u/Aether_Novus

[Slavic Folk metal] Баба Яга (Baba Yaga)
▲ 4 r/NeuralMusics+1 crossposts

[Slavic Folk metal] Баба Яга (Baba Yaga)

Beware the whisper in the woods. 🌲 My original song, "Баба-Яга," is here.

A sonic journey through Slavic folklore, blending haunting balalaika with the raw power of progressive metal. A tale of fear, fascination, and the witch in the forest.

Listen, if you dare.

youtu.be
u/Aether_Novus — 5 days ago
▲ 2 r/NeuralMusics+1 crossposts

[JRock, Synthwave, Enka] 継承の刃 - Keishō no Yaiba (The Inherited Blade)

The blade has been passed to a new generation. "継承の刃 - Keishō no Yaiba (The Inherited Blade)" is a genre-blending anthem that asks: does the Way of the Samurai still hold meaning in the modern world?

This song tells the story of a new kind of warrior—a modern female and male samurai who navigate neon-lit streets and digital threats, guided by the ancient code of Bushido. Their weapon is a fusion of tradition and technology, their honor is their compass, and their mission is to protect in a world that has forgotten the meaning of "chivalry."

Musically, the track is a seamless fusion of old and new. It opens with a soulful shamisen and Enka harmonies, then propels itself forward with pulsing synthwave bass and J-rock energy. The chorus soars with powerful, determined vocals, while a breathtaking solo features a duel between electric guitar and shamisen, symbolizing the core theme. This is the sound of the past, sharpened for the future.
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新たな世代へ、刃は受け継がれた。「継承の刃 - Keishō no Yaiba (The Inherited Blade)」は、サムライの「道」が現代にも意味を持つのかという問いを投げかける、ジャンルを融合させたアンセム(讃歌)である。

この楽曲は、新たな戦士たちの物語を紡ぐ。ネオンの輝く街とデジタルの脅威を行き交う、現代の男女サムライたち。その指針は、古来より続く武士道である。彼らの武器は伝統と技術の融合、誇りは羅針盤、そして使命は「武士道」の意味すら忘れ去られた世界で、人々を守ること。

音楽は、新旧の要素が見事に融合している。情感豊かな三味線と演歌的なハーモニーで幕を開け、力強いシンセウェイヴのベースとJロックのエネルギーが疾走感を生み出す。合唱部分は力強く決意に満ちたボーカルが響き渡り、見どころとなるソロでは、エレキギターと三味線の壮絶な掛け合いが繰り広げられ、楽曲の核心を象徴する。これは、過去の音が未来に向けて研ぎ澄まされた響きなのである。

youtu.be
u/Aether_Novus — 4 days ago
▲ 5 r/MetalsOnReddit+1 crossposts

Wanted to Share an Idea for an OC for Marvel I've been working on for some time. What do you think?

I have been using, mixing and matching different AI generators to refine a character Design I have had on my mind for a while and finally worked through most kinks to have a satisfying result, as well as images made in ChatGPT. Would like some honest opinions of what people think of her?
Here is her dossier:

================================================================================
S.H.I.E.L.D. CENTRAL DATABASE
THREAT ASSESSMENT DOSSIER — FINAL REVISION

FILE ID: IND-7742-Omega
SUBJECT CODENAME: Marionette [RETIRED]
CURRENT ALIAS: The Dollmaker
CIVILIAN IDENTITY: Petrova, Anya [CONFIRMED]
STATUS: ACTIVE / NEUTRAL ASSET [RECLASSIFIED]
CLASSIFICATION: LEVEL 5 CLEARANCE [DOWNGRADED FROM LEVEL 7]
Psychological addenda restricted to Level 8+
LAST UPDATED: [Current Date]
REVIEW CYCLE: ANNUAL [DOWNGRADED FROM QUARTERLY]

================================================================================

  1. BIOMETRIC PROFILE

HEIGHT: 98 cm (3 ft 2.5 in)
[NOTE: Subject continues to wear custom heels adding
2-3 cm. Psychological trigger remains active. Do not
comment. Do not joke. Do not stare.]
WEIGHT: [REDACTED]
AGE: 17 [PERMANENT — See Section 4: Origin]
Physical development arrested at ~12 years.
HAIR: Platinum Blonde [Natural]
EYES: Ice Blue [Left eye: sectoral heterochromia, golden ring
at 7 o'clock. Barely visible. Subject is aware of it.
Do not mention unless she mentions it first.]
SKIN: Exceptionally fair, flawless [Arcane regeneration factor
prevents scarring, blemishes, or visible aging.]

