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amouthfulofforevers · 4 years

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For the shyan week’s free day, I decided to make a rec list with my favorite shyan fics I’ve read so far. All these writers are fantastic and deserve all the kudos and comments, I love all these stories!

Fics with a star on the side are big favorites of mine.

if you go down to the woods by Siria | T | 1,752 Words | ☆

The footage shows Ryan Bergara walking into the woods.

The footage shows Ryan Bergara walking out of the woods.

Like You Want To Be Loved by poetdameron | T | 16,535 Words | ☆

"Settle down with me", Shane says without thinking and as Ryan looks at him with wide open eyes, all he can think of it's how many of Ryan's secrets he knows, how Ryan likes his coffee, and the fact that he has loved him since the moment Ryan first looked up at him and smiled.

Early Morning Conversations by idonthavelungs | G | 594 Words

Sleeping in a dead person’s bed in a house that’s probably haunted doesn’t exactly make sleep come easy.

Horror and Chill, Baby by Squeakyshroom | E | 6,206 Words

Ryan won't chill, so Shane gives him a helping hand.

Or: Ryan's straight but not when Shane touches him like that.

Let the Sunshine Burn Your Eyes by YogurtTime | E | 6,577 Words | ☆

An innocent man of taste and leisure, Ricky Goldsworth, just wants to check into his hotel room, but gets into an altercation with the concierge while a mysterious gentleman in expensive-looking clothes watches nearby.

Kismet. by poetdameron | E | 18,625 Words | ☆

Everyone is born with Gifts. It doesn’t matter if they didn’t ask for it.

Shane never thought he would meet the only person in the world he can touch without killing them, let alone fall for him.

un poco loco by sanjariti | T | 2,468 Words

(told in a linear date timeline)

In which Ryan Steven Bergara loves Shane Alexander Madej so much, he plans their one-year anniversary gift 6 months in advance. But what sort of gift requires so much planning?

And they were roommates (oh my god they were roommates) by Squeakyshroom | E | Chapter 5/5 | Complete | 25,690 Words

Shane and Ryan are roommates who fuck, but with rules.

(Now if only they'd stop breaking all the damn rules)

Por Favor, Sweetheart by carrieonfighting | T | 7,859 Words | ☆

Two dorks raise a baby and don't even realise they're doing it together until it's too late

Alternatively, Ryan Bergara is Trying His Best Thanks

Thursday: Turquoise Taupe by shaniacbergara | G | 3,142 Words

Shane Madej’s hometown is…well, a little bit different than most. He and Ryan take a trip there.

When It Happens by Anotherlostblogger | E | 8,790 Words |☆

At some point Ryan and Shane stopped being just friends. That tension has been there just thrumming under the surface, waiting for the right moment to be released but it’s like a valve, slowly turned so it starts out trickling until they’re caught in the overflow.

in the drift by lorena_estrella | G | 624 Words |☆

After losing his brother in a Kaiju battle, Shane never thought he'll trust anyone again. Then Ryan happened.

Pacific Rim AU

ready if it happens with you by sarcasticfishes | E | 4,319 Words |☆

It’s not a thing. Ryan’s just a little… touch-starved. Intimacy-starved.

Shane passes behind him when he’s sitting at his desk, idly touches Ryan’s shoulder, thumb brushing the curve of his neck — and goosebumps erupt down the length of Ryan’s arms.

In His Brown Eyes by poetdameron | E | 9,866 Words

As a kid, a shadow lived in Shane's room that became his friend. All he can remember of it, it's its beautiful brown eyes.

As an adult, Shane meets Ryan and his beautiful brown eyes that are familiar.

Ryan is desperately in love with his best friend.

I Don't Want to Sleep Alone by Anotherlostblogger | E | Series | 3 Works

After Ryan gets really shaken that night at Yuma, Shane is left to deal with the aftermath.

Rough water by heyghouls | Not Rated | 9,092 Words

Ryan's apartment gets flooded. He doesn't have anywhere to live in the meantime but it's a good thing his good friend Shane lives close to the office. Shane happily offers him a home and the boys are forced to face their unresolved sexual tension.

One apartment, two boys with raging attractions towards the other and one undeterminated stay. What could go wrong?

