (Red Vs Blue)

Mort (All Hail King Julien) VS Charlie Slimecicle (QSMP)

Chungledown Bim (Dimension 20: Fantasy High) VS Discord (MLP: Friendship is Magic)

The Goose (Untitled Goose Game) VS The Lamb (Cult of the Lamb)

Takoo, Magnus, and Merrle (The Adventure Zone) VS Giovanni Potage (Epithet Erased)

Sam and Max (Sam and Max) VS Oli {Empires SMP} and Dr. Doofensmirtz {Phineas and Ferb}

Donatello {Rise of the TMNT} and Dr. Eggman {Sonic the Hedgehog} VS Bill Cipher (Gravity Falls)

ROUND 4 10/21 - 10/28

Chungledown Bim (Dimension 20: Fantasy High) VS Charlie Slimecicle (QSMP)

Takoo, Magnus, and Merrle (The Adventure Zone) VS The Goose (Untitled Goose Game)

Yakko, Wakko, and Dot (Animanics) VS Team Red (Red Vs Blue)

Sam and Max (Sam and Max) VS Bill Cipher (Gravity Falls)

SEMI-FINALS 12/12 - 12/18

Yakko, Wakko, and Dot VS Charlie Slimecicle

Sam and Max VS The Goose

FINALS 12/21 - 28

Yakko, Wakko, and Dot VS Sam and Max

[ambersky0319]

WIP Tag Game

Tagged by @hihopelessromantics! Thank you so so much for the tag!!

I had so many WIPs and didn't wanna limit myself to any category so made a new post 😅

RULES: post the names of all the files in your WIP folder, regardless of how non-descriptive or ridiculous. Let people send you an ask with the title that most intrigues them, and then post a little snippet or tell them something about it! and then tag as many people as you have WIPs.

I'm gonna start off with some no pressure tags: @willowaudreykeyes @hdgnj @valewright67 @tacochippy @animalarte @writing-is-a-martial-art and anyone else who wants to do this! ^^

Fanfics above the cut, original works below ^^

Fanfics

NNT

Eternal (1 Planning, 1 Scrapped Scene, Chapters 1-24)

The 3,000 Year Constant (1 Plan, Chapter 1)

Geldris Day Fic 2

Goddess Elizabeth and Meliodas

A Treasure - Zeldris and Meliodas and Elizabeth

Digging A Little Deeper - Meliodas and Diane

I Don't Like You - Zeldris/Gelda

Not Breaking the Rules... Technically - Elizabeth-centric

Rightfully Angry - Meliodas and Zeldris

Zeldris-centric ANGST

Stardew Valley

Maru & Sebastian (Request)

Elliott/Sebastian - TBN (Request)

AUGTIYL

1. One Too Many Late Nights, Last Call

2. Meeting Everyone

3. Friday at the Saloon

4. Elliott Meets Krobus

5. Family Reunion

Worry - Sam/Farmer

Other

Zoo (Show) Rewrite

3rd Life - Grian and Scar

3rd Life - Bdubs and Cleo

3rd Life - Impulse and Skizz

3rd Life - Jimmy and Scott

3rd Life - Red Army

Original Works

Soulmate Reject Story

Cinomed Chronicles (Six Worlds)

3 Planning Docs

2 Worldbuilding Docs

Cinomed Chronicles (Two Worlds)

2 Planning Docs

"Go visit her."

A Very Rough Night

Aftermath

Alternate Throne Room Scene

Angel's Start

Blep

Booopity boop

Celebrations

Darling

Dealing with Idiots

Dire Circumstances

Fallen Angel

Help

Her Memories

Hidden Wings

Holidays with the Sydneys

Honorable

Introduction of Leona maybe

Lazy Day

Long Night

Medical Center Scene

Miss Most

Promise me something?

Rando Short

Random Short

Short Story - Family Field Trip

Something Wrong

Starting to Cope

Titles?? In this household?

Unease

Untitled

3 Untitled Documents

Vic???

Want

Wedding Day

What Makes You Beautiful

You Need To

At Long Last

1 New Chapter, 2 Old Chapters

Not of This World

Chapters 1-5, Chapter 12

The Prince's Guard (Scrapped)

1 Planning Doc

Chapters 1-4

[honeylashofficial]

Writing Patterns (Tag Game)

Rules: list the first line of your last 10 (posted) fics and see if there's a pattern!

