#honestly it's every vox he has interacted with

[shadowofthehost]

Astor and the Vox man

#mun art #astor the sasster #vox #honestly it's every vox he has interacted with #soft vox #ac vox #sugar daddy vox

[sixthsensewulf]

Let's talk about my favourite duos in each IH campaign. . Not the player duos but the characters. Since all the players have the amazing chemistry with each other and know how to build relationships etc.

It's why most of the campaigns just go hard with Found Family with the exception of A Crown of Candy. . That's just Family. But the others - 100% found family.

FANTASY HIGH

All 3 of the campaigns in this world.. the Bad Kids friendship with each other is so heartwarming and sweet it's amazing. The kids are also traumatised as well as forced to grow up into the world. But also how they really do care for each other. So choosing a duo for each year was bloody hard.

Freshman Year : Gorgug and Fig

Honestly yeah. The friendship between Gorgug and Fig is basically why they started Fig and the Sig Figs. Fig got Gorgug into drumming to help with his rage etc.

Sophomore Year : Fabian and Gorgug

How can you not love this duo. They really come into their own this season. It's the hug when they reunite in the Nightmare Forest. Like take the fact that the first interaction these two had at high school was Fabian punching Gorgug. . Then to share a hug after Gorgug told Fabian that he remembers him.

Junior Year: Riz and Kristen

The class president and her campaign manager.. what's not to love. Honestly Junior Year was tough for me to pick a duo since I love all the duos out there. But Riz and Kristen take it. It's Riz watching Kristen when she goes and talks to her parents. It's him backing her play towards the Rat Grinders as well.

The Unsleeping City

This setting I feel like is one the underappreciated campaigns or the underestimated ones. Like it's not underrated. This weirdly has turned into my comfort campaign, I just can't get bored of this setting. Give me more urban fantasy settings D20 please. Like this campaign setting literally gave me my 3 favourite NPC to PC relationships (Ester and Ricky, Dale and Sofia, Liz and Kingston). In the first chapter, you get the very good example of "you don't need every character to have insane character development in order to tell the best story" in Ricky. Chapter Two has sort of the similar vibe with Ida and Rowan.

Chapter One : Kingston and Pete

The Voxs .. I could write an essay on the relationship of these two. The growth and development of both of them. Like come on. .from Kingston telling the rest of the team that he will and would put Pete down if Pete goes out of control... To apologise and revive Pete during the Robert Moses fight. The father - son relationship.. these two had

Chapter Two : Ricky and Cody

The Journey of these two is one of my favourites. Just the duo of Zac and Murph 100% helped, but the growth of the duo was soo good. Ricky and Cody, the paladins of the group are doing insane damage in the final fight.

****

A Crown of Candy : Lapin and Liam

There is a lot to say about the duos of ACoC. They all have their story to tell. They all grow. But the Lapin and Liam story is very bitter sweet. But the reunion between the two of them when Lapin saved the kid and told him of the Bulb etc, was so cute. Like literally the smile and small laugh from Lapin from Liam told him, that he will kill "that carrot".

****

Starstruck: Barry and Margaret

This season was hard to pick. They all are soo good and chaotic. But Barry and Margaret duo was honestly a good duo. The call to arms tactic, Margaret brought in. Make the already protective Barry, more protective.

****

Neverafter : Mother Goose and PiB

Just the two voices of reason of the group. . . Yeah PiB being the voice of reason half the time was very interesting. Like if a trickster spirit is telling the group to calm down a little or reign it in then oh boy. .. but Mother Goose and PiB are such an interesting duo. I honestly quite like the old man and his cat....

(also kinda clocked most of them are the quartet of Zac, Ally, Murph and Lou. . that's not intentional at all... )

#dimension 20 #d20 #fantasy high #fantasy high junior year #wulf ramble tag #d20 fantasy high #d20 neverafter #a crown of candy #d20 unsleeping city #d20 starstruck #a starstruck odyssey

[utilitycaster]

Speaking of Laura and Marisha having relatively weak chemistry, which CR cast members do you think have the strongest chemistry (romantic or otherwise) across campaigns?

I've tried to limit this because I could literally name a great relationship for basically every cast pairing at this point, but some of my favorites. To keep things balanced, I've done a sort of circle situation with two pairings per cast member. I also haven't included Matt just because I think it would be weird because as DM he has to play off everyone well, and he does.

Travis and Liam always have something bizarrely intense and it's different every single time and it's never quite romantic (other than Bertrand/Lieve'tel) but it is, frequently, homoerotic. Obviously most present for Fjord and Caleb and particularly their conversation in the Xhorhaus, but the "I want to give you an experience" line in late Campaign VM and Chetney and Orym's conversation in the Heartmoor are two examples.

Ashley and Travis are also always good; Pike and Grog are legendary for a reason, Fearne and Chetney have some extremely fun stuff going on but can also take it to more serious places, notably their discussion after Ashton's shard absorption attempt. and Fjord and Yasha didn't interact a ton but their few moments (I'm specifically thinking their shopping trip around episode 108 or 109?) are stellar.

Sam and Ashley have the same quality I think Liam and Travis have, namely, they are on some level playing chicken with each other and neither will back down. We see this with Pikelan; my favorite interaction is Pike being mad at Scanlan after he returns from his Meat Man era. Pike and Tary and the flashcards to remember VM is also a legendary scene for a reason. Veth and Yasha have some unbelievably funny conversations (I killed my whole family, I'll throw you under a bridge) and FCG and Fearne have run the gamut from poignant (post-Otohan Fight) to ridiculous (Fearne riding FCG around and using them as a thermos; honestly, the latest Otohan encounter somehow straddled these two vibes).

Laura and Sam should be a legendary cast pairing. They tend to play in a similar space thematically and they also keep overlapping in some sort of stat or outlook as well, without ever playing characters who knew each other beforehand. It's uncanny. We had Vex and Scanlan as Vox Machina's Charm (highlight being Vex's reaction during Bard's Lament). Vex and Tary becoming best friends and opening a bakery. Jester and Veth's shenanigans and deep friendship (messing around in that temple in Zadash; Jester confiding in her about Fjord kissing her; that one time where they encountered the syphilis bandits and kept running past each other in the dark; Jester taking the flask; and many more). And FCG and Imogen's early campaign closeness, with Imogen insisting on FCG's personhood and the two of them doing mind and dream stuff together.

Taliesin and Laura, unsurprisingly given the appeal of Perc'ahlia, are always great as well. Their willingness as Percy and Vex to be incredibly honest with each other, even about their darker traits, is commendable. Molly and Jester were fascinating because I don't think he respected her much but he did enjoy her company, and she admired him greatly. Team Cleric was also, naturally, a great duo, and I particularly think of them both returning to their respective thematic wells of closed-offness and recognizing it in each other, but going to other places to open up. We didn't get a ton of Kingsley, but he and Jester seem to get along pretty well! And Imogen and Ashton's standout moment was post-shard, but they also had a really good conversation after All-Minds-Burn, and I think they are able to embrace the tension regarding their different idealizations of estranged parents as seen in the latest episode.

Marisha and Taliesin are also really unafraid to explore conflict with each other, and it enhances their character interactions. Percy and Keyleth's friendship is fascinating because it seems that pre-stream they were quite close, but once the Briarwoods arc hit they often found themselves at odds and played off each other brilliantly. I love Molly and Beau's belligerence as well; that is one of my personal big regrets about Molly's death, and Marisha did a fantastic job showing how Beau was affected. Beau and Caduceus were also really interesting, in that they saw each other as the adults of the team for a while, especially early on. Beau and Kingsley have a great conversation in the Nein Reunited. And I've been pretty open about finding Laudna and Ashton's chemistry fascinating; while I enjoyed it romantically earlier, and would have loved to see how that played out, there's just such a great weird tension now, post-shard, that's hard to pin down.

Liam and Marisha have two of I think the most popular relationships in C1 and C2 and with good reason. Vax and Keyleth complement each other incredibly well, and I find Keyleth's feelings about the Raven Queen and how she and Vax approach them very differently to be beautifully done. Empire Siblings are again a favorite - they're so often at odds early on even as Beau has a lot of empathy for Caleb, and they're both the nerds of the party and among the most politically-minded to the point of working closely together years after the campaign. Laudna and Orym are also fascinating because they have these similar and yet wildly different ties to Vox Machina, and Orym feels for her situation, and they have some great conversations during the Issylra arc, but I actually love the growing tension. I love Orym flat out telling Laudna that this mission is important and he is pressuring Imogen because only she is capable of getting this information. I'm excited for the infiltration that's coming up!

But also because I can't limit myself here's some thoughts generally about cases where it's not every campaign but it's worth watching. The short version is "Travis and Ashley have some kind of chemistry with everyone."

I can name at least one relationship, romantic or platonic, between one of Travis's characters and a character from every other cast member, but I specifically want to shout out him and Marisha, who have zero romantic chemistry and bananas platonic chemistry in not just all three campaigns but also EXU Calamity and Candela Obscura Chapter 2. (He and Taliesin tend to have a fun and different thing going on each campaign and have a lot of similarities as players; Scanlan and Grog's clown to clown communication and Fjord and Veth's weirdly charged hostility are great; and hilariously I am obviously a massive fan of Fjord and Jester but I feel like the Baileyhams each campaign are like either we're doing high romance or we're going extremely our separate ways, which kind of makes sense in that they have extremely different approaches to D&D but also a lot of overlap in themes. Like on the rare occasions Grog and Vex, or Chetney and Imogen talk it's very good but they're certainly not the closest of characters)

Ashley also plays well with everyone. She has phenomenal chemistry with both Marisha and Laura. Beauyasha is readily apparent but also what we saw of Pike with both Keyleth and Vex was fantastic, and Imogen and Fearne are great and have some sparks, and Yasha and Jester had some incredible conversations. I also enjoy Ashley and Liam but have never shipped their characters romantically (and I suppose that was only even feasible in C1 given character sexualities); that's on my list of "could be fun" because they do always play off each other well. I will say, Ashton and Fearne have grown on me as a pairing but Ashley and Taliesin have always like...quietly vibed and had some great moments, and I think Molly and Yasha was (platonically) promising and cut short, and I love the conversation where Caduceus encourages Yasha to tell Beau how she feels, but they've never quite blown me away. I would like to see it though. There's potential.

Marisha and Sam seem to operate in very different spaces and so like...Keyleth and Scanlan, or Laudna and FCG, don't really interact much though they do have some mechanical overlap (Keyleth and Scanlan were good in combat together but didn't talk a ton) but specifically as Beau and Veth they were incredible. This is out of game but I very much enjoy their rapport during the Midst roundtables. Would love to see more.

Liam and Sam are also a fascinating case in that they're obviously very close friends irl but it's only as Veth and Caleb, and as the Grimms in Candela Obscura, that they've played characters who were close. They do have great chemistry though, romantic and platonic, and I'd love to see it explored. Liam and Laura are also interesting in that I love the twins and think they're amazing, and I like Orym and Imogen's relationship but particularly with C2 in the rearview, I just do not see much romantic chemistry between them at all. Bonkers good platonic chemistry though.

Taliesin and Sam are also a fun one in that I do like FCG and Ashton's friendship and their post-shard absorption conversation was a standout, as is Percy's outburst at Scanlan during the Bard's Lament and his friendship with Tary (and Tary's crush on him). Veth and Molly had some good moments; Veth and Caduceus did NOT know how to interact with each other.

