#era: DREAM()SCAPE

[charmingcuteandlovely]

Jeno: 😳 Renjun: 🥰

(x)

#NCT DREAM #Renjun #Jeno #year: 2024 #era: DREAM()SCAPE #NoRen

[electric-plants]

ooh boy started penacony in star rail and the way i already KNOW i’m going to get confused

#honkai star rail #hsr #penacony #hsr penacony #dream scape ughh #im gonna get lost af #also devastated every time my level goes up in this game #since i usually only play it when i get mad at genshin because high levels HARD #so i liked going to my low level star rail account with all its materials and things to do #but now it’s like requiring effort gross #i started farming for relics😔 #devastating #jk hsr is very fun and quite a bit nicer than genshin sometimes lol #so i dont mind much just a bit wistful for the thoughtless use what ya got era of early game again😪 #OH AND ALSO ABOUT PENACONY— #no dan heng?😔

[raytm]

of course i would like aventurine which is surprising to literally no one.

#but also ?? i sorta like how diverse the hsr vibes are compared to genshin #like this ?? dream scape era gives off more persona or even cup head - ish vibes #its vastly different which is kinda fun #ooc.

[nc-vb]

𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐢𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐰, 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐧?

originally a commission, repurposed for readervision! writing about the ladies is fun and i should really do it more often, mhm.

notes -> pls i always forget she's 6'1", that's so frickin hot, my gawd

pairing -> quanxi x afab!time-traveler!reader*

warnings -> nsfw (18+, mdni), praise/nicknames used (*good girl), thigh riding, oral sex (reader receiving), orgasm denial, scissoring/tribbing; partial inebriation (alcohol consumption); light editing.

wc -> 4.5k

The modes of transportation in this place are… dated.

So used to seeing the various Tesla models zipping about, or the suddenly extremely common Honda Civic models, you found yourself staring a little harder at the ones that lined the street. All too obviously, the dilapidated street signs around you indicated your new location being somewhere in China. Still, there’d been an aged familiarity about the place, about all of it, from the specific way the splits in the sidewalk crackle from one end to the other, to how the trees willow overtop of them like old, gnarled hands. The glow from the street lights are all equally dull, and do little to highlight the filth the asphalt roads hold. The houses, in their decaying, years left untouched glory, are still cookie cutter enough to say that it once might’ve been a place that people both lived and thrived in— if anything, they might just exist there now. The bare minimum for any species.

But then you look in the distance, past the caved-in roofs, past the loose, swaying electrical lines and through the smog, find the fluorescent lights of the city resting just outside the horizon of this dystopian suburbia, and find that you feel at home, your own having been bright just like that. 

You suppose that being at arms with a stranger in the middle of what you can only deem some kind of cacotopia must not be real. A dream or a hallucination— a nightmare, perhaps. The fact that you’ve never been to this place, this time or era, and yet, it’d been familiar. This partial hell scape with its scarred roads and patchwork housing, stuck in its darkened stasis of a temporary ceasefire? Wondering what kind of dream beasts this realm holds was unavoidable from the start, but at the very least, it still includes those in human form.

Your foe is formidable-- or, your predator, you should say. Armed thrice and practically naked in consideration for their lack of armour, wearing a thin shirt that exposes her midriff and tight black trousers, and with their one eye obscured by an eyepatch, they’re still as swift as a shadow when they charge forward, one blade extended, the other held in reverse against their forearm— usually a predictability. But they’re enough of a threat to you that you don’t bother to analyze much else any further.

If not for obeying modern physics, the stone at your feet would’ve split from the impact of your own harsh landing— without a weapon or defense of your own, you scamper out of the way of the woman’s sword, gasping at the close call. If anything, being in this strange place for so long, and being targeted by strange looking creatures and even stranger humans, has made you adept at avoiding harm.

You’re not entirely sure you can avoid it any further. You watch the attacker sheathe their defending sword and reach up toward their one exposed eye to— to… extract an arrow from within her skull, so easily as if it’d been normal to “store” it there.

“Don’t lose focus now,” they call — she calls, you finally learn, from your own language; she’d recognized it when you’d cursed at her earlier. A couple of obvious tonal sounds and inflections double down on you being somewhere in China. “I’ll be disappointed if you suddenly let me kill you, stranger.”

Slim, yet muscular. Long blonde hair. A gaze most distant, yet she still smiles, even in the middle of battle. Human? With that ability of hers, it’s unlikely; you’ve learned to differentiate that much, as short a time as you’ve spent here.

Amidst their game of cat and mouse, you can’t help but wonder if the area had been evacuated prior to Quanxi’s arrival, as if she’d been prepared to give chase, or even worse, as if she’d been prepared to fight. You don’t doubt the possibility of the woman having some kind of pull or authority in this time; as perhaps unprepared and bare as she appears, her skillset had quickly been proven. Being locked in at a coward’s stalemate for as long as you’d been, Can’t this end already?

“Please,” you pant, a hand poised in a pleading gesture. “Please stop.” The woman’s one visible eyebrow raises, her expression remaining placid. A moment later, she’s sheathing her blades.

“That’s fine with me,” she says, straightening up. “I’m pretty fond of this outfit and I’ve already scuffed the knees; it would be a shame if I tore anything else. You seem like… the civilized type, when you’re not running away. And if that’s the case, we should introduce ourselves.”

You give yours first, eager to catch your breath. The woman smiles.

“I am Quanxi. Now, tell me. The name of the Devil you’ve contracted with.”

Your expression hardens. “Devil?” you repeat. 

Quanxi does not doubt further the woman’s seemingly earnest confusion. She already looks like she’s not from the area, and certainly not necessarily a native from China, either. In fact, it’d been more like she’s stepped out of one of those futuristic, science fiction movies. Your entire existence did not belong here.

Your tired vision sweeps along the street before rising to stare at Quanxi. “Where is this place?”

Testing, “Do you mean this street? This… neighbourhood? Or this world?” You don’t answer, unable. The silence, accompanied with the difficult read on the foreigner’s partial expression, is an answer enough. “It’s called Earth.” 

“I know this is Earth.”

Quanxi’s lip quirks. “Then this place that you’re currently standing in, is in China. And this street, well… I’m not sure the name matters anymore. No one’s lived here in years.”

She watches you, a silence spread taut like a fishing line through the middle of your conversation as you ponder, before cutting it. 

“Listen. I’m glad you decided to stop running away,” your lip curls slightly at the curtness in her words, but you don't interrupt, “but since we’ve established that you’re not from the area, and since I don’t see a… spaceship… parked anywhere… you’re probably not an alien. But, you’ve also probably got nowhere to go, hm?”

“… that’s, unfortunately, correct,” you murmur, sighing. What a headache…

“And it doesn’t seem like you’re looking to cause any trouble. Right?”

“I’m kind of in some trouble of my own, if you haven’t noticed,” you point out.

“Fair enough. Then, I’ll do you a favour. If you’d be reasonable enough to not do something as stupid as try to murder me in my sleep, I’ll invite you into my home.”

Try? I could barely run away from you. 

“I’ll have to attend to some business in the morning outside the country, but, if you’re a good girl tonight, you’re welcome to stay there while I’m gone.” Your lips part to speak at the woman’s condescension, but by the absurdity of your situation, you find yourself unable to spit the words dancing behind your teeth back at her. Good girl?

“Do you need a physical invitation?” Quanxi says; you hadn’t realized she’d already begun to walk, and soundlessly trails after her. “Good.” Again? “I’ve parked several blocks north of here; it’s about a five minute walk if you’re fast about it.”

“Okay.” True to her estimation, once they’d picked up their pace, they found a sleek black automobile awaiting them only four blocks away. Compared to the older modeled cars you’ve passed, this one is at least twenty years ahead of their design.

Quanxi enters on her side before you can even open the passenger side door, and by the time you sit and shut the door behind you, the car has already belted to life, a soft rumbling heard from within its metal shell. A gear shifts, and they move.

The drive out of the dark neighbourhood where you first appeared, and into the glowing city you’d seen from afar is about three times as long as the walk had been. The luminance of the artificial light happens to be intense enough to make you squint so hard that your eyes become slits.

“Depending on how long you’re here for, you might end up getting used to it,” Quanxi says. You turn your head toward her. “Ah, well, I shouldn’t assume you don’t have these in your own home; apologies. Just, don’t stare at these ones directly. They’re definitely not up to code.”

You nod, glancing forward again.

“You aren’t very… chatty, are you,” Quanxi speculates, lowering one of her hands from the wheel to rest in her own lap.

