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sapphire-mage · 1 year

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So You Want to Get Into Classic Final Fantasy? (A Guide to Final Fantasy I-VI for Those Who Want To Check Them Out)

You may have seen recently that the HD Remixes of Final Fantasy 1-6 are coming to Switch and PS4 in Spring (or that they're already on Steam or mobile), and you might be thinking, "Should I try one of them?" Maybe you've played VII/VII Remake or XIV, and you're like, "Maybe I should give one of these a go!" Maybe you're thinking to start in numerical order? Maybe you already have one in mind?

Either way, I want to throw my 50 cents into this conversation as someone who has played every number but 11. This isn't going to be a critique. I like all six of them. To varying degrees? Yeah. But I'll be honest about pros and cons of each. Let's begin, shall we?

GENERAL TIPS AND INFO:

-Take note that ALL of these games are turn based combat JRPGS. They may have something different between each of them, but they are all turn based combat driven.

-FF1-FF3 have a turn based style where you can decide the actions of all of your characters, and their actions will be played out on a basis of their speed, kind of like Pokemon. FF4-FF6 allows characters and enemies to act freely while you decide their next move, which can be more dangerous, but take note, there is a 'Wait Mode' you can activate that will stop the flow of battle while you scroll through the magic or item menus.

-If by some chance, Final Fantasy isn't vibing with you: By all means quit. Maybe pick up one with a story that interests you more. Maybe turn based combat isn't your thing. Maybe you want a better leveling system. Maybe you would rather do more modern adaptations. It varies, but don't be afraid to step away. If it's not your thing, it is not your thing. That's okay.

-When it comes to any of these games: Wait until they are on sale. Square tends to put their games on sale pretty often, and pretty often, those sales are a steal. So keep that in mind!

OKAY! Let's begin!

Final Fantasy I

Despite being the first in the series, it's a difficult sell as 'your first Final Fantasy' or 'your first classic Final Fantasy'. But it isn't a bad choice, especially if you have a decent amount of JRPG experience anyway. The story exists, but more in a 'world building' way and not a 'character' way. It is also the shortest out of all six being discussed here.

What may be a pro or con for some is that the main four characters are self-inserts. You choose their battle job (a choice that is permanent, by the way), name them, and then use them for battle and adventure. But they barely speak a word of dialogue, if at all. This is bad for people who want characters to feed off of, but great for people who want to put their OCs as the characters (I'm those people at times).

General Tip: Feel free to use whatever character class selection you want, but for a general idea: Warrior is powerful but expensive to keep powerful, Thief is the fastest but slightly fragile compared to the other two fighters, Black Belt is almost has powerful as Warrior but significantly less expensive, White Mage has access to insane healing spells but very expensive, Black Mage has access to insane attacking spells but very expensive, and Red Mage has access to half the spells W and B Mage have but has the versatility to use a sword and both of their spell options.

Final Fantasy II

This is the Final Fantasy that I have to inform you is 'The Bad One'™ of the six. Personally, I love this game. Has a surprisingly deeper story than you'd expect, dealing with a rebellion trying to bring down a facist overlord (which is awesome). But it is probably the hardest of the six. Walk in the wrong direction and high level monsters will eviscerate you.

It also has a very unique leveling system. Where most games in the series require EXP and give you stats as you level, this game gives you stats as you USE those stats. Want your HP and Defense to go up? Take some damage, and you'll have a chance to level those stats. Want your Fire spell to grow stronger? Use the spell in battle, and the spell will grow stronger with your MP and magic power, possibly. Want to get better with swords? Keep using swords, baby!

Also, has the coolest villain of the first three games in the form of The Emperor. He looks like The Goblin King from Labyrinth and is such a bastard. Very entertaining.

General Tip: Keep characters focusing on a specific thing, but have everyone be a 'mage knight'. Give each character a weapon to focus, and a magic type to focus (white magic or black magic, don't cross types). If you want a very specific suggestion, consider making Firion and Guy handle weapons of your choice, but use white mage to heal. Have Maria use a bow, but utilize black magic and being your mage.

Final Fantasy III

It is my least favorite of these six, but it is a beloved game in the series for a reason. Most importantly, it is the game that inspired a lot of XIV. Hell, XIV fans may recognizes many songs (including the above one), enemies, and characters throughout.

The big thing I should mention is that this game has two versions on Steam: The Classic Remix (sprites, insert characters that you can name but have no character arcs) and The 3D Version (3D figures, actual main characters with names). The decision is yours and yours alone, Steam users.

Otherwise, this is the first game to allow a Job Sytem. As you progress, you unlock jobs that your characters can select and become, but you can't do it as freely as you may like. Also, when your character is that select job (let's say Black Mage, for instance), they can only be that job and nothing else until you change it. Once you do, the skills and abilities that character was able to use before may not be usable anymore unless you change them back. You'll see.

General Tips: Kind of figure out what kind of jobs you want each characters to handle, and stick with they general realm for each of them. Fighters be fighters, mages be mages. There may be times where you'll want to break that, but that's up to you to strategize.

Final Fantasy IV

We're finally reaching the 'epic stories' of Final Fantasy now, so I'll be talking a bit more about story. IV is the first real dramatic epic that Final Fantasy is known for being, and the characters and story prove that. Is it the best in the series? Arguably not, but it is very good. Dealing heavily with themes of redemption, revenge, and forgiveness.

From a gameplay stand point, it's probably the most challenging of the 4-6 era. There isn't that much freedom with your characters, as each of them have their designated skills, abilities, and talents set from the start of leveling to the end of leveling. And you can't change those things. So instead, you need to level your characters, figure out how to best beat the upcoming bosses, and use what you have.

And the music is fantastic in this game. Songs ranging from gorgeous melodies of feeling safe and home, to some stressful and tense songs as you come face to face with the enemy. You may recognize some from Endwalker, as Endwalker pulled a lot from this game.

General Tips: Learn everything that your characters can do, and utilize them to the best of your ability. Maybe your healer needs to focus on buffing or attacking, while another character heals with magic or items. Maybe you need to better research your enemies with what you have. Everything is creativity in this game with your limited options.

Final Fantasy V

I'm not gonna sugar coat it: This is my favorite in the series. But I'll try not to be biased. For starters, the story steps down from its epic roots to be more comedic. Somehow, this game managed to be a parody of FFIV and every Final Fantasy that would follow V, before any of them would be created. You'll have a lot of goofball good guys and bad guys, while also having a mean as hell main villain who has a strange, almost comedic origin story.

CW worth noting: There is a character who goes through some gender clash. Basically, you're introduced to them as one gender, when it is revealed later that they only disguised themselves as that gender because people of their born gender don't get respect in their occupation. Feelings on how this character was handled vary, but the character is beloved regardless and stays true to themselves to the end. I wouldn't say it was outright transphobic, but I wouldn't say it was handled with grace (one piece of dialogue makes me wince). And it may get some side glances from players now. But ultimately, the cast and fans accept and love this character regardless.

The music is very Pokemon Hoenn region: TRUMPETS EVERYWHERE! Somebody was having a trumpet party while this game was being made. Still, the music is great, especially the boss themes as you go further into the game. The track you're listening to is my personal favorite from this game.

But I haven't even spoke of the strongest aspect: The gameplay! It has a job system like Final Fantasy III, BUT you can carry over things you've learned from previous jobs! Got a Black Mage, but you want to utilize Time Magic? Good news, you can equip the Black Magic you've mastered while using Time Mage! Want to try out Monk, but you want to keep stealing items with your Thief? Have your Thief master 'Steal', and then equip it as a Monk. The strategy and creativity is unlimited!

General Tips: At the start of the game, you have access to a job known as 'Freelancer'. On the surface, this job is useless. But later on, you'll find that it automatically equips ALL passive abilities (ie HP +20%, Dual Wield, Equip Armor) without using up any of your slots! So take note: Freelancer is a secret endgame class! Strategize with that in mind! LEARN WHAT PASSIVE ABILITIES YOU CAN!

Also: Don't. Underestimate. Blue Mage. If you can figure things out, Blue Mage is insanely powerful. Then again, I speak as a devout Blue Mage fanatic.

Final Fantasy VI

As far as epic Final Fantasy games go, this is the biggest and baddest one from 1-6. Action, comedy, romance, horror, tragedy, joy! Everything and more in this theatrical adventure! By far, the strongest story of the six in my eyes and the eyes of many. Often argued to be one of the strongest stories of the entire series even beyond the classic six, and I agree! Lovable main characters all around, some kick ass female characters who take the forefront over most of the guys often times, and a psycho clown who serves as the central villain! I would argue, from a story stand point, this game is the quintessence of classic Final Fantasy.

Music is out of this world. Some of the best tracks you'll hear in the series, along with an opera song that will warm your heart and a final boss theme that will make you question what anyone saw in a certain One Winged Angel.

And then there's the gameplay. While I will admit that I find V's gameplay better, VI's gameplay is still quite good. Like IV, all characters come with skills and abilities that are unique to each character, which makes party formation important. But once you get past the first act, you gain the ability to teach magic to ANY CHARACTER IN THE GAME (except two late game secret characters, but you don't have to use those)! As long as they keep a certain item equipped, they were learn the spells those items have to offer over a span of battles. This turns all of your characters into battle mages, and creates for some interesting strategy.

THE ONLY DOWNSIDE is the final act. The final act removes every party member from your team but one, and with that one, you have to reunite EVERYONE. And those quests vary in difficulty and time, although almost all are optional. And that wouldn't be an issue save for the fact that the final dungeon will force your to create THREE TEAMS of FOUR PARTY MEMBERS (maximum, you can enter with one party member on each team if you want). As such, you might want to consider leveling and teaching spells to as many party members as you can. This hurts a lot of fans of this game, but it never bothered me.

General Tip: This is less of a general tip and more of a demand. When you get your airship for the first time, UNLOCK MOG! I don't care if you think or were told Mog is bad. If I can beat the final boss with him, you can make use of him! Look up how to unlock him and make sure you do it! Hell, it may make the final dungeon easier, cause you'll have him as a party member. You can always recruit him later, but during that early part of the game (before you lose every party member), Mog can learn a water dance ability that is surprisingly useful. But that's just me. Some people hate Mog, but I'm not some people.

Alright, that's all six. Now, from a stand point of which of the six should be your first. Well... Ranking them from best to worst starting option...

Final Fantasy V or VI

Final Fantasy IV

Final Fantasy I

Final Fantasy III

Final Fantasy II

This isn't ranking them in quality, but whether they are a good starting place. At the end of the day, I would recommend picking up V or VI if you've never played a classic Final Fantasy. If you've never played a Final Fantasy period, then maybe also consider VII, IX, or X. But that's up to you (and if I do a post on those).

As for whether you should pick V or VI...

IF YOU WANT CRAZY GOOD GAMEPLAY AND DON'T MIND THE STORY NOT BEING TOO SERIOUS, play Final Fantasy V.

IF YOU WANT CRAZY GOOD STORY WITH SOME PRETTY GOOD GAMEPLAY, play Final Fantasy VI.

Or play both. They're both really good.

If you've played one or both or want a reason to pick up one of these others:

Play Final Fantasy I so you can connect with the most classic of the series, as it won't take up too much time.

Play Final Fantasy II if you want a real JRPG challenge that rips you from your safe zone.

Play Final Fantasy III if you want to connect with a lot of the creation of XIV.

Play Final Fantasy IV because it's awesome.

Play Final Fantasy V because it's awesome.

Play Final Fantasy VI because it's awesome.

So yeah, that's everything. Again: You don't have to play any of these. Or all of these. You could play VI, and I promise, I won't be like, "Wow. You didn't play V? Cringe." If someone does, screw them. Play and try what you want to play and try. I'm just here to guide the way.

As for 7-15... Maybe I'll discuss them. But that's up to you for now.

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theresattrpgforthat · 6 months

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Hi, I recently saw a game that used cribbage scoring for resolution, I know I've dabbled with craps as resolution, and hands of blackjack/poker have been a common diceless alternative for years, but are you aware of any other interesting uses for "classic" games as part of a ttrpg's core mechanics?

THEME: Classic Games - Remixed

Hello there! I’m assuming that the cribbage game you are talking about is Hey Boss, by Zaftikat, which is inspired by Nimona! Let’s see what else we can find. It was easy to find poker hands as methods of resolution, but I did find a few that use a different game!

Headcanon, by radiantfracture.

All the apocalypses blur together, but this one could be special.

In which our heroes play collaborative poker for their fates and the fate of the multiverse. …No pressure.

In Headcanon, the two(ish) of you – friends, enemies, allies, lovers, all of the above – play out the final episode of the Eternal Show, a nearly infinite low-budget horror-speculative-fiction-suspense-medical-drama-police-procedural-apocalyptic TV series.

In this low-prep ttrpg, players create collaborative poker hands to determine their characters’ actions and the success or failure of the scene.

If you want some two-player fun with poker hands and some inspiration, you might want to check out Headcanon. You’ll start by deciding what’s canon - where is the story set? Who are the factions at play? What does the end of the world look like? You’ll use cards from the deck to help you narrow down some of the options, as well as create characters for each of you. You’ll then play establishing hands that flesh out some details about the beginning of the episode - what happened to your characters, and how they’re feeling about it. Then recap a bit and try to determine what brought your characters to this moment. You’ll play through 5 acts using a shared hand in order to create a narrative, with actions available depending on the number of the card you played, ending in a final scene where you get to decide how it all goes down.

If you paid for the TTRPGs for Reproductive Rights Bundle a year or two ago, you already own this game. If you want a game that gives you and a friend the chance to make the season finale you’ve always wanted, you might want to check out this game!

Howdy, Stranger, by NumberNine.

This is a wild west RPG that uses blackjack as a resolution mechanic. The first thing this gives you is a new way to resolve actions - the Dealer and the player each play a hand of blackjack. The Dealer always hits on a 16 or lower; on a 17, they stand. If you win the hand, you did it! If you lose, you run into complications. If you get blackjack, not only do you win, but the dealer adds a twist that makes you even more awesome.

The game also has a little bit of structure around character creation and combat, using card values to assign numbers to three skills, and more cards to determine how long you last in a gun fight. Finally, it gives you a starting scenario, with a mysterious death and a number of rumours for the players to follow up on. If your game group already has a comfortable style of play, you could plop this in and take it for a spin - if you’re a new group or new to GM-ing, I’d recommend something else with a little more guidance.

Rowan Queen Blues, by Vyrdine.

