#earthsong talks

[earthnashes]

We interrupt this artposting program to bring you the super rare progress photos of ya homey. :)

Generally I don’t like posting photos of myself, partly cuz I just don’t wanna (not the best selfie taker, what can I say) and partly cuz this blog is almost entirely my artstuff, but since I do wanna talk about my weightlifting journey sometimes I figured I’d make an exception every now and then. ;w;

More detail under the cut, but for the TL;DRs:

Fitness goal anniversary celebration. 2 years + some change in the making. Initial goals: fatloss, strengthbuilding, repair relationship with food

RED TOP PHOTOS: 220-ish lbs, 33-36% BMI, 2021

PINK AND BACK PHOTOS: 175lbs, 27-28% BMI, 2023

Current notes: Overall healthier and happier in my own body. Food relationship vastly improved. Noticeably stronger, higher energy, and much better asthma management

This one is to essentially celebrate the progress I’ve made thus far! A little late, but last month was my fitness journey’s anniversary. It’s been roughly 2 years since I started being physically active, and 1 year + some months since I’ve  consistently weight-trained.

That first pair of photos was me I thiiiiiink like 2 months into the start of all this, back in 2021? I weighed roughly 220-ish lbs at the time, BMI roughly 33-35% and I only note this because fatloss was very much a part of my overarching goals. I won’t lie, some of it was because of aesthetics, but a lot of it was because I felt like shit. As someone who was very sporty as a kid up til college, the change was very noticeable. I was ALWAYS tired no matter how much I slept. I had constant back pain and headaches. My biggest tipoff was the fact that my asthma management got worse. All that plus other factors is what really kicked my butt into gear into this journey.

The 2nd and 3rd sets of photos are from this year (2nd set was today, 3rd set was like 2 weeks ago), nearly 50lbs lighter and at a rough BMI of 27-28%. And I can’t lie I feel fuckin’ good. I can do pullups (couldn’t even do 1 back in the day). Pushups are fucking easy now. I can bench my own bodyweight. I can deadlift almost twice that. I don’t wheeze when I walk up the stairs, I take regular walks, I sleep better, my energy levels are far higher, my moods are overall far better, I have no backpain anymore... MY AFRO GREW AND I GOTS A TATTOO! :D

This is probably the strongest and healthiest I’ve ever been and that’s saying something in my eyes, all things considering. And it was fuckin’ hard for a variety of reasons I won’t talk your ears off about. Sometimes still is, but I feel more prepared and even eager at times to deal with the obstacles.

But yeah! Apologies for breaking from the arts and headcanons, I just wanted to be a lil proud of myself for a sec. :) Whatever journey ya’ll are on I hope you find it in yourself to be proud of the progress you’ve made as well, even with all the ups and downs! :>

#weightlifting #powerlifting #ash talks #earthsong talks

[i3utterflyeffect]

raaaaaaagh now officially asking you to rant about wandersong>:))))))

AAAAAAAAAAAAA i don't even remember what i was gonna rant about but just. goddamn!!! i just love the bard and miriam so fucking much and also my nonbinary ass is shaking hands with the bard so hard. wish i was a funny little bard guy with the most ambiguous gender ever

also just. god. i found a headcanon that they named themselves on the spot when miram and saphy asked and i find that so funny. i think they also should name themself bard bc holy shit that's even funnier

i also just need audrey to blow up RIGHT NEOW. bard may forgive her but i sure as hell don't

and also I LOVE THE OVERSEERS AND THEIR LIL FAIRY GUYS SO MUCH. ESP THE MOON FAIRY AND THE SUN FAIRY AND ALSO THE HEART AND DREAM FAIRIES.

and also i just. AGUHHHHHHHHH

it's just so good and the ost is so good and the LITTLE DETAILS are so good and i LOVE this FUCKING GAME!!!!!!!!!!!

#im getting fucking DOPAMINE BLASTED by this funny little bard guy and his witch friend #pitch posts #what the FUCKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKkk #also the dream fairy totally uses meow/meowself as well as she/her. neopronoun queen #i just. AGUUUHHHHHHHHHHH #the earthsong/wandersong is just so fucking chilling too #like i just get chills every time #and i love the trope of 'you called out and the whole world replied' #and the way it was literally EVERYONE #from the people in chismest to the bugs in ichor mountain to the pirate crew to everyone in langtree #AND MIRIAM WAS AT THE FRONT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! #and THEY SAVED THE WORLD AND I. (fucking EXPLODES) #also i love the coffee bit. fucking amazing #esp if you punt the guy off the boat by just being such a goddamn spaz that your song just fucking LAUNCHES him #the bard would realistically give him the coffee and let him talk. BUT. it's so funny to choose (relative) violence instead #ALSO. CAN I JUST TALK ABOUT THE CARAMELDANSEN DANCE????? THEY FUCKING DANSEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! #i LOVE the bard so much i would be their best friend forever and ever if i had the choice. #also as a guy who was once the bard type of person then got depression. miriam is just such a mood #love her so much #me too girl. me too

[rgbfall]

Ok ok I'm finally talking about Wandersong soundtrack thoughts. Some of the ideas I have I need to look into more, but here's one I know everything I need to and have many thoughts about:

Audrey's theme uses the tune as I Wanna Be The Hero

[Plaintext: Audrey's them uses the same tune as I Wanna Be A Hero]

I Wanna Be The Hero

Now, in case you don't remember or have never played/seen Wandersong, I Wann Be The Hero is a song sung by Kiwi (The Bard), while they're trying to save the Troll's boyfriend at the end of Act 2. He accidentally uses some weird Earthsong magic, and manages to unfreeze the boyfriend, and he ends up singing I Wanna Be The Hero, which goes as follows:

My whole life no one's noticed // Or expected much from me // They think a silly singer // Is all I'm meant to be // But now the world is ending // And I'm not gonna hide // I'm just a bard but I'll work hard // To show them what's inside // I wanna be a hero // Control my life's events // I'll use my song to prove them wrong // And make a difference

So ok, classic insecurities about wanting to be important and make a difference in the world, because since they feel insignificant, especially as a bard. So why would The Hero herself have this song as her theme?

Well, Audrey has insecurities too! And they reflect Kiwi's pretty similarly, she felt small and insignificant, and wanted to make a difference and be important. The difference is, Audrey got given her chance to be a hero. To be The Hero.

Instruments

In comparison to I Wanna Be The Hero, whenever Audrey's theme shows up its played with electric guitar, and generally feels more triumphant (idk I'm not a musician lmao). Which to me reflects the different ways Kiwi and Audrey go about being a hero.

Kiwi's song is softer to start with, mainly accordian (I imagine to fit the Delphi/Queen of Winds instruments). It builds as the song goes! Which sort of represents Kiwi's kinder approach to saving the world. By helping people. The build also shows off that they didn't start off big. This whole "saving the world" business started as saving Langtree from a couple ghosts, and went to climbing to the Dream King's castle as the world literally crumbled around them.

Audrey, like I said, uses electric guitar, strong drums as well! The whole song is generally much more active than I Wanna Be The Hero, and that stays pretty much the whole song. Like Audrey's power and aggression in saving the world.

The Hero

Ok this one might be a stretch, especially since it could genuinely be a mistake aha. But while I was writing this up I couldn't help but notice that it's I Wanna Be The Hero, but the song says I wanna be a hero. Again, could be a stretch, but it's making me think again of the differences between Audrey and Kiwi. Audrey wants to be The Hero. The only hero, the one who saves the world once and for all. Who gets remembered for centuries once this is all over. Kiwi wants to be a hero. Just. Someone who helps people out! Who'll be remembered by the people they helped, and that's what matters to them! Not living forever in peoples memories. Just making a difference in the moment.