“It’s… hard to think of something to talk about in my situation,” you say, wringing your wrists a little. “Small talk and idle conversations… is even harder.”

“You could always ask more questions.”

“I… can’t think of any.”

“Or ask if I know of a way to return you to your home.”

“And do you?”

“No. I can do a lot, but time travel?” Quanxi scoffs lightly. “Science fiction, for now. Maybe there’s a Devil out there that can do that. But, you could still have bothered to begin that conversation to see if I did.”

You pause. “Is this all a condition of me staying with you? Talking, asking questions…”

“Not at all. Simply makes for better company.”

You scoff, too, and fold your arms over your chest. “Aren’t you worried I’ll destroy your home while you’re gone? Or rob you?”

Quanxi chuckles. “Not at all. You might be lonely when I do, however. By how you greeted me earlier tonight, I should at least make sure my housekeeper doesn’t spook you away into, I don’t know, jumping out the window.”

“If I didn’t value my life, I wouldn’t have run away from you like I did. Why would I jump out the window…” The question hangs in the air, apparently a rhetorical quip.

The rest of the drive is completed in one-sided silence, Quanxi filling it with her own voice when she explains, unwarranted, the existence of Devils and what she’d meant when she’d asked you about a “contract”. It does make sense (and perhaps your interest in the subject did prove that you did have some curiosities), but you still had found yourself verily unwilling to engage in conversation, leaving your thoughts to race wildly beneath your skull.

In contrast to the surrounding buildings, Quanxi’s is not nearly as vibrant. The only lights come from the large fixed windows pressed tight between the dark brickwork; signs of life that neighbourhood from before had sorely been missing. Even the streets, despite the time, are flooded with chattering humans.

“We’re here, get out,” Quanxi says, putting the car into park and exiting it, herself. You join her on the sidewalk, where she’d just given a man a set of keys. In the corner of her vision, you watch him replace where Quanxi once sat, and drive off with her car, while the two of you enter the building.

“I’m on the penthouse level,” she tells you after pressing a button on the wall of the elevator. “It’s nothing fancy. Comfortable enough when I come home from an assignment, and for my—” Quanxi goes silent. You notice, but don’t press. The elevator chimes, announcing their arrival to the topmost level, and the doors open. “This way.”

There’s a keypad on the door, for which Quanxi types a particularly long code into before it beeps at them to enter. Whereas you take off your own boots and set them aside, Quanxi toes hers off and kicks them to the side, knocking yours over.

“A drink?” Quanxi offers.

“… water is fine.”

The penthouse is minimalist and simple, as its owner mentioned it would be. A simple living area full of couches and irregularly shaped chairs; a simple bedroom, raised up, across the room in a loft space. The bathroom and kitchen end up being the fanciest of the space, full of shining metal appliances and smooth surfaces, as white as the moon, itself.

There are but a few adornments and decorations, and you find that across the apartment, there are only a handful of photographs framed and sitting atop a long cabinet, two of which had been turned down— you recall Quanxi doing so as she’d entered ahead of you. Not one to pry — you know just as well as anyone what dredging up old memories does to a person — and with Quanxi busying herself in her kitchen, you cross over to them and quickly tip them up. Both have the woman pressed between four other girls, all with varyingly unexplainable appearances — why are her brains exposed? — but they all easily express their fondness for Quanxi.

“It’s like you’ve never been invited into someone’s home before,” Quanxi suddenly calls from around the corner. You flinch, and without making eye contact, set the frames back down with care. “It should go without me having to say the words “don’t touch anything unnecessary”.”

“Sorry,” you say.

Quanxi sighs, and extends her arm to hand the stranger a glass of clear liquid. “It’s fine. Just don’t touch them again. And try not to get curious enough that you want to ask about… them.”

You accept the glass, nodding, and take a generous gulp from it, immediately reeling.

“This isn’t water,” you say, swallowing thickly, her throat catching from the burn.

“It’s baijiu. Figured you could probably use some to relax while you’re here.” You instantly cough.

“Relax?”

“It’s not like you’ll be able to figure anything out tonight, not this late. And, not if you’re still wired into fight or flight mode. Drink this. If you’re hungry, there’s food in the fridge you can help yourself to. The bathroom is around the corner. Go and shower. I’ll grab you a change of clothing.”

Not that it’d been so severely important to, but you silently admit to her observations. Being sent stuck here and almost immediately thrust into one-sided combat against this strange woman, to being invited to her home for reprieve, has kept you tiptoeing on a jagged edge, teetering more to one side than the other. It’s discomforting. Unfamiliar.

You down the clear liquid in the glass before stalking into Quanxi’s bathroom, quick to strip yourself of your clothing before stepping into the shower. Beginning to scrub away the day’s grime from your body with a sudsy cloth, you realize you’ve yet to feel this calm thus far— must be the baijiu, you assume.

With the glass of the shower all fogged up from the steam, you don’t notice Quanxi standing in the doorway when you finally exit it. Unfocused, the nude woman jumps, the towel in her hand almost slipping out of her grasp.

“I’m beginning to think,” you start, huffing out a flustered breath, “that you’re the lonely one between us.”

“Perhaps I am.” The ice in her own glass clinks against it when she takes a sip, watching you start to pat yourself dry. “I won’t argue with you. I never thought I would feel like this, even after losing them. They were only Fiends, after all. Not entirely human.”

“... does one have to be “entirely human” for someone to love them?”

“… I forgot who I was saying this to,” Quanxi muses, mostly to herself. “You’re young, after all. Insightfulness comes easier to each new generation of life.”

“Something like that,” you halfheartedly confirm, dragging the towel down each of your legs. You sigh— avoiding certain conversations may not be as easy as you’d once thought with this woman, the involvement of alcohol perhaps making it even more of a difficult probability. “Where I’m from… in my time… in my version of Earth, we don’t have different species of humans. But to be loved by anyone, by anything, even by someone non-human, is a joy, and an honour. Don’t justify them being Fiends so you don’t have to grieve over them. And… just be glad you can remember everything about them.”

She smiles back, but it’s distant; spurious. You know full well what the look is for, and decide it’s unfair to call the woman the only lonely one between them, after all.

Quanxi pushes herself off the door’s frame, stumbling very slightly out of her awkward stance.

“I was only in here for ten minutes. How did you manage to get drunk so quickly?”

“Oh, I’m not drunk,” Quanxi swears. “This is my first glass… and I’m a bit of a heavyweight. I just figure I should share some of my vulnerability with you since you’re naked in my home right now. Seems like a fair trade to me.”

You look up at her, having wrapped your head in the towel, and around the washroom.

“Your clothes. Right. I forgot to bring them in. They’re out here.”

“Could you go and grab them?”

“You’re coming back out here anyway, right? Just come and change out here.”

Your eyes narrow. The woman’s already seen her as nude as the day she’d been born, and from her own words, she now lives alone, the existence of those four girls in the photos seemingly otherwise erased from the apartment save for those photos. Being on the penthouse level on one of the tallest buildings around, it’d be unlikely for any of the neighbouring buildings to see—

“You’re overthinking it,” Quanxi calls out. “Is that something you do when you drink alcohol?”

Your attempt at sliding past her in the doorway fails, the taller of the two having lifted her arm to stop you.

“Is it?”

You sigh. Quanxi’s lip lifts into a small smile, and she drops her arm to let you pass and enter the kitchen.

“Is this where you assert yourself on me, and I lower myself into showing you my “gratitude”?” You slip on the folded burgundy tee from the counter, mentally cursing at the woman for supplying you with such a useless piece of fabric, the offending material barely reaching your navel; you shiver. “I’ve read enough fiction in my lifetime to recognize this cliché.”

“Then you must’ve read a crazy amount of sapphic erotica throughout your journey across the stars.” You shake your head and reach for the pants, ignoring Quanxi’s presence at your side. “No,” she answers, “though, I’m glad my intentions go without me having to say anything. A harmless, wordless invitation to share in a little bit of skinship with me. I won’t force you into it, but…”

In still being bare from the hips down, Quanxi dares to smooth a hand across your waist that curls an arm around your middle, and you freeze, your cool skin quick to grow warm under her touch.

“Quanxi—””It’s not lowering yourself to enjoy yourself,” she muses, right next to your ear. You blame your immodesty for the chill that sweeps down your spine. “Let me take your mind out of the stars for the night.”