Thanks, @cnwolf-brainrot for tagging me. :D I don't have ten individual fics posted, so I'll do the ten latest chapters I've released instead. (plus a bonus sneak peek of the latest wip 👀)

The work span of an intern at a plumbing company never managed to last nearly long enough, and that was bad news for Mumbo. (The Faults in Our Lines*)

Tango had stopped wearing his waiter name tag after realizing that no one really cared who they were being served by. (It Starts With a Smile | A Flower Ranchers Trio short story)

He had never seen the kid so scared. (No Bark, All Bite, Just Business*)

Sand was always getting into Martyn’s eyes. (Sands of Time*)

Doc didn’t do anxiety. (And the Flames Climbed Higher*)

A bellowing cry split the early morning air. (It Gets Worse the Further You Go*)

Scott dumped the pile of powdered snow onto the grass, promptly sitting down on it and sulking. (The Red Fury*)

Grian didn’t know how he had gotten here, but he was certainly here now, and there was nothing he could do about it. (From Sea to Sand and Back Again*)

A lifetime of servitude had a whole new meaning to it when you were cursed. (A Lifetime of Lies*)

A dwarves heart was only as pure as the gems they mined. (To All That Glitters, and Those Who Benefit From It*)

*A Plateful of Hermits with a Side of Whump and Angst (Whumptober / Hermittober 2023 prompts)

Bonus!! (wip) Scar was fearless, but there were three times in his life when that truth became a lie. [untitled HotGuy!Scar novel]

I definitely suffer from what I like to call, "addicted to overly dramatic opening paragraphs". I try not to do it every single time just to shake things up, but we all have our shortcomings. X) Just like CN mentioned in her own response, my goal with the first sentence, and especially the first paragraph, is to underline the theme of the overall story and capture the mood. It's about finding the very core and presenting it offhandedly to your audience so they know exactly what they're in for even if they don't know it at the time, haha! Spoken like a true angst writer.

I would like to invite @amethystfairy1 to join the game, along with anyone else who sees this post. Happy scrolling. :D

[inaris-mage-of-storms]

Hello beloved readers! Scrolling through my writing tag whenever I want to reference something is, uh...no longer feasible unless it's really recent. Solution? Masterpost! :D (MCYT fics only though, because my YYH stuff is from 5+ years ago and I don't expect I'll be free of this blockman brainrot anytime soon.)

In Progress

The Canary In The Gold Mine - series masterpost }{ Empires S2 }{ Flower Fwhimmy }{ When Scott is arrested for theft and left languishing in a Gobland prison cage, he finds a beam of hope in a little yellow bird. Over time, he finds even more in the arms of his canary and their goblin king. }{

Complete

Strawberry Wine - series masterpost }{ Empires S2 }{ Flower Husbands }{ There was something about summer on the savanna that Jimmy found nostalgic... Once, a young farmboy fell in love with a vibrant traveler. Years later, a proud sheriff fell in love with a colorful king. Or he would have, if he had ever fallen out of love with him in the first place. }{

Untitled Scarian - Tumblr }{ Hermitcraft S9 }{ Scarian }{ Scar’s elf ears twitched whenever the corners of his eyes crinkled in amusement, Grian noticed. And he was certainly amused at the moment, perched on Grian’s lap as much as his long limbs would allow, knees pressed into the cushion and hands on Grian’s shoulders, watching a blush bloom across his target’s face. }{

Wildflowers and Roses - Tumblr | AO3 }{ Empires S2 }{ Flower Husbands }{ There were so many things Scott loved. He loved silk sheets and pretty clothes and delicious food. He loved his kingdom and his people and his flowers and his llamas. He loved adventure and wit and new experiences. He loved sitting in the warm sun to weave flower crowns on a lazy day. But there was one thing he loved above all else, one thing sweeter and warmer than any other experience he'd ever had. One thing existed that he treasured more greatly than any shiny or rare trinket in his extensive collection. }{

Party Games - Tumblr | AO3 }{ Empires S2 }{ Flower Husbands }{ Jimmy goes to the princess party hoping to make an impression on Scott. He succeeds, just maybe not in the way he hoped. }{

Muscle Memory - Tumblr: }{ one }{ two }{ three }{ }{ Plate Up }{ Tango, Jimmy, & Skizz }{ Jimmy has some bad habits developed after years of repetition. Tango and Skizz are determined to break them. }{ *Continuation depends on future PlateUp streams }{

Dream Of The Devil And He Shall Appear - AO3 | Tumblr: }{ one }{ two }{ three }{ four }{ five }{ six }{ }{ Pirates SMP }{ Majorwood }{ When Scott dreams, he dreams of a sea he's never seen and a man who feels like home. }{ *will possibly be resumed or reworked at a future date }{

Untitled Flower Husbands - Tumblr }{ Empires S1 }{ Flower Husbands }{ Jimmy dreams about a tree. }{

Who Are You? Are You Nobody, Too? - Tumblr }{ 3rd Life SMP }{ Flower Husbands }{ Thrown into a strange game with no memories of their lives before, Jimmy and Scott find comfort in a quiet valley and in each other. }{

On Hiatus

We Can Be Just As Close (If I Am Far Away) - series masterpost }{ Hermitcraft S9 and Life Series }{ Scarian }{ By the time Grian fell from the clifftop at the end of 3rd Life, he'd already fallen for Scar. But when it becomes clear that the death games are going to keep happening, he can't stand the thought of being the cause of Scar's death again. And if keeping Scar safe means keeping his distance, he'll do it, no matter how much it hurts both of them. }{