#answered #pawthorn #cr tag #one of my first ever popular posts was me comparing cast members' c1 and c2 characters and this feels like it's bringing me back #cr spoilers

[chungledown-bimothy]

Top 5 character dynamics on d20? (Intrepid heroes seasons + side quests; so 10)

oh i love this and thank you for splitting it into the 2 groups, making it slightly more possible lol

point of clarification: the slashes are NOT being used as a shipping indication. it's just faster than using and a million times. in fact, the only one i ship is colin/deli/skarna.

Side Quests:

1- Colin/Deli/Skarna. I don't need to explain this one, I think. Everything is wrong with them and it's painful and wonderful.

2- Squing/Alexsandr. Squing ate over 2500 letters Sasha wrote. Sasha wants to play with his weirdly soft head like silly putty. Every single interaction has me in hysterics, really.

3- Evan/Jammer. EAT TRASH BEAT TRASH. FAMILY ON SIX. Jammer constantly being Evan's strongest hype man is just so great.

4- Chirp/Squak. Emily and Lou decided they wanted to be an iconic, chaotic duo, and my god they knocked it out of the park. The scene where she tells him about her wife and kids?? 100/10.

5- Lila/Jaysohn/Thorn. It was really hard to not say the whole damn party, honestly. But Thorn trying to cool-uncle parent these goddamn nightmares was incredible.

Intrepid Heroes:

1- Amethar/Caramelinda. I wrote a whole fic about their early relationship. I rotate them in my mind constantly. As complicated and painful what we know about them is, what's left unsaid is even more so. (if you just meant pc/pc dynamics, i'm sorry!)

2- Sofie/Kugrash. If I start talking about the million reasons I love them and their friendship, I'll start crying, so. Not gonna do that. But you understand.

3- Pete/Kingston. Pete seeing Kingston as an authority figure to rebel against -> father figure. Kingston not giving Epona Pete's information in the same day that he says that if it comes down to NYC or Pete, he'll pick NYC ten out of ten times. The Voxes, starting diametrically opposed and ending up family, really.

4- Saccharina/Ruby. You can be my queen or my sister, but not both. The prisoners' dilemma. Jet just died, Ruby can't let anyone else in vs Ruby representing everything Saccharina has ever wanted. 100/10 Siobhan and Emily killed me.

5- Pib/Pinocchio. Literally partners in crime. Just a pair of little dudes causing Big Chaos. Pinocchio holding Pib up to Baba Yaga and saying "where the white women at?" is canon to me.

That's a lot of Lou characters oop 😅

#dimension 20 #the ravening war #coffin run #misfits and magic #acofaf #burrow's end #a crown of candy #the unsleeping city #neverafter

[elsa-fogen]

ship ask game! im trying not to dump every ship ever bcuz im curious, i'll restrict myself to these 😭:

- charlie x alastor

- emily x lute

- val x vox

You can ask more if you want!!! I'd be really glad

Charlie/Alastor

Honestly, it's a bit difficult question to say if i ship them or not. I mean, i't not the thing i would make content for, but i kinda don't mind seeing i around? okay let's say

I don't ship it

Main reason is that Chrlie has her girl? Maybe? I'm not sure? I think their dynamic just not enough for me to be interested. Honestly, dad-Alastor for Charlie is at least funnier

More chemistry between them in the show? I mean, they talked to each other only in 3 episodes counting the pilot. and when someone pointed that out, my mind was blown. Like... wow. Hazbin without it's fandom is actually very hollow...

Okay when i see any content with them it's almost always interesting and i see why people ship them. Because Charlie is so pure and naive and such a disney princess, and Alastor is so villain-coded that it's almost illegal, and they work together. It's cute when Alastor is still himself, but now he has one thing that he cares about and afraid to lose. BUT! I also saw a comic where Alastor just wants to eat Charlie quite literally. And it's also interesting SKDJKSDKL

Emily/Lute

Oh boy. I mentioned that before but i prefer GuitarSpear (Lute/Adam) but they can be also interesting

I don't ship it

They literally don't have interactions in canon. And for me as someone who's not big on ships at all it's difficult to pull out of blue dynamics for characters that never interact in canon. BUT!! They can be a thing in my Reverse AU since they replace Husk and Angel

I mean, if someone from my friends shiped them, i totally would join

I see where people coming from. And they look kinda cute together (okay okay i'm little bit weak for girls love). But i saw too little content with them which is a shme. People seem to hate Lute too much...

Valentino/Vox

well... i don't want to stick with the list for this one because... they're canon, but they're not my cup of tea. I don't like their character sepparately and so i don't like them together. I mean. Yeah. They totally deserve each other tho. I'm chill about them as long as their gay drama won't consume too much of a screen time.

Someone said that they're antonym for RadioRose and this is the most accurate thing i've ever seen about them

#hazbin ships #hh ship game #ask game #hazbin #hazbin hotel #charlastor #radiobelle #emily/lute #lute/emily #voxval #staticmoth

[pasteldragonqueen]

hiii. how are you doing? if your request is open and if you're up for it, can u pls write sumn abt reader as a vtuber as well who debuted after luxiem and they just swoon bcs she's so nice and cute? like, headcanons abt how they interact w/her or what they think of her. thank you so much!

It was shocking when you gathered the attention of Nijisanji EN.

You were a small vtuber that collabed with Shoto for new content. When Shoto introduced you into the boys of Luxiem, you became extremely fond of them. And so were the boys.

You applied to be the Confectioner of the group. 

When you were accepted, Luxiem became very fond of you because of your cuteness.

Vox Akuma

Immediately found you adorable when you kept stuttering while nervously introducing yourself in your introduction stream

Has no shame being a simp

Calls you 'Kindred' as well just to tease you

Blames the game for making you cry in a sad scene

"Oh my fucking god. You sneeze just like Ike. Stop it, it's too cute."

Always gifts you red poppies in the Minecraft server

Always places your model closely beside him in collabs

Sneaks kisses on your model as well-

The first person to come and support you when you play a scary game

Mysta Rias

Tries so hard to be seiso around you

Fails within 1 minute

Always appears in the chat of your streams

"Y/N! My chat's bullying me and calling me a bottom!"

"....But you are a bottom, Mysta-"

Accidentally called you 'cutie' during a collab but you had an airhead moment

Almost has a heart attack from your cute giggles

Flirting 24/7 in collabs

Ike Eveland

Squeals every time you say "Hi, Eveland-senpai"

Calls you adorable Swedish nicknames that'll leave you confused

"Du är en söt liten blomma."

(You are a sweet little flower)

"Eh? What did that mean, Senpai?" "Don't worry about it."

Lowkey flirts sometimes while you barely notice

[Like that one moment during his A Way Out collab with Luca lol]

Pouts when the girls 'steal' you for a while

Has the urge to hold your hands after a hand reveal baking cupcakes stream

Always sets your chibi on his head during collabs

Plays your first song (ft. LilyPichu) on loop because he can't get enough of your voice

Luca Kaneshiro

Always feels excited to collab with you

Always pranks you but immediately apologizes after, fearing he'll make you cry

Gifts you pumpkin pie, cookies, flowers, and diamonds in the Minecraft server

Always joins VC to surprise you

Uncontrollable laughter in fun collabs

Can't get over how adorable you can be

Tries to flirt but always screw up the pick-up line (this adorable himbo baby 😭)

Shu Yamino

Loads of flirty memes being aimed towards you

Gives you Japanese lessons

But tricks you into flirting in Japanese

"Okay, say 'Anata wa watashi no otaku no sekaidesu'."

"Wait..Shu, don't toy with me like that!"

Literally won't hesitate to call you adorable

One of the most wholesome and seiso + flirty collabs in Nijisanji

-------------------------

You realized that Ike's is the longest one here? Yeah, got caught in 4k. Ike is my favorite out of the whole group 😭

And I'm so sorry Shu's is so short. I honestly didn't know what to say for him. I'm sorry Shu simps 🙇🏾

#nijisanji #nijisanji en #luxiem #luxiem x reader #nijisanji x reader #nijisanji en x reader #luca kaneshiro #vox akuma #ike eveland #mysta rias #shu yamino #vox akuma x reader #luca kaneshiro x reader #ike eveland x reader #mysta rias x reader #shu yamino x reader

[bloodyshadow1]

just out of curiosity (this isn’t meant to be a rude or sarcastic question), what was it that bothered you most about the kingsley thing?

for context, I haven’t actually seen the ending yet, i’ve only heard vague spoilers about what happened, but I am curious to hear your thoughts on it (i don’t mind hearing more spoilers abt the ending!)

sorry it's taken me so long to answer, I've been trying to word things right because I've been told I sound abrasive over text and I want to be clear that it isn't directed at you anon, it's just how I am as a person. Discourse under the cut

There are many things I dislike about the Kingsley thing, I'm not going to rant here (even though I did looking back and I apologize), but I'll give you some that I think are what bugs me the most. The first being that nothing that happened with Kingsley couldn't happen with Molly, after the initial waking up scene. We only had 26 episodes with Molly, we didn't know him that well and he's been dead for almost a year, anything except the not remembering anything, from walking away from a fight that he is clearly underleveled for, to going to be on a boat as a pirate could have all been Molly. It would have achieved the same thing, except he would have had the bonds with the Nein that started to grow as Molly, seeing them as they were at level 5 to now saving Exandria, but that didn't happen. I never really understood the Yasha Molly bond, since Yasha was gone for most episodes that Molly was around for and she was very quiet during those episodes, they never got a chance to really talk about anything deeper so it feels like an informed relationship, but Yasha the character cared for Molly yet because he's Kingsley, they barely have any interaction again and it feels empty and hollow. He barely interacted with any of the Nein, and certainly not on any deep level. He didn't even bother to ask their names, and only seemed like a kid dashing to do the next thing he could think of, only being able to do so because he is around a bunch of rich and powerful strangers that are treating him well without any actual care or curiosity about them. We got a shallow shadow of Molly and Lucien in Kingsley who doesn't add anything to the story.

There's also the fact that spells that bring back the dead don't work like that. There needs to be a target and a willing soul, that's what Matt's revival rituals are for, to coax the soul back to the body. I'm all for bending the rules of dnd for cool stuff, but it is part of extra rules in critical role that needs bending and it makes Lucien's argument of Molly never existing as anything but a shadow fragment of himself have a lot more weight if he didn't get brought back through magic and a literal goddess stepping in. Also greater restoration shouldn't have done anything but bring something back, it restores, it's in the name, it shouldn't have created a new personality and it definitely shouldn't have destroyed molly's old one if that's what happened.

Additionally, if this happened in an episode that wasn't the finale of the campaign, then I would feel differently. But it was, there isn't any more story, he's there for a bit part of the finale and nothing more. It's like if Liam came in with a half-elf rogue at the end of campaign 1 I would be pissed off at that character too. The story of the Mighty Nein is over, yeah there will probably be oneshots, or specials maybe, but it's over over, no more episodes every, the fellowship is broken, and they are living their own lives not as their adventuring party. I nothing Kingsley because there is nothing to care about, if he wasn't wearing the Molly/Lucien body he would be a random NPC, but because he is, he is just there with nothing really to get attached too. I know some people like him, I honestly can't understand why people do. He's Molly without any of the time or bonds that made Molly interesting, he's just a boring version of Molly and there's no time to get attached or understand anything more than. There's a reason why in almost every form of media, they refrain from introducing a new character in the last episode or chapter, because they come off flatter than the other characters the audience has followed, and for the most part they're right. Maybe they'll do a oneshot that focus' on him but I don't know why I should care.