Playing It Cool by poetdameron | E | 27,494 Words | ☆

Ryan needs a new roommate, Shane needs a new place. They both work in the film industry, like the same weird crap, love the same movies, and would die for pop corn. It's a blessed match!

There's only one tiny detail Kelsey may have forgotten to tell Ryan about Shane's acting job.

universal truth by lorena_estrella | G | 276 Words

Shane has no idea how he got so lucky but he isn't complainig either. For the next thousand years, all he wants is to love Ryan

Old Sins Cast Long Shadows by MercurySkies | E | 15,442 Words

Sin /sɪn/ noun 1. an immoral act considered to be a transgression against divine law. 2. any thought or action that endangers the ideal relationship between an individual and God. 3. any diversion from the perceived ideal of human living.

And Longer If I Can by poetdameron | T | 6,315 Words

After Shane makes an "odd" question, Ryan can't stop thinking about the possible implications of it, obsession over the one conclusion most likely to (not) be: Shane is breaking up with him sometime soon.

Thank you, Satan by Squeakyshroom | E | 7,426 Words

Ryan breaks his arm and Shane takes care of him. It’s not weird...until it is.

Or: Ryan wants Shane. Shane wants more.

won't you ride on my fast machine? by ElasticElla | M | 1,678 Words

“So? Lovers’ quarrel? Work gone wrong? Bad family barbecue that ended abruptly when you accidentally came out by making a pun about your poor math skills?”

“That’s way too specific to not be real,” Ryan accuses.

'Shane was dead: to begin with. There is no doubt whatever about that, to quote ‘the’ Charles Dickens with an emphasis on the 'dick'. They didn’t tell you the great Victorian novelist was also a grade A asshole in high school but then again what do they tell you in high school? Shane Madej was dead, as dead as one disembodied soul standing seemingly above his own corpse probably can be.'

(a moment) by thisissirius | M | 1,437 Words

ryan is shivering when they get back to the motel

contrapposto by spoopyy | T | 7,301 Words | ☆

Ryan works in a museum. Shane doesn't understand art. They fall in love.

meet me halfway by poetdameron | T | 12,346 Words | ☆

In a world where everything changed over the night, Ryan and Shane's minds connect miles away, making Shane the man of Ryan's dreams. Literally.

the summer is ended and we are not saved by anarchetypal | E | 1,733 Words | ☆

Ryan drops the holy water gun with a shout and stumbles back, fueled by blind panic as he turns and sprints past their sleeping bags for the attic door.

Behind him, he hears Shane sigh almost calmly despite his flesh still burning. “Don't— C’mon, seriously, do we really have to make this a whole thing— You've seen horror movies, you know how this is gonna—” Apparently still annoyed, he breaks off, and the door in front of Ryan slams shut on its own.

Ryan skids to a stop and reaches for the knob, rattling it ineffectively. “Shit, shit, shit—”

“So many horror movies,” Shane says, voice much closer now, and Ryan spins around. “I’m just saying, can we not make this a thing right out of TV Tropes, you know, that’s just boring for both of us.”

#shyanweek2k20 #shyanwritingevents #shyanlibrary #shyan #skeptic believer #buzzfeed unclean #shyan fic #wetookanoath #mine #mine: shyan #rec list #my recs

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mondaymulchings · 7 years

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Reflections on the Politics in Figure Skating

Hi, so I'm the twin sister of an international figure skater. Lately, the results of a recent ISU competition my sister competed in have put me into a wide range of emotions. However, due to my relationship with my sister, I haven't been able to properly voice my deep, honest feelings for her sake. I figured on tumblr, where no one I personally knows follows me, might be a place where I can confess some things.

First of all, there is always going to be bias in figure skating. Even with the significant changes that have been made since the 6.0 judging system, there's still bias and favouritism, and thus there's often inflation. Or, skaters will get ripped off. It's a shame.

The new judging system is composed of two parts. The first half, is the technical score (jumps, spins, etc.) where each element has a base score, and the judges will either add or deduct points from it based on how well they perceived it was executed. The second half is program components (skating skills, interpretation of music, performance, etc.). This section doesn't have a base score, but for my sister's level it averages about 5.0 for each subsection.