It’s the alcohol. You’re drunk, too. That’s the only reason. Trying to rationalize your acceptance of the situation with false realities only embarrasses you further— you aren’t drunk. You can’t even call yourself slightly inebriated, not yet. 

Then perhaps it’s your subconscious telling you to cave to Quanxi’s suggestion. To give into the strange offer of reprieve this Earth finds itself willing to give to you.

Her hands travel, soft and featherlight, across your now scalding flesh, and beneath the waistband of the sweats she’d intended on giving you. Loosening them from around your hips, she pushes them down until they slip around your ankles, and with a hand poised at the toned sculpt of her abdomen, she presses you into leaning against the counter behind you.

“Just stand there and stay pretty for me.”

Quanxi doesn’t waste another moment; not particularly keen to stop her, you lean into the hand that cups your jaw, allows her to fit her lips between yours, tries to remember the last time you’d ever kissed or had ever been kissed, and fails. With no other thoughts to keep you tethered to creating distractions for yourself, you keen forward and shift your weight onto a single foot. A small laugh huffs against your lips.

“You are enjoying yourself, aren’t you,” she murmurs. You’re about to argue the opposite, that you’d only been acting agreeable for their best interest, and open your mouth; ever the opportunist, Quanxi is quick to curl her tongue to sweep along the inside of your lips before you get the chance to utter a single word. You flinch, but your own hand stays holding Quanxi’s hips against your own.

Her thighs are thick, discovering them to be more muscular than you’d first presumed when one of them press between your own and shift upward. You gasp, a soft sound, when the coarse material of Quanxi’s denim begins sliding back and forth along your bare clit; you tremble, and grips her sides just a little firmer.

“Ah, see? You don’t have to use your words to show it.”

A hand slips around to hold your neck, Quanxi pulling her mouth hard against yours, and you moan, your breaths shared with each tilt of their head and each swirl of their tongues around the other dense, purposeful. Was it the alcohol making your mind fuzzier? Making your judgment clouded? You hadn’t yearned for something this hard in much too long a time, though it did go without saying— yes, I’m enjoying myself.

You shiver at the sudden soft pecks and harsher licks at the curve of your neck, and Quanxi grinds your crotch against her bouncing thigh a little more insistently when you’d begun to shudder.

“You’re close, right? So soon?” Reluctantly, you find yourself nodding. Quanxi hums. “Not here.” She lowers her knee almost too abruptly, and releases. Your head snaps her way, frowning.

“This isn’t how I want you to come,” she explains, decidedly tugging down her own pants and kicking them away. “Too simple.”

“Why did you stop?”

“It’s only for a moment,” Quanxi assures you. She takes one of your hands and begins pulling you toward the staircase to the loft, quick to guide you along to sitting at the edge of her plush bedding. “Don’t look so frustrated, hm?”

You scoff, but it’s choked, heart still racing from your formerly impending, now lost, orgasm.

“More condescending words of yours,” you mutter, “just like earlier.”

“Condescending words from earlier…” Quanxi pauses. “Do you mean when I called you a “good girl”?”

“Yes. It was patronizing.”

“And… if I were to call you a good girl now?” Quanxi releases her hold around your wrist and, before you can pull them back (whether you were going to or not), fits her fingers through both of yours and kneels between your legs, spreading them further apart with her shoulders. Your entire body flinches, and your arms both jerk upwards with nowhere to go. “Is that still me being condescending? Or…” Quanxi tilts her head forward once more, and licks a stripe upward against your quiver. “… maybe it’s patronizing now?”

“Y-You’ve… well surpassed the definition of both of those words,” you groan.

“Maybe.” Quanxi’s tongue curls, catching on the hood of your clit. You gasp. “But look at you, my little time-traveling friend, behaving so well for me. I think this deserves a little bit of praise; a small reward.”

“Stop talking about it and give it to me, then.”

Quanxi doesn’t speak again, having suddenly busied herself with the wet kisses she supplied to your cunt. Your eyes fly upward to meet hers, tongue flicking so frustratingly calculated between your folds. You stir, arms twitching impatiently in her hold with nowhere to go— until she releases them again. Unable to help herself, you lurch forward, one hand pressing the woman between your thighs deeper into you, the other clawing at the sheets beneath you. When Quanxi goes to mumble something, not bothering to remove her tongue from against you, you send a hazy glare her way.

“Don’t talk, j-just—!” Quanxi’s grip shifts, instead to wind her arms around your thighs when your squirming becomes too uncontrolled. You cry out, a sharp noise that ends up startling you back into biting down on your own lip, as Quanxi suckles on your swollen bud. It’s impossible to stop her, to want to stop her; your hold on her head lessens, though it’s only when your legs begin to tremble in their attempt to fold shut, and when your voice catches in her throat that Quanxi finally pulls away, lips and chin glistening under the moonlight and hair slightly disheveled, and you groan again, a noise that grows progressively louder and more frustrated as the blonde rises back onto her feet.

“I never specified if you’d be the only one getting rewarded,” Quanxi points out, chuckling. “Keep your legs open.”

You manage a frown, but still hold your thighs apart for Quanxi to straddle you. Your hips buck, feeling the sudden pressure, the sudden heat and slick press against her; Quanxi doesn’t waste another moment, having been denying even herself the pleasure she’d now twice ripped away from you— punishment for the frustratingly short answers you’d provided throughout the evening.

Hands falling next to your head to grip the blanket, she rocks forward, lower back instinctively arching upon the friction finally reaching her— Quanxi moans, and you, impatient and shuddering once more, reach behind Quanxi to grab at her ass to pull her tighter into you.

“So eager,” Quanxi groans. Jerkily, she forces your shirt up over your breasts, nipples pert from your arousal, and dips her head down to wrap her lips around one, tongue swirling.

“Quanxi, I—” she pops away, gasping, hips still gyrating and pelvis grinding into yours with such a desperate fervour; she suddenly swivels herself and takes hold of your leg from under her knee, bringing it upwards. “Quanxi—”

“Go on, then,” Quanxi pants. Both mouths dripping, she takes her tongue and drags it up your calf. “Come for me, my little time-traveler.”

You choke on your breath, and your hands seize for Quanxi to hold her in position while you suddenly flip her around, grinding down on her, instead. Teeth gritted, Quanxi pulls and tugs at the sheets, moaning with the sweet relief of her own orgasm, and you tremble, crying out soft and low from the washing over of — finally, finally — your own pleasure.

Spent, you huff at the one-eyed woman when you lower herself down fully onto her pelvis. “Don’t… call me that ever again.”

Quanxi’s laugh is one of disbelief, and has you reddening above her.

“I was supposed to have an early night… I can always sleep on the plane.”

© nc-vb 2024 please don’t repost! reblogs & comments are always appreciated.

#quanxi x reader #afab reader #quanxi x y/n #csm x reader #quanxi smut #csm smut #csm quanxi #wlw #quanxi wlw

[fanatical4creation]

INVERTED! Paper Crane & Fresh

Look i know they probably don't know eachother in the canon but i don't care lol, i just think they'd be good friends, okay? They fun, they cute.

Fresh:

In this universe Fresh instead of being the 90s piecr of trash, now he's the 60s piece of trash, because you just INVERT the 9 upside down and it's 6, duh?

I know that the tv wasn't black n' white in the 60s but since he swaps with Paper crane and Paper crane is mainly black n' white except for his thingies (idk the name), now for Inv.Fresh here the only colored thing is him, the parasite form y'know.

His whole thing is proving he's cool, he's very aware of what he want, confident and of course very in favor of peace, i think that instead of scaping of a fight he'd try to stop that fight, he's an secret hippie i tell ya.

He's actually into drugs and slurs, both for the Invertion factor both for the time he represents, the 60s is like a revolutionary era for society y'know, civil rights and political shit i don't actually care.

In fact Fresh has learned a lot of feelings already, such as euphoria, empathy, tenderness, bravery, sadness, anger, missing someone, tranquility and fear of course.

He has explosive trolls toys (not the movie) instead of furbies.

He's an straight-ally, i tell ya, he's the most lgbtq+ supporter of this whole multiverse.

Paper crane:

Paper's design in my opinion is the most interesting, because he's based on kidcore, colorful and innocent, i like this because he's all colorful and happy-yipeee on the outside but in the inside he's empty.

Since he swaps with Fresh, he's feelingless and learns feelings along the way, i mean maybe that's canon but let's just say he just learns it more difficultly..? Some dumb excuse, i know, but i just love this concept of emptyness inside and fulfillment outside, y'know? Let me dream.

