#I just HAD to try my hand at representing that gorgeous imagery

[starsoflyra]

He really didn’t sound alright. He sounded the furthest from alright that the Captain had ever heard him. 

made another scene from @charlie--lover‘s fic “Lost then Found” into a comic. ouch! :^)

[Image description: 

A two-panel digital comic featuring modern AU iterations of the Captain and Pat from BBC Ghosts. In the first panel, the Captain is setting his drink down on the windowsill. He is silhouetted against the red drapes and window frame by a broad beam of daylight, highlighting his tense posture. He’s wearing a blue, short-sleeved button-up, a light brown belt, and dark brown khakis. Winding around his concerned face are speech bubbles that say: “Yes. You were wrong. I can’t-- not with you. Not like that.”

The next panel focuses on Pat. He’s sitting on the couch, looking dejectedly to the side. His soldiers are hunched up to his ears, and he’s playing with his hands. The light from the window casts a warm glow over half his body, glinting off his glasses but leaving the rest of him in partial shadow. Above his head, in a shaky text bubble, is his response: “Ok. That’s fine. That’s alright.”

End of ID.]

#bbc ghosts #BBC Ghosts fanart #kinda? #the captain #BBC Ghosts the captain #Patrick butcher #BBC Ghosts pat #digital art #comic art #my art #lyra draws #big props to the person who informed me #that putting IDs under a cut makes them inaccessible #lost then found #god this scene tore my heart right out and sent me pacing around my room #I just HAD to try my hand at representing that gorgeous imagery

[mattsvn]

Nostalgia.

Iwaizumi Hajime x fem!reader

Summary: A summer after graduation finds Iwaizumi Hajime halfway across the globe, sitting in a lecture hall and staring at a golden dome that reminds him of the world and his place in it. Or, the lack thereof.

Genre: Slight angst to fluff. Character introspection, self discovery!

Word count: 4.4k

Warnings: none.

A/N: Guess who’s crying :smiley: Okay, so I got inspired by this tik tok, check it out, show the artist some love, and adding to another idea I had this came up, I hope you guys like it!  ALSO, that beautiful summary was suggested by @meliorist-midoriya​ !!!​ Repost from my old blog, this is on my favorite fics ever written hehe

There is something distinctive about the traces left by people in the places they inhabited. Whether intentional or not, to enter a house that was once occupied is to step into an unknown life, where all that remains are the lines drawn on the wall frames, with random dates, leaving a record of someone’s growth.

A part of the wall with a lighter color, where photographs once hung and the trace of old drawings on the wall could be seen even if you paid close attention. Seeing the home you had lived in for years empty, lifeless or without its distinctive smell caused an ache in your chest that you couldn’t describe, how was that atmosphere created again, with spotless walls, perfect floors and the lack of human warmth?

You weren’t afraid of living alone, you were afraid of having a lonely life.

It was frightening to think that the apartment you had just bought might feel like it was inhabited by a ghost, with no trace that anyone had ever been there. One way or another you wanted to make that space, with only two rooms and one bathroom, feel like your home, even if it was just you, even if you would only live there for a few months.

So, amidst the worry about establishing a home and hundreds of paperwork, came the first day of college, one more step to adapt to, the breaking of a routine you had just begun to create.

There was no better way to start that school year than by being on time, so, at least for the first week, you tried to be there early enough. It gave you time to get through the school buildings, and to finish your coffee just before the first class started.

Thursday arrived, with the first class being Medieval Art, not usually a subject that caught the attention of many, so it was common to see empty seats. Still, as usual, you were planning on choosing the seat right next to the window, where the sunlight illuminated your notes, but that day, it seemed that someone already occupied that place.

You sat next to him, there was no reason not to share the table, didn’t pay attention to him, it seemed that the boy was taking a nap a few minutes before class, probably he had a class before that one, or he was just tired. The teacher settled into her seat, and you glanced sideways, only to see that the boy was still asleep, not moving.