And uhhhh that's pretty much all I got rn! Might make a lil analysis about Even The Tiniest of Bugs because HOO BOY that one has some thoughts to it as well

#man you'd think using the same theme for characters would highlight similarities #anyway have fun with this one lmao #i just had thoughta #idk how good this is btw i just said words in my brain #|| #fall speaks #wandersong #kiwi #audrey redheart #kiwi wandersong #audrey wandersong #the hero wandersong #the bard wandersong #analysis #wandersong analysis

[diphthongsfordays]

Word Find Game

Tagged by the wonderful @avrablake (a while ago but we won't talk about that lol), thanks!!

Wind (Niv and the Neverwhere)

Niv had never heard Earthsong like this. In Yreen it was usually all but silent, just a very faint, very distant thrum at the edge of her senses. In this place, instead of never-ending waves, there was humming. A deep bell ring that never faded. It rose all around her, without a source, without an ending. There air was more alive here, too. There was a faint bite of salt wind, but it was almost totally masked by something like metallic smoke. It was decidedly warmer than by the sea, and a dry wind crackled against her face. Niv opened her eyes, and stared into a world that shouldn’t exist.

Disappoint (Deathdancer - Ailin POV)

“Doesn’t that make fighting harder?” asked Zaul, surprised. “Timesense is hard to filter, fighting with it must be chaos. Or so I’m told.” He blurted the last bit out, flushing slightly, as though he’d said something he shouldn’t. “Do you have timesense?” asked Ailin, staring at him. She’d never seen any hints of it in his eyes, but that didn’t mean it wasn’t there. “No,” he shook his head. “No, to everyones great disappointment.” “There’s a story there.” “Not really,” he muttered, avoiding her gaze. “Connection to an Oracle does that to people.” Ailin frowned. Zaul had always seemed such an open book. Suddenly she wasn’t so sure. Unease prickled in her chest, and she swallowed carefully.

Roof (Niv and the Neverwhere)

Niv’s mother had told her a story once, about a man with a red shadow. Not bright, like a fire or a sunset, but muted. Quiet. A flower hidden in the shadows of jagged stones. Blood-soaked black sand in the moonlight. We were just children, she’d said, smirking slightly, knowing the reaction she was about to get. Sitting on the roof. It was the first time your father and I were truly alone, if you know what I mean. Mom! Nez had wrinkled his nose, waving his hands in front of his face, trying to banish whatever unwanted image of their parents he’d already conjured up.

Weak (Deathdancer - Ailin POV)

“Ailin, you can’t save everyone.” “I know that,” she grated out. Her voice must have risen, because Hita and Dymas both whipped around to look at her. For once in her life, she didn’t care enough to stop talking. “This whole mess started because I didn’t want to kill anyone else.” “Anyone else?” said Dymas, startled. Ailin risked a glance at him. He seemed surprised, but there was no fear in his face. No disgust, no betrayal. “Three. In the arena,” she muttered, avoiding his eyes. “By mistake.” “That blasted arena.” Zaul’s voice was almost unrecognizable, distorted with sudden fury. “Without that blasted arena, none of us would be here.” It was a weak defense, and they both knew it. And why should she keep defending the place? “No, never mind. That place is terrible. Let it fall to every infinite future. I’m done with it.” “That’s the spirit,” Zaul flashed her another grin.

I tag (no pressure!!): @sleepyowlwrites, @papercutsunset, @light-macadamia, @athenswrites, @athenixrose, and open tag for anyone who wants it!!

Your words are Still, Proud, Floor, Strong

#niv and the neverwhere #deathdancer #tag games #word find game

[frombehindthepen]

Did You Ever Stop to Notice?

Did You Ever Stop to Notice? #EarthSong #MichaelJackson #EarthDay #PlanetEarth

Image Credit: tommyvideo In 1995, when Michael Jackson released “Earth Song” it evolved into a short film that features stark footage of Michael and native people around the world witnessing acts of natural devastation. At the beginning of this week, we celebrated Earth Day. No longer can we simply talk about how horrific conditions in nature and our environment are declining at record numbers,…

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#Earth Crisis #Earth Day #Earth Song #Michael Jackson #Mother Nature #Planet Earth

[cruisinfdr]

#ts3 #the banda bunch #LMFAO and then paprika started dating this mfer cuz the guy she was flirting w before #ernest chesterfield//the guy who dated bebe first #well he aged up into a young adult so she couldnt flirt w him and i had to find someone else #so she smooched this asshole in the park i think his name was abel but let me check #oh dude my name was so off its not abel at all #his name was herman earthsong i was thinkin of someone else #HERMAN #wow #he has such a baby face lmfao paprika was crazy #ya anyway happy valentines day #all my posts flopped today except 4 the edit lmao ! i'll hope its cuz yall r doing things #valentines day things #happy valentines day i lov. my mutuals mwah #i wish i was friends w yall #like some of u r friends in my head but uhhhhh if u ever wanna talk about sims things. not sims things. idk anything #i miss having online friends but im too babie to message people #or send me asks i never get those #wish i got more honestly djvskjdfk #Please Be Nice To Me #i left my game to send this draft and add more tags so i have 2 go check on silver now #i left her at the pool and shes hysterical so if she like. dies. thatll suck dhfsjdkhf #yawns ok im going now bye i lov every1 have a nice day !!! <3

[decks-writing-blog]

Chismest Bench

Kiwi had made information gathering and such look so easy, finding everything they needed to know or have with seemingly little effort at all. Miriam had known logically it would be more difficult for her but this was ridiculous. Worst part was they hadthe Overseer’s song, they just couldn’t make it work yet. There had to be a way though, there just had to be, the alternative would mean the world was doomed. And so Miriam did her best.

A little help would be nicethough. But Kiwi was still so down in the dumps they made her look happy in comparison. She would’ve been frustrated with them if not for how disconcerting it was seeing them like that. If Mx. Optimistic, normally able to solve every problem they faced by just being relentlessly happy at it, was so pessimistic about their mission then what hope did they really have for being able to save the world?

With a groan, Miriam slowed her walking speed to look up at the sky, clouded over and obscured by smog. The whole city stank of it. She gotten used to it by now but still she caught strong whiffs of it all throughout the day, especially during the factory’s peek operating hours. Which were luckily winding down right now, meaning the air was starting to clear up a bit. It never got anywhere close to fully clearing up though which was the problem. She hated it and wanted to be done with this town already.

Maybe they could just move onto getting the next Oversee and come back to this one last. … Or more like, she could move on by herself since Kiwi didn’t seem particularly inclined to continue. Perhaps if left on their own they’d sort themself out, figure out how to make the Overseer’s song work and get that part of the Earthsong by the time she returned. But something about that didn’t sit right with her. Could she really just leave them like that? She would if she had to and if that’s what they wanted but… she didn’t want to. Despite everything she wanted to continue her quest with them, it had become their quest too after all. That might not be possible though.

But speaking of Kiwi, her fruitless wondering was taking near where she’d last seen them; the bench in front of the factory. That had been approaching eight hours ago though so of course they wouldn’t still be there, they’d had to have moved on by now, possible back home. But upon stepping into the square, she looked over and there they were, laying on the bench and staring up at the sky in a way that could notbe comfortable. She walked over to look down at them.

“Hey Miriam.” They even sort of managed a smile, though it wasn’t much compared to their usual bright smile. “How’s it going? You figure out how to clear the smog yet?”