Rowan Queen Blues is a game for the 2022 Cover Game Jam, under the theme of Rituals & Folklore. Three players work together as The Rowan Queen, a single authority [though not necessarily a single person] attempting to lead her people to safety against the oncoming threat of the Darkness.

What I like about this game is that it gives you digital tarot cards to play with if you don’t have your own deck. The game also comes with the basic rules of cribbage, in case you’re unfamiliar with it. This is a game of three-player cribbage, using prompts from the tarot deck to help spark the creativity as you play. What exactly the darkness is (and who the Queen is) looks to be up to you.

DROWWORD, by Ursidice.

The Drow – sometimes known as Trow or Dtrow – are mischievous sprites with pale skin and dark hair that inhabit the Orkney Islands. At night, when the moonlight paints the earth, they emerge from their drowie knowes to sneak into nearby towns, causing mischief and stealing items to take home to their burrows. They love music and are particularly beguiled by songs and stories, drawing the power for their tricksy magick from written and spoken words. As they run through the darkened streets and across the wild cliffs, they draw letters from their sporrans to cast spells on those who would spot them or stand in their way.

DROWWORD is a mini RPG that uses Scrabble tiles instead of dice, where you play as naughty dark elves trying to steal as many shiny trinkets as possible!

The basic method of resolution in this game relies on drawing letter tiles and counting how many you need to get 10 points. The less you need to draw, the better - but if you draw too many, you can always try to negate it by spelling a word! This replicates the drows’ use of magic as an attempt to save themselves from failure. It’s a simple little game with plenty of opportunity for mischief!

hook, line, & cyb3r, by satah.

a go fish-powered cyberpunk-flavoured game of blade-wielding bounty hunters, originally developed for the fishblade 2023 game jam

a zero prep, GMless, pick-up-&-play one shot of dastardly neon-tinged montages, leaning on mechanics you've known like your entire life & a vast array of generative tables to slide you effortlessly into playing out the chaotic professional lives of shadowrunners, bounty hunters, or some other type of high tech dystopic gig economy adjacent freelance criminals for hire.

You'll still need some d6's to play this game, but the basic rules use the mechanics of Go Fish. The suits of cards represent four different kinds of intel, which you'll need to gather to build a scenario. Using the cards and some roll tables, you don't need a GM, because the story is partially generated! If you want to play a roleplaying game with friends but nobody has a lot of time or mental energy to learn a new ruleset, I recommend hook, line, & cyb3r.

Go Directly To Jail, by Typhos Games.

Go Directly to Jail is a game of prison break. Two agents have each been asked by a different crime syndicate to rescue one of their members from the Elmira Correctional Facility in New York State. This maximum security prison houses some of the worst mobsters in the entire world, and you've been tasked with breaking one of them out.

Two players will take turns moving around the board, and will alternate acting as their character and as the narrator. Both players are trying to get in and get out as quickly as possible, but don't get in each other's way!

This game uses the pieces of Monopoly, but not necessarily all of the rules. The board becomes a prison, out of which both of you are trying to escape. You use Monopoly money to represent assets, that you can use to overcome Obstacles rather than attempting to roll for it. It doesn’t matter what version of Monopoly you use - although I think it would be very fun to re-skin the setting based off of the Monopoly board you use!

#tabletop games #indie ttrpgs #dnd #game recommendations #asks #indie ttrpg

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bitchlessdino · 2 years

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guilty pleasure pt.2

Pairing: Jihoon x f!reader x Mingyu

Genre: smut, some plot

Word count: 3.3k

Tags: mingyu and reader pov, siatuationship!mingyu awkward moments, producer!woozi, dumb banter, subby gyu, ma'am, choking (giving)

Summary: You know what’s shittier than liking someone taken? Liking someone taken by your best friend.

author note: im so tired yall, why does life get so busy like this? Anyways hello! I'm glad you guys are enjoying the series so fair. Im unsure how many chapters there will be but expect more as we move along w the plot. And sound off any thoughts you may have.

Chapter list

Mingyu couldn’t get enough of you. You hardly gave him the time of day the first time he laid his eyes on you, but the chase was absolutely worth it. Adorned with that tight outfit, hugging your body like a second skin, you were all he thought about that night. He was lucky enough to have met you through your mutual friend group, but unlike every other friendly face, you didn’t even show the slightest interest.

Mingyu got what he wanted most of the time and was well aware of the fact, so he was taken aback by your aloofness and failure to recognize the effect he had on every other man, woman, or nonbinary person that night. When he reaches over to graze your hand to retrieve his drink purposely, you pull away. When he tries to lean in close to talk to you over the loud music, you ask the friend next to you to translate.

You really made it your life’s mission to ignore him at every given opportunity. He then realized his goal tonight was not to get you to sleep with him, but instead, he had hoped to achieve your respect.

“Hey.”

You glaze over him like you did every time he called out to you. “What’s up?”

“You like music? Like good music.”

You furrow your brows, “What’s good music to you?”

“None of this over-produced, over-remixed, club shit. Some good fucking music.”

Your interest was slightly piqued the first time that night, slipping the remaining contents of your watered-down drink. “I guess.”

“This probably might raise some interest for you then. I actually have an interesting collection back in my place–”

“Wow.” You exclaim in feigned disbelief. “That’s all you got? You think you can just win me over with some self-produced music that’s probably shit?”

“Yeah, but,” his lips slightly ghost over your ear, “aren’t you the slightest bit of interest in finding out if it’s actual shit like you think it is?”

You scoff. “No. Should I be?”

He shrugs, glad to finally get that smile’s first appearance. “The worst that could happen it sucks. And if it does, I’ll grant you access to kick me in the balls.”

You guffaw at his offer, almost spitting up your drink. You set it down at the high table, luckily finished, and turn to give Mingyu something that gave him a glimmer bit of hope. “You really can’t stop thinking about me, can you?”

A very flirty way to ask, ‘Are you really that desperate to get my pants?’ Things were heading in the right direction finally.

“Maybe I just know you’d appreciate some good music.”

Whatever he did seem to have worked enough to convince you to follow him back to his place. You sit back on the well-worn couch and wait for the man of the hour to come back with a laptop you assumed was his and a set of Bluetooth earbuds to share. You peer over at the screen as he handed you the right piece and you notice the unfamiliar name.

“I thought your name was Mingyu. Who’s Woozi?”

The taller man chuckles, putting the left ear in and seats beside you. “Just about the most talented person I know.”

“Your friend? What are you, his publicist? You get girls to come back to your place and get them into his music as a marketing ploy?”

He laughs, “No, but that is a pretty ingenious method of getting people to listen. I’ll take that idea into consideration.”

He makes sure your earbud is in place, lingering in your personal bubble momentarily. He taps the space bar to play the track. When the studio plays out, you are immediately drawn in by the smooth and alluring introduction. A man’s voice plays in the background, somewhat soft yet powerful. It's addicting how he hit several notes effortlessly while singing about what you could only assume to be sex. It was actually listenable.

“Not bad, good even.” You turn to him with a grin, a corner of the lip slightly higher than the other. “Your balls are safe for tonight.”

He chuckles, drawing attention to the attractive canines that completed his smile.

“Wasn’t even worried for a second.” So he says, one hand cupping over his crotch.

You cover your mouth the suppress the little giggle from escaping you and then you lock contact with his pretty brown eyes. Perhaps it wa steh fact you were listening to music for with him and without notice for around 10 minutes or so, but time felt still and this “Mingyu” felt alright.

You managed to avoid him all night under the concern of waking up in some random guy's bed, but maybe this time it wouldn't be so bad, at least not with him. He didn’t seem like such a bad guy, despite the fact he's been trying to get your attention all night. You could do worse.

When you first kiss that night, you made the first move against your better judgment, immediately melting in the plush feeling of his lips. When Mingyu pulls away, the sensation of his fleeting lips lingered against yours. You see how he places a finger on them and scoffs in disbelief. “I thought you weren’t the type to fall for this kind of stuff.”

“So you admit it was a way of picking me up,” you point out.

“…I have no smart response for that.”

“Then just follow through with your plan.”

You reunite with his lips, hand settling with his chest. Shifting more comfortably, his hands naturally found the shape of your waist. The music still plays in your ears, having you both making out to the beat of electric guitar. You feel his smile, his hair pushing a lose strand of yours away and his gripps get tighter as his lips moved loser.

Having sex to music wasn’t anything rare for you, but the intimacy of the two of you being the only ones able to listen to Woozi playing was admittedly arousing on a different level.

Mingyu with his gorgeously aesthetic body and limitless stamina fortunately did not disappoint you that night. His hands wrapped around your body felt like pure heat and animal instinct. He rocks himself into your core with no hesitation and you reciprocate with the reward of hearing his name from your lips.

His growls resonate in your ears despite the music, embracing you from behind. His lips aggressive and hungry engorges the skin of your neck, hips thrusting deep and hard into your bottom. He feels right, he feels comfortable, and some reason pliable, like he’d do anything you would’ve wanted that night.

When both climaxes came, yours before his which was always a good sign, he offers you to stay the night. Reluctantly, you accept his offer, giving him a gracious smile, covering the bits and pieces of yourself for most of the rest of that night. Mingyu couldn’t help but smile, feeling beyond the sense of pride or relief that he usually got with the accompanionship of a stranger Tonight he couldn't help but feel something he couldn’t exactly put his finger on. Joy, perhaps.

“Would you want to do this again?” He asks, hope settling in the pit of his stomach.

“We literally met today,” You rest your head on a propped up arm, ��Plus you don’t seem like the type to get into anything deeper than hookups.”

He sighs, slightly offended by your answer but decidedly responds in a way without revealing so, “We can just to get to know each other. Nothing serious. If that’s how you want things to be.”

You eyes daze over his naked body, glistening in his perspiration, chest heaving in anticipation, and that puppy dog look in his eyes that you couldn’t help but get momentarily lost it. You were always a dog person. You feel it for the first time in body, entrapped in the boyish charm that you missed out on initially.

“We’ll see in the morning, hmm? I can’t really think clearly right now,” you vulnerably confess.

A smile bridged his face, arms wrapping and tucking you inside his embrace. You take advantage of his advances and lay your head in his chest between his firm pectoral muscles, where it was admittedly homey and familiar. You could get used to this if you tried.

You were happy to drift off to sleep and wake up in those same arms the next morning. MIngyu seemed to sleep contently snuggling with you, but you worried whether the numbness appeared in those elephant trunk arms of his. You try gently prying him off, seeking refuge in that bathroom and finding yourself successful. Picking up whatever clothing you had on the ground and quickly covering yourself in it.

You escape the room with ease and turn into the common area where you lock eyes with a new character enjoying cereal by himself on the kitchen counter. He seemed quite solemn about your appearance and makes little to no effort to acknowledge you as you do to him initially since you beeline straight to the restroom. That couldn’t have been more awkward, you thought.

Having quickly freshen yourself up, you meet eyes with the stranger once again and instead of retreating to Mingyu’s room, you join him with a friendly smile. ”Hi…”

“Hey,” he greets still munching on what looks to be captain crunch, “Did you want some?”

“No, no. I’m good. I just thought it’d be rude to not say anything.”

“Cool.”

He’s not much of a talker, you realize, but end up taking the stool chair on the opposite end anyway, seeing as you’ve made it this far. “I’m guessing Mingyu’s done this a lot. You’re not surprised to see me.”

“Yeah…Your sex lives. I dont judge.”

You nod, grinning a smile that says, ‘well alright then.’

“Just in case I see you on the street or something, I’m Y/n.” God, please stop.

He nods. “Jihoon. His roommate.”

Your eyes grows twice his size. “Roommate, god that would’ve been some good information before i decided to stay over,”

He shrugs. “I’m used to it.”

“Well, if I can help it, I’ll try getting him out of the house or something.”

“You will?” He pauses.

“...Yeah. We’’re thinking of seeing each other.”

“...Hmm. Okay. That’s new.”

His tone comes off slightly dubious but not enough for it to come off offensive, you let the matter go. The tension breaks when the man of the hour leaves his bedroom in a lone pair of boxers, coming up to embrace you from behind. His lips nip at your ear and you can’t help but feel self-conscious of the other person there. His voices makes the hair on your shoulders stands as he whispers, “Morning gorgeous. Missed you in bed.”

“Thanks. Just ignore that I’m here, Gyu.”

Mingyu’s tone perks into something more peppy for his rather stoic roommate, grinning from ear to ear. “Jihoon! When did you come home?”

He didn’t seem the slightest bit bothered by the possibility of giving his roommate a free show, and you feel just a bit pity for the man.

“I don’t know. One, two am? Reminds me I need to buy some travel noise cancelling headphones.”

The man, noticeably shorter than Mingyu, trods off to his room and leaving you and your nightly partner alone. That day marks the first of many awkward small talks and empty silences with Jihoon, a man of what you find to be of many surprises. One of the next few times you woke up in Mingyu’s bed, you greeted his roommate once again, seeing as he’s working something on the designated ‘Woozi’ labeled computer you remember Mingyu using the first time you came over and bring it up to his attention.

“You aren’t perhaps, the Woozi, are you?”

“...I am? You heard of me?”

You smile at him, finally something to pique some of his interest. “Mingyu showed me some of your stuff the first time we met.”

“Oh. sorry.”

Your eyes blow open, “No, no. Your stuff is really good. Lucky too, MIngyu would’ve gotten his balls knocked back into him if it wasn’t.”

You try holding back most of your laughter but fail and Jihoon joins you, sporting quite the attractive smile. “Honestly, sucks to miss out on that. It’d be funny to see Mingyu struck out for once. Literally.”

“Wow, you’re mean,” You comment back laughing.

“You’re the one that wanted to go through with it,” he retorts, a grin wide and apparent.

“I didn’t think the music would actually be bad, and if it was, I still wouldn’t!”

“Right…”

You were both laughing about five minutes before Mingyu joined the both of you, wondering what he’s missed and eventually there was this natural interaction between the all of you. It almost became routine. Mingyu and you had sex as often as possible with the days and time you had available and that meant you saw Jihoon as often as expected. It was like clock work how your dynamic became how it is. And if you were bing honest, You were as comfortable with Jihoon as you were Mingyu, if not more.

“I’m starting to think you use our bed creaking or voices in your songs without our permission,” You instigate one day.

Jihoon snorts. “In what god’s name makes you believe that?”

“I see you almost all the time. It’s like you’re always here. Not that I’d mind though.”

You’re sitting next to him this time in Mingyu’s obnoxiously big t-shirt, sharing a brew of coffee that Jihoon decided to make for the day while he’s writing in that music journal of his. He looks at you unpleasantly, playfully offended by the accusation pointed toward him.