DISTINGUISHING MARKS: Subject possesses no visible marks, scars, or
irregularities. This absence is itself a distinguishing
feature. Appearance consistently described as
"hauntingly perfect," "porcelain," "doll-like."
Subject cultivates this impression deliberately.

CURRENT IMAGE: [ATTACHED]
Subject at workshop opening. Attire: Custom navy silk
gown with gold embroidery. Heels: 2 cm, sapphire inlay.
Expression: Neutral. Poised. Guarded but not hostile.

================================================================================
2. ORIGIN — THE HOLLOW VESSEL INCIDENT
================================================================================

LOCATION: St. Petersburg, State Historical Museum (Restricted Wing)
DATE: [5+ years prior — Subject age 12]

INCIDENT: Accidental activation and destruction of unidentified arcane
artifact during school tour.

DETAILS: Subject separated from group, entered restricted exhibit area
containing confiscated occult objects. Approached sealed glass
reliquary containing artifact designated:

RELIC-Θ-17 "THE HOLLOW VESSEL"
A palm-sized containment device of unknown alloy. Purpose:
to contain, not generate, a dual-state arcane charge —
regeneration (boon) and stasis-binding (curse) in paradox
equilibrium.

TRIGGER: Startle response (audio spike, likely guard approach or
environmental noise). Artifact dropped. Vessel fractured.

OUTCOME: Energy discharged and bonded to Subject at point-blank range.
Immediate: systemic infusion of regenerative energy plus
simultaneous arrest of biological aging.
Secondary: latent affinity for magitech manipulation and
micro-scale arcane engineering, manifested ~6 months later.

NOTES: Event is irreversible. Energy signature fully integrated.
Subject is functionally the living seal of a broken relic.
Removal would be fatal. Attempted removal may unravel Subject
at the soul level.

XAVIER ADDENDUM:
"This was not empowerment. It was containment failure. She did not gain power—
she inherited a prison and became its new walls."

STRANGE ADDENDUM:
"The Θ-class containers were postponements, not solutions. She is not a vessel.
She is a prisoner who has forgotten the shape of her own cage. If ever such a
one appears, offer them the keys, even if they cannot yet see the locks."
— From the journals of the Ancient One, referencing Θ-class relics generally.
Applicability confirmed by current Sorcerer Supreme.

WANDA MAXIMOFF ADDENDUM:
"She was twelve. An accident. Power she didn't ask for, changing her body and
her life in ways she couldn't control. I see echoes of myself in her. I will
not push. But if she ever reaches out, I will answer."

================================================================================
3. PSYCHOLOGICAL PROFILE [RESTRICTED — LEVEL 8+]
================================================================================

PRIMARY ASSESSOR: Morse, Bobbi (Agent 19 / Mockingbird)
CONSULTING: Xavier, Charles (External)
Frost, Emma (External)
Braddock, Elizabeth (External)
UPDATED ASSESSMENT: Storm, Susan (External Consultant — FF)

CURRENT PSYCHOLOGICAL STATE: STABLE / GUARDED / FUNCTIONAL

SUMMARY OF PROGRESSION:

PHASE 1 — "MARIONETTE" (Ages 12-16):
- Isolated criminal operator
- Theft, infiltration, magitech refinement
- Motive: prove superiority, force acknowledgment
- Deep loneliness masked by pride and persona
- No permanent allies; no support network

PHASE 2 — "DOOM'S PROTÉGÉ" (Age 16-17):
- Six-month residency in Latveria
- Rapid advancement in magitech capability
- Initial trust and intellectual fulfillment
- Gradual recognition of dependency/control dynamic
- Break triggered by conscription demand and being called "child"

PHASE 3 — "THE VENDETTA" (Age 17):
- Three-week asymmetric conflict with Doctor Doom
- Doom targeted safehouses, supply chains, materials access
- Subject counter-blackmailed using political intelligence
- Outcome: Mutual stalemate, permanent enmity, Subject's independence
- Displayed tactical brilliance, emotional resilience, and absolute
refusal to submit to external control

PHASE 4 — "THE DOLLMAKER" (PRESENT):
- Legitimate independent contractor and consultant
- Neutral alignment — serves neither heroes nor villains consistently
- Serves competence, respect, and interesting problems
- Support network established: Fantastic Four (primary), select Avengers,
Wakandan Design Group, Sanctum Sanctorum (secondary)
- No longer requires criminal activity for survival or validation

PRESENTING PERSONA (PUBLIC):
Soft-spoken, polite, professional. Retains occasional use of childlike
mannerisms for social manipulation when dealing with unfamiliar parties.
Has learned to drop the persona when working with trusted colleagues.