Once someone told him colors could transmit feelings and he took that WAY seriously, he takes that for life, everything gave to him or created by him is colorful and "childish".

He's actually an symbolism for depression because no matter how colorful things are around him he'll always see everything black n' white... no he won't have a happy ending.

The only feeling he has is irritability, that makes him so bothered to get to universes to eat their magic, that's why he has a lot storaged so he's harmless the most of the time.

Paper Crane (c) @/little-noko

Fresh (c) @/loverofpiggies

#invertedverse #undertale au #utmv #art #utmv au #character design #reference sheet #ut au #undertale aus #undertale #undertaleau #sans au #Fresh #fresh sans #paper crane #InvertedFresh #InvertedPaperCrane #undertale multiverse

[fff777]

reaction to dream vs dream with mark and jisung!

ever since their mix and max performance and behind the scenes video, i've been paying more attention to these two. i'm really starting to notice in what ways jisung and mark are really so similar. i was rereading my old reaction post to their mix and max behind the scenes stuff and they were saying how mark was basically jisung a few years in the future and now i realize it's because the two of them think and feel the same way. anyway, i'm just really glad that jisung has a hyung like mark that he can look up to. and while they don't have the typical leader/maknae relationship that i see in other groups, i think they do have a special relationship and mark would love the opportunity to bond more with jisung :3

anyway, on with the video!

jisung showing off his extremely injured feet right off the bat. this really is dream feet era

mark snuck over to spy on jisung and had the gall to be like "don't look!"

jisung: what a weirdo

mark, looking at jisung's 'injured' feet: what happened to you? jisung: i ran here jisung: to find you of course mark would love something like that

jisung was trying to think of ideas for his last questions and mark was like "well let me tell you what i wrote" and jisung was like "??? no spoilers please? nvm i'll just think of a question on my own" these two guys are messes lmao

mark's new idea: czennie vs czennie in this case, a mark biased fan vs a jisung biased fan

showing off his new phone case to the world. pretty sure this is something you do on bubble and not on. your variety show lmao

jisung: why does it feel like we've done dream vs dream before? mark: it's because of mix & max!

side note, jisung is such a long boy that his feet keep getting cut off at the bottom of the screen

jisung's first question was what song his family liked the most in dream( )scape

LOL so jisung said that his family was iffy after listening to the demos, but after listening to the nct dream versions, they loved that particular song. mark guess smoothie, because his parents were like that too. i keep saying this but mark and jisung are kind of the same person sometimes XD

mark's question was what he wears around his neck when he goes to sleep. honestly i was going to guess rosary but jisung's guessing actual sleep-related stuff.

the answer ended up being a towel ^^;; pretty normal lmfao. i was the weird one.

jisung saying smoothie so many times that it started to sound like other words ^^;;

jeno sent a message to the group chat saying the name of the song should be someorie (cow's head)

mark's second question was what did jisung do recently that touched mark's heart. jisung was amazed because he wrote a similar question ^^;; jisung is mark's mini-me

the two most perpetually serious dreamies getting serious

LOL mark was so sure jisung wouldn't get it right and jisung got it right on the first try X'D

as always they don't go into detail at all ^^;; but it seems like they had a really serious conversation and mark was inspired by jisung's care to the team

the way mark was like this isn't a matter of your poor handwriting, i think it's actually your korean

LOSERS

wow, a SECOND question that the two of them both asked. MARK AND JISUNG ARE THE SAME PERSON!!!!

jisung liked his part with chenle in unknown :3

mark loves jisung's dedication and perseverance in wanting to do well in smoothie <3

LOL mark reenacting jisung when jisung was proud of doing well on recording smoothie! in mark's mind, jisung is still a little cutie <3

jisung taking mark for a ride as he listed every single song on dream( )scape XD

oh man...if mark gets into philosophy he and jisung really be the same person lol

mark's been reading a page before going to sleep (y) healthy habit

oh wow. but i feel like mark likes this healthy discourse. i think he likes that jisung has his own thoughts and isn't afraid to voice them.

LOL jisung explaining that both of them used to disagree with haechan and thus the two of them used to agree often.

aww so jisung liked it when he and mark were on the same team so mark would help him as they tried to argue for their ideas

LOL third question that is more or less very similar. WHAT DID I SAY?! what did i say about them?!

yeahhhh like i think mark likes there to be healthy discussion in the group, and it's especially comforting when someone as timid as jisung feels confident voicing his concerns

lol mark gets annoyed that jisung changes his mind a lot

ahhh i love that jisung knows what mark means. like he can probably think of a situation where this happened and now he understands what mark is thinking.

lmaooo arguing about whether they're done questions X'D

aww dream vs dream is now officially over

yo ream ^^;;

BRO!!!!!!

aww....i'm starting to love marksung's dynamic a lot. it really feels like...they're catching up but in the emotional sense? especially the questions about what bothered them about the other during promotions. it's like...them really understanding each other and learning from each other in what ways they can be stronger both for themselves for the team. this is like group therapy lol. anyway, loved this!

#screencaps & commentaries #nct #nct dream #mark lee #park jisung #jisung & mark

[imgibbon]

A Brief History of The Great Giana Sisters

Developed in 1987 for the Commodore 64 by Germen game creator Armin Gessert and published by Rainbow Arts, The Great Giana Sisters was very much a Super Mario Brothers clone, featuring a pair of sisters (Giana and Maria) in a Wonderland-inspired landscape collecting gems with similar enemy archetypes and powerups. It was wildly popular in the C64 gaming scene and there are reports of threatened legal action from Nintendo. Now, while I didn't actually own this growing up, I was aware of it from the C64 mags and books my folks had lying around the house, so it was a bit of a holy grail of video game entertainment for one who only had access to a Commodore 64 and an Atari 2600 until sometime after the N64 came out haha.

Due to aforementioned legal threats, Rainbow Arts sort of backed off the formula in various ways, first one of their later ports to the C16, titled simply Giana Sister, a different type of game, when Giana must go room by room avoiding traps and getting through simple puzzle-scapes to collect each room's single gem, collecting all of them to complete the game. Another example was Rainbow's planned Giana Sisters 2, set in a futuristic scifi world and being a bit more shooter oriented, being reskinned as Hard'n'Heavy with Giana & Maria being reskinned as androids Heavy & Metal.

Perhaps due to the ambiguous legal standing, Rainbow Arts took no action against other publishers publishing their own homegrown sequels, such as I Want More Diamonds for the C64 in 1991, which ran with Hard'n'Heavy's scifi setting and incorporated many horror & scifi film homages throughout and introduced the concept of Giana owning a rocket ship for some reason, or 1998's Giana Family, which echoed the first game's aesthetics but had a large multiplayer focus and a map builder, with ability for users to share their custom stages and versus arenas.

Sometime in the early 2000s, Armin Gessert's self-founded studio Spellbound Entertainment acquired the rights to the Giana Sisters IP and started producing their own games with others of the original development team. The first of these was Armin Gessert's Giana Sisters a j2me phone port of the original Great Giana Sisters with some enhancements, such as the story actually being in the game, but with added mention of Giana's rocket from I Want More Diamonds, oddly enough. The second was Armin Gessert's Giana Sisters II, which much like The Lost Levels was basically just the first game again but with remixed levels and a higher level of difficulty. Both of these were put out in 2006.

A few years later in 2009, Giana Sisters DS marked the first time the sisters had graced a Nintendo platform in an official capacity, and marked the starting point of the a new era for the series, serving as a bit of a reboot and rebranding and beginning to explore giving the series more of a solidified identity, leaning into the "Punk Alice in Wonderland" theming from the original's advertising. Unfortunately Gessert passed away a few months after Giana Sisters DS was released.

It was around this time that Giana's Return, a fan game that had been in development since 2003, was released for free on the internet, and whose professional level of polish and presentation netted it coverage in several European PC & Retro Gaming magazines.

In the wake of Gessert's passing, Spellbound dissolved and reformed as Black Forest Games, retaining the Giana Sisters IP rights and continuing on with the rebrand of the series into something more than just a Mario Bros clone. To this end they tested out a social Bomberman style game, Giana Sisters Young Generation, which unfortunately didn't really get off the ground, and shifted focus to their main project, Giana Sisters: Twisted Dreams in 2012.

Twisted Dreams strove to develop a unique gameplay identity for the series, leaning harder into the punk wonderland aesthetic and experimenting with shifting between gameplay movesets & level environments at the press of a button, adjusting Giana's movement & attack options as she switches back and forth between "cute" and "punk" styles, as well as shifting the landscape & level obstacles as well.