“No, not yet. How long have you been lying here?”

Their barely a smile died. “I don’t know. A while. I was asleep for most of it.”

“Does… it still hurt?” Maybe Miriam shouldn’t ask but they’d essentially been struck by lightning, right? That was no small thing.

Kiwi lifted a hand up to press to their chest. “A little yeah. I’ll live though.”

Not for too much longer if the world ended as it was threatening to. Miriam didn’t need to say that though and Kiwi certainly didn’t need to hear it. “Have you gotten up even once since last time I saw you?”

“Uh… I don’t think so.”

So they had been lying here for eight hours, sleeping on the bench in the cold. They were even worse than she’d thought. What was she supposed to do about it? They were normally the happy one who did the encouraging and cheering up stuff for people who needed it. She didn’t have whatever was required to do that properly. … “You… want to talk about it?” Talking about things was supposed to help, right?

“Talk about what?”

“It. The thing with the Hero. The reason you’re all mopey and stuff.”

They were silent for a few seconds before responding. “Not… not right now. Maybe later.”

Miriam could respect that. “Okay. When or… if you ever do want to talk about it or whatever feel free come to me… all right?” She was bad at this but she needed them to know she was here for them if and when they needed her. She wasn’t going to leave them here alone no matter how badly she wanted out of this wretched city.

Their eyes teared up a little, making her tense up a little more. “Thanks. I appreciate it.”

“Yeah, yeah. Let’s just… go get something to eat at the diner before it closes.” They would clearly need something to eat after napping on a cold metal bench for eight hours straight and she was hungry too. And the diner would be a good place to gather information and such.

They looked up at her in silence for a few seconds before shifting and accepting her offered hand to help pull them to their feet. The stretched out, wincing as their joints audibly popped. “Getting something eat at the diner sounds like a great idea.”

“Awesome. Let’s go.” Miriam took the lead, trusting them to follow. Maybe while they were there, Kiwi would gather themself enough to know what questions to ask the right people to ultimately find out how to clear the smog above the town for even just a little while. Or maybe not. It was worth a shot though and regardless they both could use the break some warm food.

#wandersong #bard #miriam #chismest

[elyvorg]

Wandersong character rambles 1 of 3: Kiwi

Wandersong is so incredibly good that I need to get all my Thoughts about it off my chest by writing a series of rambles analysing its three most important characters. There will be spoilers, obviously. Plus, this’ll probably be kind of hard to follow anyway for people who haven’t played the game. Go play Wandersong! You won’t regret it.

(For anyone unaware, Kiwi is the bard’s canon name. It doesn’t feel right at all just calling them “the bard” for this; it makes them seem like just a simple caricature and not a complex and fully-rounded person with issues. Since part of their issues are specifically about wanting to be seen as more than just a silly happy bard, I want to do right by them and call them by an actual name. I was tempted to use “Lute”, the name given to them by the Let’s Play that introduced me to this game, which I still kind of think of them as, but I really should use the name that others reading this post are more likely to be familiar with. So, they’re Kiwi.)

2 of 3: Miriam

3 of 3: Audrey

Hero issues

Kiwi spends a lot of the story being bothered by the feeling of not being a hero like they so badly wish they could be. Although they hide it and keep being their usual cheerful self on the surface most of the time, the few times they end up talking about this, they lament how they’re not a hero at all, they’re nobody, nothing they do matters. Which is heartbreaking to see – because, really, it’s so obvious the whole time to everyone except Kiwi themselves that, even without the Earthsong, they’re already every bit the hero they want to be.

They may not be your typical action hero with cool powers like Audrey, and Miriam may also have powers and be better at the logistical side of things in terms of flying them places and knowing where to go next. But those aren’t the only things that matter! Kiwi is a different kind of hero who focuses on people, on understanding and helping and inspiring them. They make at least a small difference to so many people’s lives, just through talking and singing and caring about everyone!

During Act 3, after getting super excited at the idea of going on this heroic quest and being the destined hero who would bring back the mermaids, Kiwi ended up being really disappointed when they realised they weren’t going to bring the mermaids back and be that great hero after all. But ultimately, they did the right thing and respected the mermaids’ wishes rather than shallowly trying to make themselves look cool. They put others’ feelings above their own – which was the far more meaningfully heroic thing to do in that situation. (And I imagine that Audrey would have done the exact opposite.)

And don’t even get me started on the BUGS, which were the absolute perfect way to show just how instinctively Kiwi cares about everyone and everything, no matter how seemingly insignificant. With all the reminders that the Earthsong has never ever worked before, it’d be easy for Kiwi saving the world in the end to feel cheap and unearned. But the narrative does a great job of building up, through so many little things, that if anyone is capable of actually bringing the world together in harmony through music and connecting with everyone like they need to for the song to work, it’s Kiwi. They get it more than anyone else does. (And, well, technically it wasn’t the Earthsong they sung in the end, but the Wandersong succeeded in saving everyone because of the exact same principle.)

Another obviously-heroic thing about Kiwi is how determined they are, even when things seem almost hopeless. The only point at which they ever truly gave up on their quest was very briefly after the Queen of Chaos died, since they believed collecting the Earthsong had just become completely impossible. But as soon as Miriam reminded them that they can talk to ghosts and therefore there’s still at least a tiny chance, Kiwi got right back up and kept trying, and they never stopped again, no matter how small and overwhelmed and unheroic they felt. Which just makes them even more amazing – there’s nothing truly impressive about heroic feats if the “hero” finds them easy.

I grew more and more attached to Kiwi throughout their adventure for all of these reasons and more. They’re just so good! I was so, so invested in seeing them finally realise how much of a hero they were and become as proud of themselves as they deserved to be.

And, well… that part of the story ended up being a lot more understated than I was expecting. It’s only in their final speech trying to get through to Audrey that Kiwi expresses something to this effect: the notion that her being “the Hero” is just a meaningless title, and that if she worked with them to try and actually save the world and do the right thing, that’s what would make her a real hero.

It was probably spending so much time being jealous of Audrey’s powers and chosen-ness, yet frustrated about the way she insistently did the opposite of saving the world despite this, that led Kiwi to realise that the kind of person who shoots lightning first and asks questions later is, in fact, not at all the kind of “Hero” that truly counts as one. That really, it’s way more important to actually try and do the right thing, even if you’re just an ordinary person without goddess-given cool powers.

This is all directed at Audrey, though; Kiwi never applies those ideas to themselves. Still, the fact that they’re able to say that at all proves that they have finally figured out what really, meaningfully makes someone a hero, so presumably they’re not going to be feeling insignificant over not being one any more, even aside from the part where they really did end up saving the world.

But maybe it’s appropriate that Kiwi never quite has that explicit realisation moment of “I guess this means I really am a hero after all”. Because this isn’t about them. Being a real hero means making things about everyone other than yourself. And since Kiwi genuinely is this kind of hero, they wouldn’t make things about themselves like that. So even though this wasn’t quite how I was expecting things to go, maybe it’s how it always should have gone after all.

…Or, perhaps, it’s because Kiwi is too selfless, and they just don’t think their own feelings about wishing they were a hero are important enough to bring up and address at all. Not in this moment, or in any moment in general.

Too selfless

That’s the other aspect of Kiwi’s issues. They share their happiness and good feelings all the time because it helps people, which is a lot of why they’re able to be such a good hero! But they’re so selflessly focused on helping others that it begins to be kind of unhealthy towards themselves. Sharing their bad feelings doesn’t help anyone (or so they assume), so they just… don’t.