TRUE PERSONALITY (PRIVATE):
Prideful. Precise. Profoundly independent. Difficulty expressing vulnerability
or gratitude verbally — expresses through craftsmanship instead.
Loyal to those who have earned it. Unforgiving to those who have broken it.
Possesses a moral framework that has stabilized considerably since adolescence.

PERSISTENT INTERNAL CONFLICT:
Subject continues to experience:
a) Body dysmorphia related to developmental stasis
b) Periodic grief for the life and body she cannot have
c) Tension between valuing her unique advantages and resenting their cost

RESOLUTION STATUS:
Conflict is no longer destabilizing. Subject has integrated these tensions
into her identity rather than being controlled by them. Support network
provides stabilization during acute episodes. Prognosis: GOOD.

EMMA FROST ADDENDUM (UPDATED):
"The cathedral is still there. The wound is still there. But she's stopped
pretending she built it to keep others out. She built it to keep herself
together. Now she's letting people into the courtyard. Not the inner sanctum—
not yet—but the courtyard. That's more than I expected."

ATTACHMENT COMPLEX — "FRIENDS":

Subject's dolls remain psychologically significant. Each is unique. Each is
named. Each is irreplaceable.

Key constructs:
- "Petya": First Friend. Porcelain sparrow. Gold-leaf wings. Constant
companion. Emotional anchor. Appears in every documented sighting.
- "Sasha": Second Artist's Proof. Phase-shifting. Administrative support.
Handles client intake and workshop management.
- Additional Friends: Classification system (Whispers, Needles, Bruisers,
Masques, Proofs) remains operational but is now oriented toward
legitimate work rather than criminal enterprise.

CRITICAL WEAKNESS (PERSISTENT):
Destruction of dolls in Subject's presence remains a trigger for emotional
destabilization and disproportionate retaliation. This vulnerability has
diminished slightly with stabilization of her overall psychological state
but should not be considered resolved.

TACTICAL NOTE:
Do not threaten the dolls. Do not destroy the dolls. Do not touch the dolls
without permission. This is not a negotiation tactic. This is a safety protocol.

================================================================================
4. ABILITIES & ENHANCEMENTS
================================================================================

ARCANE REGENERATION:
- Healing approximately 30-40% faster than baseline human
- Scarring appears physiologically impossible
- Upper limits unknown; subject has never sustained catastrophic injury

EPIDERMAL PERFECTION:
- Skin does not blemish, wrinkle, or show environmental damage
- Requires no cosmetic maintenance
- Passive continuous effect of Hollow Vessel integration

BIOLOGICAL STASIS:
- Subject is permanently fixed at pre-adolescent physical state
- Will not age, grow, or undergo further biological development
- Condition is irreversible by any known means (Strange, Richards, and
Shuri assessments concur)

INTELLECTUAL:
- IQ: 147 (Tested / Confirmed)
- Emotional Intelligence: Exceptional (99th+ percentile)
- Primary specialties: Magitech engineering, micro-scale power systems,
arcane containment theory, infiltration/security systems, behavioral
psychology, negotiation
- Self-educated via online archives, stolen materials, and six months of
informal tutelage under Doctor Doom

MAGITECH AFFINITY:
- Intuitive understanding of arcane-mechanical integration
- Manifests as engineering instinct rather than learned skill
- Can perceive thaumic resonance wavelengths without instrumentation
- Designs consistently outperform theoretical projections by 15-40%

COMBAT PROFICIENCY:
- NEGLIGIBLE. Subject cannot physically defend herself.
- Relies entirely on doll network for protection and deterrence.
- Has designed her life to avoid situations requiring direct combat.
- If forced into physical confrontation, tactical priority should be
immediate extraction, not engagement.

================================================================================
5. CURRENT AFFILIATIONS & STATUS
================================================================================

PRIMARY AFFILIATION: PETROVA ARTISANAL (Sole Proprietorship)
Custom Magitech Fabrication & Consultation
New York City, Neutral Zone
By Appointment Only

STATUS: INDEPENDENT / NEUTRAL
Legitimate business operator. No criminal activity
detected since Latverian departure.

KNOWN ALLIES / SUPPORT NETWORK:

FANTASTIC FOUR (PRIMARY):
- Susan Storm-Richards: Closest personal relationship. Trusted
confidante. "The first person who saw me clearly."
- Reed Richards: Primary scientific collaborator. Co-author on
multiple papers. Mutual intellectual respect.
- Benjamin Grimm: Emotional support and body-dysphoria confidant.
"He knows what I see in the mirror."
- Jonathan Storm: Self-appointed protective older brother figure.
Subject finds him exhausting but endearing.

