#what a lovely question

[whiteshipnightjar]

Do we know anything about Joanna's creative process and working habits?

Well, we know what she's told us haha. But yes, I'd say we know at least somewhat how she works. You can read her wonderful Arthur Mag interview to see how she used to work during her Ys era (I mean the WHOLE interview is a fascinating inside into her work psyche at that time, I don't even know which quote to pick and choose for a sample, all of it is great haha). Then, e.g., Under The Radar for HOOM is really good. Also, Here's Ryan Francesconi talking about working with Joanna on HOOM:

“Ryan Francesconi transcribed many of the vocal and harp parts while working on “Have One on Me.” “Her phrasing with the vocal is really hard to write down,” he told me. “The rhythms are so subtle — so subtly off the beat all the time. And that’s a really interesting thing, because her harp is very precise, yet the vocal floats on top, and has a really separate feeling. The things she can do independently while playing the harp are humbling.”

And Joanna talking about writing HOOM:

"Timeout: It’s [Have One On Me] been called a pop record.

Joanna: ‪I guess it’s almost like I’m saying the same thing [as on Ys], but the intention is a little different for me. For some reason I was in the mood to make something very direct. I felt like I had been so abstract in some ways and kind of ungrounded, there were a lot of frenetic, hypercomplicated musical or harmonic transitions, an extremely compacted, compounded density of lyrics as well as a hyperawareness of the structure of the lyric, the syllabic emphases and the interior rhyme structure. Just a bunch of stuff like that. I had felt like I had been in that very constricted space. Sort of outfitted in this specialized writing gear. I felt like an astronaut or something in my crazy suit walking around in space doing this specialized, technical thing. For me, for whatever reason, that was what I need to do at the time to make what was ultimately a very emotional and intense at times record.‬

T: It is a sad record, isn’t it?

J: For me, it was. But I think for whatever reason when I started work on this record I zipped off the astronaut suit and wanted to be grounded on earth and very earthy, very bodily, physical. I wanted the songs to be easier. Warmer; and a lot of that was intention and a lot of that was a product of the mood that I was in. I did a German interview the other day, where I said that it reminded me of when I was really little and I would go to church. I was five or something. I remember wearing my little sailor dress and zip collar and itchy wool tights and patent leather shoes. My hair was tied up into some really tight French braid and I would get home and tear it all off. Throw it in a pile in the corner and run around outside…Sunday! Run around with my brother and my sister and the dog. Run through the sprinklers if it was summer. And that feeling. And there was something like that that pervaded the process of editing this record. I’m unburdening and setting off to work in a way. I think that it lends a directness probably to the record which might be what some people call a “pop feel.” Because it’s certainly not a pop record."

For Divers, I think her interview with The Stranger shares some fun bits about her process. Like this hilarious quote:

"I asked Newsom why she goes to the trouble of constructing such elaborate musical structures.

"The thing is, I don't know why," she said. "But... I do have a real belief that the exact right word—in terms of conveying meaning as efficiently and correctly and concisely as possible—will also be the word that agrees in terms of rhyme, musical weight, syllabic weight, beauty, and elegance. I think that words are magical. All of that effort is all about uncovering the word that is just sitting there waiting for you, and when you find it, it's like the equivalent of watching your team get a touchdown. It's just like WHOA. And you run in circles and say, 'Fuck yeah!'"

There are so many goodies! And her creative process is so fascinating!!

[telvess]

Bonjour precious Tessi Tess Princess ~💐🩷

I always wanted to ask you : Do you have a favorite goddess? 🤔👀🤔

And also, here are some beautiful flowers from your beloved Persephone ~🌷♡

Hello, cutie~🌷How are you doin'?

My favourite goddess? Well, it's hard to choose one tbh. I like Bastet and Sekhmet from ancient Egyptian mythology, who were characterized as two aspects of the same goddess. I like Hecate from Greek one, who also was portraited as a goddess with many faces.

Oh, but I like Járnsaxa from Norse one the most, but I'm not sure if jötunn is equivalent to deity status. Her very cool name means 'armed-with-an-iron-sword' so I like to assume she kicks asses 🤣 AND SHE BANGED THOR which is what I am striving for 🤣🤣🤣.

THANK YOU FOR FLOWERS :3 You're so cute! 🌸💓 Hope you started the weekend well.

[bonesandthebees]

What's your favourite drink to have while you're watching, reading or writing something?

Hugs and cookies,

- ❄️

I’m a bit boring and almost only ever drink coffee and water. Coffee in the mornings (usually just a basic brewed cup with milk in it, or some kind of iced latte if I get it from a cafe) while I write, and then water through the rest of the day. But maybe once a week ish I might have a glass of wine while eating dinner and watching something

On some more rare nights if I do want something to drink that’s not water or wine I’ll usually go for tea! Peppermint is my go to, but I also have some lemon ginger tea I like too :) I always add a ton of honey to my tea because I love honey lol. And if it’s earlier in the day I might have green tea bc I love green tea but for some reason the caffeine in it hits me harder than coffee does

[draculas-husband]

are u a meta knight-kinda dad, or a king dedede-kinda dad!! :D 🦇🐧

Oooh shit good question! I think I am more of meta knight-kinda dad! 🔵🦇💛💜🖤

[biggest-gaudiest-patronuses]

historical drama/sitcom where two gay best friends (woman and man) get lavender married--and proceed to spend the Fancy European Honeymoon their parents paid for acting as each other's wingman

[lazylittledragon]

i refuse to believe that boycotting is hard. my favourite thing in the world is ordering maccies after a late night at work/a concert/getting drunk. yes i do miss it sometimes. but the other night i ordered from a small place near my house instead and it was the most orgasmic burger i've ever had in my life. i very rarely say this but fucking suck it up people are DEAD

[hiwelcometothemonstersancturary]

wow guys, i cant believe the player character from hit mascot horror game Poppy Playtime actually saved all monsters, killed the Prototype and left with their newfound family! cant wait to see how the authorities will react to this weird family that just formed!