Bare-Faced In Front Of You - AO3 | Tumblr: }{ one }{ two }{ three }{ }{ Hermitcraft }{ Convex }{ There were a thousand Scars, and Cub loved every single one of them. A collection of ConVex snippets written for CubScar Week. }{

A Fool's Errand - AO3 }{ Hermitcraft }{ Convex }{ All his life, Cub has felt like there is something he should be seeking out, and he hopes to find it in a little town on the edge of a dark oak forest. The moment he arrives, he's warned against falling for Scar's scams and sales pitches - and warned that if he wants to court the charismatic elf, he'll have to catch a certain cat and retrieve the key around its neck. }{

Untitled Flower Husbands - Tumblr }{ Life Series }{ Flower Husbands }{ Scott loved the way Jimmy loved. Fiery, passionate, red-hot love. It was beautiful, intoxicating, magical - And magic can always be broken. }{

[sadevergreen]

Untitled Impulse Centric LARP au Fic

this is my first fic so uh bare with me. it’s not finished, maybe i’ll do another part but i’m not sure rn! i headcanon impulse as aro ace so here’s some ideas about that but i don’t get into until like later me thinks whoops

Swords slashed as silver gleamed in the light of the mid afternoon sun. Bodies swayed like grass among stalks in a golden field, the perfectly picturesque scenery contrasting the confrontation taking place in its midst. It was summer, and the world was breathing new life with relief. As the labor of battle persisted, the small but mighty party sweated under their armor and heaved for breath in between strikes. There was chaos, then a concentrated struggle, and an upper hand gained. A stall in the air stung as their enemy was struck down at their mercy. The brave paladin Impulse raised his sword, tip pointed to the throat of the Archlich Grian, as he opened his mouth to deliver words he’d never have the opportunity to say again, “Scar, what are you doing?” Grian interrupted instead. 

“Hmm?” Scar replied innocently. 

“What are you doing, why are you holding your bag like that?”

“Like what? I’m not doing anything, I’m just carrying my stuff-“ his voice carried an obvious nervous giggle with it. The jig was up. 

“Scar, you are a terrible liar. What do you have there?” Game forgotten, fake swords of plastic and foam fell to the dirt in premature defeat. Impulse stepped back and offered Grian a hand up. The bag in question seemed to be writhing more than an innocent bag ought to. 

“It’s nothing, really! Nothing at all. It’s just- Jellie. Okay? It’s Jellie. But she was so clingy this morning and I couldn’t just leave her home all alone, could I?” As Scar spoke, he lifted the top of the bag and a gray and white tabby cat poked her head out. 

“Oh my god. You are kidding,” Grian shook his head with disbelief. 

Scar delicately plucked Jellie out of the bag and threw his now mostly empty bag over his shoulder. While Scar was holding her tightly to his chest, Pearl said “I mean if she’s gonna be a part of the party she needs a costume too.” 

“Oh! Yes! We can give her little booties, and a pirate hat! She’s gonna be so cute!“ Scar delighted. 

“No, we are not seriously indulging this! Scar, this campaign isn’t even about pirates. This is the literal last session, anyways.” Grian said. 

“While I agree that having Jellie as a member would be adorable, at this point, her entrance might be a little sus,” Impulse sheepishly interjected. “How about we finish out this campaign, and then I’ll talk to Tango and see if maybe he can organize something pirate and Jellie related?” 

“Fiiiiine, she’ll watch this session. But I want pirates, Impulse! I’ve been putting a bid in for pirates for months now, and I’m on my last straw! Pirates or we quit!” Scar declared dramatically. 

“Ok, fine. Fine. Can we please get back to the campaign?” Grian urged. 

“Yeah, I’m not sure how much longer I can last in this cloak,” agreed Mumbo. The summer was not forgiving to the fantasy attire in question, everyone by gone sweating through thick black linen. Mumbo had always been a decent friend of Impulse’s, but it wasn’t until they started this campaign that they were able to really connect in a meaningful and personal way. It was nice, he had known Mumbo for a long time, having gone to high school together just a year or two ago. He was that kid that had a mustache by 13, but he never shaved it, only shaping it into the perfect handlebar mustache. He was by far the tallest, towering at least a foot over Grian, but was by far unintimidating. But the game was again afoot. Mumbo threw the hood of his heavy cloak back over his head and the rest of the group resumed their positions. 

Stance set, Impulse stood, sword tip pointed at the throat of his former friend. “This time,” he begins, “…is my turn.” The blood ran hot on Impulse's face, and Grian’s primordial form screamed with the dead grass around him. He didn’t sob as he seeped through the dirt and became the hum under the soil. Pearl had been waiting for the stalemate to break, and in an instant she let her hysteria rear its ugly head. Pearl swings wildly yet accurately. A run, a leap, and a heavy swing was all it took for the Demilich Mumbo to fall, powers inactive and at the misplaced mercy of Pearl. She howled and cackled, and the wind screamed with her, and the birds laughed along. Debts were settled. Mumbo and Grian would betray them no more. They were free.