Kiwi didn’t truly get over their moping about not being the hero for several acts. Rather, in their own admission, they just stopped thinking about it. They started focusing instead on the things they could be happy about, like having managed to help Miriam and the people of Chismest. But they didn’t ever deal with their own problem; they pushed it aside and ignored it. That’s… not actually a healthy coping mechanism.

Miriam comments in the dancing conversation that Kiwi makes it look like it’s so easy to just be happy, and they unthinkingly respond with, “It is!”. And then it’s only after some more prodding from her that they admit… maybe it isn’t; maybe they actually have to try really hard to ignore the things that make them feel sad. But they’re so used to suppressing their bad feelings, so stuck on the thought that they should just be happy all the time, that they’ve even suppressed the fact that it’s hard for them to do that.

In particular, Kiwi calls their bad feelings “not important” – even though they readily acknowledge that Miriam’s bad feelings, and everyone else’s, obviously are important and worth talking about, because it’ll help them! But apparently, their own bad feelings are the sole exception to that. Kiwi is the one person who doesn’t need to be helped, according to Kiwi themselves. They exist to help other people feel happy, and their own bad feelings won’t do that, so those feelings don’t matter.

When Kiwi empathised with the bugs being small and insignificant, it read a lot to me like that came so naturally to them because part of them feels the same way sometimes. Not necessarily about their singing and their happiness, since they recognise the value of that. Rather, it’s as if the part of them that feels bad things has been horribly suppressed and smothered and treated as unimportant by the rest of them for their whole life. Which is incredibly sad and not okay!

After sort of confronting some of this during their conversation with Miriam near the end, Kiwi admits, “I’m the crazy one”. And perhaps they’re not precisely wrong to say this – turns out they’re pretty messed up, actually. These kind of issues could simply be put down to “because they really are just that painfully selfless” – and, I mean, Kiwi is – but in their case, there’s actually a little more to it.

Parent issues

The short of it all is that this is Kiwi’s parents’ fault.

Recall the beginning of Act 4. Kiwi has just been laid up in bed for probably a day or two because they were struck by lightning and seriously injured. Even though they’re finally well enough to walk around again, they’re obviously still feeling very down about something. Yet their own mother doesn’t ask how they’re doing, doesn’t wonder what’s wrong, doesn’t offer to listen if they want to talk about it. All she says to them is, “don’t go out looking like that; you’d look cuter if you smiled”.

Which, when you stop and think about it, is really rather messed up. Especially knowing from later parts of the game that Kiwi has issues with expressing their negative emotions and feels like all they should ever be doing is spreading happiness for everyone else’s sake.

(Their mom is perfectly satisfied with their obviously-forced smile, too, apparently not registering that if they can’t even muster a real smile right now then things must be seriously bad. As a neat detail, Kiwi will only put up the forced smile in their mom’s house, dropping it as soon as they’re not looking at her and putting it back up only if they turn to face her. Seems like they fully expect to be nagged by her all over again if they dare to not smile in her presence.)

I found this family interaction vaguely odd and questionable already during my first time seeing Act 4. What really clinched things for me, though, was the casual reveal during the credits that, oh, hey, the Baron from the factory – you know, the guy who was trying to force artificial happiness upon the whole town and only making everyone more miserable in the process – was actually Kiwi’s dad.

So, that Happy Kid toy he was making, which was (in theory) supposed to be a fountain of pure joy that would bring happiness to everyone who owned one? All those sales pitches for it sure hit different when you know that its creator is Kiwi’s father, who was almost certainly basing the toy off of his own literal happy kid. Happy Kid exists to make everyone happy! Everyone loves Happy Kid! Every family wants a Happy Kid! (And nobody cares about how Happy Kid actually feels inside. That’s not important.)

When they were little, Kiwi probably was genuinely quite a cheerful kid in the first place, someone who could make others smile just by being around them. Which apparently inspired their father to disappear and devote his life to spreading an embodiment of that joy to even more people, in theory creating happiness for everyone… except Kiwi themselves.

Little Kiwi was probably pretty sad about it at first. Their dad just up and disappeared one day, after all! But it seems like their mom agreed with her husband’s philosophy of how their kid should just be nothing but a wonderful fountain of happiness for others, so she encouraged Kiwi to suppress that sadness and all but forget they were ever upset about anything. When commenting in the ending that they don’t even remember what their dad looks like, Kiwi doesn’t seem sad about it at all. They don’t even seem to realise that not remembering one’s own father is objectively kind of a sad thing, even though they’re perfectly capable of recognising that Miriam being straight-up abandoned by her parents is sad.

I don’t think it would be wrong to say that Kiwi’s parents genuinely love their child, in some sense of the word. But my god, making things about everyone except Kiwi themselves was precisely the wrong way to express that, and Kiwi grew up pretty messed up as a direct result of this.

At some point seemingly a decent while before the beginning of the game, Kiwi moved out of their mom’s house and got their own place near Langtree. And I don’t think Kiwi quite consciously realises why they wanted to move out. That would require them to be able to acknowledge negative thoughts involving awkwardness and discontent with their family that they’ve been conditioned for a lifetime to suppress. In the credits, when their mom wishes they would come back and live with her (and their dad) again, Kiwi just says “No,” with no elaboration as to why not. They don’t mention that they feel really at home in Langtree, and they certainly don’t express the idea that maybe they kinda don’t like it in Chismest. There’s so much not being said about how weird and awkward and not-okay their whole family situation is, because Kiwi has unconsciously learned to not think about any of it at all.

The climax of Act 4’s mini-story, the scene in the factory where everyone confronts the Baron with the sentiment of, “hey, your forced attempt to make people happy is actually just making us all way more miserable beneath it, please stop”… there’s no way that’s not also a metaphor for exactly the kind of thing Kiwi themselves should be confronting their parents about. The Baron says after accepting his mistake that he’s got a lot he needs to think about – and he sure does. Not just regarding his town, but regarding his kid. The real one. Hopefully he can figure this out himself, and maybe share that revelation with his wife. But still, I worry that this bizarre couple might need someone to tell them this… and Kiwi, on their own, doesn’t seem likely to do that.

Miriam is the best

Good thing Kiwi has Miriam! She is the absolute perfect person to gradually become their best friend over the course of their adventure. And this isn’t just because the two of them can relate to each other over feeling inferior hero-wise, or being outsiders, or having difficulty opening up about certain feelings.

More than any of that, it’s because Miriam just so happens to be someone who is only helped and inspired by Kiwi once she becomes aware that they’re not perfect. In order to help her, like they always want to do, they have to actually talk about their not-so-positive feelings for once.

I cannot overstate how much I absolutely love this. It is exactly what Kiwi needed to stop being quite so painfully selfless and finally begin to become more comfortable with opening up about their own bad feelings.

For the first three acts, Miriam will get mad if you sing within earshot of her. She stops doing this from Act 4 onwards (except for a single screen in Act 5 when she’s upset about her broom having just been blown up). So it’s not that she has a problem with Kiwi’s singing in and of itself. I think what really frustrates her about it is that it’s Kiwi being so loudly and obviously happy around her. It must feel like they’re just rubbing it in how easy it is for them to be perfectly happy all the time. That’s bound to sting when being happy isn’t remotely that easy for Miriam – so naturally, she responds by getting angry, which is her go-to way of covering up her painful feelings.