I genuinely feel that my sister (who placed second), along with the girl who placed third, got marked extremely harshly. Meanwhile, the girl who won first place was inflated and granted a lot of leniency. Don't get me wrong, she skated well, but there were aspects of her scoring that didn't make sense to me, and many other people for that matter.

After the short program, the first place skater and the second place skater (who finished third overall) technically skated almost identically scoring programs. Yet somehow the first place winner was inflated by about 5 points. It made no sense. Technically and artistically, they were equal matches. There was clear favouritism and unfortunately, it resulted in 5 points of inflation, which is a pretty reasonable cushion for the free skate.

My sister, who'd placed third in the short program, was also marked harshly and received a score that separated her by about 7 points from first place. Although jump-wise, she did make errors, she is an excellent spinner and truly beautiful, artistic skater. Her program component score was scored so low many were surprised.

You're probably wondering "what makes this girl a good judge for program components? what does she know? she's just biased!". I actually used to figure skate competitively too (but unfortunately I had to quit due to a chronic injury) and oh I loved it so much. The grace, artistry and musicality that skaters like Michelle Kwan and Mao Asada brought to the ice truly captured the essence of figure skating. They gave the sport substance - they made it more than just a sport, they made it an art.

These are qualities in figure skating that are dying. Skating has developed such a strong focus on jumps that the other aspects are being thrown aside and forgotten about. The beautiful, artistic nature that embodies what figure skating truly is, is dying.

But my sister, she keeps this alive. I feel at peace watching her skate because I know that my old dreams that I can no longer pursue let alone fulfill, are safe in her spirit. I was able to move on with my life because she kept these precious aspects of figure skating alive.

The girl in first place, although she has a few good jumps, her skating skills and artistry don't have the raw emotion and substance that my sister has. The country in which she trains prioritizes jumps over things like performance and skating skills. My sister and I have been enamoured with the beauty of grace and movement since the first time we ever laid our eyes on figure skating.It's something incredibly important to us. We took years of ballet alongside figure skating to develop our fluidity in movement and artistry.

Somehow, this girl managed to score higher in both the short and long program in the program components over my sister. In the short program, where my sister did have some slight errors, it could be justifiable, I guess. But in the long program, my sister had the cleanest skate. In fact, she had the highest score for long program and rightfully so. The girl who won first place made errors. To the average spectator with no knowledge of figure skating, it may look like she did well, but she popped a few jumps (meaning she did 1 rotation instead of 2 or 3 as planned in her jumps). These errors should have lowered her program component scores, yet the judges favoured her so much that they inflated her program component scores so that she beat my sister in that section, and somehow managed to score far higher than she deserved. Her score was also unrightfully close to my sister's. It wasn't right. Other individuals with knowledge in figure skating thought so too.

In the end, my sister gracefully accepted her silver medal. Like Michelle Kwan at Nagano. I'm so proud of her. She has so much national pride and was just so thankful that she could represent and bring honour to her country. She's not only a good skater, but she's a good person as well.

But there's just something eating away at me knowing that my sister was possibly deprived of glory that she has worked so hard towards.

#figureskating #iceskating #politics #unfair #bias #favouritism #proud #so proud #siblings

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symbianosgames · 7 years

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A good voice actor can make you game's narrative and characters come alive with emotion and power. They can take chunks of text and turn them into a vivid story that will really stand out in the player's memory.

A bad voice actor can destroy all of your hard work on story and character development.

Wayne June falls very much in the former category. This prolific voice actor's deep, sonorous narration is as important to Darkest Dungeon's appeal as its characteristic visuals, its mental afflictions, and its vicious difficulty. The writing in Darkest Dungeon was extremely well done, but it was June's unique tone and delivery that gave the developer's words their dark power.

How do voiceover artists like Wayne June work? And how can you find such a person to work on your game? We decided to ask him how he works, and for any tips and insights he had for game devs looking to hire and work with voice actors.

WORKING WITH RED HOOK

Red Hook Studios, the creators of Darkest Dungeon, found June through a shared interest in the writer H. P. Lovecraft.

Chris Bourassa had been familiar with some previous work of mine, a series of audiobooks in the 'Weird Fiction' genre by Lovecraft," says June. "Since the concept for Darkest Dungeon has a rather Lovecraftian flavor, he thought I'd be a good fit."