 Impulse accepted Pearl into a bear hug, and he melted into her shoulder as the blood cooled. She leaned back to wipe the blood off his face, and he folded immediately. Past conflicts could draft into the past, and the wind of the present would sweetly kiss their foreheads and rustle their hair. 

“Hey, it’s ok. It’s gonna be alright. We won. They can’t hurt us anymore. We did it. We’re ok.” Pearl assured. 

Snnrk. 

“SCAR!” Grian shouted. 

“What? I’m not doing anything!” Scar defended pointlessly. 

“Stop giggling during the conclusion of this campaign!” 

“It’s alright,” Impulse interjected. “We’re pretty much finished anyways.” 

“What are you giggling about anyways?” Mumbo asked. 

“Oh! Look at Jellie- She looks so cute! Just watch this,” Scar said. Said Jellie cat hopelessly chased after a bug in the air from her confines in Scar’s arms. 

“Awwww,” chimed Impulse. 

“She’s so cute!” cooed Pearl. 

“Admittedly, that is pretty adorable,” Mumbo agreed.

“If I knew we were allowed to bring pets I would’ve brought Maui,” Grian grumbled as he set off back towards Impulse’s house. 

Impulse clicked on the lights and as came inside, and his (somewhat) newly inherited home came to life again. Impulse had always lived with his grandparents, a touchy subject he didn’t like to go into detail on, but his small, two bedroom, one bath, outdated family home had been feeling far less familial. He was thinking he should get a dog to liven the place, because a dog would help him get up in the morning, and take a shower, and go outside during the days he was off work. But dogs were a lot of effort, and he hadn’t had more than a goldfish growing up. But maybe having a roommate would help fill the space. He’d been considering that, too. Maybe Tango, they were always close. Or perhaps Skizz, he was pretty much family. Something, just something, to fill the empty space in the house. It was like living with a ghost, except most days he couldn’t tell whose ghost it was he was living with. Maybe it was his own. 

Impulse never bothered to redecorate after his grandmother died. She was the last to go. Pictures hung on to the walls that showed his entire life. From small steps, to science fair awards, to middle school graduation, to prom, to high school graduation, to nothing else. In the last photo, closest to the old bedroom where the door is always closed, is the perfect image of a strapping young man. Maybe not strapping, but starting to be more sure of himself. Facial hair freshly trimmed, hair styled and washed, formal clothes ironed out, a few less pounds. He doesn’t know when the next time he’ll be like that is.

“Can I get y’all something to drink?” he asks everyone, who had started to take off pieces of their costumes and faux armor and lay them on the dining room table. 

“Some water would be nice,” Pearl said. 

“Anything else?” 

“Nah, I’m probably gonna head out soon. I have to take Maui for a walk,” Grian said. 

“You take your cat on walks?” Mambo asked. 

“Yeah, he needs his cardio.”

“Alright…” Impulsed drawled. “Is anyone else headed out?”

“I work tomorrow, so I need to run some errands today,” Mumbo said. 

“I kind of brought my cat, so uhm,” Scar punctuated his sentence by lifting Jellie up onto his lap. 

“I’m free tomorrow?” Pearl offered. 

Tomorrow it would be, then. The house was just as lonely and haunted as it always was. Shadows danced mockingly from the ceiling, at least we have each other they sneered. Impulse couldn’t sleep, not on nights like these. His entire body was exhausted and begged to sleep, but his mind was more awake than it had been all day. He felt like a creature, like an experiment. So detached from the room, it felt like floating in a bad way. In the, I’m entering orbit and I’m going to puke, kind of way. He checked his phone instead. 

Nope~ his messages were empty. It was late, already past 12. He could at least try. He could always try. 

: Hey Tango! You busy?

T Tek: not specifically, what’s up?

: Not much, finished that LARP campaign today! Scar wants to do a new one related to pirates but I know you’ve been waiting to get in on it

T Tek: oh yeah!!!! for sure- I really want to get a big group together like that’d be sick, i could probably go for pirates,,, it’d be tougher maybe but also fun

T Tek: do we know any place within reason that has a large body of water?

: Uhhhhhhhh no

T Tek: damn, well maybe we’re just stranded pirates

: Pfff yeah there we go

T Tek: perfect >:-)

: I hate the nose so much XD

T Tek: how dare !!! >:-0

T Tek: but im gonna hit the hay

: Alright, good night man! Maybe tomorrow we can start planning the campaign?

T Tek: i’d love to but i have a bit of a hot date tomorrow >:-)

: With who???????????!???!

T Tek: that jimmy guy i was telling you about? like it’s nothing official but we’ve been talking a bit and we played stardew valley together so i think a bond has been forged forever

T Tek: he named a chicken after me

: Fair point

Ok, so maybe Tango was a bust, but Pearl was a night owl. She’s basically nocturnal. He should try Pearl next. 

: Hey Pearl! You sure you’re free tomorrow? It’s alright if you’re busy, I don’t want you to feel like you have to pity me or anything lol

Ok maybe that was a bit more desperate than he intended. Definitely not L O L.