“...Well, I’m not. That’s be perverse. Not that I need to defend myself, but I’m not.”

“Okay, then,” you tease.

“It may be hard to believe, but I have a life outside the both of you, you know.”

“You’re right, I don’t believe you.” You knock into his shoulder, giggling, only to see him roll his eyes back at you.

Jihoon is silently for a short time, and that silence falls in the between the lines of awkward again once he fakes a random cough. You hum back at him, sipping your coffee and wait for him to give a response. Instead, he lingers a little too long into his thoughts before he settles into a simple, “Fine…Believe what you want to believe.”

He’s quiet for the rest of that time before Mingyu finally joins us and you start to miss talking to him. Since that day those interactions started to die out, and you’ve wondered why. His conversations with you are alot more cut and less detailed. It hurt to be honest. Jihoon was refreshing and gave you insight that MIngyu couldn’t provide. Then again, Mingyu wasn’t awful company.

“God, you’re so big…”

You ride MIngyu’s hips like you were aiming for the blue ribbon. That confident side smile stretches over his cheeks feeling you clench around him marvelously. His hands find home on your breasts, feeling their soft and perfect they were in his grasps. You’d moan against his jaw, pressing kisses over his skin, making him shudder.

“Fuck yes.” His hands travel down to your hips, guiding you to which suit him best, and you feel the jerk of his cock pump into you.

You mewl over his intiative and run your lip messily over his. He clutches your frame with much desperation and moans in your mouth as you suck on his tongue. Your hands run through his bed hair, whining to the clap of your butt cheeks when Mingyu decides to get ‘playful.’ That’s when you try out one of the things you’ve discussed in the past. Your index and thumb presses on either side of his neck, squeezing just slightly and Mingyu just lets out a single breath.

“Mm…” he only says.

You had came enough times tonight and finally it felt like it was MIngyu’s turn to get fucked stupid. You had no complaints for teh arrangement you had with him so far. You squeeze on the base of his neck a little tighter along with another set of something clenching around him. “Yeah? You like that?”

“Mmh, yes…”

Your hips buckle faster, mouth ajar anticpatingly, the voice that leaves you sounding domineering as possible, “Yes, what?”

With a smile laced was ecstasy on his face, he answers. “Yes ma’am…”

“What a good boy. Should I let you cum, baby?”

He nods, aching to get that bit of breath from the small opening you’re allowing oxygen through.

“What have I told you about talking…I want to hear you, Gyu. Tell me how much you want to cum.”

“Please,” he says without a beat in between, “I want to come so bad…please…ma’am.”

You audibly moan, feeling his hips fuck in you faster, only fueling you more. “Yes, baby. Cum for me. You can cum.”

Your hand still around his neck, his eyes rolls back, his neck giving out and falling to his bedframe as the heat of his load vilolent spurts into his latex encased cock, weakly jerking back into you. His hand catches the back of your head and hold against the crook of his neck. You chuckle in the skin of his neck, running your lips over it.

“You’re amazing,” he finally says when let go of the chokehold.

You kiss him as thanks, smiling at him with dopamine still running through your body. “I’m going to the restroom. I’ll be right back.”

He nods, chastely kissing you back before letting you go. You hastily threw another shirt on, but don’t bother to get underwear. Leaving him a small smile, you close Mingyu’s door behind you and strut to the bathroom door where its starts opening on the other end.

Startled, Jihoon faces parallel to you with wet strands of hair dripping down to his broad exposed shoulders. His tone arms were no surprise as you’ve seen (not stared) from the sleeveless muscle tees he occasionally sports. The tiny waist and sculpted torso, however, was more than enough to get that sex high to return.

Your eyes linger on each other for some time. His gaze scans you from top to bottom, your legs only being the thing to be apparent from your otherwise covered body, before he meets your eyes solemnly, lacking much of a reactive response. “Mind moving?”

“S-sorry, “ You step aside to take in his appearance.

Only in a pair of gym shorts, Jihoon steps out of the bathroom, clutching a familiar article of clothing in his hand. “Isn’t that the shirt I borrowed?”

The tips of his ear turn noticeable pink, and a deafening silence resonates before he finally decides to respond. “Yeah, I took it with me thinking it was a clean shirt. I was gonna throw it in the wash.”

He clutches it harder in his grip for you to make out what looks like a dark wet stain. “Huh, okay. Thanks about that again by the way.”

“Yeah. bye.”

He trods off again but offers you a show without meaning to. With his incredibly delicious upper body down to the round thick ass to follow, you grew increasingly aware of the moisture between your legs. You were no better than any man.

You close the bathroom door discreetly behind you, images of Jihoon’s taken aback expression (which happened to be a normal amount of endearing) before showing off one of the godliest bodies you’ve ever seen on a human being. You swallow your own drool, hands creeping down to the arousal seeping out of your already lubed-up cunt, regretting not wearing that underwear now.

“What the fuck was that?”

#mingyu smut #woozi smut #seventeen smut #jihoon smut #kim mingyu smut #seventeen #lee jihoon smut #seventeen fanfic #seventeen imagines #seventeen scenarios #mingyu x reader #seventeen x reader #woozi x reader #mingyu x you #woozi x you

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thewertsearch · 1 year

Text

Got a few asks which served as a reminder that a while ago, I promised you guys some album reviews! Let's do a couple now.

Homestuck's first album features a lot of songs that we're going to see remixed later on. We've already heard quite a few versions of Showtime and Sburban Jungle, and it seems like a lot of the comic's more 'iconic' songs came from here.

This is a very 'video-gamey' album, featuring songs like Harlequin and Showtime (Original Mix) - which makes sense, since Act 1 was when the comic was trying its hardest to be a video game parody.

My overall impression is that if this was any other comic, this would be an excellent soundtrack - but because this is Homestuck, it serves as excellent raw material for the fantastic soundtrack we're going to be getting later on.

Top tracks: Sburban Jungle (Brief Mix), Showtime (Original Mix), Skies of Skaia, Aggrieve and Sburban Countdown, which I previously praised for how well it evoked the mood of its scene.

Vol. 2 is a nice evolution of the musical style we first heard in the previous volume. It's clear the music team were getting the hang of the 'sound' of Homestuck by point, and it shows.

The second half of Harlequin (Rock Version) is great, and I’m sad it didn’t show up in the animation. Upward Movement’s intro is also new, and I didn’t recognize the song at first. It’s very different from the comic version, and feels a lot more experimental.

This album features four Bill Bolin tracks - several of which were referenced later on, by tracks that are still featured in the comic. I wonder if that was controversial?

This album also features several of the tracks from Jade's FreshJamz account, which the kids canonically produced together. They're definitely newbie tracks, but they have a lot of potential. Hopefully they'll return to this endeavor when we're done with all this Sburb nonsense, because this is clearly where their real talent lies.

Top tracks: Upward Movement, Explore, and Jade's sick bassline from Verdancy.

Vol. 3 features more FreshJamz tracks and a few new remixes. I particularly like Harleboss, a boss remix of a track that probably wasn't intended to have a boss remix. It sounds like the theme for a bar fight in a tavern run by clowns.

Dissension is excellent. It sounds awfully mournful for a Guardian battle track, until you take a closer look at Grandpa, and realize why it has the tone it does. We're also treated to a remix of Dissension, which sounds like the track that would play if Jade fought a living Grandpa. That's an AU I'd love to see.

Top tracks: Dissension (Remix), Ohgodwhat (Remix), and Pony Chorale - a track whose final few seconds might just have featured Rose's canonical voice.

That's it for this episode of Tunes with Sally. Next time we'll be reviewing Vol. 4, Vol. 5 and Alternia!

#deep dives #homestuck liveblog #full liveblog #act 5 #music #alternia the album not the planet #the planet gets a rating of dystopia/10

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lara635kookie · 6 months

Text

What happens when you mix some Descendants and V.I.L.E. operatives from Carmen Sandiego? How would they sing Descendants songs on V.I.L.E.'s karaoke night? Wanna find out?

No Rest for The Wicked by Patty Cake:

Evil Carmen:

I feel like something in me's taking control

A darker side of me that's heartless and cold

Crackle:

I'm wide awake, I'm hearing whispers in bed

My dreams are turning into nightmares instead

Evil Carmen:

This other part of me that I can't explain

Was locked away but now it loosened the chain

Crackle:

I feel it comin', it's about to begin

Maybe we'll remind them good guys don't always win

Evil Carmen and Crackle:

Nowhere to hide

Your villanous side

All:

We won't stop 'til we get enough

We don't cry 'cause we like it rough

Make a move, don't wanna call our bluff

There's no rest for the wicked

We don't care if it's wrong or right

You say no we'll put up a fight

We don't sleep 'cause we own the night

There's no rest for the wicked

Evil Carmen:

I'm sick of people telling me what to be

But now my badder side is finally free

Not gonna fake it 'cause I'm taking 'em down

This queen is always meant for wearing the crown

Le Chevre:

I'll play your game but baby you should beware

Tigress:

I write the rules and I don't always play fair

El Topo:

Better watch your step, one wrong move and you could fall

Paper Star:

We're gonna do things my way or we won't do things at all

Jeantonio and PaperTiger:

Nowhere to hide

Your villanous side

All:

We won't stop 'til we get enough

We don't cry 'cause we like it rough

Make a move, don't wanna call our bluff

There's no rest for the wicked

We don't care if it's wrong or right

You say no we'll put up a fight

We don't sleep 'cause we own the night

There's no rest for the wicked

Paper Star: (all)

Your time is up

Because my moment's here

I'm only gonna say this once

And make my message clear!

I've been underestimated

I've been good and bad

Now I'm choosing what I am, does that make you mad?

I've been livin' in a dream now I'm wide awake (wake up)

And I'm coming for the throne cause it's mine to take

Better watch your back (it's going down)

'Cause I might attack ('cause we run this town)

I'm a lion in a cage and I can't be tamed

Now what's my name? (Star)

Ooh

All:

We won't stop 'til we get enough

We don't cry 'cause we like it rough

Make a move, don't wanna call our bluff

There's no rest for the wicked

We don't care if it's wrong or right

You say no we'll put up a fight

We don't sleep 'cause we own the night

There's no rest for the wicked

Oooh

You say no that's when we say go

Oooh

There's no rest for the wicked

Oooh

You say no that's when we say go

Oooh

There's no rest for the wicked

Rotten to The Core Remix from Descendants 3:

Evil Carmen:

They say I'm trouble, they say I'm bad

That ain't my badly, so don't make me mad

Tigress:

A dirty no-good, down to the bone

I'll take that trophy, back to my zone

Evil Carmen:

So I've got some mischief in my blood

My fashion's wicked? Hands off my gloves

Crackle:

They think I'm callous, a low-life hood

The times are changing, bad is the new good hahaha

Evil Carmen and Tigress:

Mirror, mirror on the wall

Who's the baddest of them all?

Welcome to my wicked world, wicked world

All:

I'm rotten to the core, core

Rotten to the core

I'm rotten to the core, core

Who could ask for more?

I'm nothing like the kid next, like the kid next door

I'm rotten to the core, I'm rotten to the

Crackle:

I'm rotten to the core

Evil Carmen:

Long as I'm leader, of this lost isle

There'll always be a little evil, behind my smile

Le Chevre:

Don't double cross me, I'll get you hooked

You think I'm kidding? Just take a look

Paper Star:

I'm not a sweetheart, I'm not your friend

But you better invite me, or taste revenge

Tigress:

I'm on the hustle, take what I can get

Show me the money,

PaperTiger:

You ain't seen nothing yet

Evil Carmen, Paper Star and Tigress:

Mirror, mirror on the wall

Who's the baddest of them all?

Welcome to my wicked world, wicked world

All:

I'm rotten to the core, core

Rotten to the core

I'm rotten to the core, core

Who could ask for more?

I'm nothing like the kid next, like the kid next door

I'm rotten to the, I'm rotten to the

I'm rotten to the core, core

Rotten to the core

I'm rotten to the core, core

Who could ask for more?

I'm nothing like the kid next, like the kid next door

I'm rotten to the core, I'm rotten to the

I'm rotten to the core

Rotten to The Core from Descendants 1:

Paper Star:

They say I'm trouble

They say I'm bad

They say I'm evil

And that makes me glad

Evil Carmen:

A dirty no-good

Down to the bone

Your worst nightmare

Can't take me home

Crackle:

So I've got some mischief

In my blood

Can you blame me?

I never got no love

El Topo:

They think I'm callous

A low-life hood

I feel so useless

All:

Misunderstood

Evil Carmen and Paper Star:

Mirror, mirror on the wall

Who's the baddest of them all?

Welcome to my wicked world, wicked world

All:

I'm rotten to the core, core

Rotten to the core

I'm rotten to the core, core

Who could ask for more?

I'm nothing like the kid next, like the kid next door

I'm rotten to the core, I'm rotten to the

I'm rotten to the core

Paper Star:

Call me a schemer

Call me a freak

How can you say that?

I'm just unique

Tigress:

What, me a traitor?

Ain't got your back?

Are we not friends?

What's up with that?

Evil Carmen:

So I'm a misfit

So I'm a flirt

I broke your heart

I made you hurt

Le Chevre:

The past is past

Forgive, forget

The truth is

All:

You ain't seen nothing yet

Evil Carmen, Paper Star and Tigress:

Mirror, mirror on the wall

Who's the baddest of them all?

Welcome to my wicked world, wicked world

Crackle:

Ha ha

Gimme that

Yeah

Too-doo

Hahaha, oh

All:

I'm rotten to the core, core

Rotten to the core

I'm rotten to the core, core

Who could ask for more?

I'm nothing like the kid next, like the kid next door

I'm rotten to the core, I'm rotten to the

I'm rotten to the core

Ways to be Wicked from Descendants 2:

All:

We got all the ways to be

W-I-C-K-E-D

We got all the ways to be

W-I-C-K-E-D

Crackle:

Come on

All: (Le Chevre)

Hey, hey, hey, hey

Hey, hey, hey, hey (haha)

Hey, hey, hey, hey

Evil Carmen: (Crackle)

Crashin' the party, guess they lost my invitation (boo-hoo)

Friendly reminder, got my own kind of persuasion

Crackle:

Looks like this place could use a bit of misbehavior

"Happily ever after" with a little flavor

Paper Star:

Bad to the bone, with even worse intentions

We're gonna steal the show and leave 'em all defenseless

Tigress: (Paper Star)

A fairy tale life can be oh-so-overrated

So raise your voices and let's get it activated (ayy)

All:

Long live having some fun

We take what we want

There's so many ways to be wicked

With us, evil lives on the right side of wrong

There's so many ways to be wicked

Apple, apple

Dip, dip

Wanna try it?