It’s only in Act 4 once she sees first-hand that Kiwi doesn’t always find it so easy to be happy that Miriam appears to realise that their singing isn’t them trying to be obnoxious about it at all. Now that she knows they’re not perfect, it’s easier for her to understand that they’re genuinely doing it to try and help people rather than just to show off. (Perhaps sometimes Kiwi even needs to sing like that to help themselves feel happy in the first place.)

During their conversation in Act 4 as Kiwi convinces Miriam to help take down the factory, Miriam initially refuses out of bitterness. She feels inferior and useless next to Kiwi, who’s been going around seemingly-effortlessly getting all these Overseer songs and Earthsong pieces and generally just being way better at this than her (and why are they even moping about anything when they’re obviously so good at this?). It’s only once Kiwi admits that they feel similarly inferior after having seen that Audrey’s the real Hero that Miriam reluctantly agrees to help. Maybe Kiwi isn’t quite as frustratingly perfect as she’d thought; maybe the two of them have a little in common after all. From this point on, the pair finally start to feel like genuine comrades who are in this together and can gradually begin to become friends.

In the dancing scene in Mohabumi, Miriam manages to admit that she admires Kiwi for how they never stop trying. But as part of this, she makes a point that this is despite them being in way over their head with all this saving the world stuff, and that’s what’s really inspiring about them. Knowing that Kiwi isn’t perfect and is struggling with stuff makes them more inspiring to Miriam, not less! (…Almost like a hero? Like maybe they’re actually a much better hero than someone like Audrey, who really is apparently perfect? (She’s not, of course, but that’s a matter for another post.))

Then there’s their conversation in Langtree just before the end, in which Kiwi eventually admits (after quite some prodding) that they find it hard to share their feelings just like Miriam does, at least if they’re bad ones. They assume sharing their bad feelings won’t help anyone – and I adore Miriam immediately countering that it would help *her*. It only exacerbates her inferiority complex to be around someone who appears so perfect all the time, making her feel even more useless and broken by comparison. Seeing that actually Kiwi is also just a human being with flaws and struggles – that’s what Miriam needs, to know that she’s not so alone with her problems, and that if her friend can keep trying their hardest to overcome them anyway, maybe she can, too.

Miriam is the best, and this kind of thing is exactly what a too-selfless hero like Kiwi who hides their problems too much for the sake of others deserves to hear. I very much hope that this is the beginning of Kiwi making an effort to express more than just happiness more often, because they need that. Even if they feel at first that they’re doing it more for Miriam’s sake than their own, at least they’re doing it at all.

I strongly headcanon that at some point after the ending, while hanging out together being friends and occasionally talking about heavier stuff such as their family situations, Kiwi and Miriam figure out between them why Kiwi is so bad at talking about their negative feelings – that there’s a tangible reason for them being kind of messed up like this. And then Miriam encourages them to embrace those painful, complicated feelings about their parents and lean in to the frustration, because they have a right to be angry about all this. (She’s bad at expressing her feelings, too, but at least she seems to have experience with the idea that getting angry and frustrated can be a helpful way to vent about things that upset you. Being at least a little more like that might be healthy for Kiwi as they get to grips with expressing things that aren’t happiness.)

So Miriam flies Kiwi over to Chismest so that they can finally confront their parents and be all, “hey, it’s your fault I’m kind of messed up and I’m not happy about it, and I just wanted you to know that”. Then hopefully their parents can reflect on that and maybe try and learn to actually put their kid’s feelings first for once. And Kiwi… still won’t necessarily quite feel better, because things don’t just magically become happy like that, but at least they’ll have let out their feelings about all this at last, and that’s good.

Kiwi’s name?

…Okay, so this last part here is some wilder theorising that I’m much less sure is likely to be what the writer intended. But I still find it interesting to think about.

One bit of dev commentary mentions that no two characters in the game address the bard the same way, which I guess is a fun detail in terms of the wide variety of nicknames that different characters use for them. But what it also incidentally means, and I don’t know if the effect of this is deliberate or not, is that Miriam is the only person who uses Kiwi’s actual name.

This kind of feels appropriate at a glance, what with how Miriam is the only person who really gets to know Kiwi as a person and comes to understand their deeper insecurities, while everyone else just sees the cheerful, carefree bard they appear to be on the surface.

But it’s also a little strange, because you’d think certain people other than Miriam should know Kiwi’s name. The people of Langtree should, surely, if Kiwi’s been living with them for a while and is considered part of the town by now? The villagers all address each other by name, for the most part, so why should Kiwi be an exception? Then there’s Kiwi’s own mother, who, sure, has a pet name for them, but it also reads as slightly odd that she never uses their actual name even once. It just adds a little more to the pile of weird awkwardness that this family already is.

So, here’s the wild theory: Kiwi’s name wasn’t even Kiwi until they were asked by Miriam and Saphy to give their name. They have a birth name that their mother gave them, but due to all the unspoken awkwardness with their family situation, they didn’t really want to bring that name with them to Langtree when they moved out. It’s effectively a deadname (…not that I think they’d quite word it that way to themselves, because that’d require openly acknowledging the bad feelings involved). They just never gave a name to the villagers in Langtree when introducing themselves, and said villagers never asked, either. Both parties were happy to simply use variations on “the bard”.

Then, when Miriam and Saphy actually did outright ask the bard for their name, because they didn’t want to give their deadname, they had to literally make up a new name on the spot.

The way in which the game makes you name the bard is really unique. It doesn’t give you freedom over a full keyboard of letters, so the naming process is a lot more haphazard and improvised than naming a player character usually is. You’re likely to initially land on a name that sounds silly and not right, then have to reject it and try a few more times until you get something you’re happy with, something that seems to fit for the character you’ve spent a whole act with by now.

Assuming you do take multiple tries, Miriam even has a line of dialogue commenting on how strange it is that the bard needed several tries just to say their own name. Then there’s her “Welcome to the ‘team’, ‘Kiwi’,” with quotation marks on not just the “team” (because Miriam is not happy about working with them), but also on the name, as if she’s extremely sceptical over whether that’s even their real name at all. Like it sounds like they just made it up on the spot – and this happens even if you do come up with it in one try.

Again, I’m not sure whether this is writer-intended; it could be just a coincidental side effect of the way the character-naming system is creatively integrated with the note wheel. But take the player out of the equation and view that scene at face value as something that really happened that way in-universe, and suddenly it reads a lot like the bard is coming up with a name for themselves off the top of their head!

The only other in-universe explanation is that Kiwi is just being silly and giving random letter-smushes as their supposed name before telling the truth, as… a joke? But that’s not even a great joke, not to mention just kind of rude to these people who are asking to work together with them. It doesn’t quite seem in character for Kiwi to do that.

…Mind you, they probably wanted Miriam and Saphy to think that the failed names were just some kind of weird joke. Actually admitting to any hint of the awkwardness with their family would never have crossed their mind as an option, because they’re supposed to be perfect and happy all the time, right? So, no, um, it’s actually totally normal to make several fake joking suggestions before telling someone your own name, and also to have a name that maybe possibly just came from you randomly picking your favourite fruit or something. It’s fine, they’re Kiwi now (they guess…?), and they don’t have any problems whatsoever. They want to help these new friends of theirs save the world, and having problems of their own would just get in the way of that.

Miriam probably did write it off as weird joking, but if we read this scene in a completely in-universe way, I think Saphy might have actually figured out what was really going on here. She’s the one who asks to confirm each time if this really is the bard’s name, which gives them the opportunity to back out and pick a different one if they’re not happy with this one. It reads like she knows exactly what they’re doing and is being understanding and patient, while also not prying into why they’re coming up with a new name here when they obviously don’t want to talk about it. Then, once the bard settles on something, she says, “What a wonderful name!”, like she wants to help them feel comfortable in the name they just picked for themselves. Saphy is good.