AVENGERS (SECONDARY):
- Tony Stark: Occasional consultant. Competitive but respectful.
- Natasha Romanoff: Regular client. Information-trading relationship.
- Clint Barton: Informal social contact. Biannual visits.
- Bruce Banner: Correspondence only. Mutual recognition of
body-transformation trauma.
- Steve Rogers: No direct contact. Responsible for her file
reclassification from "Active Threat" to "Monitored Neutral Asset."
- Thor: One extended conversation. Standing invitation to Asgard.

WAKANDAN DESIGN GROUP:
- Princess Shuri: Rival-collaborator. Regular exchange of materials
and design challenges. Mutual intellectual respect bordering on
friendship.

SANCTUM SANCTORUM:
- Doctor Strange: Professional consultant. Cautious mutual respect.
- Wong: Informal social contact. Tea. Holiday cards. Cat photos.

MUTANT COMMUNITY (PERIPHERAL):
- Emma Frost: Surveillance-turned-protective monitoring. Never
acknowledged by either party.
- Stepford Cuckoos: Clients. Recipients of Subject's rare emotional
openness via written correspondence.
- Rogue: One extended conversation. Door left open for future contact.
- Charles Xavier: Correspondence only. Mutual respect.
- Magneto: One commission (prosthetic systems for Genosha). Subject
built at cost. Cannot be recruited.

MYSTIC COMMUNITY (PERIPHERAL):
- Wanda Maximoff: Collaborator and mirror. Deep mutual understanding.
- Jericho Drumm: Professional respect. Subject finds him "unsettling."
- Agatha Harkness: Uninvited but tolerated visitor. Teases, tea, and
cryptic observations. Subject refuses to admit she enjoys the visits.

KNOWN ENEMIES / HOSTILE RELATIONSHIPS:

- Doctor Doom: Permanent enmity. Mutual blackmail stalemate. No active
conflict, but no reconciliation possible.
- The Hood: Single humiliating defeat. Avoids Subject entirely.
- Mister Sinister: Long-term observation of Subject. No direct contact.
Subject has countermeasures prepared. Watching.
- A.I.M.: Residual hostility from Vienna incident. No active pursuit.

================================================================================
6. OPERATIONAL CAPABILITIES — "THE FRIENDS"
================================================================================

Subject's doll network remains her primary operational asset. All dolls are
handcrafted, unique, and magitech-powered. Network is now oriented toward
legitimate work: security, consultation, and specialty fabrication.

CLASSIFICATIONS (CURRENT):

WHISPERS — Surveillance / Scouting
Size: 2-5 cm. Appearances: insects, birds, overlooked forms.
Function: Audio/visual recording, tracking, data transmission.
Current use: Workshop security, client monitoring (consented),
environmental scanning for dimensional instability.

NEEDLES — Precision Work / Defense
Size: 8-12 cm. Appearances: ballerinas, elegant figures.
Function: Lock bypass, circuit interface, sedative/toxin injection.
Current use: Precision fabrication, medical assistance, workshop defense.

BRUISERS — Heavy Support / Protection
Size: 25-30 cm. Appearances: toy knights, soldier figurines.
Function: Combined energy projection via linked cores.
Current use: Workshop security, heavy fabrication assistance.

MASQUES — Decoy / Representation
Size: 20-25 cm or 98 cm (Artist's Proofs).
Appearance: Replicas of Subject.
Function: Holographic projection, voice mimicry, remote presence.
Current use: Conference attendance, client meetings, personal security.

ARTIST'S PROOFS — Unique Constructs
Size: 98 cm (Subject's exact height).
Confirmed: Two in existence.
- "Sasha": Phase-shifting. Administrative support.
- Unnamed second Proof: Capabilities classified.

GUARDIAN-CLASS (NEW DESIGNATION):
Size: Variable. Purpose: Long-term protection of workshop and personnel.
Details classified per Subject's request.

NOTE: All classifications are fluid. Subject innovates constantly. Assume
capabilities may exceed documented parameters.

================================================================================
7. THREAT ASSESSMENT — CURRENT
================================================================================

THREAT LEVEL: GAMMA (Neutral / Conditional)
Previously ALPHA during Marionette phase.
Downgraded upon reclassification.

CONDITIONS FOR ESCALATION:
- Threat to Subject's workshop, Friends, or support network
- Destruction of dolls in Subject's presence
- Betrayal by trusted individual
- Attempted coercion or control
- Harm to children (protective instinct, per Vienna trauma)

CONDITIONS FOR COOPERATION:
- Professional respect and intellectual engagement
- Interesting or challenging problems
- Fair compensation (monetary or knowledge exchange)
- No condescension
- No recruitment pressure

CURRENT STABILITY ASSESSMENT: HIGH
Subject is unlikely to return to criminal activity or villainous alignment
without extreme external provocation. Support network provides adequate
stabilization. Professional success provides adequate validation.