Tick, tick

Take a bite, come on, be bold

Change the way the story's told

Evil Carmen:

This time the dark is finally getting your attention

Paper Star:

We're wicked by the book, and class is back in session

Evil Carmen:

You like it, steal it

Gotta beat 'em to the treasure

Tigress:

A right of passage

Evil Carmen, Paper Star and Tigress:

Bad just doesn't get much better

All:

Long live having some fun

We take what we want

There's so many ways to be wicked

With us, evil lives on the right side of wrong

There's so many ways to be wicked

Evil Carmen:

Mother always knows best

Crackle:

Show her, pass every test

Evil Carmen:

Hear her voice in my head

Crackle:

Evil is the only

Evil Carmen and Crackle:

Real way to win

All: (Papar Star)

We got all the ways to be (ha)

Hey, hey, hey, hey

W-I-C-K-E-D

Crackle:

Let's go

All: (Paper Star)

We got all the ways to be

Hey, hey, hey, hey

W-I-C-K-E-D

(Yeah)

Long live having some fun (having some fun)

We take what we want

There's so many ways to be wicked

With us, evil lives on (evil lives on)

The right side of wrong

There's so many ways to be wicked

Cruel and unusual

We're taking control

There's so many ways to be wicked

With us (come on), evil lives on the right side of wrong

There's so many ways to be wicked

Hey, hey, hey, hey

We got all the ways to be

W-I-C-K-E-D

We got all the ways to be

W-I-C-K-E-D (oh yeah)

We got all the ways to be

W-I-C-K-E-D

We got all the ways to be

Evil Carmen:

So many ways to be wicked

What's My Name from Descendants 2:

Evil Carmen: (Crackle)

This is all hands on deck

Calling out to lost boys and girls

I'm gettin' tired of the disrespect

We won't stop 'til we rule the world

It's our time, we up next (next, next)

Our sail's about to be set (set, set)

They ain't seen nothing yet

Tell 'em who's in charge so they don't forget

Evil Carmen: (Crackle)

What's my name, what's my name? (Carmen)

Say it louder

What's my name, what's my name? (Carmen)

Feel the power

No one's gonna stop us soon the world will be ours

What's my name, what's my name?

What's it, what's it, say it, say it loud

(Caaarmen, Saaandiego)

All eyes on me, let me see 'em (Carmen, Sandiego)

What's it, what's it, say it, say it

(Carmen Car, ah ah)

Carmen

Evil Carmen: (Crackle)

I'm the queen of this town

I call the shots, you know who I am

I don't need to wear no fake crown

Stand up to me, you don't stand a chance

It's our time, we up next (next, next)

My crew's as real as it gets (gets, gets)

The worst is now the best

And leaving us here will be their last regret

Evil Carmen: (Crackle)

What's my name, what's my name? (Carmen)

Say it louder

What's my name, what's my name? (Carmen)

Feel the power (whoa)

No one's gonna stop us soon the world will be ours (yeah)

What's my name, what's my name?

What's it, what's it, say it, say it

Crackle: (Carmen)

You know what they say bad girls have all the fun

Never learned how to count 'cause I'm number one

Ready here, we come, we always get our way

It's a pirate's life, every single day (hey)

She's the captain, I'm the first mate

Enemies seasick, can't see straight

Call 'em fish bait, throw 'em on a hook

Carmen's so hot they get burned if they look (ah)

Evil Carmen:

It's all eyes on me, let me see 'em

I see your eyes on me boy, hey

You know what my name is

Say it, say it louder

Evil Carmen:

Hook me

Crackle:

Haha

Evil Carmen:

Huh huh

Ho, whoa

Come on

Evil Carmen: (Crackle)

What's my name, what's my name? (Carmen)

Say it louder (hey)

What's my name, what's my name? (Carmen)

Feel the power (ooh whoa-ooh)

No one's gonna stop us soon the world will be ours (no one's gonna stop us, no, no-no)

What's my name, what's my name?

What's it, what's it, say it, say it

(Carmen, Carmen)

All eyes on me, let me see 'em (Carmen)

What's it, what's it, say it, say it (Carmen)

Ooh, say it louder (Carmen, Sandiego)

What's it, what's it, say it, say it

Carmen

#carmen sandiego #carmen sandiego 2019 #graham calloway #gray #crackle #netflix #carmen sandiego netflix #disney descendants #paper star #paper star cs #tigress carmen sandiego #le chevre #el topo

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dailycharacteroption · 9 months

Text

Folklorist (Pathfinder Second Edition Archetype)

(art by Victor Rossi on Artstation)

There is something integral to the human experience in storytelling. The art of creating stories to entertain, teach, and bond over is something we’ve been doing ever since we developed sapience, and we’ll continue telling stories until we finally come to an end.

That love of storytelling is why we play RPGs, and games in general. After all, a ttRPG is by nature a collaborative storytelling experience.

It only makes sense then that there would be an archetype tied to that sacred role. And while this archetype shares bones with the bard class conceptually, both can exist on their own and together as well.

While such storytellers could easily show up anywhere, this archetype is heavily associated with the Mwangi Expanse, where the art of oral storytelling is a respected profession. Indeed, such is their gift for storytelling that they can use tales to help guide the actions of others, firmly believing that just as the real world shapes stories, so too do stories shape reality.

As part of the dedication for this archetype, these tale-weavers can spin a tale that is either about an ally or is relevant to their predicament, surrounding them with minor inspiring illusions that bolster their ability to fight a single enemy.

Before libraries or schools, stories were also the primary way to educate others, though oral tradition runs the risk of misinformation as tales or forgotten or unique circumstances that inspired a tale render it’s lesson inapplicable. As such, these storytellers learn a lot about various stories which can help them recall knowledge on almost any topic, but runs the risk of dubious information.

Just as a storyteller conveys a tale, skilled ones can convey magic, letting allied spellcasters channel their magic through them, which can be useful when cover or range is involved.

Many storytellers agree that three is an auspicious number, and the hero of a story often achieves their goal on the third attempt. As such, when inspiring an ally, that ally becomes more resistant and avoidant of their foe’s attacks on the second, and especially on the third attempt to resist the same effect.

More powerful storytellers can spin stories about whole groups of heroes, blessing many allies at once with a story rather than just one.

Interested in an archetype that adds a bit of bard flavor and knowledge to your character? This might be what you’re looking for. Naturally this works best with a character that supports allies either as their main gimmick or as a side thing to do with an action each turn. Heck, you could even double down and apply the archetype to the bard class for even more poetic and oratory support. However, any character with decent storytelling chops (especially high charisma, though that’s more for flavor than mechanical benefits) could benefit from the archetype. All in all, this is a good archetype with some tasty flavor.

The cool thing about oral traditions and folk tales is that stuff is constantly evolving, being remixed, and changing along with the people that tell those stories. As such, going into this archetype is carte blanch to absolutely go ham on making up all kinds of stories not just for use with the mechanics, but just general roleplaying opportunities as your storyteller cites or retells a story as part of character interaction.

Though not well-known outside of his own kind, the kitsune hermit Kogafune is well-known as a lorekeeper and teacher, one with secret knowledge forgotten by most. Reaching him for information is difficult, forcing travel through trackless mountain wilderness. But reaching the old sorcerer can only benefit those with the dedication to find him.

As symbols of hope and goodwill, coatls, particularly the quetz coatls, often become secret patrons of storytellers to help them create stories of hope and bravery among mortals, the better to keep such feelings alight in the heart of mortals.

The thing about stories is their message can change a lot depending on who is telling the story. To the Gula human tribes, the story of Ekesor is about a man who heroically tricked an orc chieftain into ceding territory and giving away his daughter in marriage. Meanwhile, orcs tell of how the human showed cowardice in underhanded tricks and betraying hospitality.

#pathfinder 2nd edition #archetype #folklorist #kitsune #coatl #quezt coatl #orc #Pathfinder 170 Spoken on the Song Wind

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polizwrites · 22 days

Text

PoliZ's WIP Update - 3 Apr 2024

Getting back to what I’d like to consider an average writing week, with most of my effort was focused on a single work. I touched 4 fics (1 new work & 3 WIPs) for a total of 2330 words.

On Ao3, I posted:

A Little Bit Carried Away - an omegaverse WinterIron meet cute/meet ugly fic.

Shooting for the Moon - a WinterHawk meet-ugly one shot that’s a POV remix of A Hairy Situation

On Tumblr I posted:

Amplification - A Steve POV ficlet where he reflects on the effects of Project Rebirth.

I’m juggling 17 😬 active/semi-active WIPs with my current deadline being the Post July Break Bingo, which ends in April, and the Alpha Bucky April event.

See below cut for what I’m working on/planning to work on - arranged more or less by bingos/challenges/etc. As always, feel free to send me prompts or plot bunnies as well as asks regarding any of these projects or any other WIPs I’ve got out there. Interaction really helps feed the Muse and keep me motivated!

Stony AUniverse Bingo [SAUB_R1] (ends 15 Feb)

Finally got my Masterpost done!

Post July Break Bingo [JBB_23p] (Ends Apr 2024)

Two fill on my 2x3 non-fandom-specific card - still working on potential crossovers.

* A2 - "You knew?" - matched this up with Chapter Three of my Stony spyfic WIP - Keeping All My Secrets Safe Tonight - it’s coming in at 1079 words and after a bit more editing, should be posting this Friday.

* B2 - Character’s personality is split into two different beings – I’ve never played with Bucky & the Soldier being two different people, but this seems like the perfect opportunity! Will see what might be a good crossover on one of my open cards.

* C1 - Touch Starved – another good fit for a Bucky-centric fic. (Steve or Tony or Clint).

* C2 - “What are we?” Pair up with SRB C5 - Exes to Lovers ?

Alpha Bucky April - [BBE_ABA] - (Ends 30 April)

@buckybarnesevents is running another fun event to encourage fanworks featuring Alpha!Bucky - any pairing in terms of characters and/or alignments. Since I already have a couple of Alpha!Bucky WIPs, am using this as a good reason to get some work in on them. There’s also additional challenges that I plan to take on:

* Breeding Kink/Baby Fever - mpreg is a pretty major squick for me, but I think I might be able to make it work in combination with an April BaBB prompt (roleplay) for what looks to be Chapter Three of A Bit Carried Away.

* Nesting - This will fit pretty well into the next chapter of A Sugar-Coated Pill - where Bucky comforts Tony after the bad news he’s gotten and helps him plan what to do next. It’s currently sitting at 177 words and will crossfill with my WIB Couch Cuddles square nicely.

* Purring/Affection - This could (and quite possibly will) fit into either/both of the above fics, tbh.

* Beta Character - My BBC4 fic (see below) features beta!Tony, and aroace Natasha will be making an appearance in Chapter Two of A Bit Carried Away, which is in draft form at 1219 words and will probably post on the 19th.

* Double Minimum Req - 1500 words for a chapter seems pretty do-able - targeting my BBC4 fic (or at least its first chapter) to fill this challenge

Bucky Barnes Connect Four - Alt Jun-iverse [BBC4_R2] {Ends May 31 2024}

Another fun event from the good folks over at @buckybarnesevents! You sign up for a single row card of four squares and the challenge is to see if you can combine any/all into a single Bucky-centric AU fanwork - although you can also create fanworks that are based on a single or combo of 2-3 squares if you want.

The combo of prompts on my first card [Reality Show, Omegaverse, Talent/Manager, Royalty] sparked an idea: Alpha!Bucky as a prince in name only who gets talked into joining a reality show that is supposed to match him up with an omega… but there’s a twist! Picked this back up and it’s sitting at 766 words so far. Thinking the Alpha Bucky April event will be a good excuse to get at least a first chapter of this out there!

Steve Rogers Bingo - Round 3 [SRB_R3] (ends 15 Jun 2024)

Fourteen fills and no WIPs at the moment - need to ponder other possible crossovers with my non-fandom cards & BaBB.

* C5 - Exes to Lovers see JBB “What are we?” above

* E5 - Oversensitivity/Enhanced Senses - paired this up with last week’s Flash Fiction Friday prompt [#FFF246 Pinprick] for Amplification. A Steve POV ficlet where he reflects on the effects of Project Rebirth, it came in at 334 words and will post to Ao3 before the event is over.

Hawkeyes Bingo [HB_R2] {Ends TBD}

Working on this Tumblr event - got a 3x3 card and and am looking forward to creating more Clint-centric content and trying my hand at a bit of Kate Bishop fic as well!

*A1 - Werewolf AU - Posted Shooting for the Moon on Ao3 this morning - Werewolf!Bucky’s POV on the second half of A Hairy Situation. It came in at 786 words.

* A3 - Awkward Flirting – this might be a good entry into my first femslash fic with Kate/Yelena?

C3 - "I've never been so humiliated in my life." - filled this on Tumblr last Friday with A Shining Example. Established WinterHawk where a training session goes embarrassingly wrong and Clint gives Bucky a pep talk. It crossed over with the Flash Fiction Friday prompt [#FFF243 Glitter and Blues] and will get posted on Ao3 before this event ends.

Build-A-Bucky Bingo [BaBB_R1] {Ends Oct 2024}

Another fun year-long event from the folks at @buckybarnesevents! Each month there’s a list of prompts and you choose (at least) one each month for your card!

* November: Crackfic - DONE

* December: Wingman - DONE

* January: Wingfic - DONE

*January: Polyamory - DONE

* February: Fingering - DONE

* February: Morning Sex - DONE

* March: Marriage of Convenience - DONE

* March: Mutual Pining - DONE

* March: Bad Coping Mechanisms - DONE

* March: Wrong Luggage - Posted what is turning out to be Chapter One of A Bit Carried Away last Friday, I combined it with my WIB - I5 - A/B/O: Scent Bonding square to come up with a meet-cute/meet-ugly WinterIron fic that came in at 1209 words.

* March: Rimming - belatedly filling this with Chapter Two of A Little Bit Carried Away - as part of some spicy sexting between Alpha!Bucky and Omega!Tony. This will probably post on the 17th or 19th.

* April: Roleplay - will be filling this with Chapter Three of A Little Bit Carried Away where Bucky will be playing a role to save Tony from some obnoxious alphas at a reception; potential crossfill with WIB A/B/O: Mates and Alpha Bucky April Breeding Kink prompts…

*April: Pet Names - this may also get filled with Chapter Three of A Little Bit Carried Away as part of the roleplaying….