After the ending, as Kiwi has grown more comfortable with talking about their issues to Miriam, I imagine they’d confess to this at some point – but I’m sure they’d also decide that they’ve come to be quite happy with their new name by now. It’s what their best friend Miriam knows them as, after all, and that’s what’s most important.

#wandersong #the bard #miriam #ramble #character analysis #friends #oh hey looks like someone else has hero issues this time #see how much i love wandersong? #eight pages of rambling about just its main character much - and i'm not even done

[wanderbard]

I’ve stared at the fic for too long! I’m just going to post it and hope y’all like it. The ending feels rushed eehhh

Kiwi is scared and haunted by past memories during a storm, and Miriam tries to help.

The sky looked dark and overcast, on the verge of a downpour. Kiwi stared out the window and tried to will the rolling storm clouds away, but so far it was proving fruitless. It had been a few months since they'd saved the world, but it left mental scars that were hard to fight off. 

Currently, they were at Miriam’s for dinner.

 The witch noticed the bard had gone quiet. She approached them from behind. 

“What are you doing?” She asked with a tap of her foot. What she didn’t expect was Kiwi jumping with a little ‘eep!’. Turning around they faced Miriam, hand on their chest. They didn’t reply, only gave a little sigh of relief. Miriam raised an eyebrow, but she decided not to press the issue. 

“What I was going to ask,” Miriam continued like nothing happened, “was if you wanted to stay over tonight?”

 “It looks like a horrible storm is blowing in,” Saphy added. “It’d be safer for you both if Miriam didn’t try to fly in it.”

 Kiwi thought about it. They didn’t want to intrude. Maybe they could walk? But, they weren’t sure if they could outrun this storm. Finally, their usual smile graced their face. “I’d love to, Grandma Saphy! Thank you!” 

--- 

Soon night had fallen. The rain was starting to pick up, and the wind blew through with a ghostly howl.  It was decided Kiwi would be sleeping in Miriam’s room. They had pulled out a cot and some extra blankets. Soon the two were cozy in the room and just chatting away, well mostly Kiwi. 

Then, a boom of thunder that caused the house to shake.

Kiwi sat up on the cot, covering their ears. Their eyes squeezed shut. They started to sing a soft song. A lullaby their mom used to sing to them when Kiwi couldn’t sleep.

“-wi”

Everything was going to be okay! They weren’t scared of a storm. No way! They had saved the world! Been through terrifying things! A little thunder wasn’t going to-

Another boom! Kiwi tried to cover their ears tighter. All they could remember was the pain of being shot with lightning, falling, and the faded spidering scar it left on their side. 

“Kiwi!” Miriam grabbed a hold of the bard’s shoulder trying to get through.

Kiwi jumped and looked over at the disturbance. Seeing Miriam’s concerned eyes they removed their hands from over their ears and stopped their song.

“Are you… okay?” Miriam spoke soft and slow. She wasn’t used to being the one on the side of comfort, but right now there was something wrong with her friend and she was going to try for them. Kiwi had listened to her so many times, she could at least do the same in return.

Kiwi looked down. “I’m… I’m scared, Miriam.” 

“Of the storm?” Duh, Miriam. She was trying her best.

Kiwi nodded their head. “It reminds me of… well, you probably know.” Miriam did know. Even she couldn’t help but think of Audrey on nights like these. 

Miriam sat on the edge of her bed facing Kiwi. “We’re alright now. We’re safe.”

Another boom of thunder.

Kiwi jumped but didn’t cover their ears this time. Instead, Miriam could see the glint of tears in the dark. Oh no.

“Hey, come up here.” She patted the part of the bed next to her. Kiwi nodded and joined her.

“I…” Kiwi started without being prompted. “I couldn’t help you, Miriam. When Audrey shot you out of the sky. I should’ve been able to do more than just carry you. I should’ve noticed Audrey there.” They sniffled as tears started to roll down their cheeks. 

“You’re ridiculous sometimes, y’know that?” Miriam spoke. “You were hurt by her too, and… and I still made you move around and get the piece of the Earthsong.” Miriam clenched her fist. “I didn’t realize how much you were hurt, and I… I can’t forgive myself for it.”

“Miriam!” Kiwi exclaimed as best as they could through tears. “You did nothing wrong!” 

The room went silent for a few seconds, with only the sound of the rain outside. 

“Heh…” Miriam softly laughed. “Here I was trying to comfort you, and I started talking about myself again.” She sighed. “I think we both have a lot of regrets. We just have to learn to move past them.”

Another roll of thunder rattled the windows. They both jumped. Kiwi let out a small sob they had been holding in.

Miriam placed a hand on Kiwi’s shoulder. “Just don’t beat yourself up over it too much, okay? Audrey is, who knows where. I’m fine, and we’re safe. I promise. Besides, if she shows up I’ll show her what my magic can do!”

Kiwi gasped. “Miriam! Don’t hurt anyone! It’s not nice!”

“That’s the Kiwi I know.” Miriam leaned over to her night stand and grabbed a couple tissues and handed them to Kiwi. “Here, wipe away your tears.” 

Kiwi nodded and started to wipe at their eyes.

“You’re….” Miriam thought about what she wanted to say. It wasn’t like her to be all emotional. “You’re strong, and brave, and kind of stubborn. You saved the world. You really are a hero, and…. And...” Miriam looked away. “I’m glad you’re my friend.” She said quietly.

She was then being squeezed. 

“Thank you, Miriam.” Kiwi hugged tighter before letting go.

The storm outside seemed to be passing as the thunder was nothing but a low rumble in the distance.

“Let’s go to sleep now. I’m done being feely feely.” Miriam crossed her arms.

“But I like feely feely Miriam.” Kiwi finally smiled as they made their way back to the cot.

“Shut it!” Miriam exclaimed as she lay down.

Kiwi laughed. “G’night.”

Miriam sighed. “Night.”

#wandersong #eeehhhhhh

[huidol]

☕️ talk to me about wandersong. do it

WAND OF SONG..,,. LVOE YOU  i downloaded the game and i honestly like. thot i wasnt gonna like it at first!!! bc of the intro sequence made me think oh this is a fighting game :/ but no!!!!  its a really fucking. adorable and sweet game with a pacifist bard who wants to help people and sing little songs...,,, and when they find out the world is ending they wanna help like. prevent it via the earthsong which can only be learned from the overseers its got like..,. a ton of cute messages and like also Important messages,, like the main one being like,, you can still help people even if you arent a big important hero,..,.,., and that the “hero” (audrey) isnt always a good person,,,, and friendship and shit bro hgnnhjdgfjfdhghg its GOOD  good game 10/10 super fucking cute cant wait to force all of you to play it <3

#wcic.txt #ily griff <333 #i cant CONVEY it into words but such a good fucking game #my favorite like. part is uhh //spoilers -> #when audrey and kiwi are trapped and uhh #audreys like. purpose is killing all the overseers #which is like the opposite of what kiwi needs #so kiwis like Ill help you out of here IF you dont fucking kill this overseer #and its like big n dramatic and audreys like sure whatever #and kiwi manages to get the overseer out of its like. feral state via moosic and then audrey fucking kills it #its great. i hate audrey #ALSO TAMING THE OVERSEER IS SO HARD MAIN #IT MIGHT JUST BE BC IM BAD AT THE GAME BUT I DID ALL THAT WORK AND ITS FUCKGIN DEAD #thanks audrey

[earthnashes]

Fitness update time baybeeeeeeeee! I once again had to gather the balls to post the photos here so uh. Ye. :D

Like the last one, more details will be under the cut, but for the TL;DR crowd:

Last Update Here

Current: 177lbs | Estimated BMI: 24-26% | Push Pull Legs split at 6 Days a week

Notes: Training stimulus for this block focused on lifting basics and intensity: establishing a stronger mind-muscle connection and knowing how training to true mechanical failure feels like. Additional challenge: Finding maintenance calories and maintaining weight in the general range of 175-180lbs before re-attempting 1st Lean Bulk attempt.

