Thursday, November 5, 2020

Weekly Music Highlights and Fan Fiction Short

 

Well, we’re still waiting on some Political news, but last I checked, Biden was only 6 electoral college points away from the Presidency and leading Nevada, which was worth exactly 6 points, so here’s hoping we finally get some much needed change and the tyrannical monster is removed from office and possibly subject to war crime trials before the UN.

 

Last week’s releases were really good, we got our first Miley-Noah Cyrus sisters duet and an Ariana Grande album I wasn’t expecting, I’d give them, the Black Stone Cherry album and the Slash and Tom Morello collaboration last week the highest recommendations of last week’s music.  It was especially nice to hear Ariana and Black Stone Cherry’s music since most of my favorite artists have been releasing Political or COVID-themed music this year and these songs were based more around fun and good times, a nice reminder that things don’t have to be perfect or even good to have a good time.

 

We’ve got quite a few good-looking new releases this week that I’m looking forward to, so let’s get to summarizing:

 

Orianthi-O: Orianthi is an Australian-born singer-guitarist who has worked with Alice Cooper, Richie Sambora and Don Felder, and has a hard-driving playing style.  She used to make more pop-stylized music back in the 2000s, but that changed after meeting the above.  Orianthi has released two singles from her album, which showcase her as a powerhouse rock and roll woman.

 

Jeff Scott Soto-Wide Awake (In My Dreamland): Jeff is one of the underappreciated vocalists of hard rock/heavy metal, collaborating with Yngwie Malmsteen and making the band Talisman in his time.  His singing style is immediately recognizable, passionate and a good tenor, and I look forward to what he brings this time.

 

Reb Beach-A View From The Inside: Famous as a double-duty guitarist for Winger and Whitesnake, Reb Beach is releasing a guitar album in the vein of Steve Vai or Joe Satriani.  Beach’s two singles show that he’s bringing his “A” game guitar-wise, and looks to be up there with some of Satriani’s stuff.

 

Leslie Odom Jr.-The Christmas Album: Famous for playing Aaron Burr (sir) in the Broadway musical Hamilton, Leslie Odom Jr. now brings his amazing voice to Christmas Carols.  I’m especially looking forward to his rendition of “O Holy Night.”

 

Various-Soundtrack to “Happiest Season:” A soundtrack album for a Christmas movie, meaning all the songs will be Christmas carols, but with a special twist.  All of the artists are LGBTQ+, with the single off this album released last week belonging to Tegan and Sara.  It openly featured the twin sisters talking about bringing a girl home for the holidays and I look forward to similar “new” twists on our holiday traditions, so our hearts can grow more open.

 

Here's a short I wrote yesterday from the perspective of the Fire Emblem character I dressed as for Halloween.  Don’t be surprised if my blog becomes my new screenshot and fanfiction hub soon, my old one is leaving me more and more alienated these days, to the point that doing good there doesn’t feel worth it anymore.

 

 

I sat on the edge of my bed, crying.  This happened more often than I’d care to admit, at least once every ten days.  I’d just wake up and overwhelming sadness would cut through my soul.  Despite all my efforts to kill my past demons, even re-writing the world I lived in for the better, I was still plagued by the memories on my siblings, tortured, going crazy, dying in that dank dungeon I was forced to live in as a small girl.  All of these days that my sadness and pain revisited me, I wondered if it was all worth it.  I had to kill my last brother, Dimitri, to get where I was, put the lives of my best friends at risk time and time again, end lives that had done me no harm and still, the demons hadn’t left.  Was killing Seiros even worth it when all was said and done?

 

“El?” asked a voice behind me.  It was my wife, the aqua-haired beauty who had saved my life at least twice.  I turned and I saw her, my love, the one who made life worth living.  I hugged her tight with both arms, smiling to myself, feeling blessed for her and my friends Petra, Dorothea, Bernadetta, Leonie, Lysithea, Shamir, Hubert, Ferdinand, Caspar, Linhardt, Ashe and Annette.  Despite how rough the road had been to get here, it had definitely been worth it to be wed to such a beautiful soul as my Professor, Byleth, and to know such a diverse family as my chosen family of friends from throughout Fodlan.  Byleth had done well to bring fun people to our cause that I had only tangentially known through school, they were strong, compassionate and humorous, each one a special treasure I felt blessed to know.

 

“Thank you, for being there all these years.” I whispered.  Byleth hugged back, a genuine expression of compassion, making me unafraid of what I would face in the future.  Whenever I suffered because of my past, whenever my past demons made me feel worthless, Byleth treated me like I deserved to live.  She treated me special, not because I was an Empress, not because I was royalty, but because she wanted me to be happy.  She wanted me to grow past my dark, painful past, she had told me so on many occasions.  I don’t know if I’ll ever be fully mentally well, but as long as I have her by my side, I feel like I can handle whatever life throws at me.  I love you, Byleth.

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