WinterIron Bingo Round 2 [WIB_R2] {Ends 16 Dec 2024}

Signups are still open for Round Two of this super-fun bingo event! I got my card and already have fie fills and three WIPs!

* Iron Soldier (One Bingo, One Fill) - looking at combining my Column B prompts: Matchmaker, Bucky Riding Tony, Stark Gala, Inside Joke and Threesome. Still working on a plot - if you have any suggestions/want-to-sees - let me know!

*I4 - SHIELD HQ - combined this with last week’s Flash Fiction Friday prompt [#FFF245 You Never Cared] and wrote Fathers Don’t Know Best - No Power AU with Bucky working as an analyst at SHIELD who stumbles across a late night visitor to the lobby. It’s coming on at 407 words and will get posted to Ao3 before the event ends.

* N1 - Hair Pulling Kink - thanks to a fun prompt from @scottx - I filled this square with Untangling Their Attraction - where Tony’s offer of assistance leads to mutual kink discovery (not as racy as it might sound). It’s coming in at 544 words and will post to Ao3 before this event is over.

* N4 - A/B/O: Mates - see BaBB Roleplay above

* N5 - "I'm here for you." - Possibly the next chapter of Lady Natasha’s Consort and Lord Steve’s Companion ?

* O2 - Couch Cuddles - see Alpha Bucky April Nesting prompt/challenge above

* O4 - Hotel Room - filling this with Chapter 8 of My Love is Vengeance which is currently sitting at 907 words and will up the rating to Explicit. (Looking forward to April’s BaBB prompts for potential crossfilling!)

* O5 - Sexting - see BaBB March - Rimming above

Warm and Fluffy Bingo [WFB] (no end date)

Four fills on my card, courtesy of @warmandfluffybingocards - need to try for another crossover or two!

————

On other creative fronts: I am working on a Harrowhark and a Gideon figure for a commission. I’ve finished all my Marvel Trumps Hate figures, but still need to create posts (and mail one set). If you’re looking for one of a kind gifts for birthdays or other celebrations, check out Stuffed With Character over on Facebook for a full list of my designs (now over 150!). These soft stuffed figures are mostly Marvel and monsters, but I have some Star Wars, Star Trek, DC and Disney figures as well. Plus I love to take custom design requests for any fandom!

#writing stuff #wip wednesday #wip update #shameless self promo

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wet-bread-owner · 8 months

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Hey

I'm back, gonna make a review about Octoplush this time, they might not be Turquoise October, but they have some good songs

Octoplush

Nine Out Of Tension: the song that appeared in the trailer, although with some changes, honestly I prefer the trailer version because of the tiny build up it has, but sadly it's not the full song so the in-game version is probably better?, But yeah, this is the song that's most similar to a Turquoise October song (at least for me) and I think it's a nice way to transition into the Octoplush songs, so you feel some familiarity with it and then you start to hear more and more of them, with their different style and sounds, overall one of my favorite ones

Underwater Neon: something I like about Octoplus is how different their songs sound, like they are made by different people, Turquoise October had a lil bit of that but in Octoplush's case it's more noticeable, may I also add that there appear to be vocals similar to Warabi in the song, it doesn't sound that similar but still, I do wonder about that, especially after another song of theirs has a reference to another octoling musician, oh yeah the song, so the song is nice I like the tone it has, I have to say the Octoplush songs are one of my favorites in Splatoon 3

Flop to it: hearing this makes me really appreciate the different tempos Octoplush uses for their songs, it really makes a difference even if you don't pay attention to them, gives the levels variety, not only in terms of gameplay but also sound and stuff like that; hearing this again reminds me of Turquoise October a lil bit, maybe because of the sounds they used

Smoke and Mirrors: a really nice slow song, I like the marimba they used there (I think it's marimba idk, maybe it's a xylophone) it has a nice synth as well, I remember really enjoying the levels this played in, I believe that Octoplush has so many cool songs that fit each level really well

Ride or Fry: ok this song is cool and all of that BUT I HATE THE LEVELS IT'S IN, well only one of them, the rest are fine, the one I'm talking about is One-way Ride through Target Town, it's so hard, especially with the tri-stringer, it's the only level I have to beat with all of the weapons and it pisses me off because of that, anyways the song is cool, the weird vocals it has are, well weird, but I like em

With Flying Colors: ok this one is another one of my favorites, the levels it plays in are fun and the song itself is fun, I like the trumpets it uses and also the voice clips it uses, which I assume are from opera singers, I think, and this also reminds of like, are those like, humans? Idk if inkfish could replicate opera singers, if they are humans this would remind me of Paul and how he supposedly remixes human vocals, which is interesting

Seep & Destroy: 🗿

Ok funny stuff aside I really like this song, it makes the levels it plays in feel better and it also has a nice beat to it, and like, the funny bing bang stuff, it also has a different version in splatune 3 which I personally like more than the one in-game

Marine Machines: ok this song is wayyyyy different in terms of like, songs you would usually hear in story mode, which is super cool I like how it makes the levels feel more mysterious and also tense, especially fog levels, I think it played in one of them, but yeah overall I would love to see more songs like this one because it slaps, it has a nice bass to it as well

#35 caught: ok we are finally in the song I wanted to talk about the most, the title of the song is obviously a reference to Dedf1sh, which also makes me wonder if she's part of Octoplush now, and this also makes me wonder about those vocals in Underwater Neon that reminded me of Warabi and the ones in With Flying Colors that resembled what Paul does, it feels like Octoplush is a conglomerate of Octoling and Octarian musicians and it's honestly really interesting I wish they talked more about that, or that we got more info on them, hopefully the side order band will give us more information, who knows maybe it will be Dedf1sh and we'll see her all fuzzy, or maybe its Octoplush again or a new Octarian band, it's interesting to think about, I'm so excited for side order and the new band it will have, this reminded me of something I discussed with someone about Octoplush, it might be like, Mr grizz using Octarian musicians to make songs and attract more Octarians to use, that's why he could kidnap all of the Octarians because he made them come to him with the songs, also the song is really good it gives this feeling like, of anxiety, and it's really good (the song not the feeling)

Don't Flinch: ok theories aside, we are almost done here, this one is one of my least favorite ones, it's ok I don't see much in it, EXCEPT THE ICE CREAM TRUCK JINGLE IN IT, idk why it's there but it's so funny that it immediately became one of the ones I like the most, only because of that, and I mean, it has so many weird sounds in it as well

In Filtration: funny name tbh, anyways so this song plays at the first rocket level and it honestly is so good, idk if it's just me but it sounds kinda like an intro to pour it on, I feel like they go well together idk why

And that's about it, Octoplush might not be Turquoise October but their songs are really good, and they have so many things I would like to know about, I hope the side order band or album gives more lore to them; anyways, you are free to go now, I will make another review in 5 years or so goodbye now

#splatoon #splatbands #octarians #cool and amazing song review #have a nice day #octoling #splatoon 3 #return of the mammalians

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mitamicah · 9 months

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Stories from summer camp pt. 11

This is part 11 of my stories from summer camp series - for better context you can check out

Masterpost | Previous part | Next part

11) Mission Cha Cha Cha week two: how I used my special interest to my advantage in a studio setting

I’d already explained how I tried to get people to play Cha Cha Cha with me the week before and how it didn’t work. Well luck would have it that the second week I’d signed up for a sound producer course where Leah, our teacher, suggested we’d make either a cover or a remix of a song so to not get lost in also writing a song while trying to record it. I immediately knew it had to be Cha Cha Cha that I’d cover.

That Sunday before the second week started I’d been up and excitingly record memos of myself explaining how to make a badass a capella intro (since very few at the camp knew the song my hope was to quickly have them learn the cha cha cha chant by singing it at them before the song even started).

Oh boy I had a lot of nervous energy and excitement to get started when we met out on the team that evening. I was honest from the get-go that I might have way too many ambitions. That turned out not to be an understatement. By the second day I still felt like I wasn’t far enough along (even though the plan was only to get started with the big project the next day) so me and Eva went to Leah and asked if we could borrow her key to get inside the sound studio to work on our stuff.

Here's where I need to clarify something. Normally all equipment would be available to us all day around yet the one room that got locked in the evening was the one I worked in. We’d been getting the short end of the stick with locations on the sound producer course by not having anywhere great to record vocals (except maybe one room that one person already had called dips on) and so we had no choice but to use the room that got locked up at night. Leah fortunately understood our concerns and locked us in. This was a free night with no event in the evening, so I used it to my advantage and recorded around 2/3 of the instrumentals. It took me until half past midnight aka five and a half hours.

This wouldn’t be my only long night however since the next day I’d be back at the studio until 1 am recording the last part of the instrumentals. I’m glad I did that since on Thursday I wanted to record vocals and so I had to have a wip of the entire song ready to sing on top of.

Here I almost broke down again since as mentioned earlier there was no good place to record vocals, so we had to throw out the guy from the one room and that made me so uncomfortable. Then there was no microphone in the room (I managed to borrow one) and the program was an older version, so I had to convert the audio track to a wav file before being able to record. So, so many more things seemed to go wrong those first few hours. Poor Leah tried to help me in all of this but I couldn’t take it anymore: I cried some stress tears and she immediately backed off. Bless her soul, she later went with me on a walk apologizing for not realizing my stress level earlier.

From eleven o’clock and onward however, I basically got the studio for myself to record vocals (which I later learned almost drove my fellow producers crazy since all they could hear was me screaming CHA CHA CHA). I was done around diner aka 6 that evening. It got to be a long evening with open mic, so I was only back in the studio at 1 or 1.30 to record some acoustic guitar. The next morning, I didn’t go to any morning activity but went straight to the studio afterwards to record some piano.

After all of those long evenings recording, I finally had something presentable– not really as great as I wanted it but it was something – to work with at Friday only mere hours before the deadline. Leah was kind enough to help me make the kickdrum, bass and lead vocal sound great and otherwise I sprinted through a mixdown the best I could. I was done five minutes before the deadline. Had this not been my special interest I am not sure I’d been able to be this disciplined. On the other hand, maybe I wouldn’t have stressed this much either. Either way I was finally able to feel excited half an hour before the showcase started.

#stories from summer camp #personal #me #micahs thoughts

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bucketsquid · 2 months

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After like 10 failed runs, finally beat Side Order's main story, yay. Thoughts under the cut, tl;dr at the bottom.

Yeah, it's good. I really enjoy roguelites, I've been playing Binding of Isaac since it was released in 2011, 100%'d it and then immediately picked up Rebirth when it dropped and have a good 1000+ hours across different versions of it; if that says anything about my love of the genre and the style of game, I don't know what does.

My first immediate criticisms are "there's not enough variety in bosses, and there could be more stages", but that's really... it. I guess there could be more enemy types, since there's a lot of Octarians and Salmonids to get inspiration from, but I can see why they wouldn't want to overlap too hard with other game modes, and every enemy has to be kill-able by every weapon type. I'd love to see bosses from previous entries replicated here, though, even as just "corrupted memory" versions or something... we more or less got the Octowhirl back, so I'd love to see stuff like the Octomaws and Octo Oven come back in remixed flavors.

But that's about it for actual gameplay critique. The ability to customize your experience with hacks is really nice, it plays well into the gameplay loop and makes the game more accessible for people who don't like roguelite gameplay. I play it strictly with 1 life and no continues ever, so that keeps it spicy for me personally. The different palettes remind me of how different weapons work in Salmon Run: they change your priorities, approaches to challenges and general mode of play, and that's a really good thing.

The feeling of creating a good or wacky build, and then being able to crush situations where your build works, is definitely there. That's one of my favorite things about Isaac: the glee of putting together some really stupid items that together cause gamebreaking or at least very player-skewed situations, and Side Order does that perfectly. And even when you do dominate, there's still Danger conditions that can throw you for a loop, or you might struggle against xyz boss due to your palette.

So yeah, for $20? Pretty good gameplay experience. I'm not sure I enjoy it more than Octo Expansion's weird goofiness and stage design, but it has way more replayability overall. OE was a one-and-done for me, clear all the stages + story mode + Inner Agent 3 then go back to finish all the stages again with all the weapons. It was an incredible experience, but I can't see myself playing it a ton more outside of just revisiting the story and aesthetic/funky stage design. Side Order will have me coming back again and again until I've 100%'d it and gotten all the Prlz exchange items, though.

I think it's going to be hit-or-miss for people who enjoy one-and-done experiences vs. the roguelite experience, though. The grind and self-challenge and experimentation isn't for everyone, and they might feel disappointed once they finish a palette or two. But I'm enjoying it a ton.

As for story...

I'd put it at "structured better and more unified than Splat3 story mode, but weaker than Octo Expansion". It was a very nice follow-up to OE, it reminded us that there's living Sanitized Octarians + Octolings and went "hey, yeah, we can save these people actually" and that's really nice. It established more about Eight and their bond with Off the Hook, dug more into Marina's life and psyche and relationship with Pearl, and gave us more context about the Octarian Shogunate, all of that is great. Acht was a big surprise from the start, and getting to know them + their story was an absolute treat, even if I wish they had actually done more during the main story... I think that's excusable in-universe because they're still recovering and are injured until the end, but ehhhh. But character writing was great, we got a lot of small details and backstory that I enjoy a lot, and also they/them Acht yeaaahhhhhhhh

It wasn't the dark and political story that Octo Expansion was + left us wanting more of, but I think it's a mistake to compare Side Order to OE, really. It's impossible not to do, but you have to look at them independently, and for what Side Order set out to do, yeah, it's good. It's a short story mode focused on a few people and one of their big dreams to save people, tied into a roguelite mode; that's pretty different from the "underground conspiracies that tie into the big picture" main-story-mode-on-steroids Octo Expansion. I think that there could have been more elevator dialogue and lore tidbits, because you can tell the writers were having a lot of fun with that.

The visual design and its direction are fantastic. It really pushes a visual narrative of "coral reef bleaching from pollution" crossed with neurobiology imaging, it fits perfect with the antagonist's aims and the art+design team did a great job with that. The way things get creepier and more distorted the further up you get in the Spire is great! It's all very consistent and coherent and feels distinct from everything else in the series so far, so props.

And all the music, as usual, are fucking bangers, both for the instrumentals and tracks with vocals. I'm looking forward to snapping up the soundtrack for this one.

tl;dr

It's not perfect but I'm getting my money's worth of gameplay and having a lot of fun. The setting/visual themes are fantastic, the music is really good, the story is different than the norm but not bad and focuses a lot on character development.