The following year, a standalone expansion, Rise of the Owlverlord, was released, containing an entirely new set of levels, bosses, and story scenes.

A couple years later in 2015, Black Forest put out Giana Sisters: Dream Runners, a competitive platformer where you race against other players or pc-controlled opponents to the end of the stage. It's… not as good as Twisted Dreams and Owlverlord, but at least Black Forest was still making entries.

In 2016, Black Forest showed off a prototype for a 3D platformer tentatively titled Giana Sisters 2, but the studio was soon after absorbed into THQ Nordic, and by extension, Embracer Group, and no mention has been made of the project in the meantime. Since the buyout they've mostly worked on other THQ properties, with the closest thing to a Giana title in gameplay & aesthetics being the controversially received Bubsy: The Woolies Strike Back from late 2017.

And yeah, unfortunately the last we've seen of the series was that Giana Sisters 2 prototype in 2016 and a Switch port of both Twister Dreams and Owlverlord in one package in 2018. But the series remains popular in various circles and I have no doubt we'll see another game come out eventually.

#giana sisters #great #mario brothers #commodore 64 #c64 #super #nes #nintendo #retro gaming #bubsy #platformers

[hilarychuff]

Top 5 favorite fics of all time?

favorite fics of all time omg ok i'm sure i'm going to have forgotten about some because i'm not too much of a rereader so i'm relying heavily on my ao3 bookmarks for this one but

someone reaching back for me by @enoughtotemptme

i'm still in my chrissy cunningham phase and this hellcheer fic about eddie stuck in a groundhog day style time loop of the day chrissy dies until he ends up looping in the whole party and they figure out how to fix it is a big fave from this hyperfixation. i love it so much. it is so well done and it was so interesting and there are so many heartsqueezy lil moments and gut punches and eddie tries so hard!!!! until he finally got that much-deserved win 🥲

what lies beneath her skin by @chispas-and-broken-bindings

;) i thiiiiiink this fic was finished by the time i found it (at least part 1, part 2 i think hadn't started yet) and i was ready for a big ol deep dive. 100k words!! it's alayne/jon realness but in a different context than you usually get alayne/jon. sometimes you read something and you're like "i should befriend this author" which is actually how i made a lot of my fandom friends lmao.

the last enemy: the howling nights by @chdarling

i haven't been in my marauders era for a while now but @offbeatorbit and @julvett told me i had to read this fic and dragged me back in. and they were right!!! it's the best. ch wrote such a good first book in what is going to be a MULTI book fanfic. turned me into a marlene stan. need marlene to kiss any and all characters just to see how she'd react. studying marlene like a little bug under a microscope or whatever. poking her with a stick. etc. anyway if you need a long marauders fic to read, this is a great one. relatedly...

it's all politics by @offbeatorbit and love is a powerful sort of magic by @julvett

i'm combinging this into one for squad purposes. i remember reading it's all politics a decade ago and also being like i must be friends with this person. i love all of ashley's lily/marauders/snape stuff but i always distinctly remember the "complete fucking yoko ono" line about sirius from this fic. i also loved jules' ask jily comics and had started to weasel my lil way into her ask box way way back before messaging was even a twinkle in tumblr's eye and am so psyched now that jules has started sharing her writing, too!! i've gotten som sneak peeks and this is one to watch for sure

the ghost inside by @cellsshapedlikestars

a jonsa writer so prolific that it was hard to pick just one!!! i almost went with to all the boys i've loved before au but instead had to go with this one magic/dreamscape one as soon as i laid my eyes on it. dream scapes are always so fun but imo hard to pull off in a way that feels both like it is making good use of that premise while also furthering the story itself. jon and sansa visiting each other's dreams and slowly peeling back the layers on each other's backstories is so fun and special. also i love witchy sisters sansa and arya!!!!

#ask games #fic recs

[wnxwrld]

☆cyber-scape☆

Cyber-scape is the debut album of winx. Cyber scape will feature musical elements reminiscent of video games, one major source of inspiration for this era is mainly the NiGHTS: into dreams series because although there has been an uptick of kpop concepts that rely on nostalgia from the 2000s and y2k futurism, there really hasn’t been a group to fully explore the niche of that faze during the 90s-early 2000s where companies where just figuring out 3d in games so it looked disorienting at times but it had a certain dream like charm to it.

The mv will be set inside a video game in which Alis, Daisy, Halina and Sorella (c/v) are trying to find the other girls in what appears to be a video game which is an extended metaphor for how the other girls don’t realize the repercussions of being a magical girl in this universe, they see it as a game which is what c/v what to save them from which is why they are seen chasing the other girls throughout the mv

Promoted solo- luka luka night fever (Kimiko)

This will signify that despite the fact that the ultraviolet girls where defended the most, Kimiko is still destined to become a magical girl because of her daydreaming tendencies and her hatred for reality, preferring instead to stay in a fantasy where she is seemingly untouchable which aligns with the general perception of magical girls

I would like the album design to look like video game cover art, resembling something from NiGHTS or sonic adventure 1 and 2 :

I would also like the concept photos to look like old video game promotional material, for example:

Album:

Perfume - perfume (Intro)

Hi high - loona (title track)

Gee - girls generation

Saturday night - crayon pop

No title - x0o0x(?)

WWW - moe shop

Strange days - brown eyed girls

Whatever - 9 muses

Kikuo - kaleidoscope

Luka luka night fever - samfree

Lonely in gorgeous - tommy February6

Je t’aime je t’aime - tommy February6

Kara - what’s this (plastic ver)

Kara - SOS

Finder (dslr remix) - kz livetune

Cupid - icu

Galaxy supernova - girls generation

Oceanfromtheblue - position

Kirin/devita- mianhae

Ccola - love 2000

Gwsn- night aviation

#kpop shifting #reality shift #shifting

[adversaryss]

Oh are we sharing Mirage HCs? Because I would love if Aias' island is this wintery forest scape that you have to traverse full of Riftwolves and those stationary 'dead enemy' set pieces you sometimes come across in game, probably some children's toys and random furniture as well which is an unsettling sort of contrast.

The entry-exit pattern is similar to Mona's pools in that there is a crack in the earth that you have to jump down every time, very deep and completely black so you can't even see the bottom of it. When returning to the 'forest', you have to locate a key item in the nature maze before jumping back down.

The overall theme of the 'dream world' would be more like Fischl's, a Snezhnayan Winter Wonderland, very bright and colorful and themed around various fairytales/folktales, with many items floating at odd angles as if they've been frozen in time while falling. Resembles the cave system in Dragonspine specifically, lots of snow and icicles and multi-level platforming.

It is actually not that scary looking at all, a lot of the 'enemies' are actually just cardboard cutouts that look like children's drawings of various monsters and you have to play tag with them (i.e. move through a room without being touched by the cutouts that are moving in patterns.) It gets progressively harder with more and more monsters being added, but using a stationary slingshot with limited ammo, you can carve out a specific path to run through.

(There are cut-outs of other children as well, but they cannot be interacted with or played with. They are situated in odd places that are difficult for the player to access and seem to be always facing/watching the player wherever you are in a given area. It makes one wonder: What does he really fear? What cannot be escaped or overcome?)

Another key feature is gravity-flipping areas like Kazuha's, but the interactable item is a snow-globe that you have to flip/shake. Collectable key items are torn fragments of pages from a diary and once you've found all the pieces of a page, you have to put them together in a jigsaw puzzle sort of looking overlay to trigger a narrator's voiceover and progress. (Vague symbolism for his communication/verbal issues as a child.)

The early ones detail the 'protagonist's' childhood aspirations for adventure and his overflowing curiosity for the world around him, as well as his love for his family, but his pervasive childhood self-doubts, social anxiety, and urgency end each passage as well. Phrases like 'He needs to become stronger,' 'Because a real hero wouldn't-', 'Everyone will love him once he-', etc.

The Abyss Era is detailed more abstractly and presented as an adventure, with the little adventurer passing through the 'Dark World' and facing hardships, meeting a Master (Skirk), and eventually obtaining various pieces of 'dark armor' that protect him and make him blend in with the environment. The game of tag now includes invulnerability shadows that you can wait in for the most opportune moment to move. Narrator language shifts from 'real hero' to 'true warrior' with various dogmas Aias learned from Skirk sprinkled in (such as, 'A true warrior never deliberates unduly over their choice of weapon, nor do they do so over the food they eat.')