[zvaigzdelasas]

I mean. I literally do???

[h0nkshroom]

gently places these in your hands and cartwheels away into the night

[guinevereslancelot]

[maalidoesart]

themmmm

[barghest-land]

normannognathus :) colors were based on the brown pelican

[puppetmaster13u]

Prompt 266

Back on my Danny & Ras frienemies/rivals/maybe-lovers-nobody-can-tell-their-signals-are-very-mixed train. 

See, Danny has gone through time a lot. Often. It comes with being Clockwork’s charge-son-thing and honestly he finds it fun. And several times he’s used this time travelling to get some training in. Enter Ras, stage left, also a teen at the time and also learning swordsmanship from the same person. 

And they… utterly despise each other. They would kill the other for an apple slice, if the other one would die! But also, only they can kill the other, as it is obviously their right! 

And well, they keep running into each other. It has been a hundred years, surely the other would die by now? But of course their rival would live through utter spite. Probably to spite them specifically. 

The amount of times they have ended up sparring- trying to kill each other or not- the moment they see the other is actually ridiculous. But time is also passing. And… Danny understands, not having another to talk about things people are forgetting, or have already forgotten. 

How they ended up actually talking without a murder attempt was a long story that included a demon, a dragon, a pair of fae, some bandits, and a lot of alcohol, but it happened. And then it happens again. And again, and now it’s just kind of normal to share a drink after their spars, talking about things that no longer exist, and things they miss. 

Sure Danny can go back in time again, but he knows better than to do it willy nilly. He’s matured, he’s been an adult for a hundred years now, he knows there’s consequences for messing with time, even with Clockwork’s blessings. 

The first time they got married was technically for an undercover assassination. Well, Ras was there to assassinate someone, Danny was there to grab an artifact that should Not be in the realm of the living. And they got divorced after, it was fine. 

They just, also got married again when they met a few years later, for another job. And… okay, so maybe they have gotten married over a dozen times now and only divorced like half of those times. Half of those were for the bit or while drunk! 

And even if technically they’re married or shared a bed, it’s not like they're exclusive! As Ras’ daughters’ existences attest to (adopted in one case or not). They don’t exactly have a label for their relationship, despite others asking for one or trying to put a name to it themselves. 

Now Danny knows Ras isn’t exactly a good dude, or at least on the side of ‘good’ as he’s a literal assassin. But he also knows that good? Bad? Rather relative. He had gotten labeled as a villain when he was just trying to help all that time ago after all, and really who was he to tell someone else how to live their life? 

Which brings him to now, where he’s run into his old frienemy-rival and his youngest daughter. Who has a braindead teenager and a small toddler. Which is fine, really- but also, Talia dear, why are you using a brain dead teenager to guard your three year old son? 

…

Okay, Talia dear, Ras (Derogatory), why are you using your brain dead son and grandson to guard your younger son and grandson? Do you not have the Pits, which you were soo proud about Ras? Yes, he will spar with you, but for Realms’ sake, heal, what’s his name? Ah yes, go heal Jason and he’ll actually stick around for a few years, deal? Good. 

[cinnamonsikwate]

chilchuck spends the entirety of his daughters' visit hovering suspiciously between them and a certain dwarf. when it's time for the girls to go home and no proposals have been made, he breathes a sigh of relief — awkward coworker x family member romance route narrowly avoided!

a couple weeks later meijack shows back up unannounced, backpack laden with tools and thigh-high boots looking uncharacteristically spiffy. bewildered and betrayed, chilchuck rounds on a clueless senshi, only freezing mid-swear when meijack interrupts to ask after namari's whereabouts.

the last thing he remembers thinking is, "shit, i forgot about the other dwarf!" before promptly blacking out.

[wasyago]

so, would you?

nothing important under the cut, you don't need to look haha

[wheretheresawyll]

What's happening with Theo Solomon is so, so frustrating and needless and disgusting (more info can be found at this post), and I also want to acknowledge the treatment of Wyll's original voice/mo-cap actor, Lanre Malaolu.

Malaolu gave an excellent performance! His delivery and the way he incorporated mannerisms and posture into Wyll's physicality was amazing. The original characterization of Wyll was written very well and matched the general tone of the wider party/narrative.

And to suddenly have Larian, years into the project, rewrite the character entirely and then re-cast it? To have other actors talk about how Wyll just 'wasn't working' as a character? All because of fan criticism that places ridiculous (and often contradictory) standards and expectations on black characters. Even if the re-cast resulted from scheduling conflicts (as Malaolu couldn't come in to re-record), we lost Malaolu's entire performance because of a rewrite that was simply not necessary.

And after disregarding Malaolu's years of work into this character, the same criticisms that Larian caved into are thrown at Wyll's rewrite, and the same disregard is being seen with Theo Solomon again and again. As someone who started playing early access when it first came out, fans' treatment of Wyll and his actors hasn't gotten better. It's actively gotten worse.