Try not to compare the story and setting to Octo Expansion, because they're doing different things. If you have Splat3 already and enjoy roguelite gameplay + character lore (feat. the lesbians and a "new" friend!), I think it's worth the $20 pricetag, especially if you 100% it.

#side order #side order spoilers #marine.txt

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chennnington · 2 months

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Wierd question maybe but imagine you are The Boss of Linkin Park and you’re with them in the studio and give them advice for each of their albums. What would you say?

Ahaha, as I already said, this is an amazing question, thanks a lot! 😁 I’ll put it under a read more cause I think it might be long and also cringe in some places.

So I assume this will not go like creating an album normally goes. Let’s pretend they’re playing me the finished album as it was released and I give my opinion so they can quickly rewrite and re-record and remix everything. Very efficient. I’ll also try to stick to criticism cause if I start praising this will get way too long.

Hybrid Theory (2000)

Okay guys, first things first: I’m your dad now. Your life is gonna be crazy in a bit and I’ll protect you with my life

Just a second, I’m gonna find Phoenix and bring him back here

The final mix kinda destroys the harmonies you had going on in the earlier versions of Crawling. Let’s go back to that

We should really include a song where Chester sings clean vocals. I’ve heard your Grey Daze stuff, we should include vocals like those in Soul Song. Otherwise it’ll take some people 10 years to figure out that you can actually sing

Also, uhm, I don’t know how to say this, but we gotta go shopping. You all need pants about three sizes smaller

Meteora (2003)

…you mean like the restaurant?

Speaking of restaurants, don’t throw chicken fricassee back to the kitchen. It’s rude.

Does Foreword really have to be a separate track? I guess we’re doing openings now?

So this is your thing now? Dedicated listeners will be able to tell how you evolved, but the rest will now forever associate you with nu metal and nothing else, even if you haven’t done any nu metal stuff in 20 years

Those unexpected instruments and sounds on Nobody’s Listening are pretty neat. I can sense interesting things in the future

Minutes to Midnight (2007)

Whoa, it’s been so long! What, you’ve written about 100 songs for this album to find your new direction? That’s amazing!

…uhm. So can I listen to the songs that didn’t make it? For… reasons?

I mean seriously guys. I don’t think In Pieces has LP album level. Throw it on the anniversary box set in 2027. There has to be better stuff

Is Chester almost done with that scream? No? Okay, I’ll just wait

You’ve rewritten Bleed It Out how many times? Mike, are you okay? Mike? Where are you going? Mike! Why are you running? Stop, Mike! We have to talk about your work obsession!

No seriously could you show me the lyrics you scrapped? I’m just curious cause how many rewrites could one song possibly need?

Can we rewrite In Between a hundred times instead? Not the lyrics, but the instrumentals. And now please let me listen to all those songs that didn’t make it. No reason, really. (Can it please be 2027 soon?)

A Thousand Suns (2010)

Speaking of clapping, get rid of that clapping sound in Iridescent immediately

Could we re-record The Messenger in a key that Chester can actually sing live? Otherwise people with perfect pitch will be rather annoyed. Also, clean vocals please.

Maybe wait a few years before looking at reviews and opinions. People tend to be very stupid and take years to recognize a masterpiece

Living Things (2012)

I kinda see why you chose Burn It Down as the first single at this point in time, but are you sure you don’t wanna go with Lost in the Echo? It’s a perfect blend of what people heard in A Thousand Suns and what people expect cause they’re still stuck in 2003. And frankly, it’s the better song. Yes I’m biased but my opinions are very correct.

Putting In My Remains right before Burn It Down is an interesting move. They’re rather similar and one song like that is enough tbh. Let’s get rid of Burn It Down (at this point I get fired cause it’s their commercially most successful song if I’m not mistaken)

Don’t get mad at me but do we really need Tinfoil? The last time you had a great standalone instrumental was on Meteora. The instrumentals on ATS worked well with the songs, but these times are over.

…so you made another In Pieces, but with the additional experience from ATS and called it Skin to Bone? Eh.

Ahahaha I’ll Be Gone! I get it! Nice reference!

Oh, Brad sings now! Oh, he sings about a rather violent death? How fitting! Uhm… he’s standing right behind me, right? Help…

The Hunting Party (2014)

What are you hunting? The living things from two years ago? Go off I guess.

Now THAT’S how you open an album!

Do we really need all that random stuff between songs? Random children saying random things? A baby? We can keep Mike and Brad talking about the heavy shit cause at least it has something to do with the album, but the rest? Please don’t.

You want Guilty All The Same as the first single? Heh. May I suggest All For Nothing or Wastelands? (At this point I’m un-fired cause seriously: does anyone still remember GATS? And it’s weird. It’s an interesting song. I should love it a lot. But I don’t. And it seems everyone just collectively agreed to forget about it)

Oh, another instrumental. Oh, yet another instrumental. Guys. Please. Stop it.

It kinda sounds like Chester used up all his energy in the first track, so everything that comes after it sounds a bit weak. He recovers around Until It’s Gone.

One More Light (2017)

Ooohohoho you guys did it again! Let’s throw everyone off and make a ton of people really mad and whiny

Sounds like someone found a vocal coach! Hell yeah! You should show off on tour with an acoustic version of Crawling. I told you guys we needed clean vocals back then!

And those low notes in Halfway Right! We heard you that low ages ago with Grey Daze

This is amazingly melodious. I love all those jumps. You know what? For the next album we should combine that with everything you’ve done so far. That should be really good. ATS-esque instrumentals with that melodic range? That’ll be huge!

Okay, it’s a wrap guys! See you next time! Actually, uhm, Chester? Do you have a second? Listen man, this is gonna sound weird but promise me you’ll be with your wife on Chris Cornell’s birthday. Swear on the lives of your children that you won’t be alone that day or I’ll chain myself to you forever until my last day. No, I’m not joking. I’ve actually never been more serious. Please. And… you know critics and haters suck, right? Their words are meaningless. You created something beautiful and meaningful. And I know about all the additional effort you put into things. And I admire you for it. I really do. Okay, bye. I’ll, uh, check in on you from time to time, okay? Thank you. For everything. See you soon.

#linkin park #music #chester bennington #mike shinoda #brad delson #dave farrell #joe hahn #rob bourdon #hybrid theory #meteora #minutes to midnight #a thousand suns #living things #the hunting party #one more light

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f-117-nighthawk · 11 months

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How about we trade? You receive: playlist update. I receive: plot

What is UP buttercups it’s pride month and along with a fic that’s been in my drafts for LITERAL YEARS I bring you….

Playlist update.

Under the cut, because as usual this be Long

Two side notes: since, for complicated and somewhat stupid but out of my control reasons, I cannot access Apple Music at work, some of you have been treated on Spotify to the in progress versions of the playlists that usually only I see, not just the versioned ones I keep active. Surprise?

Second, keep in mind if you see a repeated (or remixed) song, that means something. Sometimes it’s different than a simple “these take place at the same time” ;) you should also pay attention to similar lyrics, things about the same concept… there is a lot of thought put into these.

An organizational note: there’s seven playlists now! They’re sort of ordered here to what they’re most closely linked to: the main one and Dystopian Fiction, Through Apocalypse Skies and Endless War, Filaments and For Who I Could Have Been, and Design Your Universe is… mostly by itself, except the times it’s not.

Dark Matter

I am Dark Matter, your road to ruin…

Your World Will Fail and Dark Matter are what they’ve always been: the beginning. the end. Everything. Nothing.

(Your world will fail my love/It’s far beyond repair/Your world will fail my love/It is already there)

(Bring me your soul/Bring me your hate/In my name you will create/Bring me your fear/Bring me your pain/You will destroy in my name)

Things got shifted around a bit here to accommodate some things that fit better in another playlist, but No Remorse No Regrets is still the key one here. It is Haggar, and sort of Zarkon, but also not.

(It won’t remember so it won’t forget/It knows no justice or regrets for the blood it lets/Believing nothing, it knows no pain/And it feels no remorse when it enters your brain)

The End of the World and Apocalypse 1992 are the two halves of the Fall. More in that playlist :)

(Sold on a dream of a future serene/then why does it feel like the end of the world)

(Fly high through apocalypse skies/Fight for the world we must save/Like tears of a unicorn lost in the rain/Chaos will triumph this day)

Apex is the final moments of the Fall from the Blue Lion’s perspective (yeah, I said Red Lion last time, but this makes more sense. Trust me)

(Now we sleep/for a thousand years/something is coming/coming for me)

You Keep What You Kill covers the slow degeneration of the Empire between the Fall and present day. The knowledge harshly taught by the Thuranial War has been long lost, and the Devourer reigns once again, searching after Its missing part and the Burning Star. Zarkon and Haggar, under the Devourer’s… guidance…, scour the universe, adding to Its power. Marzin and Galraasa rise the ranks as the left and right hands of the Empire, omens of destruction before the might of the Empire. The ‘holy half dead’ that shape the devouring of the universe.

(Defying dimensions/These ruthless creatures will steal your soul/Breaking away from the chains of mortality/They won’t be taken down/Bow now to the holy half dead/The master to death mongers calls)

Ensheath is about Kolivan, placed here due to its relevance as he is forced into the role of Fourth General under the worst circumstances, and everything that almost causes him to follow Raelos in losing faith, were it not for the first of his ‘radiant knight’s. (Side note, if you play Arknights, guess who Margaret Nearl is here?)

(I once had the fight of a radiant knight/before I learned that justice may never exist)

Immutable is about Krolia. It’s her thoughts as she joins the Blade, as she leaves Earth and Keith behind, as she makes her way through a universe changed in the ten thousand decaphoebs she was asleep. It’s about the universe passing one by, and what she’ll do to keep her hope safe.

(She’ll risk it for the lives/She’s left behind/Hope’s on the rise/But she’s flying blind)

The Glory and the Scum is the reason Krolia isn’t around until MGHM. Suffice to say, she isn’t happy with some of the fallout of the events that lead into Ensheath, and decides that if Kolivan isn’t going to listen to her, she’ll go save the universe somewhere else. She is, after all, a Paladin.

(Look at what we’ve done/Take a step back/Shake your head at what we have become/We’re the glory and the scum)

The Seven Sisters is about Keith, and is the first of four fics connected to Closure by its influence on Child From the Stars (Lost in the Dark), as well as its relation to MGHM. It’s half the source for the Pleiades symbolism that crops up throughout Dark Matter.

(I cast my hope upon The Pleiades/The Seven Sisters who would come for me/They’d fall to Earth to grant a child’s dream/But I’m still waiting)

Starlight is the Adashi song. Here is the sad part, where they’ve separated by the launch of the SFSS Genesis and the things that were said. It’s also Shiro’s thoughts from the war as he watches Earth from ‘distant skies’.

(At night the earth will rise/And I’ll think of you each time I watch from distant skies/Whenever stars go down and galaxies ignite/I’ll think of you each time they wash me in their light/And I’ll fall in love with you again)

Waking Dream and Abyss are Awakenings. Mostly the Red Lion, but also extendable to the others.

(Centuries like flowing streams as years go rushing by/Waiting in the dark for afterlife)

(Open my eyes in a daze/How long has it been? Am I so out of place?/Warmth I can no longer feel/My mountain is gone, I’m surrounded by steel/The strangest of structures arises ahead/Seems to be held up by nothing/Where have I gone, do I dream?/How can the stars be all I can see?)

Who Will Save You Now is about the Paladins in First Contact. It’s the video messages they send to their families, the warning that Something Is Out Here. It’s a declaration of protection for the Earth, but also a recognition that they may not be able to do it themselves. That is, of course, if they even get the message.

(I will not take from you and you will not owe/I will protect you from the fire below/It’s not in my mind/It’s here at my side/Go tell the world that I’m still alive)

It Has Begun is the Battle of the Sarnan Nebula (aka: Blackout)

(Even a well lit place, can hide salvation/A map to a one-man maze that never sees the sun/Where the lost are the heroes/And the thieves are left to drown…We will face the odds against us/And run into the fear we run from/It has begun)

And then it’s, of course, The End of the Beginning, it’s eponymous fic. And one of many, many connections to String Theory.

(Every night I die just a little/All this time, I’m caught in the middle/All your life, you fought with no winning/This is just the end of the beginning)

A Simple Plan is, well, not so simple. Several ‘simple plan’s come together, from Lotor’s scheming, Haggar’s suspicions and own needs, Galraasa’s orders to go beyond, and Team Voltron struggling to fit into their new roles while also building the Coalition. And to top it all off, everyone needs one thing to make all this happen: marthuzitok.

(How long can we hold off ending?/How long can we pretend we’re ok?/No one goes on fighting it forever/I know I’m better this way)

Crown of Mine is at the very end of A Simple Plan, but also woven together. It’s about a Black Paladin who doesn’t think he deserves the title, and his eventual desire to ‘burn this crown’ he never wanted. This also makes ASP the second of the Closure fics.

(I wish I could be the me that you see/But I’m too drawn to black and white/Don’t be confused, spare me the excuses/It’s not even worth the fight)

Outnumbered, Bringing it Down, and Wildfire are the Siege of Naxzela/Breaking of the Naxzela Line, the one major victory the Coalition manages to get before the Raid on Hell due to the success of Project Kuron. Oh, and remember that episode where Shiro tries to talk to Lance in the meld? Yeah that. Wildfire is specifically related to that one scene in String Theory where the real Shiro tries to help Voltron.

Why is it that songs from two different gachas ended up here with the same motif about breaking the clouds? I dunno, but it’s useful

(Outnumbered but we can’t back down/It’s us against the world, us against the world/Outnumbered but we can’t back down/Ten to one, on the run/We will still overcome)

(Devouring me/Devouring me alive/There’s something inside you that isn’t right/Something that haunts your dreams/There’s something that you have lost/And you’re bringing it down/You’re bringing it down, on top of us)

(Unsheath a sword to rend those clouds above the ground/wake up it’s time to gather now)

Shortly after is Memories of a Girl I Haven’t Met, which Every Time Our Earth Shakes is the end of. Krolia content!

(In this lonely place, bathed in silence and thoughts of you/I can’t see your face but I’m trying to envision you/So are you really out there? Are you awake with memories/Of a boy you haven’t met yet who’s wished upon the Pleiades?)

