Hey hey NGS!

It has been a while since I made a journal post, along with updating you all on everything happening this year. I have been pretty active on Twitch when I am not posting to Newgrounds, so if you guys want further updates on new music, audioplays/storytelling, and other ventures beyond my cosy little cave in the 'grounds, click here!

Where do I even begin...?

Let's first start off with the good news, shall we?

The first thing, is that I have finally released one of my new babies into the 'grounds, The Tavern Tapes Vol. II! This ongoing storytelling driven album, inspired by story cassettes that I used to listen to back when I was a kid, and a gift to my friend UncleAliVA and our audiences; this is the sequel to the first instrumental only volume that I released a year prior, and I am so happy that it has already got some of you guys interested in the lore already.

The funniest part, is that this story will be HUGE. It will take almost a year or two to finish at my current pacing, will include voice acting from fellow collaborators and friends and myself, and will even come with extensive lore drops and 'bits'. The first few tapes, plus story driven tapes, are uploaded here!

The first part of the first arc, The Gemini Arc, got front-paged on Newgrounds recently! This is such a big surprise, and a happy one at that! This was the first time in a while my stuff got front-paged, and it just had to be my most special project yet! So thank you guys. Mad love to all of you.

I also uploaded some more silly songs on here as well since we last spoke here in this Journal! You can check them out all in my recent uploads on my page! I will be releasing even more off project songs soon, especially since something incredible has happened...

On to the best news for last; I finally have a brand new PC! After almost a year of constant streaming and hard work, we finally raised enough funds for the new rig. And it is working absolutely as I expected. This also means I can finally get fully back into work as a musician and voice actor, and also stream on my own PC again. Words seriusly cannot express how grateful I am for my little community, because it was thanks to all of you; that I was even able to even think of the idea of getting a new PC in this new, and irritating age of AI.

I have also finally opened a YouTube Channel! This was after reaching the 100 follower goal milestone on Twitch! I am still contemplating on what to really upload there, besides my music, and possible side projects. Go check it out, and subscribe here!

And now, for the bad news.

On the 25th August of this year, my mother has passed away after a short but agonising battle with cancer.

Me and my mother were only just starting to rebuild our bond. She was fresh out of rehab, found new friends, found love again, moved out to the coast, and was fixing the damage that could be fixed with her kid. Things seemed to just be going so well for her, and for us.

That was until in November 2025, I got a shock of a phone call from her telling me they found a melanoma like tumour in her left eye the size of a poppy seed. A tumour. In her eye. That is terrifying to think about, and to even fathom of how painful it was for her. She did get it removed, but sadly; it was too late.

The cancer spread throughout her whole body within months. Starting off in her face, neck, and eyesocket. Before spreading to her lungs, lymph nodes, and spine. By the time June arrived, she was on hospice with less than a year to live. She didn't make it two months into that prognosis.

I have been both grieving, and having a lot of mixed feelings since she died. Although we were trying to fix our bond, there were still moments where she would not take any or all accountability for many things she had done or said to me. And the closer she got to death, the more of the old side of her started coming out again. It has been really, really rough for me these past months...

I can just only hope that wherever she is, it is better than this bloody planet right now. I know she is dancing to Fleetwood Mac again, in her laces and her satins, and her vinyl collections of years past are playing upon her turntable in paradise. Despite everything she has put me through, I still loved her to pieces. And I am so defeated that we couldn't fix things in time.

I wanted to share this, because I know there are people here that are also going through similar circumstances out there. Cancer in particular, is a familiar but widely feared part of humanity.

Someday, somewhere, someone in your life will be diagnosed with cancer.

1 in 2 people will be statistically.

If something feels off, out of place, or you see something new on your body that you know wasn't there, or isn't normal for you.

Get it checked.

Even if it seems like nothing.

Check every mole.

Keep watch on every new unexplainable thing that happens to your body.

Keep a health journal.

Don't be afraid to tell your doctor EVERYTHING about what's going on, even if it sounds embarrassing or gross to you, they have heard it all and probably worse.

It is these little things, that will possibly save yours, or a loved ones life.

My mother was only 62. May she rest in peace.

Whew.

That was quite an update.

And it is sad that this year hasn't exactly been the most amazing when it comes to real life issues.

But I am just so grateful that things have been doing well in general, underneath all of this weight.

I hope everyone has had a great summer, and take care of yourselves.

Mad love; always.

• GBM