The biggest thing though, is that it feels like defeat was snatched out of the jaws of victory. The whole final arc, the Nein has gotten nothing, no real treasure or magic items, not even renown and respect like Vox Machina did in defeating Vecna and saving Vasselheim, it seemed like actually getting Molly back was the one thing they wanted..., and then they didn't. He's a stranger wearing their fallen friend's body, who doesn't even seem to care about what they struggled for, that gods had to beat luck to bring him back and they're nothing to him. They got more from curbstomping Trent and bringing him to justice than the whole rest of the final arc and Kingsley is just another reminder.

Sorry for this rant, you did ask, but I just needed to get this out. I wasn't actually that attached to Molly, he was a fine character but I think the fandom got way too attached to him and instead of actually caring about his canon self, they pushed their head canons on him and that has it's own problems for me. But Kingsley just coming in literally right before the series ended just felt like a kick to the groin. Other people feel differently, I'm definitely not someone who says the cast is playing wrong, it's just something I hated about the finale of the story I loved and followed for so long.

#critical role #the mighty nein #critical role spoilers #cr 2 ep 141 #critical role discourse

[voicefromthecorner]

7. Helpless

Original Song: Helpless (Obviously)

Rhyme recounts her time as Beat’s partner as they head to Towa Records.

I’m proud of the Rhymes in this one. [rapid chuckling]

I’ll say upfront that this obviously is not meant to be read as romantic. It’s about Beat and Rhyme’s sibling-like (moreso than Rhyme realises) love for each other. I know the original song is a love song, but I won’t pretend I’ve not seen the Vox Machina Hamilton parodies. (They’re really good if you haven’t seen them, especially if you’re a Critical Role fan). They turned Helpless into a villain song, which I find endlessly impressive. So it’s easy enough to bend the meaning here.

I honestly am proud of how it turned out. It’s a good representation of Rhyme and Beat’s time in the Reaper’s Game and it was fun to visualise some of their interactions through the song. I can’t say for sure that Rhyme introduced herself like that to Beat, but she presumably didn’t forget her own name and we know Beat hates his real name.

It could have been funny if she’d ever found out what it was. With her lost memories and him not telling her, it could be like that scene from Kung Fu Panda 3. “I hope you find your sister.” / “An’ I hope you find your brother...”

Actually, that’s just extra sad. Everything about these two is extra sad. Speaking of which, sorry about that ending. It’s such a depressing twist on what’s such an upbeat song. I’m also quite proud of that too, weirdly enough.

First Song: Neku Sakuraba

Previous Song: A Simple Task

Next Song: It’s Quiet Uptown

Index

Transcript:

[RHYME (REAPERS)] Ohh, with you, with you, with you, with yooouu! Hey-ey! (Hey, hey, hey, hey) Ohh, with you, with you, with you, with yooouu! (Hey, hey, hey, hey) Beat, I’m not so [RHYME AND WOMEN] Helpless! Lookin' at your eyes, and the sky's the limit Not helpless! Down for the count, he's got power in ‘em

[RHYME] I have never been the type to try and grab a dreamer’s fame I was way too high up; left to dry up in the Reaper’s Game Lookin' for a partner as I'm trying to get some room Then Noise dropped in and the ground went “Boom!” Flyin' through the sky, the Noise makin' me harried Suddenly he's catchin' me and I'm being carried I’m thankin' this stranger’s impactful act [RHYME (WOMEN)] He seems troubled but chuckles, "Yo, let's just pact." (Ooh) The Noise are makin' way across the place to you (Ooh) And I got nervous, thinking “What we gonna do?” (Ooh) He takes me by the hand, I'm thinkin' “We're through” (Ooh) Then you look back at me and I don't feel so

Helpless! Oh, look at those eyes (Lookin' at your eyes And the sky's the limit) Oh! (Not helpless) We’re not helpless, I know (Down for the count he's got power in 'em Not helpless) I've been saved by you (Lookin' at your eyes) I've been saved by you (And the sky's the limit, not helpless) ‘Cause when I'm down for the count, he's got power in 'em (Down for the count he's got power in 'em)

[BEAT] Yo, what's that face for?

[RHYME] Sorry I wasn't much help.

[BEAT] Hey, no sweat, yo, lead the way!

[RHYME] I'm Raimu Bito. It's a pleasure to meet you!

[BEAT] Meet me?

[RHYME] Thank you for your help back there. What's your name?

[BEAT] Oh... yo, jus' call me Beat. Hey, we should get workin'!

[RHYME] Well let's get to it!

[RHYME AND WOMEN] One day later [RHYME] We’re strollin’ Shibuya city And I just feel safer, every Player standing with me Shiki wants to team up, but Neku is disagreein’ [BEAT] I'm just sayin', he ain’t worth our time an’ we don’t need him! [RHYME (WOMEN)] Ha!

Two days later in Dogenzaka stressin' (stressin') Patience is a virtue but you're not hearin' that lesson' (lesson') We're dashing outside, as you brashly crash And I'm sayin' don't be rash ‘cause there's nothing that our minds can't do (Ooh) The timer's countin' down, the digits reachin' two (Ooh) You panic for a second, thinking “we're through” (Ooh) But then we find the Noise and shout “Got'chu!” (Ooh) And you turn back to me, smiling, ‘cause we're

Helpless! (Helpless!) (Lookin’ at your eyes and the sky's the limit Not helpless) Helpless Down for the count, he's got power in 'em (hoo!) (Not helpless!) That partner's mine, that partner's mine (Lookin' at your eyes and the sky's the limit Not helpless) Helpless, helpless Down for the count, he's got power in 'em (Down for the count, he's got power in 'em)

[BEAT] Y'know Rhyme, I ain't got no yen to my name An ace in my hand, no pins to command, or a tenth of fame All I got's my skateboard, I'm toleratin' pain A whole lotta stupid courage and my junked up brain Insane, these friends of us bring out a different side of us Shiki confides in us, I think Phones wants’a pick a fight wid us No prob, my trust in you ain't never in doubt We'll get this concert mission finished and we'll figure it out I've been fightin' with my family since I was a child My father mad, my mother sad, I grew up buckwild But I'll never forget my sister's love, that was real And long as I'm alive, Rhyme, I swear to you You'll never feel so…

[ALL WOMEN, (RHYME), & ((BEAT))] Helpless! (With you, with you, with you, with yooouu!) ((Yeah, Rhyme!)) Helpless! (With you, with you, with you, with yooouu!) ((Ain’t never felt so—)) Helpless! (Hey, yeah, yeah!) Down for the count, he's got power in 'em (I'm down for the count, I'm—) Helpless! ((This game is gon' be fine 'cause I know Rhyme's in it)) Helpless! (I’m lookin’ at your eyes and the sky's the limit, I'm—) Helpless! Down for the count, he's got power in 'em (...power' in 'em)

[REAPERS] In Shibuya, you can win the whole game… In Shibuya, you can win the whole game… In Shibuya, you can win the whole game…

[RHYME] Helpless... Look out!! [CHOMP!]

[BEAT] No way...Rhyme? RHYME!!

#nekuxander hamiltaba #helpless #hamilton #twewy #the world ends with you #crossover #song parody #rhyme bito #raimu bito

[eponymous-rose]

Highlights - Fireside Chat with Sam Riegel (11/27/2018)

Note that there are some spoilers for campaign 1 in this discussion!

If you missed it, this chat is available for subscribers right now on the Critical Role Twitch, and will be posted to YouTube several days later. This video was a stretch goal for Critical Role’s $100,000+ charity drive for the Pablove Foundation!

“I’m seeing some questions in the chat right now. It’s not really questions so much as... insults about my legs?”

Has the wine been aerated? Of course. Who do you think he is?

Favorite aspect of Nott that he hadn’t planned when building the character? Her voice. During the Session Zero with Matt and Liam, Sam didn’t do a voice, but it just didn’t feel right, so just before the first episode of campaign 2, he decided to go for it. “I’m glad I get to do that voice every week, because it’s weird.”

“Nott, like Sam Riegel, loves a fruity Pinot. I think Nott would also love the robust wines of the Tuscan region of Italy. Because Sam does.”

Sleep with, marry, kill for his three characters? Sleep with Scanlan, marry Nott, kill Taryon.

If Scanlan met Caleb, would they be friends? “No way!” Scanlan might be interested in the magic, but he’d be a bad wingman and he “has no game”.

Nott is genuinely concerned for Caduceus, after seeing how he reacted to the initial chaos that got them on the ship in the first place. She’s used to the signs of trauma after spending so much time with Caleb, and she’s recognizing some of those in Caduceus.

Tips for better improv:

Listen: paying attention to fellow players and what reality they’re bringing to the table. Most of bad improv is from not listening.

Say yes: accepting the reality/character/situation they’re bringing.

Heighten: exploring and expanding their ideas.

Would Nott like Vax? “Would anyone like Vax?” No, but honestly, Sam thinks Vax was a great guy and also thinks Nott would’ve liked him.

He hasn’t found it especially challenging to play Nott as a female character, beyond remembering pronouns early on. “I hope I’m doing a good job.”

Scanlan probably hired a scribe to write the Vox Machina tale. After that, he’d probably focus on building his brand. Maybe a prequel, the Scanlan Story. Maybe some Scanlan-specific stories and/or “A Scanlan’s Guide to” series.

Best dad advice for Scanlan? Use his Wish spell to wish for a good night’s sleep every day.

Sam is really pleased that Nott is resonating with trans fans. He didn’t set out to build her character that way, but is thrilled that she’s been so relatable.

Sam tells his 4- and 6-year-old kids stories of the Mighty Nein before bed. Their favorite character is, mysteriously, Nott the Brave. He might shine a bit of a brighter spotlight on her in the retelling. His daughter has been asking about Yasha and is fascinated that she came from a place with a lot of monsters. She thinks Yasha was raised by monsters and is concerned that she may not have worn diapers as a baby. His son has been really interested in Vecna lately, because he wants to find out who’s the most powerful bad guy in D&D.

Further @SideBySamuel speculation info: they’re someone Sam sees almost (but not quite) every day of his life. And no, Sam isn’t the one running it.

Nott being a goblin after Scanlan hated goblins so much was mainly a coincidence. That choice was mainly based on Liam’s suggestion.

Favorite All Work No Play activity? Swordfighting. Goat yoga was the most bizarre. He talks about how they have to find experiences where they can enjoy them without losing out on being able to just hang out together.

Scanlan would probably want a bunch of kids. Based on Sam’s personal experience: “If you like yourself, you’ll really like your kids.”

Favorite mug/flask? The Caleb-killing-his-parents meme: “Why would Trent do this?”

At Yosemite National Park with his family, Sam stopped to get some refreshments, and the lady selling the refreshments asked to take a picture because she was such a big fan of Scanlan. Also, going through TSA, the guy checking his bag said, “You’re clear to go, Mr. Shorthalt.”

If someone showed a romantic interest in Nott, she’d be momentarily flattered, then start questioning the motivation and not believe it.

Something he’s bad at that he still enjoys? Writing songs. “I’m not a great songwriter, but I really love writing songs. I will continuing doing it, and you have no choice in the matter.”

Sam has been on Talks more than Ashley, Laura, and Matt.

Favorite D&D Beyond spot so far was the one where the devil was making a deal with him.

If he got to cast Wish in real life, what would he wish for? That his day, and his day only, is 25 hours long. “I’d like one extra, just for some me time.”

Besides his own character, which character-interaction dynamics does he enjoy watching the most? Caleb and Fjord. Also Caleb and Beau. Caduceus and anybody (especially NPCs).

If Scanlan hadn’t come back to Vox Machina? Sam thinks they probably would’ve all died. “That’s not just me puffing myself up, I think they all needed everybody. Everybody needed to be there for that to work.”

If Nott could switch bodies with one member of the Mighty Nein? Probably Beau.

What sitcom would Nott star in? Alf.