(Surrounded by lonely, bruised, and broken love/I’ve seen it and I won’t be like everybody else/Wave after wave, no change in my faith/I’m here for you through high or low/And every time our Earth shakes, I’ll fight through the pain/I’ll die before I ever let you go)

Remember that line about dinosaurs in MGHM? Laser-shooting Dinosaur. I’ll leave it there.

(Here I come/drop your jaws to the floor/I’m riding on my mighty shooting dinosaur)

Then, the aftermath of MGHM and Laser Shooting Dinosaur is Brothers of Crail, where Allura finally makes contact with Oriand.

(A secret ancient brotherhood, with laser sword in hand/guardians of ancient technology from centuries gone by)

Legion features the Whispers, Voltron, a few mullets, the Druids making a dangerous mistake, and… does this thing count as a robeast?

(Fallen angels ripping through/The circuitry inside this suit/Of flesh and bone that’s overthrown/No matter how hard you try/They keep waring deep inside/Where there’s a star collapsing in your heart/There’s something in your eyes/That’s coming back to life)

And then, which you can finally read, TRIALS (reimagine), Wrathful Cerulean Flame, Fools of Damnation, String Theory, I Am the One, and Final Mission ~ Quantum Burst. Yes the last one is mostly here for the whole big fun mess in The Architect to Rule Your Fate :3

(Hear me from the bottom/Forged in regret, I’m the silversmith/Doomsday, you we had it coming/Marching the streets with an iron fist/Obey no more in silence/The steel in our hearts will be monuments/Today, they’ll hear the violence/We’ll rise from the dark like Lazarus)

(So follow me/And we’ll burn the clouds away/And we’ll burn the clouds away/Keep our demons all at bay/There will be an end someday/And I must lead the way)

(Fool, dance for me again/I am your destiny, mark my words/Don’t you ever disagree/Fool, kneel for me again/I am your agony, walk my way/I will never set you free)

(You don’t believe in space/You don’t believe in light/You don’t believe that anything is well beyond your might/We walk across the sky and beneath the ocean floor/We’re never going anywhere we’ve never been before)

(I am the one/I am the architect to rule your fate)

House on Fire is the follow up to String Theory, dealing with the political fallout of having a spy in Voltron itself for decaphoebs, as well as the more personal struggles the Paladins go through in that fact’s wake.

(So I’ll just hold you like a hand grenade/You touch me like a razor blade/I wish there was some other way right now/Like a house on fire we’re up in flames/I’d burn here if that’s what it takes/To let you know I won’t let go of you)

Belgrade, which I'M POSTING RIGHT NOW! Is the klance shenanigans in the aftermath of House on Fire and finally resolving that little plot point about Lance’s reoccurring crush.

(We pretend in the darkness/We pretend the night won’t steal our youth/Singing me the sweet songs of seduction/Let me be the fool, fool, fool/Who will live and die for you)

Here to Save You is about Sam. And Pidge. And Matt. And Zaivorg cannons.

(A slave for humankind/I made sure I would survive/To stay alive/Now it’s time to move on/When there’s nothing left to prove/I’m coming to get you)

Iron is the third Closure inspired fic, and I cannot believe I have managed to give away so little of the plot so far so we’re gonna keep it that way. But it is, as all Closure fics, about Keith and his struggles with identity.

(You can’t live without the fire/It’s the heat that makes you strong/‘Cause you’re born to live/And fight it all the way/You can’t hide what lies inside you/It’s the only thing you know/You’re embracing that, never walk away)

Storm the Castle is very related to the next few, but wouldn’t have happened without Iron. It’s our Last Marmorait making a point. One that Zarkon isn’t happy with.

(We will not be prisoners/In a kingdom taken hostage by her crown/But we will not abandon her/…Rise now, stand and fight/Take your freedom, claim your right/Rise now, stand and sing/Storm the castle, kill the king)

The second major turning point in the war is Monarch, Birthright, and Firewall. The first two are about Lotor more than anything else, and the very high level target the Coalition is after. Firewall is the same event, but focused on a very… specific thing. The Devourer is not happy, and things learned in the framing story of Through Apocalypse Skies and String Theory swing back with a vengeance.

(I am not the person you remember from before/The one you patronized and stepped on, the one you hurt/And I have pulled the arrows, now my skin has become stone/No longer am I prisoner to your empty fucking words)

(The voices in my head have all begun to sing/(The voices in your head have all begun to sing)/And they sure as hell hope I am listening/(I sure as hell hope you are listening!))

(They come to your dreams with illusion/They come to bring shape to your mind/You know how to stop the intrusion/We all have to fight for our lives)

And then… The Day the Earth Collapsed

(How much time has been elapsed/Since the day the earth collapsed?)

Here Comes the Reign doesn’t fully come into effect until several months after Firewall, but starts with The Day the Earth Collapsed. The Burning Star rampages through the universe, taking back what is rightfully Its, but the Devourer Star won’t take that lying down.

(You made something they can’t take away/Now bring the fire of the burning sun on everyone)

Supersonic is here as a microcosm of everything that happens between Firewall and Soulbound as the Colation go after the warlords, culminating in Holding Out for a Hero as the Paladins, exhausted of war and going a little crazy from their string of victories, decide to have a little fun

(Supersonic, polyphonic, this is our war/Mustering the armies, marching faster than before)

(I need a hero/I’m holding out for a hero ‘til the end of the night/He’s gotta be strong, and he’s gotta be fast/And he’s gotta be fresh from the fight)

Earthrise and But Tonight We Dance are the last Closure fic. They’re both very much klance songs, although BTWD is a little more than that. Earthrise is Lance mooning (hah), while BTWD is here to remind everyone that Keith is Very Aro. Also, Keith loses a fight with a rock.

Have I mentioned they need to stop having relationship milestones in a war zone?

(I still fall for you like suns do for skies/Cerulean pouring in from your eyes/Just a hollow moon that you colorize/So powerful, I feel so small but so alive/Like watching the Earthrise)

(Tomorrow we might wake in servitude and silence/I will give you everything if only you would have me/Tomorrow we will sweat and toil/Our hands will quiver, caked with soil/Tomorrow we’ll give it one last chance/But tonight we dance/But tonight we dance!)

Closure is placed here with the last of its fics. Closure in general is a lot of Keith’s character development, coming to terms with his identity in many ways and accepting his place in the universe and amongst his family. So this last one is then bright light at the end of the chorus, with a ‘last goodbye’ meaning never having to say goodbye.

(I am the child from the stars/That got lost in the dark/Between heaven and hell/I am forced to live on/I am the cause when you sin/I am the demon you skin/But there is no more tears to beautify/This is my last goodbye)

Alchemy and Soulbound swing us back to universe level action. Revelations from String Theory and Firewall slam themselves into a Whispers-Voltron mission, leaving them reeling and Krolia questioning her very identity in Disappear.

(Synthesized and transformed/pathetic life form)

(Soulbound, endlessly forever/Locked between the darkness and the light/Don’t drown in the swarming, blackened rising/Hold on to humanity and fight)

(Stone heart, paired with empty eyes/That stared right through mine)

Something Wicked is. Well. Too bad this song isn’t on the album Vessels.

(When all of the forces/Have been overrun/You’ll whisper, serpent tongue/What you fear you have become/Something wicked this way comes…)

Shortly after that is My Darkest Hour and Faster than Light. Haggar decides enough is enough and goes after the final piece of her puzzle with [something wicked], sending the Blade into chaos and the Coalition scrambling. And this leads directly, and I mean directly, into…

(When the sun comes crashing down/When the world is spinning round and round/I will face what must be my darkest hour)

(Once more we’re flying fast as light/Dark matter passing in the night/Pursued by a force we can’t outrun/As we hurtle towards a dying sun/We maneuver through the remnants of a moon/On the solar winds of supernovas/There is not a place to hide, the Matriarch is close behind/It’s plain to see she’s coming for us all)

Cosmic Vertigo and Other Worlds than These. Together they are the second of two revelations into the truth behind the Devoured Star and Burned Star.

(Banish me like burned down planets/Write my fate with sparkling lies/I am the universe; you’re just one sky)

(Pull the wool out from your eyes/It won’t shade your frail belief/In the end we cannot hide/There are other worlds than these)

Godhunter is Team Voltron, well, hunting pieces of the gods.

(She’s been watching for a century/With hatred, and with scorn/If you know the hunter’s coming/Then you hide or keep on running/'Cause she’s slain the gods before)

Trophy Hunter, Coldharbour, Ember, and Redemption are the culmination of Godhunter. They also link directly to Soulbound, and are one hellish battle, which is a problem because they lead directly to…

(You, you won’t escape me, I’ll rise from the deep/In this final moment, no words left to say/I can’t let you be when a life fades away/You, you won’t escape me ‘cause I’ll set you free)

(If you kill my flesh tomorrow/then I’ll take my final breath/it’ll turn into a last laugh/and I’ll lay in a silent death)

(Dark matter falling from the sky/Dancing flames reflecting in your eyes as you watch them burn/Watching all your riches witches burn)

(Remember me not for the mess I’ve made/But who I could have been/Finally I’m going home)

World on Fire, This is a Call, The Reckoning, Game Ender, The Wind that Shapes the Land, and Louder than Words. :3

(World on fire with a smoking sun/Stops everything and everyone/Brace yourself for all will pay/Help is on the way)

(This is a call to action/This is a call to arms/All lives for one, together/There are no false alarms)

(I see your face, find peace of mind/Between the madness and the sadness and the fire burning/The end of war, the great divine/We’ll see the day of reckoning)

(We will rise as one/Stop what has begun/Bringing down the main offender/If you hear me now/Scream the words out loud/We will be our own defender)

(Search within/Uncover the will to win/Turn against the tide that washes o'er/Find the strength to fall and rise again/Open up the gates, unleash the force/I am the wind that shapes the land/Old as time and twice as strong/Oceans arise at my command/I alone can carry on)

(We have the force to fight/We have the blinding light/A war is more than heard/Coming in louder than words)

Of course, we can’t leave without the denouement. World with no Sun is Haggar’s final thoughts at the end of Louder Than Words, while Diving Bell is the Paladins’.

And a sequel hook. ;D

(I wish I could give it all back/But it’s tied to the moment that I took/I followed a most selfish path/Waiting on a world that can’t see me/Waiting on a world that can’t see me/Waiting on a world that wants no one/Waiting on a world with no sun)

(Wake me when the new day comes/Together we will ride the sun/The future is an empty gun/We fire onto them one-by-one)

Dystopian Fiction

The pages of our lives aren’t bulletproof…

Dark Matter is here as it always is, but it’s also about… something super spoilery.

(Don’t stop, don’t think/Move up, don’t blink now/On your knees pray for rain/Don’t breathe when you take your aim)

Waiting on the Sky to Change is Akane’s song. It’s about ‘The Necromancer’ and her drive to fix Earth, how she’s tired of sitting around waiting. It’s time to do something.

(I’m done running towards the eyes of tornadoes/pretending this is hope)

The Human Condition is the advent of the Éshkayklos and Cascade, who oppose Project Necromancer and everything it and its champion stand for. Infected then is the slow, uhm, infection of the Sol Federation with their ideas and some of the results of that.

(We have the cure for the disease/Locked down inside us/When all is dead, then we will see/We are the virus)

(Here’s a challenge for all mankind/The preacher man is warning of the end times/The weatherman agrees but she don’t know/So she’s got to go now)

A Place I Thought I Knew is Earth, but especially Adam, in that tumultuous time after the Genesis disappears.

(And here I remain/still crying out his name/I stand alone at the dawn of a new horizon)

Who Will Save You Now is Sam’s abrupt arrival back on Earth, and several things that follow from that.

(Alone with this vision/Alone and blind/Go tell the world I’m still alive)

Tunnelvision is Team Earth going “no, fuck you Sanda and Torrent, we need to tell people about the impending alien invasion”. It helps, but…

(You took me for a fly/And fancied yourself a spider in a web of little lies/What a nice surprise/When the curtain’s pulled back, you can see the whole trap inside/And now the emperor has got no clothes/What a lovely show/When your cover’s blown, you’ll never know/'Cause you can’t see past your nose)

Codebreaker and Cross the Line are the Éshk’s final offensive before things really hit the fan in:

(Codebreaker can’t you find/Can you read between the lines of code?/Tell me all that you know/How far down the hole does it all go)

(Cross the line, redefine, break away unbent, unafraid/Together we stand in the dark/Seeking the light and what is right, together we cross the line/Our journey will come to an end and then our human cause will be/Justified)

The Day the Earth Collapsed

(How much time has been elapsed/Since the day the earth collapsed?)

Leaving Earth and Help is on the Way are the common populace dealing with the effects of the previous song. More specifically, they’re Adam’s parents, and all the horrors they never wanted to see. Dystopian Fiction, in contrast and as the title track, is the Garrison, specifically everyone left at Levitt Base, struggling against the same effects.

(We were told just to sit tight/cause somebody will soon arrive/help is on the way/but it never came)

(I’m a dead man/In the wasteland/I’m a soldier fighting for superstition/Under searchlights/In the long nights/We’ve been written like dystopian fiction)

World on Fire and The Reckoning are the two songs of that big finale that make it over here, as they’re the ones that have bits that happen before This is a Call comes into full effect.

(Sent by forces beyond salvation/There can be not one sensation)

(We’re all alone, walking in twilight/The night has been long and so many have fallen/Feel no remorse, light will be breaking/Our freedom is worth it all)

Through Apocalypse Skies

Chaos will triumph this day!

TAS starts off setting the stage for everything. Not all of the five main members of the Daibaaltea-Taibderion Alliance have songs yet, but they will eventually. Holy Flaming Hammer of Unholy Cosmic Frost more sets the stage for everything broadly, about how the five of them fit together, and the trouble brewing under the surface. Hail to Crail is Altea, more specifically the Knights of Zhael. Questlords of Inverness, Ride to Galactic Fortress is the Dalteri, with focus on the flagship Invernes itself. Fellows of the Hammer is the Aberdéts, because, well, dwarves. And guess what’s back for the Galra: Remnants of Stars

The Taibdee will get one. Eventually.

(Behold the knights of Crail/atop the city walls/they swore a mighty oath to say/Dundee will never fall!)

(Here every day the warriors train/in the art of epic fights/riding on eagles, questing so true/a legion of powerful knights emblazoned cross the sky/hear the kingdom cry/hail to Crail!)

(Ride on the wind and hail to the king/when the questlords of Inverness ride)

(The new blood of the realm now/flows from the seven stars/and spoken by all of us/to be strong when the time comes/is the oath made by everyone)

(As children of space/with stardust in our veins/we will give in to know the truth/we are the remnants of stars)

Rigor Mortis is the Voltron Comet slamming into Daibazaal. The beginning of the end. Dark Matter rises from its open, frozen maw.