Pearl: dude no of course!! i’ll be there >:) you’re not a bother or a pity, you’re my friend! 

: Thanks dude :,) I kinda needed to hear that lol

WHY DID HE LOL HIS FEELINGS???? At least Pearl was still Pearl. 

Pearl: <3 

Pearl: what do you wanna do tomorrow?

: I don’t know uh- I don’t super feel up to going outside

Pearl: that’s fine! maybe we can watch some movies? do self care stuff?? 

: That actually sounds kinda awesome! 

Pearl: hell yeah!!! can i invite gem too? she’s got more of that stuff than i do

: Sure!

Impulse had never been super close with Gem, but they were still friends and he knew her pretty well. She was the sweetest, kindest, toughest, badassest person he knew. She had layers to her. Everyone does, Impulse supposed. 

Pearl: to start this self care journey i insist you go to bed!!

: Ahh but it’s so hard to fall asleep

Pearl: staying on your phone isn’t gonna help that (shrug)

: Ya got me there. I’ll try then?

Pearl: there we go! be kind to yourself dude, i’ll be there in the morning >:D

Half the conversations Impulse had over text felt desperate, not really saying anything, but just talking for distraction. Talking a little longer about really nothing to try to stall time, but it never really worked. Stalling was just stalling, it made him feel needy, and a disgusted knot twisted itself into his gut. Further encouraging him to slip into self induced isolation. 

By tomorrow, Pearl really meant I’m going to show up to your house at 9 AM with a friend you know but don’t know know and take you out for coffee. That was fine. He liked coffee. Unfortunately, Wet Dirt happened to be the chosen location of a certain hot date. At a corner table sat Tango and Jimmy, with the former having his back turned from the group. They looked sweet, Impulse hadn’t met Jimmy besides a few group get-togethers, but if Tango liked him, that was enough. Jimmy was certainly tall, probably shorter than Doc, but around Etho’s height. He had short blonde hair and the bluest eyes he’d ever seen. He looked straight out of a Christian ranch movie. Seeing them together made something under his skin crawl. It was longing, then guilt, then hopelessness. These were the exact feelings he was trying to escape from at home, but they followed him around like a lost soul. 

The coffee house was decently large but cozy, all spaces filled with vintage decor or large bookshelves, providing just enough visibility while still allowing for some privacy. Pearl and Gem didn’t seem to notice the two as they walked towards the counter to order. Impulse sighed to himself and joined them by the large chalkboard behind the counter proclaiming specials and drink menus. Impulse didn’t mind a black coffee, but a little sweet treat could never hurt. Especially when you’re feeling down. Pearl seemed to have ordered something sugar and espresso packed, while Gem perused the pastry selection. 

“Anything look good?” she asked. Impulse hummed.

“I think I could go for a croissant, but I don’t know.”

“Ooh, I would agree. They have some macaroons but they’re always so expensive. I don’t know, maybe I’ll splurge,” Gem replied. 

“Yeah, but you should treat yourself! Maybe I’ll get one to try as well. I’ve never had one of these.”

“They’re good! You get what you want though, you gotta treat yourself too!”

Gem ordered a chai latte, as Impulse stepped up to order, he felt an oncoming anxiety. He never had problems with ordering or social things, but he felt like he was choking on the festive scents from the store. He remembered the barista looking concerned at him, if not a little annoyed, and he remembered feeling ashamed. He looked towards Pearl and Gem waiting for their orders to be fulfilled for some kind of guidance, and part of him expected to receive none. Maybe he didn’t deserve assistance for a task he should be able to complete. But he remained frozen. Because maybe he did deserve mutual support. 

“Oh, sorry, I almost forgot, we’re together. We’ll get a medium caffé mocha and a croissant, please,” Gem interrupted before he could disown himself. 

They left the shop relatively content, but Impulse still felt put off. “Are you feeling alright, dude?”

Pearl asked. 

“Yeah no, sorry, I don’t know what happened there. But it’s fine! I’m fine,” Impulse rassured. 

“I know that’s not true, what’s going on? We’re here to listen to whatever’s up with you,” Pearl said. 

“Ah, I- … It’s hard to talk about. I don’t think I’ve felt really secure since my grandma passed away. It’s just been lonely, I guess?” 

“Is that a question?”

“No, I guess not. I have been weirdly lonely at home.”

“That’s not weird,” Gem interjected. “You lost someone close to you, and you’re left living on your own for the first time without any kind of reliable support or structure. That’s difficult, Impulse! You’re trying to go through the motions like it’s normal, but it isn’t yet and I think you need to let yourself grieve.”

“I was not expecting that level of psychoanalysis this early in the morning!” Pearl joked. 

“Ha, no, Gems right. I just don’t know how to get myself back to normal, though,” Impulse responded dejectedly. 

“Have you thought about getting a pet or something? I know pets are helpful for creating structure!” Gem offered. 