“Chocolate is just straight-up not great.” And the chat goes wild.

After Scanbo, favorite shenanigans? Tary and Grog with the guards in Vasselheim. The prank wars on the beach in Dalen’s Closet. Fluffernutter. The love potion.

#critical role #sam riegel #long text post #critical role spoilers #cr1 spoilers

[dontgofarfromme]

Afterimage

Vex’s eyes can’t pierce illusions, and her magical talents are small and shoddy in the face of those like Keyleth and Scanlan, but that doesn’t change the fact that sometimes, she sees things she shouldn’t.  Things that nobody else does. But then, none of them has died as many times as she has. 

Or, Vex'ahlia and her ghosts.  

[ao3]

--    

There must be something, Vex thinks, about dying. Something that untethers your soul just slightly more each time you do it, something that makes you harder to retrieve each time you drift beyond the gate. Vex’s eyes can’t pierce illusions, and her magical talents are small and shoddy in the face of those like Keyleth and Scanlan, but that doesn’t change the fact that sometimes, she sees things she shouldn’t.  Things that nobody else does. But then, none of them has died as many times as she has.

She notices it first in the year after Vecna--the fact that Whitestone Castle is a house of ghosts. It’s not just because of the brutal murders of the most recent rightful owners--it's something that she thinks must occur to any venue this large and lived in and old. The former inhabitants visit their old home more frequently than Vex had ever assumed was possible. She doesn't see them all the time, of course, and they aren't the wailing, shrieking spirits of the undead--in fact, Vex is almost certain that they are fully, one-hundred percent deceased and not on this plane despite interacting with it in the slight ways they do.

Rather than haunting, the ghosts hover, as though the castle is some sort of tourist locale. They drift across the floors, peering at the décor and the furniture. Some of them appear to even interact with one another, as though discussing how in their day the gallery was furnished far better, and who hired the person that placed that chandelier in the foyer because honestly, it’s gaudy, you’d think the de Rolos would know better. The residents, though, they treat with care.  More than once Vex sees the shimmer of a near-invisible hand clasp over Cassandra's to still its shaking as she attempts to draft yet another letter for yet another duty that should never have been hers. More than once she has seen the flash of a proud, amused smile as Percy talks circles around tentative allies and potential enemies with a poise Vex knows comes from participating in and observing years of terse, life-or death negotiations. She is proud of him, for taking this on, proud of both him and Cassandra. She sees their family watching and knows they feel the same.

Nevertheless, she sometimes avoids the castle. Her house, in contrast, is new and nearly entirely untouched by death; and sometimes the flashes she sees across the planes are too much. She doesn’t want to always live with the dead. She tells Percy what she sees, sometimes, but she doesn't share the details. It seems private, in a way. A secret, between her and the dead.

Keyleth is still the summer breeze, and Pike the sun, and Scanlan as fondly irritating and Grog as unrestrained and brash as ever. There is a weight to all of them now, though, that creeps to the forefront of the group. They see each other in short but increasingly frequent spurts, in the brief moments that Keyleth can transport via plants to Whitestone for a few hours between meetings, or that Scanlan can pop over using the Gatestone until someone of arcane means finds his singing through the entirety of their political meetings disruptive and sends him back. Their homes are miles apart, but with what they’ve been through Vex finds that they're closer than ever. Perhaps they have all finally grasped the insignificance of the time they have here--the fragility of their lives.

Vex doesn't see the ghosts that linger in Vox Machina’s thoughts often in real life—the people she knows seem to try to stay away or out of sight, for the most part. She goes back to their old keep numerous times, but the spirits of their fallen guards don’t seem to linger. Tiberius’s red scales have never slipped past the corner of her vision either. She wonders if its intentional, if they know to avoid her because it might dig into old wounds, or if it's something on her end, her unwillingness to dwell on their deaths for any longer than she must.

She does see Willhand Trickfoot once, when his death is still fresh and they are all with Pike in Wesruun, going through the things that were his. The vision is unexpected, but as they clear out his house for Pike to take over ownership, she catches the old man standing in front of his granddaughter, an insubstantial hand softly cupping her tear-stained face. Pike can’t see him, Vex knows, but her shoulders seem to relax just slightly and her face softens, some of the weariness and grief ebbing away. Willhand’s eyes flick directly to Vex with a startling awareness of her observation that she's never seen in a spirit before. He looks peaceful, but imploring, and Vex nods almost imperceptibly as a fierce conviction wells within her. Pike’s only real blood relative may be gone, but she is not without family—they will make sure she knows it.

The first and only time she sees Vax in full form, the wound from his absence is still aching and raw. She is in Syngorn, her first time back since fighting Vecna, her first time trying to go about  this whole ambassador job with what feels like a gaping hole in the centre of her being. Seeing Syldor tears at the edges of it, not because he’s cruel—they came to an understanding, in that year before everything went to hell, and while he is not loving he is respectful, at least—but because she should not be here, in her father’s house, debriefing him on their defeat of a demi-god, alone. In all her times coming here as an ambassador, her brother has been in the back of her head—sharing her experiences with him was always the first order of business after a particularly taxing trip, sprinting from her house to drag him to the nearest tavern the second he stepped from the Sun Tree, leaving Keyleth and Percy in the dust. This time, every idiotic thing city officials and council members spew, every unintentional narrow-minded slip her father makes, every hilariously sarcastic or heart-meltingly sweet thing Velora says to her triggers an automatic I can’t wait to tell Vax—, until the painful void in her heart swallows the sentence and swells larger. Sometimes she wonders if it will consume her altogether.

She and Velora are walking the streets of Syngorn, Velora shouting with the exuberance of any pre-teen girl let out of school for a full day, the aftereffects of her death and resurrection invisible for the time being. Syngorn’s ghosts don’t bother Vex in the slightest—she knows none of them, and if she were to, holds only as much sympathy for them as they would for her, which is likely very little. She ignores them as they slip past her silently, ignores the stares she gets still from both the living and the dead full elves wandering the street. A title and station can only do so much for one’s reputation when it is a thing you are born with, and it seems death does very little to abate one’s prejudices, at least for those as long-lived and fixed in their ways as pure-blooded elves.

As they cross a bridge at the edge of town, Velora hops up to the edge and, before Vex can stop her, scrambles to stand on the very top of the railing and begins tightrope-walking across it. It’s a long way down to the river and the rocks below, and Vex is about to yell for her when she sees Velora lose her balance just slightly and begin to tilt towards the edge. A wave of cold panic washes over Vex as she kicks herself into motion, sprinting towards her sister, but she’s too slow and she feels herself in that moment once again, the world beginning to end, herself falling to the ground, frozen and helpless, watching Vax spiral uncontrollably from the sky on clipped wings.

There’s what feels like an unnatural gust of wind and through the fog of memory Vex sees a blur of black hurtle into—through—Velora, stopping her tilt towards the river below and toppling her backwards onto the bridge. She lands with a solid thud and sits stunned for a moment, then bursts out laughing. Vex finishes her mad dash and collapses next to her on the bridge, hugging Velora as though she might disappear if let go. Velora keeps laughing until Vex’s tears begin soaking into her shirt, at which point she pushes Vex up and her face contorts into an expression of worry.

“It’s ok, Vex. Nothing bad happened, see? I’m right here!”

Vex takes a deep breath and tries to collect herself, but ends up dissolving into deep, shuddering  sobs. Velora’s arms wrap around her, small and wiry but strong. She doesn’t know how long they sit there for, on that bridge, mourning their loss and holding onto each other for dear life, but it feels good to let go of her composure for once, to pour her sorrow out into the world. At some point, Vex feels another set of arms join Velora’s, larger and stronger and shaking just slightly. She doesn’t look up, not until her tears have finally stopped, not until he’s let go and is fading once again into the distance. Velora doesn’t notice, of course, but Vex watches her brother—more substantial than any other spirit she’s ever seen, so vivid that she wonders exactly what he is, what it is that his Queen has him influencing on their plane—as he walks away from them again. His shoulders are strong, but she can see the slightest tremble to them, and there are three feathers braided into his long hair—one blue, one black, and one brown. She doesn’t call out to him, but she can tell he knows she’s watching.

Afterwards, she knows he’s there, sometimes. He’s different from the rest of the ghosts, but then, he is a part of her. When she feels her vision involuntarily drawn to nearby pitfalls and avoids them so her steps are as silent as the grave, when her thieves tools slide in and out of a lock type she’s never come across before with the precision of a master, when an unnatural breeze like a wing beat passes her face as she sails across the sky on her broom, she can feel him. Somehow, he never brings the same discomfort the other ghosts do. Her knowledge of his presence isn’t supernatural in the same way—it just is.

The temple of the Raven Queen is an odd place to go for solace, but in her case Vex thinks it’s understandable. She’s not entirely sure what the gods think of their followers paying homage to other gods. It’s probably a bad idea, but she’s not entirely sure she cares. Vex is a devoted servant and champion to Pelor, but the Raven Queen's touch has been on her from the time of her first death. Vax's sacrifice, Kashaw’s and Pike’s magic, brought her back, but no one escapes death unscathed, and if there’s someone who’s to blame for Vex’s walking in two worlds it is the Matron of Ravens herself.

Vex is one of few who ever goes to the temple in Whitestone, although the number of those who follow the goddess of death seems to be slowly increasing. It’s probably Vax’s fault, she thinks. Everything usually is. Empty or not, the shades here are more respectful than anywhere else, in that they at least keep out of her sight. Vex is sure they’re around, curiously observing the passage of time in the living world, wondering at the strangeness of Whitestone’s Lady lurking in an almost-abandoned crypt of a temple, but they don’t edge into her vision as much as they do elsewhere. The Queen’s sway here must dissuade them from poking their noses disrespectfully into other people’s business.

The altar is smooth and cold, and the blood Percy stole from the temple in Vasselheim sits still and clear in its place. Some days, Vex goes over to it and stares in, unsure what she’s hoping for a glimpse of. Others, she simply walks in and raps her knuckles irreverently on the altar’s stone surface.

“You’d better be looking after him,” Vex says into the emptiness, “If I get over there and he’s in any way damaged, you’ll have me to deal with. I’ve faced down an ascended god before. I’m willing to do it again”

Threatening a goddess in her temple is also probably a bad idea, but Vex thinks they have an understanding. The loud “CAW!” and swirling of feathers from outside the door to the crypt sound more to her like acquiescence than anger.

Some days, bad days, when she’s tired and hurting and her mind is tied up and held captive to the memories of Vecna and dragons and gods and the people she’s lost, even her house in Whitestone is too much. Her worst mornings always seem to push her vision farther away from this plane, and even faintest shades of the former inhabitants of this plot of land that drift past outside become more vivid and more immediate. On these days, Vex feels like she cannot escape death, not in her mind, not in her life, not for a minute. These are the mornings that she clings to Percy the hardest as she kisses him goodbye, and each time he holds her eyes with a look that pierces the haze of heavy, pressing fear and grief.

“I’ll be here when you return, dear.” He always says, holding her gently, tracing a hand through her hair, his artisan’s fingers brushing over the feathers behind her ear. She nods her head against his chest and pushes down the lump in her throat, feeling the tears well again. Gods, how she loves him.

“Just return,” He whispers into her hair, “that’s all I ask.”

Vex takes her broom and a pack and flies, to the heavens where her ghosts and those of others don’t tread, to the skies that are clear of spirits, clear of dragons and demi-gods and anything else that would threaten. Sometimes she’s gone for days, or weeks. Sometimes she finds herself all the way to Keyleth, sits with her far from the wisps of Zephrah’s dead, on the edge of a cliff, looking out across the skies and land and seas that remain intact only because of them and what they’ve lost. They lean against each other until any tears have dried across both their cheeks, until Vex’s heart has stilled, until she can see her way past the ghosts and the shades of death that pull her down and away from the world. Until she can see her way to life, to a future.