(Hydrate in violence/the darkness that you see/awaken the virus/to spread your disease)

(Bring me your soul, bring me your hate/in my name you will create/bring me your fear, bring me your pain/you will destroy in my name)

The Promise is exactly what it sounds like: the first of the Harbingers making a deal with the devil. Alchemy and No Remorse, No Regrets are her experiments in this context, echoed throughout the other playlists.

(It won’t cost you much, just a single drop of blood and I’ll hand you the things you have long been wishing for/ it’s an easy way to choose, what do you have to lose?)

(Drink me/you know I can guide you through oblivion/trust me/I know what’s inside you makes you bleed)

(Strange persuasion/clearing the way to the clearest path/dreams illuminating/parting the seas to take it back)

Summon the Choir is a success, from a certain point of view.

(First blood from cosmic wonders/a dark flood of power from under)

Can You Hear It? is… well. Remember the Sinkline Comet?

(Can you hear it?/the tolls of madness ringing/do you fear it?/an ancient choir is singing/all consuming/calling to me/in a dream, it’s a thorn I can’t dig out/can’t you hear it too?/if you listen close now)

Unfortunately, all that leads right into The End of the World, the end of Daibazaal. All is quiet for a moment, like the happy little whistle at the beginning of the next song.

(Sold on a dream, of a future serene/then why does it feel like the end of the world?)

Then we record scratch into The Fall. She Will Weep is a dialogue between two siblings, unwilling to compromise on their ideals, even if they ultimately want the same thing: peace and stability for their recently displaced people. But the one who’s side god is on, who is crucified but still alive, escapes to Altea, bringing the horrors with her to the Battle of the Five Armies. (Yes, this is a LotR song, but also, guess what serves a very similar purpose to the arkenstone. I’ve been looking for a song explicitly about the arkenstone to stick in here, but haven’t found one. I’m surprised Wind Rose doesn’t have one tbh). Crack the Sky is… it’s not quite a literal crack in the sky, but it might as well be. All of this is Apocalypse 1992

(What used to be two loving hearts/what we felt at the start/somewhere down the barrel of a gun/it was all torn apart)

(Confounded, distracted/trapped by a stone of power/Ensorcelled, corrupted/await the final hour)

(I know that you hate me but I think that I can live with that/last man standing, last resort/I’d rather walk alone than save myself)

(Fly high through apocalypse skies/fight for the world we must save/like tears of a unicorn lost in the rain/chaos will triumph this day)

But again, we can’t leave it without the denouement. Silent Tears of Frozen Princess, Ashes, and Apex are all the perspectives of survivors of the Fall, waiting, watching. Voltron will rise again.

(Frozen princess in this land of fears/your mighty kingdom has fallen/I see the glitter of your silent tears/afar in the wuthering dark)

(What will we do when the world it is ending/and time it is halted for friend and for foe/try to hold on to the time as it passes/I’ll tend to the flame, you can worship the ashes)

(Brother mountain, now we sleep/for a thousand years/I will see you again/something is coming/coming for me)

Endless War

‘Cause you’re fighting an endless war, hunting a miracle…

The beginning of Endless War is from one of the perspectives of She Will Weep, the other sibling than we follow during most of TAS. Dark Matter here intwines with I Am the One far, far earlier than the Paladins of the present time figure it out. That’s what happens when one stands directly next to two Harbingers throughout most of Apocalypse 1992.

(Don’t stop, don’t think, don’t look back/You’re a bolt of lightning in the sky now/Don’t stop, don’t think, don’t look back/I’ve pulled you in, nowhere to hide now)

(I am the one/I hold the dreams from fallen heroes)

(From the caves beneath Dundee/Ancient hermit arrives/A messenger to the war in the stars/Korviliath is nigh!)

Ashes is a needed perspective of one sibling on another, the beginning of the Fifth General questioning her orders. Meanwhile, remember how I said Alchemy was an experiment of the Witch’s?

(What will we do when the world it is ending/And time it is halted for friend and for foe?/Try to hold on to the time as it passes/I’ll tend to the flame, you can worship the ashes)

(Take the poisoned cup/you cannot hide behind golden shrines/you can be the one in crisis, give into your greed)

The Truth Beneath the Rose is the birth of the Fifth General of the Blade of Marmora, although no one calls her that yet. Raise Your Banner is her newfound resolve and her first steps to creating what will become the Blade.

(Blinded to see the cruelty of the beast/It is the darker side of me/The veil of my dreams deceived that I have seen/Forgive me for what I have been, forgive me my sins!)

(Wake up/I’m defying you, seeing right through you, once I believed in you/Wake up/Feel what’s coming deep within we all know)

Silver Moonlight is her ultimate goal, but not everyone agrees with it. Not everyone thinks it’s even possible, or that it still exists, or that this will be anything but an Endless War.

(I’m impatient, but it’s colors that I need/Too many shades of grey, I cannot breathe/The dreams I have ain’t tainted, I need you to believe/The only way to make them real, oh)

('Cause you’re fighting an endless war/Hunting a miracle/And when you reach out for the stars/They just cut you down/…/Is it worth dying for?/Or are you blinded by, blinded by it all?)

Of course, the fact is that the Endless War does end. Alchemy’s effects are still strong, even as they fight Against the Tide. The Fifth General is betrayed on Holy Ground, with her final stand in I’d Rather Burn.

(I finally get what you’ve been saying/now that we’re knee deep side by side/the storm clouds are circling above us/as we struggle against the tide)

(You got inside my head, I want you out/'Cause I’ve been betrayed on holy ground)

(Won’t let you take my soul away/I’d rather go to the stake/I’d rather burn)

But even that isn’t enough. Empty Eyes and The Departure are [beeeeeeeeeeep]

(I don’t know where I’m going/In search for answers/I don’t know who I’m fighting/I stand with empty eyes/You’re like a ghost within me/Who’s draining my life/It’s like my soul is see through/Right through my empty eyes)

Filaments

Filaments is intimately connected to both the main playlist and the following one, and I’m doing my best to explain some things, but some you’ll have to wait and see.

How long is the body beholden? How long ‘til we run out of road?

First Light is the dawn of something… a little different. Filaments is the title track, and I’m not going to say more than it’s connected to the same exact things First Light is.

(We can change our fate. We can change the future. We can change… the past)

(These glowing filaments/Conducting this enchanting/Sarcophagus that’s holding us)

Starlight and Carry Me Home are primarily adashi songs, but also follow the transition between the two playlists’ proper stories, as well as Shiro’s retirement from Voltron.

(Don’t leave me lost here forever/I need your starlight and pull me through/Bring me back to you)

(Carry me home to the morning light/carry me home before you wave me goodbye/Oh, carry me home…)

Prognosis is about record skips that only certain people can remember, and the decision that it’s time to back into The Breach.

(How long is the body beholden?/How long 'til we run out of road?/Deep down in the black of the ocean/Fading from the glow)

(Follow me/Follow me now once more into the breach/Can you see?/Can you see how this is the way to destiny?)

This next part is supposed to act similarly to the beginning of TAS. there is an overarching story, but there’s more specific songs for specific… well, Other Worlds Than These. Right now the only song here is Masters of Destiny though, which is also sort of an overarching thing and also sort of a single world. We’ll get there. Of course, as these things sort themselves out, Something Wicked this way comes.

(In the end we cannot hide/there are other worlds than these)

(I used to be sure it’s me who sleeps/but can it be/somewhere there’s a life/that dreams of me?)

(And it clawed/Back in the world again/Here for a new revenge/An enemy I can’t condemn)

The Art of War is the beginning of the end, with Cascade finally showing his true colors, the Sol Federation not having a good time, and Voltron getting dragged into it. But the consequences…

(I can remember all the days of violence/I can remember all the days they fought for rights/When men united all by fear and interest/I mustered them with hopeful promises I’ve broken)

The Future is Now and Tresspasser sort of take place during The Art of War, sort of not. Team Voltron is trying to figure out where their Black Paladin is, why exactly all their sensors are so incredibly broken, and what’s up with Krolia. Meanwhile, Keith is in the middle of an argument with himself.

(They said there was no way/But they forgot the black hole in the sky/Yesterday is nothing/I have half a life to rewrite)

(Where’s my heart?/I want to feel whole again or nothing at all/Where’s my soul?/Because I’m not myself)

Centigrade is Keith exposing a fraud, and Team Voltron [BEEEP], and Miserable Me is very related

(What did you hope to find adrift and lost in time?/Is this the end ready to begin?/It’s time to escape the fate of destruction, excavating within until salvation/No longer pretend the future’s a lie from a past you cannot hide)

(history misunderstood this deity/miserable me!/oh why is the deep dark shored sea the only friend to me?)

This all leads into Unveiling the Architecture, Altas Obscura, Dark Matter, and A Theater of Dimensions. No I will not be explaining.

(All human history a sigh from their endless lungs)

(I am the keeper/I am the secret/I am the answer/I am the end)

(I’ve seen our freedom in the mist of time/The old signs I’ll follow and the day of relief will be yours and mine)

Afterlife and For They Shall Inherit the Earth are a fitting denouement to everything. The Immortal has frequently been used in place of Voltron within the playlists, which given the parallels means it make sense to end on this note.

(But with such power, think how you could rule/Hold to your promise to watch over those in despair/Why would you choose to serve when you could be master of all?/Be true to your honor and fight for a world that is fair!/Out of shadow, out of darkness, welcome to the light/As the day shines boldly over night/Follow me to finally be who you are inside/Open wide, embrace the afterlife)

For Who I Could Have Been

Your world will fail my love, it’s far beyond repair…

Conflict is also connected to Filaments in ways I will not explain here. Something Wicked is almost the same thing it was in Filaments proper.

(Whoever fights monsters should see to it that in the process he does not become a monster…)

(A prisoner of time and space/Construct we can’t escape/A fleeting moment alive)

(When all of the forces have been overrun/you’ll whisper, serpent tongue/what you fear you have become)

Rise and Fall serves a very similar purpose to the Art of War. It ends with The Art of Bargaining.

(You push my back against the wall/when I attack I’m taking all)

(I might be guilty but can a person change/I’ll say it like I mean it but believe it, that’s insane/You’re only making this harder/I’ll make you an offer/An offer you can’t refuse)

Widowmaker, Eon, and Reset Rewind are all about a single decision that changes the fate of the universe.

(Rise above the shadows putting forth your hands/God will shield his eyes in spite of all your prayers and he will not hear/Your hands, stained of blood/What have we become from a smoking gun?/What have we become)

(If time’s a song I won’t wait for it’s reprise/I am done wishing farewells and goodbyes)

(Erase bad times/create a timeline/with the pleasure/heavier than all the pain)

Frequency, Your World Will Fail, The Future is Now, and The End of the World are the fallout of that decision.

(And now the silence screams that you are gone/you’ve tuned me out, I’ve lost your frequency)

(Your world will fail my love/It’s far beyond repair/Your world will fail/If you are alive you must run for your life)

(They said there was no way/But they forgot the black hole in the sky/Yesterday is nothing/I have half a life to rewrite)

(Is everyone everywhere forsaking?/ or is there anybody else out there?)

So, in a way, is Dark Matter and A Theater of Dimensions.

(Tear down hollows/Take back eternity)

(I’ve seen our freedom in the mist of time/The old signs I’ll follow and the day of relief will be yours and mine)

It’s such a quiet thing, to fall. Far more terrible is to admit it, and to fix it. But that’s what the catalyst does in Redemption, Endlessness, and For They Shall Inherit the Earth.

(To know that your days are numbered/To know that your time is short/Death is what gives life meaning/So who will you be at the end of the road?)

(Soon, beyond the fields you’ve come to know/You will join the silent flow/Follow me, I am the spark/At the end of everything/Tip the reaper to ensure/The blade is sharp/As soon we’ll go/Follow me into the dark/To the birth of everything)

Design Your Universe

(this playlist is DM canon. But it’s not the DM canon we know and love. We will get to see at least part of it. Eventually.)

Who decides about what’s true or false?

Dark Matter, because it’s not DM without it

(So climb up and come clean/Move back the smoke screen/It’s all here, it’s all you/Get clear on the darker view)

Divide and Conquer explains where things changed from the DM canon we know and love. It’s about how a dictator, no matter their intentions, is never the correct choice.

(Seek the mastermind/The one who’s always right/We’re searching now and endlessly to set us free/Seek the mastermind (Seek the mastermind)/There’s no one you will find)

Martyr of the Free World is a very specific piece of that change from main canon, while Black Smoke Assimilation is what she leaves behind

(If you gun down the messenger/You guarantee that she will be made/Into a saint/A martyr of the free word)

(Out of reach/I planted you, the seed/You’re learning to believe/That you’re the one that changes everything, everything)

Cosmic Vertigo is here for the same reason as in the main playlist

(Just enjoy it while it lasts/Cling not to the broken past)

The Land of Unicorns is Gloryhammer finally making a comeback, and Team Voltron meeting up with, well, Team Voltron.

(Ride far away, cross the mighty River Tay/Over mountains into the unknown/Follow your heart, let it guide you through the dark/To the Land of Unicorns)

Legendary Enchanted Jetpack is a journey into the depths of the Altean Empire. Return to Me is another fight over the Black Lion, but the players aren’t who you think, which is the final goal of Storm the Castle

(Quest for Fife to end pain and strife/in search of the enchanted engine)

(Return what you have taken from me/Rightfully mine, I will not allow this, thief/Think you know this weapon in your hands?/You are a fool, I am his only command)

(We will not be prisoners/In a kingdom taken hostage by her crown)

Unleashed is from the perspective of The Matriarch, for once, showing a little about how this version of her was not particularly willing

(Where was I meant to be?/I feel I’m lost in a dream/Long for the day I can be myself/Free)

Hootsforce and The Epic Rage of Furious Thunder are a final battle.

(Fight for the king, for the hammer and the ring/Fight for the ancient story)

(In the epic rage of furious thunder, legends create their tales/when the twilight calls and the dark lord falls our glory will prevail!)

Design Your Universe, as the title track of this one, is all about how a simple change can change the world. It’s also uh…. pretty literal

(We can’t undo what we have done/So show us now what we’ve become/Confront us with our viciousness/And our weakness/We can’t evade our destiny/So show responsibility/For we all surely have a sense/Of our consciousness)

#i am dark matter; your road to ruin #Dm playlists

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