“I’ve thought about it, but I haven’t really committed to the thought.” 

“Why don’t we go to the shelter?” Pearl smiled. “You don’t have to commit, you can just meet some animals and say hi!”

“It’s like animal therapy!” Gem said. 

So that’s how he ended up at the local Humane Society, crouching on the ground in front of an old looking border collie. 

“Her card says she’s been here for 5 years,” Pearl said. 5 years was a long time to be sitting in a 4 by 4 kennel. Prim, her card helpfully provided, looked dejected and aged. Her eyes said yeah, keep looking, you’re not here for me. Impulse felt his chest tighten. He felt an understanding between the two. Pearl and Gem looked at the loud and friendly dogs, standing on their back legs to beg for attention, but Prim had given up. Prim had accepted fate. Impulse was starting to. But maybe that didn’t have to be the case. Two peas in a pod were less lonely together.

[etraytin]

First Lines of Fic Game

First-lines-of-fic meme! Tagged by @beingatoaster!

Rules: share the first lines of ten of your most recent fanfics and tag ten people. If you have written fewer than ten, don’t be shy and share anyway

Whoo, it's been awhile since I did ten fic, but let me dip into the archives here. Most of what I've been writing lately is Minecraft stuff because it is kind of fun to play in a universe where all the physics are made up and the biology doesn't matter. Here we go! (I have decided to take the concept of "first lines" very liberally and go with sort of "first idea of the fic.")

Number 1: We Could Be Sleeping in the Flowers (Hermitcraft) It could be worse, Grian thought to himself as he grimly scaled the wall of his base to attach another few strands of glow lichen. He could have come down with much worse diseases.

Number 2: This Heart of Mine That's Guilty, Not Remorseful (Hermitcraft) “I’m sorry, Grumbot,” Father whispered, and Grumbot didn’t understand. In the darkness of predawn, his sensors could barely detect the small Player crouching under the screen that made up Grumbot’s “face.” Other Father did most of the maintenance on Grumbot, but he could sense the faint discomfort that was someone meddling with his interior components.

Number 3: After One or Two False Starts, I Believe We've Found Our Stride (Double Life) “So do you and Scott still have something going?” Tango asked one night.

Number 4: Do You Know How To Go To The Heaviside Layer? (Double Life) Pearl should’ve just ignored the noise from the forest. She had so much to do! Her precious doggies were well-fed for now, thanks to the meat rotting in Ren and BigB’s abandoned home, but that didn’t mean it wasn’t still time for hunting!

Number 5: Set You Sailing From My Harbor (Double Life) Grian went to Scar in the first quiet moment he could find that first day, the first moment he was sure that the implacable attention of their audience was turned elsewhere.

Number 6: Put Out All Your Strength of Arm and Heart and Brain (Double Life) Pearl woke to the sound of Tilly barking. That was odd in itself, since Tilly rarely barked, but what could be bothering her inside their own base?

Number 7: I Hope You Blink Before I Do (Double Life) Pearl told herself that being alone wasn’t so bad. It wasn’t as though she needed a partner for a simple survival world anyway. She’d done this dance a thousand times on her own.

Number 8: Brick By Brick and Heart By Heart (Hermitcraft, Third Life) The swamp was peaceful at night, Grian thought. Maybe not all swamps but this one certainly was, just a little wedge of nature left tucked between Larry the Snail and the magical village.

Number 9: Isolated Cases (The West Wing) “Does my face look flushed to you?” Josh demanded.  “Well, you’ve been yelling for the past ten minutes, so...” Donna pointed out.  Josh frowned, leaning closer to his laptop. “No, I’m being serious. Do I look flushed to you? I feel hot.” 

Number 10: Cause Problems on Purpose (The Good Place, Untitled Goose Game) It was another perfect day in the Good Place, seventy degrees and sunny, no clouds, no bugs, and no pollution. Around a thousand years ago Janet had changed the neighborhood algorithm to allow for occasional rainy days and a month here and there of perfect summer, autumn or winter, but for the most part the Good Place was a world of beautiful late spring weather.

There's a real big jump in time there between numbers 8 and 9, because I basically didn't write at all after the start of the pandemic (except that one particular fic) until spring of 2022 when the writing bug bit again. Number 1 is a WIP that has been lingering for months now since my mom had her stroke and life got real weird again for awhile, but I'm planning on finishing it up very soon. There is more writing to be done!

Let's see, I'm gonna tag @smallblueandloud and @tanoraqui and @stars-inthe-sky and anybody else who wants to take a little walk down Fic Memory lane. It's fun!

[f4rlands]

For the ask game :D 4, 9, 17 and 30 !

weirdly specific artist ask game!