Results: All lifts have seen an increase in working weight. Noticeably more muscle definition overall over the course of the last two months. Weight largely remained the same; assume maintenance calories has been accurately found.

Sooooooo the last two months have been kinda crazy. I took a look at my past lifting logbooks and found that despite my PRs being higher than the last recorded attempt, my overall working weights for all of my lifts hadn't really moved much. Partially out of fear of injury, but mostly due to the noticeable lack of real intensity in the training.

On top of that I found that my weight wasn't going down or up at the calories I was eating at, but my energy had begun to drop and recovery was suffering. Originally I was meant to be in my first bulk, but my weight never moved, and that ultimately resulted in me switching strategies for my nutrition too.

Basic idea: dial up the intensity, RPE of 8-9.5. Find true maintenance calories.

For nutrition: I used the TDEE calculator for my calories this time. It's supposedly more accurate than most other calorie calculators including MyFitnessPal's calculator, which gave me 2200 calories as my "bulk". Welp, turns out that's wrong; 2200 is my cutting number with my current activity level. And given how long I've been in a cut, it explained why, even in the deficit still, my weight never moved: it's too low to gain weight, and with how long I been in a deficit up until then my body was adapted too much to continue losing fat. So I instead switched focus onto finding my actual maintenance calories by immediately bumping my calories to the number the TDEE calculator gave me (2600 cal) and adjusting based on how my weight trend.

Result is, over the course of 2 months I gained 2 pounds but I'm certain this is almost entirely muscle (based on look, measurements, and performance in the gym); I've otherwise hadn't changed weight wise. This is good to know; it means I can eat more than I initially thought and gives me a stronger baseline for when I do actually go into a real bulk.

For training: First thing I focused on was my legs, which was arguably my weak link. This is largely due to an old injury in my left knee made it hard to reach full range of motion, and the strength discrepancy between my left and right leg because of it was pretty noticeable. Correcting it is one of the reasons why I switched to PPL training split, with Legs being trained first every cycle.

For both my legs and my isolation exercises I utilized unilateral versions of all my exercises; working each limb separately instead of together. I also incorporated a different set program: 2 working sets of 6-10 reps, 1-2 sets taken to true mechanical failure. The failure sets were meant for me to get used to the very uncomfortable sensation of training the muscle to- and past - it's actual limit and not my mental limit while maintaining proper form technique. That shit is rough, but it ensured that I was training with actual intensity and I was taking the muscle to true failure for growth, which in turn would help with building better muscle-mind connection with each muscle bilaterally and unilaterally.

For compounds I didn't take any of the lifts to true failure due to the higher fatigue and recovery toll. Instead I focused on building strength skill, so the set program was: 1 Topset (heaviest set of the exercise) 1-3 reps, 2 working sets for 5-8 reps. Any hypertrophy work for these lifts were always done with machine accessories for stability and safety.

Results thus far has seen my overall strength increasing, my knee is much stronger and stable (tested my squats and I can safely squat my own bodyweight without pain or wobbling, which is a feat due to being unable to do that months ago), and I confidently can say I have better form and idea of intensity.

-------

SO! With all of that said I'd say this block was overall a success after much trial and error. Now that I've gotten a better idea of a few things, my next move right now is to take a deload week for some much needed rest, then structure my next block for a more strength focus alongside my 2nd attempt at an actual lean bulk. The goal is to gain at least 4-5 pounds of muscle by the beginning of next year and make a new maxout for my PRs, so I might look a lil soft the next time I do a progress report but hopefully I'll be much stronger and ready for my second cutting phase.

This shit is hard, but I'm loving it to death man. I'm having a lot of fun learning and going through the journey and now I can confidently say that I'm at the Intermediate stage of lifting! I also think I know the type of weightlifter I am now. I've heard the term "powerbuilding" a few times now and I feel it fits; primarily lifting to build strength, but also throwing in some bodybuilding rhetoric for aesthetics.

Like I said a while back I'm seriously considering recording my workouts and posting those as I go on my Instagram, and I've actually bought a lil phone stand to practice recording and being more comfortable in front of the camera. We'll see how that goes I suppose!

But uhhhhh YE! That's all my yapping for now. Thank you for listening, and if you have any fitness goals feel free to share them with me! :)

#weightlifting #powerlifting #powerbuilding #ash talks #earthsong talks

[i3utterflyeffect]

so me and my friend are talking abt an au relating to that one thing about the bard's voice growing more powerful with each part of the earthsong they unlock and i'm just imagining bard after the ending

#you see my vision (command) #wandersong #encore au

[gungeoneers]

That Wandersong AU I was talking about earlier! Yeah! :)

[ SPOILERS FOR THE ACTUAL GAME. If you plan to play Wandersong or you are and haven’t finished it, please proceed with caution. Thanks! <3 ]

Okay, so basically time is weirdly shifted in this where the main characters weren’t the ones who saved the world using the Earthsong. They’re about 2 generations down the line. So remember at the end of the game in the credits? When the Fairies became the Overseers? (At least I think that’s what happened? Yeah-) That’s how this is gonna be played out here. :)

The Bard and Mask travel around the world together, and Audrey wants to end the world. (It’s Audrey, what are you gonna expect?) The Bard finds the Moon Overseer’s Song somehow and plays it at the Nexus point.

They appear in the spirit world and explore. They come across the Moon Overseer’s Castle. This is where they meet Miriam, a human Overseer Fairy with mouse-like ears. (Yes. I saw the Moon Fairy as a bee-like mouse. F i g h t me.) They quickly form a connection and actually become friends.

[ This is a work in progress. I wanted to throw the base plot out there to yall, so yeah! :) I’ll be reposting the added ideas for this. Suggestions are welcome! ]

#[AU] ꞋꞋThis is a stupid idea.ꞋꞋ #[OOC] Checking the spellbook.. #wandersong #wandersong au #miriam would be a great overseer fairy and you can't change my mind #i feel like this au is gonna be really wholesome and i love that

[iamthewanderingbard]

Hey, all!

Today at BronyCon has been so much fun. I got to meet and hang out with so many amazing people. One of those people is @earthsong9405. Earthsong is such a wonderful artist with some amazing headcanons and is such a kind person to boot. She has been so fun to talk to and so encouraging when I show her my art.

If you are not familiar with her or her art, please check her out. I promise that you will not be disappointed.

#earthsong9405 #BronyCon #BronyCon2019 #BronyCon 2019

[wanderingbards]

sky hit me up w/ some roleswap pls,,

This is going off my personal roleswap, where Audrey is the Bard, Kiwi is the Witch, and Miriam is the Hero

Audrey landed back on Earth with a huff. Her arms crossed over her chest, red hat slipping down a bit as she pouted. All that work in singing ghosts away and learning the Overseer song… only for the King of Hearts to refuse her the Earthsong. Useless!

Sure, there were others, but why bother with them? She wasn’t a hero, and she wasn’t planning to be one. She preferred singing to saving the world, thank you very much. She stood, ready to go back to her home in defeat, when a large shadow passed her overhead.