After escaping the Dark World, the narrator applauds the boy for becoming so strong and overcoming his previous weakness. He no longer concerns himself with petty worries and can defeat anything in his path. Around this time, the game of tag mechanic flips and the opponents become the children cutouts that now actively avoid the player. You have to chase them all down and attack them, destroying them, to complete the challenge within the time-limit. The moral of the story is that power comes with a price, and once the protagonist returns to the 'Light World', he has become the monster others fear.

The whole world is his to explore now, but he can never return home.

#ooc #headcanons #long post #(SORRY THIS BECAME SO LONG AAAAAAAAA I HAVE BEEN THINKING ABOUT THIS A LOT) #(Gently holds him in my hands; I love him so much can you tell sdfsdfs) #genshin spoilers // technically #(ANYWAYS I JUST THINK WHEN CORRUPTION ARCS AND LIBERATION ARCS COLLIDE THAT IS SO TASTY!!!)

[lmelodie]

Legendary Council Headcannons

Jack Frost:

Any and all clothing that he wears regularly, will eventually develop frost patches/thin ice layers on them with repeated wear. His suit didn't originally look like that, but it's the one he wears all the time

He cannot cook for the life of him, but he can make a decent drink. He can make just about any drink under the sun from martinis to hot cocoa to coffee. And he makes all of his own ice of course

Speaking of drinks he is an alcohol SNOB. V high standards for a drink which is why he always offers to make them himself. 

Claims to have met Frank Sinatra (as well as countless other now dead celebrities) but absolutely ZERO council members believe him

His favorite era of human history was the 30s

His hands are never cold; as one would be surprised to learn. He has actual normal temptured hands (without using his powers)

Actively avoids physical contact unless he initiates it. It's another way of making himself feel more in control.

Him and cupid will sometimes bond over causing chaos in human lives

Will occasionally vacation in Egypt for the rare snow every couple of decades

TOLERATES any and all children at the most

Mother Nature: 

Experiences regular periods

Absolutely great with kids, and loves babies. If you have a baby, not anymore it's hers now

Really enjoys rock music and will stand on the outskirts of outdoor concerts to get a listen

Absolutely ROCKS leather pants

Has a habit of subconsciously Moming the other council members, and father time is usually the one to tell her when it happens

Has a massive sweet tooth

Does the crabafication process to random species cause she likes crabs a whole lot, and because she thinks its funny

Not a very good liar, usually she is very eloquent but when trying to lie she will stumble on her words a lot more

Thinks humanity's greatest invention is music

Generally pretty good about keeping her temper in check in the presence of others, but you may hear lightning outside or hear of a hurricane the next day

Cupid:

Thinks dark chocolate is overrated and his favorite is white chocolate. Nobody else in the council agrees with him

Soul mates do in fact exists, but he regularly makes ppl fall in love with someone else cause he thinks It more entertaining

Some of his favorite tropes are as follows: Enemies to lovers, childhood friends to lovers, general meet cutes, and opposites attract

Was really good friends with Sappho back in the day, and still regularly visits their old hang out spots

Sometimes he will just close his eyes and shoot in a random direction for fun 

Him and sandy get along the best, second best is him and tooth fairy (frenemies)

His favorite color is salmon pink and is very specific about the name

He has fallen in love with many human beings over the millenia, and he has never forgotten a single one

Is Faster than tooth fairy in pure flying speed and brags about it any chance its brought up

Gets along with Easter bunny by talking shit about other people with him

Sandman:

The chilliest out of all the council members, if not only because he is so tired all the time

That being said, him and the boogeyman get along the LEAST. If only because there jobs directly work against each other

He will bump into tooth fairy the most while on the job  

Sandy's dreams are fabricated from the dreamer's own psyche. While he can implant specific ideas, they will be influenced by the person's own thoughts, feelings and ideas as well. 

Which is why he likes working with children so much more. A lot less gloom and a lot more creative freedom

Sandy's realm is actually a lot like father times realm. Both are very spacey and barren (with some differences), but this is because the dream scape has no chronological structure and doesn't follow the conventional rules of time

A lot of the other council members like to call Sandy's realm, The Sand Castle.

He has multiple sets of the same pajamas 

Any human brough to his realm (for some reason), will almost immediately fall asleep because of how much dream dust there is in the air

He finds human art pretty neat and has some old paintings and sculptures in his realm

Father Time:

He has a tendency to be blunt, more so than any other council member. And occasionally will snap a quip or two out of nowhere 

He also has a tendency to ramble for, conceivably, forever. If you give him any chance, he will tell you a million stories loosely strung together and that is a threat. Mother nature will often get him back on track

Both him and mother nature are the “heads” of the council and are needed for anything to get the council's official seal of approval 

That being said mother nature will sometimes look to father time for guidance when she is truly at a loss

Father time hosts annual new years gatherings for the ENTIRE magical realm as he brings in the new year. He didn't invite Jack once (1), and he then made it everyone else's problem

Endless pearls of wisdom, but only when they are most important

He sometimes gets timelines confused and talks about things that have never happened. Everybody is used to it and corrects him when it happens.

But otherwise, his memory is crystal clear, and remembers the smallest details from hundreds of years ago 

Father time's realm is the inside of a giant wizard tower most of the time, but it's also very vast and the horizons of the rooms are hazy, almost like parts of it disappear into mist.

Spends a lot of time in his realm and doesn't venture outside much

Easter Bunny:

The most shit talky council member out of everyone. Can and will talk about other council members behind peoples back. Not to intentionally stir up drama, but just because he can.

A legendary that also takes place in the reincarnation program, he was a normal human once.

And therefore also has an escape clause equivalent, and a magical item that stores all the easter magic (the bowtie)

Absolutely despises Jack and holds over his head the fact that he's the calling card for the end of Jack's winter, every single year.

Out of all the previous easter bunnies, he has been the chillest with the physical transformations. He didn't have a lot going for him when he was human, so he's glad he can help out the world in such a major way now.

Actually a very hard worker with a good work ethic, similar to santa, which is how they bond

Each incarnation of the easter bunny has had a different fur pattern/color

When kids color their own eggs, he will sometimes take one that he thinks is pretty and puts it in his personal collection. But he always leaves a treat in its place

He bonds with mother nature about coming spring preparations

Is allergic to cats, and terrified of dogs

Tooth Fairy:

Another legendary figure that gets reincarnated, and his magical item is a Pin shaped like a tooth with wings

He actually has the most diverse wardrobe of the entire council. But considering that nobody really changes their clothes anyway, it's not that hard to do

Does not care for the inherent feminization of the job, but enjoys the position nevertheless

He finds it especially amusing when some of the kids try and set traps for him

His specific type of magic is actually most akin to Santa in that “Tooth Magic” is equivalent to childhood wonder. The childhood spirit is stored in the teeth

Impulsive habit of looking at other peoples teeth. But he always asks first

Is actually rather sociable and is good friends with most of the council members

Sometimes he wishes he could talk to the previous fairies and ask them what he should be doing in times of doubt

Slower than Cupid in flying speed, and is only a little bitter about it

He just likes the name Roy

 Boogeyman:

The actually misunderstood one, quite literally. People (And when they first met him, the whole council) think that he's actually malicious and evil, when that's just his job, but he is actually very courteous and nice when you get to know him. 

He has an aura that puts people on edge when he's around them (except for the other council members)

His main power is Mimicry, both in physical form and in voices. He's the faces and other things you see out of the corner of your eye in a dark room. And the footsteps you can hear when you swear your alone.

His secondary power is Shadow control or sentient shadows, he likes to call them the shadow puppets 

His favorite animals are any in the reptile family

Easter bunny and cupid still have some reservations about him, but mostly gets along with everyone on the council

He isn't sure how he feels about jack anymore

Constantly looks ragged and homeless, because he doesn't care enough to actually look presentable

He is just fine scooting by under the radar, and is just chillin most of the time 

As much as he loves dark and dank places, he does also love a good fireplace

#text #wrtitng #Headcanon #the santa clause 3 #The Santa Clause #hc #OC #nonart

[charmingcuteandlovely]

Awsaz new season coming soon

(x)

bonus: upset Samoyed

#NCT DREAM #Renjun #Jeno #Mark Lee #Chenle #era: DREAM()SCAPE #year: 2024

[upalldown]

Squid - O Monolith

Second full-length album from the Brighton post-punk band produced by Dan Carey

8/13

Like Squid’s debut, O Monolith begs for attentive listening. While 2021's Bright Green Field was by no means the serene country land of its title – in fact, it leant heavily on concrete – comparatively it is a pastoral stroll. O Monolith is a torn-up patchwork of terrain; scorching sands sutured violently into haunting forestry, sprawling ocean scapes tidally enveloping dense metropolitan high-rises.