Sometimes, she feels the slightest, softest warmth of a familiar hand on her shoulder, and the barely-there brush of a feather across her cheek. She smiles.

She always returns.

#critical role #critfic #cr1 #cr #vex'ahlia #vox machina #vax'ildan #velora vessar #percival de rolo #perc'ahlia

[jasperdawn]

Now that I've had some time to wind down from the first episode of CR campaign 3, I can confidently say that I love everyone with every fiber of my being and I would die for the entire group. It felt kinda weird at first that EXU characters are making a comeback for campaign, but honestly I don't care why they're back because I love them so much and Fearne made me hyperventilate from laughing so hard after she stole the earring. The entire episode from beginning to end has been beginning to end has been nothing but delightful and everything I needed in my life right now.

First of all, Sam Reigel upped his advertisement game for no ghandi damned reason and it's absurd how far he's willing to take his bits. I cannot put into words just how much I love his chaotic ass. And his new drink receptacle is nothing short of being absolutely fucking hysterical, I'm not spoiling that for anyone who hasn't seen this one, and by extension all the previous ones.

Imogen? I adore her so much already and I want to know her story and I want her to do well and live her best life.

Laudna? I would fucking die for her and be a-okay with her harvesting my carcass for recycling purposes.

Ashton? I love him so much and I hope he lives forever, I also really want to know wtf is his brand spanking new subclass I want to play it right fucking now

F.C.G.? The stupidest thing I have ever witnessed and also the best, I love them with all of my heart and desperately want them to have the most fulfilling existence and even more desperately I want to meet their sibling Pussy. I don't remember if Sam said all his robit siblings are also dead along with his creator, but I need to meet Pussy

The returns of Orym, Fearne, Dorian, and Bertrand Bell? More and more unexpected as the list went on, Bertrand especially through me for a fucking loop like holy shit what a hilarious callback I can't even begin to tell you how much of the encounter I missed due to laughing maniacally at his reveal and also debuff, I know he wasn't level 20 in the Grog one-shot but he sure as shit wasn't level 5 and it makes sense considering how old he is currently and how he probably quit adventuring almost entirely after his time with Vox Machina nearly killed him. I hope Robbie becomes a permanent mainstay of the cast and I can't wait for more interactions with him and the rest of the group. Also love how Orym is the most chill and level headed character with the fewest problems and baggage out of everyone across all campaigns and one shots, he really just wants to do a good job for his boss Keyleth.

After my mom passed away in July I've been having such a hard time trying to find any joy in life, it's not an exaggeration to say Critical Role is fucking life saving and I can't possibly thank them enough for being the beautiful dorks they are. They've given me sorely need joy and laughter and I can't wait for next Thursday.

Laudna is my new queen forever.

[shrimpkardashian]

I originally wrote these reviews for this page, but I decided to go in a different direction with that site (no direction) - so here are two “album reviews”  (sorry)

Watch This Liquid Pour Itself

The first song is "Baby Little Tween" and the lyrics are like "these pills are gonna stop me from getting wet?" This is T.M.I., folks! Women's lib = out of control! Haha major JK, major JK. A few songs in, this is–PERHAPS–as the kids say, "2 twee 4me," maybe (the kids definitely say that! Stop judging me!!!).

Twee, though, not the right word? .... Post-Twee? Hmmm. Not here for some of this lullaby melody B.S. if we're being honest with one another. Ya can't say the word "piss" in a foreign language to win my heart back neither. (OKAY *KAYA*, maybe you can, OKAY?)

So... let's get right down to it: a song like "Psych Ward" has a cool bass line anchoring it and it starts off legit weird but then it is not weird at all, and on the whole that's my main issue. This record def WANTS to feel weirder than it actually is (ie, not that weird). The Gods of False Weird are not your friends, and are in fact a malevolent force. You have been forewarned traveler.

The end of that track is like a different track or something? I.D.K. I have it playing on a YouTube playlist now because my daughter commandeered Spotify to listen to Frozen II. So some of these are music videos is what I'm saying and I don't know if everything I'm hearing is "part of the song" or just like part of the video's intros/outros because I'm not watching the videos. However, if this whole thing was just the spoken words bit (like the beginning of "Asexual Wellbeing"), I would enjoy it more, I feel. It has its moments. Not tryin to totally shit on this project. (In fact, "Asexual" reminded me of the melodic side of Throbbing Gristle and was actually pretty damn good!) Anyway, I'm gonna give it a single * score because it's just too frustrating and maybe goes on a bit too long as well. Trust me, I damn well wanted to give it a higher score because I like the song titling a lot ("Zero Interaction Ramen Bar" is a great title! the song? meh). If grading song titles was a thing I did on this website then these would get an A, but unfortunately I only grade music and album art :( SORRY KAYA

Both

Did you know OKAY KAYA is from New Jersey? Hey that's where I'm from. (There is the potential for a 5-10% in-state bump in my scoring program, grading faculties, because of this, I feel like I need to mention. Although Wikipedia doesn't tell me where she's from. I'm not, like, a weird creep or nothing; just curious.) So, this is the first discography review here on this website RXGAU (legal acronym). It's a pretty random choice, but there are only a couple of releases and I feel like I can "bang it out" to "get the ball rolling" (sports terms).

This is Kaya Wilkins's first record released in 2018 and apparently she released a one-off song called "Damn, Gravity" in 2015 that's not on this record so I'll review that separately. The name of this game is Completion and I am The Completionist. And also what the heck were you doing in those three years, Kaya? Lazy bones.

I am listening to this after her more recent Jagjaguwar record. And right off the bat, there's a lot less going on. Another double-edged sword in my book. My book is very dangerous: lots of sharp blades and edged weaponry.

Also, two things: according to Wikipedia she has another thing coming out in 2020 on Jagjaguwar called Surviving is the New Living which is not a great title, and I'll have to look into that, but also not a lazy bones after all, are we? The second thing is that my damn daughter commandeered the Spotify YET AGAIN. (She really does not want me to listen to OKAY KAYA, OKAY?)

So I'm gonna hit pause on writing this review, which is a review for the debut album by OKAY KAYA and is called 'Both' but first let me say that I like the monicker OKAY KAYA a lot. It's cool looking on the page/screen and has a nice phonetic ring.

OKAY (KAYA) we're back. Before I start talking about the album that you are supposedly reading a "review" for (it shall begin in Paragraph 6, I really don't doubt it!), let me state that OKKLP3 (Surviving is the New Living) which apparently came out in April is gone now apparently? What the heck. Anyway, the only thing my lackadaisical (page 1 only!) googling could conjure is this Reddit thread (say la v):

BOTH. Not just one, but BOTH. It's a simple word. Four letters. Meaningful. Some sources have led me to believe that this was originally released under KAYA's full given name, but the album cover corresponding streams says otherwise. (That's neither here nor there.)

I'm not an alcoholic, but I'm always so tired I am always bored and always feel kinda bad Can't seem to get no sleep at night He used to call me every night this time

track 1 "Vampire" begins. These lyrics manage to feel BOTH confessional and off-the-cuff, in passing; fully inconsequential. The accompaniment is simpler, not necessarily more sparse than LP2 but definitely not as considered. The biggest difference is how she tackles most of the vox: it's much more of a crooning R&B here.

The songs here are short, just a couple eclipse the three-minute mark (14 in 37 minutes total), but they honestly feel even shorter somehow. "IUD" aims high but with a chorus like "Cause, baby, you're so baby, but I don't want your baby" misses the mark entirely. (I swear I'm not a "lyrics guy" unless you come at me with something amazing or something freshman year of college clever cringe until your face falls away; stay in the middle, baby.)

I dunno, I think I've heard enough. Is it ethical to only listen to half of an album and still review it? This one just isn't connecting at all. The other one had some interesting parts; not so much here 😑

I really wish that third record was still around because apparently that was made in quarantine? and I.D.K. I'd like to hear that I think. I think the idea of "quarantine records" even if they're almost guaranteed to let you down, like so many things....

#music #business

[exileseverafter]

Chapter 10

The Science of Diplomacy

“My ancestors could create feathers out of spun sugar and reproduce paintings with glaze on canvases of cake. We made pastries filled with gryphon’s milk cream and candies shaped like jewels made from the juice of pomegranates.”