She jumped, managing to grab her hat and scarf only a second before the breeze followed the shadow. Her eyes traced its path to the road to town, where a massive white bird had landed.

Climbing off that bird was a…witch. Wizard? Warlock. She landed on warlock to describe the person in a long green cloak and a pointed green hat that happened to be sliding off the giant white bird. The warlock smiled, humming to the bird in such a beautiful voice Audrey was jealous.

Nonetheless, she stormed towards this warlock - only because they were blocking her way home, obviously! She was forced to stop a few feet away from the warlock, arms crossed and foot tapping on the ground.

“Uh, hey, nerd in a weird hat?” Audrey tilted her head, gaining the warlock’s attention with her sharp words. “You’re in the way.”

The warlock blinked at her, before breaking out into a grin. “You’re the bard, right? The one that sang all the ghosts away?”

“I don’t see how that’s relevant to you being in my way.” She rolled her eyes, straightening her back. 

The warlock frowned a bit, and Audrey had to bite the inside of her cheek to keep herself from instinctively apologizing. They were just so cute. “Well, I uh… I was hoping to learn the Overseer song from the bard, as I heard they knew it.”

“Well duh, of course I know it. My… mentor used to sing it for me when I was young.” She ran a hand through her hair in annoyance, just wanting to leave. “But that dumb Overseer refused to teach me the stupid Earthsong, citing me being not the Hero. So I’m going home.”

She tried to get around the warlock, but they grabbed her arm. “You’re… giving up?”

“Uh, yeah? No point going to the other Overseers if they’re not gonna teach me their songs.”

“But they will! I’m sure of it!” This warlock seemed… way too optimistic. “You should come with me to talk to them! I know we can make it work!!”

Audrey gave the warlock a long, loooooong look.

“Yeah, no.”

She shoved past the warlock, ducking under their bird and heading back towards Langtree. However, halfway down the path, the ghosts reappeared.

Audrey prepared herself to sing them away again, but… it felt like something was different this time. She could understand them, could hear what they were saying. And the ghost in the center…

Redheart

“Ruby?”

Audrey’s voice shook as her mentor shifted from being just an amalgamous white blob to her human looks.

Redheart, what the heck are you doing?

“Ruby, I… I don’t know-”

Go with the Warlock, Redheart. Be the Hero I raised you to be.

“It’s so hard without you, Ruby.” Audrey reached out for her mentor, forgetting the warlock that was watching from behind her.

Go.

And with that, the ghosts all vanished. Audrey was reaching into air, finding nothing behind her hand. She slowly closed her fist, keeping the tremor in her shoulders from spreading throughout her body.

Ruby had always said she could be a hero, if she dropped the negative attitude. If she picked up the faith in this world that she had lost, then she could make it better. 

So, with a heavy heart, she turned to face the warlock.

“Alright, Birdy. Where do we start?”

#skywrites #bard #audrey redheard #wandersong #role swap #roleswap #Warlock bard #Bard Audrey #ruby #langtree #king of hearts #prompt

[turtleshores]

    She was the sidekick, despite being the one knowing what she’s doing and being able to fight her way through things. This bard knew nothing! They only knew what Grandma Saphy had told them, and she was forced to help out but she didn’t have anything better to do. The two were back in the bard’s hometown, since ‘The Hero’ had just shown the bard up. She stares up the stairs, the bard’s mom having let her stay on the couch. “Bama!” She calls, taking the first step up the stairs. “Bama I’m coming in to talk to you!” She runs up the stairs, her wand on her belt and her broom in the closet. Her cyan colored hair flopped in front of her eyes for a second but she didn’t care.

    Taking a deep breath she presses her ear to the door. She can hear sniffling on the other side and feels her heart break. “Hey Bama? Can I come in?” She asks, pulling away from the door and staring at the oak wood. She pushes a strand of hair behind her ear, her sleeve catching slightly on her hooped earring but she doesn’t care.

    “Come in.” She hears Bama call, their voice small and broken and she wants to go find that stupid hero and shove her into a cauldron and make a potion out of her. Still, she doesn’t because her friend needs her. She opens the door and walks inside, quietly shutting it behind her.

“Hey.” ‘Nice one Miriam,’ she thinks, walking over to the bed and sitting next to her friend. Bama was hugging their knees to their chest, their green hat sitting on their head and the red feather drooping down, as if gravity was pushing down on the ball of energy she knew as Bama.

“Hey… Did…,” They pause, looking at the witch and she can feel the sadness in their dark brown eyes. “Did my mom send you up here? I told her I didn’t want to talk about it...”

“Oh, no I came up here by myself. I wanted to talk to you about how you’re feeling.” It wasn’t the smartest idea, but she’s blunt. If she’s annoyed, she’ll let you know. The musician sighs and leans against Miriam, and she wraps her arm around their shoulders, gently rubbing their arm like her grandma does for her when she’s upset.

“Miriam, I’ll be honest. I feel so small. I thought I was doing something! I was gonna save the world! It’s ending as we sit here and we’re letting Audrey get away with killing the Overseers but there’s no point in trying to stop her because she’s the hero chosen by Eya! I’ll never learn the Earthsong and the angel lied to me. What was even the point of telling me about the Earthsong if I can never learn it? And even then it might not even work!”

Miriam sighs and holds her friend close as they start crying into her purple dress, rubbing their back. “Bama, I’ll tell you this now. Who even cares what ‘The Hero’ is doing? I believe in you. I mean, by the eye of Eya we could go to the next Overseer right now! I know where the nexus point is and I asked your mom about the Overseer Song of the area and it’s the lullaby she used to sing to you. I know you don’t want to run into Audrey again but I’ll protect you this time, alright? I’ll go with you and she won’t even touch you. She hurt you, she really did, but I’m here to protect you! If she gets within five feet of you I’ll blast her!” Her dark blue eyes shimmer with confidence and for a second, for just a second, Bama laughs. She grins, happy to hear a noise come from the musician that isn’t a sniffle or a cry or just sad in general.

    And as quick as the moment is there, it’s gone. The bard pulls away from their friend and stands up. “Yeah, I believe you Miriam, I promise. Just give me a few more hours and then we’ll try the nexus point, alright?” It’s those lines that make sure she won’t say anything else on the subject.

    “No it’s fine, we’ll do it tomorrow. It’s getting late anyways. Sleep well Bama.” With that she pushes herself up and walks to the door. “I’ll tell your mom where I’ll be, so talk to her in the morning.”

    “Got it.” She hears before the door is shut. She lets out a sigh and stares at the ceiling. 'Grandma Saphy I hope you’re proud of me. I really tried to make them happy so we can save the world, just like I promised you I would.' She closes her eyes, takes a deep breath, opens her eyes again, and heads downstairs to the couch to go to bed for the night. She’ll need to be up early for tomorrow. It’s not just about saving the world anymore, it’s also about stopping Audrey from killing any more Overseers. She heard that the Queen of Winds had died, and Bama had met Audrey when she killed Queen Chaos. Tomorrow they’d be attempting to enter the spirit world of Queen Order. They have two pieces of the Earthsong, so this next piece will be their third and then they’re halfway done. They would have already had three pieces had the Dream King just given up his song in the first place. Oh well, it’s not worth getting angry over. Tomorrow is a new day after all.

#miriam #fanfic #mine #word count: 941 #also bama is bard i just call them bama bc thats what they were called in the playthrough i watched #kiwi #kiwi's mom #grandma sapphy