The non-hierarchical ethic of the Brighton five-piece affects a wilding selection of contrasting musical ideas upon their output. For most bands, this tapestry of sounds would flounder and reject its connectivity, but Squid successfully stitch diverse concepts into one brooding work.

The ecstatic electro-terror of Swing (In A Dream) should (but does not) jar in its preceding of Devil’s Den, a woodwind-heavy number, harmonious and gentle in its infancy but characteristically explosive in its latter moments. The Blades is premised on a minimalist glitch-beat evocative of Syro-era Aphex Twin, and grows to a fuzzing swirl tangling with Ollie Judge’s wailing.

The final track of the project is the most worthy of being considered monolithic in its own right. If You Had Seen the Bull’s Swimming Attempts You Would Have Stayed Away provides three distinct sonic variations in its first minute alone, and does not rest on its laurels from thereon out. It encapsulates O Monolith, and elevates it.

https://www.theskinny.co.uk/music/reviews/albums/squid-o-monolith

#squid #o monolith #music

[juststamp]

Endview last bison lyrics

This magnum opus track by Aussie song-of-the-year winners Boy & Bear walks a distinctively fine line between the menace of the Doors, the spookiness of Brendan Perry’s best work with Dead Can Dance and the pop sensibility that defines B&B’s current dollop of popularity on this side of the pond. Iconoclast Andrew Bird finds conventional song structure and a couple of strong hooks in this sad little Celtic folk tragedy.īoston psychedelic rockers Quilt keep the reverb to a minimum on this track and still deliver trippy, vocal drama to this mellow acoustic track. The other creative half of the Simon Dawes band comes out of the shadows in style on his uniquely sound-scaped debut “Heigh Ho”.ģ2) Train Running Low On Soul Coal – WinterpillsĪlthough this XTC penned cover track is buried deep in their 2014 release “Echolalia” (note to self…update their woefully unattended Wikipages)…this railway themed song may overdo it on the metaphors (train running low on dream steam?), but it’s a worthy and downbeat meditation on the journey. On the strength of a galloping acoustic rhythm, this gorgeous track from Aussie newcomer Stu Larsen transcends the lot of Queen’s subject pasty boys clogging the top of the pop charts. Talk about meta-communication, these veteran Colorado jam banders write a song about a song in their head that you can’t get out of your head. The quintessential Texican rock band didn’t exactly strike gold the way they did the first time out, but this upbeat plea for love is catchy as anything this side of “Heaven”.ģ5) Song In My Head – The String Cheese Incident Who knew a band formed in 1967 would still be cranking ‘em out with original leader Terry Adams back at the helm? This song is like a warm blanket knitted with Beatles.ģ6) It’s Just My Heart Talkin’ – Los Lonely Boys Swedish indie-rock sisters continue to channel mid sixties Pop on this stunning sophomore release. The opening harmonies had me singing this song before they even got to the bridge. You can’t have enough poison-pen odes to California, right John Murry? (#19). From the 2014 EP “Without Within”ģ9) California (Cast Iron Soul) – Jamestown Revival UK indie Beard champions create enough facial acoustics to create this beautifully shimmering ode to rebound love. Jimmer Podrasky of The Rave-Ups appears after 23 year absence, harmonicas blazing.ĭebut album and single from promising singer-songwriter Matthew Jordan Hemerlein had us chorus-humming a good part of the year. And it only took Laurel Canyon Radio eight albums to hear about him. North Carolina singer/songwriter sounds familiar and unique simultaneously. Who new Bryan Ferry could uncork an Avalon-era Roxy Music track this deep into 2014? Classical music would go down a lot smoother with this Virginia collective at the helm. Oh Last Bison, you had me at the first violin note. This easy-going yet wistful track will make you wonder how many Jackson Browne albums were released this year. Political charged country commentary from exactly who you would expect it from. This gospel raveup takes us to church like no Hozier could… the lead single from The Lone Bellow’s wildly anticipated 2015 release of the same name.Ĥ7) The Git Go – Willie Nelson w/Jamey Johnson Pretty and propellant folk tune.these perpetually tourers are back in LA December 12.īeck’s Grammy-bait CD is so dusted in Laurel Canyon it could have it’s own chart.Ĥ8) Then Came The Morning – The Lone Bellow The Top 50 Tracks of 2014 – Laurel Canyon Radioĥ0) Even The Darkness Has Arms – The Barr Brothers

#Endview last bison lyrics

[fff777]

watched nct dream( )scape countdown live! this is my reaction part 1

so i know now that it's supposed to be read "dream escape" and not "dreamscape." the e has escaped.

i've been waiting for the subtitles for a while. i tend to prefer the youtube subtitles over the live subtitles as the live subtitles tend to be delayed and that distracts me from actually understanding who's saying what

i've never been big on noise music but i admit the dissonant 'noises' that are layered under smoothie are catchy and hype

they're back to their regular seating assignments except chenji are switched

renjun: click like, subscribe, and turn on the notification bell already in youtuber form

jaemin's just revisiting a lot of old favourites, huh. first was white hair and now he's back to calling everything and everyone sexy.

they all commented on jaemin's white hair

is it just me, or is chenle shy about making extended eye contact with the camera? he kept looking away while introducing himself

already on our chenji bullshit

chenle complimenting jisung's hair. you know...i'm thinking that chenle compliments jisung more nowadays. he still definitely teases jisung a lot but we're in soft chenle era now.

jisung changed his hair five times this comeback??? rip your scalp boy

haechan literally every time. dramatic ass.

they started discussing smoothie right after broken melodies comeback live :o

chenle randomly talking about poison and sos performances. he is the kind of guy to say it aloud when he's proud.

haechan explaining how this comeback was them just pouring content on us. the way he showed it did look like a meme and all the other guys were like "where have i seen that before" and he was like damn i thought i was being original.

their 2024 schedule is packed like tetris TAT

chenle: did we start 30 min earlier because we talk too much

reading comments and of course haechan reading the one that's like "mark show abs please"

production for this album took two years as in 2023 to 2024

jisung made a dumb pun and was like let's move on and haechan is like the hell we will, say it again you coward

jaemin liked it :P

talking about how the speaker voice sounds like chenle again

woo so i wasn't wrong when i said this was definitely a version of the chewing gum concept (the boarding school photos for icantfeelanything)

so the members did a survey/quiz for the writers and that's how they came up with a concept

commotion on the east wing over there because apparently haechan keeps throwing jisung's picture

jaemin hugging bunny stuffy and jisung hugging cat stuffy

dream: meetings are hard

once again bringing up the fact that renjun provided a lot of the ideas for the concept. the concept with the guys looking prim and proper in their uniforms but with beaten up feet.

the guys wanting haechan to talk about something and haechan threatening (renjun) that he'd reveal it.

renjun participated in more meetings a result of being more involved in the concept

jisung's calves were very sore for practising ballet for two days. haechan said that jisung practised ballet ten years ago when he just became a trainee.

mark overexaggerated his surprise that there was a body double for the ballet

chenle: jisung can totally ballet like that in real life though

renjun the one to bring up jeno's muscles

chenle: as soon as jeno's back muscles came up i posted it on every socmed platform jisung: you seem to enjoy the muscles the most

renjun and jeno practised shooting guns, but jeno said the recoil was just acting. so i guess it was just a prop gun but like, without blanks.

haechan: y'all looked cool from the side and cute from the front (about renjun and jeno shooting)

mark: what did you think about doing your scene in one take? renjun: i didn't for real though renjun said he was just focused on getting it right

haechan: the binary system was a numeric system created by a person called binary it's giving "the triangle instrument was named after joe triangle"

the guys getting mark to say his english line in unknown again

i'm convinced mark just tries to see the romance in everything and i don't blame him, gotta do what you gotta do to get by. basically he turned his and haechan's teaser into a bit of a meet-cute, saying how his character thought it was interesting that haechan's character wasn't copying the binary numbers down and he thought haechan was cute.