“Cats, really. Why do humans keep them around? There has to be a less monstrous thing they can use to keep rats from getting to the grain stores.” Philomene had discovered to her relief that the cats had at least done at most minor damage to her laboratory dollhouse. One of the windows had been knocked in and the water the bean had been soaking in was now dripping onto the floor, a casualty of the impact of cat on house. But everything else was largely unchanged. Apparently the cats had just used the house as a thing to sit on rather than a toy to be explored and knocked over. If she was being honest with herself, she might not have been able to tell if anything knew had been tossed around. She recognized most of the little boxes, trinkets and cast-off aprons on the floor. All things she made a mental note to organize properly when she wasn’t quite so busy. Unfortunately, the entire place smelled unmistakably of cat. Opening the windows helped to air it out a little, but not enough to make it very bearable. By the time Marjorie was awake to take her to Ezra, she had taken to sitting on the surface of the table and hanging a few dresses out there for good measure. The last thing she wanted was to go about with the fragrance of mangy feline. “You’ll be alright, then?” Marjorie held Philomene cupped in her hands as she carried the princess into the kitchen. “I mean, I understand it’s a one-on-one talk. Which is perfectly fine! Diplomacy and all that. Oh, and the prince went home, so don’t worry about him being nosy.” “He went home? But it was so late last night…” “You sound like Ezra.” Marjorie shrugged. “His bear came to get him and took him home. I’d worry about going through the forest at that hour of night if one doesn’t have one’s own private bear.” Secretly Philomene was a little more relieved that the bear wasn’t present. She didn’t mind Basil, though she did want to have a private talk with Ezra for a reason. “And I will be perfectly fine. You said Ezra is gentle! We’re indoors, and the Toad isn’t going to try anything while I’m in the same room as a giant cook who probably knows how to make fried frogs’ legs.” After a few more minutes of reassurances, Marjorie set Philomene back on the table and retreated to the bedroom. Ezra hadn’t noticed; he was poring over an enormous old book with yellowed, tattered pages, and looked to be half asleep himself. Philomene realized a bit too late that she should have had Marjorie alert him. A few taps of her cane did nothing, and poking him seemed rude and possibly dangerous. She sat down, cleared her throat and shouted. “Excuse me, Mr. Kettle!” There was no reaction from the giant. He was still absorbed in his book. She had to stand a considerable distance just to see him as a humanoid shape; any closer and he’d be a looming tower of flesh and blood in need of a haircut. Already she could make out every wrinkle and stitch on the patches in his clothing and see the rise and fall of his chest as he breathed. Flower Folk had to be observant of everything around them. The world was full of snakes, large insects, birds and cats. The humans of Thumbelina were allowed to reside there by an ancient pact that required them to be careful underfoot and not abuse their size advantage, but even the most well-meaning ones could be very dangerous. A Sky giant was on a completely different level. Should Ezra so much as sneeze he could grievously harm Philomene. No wonder her people’s interactions with the Sky Islands were usually the duty of human diplomats writing letters to be delivered by bird, and incredibly rare at that. ‘Such is the duty of a princess,’ she reminded herself as she walked over to the edge of the book. She waited until he was about to turn the page and then stuck her cane on top of it, clearing her throat. That seemed to startle him as his gold eyes finally settled on her, widening. “OH, PRIN-cess.” He was courteous enough to adjust the volume of his voice right away so it merely rumbled instead of boomed, sitting up and lowering his head in a sort of bow. “Forgive any rudeness. I didn’t see you there…” “Please forgive any rudeness on my part as well!” She hoped she’d be able to keep up this shouting. Marjorie had been kind enough to tell the story of Thumbelina Kingdom the previous night in part because her voice carried better. “Is now a good time for a talk? I realize you are likely a little busy…” “With work, yes.” Ezra’s hand rubbed the back of his neck. “I mean, no! Now is a perfect time. Give me a chance to take a break from this.” She could tell from how quickly he spoke that it wasn’t completely true and he didn’t want to be rude. Just let me set this book aside.” He opened a calloused hand that could have comfortably held half the Flower Folk in the Royal Court and she eased herself carefully into I as he held her up to eye level. He was squinting at her, his other hand supporting his chin. “Is this quite alright? I just prefer to be able to make eye contact when speaking, so I imagine…” Of course he wouldn’t be able to make eye contact with her. The size difference was too great. That must have meant he was doing this for her benefit, so she could look directly at him while she addressed him. She would have to reward such thoughtfulness, and made a note to do so. “Thank you, Ezra! Please don’t mind if I sit.” There was a moment in which he was clearly waiting for her to start, and she had to rehearse her words to remember just how she was going to bring it up. ‘I should have paid better attention during diplomacy lessons.’ As it was up to her, she cleared her throat. “First of all, thank you again for your continued hospitality. My servant tells me that you’re not here on the land of your own free will, and right now this is the only shelter afforded you. It’s very generous of you to let us stay here, especially as you’ve let Marjorie have that oddly well-furnished room.” “Really, it’s nothing! I’m used to sleeping sitting up,” Ezra said. “And this is where I work, at least until I can return to the sky. That bedroom looked like it had been set aside for a lover or something anyway.” Realizing he might have blurted something untoward, he turned red in the cheeks. “I mean G. Chulainn’s lover! Maybe. No offense to Marjorie, but I don’t see her that way at all. And honestly, there’s no reason it should have been in the condition you found it in. It might have been enchanted, and I’d rather stay away from enchantments.” Philomene figured she’d best continue before Ezra made more excuses for his own kindness lest someone notice it was there. “Actually, I need to ask for a little more help. Do you mind if I ask you about your family?” His eyes widened and he sat up a bit straighter. “The Kettles? You’ve heard of us down there? By which I mean down in the mountain cities, not down as in height. You know what I mean.” She chuckled. “You’re the one nervous around me? It’s alright, Ezra. You can relax. And yes, here and there are records of human gentry ordering cakes and desserts fashioned by a member of the Kettle family. I doubt any of your line were able to bake for Flower Folk, of course, just by virtue of scale.” Ezra glanced aside. “Well, we can try,” he said quietly. “Would you like to request something, Princess? I was able to buy a magnifying glass at the market last night. It’s a bit small itself but I can manage. Really!” She shook her head. “That won’t be necessary, though if I’m ever in need I will be sure to commission you.” The image of great Ezra leaning over a table, carefully decorating a cake for Flower Folk, amused Philomene so that she found herself grateful the distance likely kept him from noticing her covering her mouth and stifling a laugh. “No, I just need to know more about your line. I know it sounds abrupt, but I do have my reasons. Just before I can tell you, I have to know if I’m thinking of the right Kettles.” “You want to know about us? Well.” Ezra held his head a little bit higher, oddly imitating the poise and pride of a highborn noble. Then again, why wouldn’t an artisan family hold themselves in esteem? “For generations we developed new cooking and baking techniques, working our very heart and soul into our craft until we were known not only throughout Mielle but across Vox itself and the other Sky Islands. My ancestors could create feathers out of spun sugar and reproduce paintings with glaze on canvases of cake. We made pastries filled with gryphon’s milk cream and candies shaped like jewels made from the juice of pomegranates.” “Those ingredients sound expensive…” “Oh, they were! Terribly so. But our work merited a high price, and we were able to afford luxuries like that even with the high price of goods in the Sky. Which is ridiculous, might I add! Having seen what that Market charged by comparison, I-am getting off topic, sorry. And I hope this doesn’t sound too arrogant. But it’s all true, at least as far as I’ve known.” He played with the pages of the book with his free hand. “And we still have most of our recipes. At least the very old ones. Or, well, what’s in these books…” “I see.” This didn’t sound like the work Ketyl had written about, but it couldn’t have been a mere coincidence. Philomene decided to probe a little further. “And you have always created luxuries?” “Not always. We’ve always baked and cooked, with at least one member of every generation taking up the mantle. Often two. But we used to do more modest work to get by, according to stories my mother told me. That would have been a long time ago, grandparents of grandparents at least and probably moreso.” Ezra frowned. “Of course, I’ve only ever done modest work. I hope it doesn’t disappoint you, Princess, but Kettle is a fallen name by now. The cost of goods went up too high, our craft fell out of favor. We went into debt just to keep ourselves afloat. Then there were family splits and other disgraces.” From the distant look on his face, he apparently didn’t want to go into detail. “In recent generations especially. As far as I know now I’m the last one.” “And you can bake with Kettle techniques?” That was key. “I…” Ezra bit his lip, eyes shifting like a scolded dog. “I know the pastry crust recipe. Pancakes. Not much else. By the time I was old enough to learn my mother was in no condition to teach me, and Father was already gone. After she passed I was sent out of ‘charity’ to work my family debts off under someone who had a distinct interest in keeping me from learning Kettle baking, and I never had time to study the old recipe books I inherited. Like this one.” He took a deep breath. “But it’s quite alright! I have more time now, and an audience! Someone wants me to learn how to bake like the old times, so I’m teaching myself. Someone very important, someone…whose name keeps eluding me. I must have been tired by that point.” That Ezra could not remember someone who had planted such a strong idea in his head worried Philomene, but she couldn’t let herself be sidetracked. That he was not trained in Kettle techniques at all was less than ideal, but he was willing to learn. She stood up for a moment. “Do you mind letting me see that book? From a safe perch, of course.” Ezra seemed to hesitate, glancing between the book and Philomene. “I won’t spill any secrets,” she added. “Promise. And you needn’t worry about me being competition. I cannot cook at all.” At that he relented, holding his hand over the book and letting her look over. She peered down at the sea of old paper, making out swirls of ink that flowed like thin clouds. “Ah!” she cried out. “Skyscript! Old Skyscript, in fact.” She looked over her shoulder back at Ezra. “Is that the problem, translating it into the modern way of writing?” “Not exactly. We all had to learn a little Old Skyscript for Sun festival services. Do you mind if I set you down? My hand is falling asleep…” “Oh! Of course, of course.” Philomene let him lower her down and climbed carefully back onto the book, making sure not to wrinkle or tear pages with her shoes. She could already start to read and translate the words in her head, though they were so big she couldn’t decipher full sentences. “I had to learn a number of languages in my studies, Old Skyscript among them. I can help you.” “Can you?” Ezra blinked. “You would? Forgive me for asking, but why? I imagine saving Thumbelina’s a higher priority than my attempts to bring back Kettle cuisine. Especially since this book wouldn’t even have the instructions to make our masterpieces, just various techniques I’ll have to navigate to make my own.” “That’s just it. These are the very old recipes, right? Ezra, did you know baking is a kind of science?” “It…” He stared down at her. “It really isn’t. I mean there are books involved, but no needles or gears…” “Medicine and mechanics are not the only kinds of science. You use yeast to make dough rise, right? And you measure just the right ingredients. It’s all chemistry, and chemistry is absolutely a science.” “So…” Ezra tilted his head. “This is all for the pursuit of ‘science?’” “No. I do have an ulterior motive. You see, I know it sounds ridiculous but I think these books might hold the secret to understanding how Green Magic was turned into a weapon against my people and possibly yours.” She looked up at him with utmost seriousness, in hopes it would make it sound a little less silly. Her response was another incredulous stare. “With baking.” “How to explain…” Philomene tapped her cane. “You see, science and magic aren’t that different, despite what some practitioners of both will claim. One’s more about studying the nature of reality and the other is for tweaking it. And I think that what you inherited is not merely a recipe collection but a book of spells, one of the last records of culinary Hearth Magic as developed by the Sky wizard Ketyl. If that is…!” She hoped she wasn’t letting her excitement get the best of her. “If it is, we might be able to undercover the secret to countering the rampant Green Magic. Using Hearth Magic, you could make soups that bring visions of the future or almond cookies which change hair color. It’s all in the ancient records! Even if most of it is theoretical and hasn’t been proved in practice in a long time. And even if I suspect the techniques were lost when your family started pursuing more higher-class and lucrative interests…” She stopped to catch her breath. “I can help you learn the techniques and observe how it works, and even if we don’t find a counter-spell I can use the data I get from observing magic in action to-to…” It was as if a wall had shut in front of Ezra, all his warmth gone from his face. She worried at first she had angered him and he would retaliate when she was at her most vulnerable, but instead he just stood up, turning away from her. “I’m sorry. There’s no magic involved.” He didn’t sound offended so much as hurt. “…But, there is. I mean, there was.” Philomene couldn’t let a subject drop when it came to her kingdom, even if it was clear to her she likely should. “I didn’t mean to insult your family, Ezra, honestly.” “It’s not that. But we don’t do magic and we never have. Period!” As he shouted the last bit, the table shook under Philomene’s feet. He turned around again, gently easing her off the book before he closed it and lifted it up in both arms, all the while refusing to make eye contact with her. “I’m sorry, Princess, but I have to get back to work. I have a client to impress and only a week to do so, and you’ve seen how much work I have ahead of me. No offense, but I’d rather do it myself.” He almost seemed to be hiding behind his bangs. “I’ll keep an eye out at the market for anything that might help you, but I’m just a baker. I’ll go get Marjorie for you…” As he disappeared from the room, Philomene slumped back down onto the table. Her back was sore from standing that long and guilt prodded at her stomach. How had she managed to step on a nerve so easily? Wouldn’t anyone be thrilled to know they could have that kind of power at their fingertips? And here she had worried he would be too reckless with it. “I’ll have to try again,” she whispered to herself. She could ask Marjorie’s advice, as Marjorie had that way of getting people to do things they wouldn’t have otherwise while believing it was their own idea. But that was trickery, and hadn’t she said promised herself she would avoid deceit? “Client, is it…” Had someone else recognized the name of Kettle and what it really meant, or had Ezra just found a glutton with high class tastes? When had Ketyl’s descendants gone from practicing her magic techniques to more mundane culinary arts? And more importantly, was she barking up the wrong tree? She couldn’t force him to help her. Unless someone was trying to twist Hearth Magic in the same ways Green Magic had been warped. Marjorie came into the room wincing. “Ezra’s in a bad mood, the poor dear. He said he’s off to go fishing, and I’m sure that boy has no idea how to fish.” She bit her thumbnail and held Philomene in her free hand, which felt comparatively snug after the vast plane of Ezra’s hand. “Did it not go well? At least we know he doesn’t have a violent temper, thank goodness.” “It could have gone better.” Philomene sighed. “I’m afraid I might have let my enthusiasm for magic get the best of my diplomacy skills. But I’ve made a decision. When Ezra goes with you to the market next week, I’m coming too.”

#The Exiles Ever After #Chapter Posting #fairy tale #web serial #giants

[heartslogos]

newfragile yellows [74]

“I bet you anything the camp counselors are fucking.”

Sutherland grimaces, “Please don’t say that. I don’t want to hear it.”