4) Fav character/subject that's a bitch to draw

uuuhhh i honestly think that i have to go with grian?? i draw him so often, but he’s such a pain because he literally never turns out looking the same 💀

9) What are your file name conventions

dude i literally always forget to name my files..

i draw on procreate, so i don’t have to name files to save them. i’m pretty sure that almost all of my drawings are still just called ‘Untitled Artwork’

17) Do you eat/drink when drawing? if so, what

i don’t tend to. sometimes i’ll have a coffee as i draw, but most of the time i just totally zone out for like 5 hours lmao

30) What piece of yours do you think is underrated

i have a few biau drawings that i really really love, and they’re definitely underrated since they aren’t posted yet </3

they’ll go up eventually hopefully, they’re just significant to the plot/lore so i cant post them yet rip

[ok-ish-hermitcraft-headcanons]

Grian has a pet goose ( like the one from the Untitled Goose Game ) that likes to cause chaos on the server

( sorry if I am sending in to many asks )

- 🐝

Not to be confused with goose the cat, who is a cat.

(Not at all!! I really enjoy them!! )

[recommendedlisten]

With so much great music being made, some albums are always going to be overlooked come the end of the year. Time is the biggest hurdle with that. Be it a lack there of to cover every artist with a new album cycle, needing more of it to give a great listen the full attention needed to digest, or the timing of a release just not hitting the same way it does months later, it can grow more difficult by the day to take in everything while appreciating it.

This year, Recommended Listen is taking a look at some of the best overlooked albums on these pages throughout 2020. These are albums that weren’t fully reviewed, found on any volume of Listen to These., on this year’s Best of 2020 lists in any form, and in some cases, not mentioned even in track or video coverage at all. You may already be familiar with some of them, but it would remiss to not given them their due. As the year wraps up, let this be a reminder that discovering new music has no expiration date either.

Arca - KiCk i [XL Recordings]

KiCk i is the the first in a purported four-part series from electronic music reinventor Arca, and with its timing of being released in the midst of the summer’s busy release schedule, it’s understandable how a listen that demands an attentive ear could get lost in the mix. KiCk i, similar to that of Arca’s kindred experimentalist Bjork and her own avant-pop rendering Volta, is still both the artist’s most accessible formation to date, and yet, an alien aural experience by modern pop music standards in the way its human construction collapses and glitches with intention. What we hear here, however, is Arca coming to the forefront of her sound with her voice being used as both instrument and narrator, blurring the lines between any one kind of convention.

Charli XCX - how i’m feeling now [Atlantic Records]

She’s the main reason this post exists, but when she released the year’s first certifiable quarantine album, it didn’t quite hit the same way it does now in December. That’s not to say that how i’m feeling now was not understood upon initial impact -- it seems to be a going theme that Charli XCX works her best experimental pop magic when she’s moving fast and quickly -- but at the start of springtime when the fears of the pandemic were at their most fresh and agonizing, it was difficult to get into the same space as that which she had carved out in the dark using black diamonds and digital euphoria. Time heals, though, and just as Pop 2 sparkled in its own winter, Charli’s isolation feeling wears better forever in the cold just like December.

Dua Lipa – Future Nostalgia [Warner Records]

To call Dua Lipa’s Future Nostalgia an overlooked album is technically a huge overstatement considering it has been near the top of most major publication’s year-end list and she’s earned the title of 2020’s biggest pop star not named Taylor Swift. Future Nostalgia, much like the Weeknd’s After Hours, came into view at the worst possible timing, however -- Those first arduous weeks of lockdown when the last fucking thing on your mind at that time was club music and dancing. Still, the UK songwriter’s energy has prevailed at the end of 2020 with its funky synthesis of disco, electronica, and futuristic pop production. It may be one of the few things in pop culture this year we feel wistful about when we hear it a decade from now.

Fontaines D.C. - A Hero’s Death [Partisan Records]

Another overlooked listen that fell victim to a super-saturated summer release schedule, maybe it’s better than Fontaines D.C.’s A Hero’s Death, in all of its desperate lamentations, be appreciated during these wintry months than late under the scorching July sun. The most surprising revelation behind the theatre curtain of the Dublin post-punk band’s sophomore effort is in the manner which frontman Grian Chatten has sunken his working class shouting matches into the foci of a bleaker state of mind, and yet, not at the expense of dark comedy and appropriate growl. A Hero’s Death may be a quieter raucous from Fontaines D.C., and also one that suggests that the depths of their sound are most visible when methodically circling the drain.

A Hero's Death by Fontaines D.C.

Infant Island - Beneath [Dog Knights Productions]

We are in the throes of a screamo revival, though Infant Island are a whole different behemoth in that realm on their sophomore outing Beneath. Here, the Virginia-based five-piece eviscerate the scene’s intensity through charring post-rock epics and answering back at the void with raw, bleeding screams. Their style -- a bastion of hardcore, black metal, and beautifully atmospheric rock echoes -- barrels in with it the heaviest kind of weight on the soul every time Infant Island awaken from the pitch black craters. Ultimately, it consumes you and leaves you in their ash.