"I love Gothic horror, grew up on monsters and scifi, so the concept of Darkest Dungeons grabbed me."

June was immediately impressed by Darkest Dungeon. "I love Gothic horror, grew up on monsters and Sci-Fi, so the concept grabbed me," he says. "The scriptwriting was nothing short of stupendous, I had a preview glimpse of the concept art and found that inspiring. "

He had done voice work on audio books, TV documentaries and promos... Go see his website to get a sense of the full range. But this was his first game project. He recorded himself in his own home studio, and shared cleaned-up versions of the audio files with the developer.

Red Hook hit the jackpot with June. What can other game developers do to help ensure an equally positive experience? How do you look into finding someone whose vocal talents enriches your work like June's did for Darkest Dungeon? How do you get them interested in working with your game, and what do they need to come aboard? How do you guide them to get the words just right?

KNOW EXACTLY WHAT YOU WANT

When searching for a professional voice actor, it helps to have a very good idea of what you have in mind for your game.

Do you want someone with a cute voice, or someone who can make the dread halls come alive with malice? Knowing exactly what you want can not only guide you to find the right voice actor, but gives you an idea on what to suggest while giving directions to the person you eventually hire.

[embedded content] Wayne June's rendition of Poe's "The City in The Sea"

CAST YOUR NETS WIDE, BUT LOOK FOR EXPERIENCE

You could very well have already heard someone who's a perfect fit for your game in some other medium besides games. A good voice actor for your video game might not necessarily have worked in games before, as many of them do all kinds of different work.

The voice business is extremely wide-ranging," says June. "Here's a list of just some of the areas using highly specialized voice talent: Animation, Cartoons, Videogames, Audiobooks, Corporate Training Videos, Dubbing, eLearning, Webinars, Tutorials, Documentary Films…"

"Hire experience. There's a difference between, 'Yeah, I could do that' and 'Yes, I've done that.'"

June says that there are quality voice actors in all manner of different places, but he cautions developers to look for experience: "There are those among us whose range covers several of these areas, I work regularly in over a dozen of them, but no one person is likely to be appropriate for it all; the demands of the industry are just too far flung.

"There's a difference between, 'Yeah, I could do that' and 'Yes, I've done that,'" he insists. "Hire experience. Also, it may be helpful to get referrals from someone in your industry."

BE WARY OF BARGAINS

"You get what you pay for," warns June.

"As in every other industry, rapidly changing technology has changed everything," he says. "The availability of affordable recording devices has flooded the market with those wielding minimal experience and skill. You're going to come across sites that look great with '$49 voice productions' and 'freelancers' offering 'five dollar voiceovers'. Really? Good luck with that nightmare."

EXPECT PROFESSIONALISM. PROJECT PROFESSIONALISM.

You may be looking for quality talent to hire, but a voice actor is also sizing you up as their prospective employer.

"A major factor in the appeal of any prospective job is the perceived level of professionalism," says June. "In business, you want someone competent, serious, committed -- prepared, with clear objectives and a plan as to how to accomplish them."

A professional actor is going to want assurances that you have the skills necessary to pull off the game you have in mind, and that their time isn't going to be wasted on a project that may go nowhere. June says one of the things that drew him to Darkest Dungeon was a sense that Red Hook knew what they wanted and what they were doing: "Everything was extremely organized; very well planned and executed."

[embedded content] Final release trailer of Darkest Dungeon

LISTEN CAREFULLY BEFORE YOU HIRE

When a voice actor seems interested in the position you're offering, it's up to you to determine if they're right for your project as well.

"Ask for demos, ask for a custom audition, ask for recording studio specs," advises June. "Listen closely to the responses and before making a decision, be convinced that during the interview and audition process, your prospective subcontractor has been listening to you!"

It is up to the developer to determine if the voice actor is right for your project, and no matter how much experience or talent they might have, the only way you'll know for sure that they'll work out is if you listen to them yourself. Getting samples of them reading the work you've sent can solidify whether they're right for your project. (Ask for brief samples--don't expect them to record hours of material to simply aid you in your hiring decisions.)