Skyhold Summer Camp is the best Summer Camp to ever Camp and Sutherland doesn’t want the experience ruined by that sentence.

Vox gives him a fond look before going back to folding his laundry.

Shayd rolls her eyes, “Don’t be such a baby, Sutherland. Time to talk big adult person trash talk and gossip. The Iron Bull and Lavellan are fucking.”

“Which Lavellan?” Because it makes a huge world of difference in Sutherland’s mind. Both are equally terrifying and mind-numbing, but one he can get over and the other will probably result in him being dead by the end of the week.

“Ellana, the part time cafeteria assistant and part time - I don’t know, animal husbandry teacher? I don’t know what to call her, actually.” Shayd pauses, silence filling the cabin. Sutherland can hear the others outside.

It’s free time to get things like laundry and letter writing and stuff done because later this afternoon they’re doing a test of Courage that’s supposed to go all the way into the evening hours and honestly Sutherland will never be ready for these things.

His parents have been sending him to Skyhold every summer for over seven years - he’s literally aged up to the teenager bracket and he still can’t handle the tests of courage.

He should, probably, at this point know what Ellana’s job position is.

Then again, given that her twin brother’s only purpose is to seemingly scare them at all hours without actually doing any counseling, he’s pretty sure they’re just freeloaders during the summer. Most of Sutherland’s interactions with the quiet and sullen man involve the tests of Courage actually, so maybe that’s his only job here?

Neither of them are listed on Skyhold’s official web page.

“Why do you think that?” He’s quietly relieved it isn’t Mahanon and the Iron Bull because that’s the one that seems like just considering would get him dead.

“Because the two are gross and cute together that’s why.”

“Pavus is gross and cute with half the other staff members,” Voth points out.

“Okay, but that’s Pavus and an entirely different story,” Shayd says. Sutherland agrees.

Dorian Pavus, for as long as he’s worked here, has been teaching every single new batch of kids how to be proud and stand up for themselves and not to allow gender roles to get to them. Him along with Sera, both Lavellans, the Iron Bull, Counselor Aclassi, and the Adaar cousins whenever they’re here.

Sometimes the Adaars don’t do Summer Camp.

Malika, who’s recently been promoted to Camp Counselor, herself, has started to join in on these little sessions officially. Previously she’d just interrupt from wherever she was seated.

“Anyway, it’s just how they are,” Shayd says, waving her hands. “Like, it’s like how you know that Evelyn and Cullen are definitely going to have three point five babies and four dogs.”

“They already have three,” Sutherland says, “Three dogs, I mean.”

He’s not sure if Evelyn and Cullen have children of their own. He’s not sure if they’ve even gotten to the making babies stages of their relationship. But he does know that they’re in one for sure because every time their eyes meet it’s like you can see bubbles and hearts and flowers blooming around their heads.

As Rat sometimes says. Twitterpated.

“That doesn’t mean fucking,” Sutherland says, feeling duty bound to try and defend the privacy of their authority figures. Especially since one of them is in charge of making sure they don’t get food poisoning or turned into food by wildlife, and the other could very well eat them alive. “For all we know they could just be best friends, or - I don’t know. Whatever it is Cole is to everyone.”

Now that Sutherland thinks about it, he’s not sure if Cole works here either.

“Who actually works here?” Sutherland asks.

“That’s a very good question.”

Everyone screams, Voth’s laundry goes flying, Sutherland falls off his bunk bed, and Shayd’s elbow cracks against a wall and she crumples with a muffled curse.

The Iron Bull looks unimpressed as he leans against their open window.

“Rule one of talking about fucking,” Bull says holding up one finger, “Probably keep your windows and doors closed if you’re talking about people who aren’t you.”

He pointedly raps against the open window screen.

“Also, no, Ellana and I aren’t fucking,” Bull says. And then pauses and turns, holding his hand to his mouth and yelling across the camp grounds, “Ellana, are we fucking?”

A few seconds later - over the sounds of the other counselors making various comments such as, seriously? Really? and there are children! Actual hand to god children! - Ellana’s voice yells back -

“I don’t think so? I mean, internally my heart says pass, but I guess we could try again? Like? A soft pass? Is that what you’d call it? Bull, is it a soft pass?”

“Probably,” Bull yells back and then grins at them, “There you go. Soft pass, we aren’t fucking.”

He hums and then turns back in her general direction, “Babe, by soft pass do you mean it’s debatable or you’re not sure what a no covers?”

“Both?”

Bull’s expression is entirely serious when he turns back to them, “Rule two about talking about fucking, which is actually - in terms of importance - rule number one, consent, consent, consent. Also, always talk out your issues, practice safe sex, research your kinks properly, and always use medical grade silicone. The only thing organic going in your parts should be other parts.”

Bull points at Voth, “No cucumbers.”

“Why me?”

“Because between the three of you here you’re the only one not currently getting any. Now close your fucking windows and doors and keep it down, the actual children,” Sutherland can hear the air quotes in the man’s voice, “Are coming back from their nature hike with Aclassi and Trevelyan. And do you want to be the reason why we get in trouble because we didn’t have their parents sign any permission slips covering the Talk? No. I didn’t think so.”

#heartsfic #gather your party and venture forth

[foursprouthealth-blog]

What You've Always Wanted to Know About Supplements

New Post has been published on http://foursprout.com/health/what-youve-always-wanted-to-know-about-supplements/

What You've Always Wanted to Know About Supplements

Not a day goes by when I don’t see an article claiming some new supplement will change my life. Take this for better sleep! Try that for less anxiety! This is definitely missing from your morning routine. This little pill fixed that crazy-famous celebrity’s super-relatable problem. Trade in everything and try this single supplement superhero!

Is your head spinning yet? Mine is. And my pantry is overflowing with so many tinctures, powders, and cure-all pills that I could honestly open my own holistic pharmacy. From digestive aids to stress reducers to sleep inducers to who the heck knows what that is or what it’s for, there’s no shortage of supplements that can supposedly help with, well, everything.

While it’s important to get to know supplements and what they’re really good for (PSA: don’t believe everything you read), there’s another burning question that’s always on my mind: What’s the best way to take supplements in the first place?

Sure, popping pills is fast and convenient. And yes, mixing powders with smoothies certainly helps mask less than desirable flavors (cough cough, ashwagandha). But does the way I’m ingesting them really make a difference?

What Are Supplements?

For those who have yet to go buck wild adding every vitamin, mineral, adaptogen, protein powder, and magic elixir to your Amazon cart, supplements are products aimed at enhancing (also known as supplementing) your diet. From herbs to amino acids to enzymes to everything in-between, they come in various forms, like capsules, tablets, powders, and even energy bars.

Still not ringing a bell?

It’s likely someone recommended vitamin C or echinacea last time you had a cold, or suggested probiotics when you complained about your out-of-whack gut. Ever taken vitamin D when you were SAD? Or fish oil for that healthy heart? What about adding protein powder to your post-workout smoothie? Yep, all supplements.

Should I Be Taking Them?

In 2004, one in 10 adults reported taking herbal supplements. As of 2016, 71 percent of adults in the U.S.—more than 170 million!—reported taking dietary supplements. As people become increasingly interested in optimal health, curiosity about all-natural remedies, healing diets, and other holistic measures has piqued.

And while the best way to fuel your body is with a healthy diet, supplements can be a great way to give yourself a boost. (Read: Supplements should be complementary to a healthy lifestyle, not used as band-aids for not-so-healthy ones.) But the best way to figure out what you need isn’t surfing the internet.

“I recommend two things,” says Josh Axe, D.N.M., C.N.S., D.C., and founder of Ancient Nutrition and DrAxe.com. “One, be an advocate for your own health. Do your research on any concerns or conditions you may have so that you understand what may help most.”

OK, maybe surfing the internet isn’t such a bad idea. Just make sure any “facts” you find are actually that—and that they’re backed by science.

“Second, I recommend working with a like-minded medical practitioner,” he says. “Your chosen professional should be able to understand the effectiveness and interactions of any supplements you may be (or want to start) taking, and will be able to examine your medical history, symptoms, and any relevant tests to custom-design a supplement program for you, should they suggest you could benefit from it.”

That said, consultations and tests don’t come cheap. So if you’re looking to keep things simple, Dr. Axe says that he’s seen positive results when people take the following supplement staples. But as always, check with your doctor first before filling your shopping cart:

Probiotics: These gut-friendly microorganisms have a slew of benefits, like improving the immune system, preventing and treating gastrointestinal issues, and supporting skin health.

Vitamin D: While you may think that reaching for vitamin C is the way to go when it comes to colds, vitamin D is actually where it’s at. It’s also been shown to help treat depression and strengthen our bones.

Protein Powder: You’re likely no stranger to this well-known post-workout powder. Not only does it help smoothies taste like milkshakes, but it also may help our muscles recover and potentially promote a healthy body weight.

Turmeric: Golden latte, anyone? This medicinal herb (and popular spice) is anti-inflammatory and may even help treat cancer.

Where Do I Buy Them?

If you’ve ever wandered down the aisles of health foods stores in search of a supplement, you know how overwhelming it can be. Tinctures, tablets, powders, capsules… all with varying doses, sold by countless brands, with prices all over the board, and mixed into so many combos that you end up cross-eyed. I often leave with several bottles and jars and more confused (and broke) than ever.

And it’s not just me. Even health professionals find picking the right supplement tricky.

“This is one of the hardest things to tackle,” says Tara Coleman, a clinical nutritionist who started her career as a chemist in the biopharmaceutical industry. “Supplement companies are regulated as food rather than drugs so they don’t follow the same rigorous testing and verification that our pharmaceuticals do.”

Case in point: A review done by Vox in 2016 showed that more than 850 dietary supplements contained illegal and/or hidden ingredients. Gulp. These included banned drugs, pharmaceuticals like anti-depressants, and other chemicals that have never been tested on humans. Double gulp.

While I’m not convinced we should abandon supplements entirely, I am convinced that buying them from a reputable company is the best way to ensure supplement safety—and effectiveness.

“Products that are available at reputable retail locations (Whole Foods, for example) will often go through a rigorous compliance review,” Dr. Axe says. “Products with outside certifications (like USDA certified organic) would also go through more testing. I like to give Whole Foods as a baseline because its standards for manufactured supplements are even stricter than the FDA’s.”

As for online shopping… not so much.

“I would be concerned about products available only online (either through the company’s own website or a marketplace reseller, such as Amazon) or late-night infomercial products,” Dr. Axe adds. “These tend to have the most issues with quality, compliance, and adulteration.”

Another pro tip: Look for third-party verification, which is a stamp of approval from a company with expertise in quality assessment that is not associated with the manufacturer. Good ones to look for include United States Pharmacopeia (USP), NSF International, and Consumer Lab.

“Companies that choose to put themselves through additional testing to prove the quality or potency do so at their own expense,” Coleman says. “Typically this is a sign of integrity and transparency and speaks highly of the company.”

As for the way we take them, that’s a little simpler—and less scary. (Phew.)

The Best Way to Take Supplements

I love adding powders to smoothies and lattes, will occasionally (and begrudgingly) down a tincture, and have been known to swallow up to 10 pills at once (don’t worry, just herbal). My choices have mostly been based on flavor and convenience and less so because I thought the way I consumed them actually mattered.

Does it?

“As a rule of thumb, the order of bioavailability (meaning your body can actually use it) typically goes liquid or tincture, powder, and then capsules,” Coleman says.

But there doesn’t seem to be a huge—or scientifically proven—difference.

“Many sources claim that a liquid-based supplement is the most ideal for absorption, but that type of assumption has yet to be proven,” Dr. Axe says. “Typically, how you take a supplement depends on how much your body may need or be able to use. For example, a protein powder scoop would typically have to be divided into 30+ capsules for you to get the same amount in one serving.”