jeno: it was very fitting to give haechan the role of the student who didn't pay attention in class haechan: it's called method acting

they're sitting in a row, so whenever chenle is talking to the group, he turns his whole body from side to side

jeno on jaemin and chenle fencing: it's a fight between two cats

jeno casually leaning his arm across the back of the sofa

jeno: wouldn't the pill have melted in your mouth? chenle: yes, but it's a movie jisung is amused

renjun impressed by how chenle was able to make spitting out the pill look cool

jaemle did not practise fencing until they were at the actual site of filming

now they're talking about the smoothie individual teasers

haechan was splashed with coffee when the robber kicked away his table but he remained professional. the guys were impressed (y)

jisung really liked mark's teaser >3 now that i'm watching more dream stuff, it's always fun to see in what ways mark and jisung are on the same wavelength

so renjun plucked the flower to make a ring instead of protecting it

cat stuffy transferred from jisung to haechan

lmao haechan making jisung say the line on the prompter and the guys all clapping and cheering. losers lol.

chenle: jisung's cringe defences are growing weak

markren getting in position to watch jisung do something cute

jaemin yelling at jisung again for not doing kyu on the mouth

more markren with the popcorn (popping that corn, if you will)

jisung did kyu a second time and he still didn't touch his finger to his lip lmfao

the third time he did touch his lip but he didn't make the kyu sound X'D why is this so hardddddd

he finally did it after the fourth time. like pulling teeth i swear.

group kyu

haechan once again standing up for his monologue

on this day, renjun has decided to be benevolent and grace haechan with a response

first song: icantfeelanything

markno protecting renjun's tummy

party over in east wing again

this was jisung's favourite song :3

jisung: we have the opportunity to write lyrics for this song mark: so what did you do, jisung jisung: it got rejected

mark explained that it was blind test. so i guess some of the guys wrote lyrics and submitted them without their names

jisung didn't have time to finish his lyrics ^^;;

chenji squabbles again! jisung was saying he used to eat less sweets and now he's eating more. now chenle is saying that jisung actually used to eat a lot of sweets so is jisung saying he's become numb to sweets and is eating more because of it?

jisung @ chenle X3

jaemin: we can never grow numb to nctzens' love jaemin: gremlin laugh i wonder if this is his way of being embarrassed/cringed out

second: smoothie

renjun standing up to dance once again. he just feels music with his whole body eh

renjun censoring the dance

they did basically leak the entire dance lol

jisung: can you say this to jeno? things about behind the scenes stories? haechan: you can ask him yourself jeno: you can ask me yourself jisung thought haechan was the mc so that was why he was so awkward about it lol

jeno recorded "smoothie" for around an hour. he was saying how the word smoothie starts to sound like something else ^^;; like when you say a word so often that it loses its meaning.

third song: box

haechan: hey siri haechan: hey google haechan: hey bixby

mark: roar

jaemin kept whispering into chenle's ear when chenle was saying the best places to listen to box...they're trying to promote tds3 ^^;;

chenle: i'd like all 7 of us to be in a box together at least once

fourth song: carat cake

haechan's cute head bop during carat cake X3 you can't see it bc it's a screenshot but it was cute

lmao renjun just learned on this day that learned the meaning of carat cake and that it was not carrot cake lmfao

mark: haechan, what have you been tempted by lately? haechan: you mean seduced?

oh noooo haechan was on a diet so at renjun's birthday party he only ate chicken breast and an apple ToT that is so sad ToT

fifth song: unknown

jisung said that this song sounds a bit like jbiebs :P

jisung (lightly) scold mark for spoiling the dance, but it wasn't shown on camera anyway

mark and jeno worked on lyrics for the rap of this song.

this next part was really cryptic where the guys were discussing new things going on...except none of them really said anything lol

#screencaps & commentaries #nct #nct dream

[shijiujun]

WHY YOU SHOULD WATCH PSYCH HUNTER 心宅猎人

I AM BACK!!! WITH ANOTHER WHY YOU SHOULD WATCH!!!

You guys know how much I lurveeee Republican era crime thrillers whatever, so I bring y’all Psych Hunter! Set in the Republican era, this is a crime thriller thing that reminds me of 1. MRIAD A BIT with a quarter dose of 2. TLTR, and yes the best part of these three shows is the half bromance although it definitely isn’t AS pronounced here, but it certainly sweetens the deal of watching this.

Summary: Jiang Shuo is a feng shui master and real estate broker who can enter people’s psych (a bit like Sherlock’s mind palace, or maybe Inception-esque worlds in people’s consciousness), who gets arrested for real estate fraud across three people who died after buying the houses. He meets psychology expert and doctor Qin Yiheng, who is currently consulting with the police station on cases. There he also meets Yuan Muqing, a police officer who is great at martial arts. With his skill of ‘reading minds’ or actually ENTERING someone’s dream/mind scape, he can see what they’re trying to hide etc.

A year ago, Jiang Shuo woke up without any memories of who he was before, and he and his two new friends solve cases set in front of them by mastermind Liu Zhi (six fingers), as he also tries to get his memories back. 

*The official summary also mentions that he was one of 7 people who entered a haunted house of sorts and was the only one to come out alive before he was found with all his memories lost.

Based on a novel called 凶宅笔记.

Total Eps: 36 | Playing on iQiyi offiically, but available on other usual sites I think

Why I like this:

If you like Republican era shows, this is definitely another one for you!! Plus case-solving, albeit a little different than usual

This is canonically het, i.e. Jiang Shuo is supposed to end up with Yuan Muqing, but the harmless and fun bromance between Jiang Shuo and Qin Yiheng is quite hilarious and nice to see - They hold hands A LOT (out of necessity) hahaha and when Jiang Shuo jokingly told Qin Yiheng that he looks better without glasses, the man really dumps his glasses HAHAHA

Did I also mention that Jiang Shuo looks cute af, and Qin Yiheng for all his sternness and bravado is a baby - Anyway they’re pretty nice to look at, way handsomer than they look in the poster 

It has the same-ish setting as MRIAD, but the creepiness factor of TLTR every other episode, ERMMM a bit of The Nun vibes cuz there really is a nun in there for one of the cases, and zombies and weird shit (it’s a dreamscape so hahaha)

Cinematography/framing/shots aren’t half bad which I mean is actually pretty good, although they should work a tad bit on makeup and like props (a mirror was formed with aluminium foil YOU CAN LITERALLY SEE IT)

It’s not the most brilliant in terms of script or the cases, and some of the deductions made by QYH or the rest of the police force are, admittedly, pretty lame. But the focus I suppose is on the supernatural/inception part of it, which is pretty interesting. 

I also regretted watching this at night hmmm

Characters:

1. Jiang Shuo

Smartass feng shui expert and real estate broker. Carries a string of coins and bells everywhere he goes. Amnesiac bb who is a little hot-headed but very intelligent, obviously dislikes Qin Yiheng on first sight (even though they meet while QYH is trying to save him), but sort of affectionately calls him Qin Er (as in the second Qin son). Has already fainted twice in the first two episodes, and gotten hurt in the third, I LIKE HOW THIS IS GOING. There’s quite a bit of whump for him hahaha.

Him and his coin thingys:

2. Qin Yiheng

He also went to Cambridge (against his dad’s wishes) and has an older brother. Is a doctor by degree and also psychologist by profession. Helping out with the police station now where he’s friends with the chief. He’s roped into this whole mess with Jiang Shuo for some reason by mastermind Liu Zhi as well, who has kidnapped his father. So in order to find out who Liu Zhi is and rescue his dad, he has to work together with Jiang Shuo. 

If you watch this for like his deduction skills, you’re totally out of luck tho, that’s not the point of this show (and frankly the deduction is a bit sad), but he’s rich, dresses well, has an air about him, and has chemistry with Jiang Shuo hahaha.

His side-eye and almost eye-roll whenever he deals with JS:

And yes Jiang Shuo and Qin Yiheng forever bickering, but Qin Yiheng has already rescued Jiang Shuo twice, and also sat by his bedside while waiting for Jiang Shuo to wake up - Also a lot of hand holding while they’re in the dreamscapes

Cute buddies in crime:

3. Yuan Muqing

Aside from whoever chose to dub her and make her sound like a kid, her role in this one is pretty cute! Cool martial arts policewoman who crushes hard on Qin Yiheng first and then decides she actually likes Jiang Shuo more. Hot-headed too, but very likeable.

---

Anyway it’s a pretty light but thrilling show to watch so far!! Definitely not the most interesting in terms of cases, but the chemistry between the three characters above are pretty much on point! Plus the whole creepy factor and large conspiracy behind is definitely driving me to finish this. Banter between QYH and JS is great too hehe.

#心宅猎人 #psych hunter #jiang shuo #qin yiheng #yuan muqing #hou minghao #cdrama #drama rec