“One day, the architect, Frank Gehry said: architecture should speak of its time and place, but yearn for timelessness” she began, while behind her appeared the image of a building you had heard too much about. “I think one of the best representations of this is Hagia Sofia” she continued, showing the image of that beautiful golden dome behind her, she kept talking.

As the guy next to you opened his eyes, sleepily he took a deep breath, concentrating on the image in front of him, with some concern he took the supplies from his backpack to take notes for the class, he seemed lost, confused and, in general, tired, like he was there by mistake, or, against his will.

Iwaizumi was not usually like this. Before moving to the United States, he had never been late for a class, he was the type of person who kept everything in order, always punctual, with notes in order and an impeccable grade. A role model in every sense of the word, student, athlete and perfect son.

But as soon as he arrived from his flight, tired to the bone and affected by jet lag, he slept as much as he could, only to wake up in the early morning, stunned by the different time zone he could not fall asleep at the right time, he still couldn’t get used to the food offered there, and he was unable to find the ingredients he would commonly use in Miyagi to eat.

People drove on the left seat, and the road was on the right side, they used to eat on the street without any concern, or on the way to their jobs and schools, nor did there seem to be manners in public transportation, at least no the ones he knew. There were words that confused him, and the symbols on the streets made his head spin.

People did not have the same habits he knew, and he noticed that after only a couple of days after moving in. By the time school started, Iwaizum was still trying to sleep at the time he was used to and didn’t make it until two or three in the morning, so, it resulted in waking up late and sleeping in between classes, he still wasn’t used to having his notes in English, so his handwriting looked weird, the teachers spoke too fast for him to understand, therefore, his notes were all over the place

Not to mention how unpunctual they were, he found himself a couple of times arriving late to class, only to find out that the teacher wasn’t there, and that it would probably take them twenty minutes more to arrive, and sometimes, they would cancel the class when you were already there, just because.

Even in the classes he looked forward the most, he found himself tired, bored, easily distracted, and he expected the same from this one, a subject he had taken only to complete his units. But, when he opened his eyes, he swore he had never seen anything as beautiful as that. A gorgeous dome of gleaming gold, with light streaming in through the windows and the distinctive marks of history on its walls.

It took him a few seconds to listen to the professor properly, as he was still impressed with what he saw on the projector, there was nothing that did not interest him, from the columns to that painting of the Virgin Mary, an impeccable marble floor, and, the mixture of both religions on its walls was perhaps what left him most curious of all that he had seen.

There was nothing like that in Japan, or at least not that he remembered. Byzantine architecture had that distinctive feature in which it left you mesmerized for a moment, he was so enraptured by it that he didn’t notice that there was someone sitting next to him, taking notes of the things the teacher was saying, with a slightly frown, concentrating, and different pens scattered around the table. The teacher continued talking, still detailing how a building created almost fifteen hundred years ago remained one of the finest constructions in human history.

Hagia Sofia, she read from the blackboard. He wrote down the title in a slightly disorganized way, along with the rest of the words on the board.

Hagia Sofia, meaning: holy wisdom. Constantinople, now Istanbul.

“Long before what we now know, the Byzantine Empire took place in what is now Istanbul, the capital of this empire is perhaps one of the most important historical and architectural sites of the Medieval Era, this was the largest known church  for about a thousand years. It has been used as a church, a mosque and now serves as a museum.” She explained, showing the various images of the building. ”There were two later constructions after this, one destroyed in a fire and the second in the Niká riots, then, in the year 532 construction began on what we now know as Hagia Sofia.“

"Wow” Iwazumi sighed, absently sketching the shape of the building.

“I won’t tell you much about this building, at least not for now,” said the teacher, pausing for a moment to look at the picture. “I want an essay on this topic, and I would like you to gather in pairs for it.” she asked them. “I just want your opinions and analysis on the things that are most important to you about the place and what you think is meant to be represented by these, either imagery or architecture. Your partner will be the person who is closest to you, starting with the two of you, at the bottom.”

You looked at Iwaizumi out of the corner of your eye, having to work with people you didn’t know was always a problem, but, you hoped it wouldn’t be like that this time. He also looked at you, a little relieved thinking that you would surely know something about Medieval Architecture, not like him, who felt totally lost in that new subject. Even so, he returned his gaze to the front, memorizing every detail of that dome in his mind.