EVALUATE A VOICE ACTOR (AND THEIR EQUIPMENT) FOR THE JOB

It can help to ask what kind of equipment a voice actor intends to use on your project as well.

Professional-grade equipment can help make for better recordings with fewer issues. June himself maintains an impressive setup. "I have a recording studio in my home with an acoustically treated booth (to deal with reflections of frequencies from hard surfaces) and use a program called Pro-Tools to record on a custom built computer maximized for audio production," he says. "I have a collection of microphones on hand from which to choose for any given project, including large-diaphragm condensers with multiple polar patterns and a supercardioid shotgun interference mic."

June continues, "I have a selection of plug-ins (software components that add options for manipulating dynamics, equalization, employing noise reduction, or adding effects such as reverb, delay, mic modeling, etc.) and I maintain a constantly growing library of sound effects and production music for sound design."

June was able to streamline the production process by editing the material before submitting it. "In the case of Darkest Dungeon, my editing included cleaning up mistakes and noises, evening out the dynamics and maintaining an overall consistent signal level," he says.

Equipment will not make an unprofessional actor suddenly work well, but a solid voice actor with high-quality equipment can help a developer get cleaner audio to work with for the end product.

PROVIDING MATERIAL TO VOICE ACTORS

Once you've made the hire, what all should you provide to the voice actor--just the lines you want them to read, or all of the surrounding context?

"I'm of the opinion a full script is best." says June.

A full script shows that you have the entire story down, which not only shows a serious commitment from you as the developer, but also helps the voice actor get a feel for the project as a whole. If you come in with snippets and undeveloped concepts, you also run the risk of looking unprofessional.

That's not to say that you cannot involve a voice actor in an early stage of the project. You can treat the voice actor like a consultant on the project to help guide you in nailing down your narrative style... but there will be a cost.

"If you're looking for the help of a voice actor in concept development, you'll be requiring more of a time investment, says June. "For example, if you're submitting multiple scripts before settling on a clear concept and finished script, for example, you can expect to pay for that."

The text of dialogue and narration isn't the only thing that can give voiceover artists a better sense of your game. "Reference audio, notes, story boards,spreadsheets are all effective," says June.

COORDINATING THE RECORDING PROCESS

Once a project is accepted, it's up to the developer to determine how closely they need to be involved in the recording process. Developers should determine if they wish to direct the voice actor live during recording or provide notes and feedback after the recording.

"A session can be set up to have a client physically present to act as director," says June. "Another option is to set up a 'phone patch' into the session so that the session can be monitored and direction provided. This can also be done by Skype, Google Hang-Out or with an ISDN connection or software such as Source-Connect."

Naturally, a more hands-on approach may effect the price. "A less expensive and often preferred arrangement is to establish understanding pre-production, and have the actual session self-directed by the voice actor," says June.

Detailed notes in the script can help the voice actor get a sense of what emotion or effect is required for a scene. It will also help the voice actor keep the emotion in mind when they go to work, which is nice given how much work it still takes with all of that direction in place.

FEEDBACK PROCESS

"I record the scripts, usually giving three to five different 'takes' of a given line to provide choices," says June. "It took multiple takes to narrow the choices down to the three to five that I sent. Plus, all initial recordings include unintentional and unwanted elements, like tripping over words, stomach grumbles, even passing planes and neighborhood dogs... my acoustic treatment is sound absorbing, not sound blocking! It can take many hours to get one hour of finished audio, depending on a particular day's challenges."

It takes a great deal of effort to provide lines even with direction, so a developer keeping careful notes on what they want in a given scene is key. Being able to communicate that with notes may not be possible given the way some developers wishes to work, but in the interest of cost, it can be worthwhile to learn to direct using notes. Barring that, find some other way to help the voice actor see the world and characters as you see them, using storyboards, references, or any other means that works for the both of you. Anything you can do to help them get the words right makes their job easier, and will help you get the quality acting you need.

"A solid concept, proper casting, and effective communication will smooth the process," says June. "Know what you want to hear, choose someone you trust and have reason to believe has the ability to provide that, and use any and all means to get across your ideas."

If done well, your words will resonate in the player's ears long after the game is over.

#IFTTT #Blogger

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