Beneath by Infant Island

LOMA - Don’t Shy Away [Sub Pop]

One of the things we are slowly, but surely beginning to see in indie rock and guitar-based rock right now is that artists are once again gaining confidence in sounding atypical. LOMA -- the trio of songwriter Emily Cross, multi-instrumentalist and recording engineer Dan Duszynski, and Shearwater frontman Jonathan Meiburg -- quietly are making these strange moves in the further out regions of their sophomore effort Don’t Shy Away. Informed by desertscapes, forests, occult energy, and its own divinely defined relationship between earth and soul, the listen absorbs both the physical and spiritual worlds through sound with LOMA acting as its vessel to communicate between each.

Don't Shy Away by LOMA

Peel Dream Magazine - Agitprop Alterna [Slumberland Records]

Some of the most interesting sounds coming from the next generation of shoegaze shape-shifters this year weren’t always the ones that filtered feedback through a dark, brooding punk heaviness. Akin to fellow breakouts Dummy, Peel Dream Magazine -- the moniker of NYC songwriter Joe Stevens -- is veering far away from those boundaries as well as those in some of today’s indie rock traditionalism with a lush, sun-bent projection on the sound that is entrancingly weird and dilates inner elation. On Agitprop Altnerna, Peel Dream Magazine sophomore effort, the band’s music achieves a new level of metaphysical experience through its collaborative cast, enriching the colors dispersed by its prism.

Agitprop Alterna by Peel Dream Magazine

Porridge Radio - Every Bad [Secretly Canadian]

Porridge Radio were a victim of their own buzz here on Recommended Listen upon the UK post-punk band’s release of their acclaimed sophomore breakout Every Bad. It admittedly happens when an indie rock band with all of the press envy going for them already in every place else (especially with bigger publications) equates to putting their work on the backburner here so that other lesser-covered independent artists can get due coverage just as well. Every Bad is very good, though, with guitarist Dana Margolin tapping into a dynamic,, aggressive side of intimate melancholia with her emotional voice as keyboardist Georgie Stott, bassist Maddie Ryall and drummer Sam Yardley steer the storm in the rough seas of life around her.

Every Bad by Porridge Radio

R.A.P. Ferreira - purple moonlight pages [Ruby Yacht]

2020′s rap game was ruled by its underground hive, and purple moonlight pages was part of writing that story. As the restart button for R.A.P. Ferreria, f.k.a. the prolific Milo, this album hears the man behind the moniker, Rory Allen Philip Ferreira, breaking down the barriers surrounding his bars for an experimental foray into jazz-informed rhymes given a brassy luster by producer and multi-instrumentalists Kenny Segal and his crew, the Jefferson Park Boys. Coupled with poetry of both the personal and the philosophical, the limitless rhythm and flow moving throughout purple moonlight pages has found a place for R.A.P. Ferreira's work where the free art and the perfected in prose can coexist.

purple moonlight pages by R.A.P. Ferreira

Samia - The Baby [Grand Jury Music]

Emotional guitar music being vesseled inside finely-crafted indie rock songwriting is once again in a better place than it’s been left these past several years, and an artist like Samia Finnerty is going to be helping taking it further with her own pen in it after releasing this year’s breakout full-length debut The Baby. If you found yourself humming along to the coming-of-age buzz around the glossy Gen Z navel gazing of UK pop-rock export beabadoobee, this collection of songs by Samia may actually cut keeper below the surface thanks to the way she lyrically mediates life’s darkness and young tribulations adulting during a fucked up time in history with a rose-tinted canvas in her sound. She feels its all, and you’ll feel seen, too.

The Baby by Samia

SAULT - UNTITLED (Black Is) & UNTITLED (Rise) [Forever Living Originals]

The identities behind the collective members of SAULT are as hard to pin as the release dates of their albums themselves, which in 2020, had a tendency to drop out of nowhere and made for two of this year’s most enigmatic moments in alluring sounds from unknown places with their breakouts UNTITLED (Black Is) and UNTITLED (Rise). Each listen arrived as bookends between the epicenter of a summer of protest and resistance across the globe, with the UK band’s fusion of house, experimental electronic, and modern R&B creating a document on the ongoing cultural evolution of these Black-centric styles, but as a medium to confront racial issues through an artfully accessible message.

UNTITLED (Black Is) by SAULT

UNTITLED (Rise) by SAULT

The Weeknd – After Hours [Republic Records]

After Hours is another example on this list of an album you would handedly lose an argument in technically calling “overlooked” considering the Weeknd’s Starboy streaming power and chart-topping success is not losing momentum any time soon. It did go up against a huge emotional wall when it was initially released right as lockdown mode was more on the mind than donning fashionable heathen pop, though, even if it's Abel Tesfaye’s strongest collection of post-breakup wreckers and R&B sizzle perfected through the cool currents of his Uncut Gems score collaborator Oneohtrix Point Never and the always-slick singles synthesis of Max Martin’s hand. Grammys don’t mean a thing, but in the pop universe, it's weird when one of its biggest names can't get a nom at the top of their game.

[blocknamehere]

I know nothing about hermitcraft but I would like to make a joke

Untitled Grian game. Steal Mumbo’s Mustache.