Protein powder capsules? Maybe not such a great way to give your body what it needs. But for something like ashwagandha, which is often consumed in small servings (typically no more than a teaspoon) and doesn’t have the best taste, capsules are just fine. And considering many supplements require prolonged use to see the benefits, bioavailability may not actually be so important—depending on your needs.

As with most health-related things, it’s also about you assessing your own lifestyle and needs. Not everyone can stomach the bitter taste of tinctures, and similarly, not everyone wants to (or can) swallow numerous pills. In fact, some may not even be able to stomach pills.

“The downside to capsules is that there is a small percentage of people that may not react well to the material that the capsule is made from,” Coleman says.

And while the material of supplement capsules—and our ability to digest them—is widely contested, it’s something to watch out for (says someone who actually showed signs of inflammation in their stomach, which their gastroenterologist guessed was from all those supplements).

So yes, there are a few things to consider, but really it comes down to—surprise, surprise—you. And once you’ve picked your poison (slash method of choice), here are few supplemental tips to keep in mind:

To help break up clumps—which is a common frustration when using powders—use a blender, milk frother, or shaker bottle (like a Blender Bottle). They’re easy, fast, and (almost) lump-free.

Mix tinctures with eight ounces of water or a splash of juice to help subdue the flavor. That said, if you’re a ‘rip off the band-aid’ kind of person, there’s no harm in going straight down the hatch, Coleman says.

If you’re worried about the material capsules are made from, sprinkle the contents into liquid and drink them instead. (Though Dr. Axe says that modern supplement capsules are more easily digestible and break down within seconds.)

With some supplements, what you take them with actually matters. Fat-soluble vitamins, for example, need fat present to be fully absorbed. Vitamin C also helps iron absorb, so they should be taken together. Calcium, on the other hand, can compete with iron, so calcium supplements should be taken a few hours after an iron-rich meal.

Additionally, some supplements can negatively interact with medication, making them less effective, and in some cases, even dangerous.

Have I mentioned that consulting a health professional is really helpful?

The Takeaway

Unfortunately, supplements simply aren’t that simple. To get the most out of them, you need to understand what they can actually do and how to best integrate them into your life. And because each supplement is different, as is each individual taking it, it’s best to get guidance from a health professional as opposed to trusting the internet.

But I know that’s easier said than done. So when it comes to supplements, make sure to buy the good stuff—from the brands that make it well—and make sure to thoroughly investigate before popping any pills or sipping any super drinks.

#Health

[foursprout-blog]

What You've Always Wanted to Know About Supplements

New Post has been published on http://foursprout.com/health/what-youve-always-wanted-to-know-about-supplements/

What You've Always Wanted to Know About Supplements

Not a day goes by when I don’t see an article claiming some new supplement will change my life. Take this for better sleep! Try that for less anxiety! This is definitely missing from your morning routine. This little pill fixed that crazy-famous celebrity’s super-relatable problem. Trade in everything and try this single supplement superhero!

Is your head spinning yet? Mine is. And my pantry is overflowing with so many tinctures, powders, and cure-all pills that I could honestly open my own holistic pharmacy. From digestive aids to stress reducers to sleep inducers to who the heck knows what that is or what it’s for, there’s no shortage of supplements that can supposedly help with, well, everything.

While it’s important to get to know supplements and what they’re really good for (PSA: don’t believe everything you read), there’s another burning question that’s always on my mind: What’s the best way to take supplements in the first place?

Sure, popping pills is fast and convenient. And yes, mixing powders with smoothies certainly helps mask less than desirable flavors (cough cough, ashwagandha). But does the way I’m ingesting them really make a difference?

What Are Supplements?

For those who have yet to go buck wild adding every vitamin, mineral, adaptogen, protein powder, and magic elixir to your Amazon cart, supplements are products aimed at enhancing (also known as supplementing) your diet. From herbs to amino acids to enzymes to everything in-between, they come in various forms, like capsules, tablets, powders, and even energy bars.

Still not ringing a bell?

It’s likely someone recommended vitamin C or echinacea last time you had a cold, or suggested probiotics when you complained about your out-of-whack gut. Ever taken vitamin D when you were SAD? Or fish oil for that healthy heart? What about adding protein powder to your post-workout smoothie? Yep, all supplements.

Should I Be Taking Them?

In 2004, one in 10 adults reported taking herbal supplements. As of 2016, 71 percent of adults in the U.S.—more than 170 million!—reported taking dietary supplements. As people become increasingly interested in optimal health, curiosity about all-natural remedies, healing diets, and other holistic measures has piqued.

And while the best way to fuel your body is with a healthy diet, supplements can be a great way to give yourself a boost. (Read: Supplements should be complementary to a healthy lifestyle, not used as band-aids for not-so-healthy ones.) But the best way to figure out what you need isn’t surfing the internet.

“I recommend two things,” says Josh Axe, D.N.M., C.N.S., D.C., and founder of Ancient Nutrition and DrAxe.com. “One, be an advocate for your own health. Do your research on any concerns or conditions you may have so that you understand what may help most.”

OK, maybe surfing the internet isn’t such a bad idea. Just make sure any “facts” you find are actually that—and that they’re backed by science.

“Second, I recommend working with a like-minded medical practitioner,” he says. “Your chosen professional should be able to understand the effectiveness and interactions of any supplements you may be (or want to start) taking, and will be able to examine your medical history, symptoms, and any relevant tests to custom-design a supplement program for you, should they suggest you could benefit from it.”

That said, consultations and tests don’t come cheap. So if you’re looking to keep things simple, Dr. Axe says that he’s seen positive results when people take the following supplement staples. But as always, check with your doctor first before filling your shopping cart:

Probiotics: These gut-friendly microorganisms have a slew of benefits, like improving the immune system, preventing and treating gastrointestinal issues, and supporting skin health.

Vitamin D: While you may think that reaching for vitamin C is the way to go when it comes to colds, vitamin D is actually where it’s at. It’s also been shown to help treat depression and strengthen our bones.

Protein Powder: You’re likely no stranger to this well-known post-workout powder. Not only does it help smoothies taste like milkshakes, but it also may help our muscles recover and potentially promote a healthy body weight.

Turmeric: Golden latte, anyone? This medicinal herb (and popular spice) is anti-inflammatory and may even help treat cancer.

Where Do I Buy Them?

If you’ve ever wandered down the aisles of health foods stores in search of a supplement, you know how overwhelming it can be. Tinctures, tablets, powders, capsules… all with varying doses, sold by countless brands, with prices all over the board, and mixed into so many combos that you end up cross-eyed. I often leave with several bottles and jars and more confused (and broke) than ever.

And it’s not just me. Even health professionals find picking the right supplement tricky.

“This is one of the hardest things to tackle,” says Tara Coleman, a clinical nutritionist who started her career as a chemist in the biopharmaceutical industry. “Supplement companies are regulated as food rather than drugs so they don’t follow the same rigorous testing and verification that our pharmaceuticals do.”

Case in point: A review done by Vox in 2016 showed that more than 850 dietary supplements contained illegal and/or hidden ingredients. Gulp. These included banned drugs, pharmaceuticals like anti-depressants, and other chemicals that have never been tested on humans. Double gulp.

While I’m not convinced we should abandon supplements entirely, I am convinced that buying them from a reputable company is the best way to ensure supplement safety—and effectiveness.

“Products that are available at reputable retail locations (Whole Foods, for example) will often go through a rigorous compliance review,” Dr. Axe says. “Products with outside certifications (like USDA certified organic) would also go through more testing. I like to give Whole Foods as a baseline because its standards for manufactured supplements are even stricter than the FDA’s.”

As for online shopping… not so much.

“I would be concerned about products available only online (either through the company’s own website or a marketplace reseller, such as Amazon) or late-night infomercial products,” Dr. Axe adds. “These tend to have the most issues with quality, compliance, and adulteration.”

Another pro tip: Look for third-party verification, which is a stamp of approval from a company with expertise in quality assessment that is not associated with the manufacturer. Good ones to look for include United States Pharmacopeia (USP), NSF International, and Consumer Lab.

“Companies that choose to put themselves through additional testing to prove the quality or potency do so at their own expense,” Coleman says. “Typically this is a sign of integrity and transparency and speaks highly of the company.”

As for the way we take them, that’s a little simpler—and less scary. (Phew.)

The Best Way to Take Supplements

I love adding powders to smoothies and lattes, will occasionally (and begrudgingly) down a tincture, and have been known to swallow up to 10 pills at once (don’t worry, just herbal). My choices have mostly been based on flavor and convenience and less so because I thought the way I consumed them actually mattered.

Does it?

“As a rule of thumb, the order of bioavailability (meaning your body can actually use it) typically goes liquid or tincture, powder, and then capsules,” Coleman says.

But there doesn’t seem to be a huge—or scientifically proven—difference.

“Many sources claim that a liquid-based supplement is the most ideal for absorption, but that type of assumption has yet to be proven,” Dr. Axe says. “Typically, how you take a supplement depends on how much your body may need or be able to use. For example, a protein powder scoop would typically have to be divided into 30+ capsules for you to get the same amount in one serving.”

Protein powder capsules? Maybe not such a great way to give your body what it needs. But for something like ashwagandha, which is often consumed in small servings (typically no more than a teaspoon) and doesn’t have the best taste, capsules are just fine. And considering many supplements require prolonged use to see the benefits, bioavailability may not actually be so important—depending on your needs.

As with most health-related things, it’s also about you assessing your own lifestyle and needs. Not everyone can stomach the bitter taste of tinctures, and similarly, not everyone wants to (or can) swallow numerous pills. In fact, some may not even be able to stomach pills.

“The downside to capsules is that there is a small percentage of people that may not react well to the material that the capsule is made from,” Coleman says.

And while the material of supplement capsules—and our ability to digest them—is widely contested, it’s something to watch out for (says someone who actually showed signs of inflammation in their stomach, which their gastroenterologist guessed was from all those supplements).

So yes, there are a few things to consider, but really it comes down to—surprise, surprise—you. And once you’ve picked your poison (slash method of choice), here are few supplemental tips to keep in mind:

To help break up clumps—which is a common frustration when using powders—use a blender, milk frother, or shaker bottle (like a Blender Bottle). They’re easy, fast, and (almost) lump-free.

Mix tinctures with eight ounces of water or a splash of juice to help subdue the flavor. That said, if you’re a ‘rip off the band-aid’ kind of person, there’s no harm in going straight down the hatch, Coleman says.

If you’re worried about the material capsules are made from, sprinkle the contents into liquid and drink them instead. (Though Dr. Axe says that modern supplement capsules are more easily digestible and break down within seconds.)

With some supplements, what you take them with actually matters. Fat-soluble vitamins, for example, need fat present to be fully absorbed. Vitamin C also helps iron absorb, so they should be taken together. Calcium, on the other hand, can compete with iron, so calcium supplements should be taken a few hours after an iron-rich meal.

Additionally, some supplements can negatively interact with medication, making them less effective, and in some cases, even dangerous.

Have I mentioned that consulting a health professional is really helpful?

The Takeaway

Unfortunately, supplements simply aren’t that simple. To get the most out of them, you need to understand what they can actually do and how to best integrate them into your life. And because each supplement is different, as is each individual taking it, it’s best to get guidance from a health professional as opposed to trusting the internet.

But I know that’s easier said than done. So when it comes to supplements, make sure to buy the good stuff—from the brands that make it well—and make sure to thoroughly investigate before popping any pills or sipping any super drinks.

#Health