Risk of Doom-related relapse: LOW but NON-ZERO.
Risk of Sinister-related complications: MONITORED.
Risk of isolation-triggered regression: LOW. Support network is stable.

================================================================================
8. NOTABLE QUOTES — HERO ASSESSMENTS
================================================================================

STEVE ROGERS (CAPTAIN AMERICA):
"She's a survivor of circumstances no child should endure, and she has chosen—
against considerable pressure—to build rather than destroy. She deserves the
space to do so."

TONY STARK (IRON MAN):
"The most annoying consultant I've ever hired, and I once worked with Hank Pym."

SUSAN STORM (INVISIBLE WOMAN):
"You're not broken. You're just alone. Those are different things."

REED RICHARDS (MISTER FANTASTIC):
"She's the best collaborator I've ever had. She's also the most stubborn person
I've ever met, and I'm married to Sue."

BENJAMIN GRIMM (THE THING):
"She ain't got a team. She ain't got a family. She's got dolls she made herself.
That's not a support network. That's an echo chamber. ...She's got us now, though."

WOLVERINE (LOGAN):
"Kid's walking a tightrope over a fire. Doom's the guy handing her a longer pole
and telling her to lean forward. Somebody's gotta teach her when to step off."

EMMA FROST:
"That girl's mind is a cathedral built over a wound. ...Now she's letting people
into the courtyard. That's more than I expected."

SHURI (PRINCESS OF WAKANDA):
"She's the only person on this continent who can keep up with me. I hate that
she's not Wakandan."

SPIDER-MAN (PETER PARKER):
"She's a kid. An actual kid. I looked at her and saw myself if I'd been just
a little angrier. How do I punch that?"

NATASHA ROMANOFF (BLACK WIDOW):
"She's running a long con on the entire world, making them see a fragile little
doll while she picks their pockets. ...She's better at seventeen than I was at
twenty-five."

DOCTOR STRANGE:
"She is not a sorcerer. She is something adjacent. ...She will come to Kamar-Taj
when she's ready, or she won't. Either way, the door is open."

AGATHA HARKNESS:
"She's perfect. Absolutely perfect. A living paradox who stabilizes paradoxes.
A child who will never age, building creations that will never grow. She's a
fairy tale waiting to happen."

ANYA PETROVA (THE DOLLMAKER) — ON HERSELF:
"I am not a hero. I am not a villain. I am not a victim. I am not a project.
I am Anya Petrova, and I do not belong to anyone."

================================================================================
9. FINAL ASSESSMENT & RECOMMENDATIONS
================================================================================

SUBJECT CLASSIFICATION: NEUTRAL ASSET — DO NOT ENGAGE HOSTILELY

The individual once designated "Marionette" no longer exists in any meaningful
operational sense. In her place is a stable, productive, neutral contractor
whose expertise is unique and whose cooperation is valuable.

RECOMMENDATIONS:
- Maintain annual review cycle. No active surveillance required.
- Honor Subject's neutrality. Do not pressure for alignment.
- Engage professionally: respect, fair compensation, interesting problems.
- Do not threaten Friends. Do not comment on height. Do not offer pity.
- In case of emergency, contact Susan Storm-Richards (FF) for liaison.
- If Subject ever requests help, provide it immediately and without
conditions. She will not ask twice.

FINAL NOTE:
She was a child who touched the wrong thing at the wrong time and spent years
punishing herself and the world for an accident no one could have prevented.
She built walls out of porcelain and pride. She made soldiers out of dolls and
loneliness. She nearly became the darkest possible version of herself.

She didn't.

The Hollow Vessel broke on a museum floor, and a twelve-year-old girl became
its new walls. She spent years trying to prove she wasn't fragile. She
eventually realized that fragile isn't the same as breakable.

She is porcelain. She has always been porcelain.
But porcelain, properly made, is stronger than it looks.

And she made herself, piece by piece, doll by doll, friend by friend, into
something that will not shatter.

================================================================================
DOSSIER END

REVIEW CYCLE: ANNUAL
NEXT REVIEW: [Date + 1 Year]
PREPARED BY: S.H.I.E.L.D. Threat Analysis Division, Special Cases Unit
FINAL APPROVAL: Rogers, Steven G. (Captain America)

u/Aether_Novus — 8 days ago