The class continued, with the teacher talking about historical processes in the fifth century and the topics that would be taken throughout the course, Hajime could not help but see the excitement that certain topics caused you, especially with the mention of some gothic buildings. And so, in the blink of an eye, the class was over, and before he realized it, you were already grabbing your things to leave.

“My next class is Historical Theory, what’s yours? We can organize on the way” you said, looking at him for a second while you closed your backpack. Iwaizumi tried to put his belongings away as quickly as possible, but failed a bit with his clumsy movements. “What’s your major?"

"Oh, Sports Science,” he replied. Your reaction was as expected: confusion, what was a sports science major doing in a medieval art class? “All the other classes were busy and I needed some extra units.”

“Oh, I see” you nodded, walking out of the classroom with him walking beside you.

“What’s your major?” he asked, feeling somewhat embarrassed that he hadn’t asked that before.

“Art History” you replied, with a smile. “By the way, my name is y/n” you said, extending your hand, he received it, still not used to the way people introduced themselves there, but little by little he was starting to adjust to it.

“Iwaizumi Hajime” he cleared his throat, here they speak by first names, not last names, you idiot, he said to himself in his mind. “Hajime.”

“So, Hajime, you didn’t organize your classes on time, you take naps before class, and you don’t know anything about Medieval Art” you jokingly commented. “We have quite a bit to learn, don’t you think?”

“Uh… y-yes” he nodded, stopping when you did, not even realizing how far he had walked. “I won’t let you do all the work, if that’s what you’re worried about” he assured, it seemed they were in front of the door to your next class the moment you stopped and looked at the door, Iwaizumi didn’t want to take up your time, but he had no idea what to say either.

“Well, how about we meet in the library later this week? You can give me your number so we can schedule the day” you hoped the professor wouldn’t come to the classroom while you were talking to  Iwaizumi, as he seemed like a very nice person, despite how nervous he was.

“Sure, I have the whole afternoon off tomorrow, is that okay?” you nodded, extending your phone to him so he could write down his number and name, to your luck, he returned it just in time.

“Sounds perfect to me, I’ll text you as soon as my class is over” you said, saying goodbye and entering just before the teacher, who closed the door behind himself.

Iwaizumi stared at the door for a few seconds, letting out a sigh,then, he walked to his next class. It felt awfully strange to walk around campus alone, with no one by his side. Maybe he had gotten too used to spending his free time with the rest of his friends in highschool, and, at times like these, where he was waiting for a message from a cute girl, he couldn’t help but think about how much he missed them.

He was alone, and that was terrifying.

Iwaizumi looked at his phone for the third time in an hour, the class, food chemistry, was just short of making him fall asleep, yet he couldn’t help but look at his phone and wonder at what point the cute girl in the Medieval Art class would send him a message.

She didn’t until almost four hours later, just as Iwaizumi had recently returned to his apartment and was working on a long assignment for the rest of the week. Ignoring the sound of a message at first, thinking it was probably Oikawa bugging him about some new thing he learned in Argentina, so, he didn’t look at his phone until a couple of minutes later, when a second message came through.

“Hi! Sorry I didn’t talk to you sooner, I’ve been a little busy, but this is my number!”

“My last class ends at 2:00 p.m., do you mind if I meet you at that time in the library?”

He answered almost immediately, regretting later for doing it so quickly, you look like a desperate idiot, he thought. To his luck, as soon as he locked the phone, the screen lit up again with the reply.

It seemed that after that things flowed perfectly, even though before he met her they would have seemed like inconveniences to him, now they looked as an opportunity. The professor for tomorrow’s class informed them that he was out of town, so his classes would start until the following week, which gave Iwaizumi a chance to continue with his homework calmly, and, to get ready to see the pretty girl the next day, maybe even sleep properly that night.

However, nothing went as he planned.

Again, he found himself staring at the ceiling at midnight, without any possibility of being able to fall asleep, no matter how hard he tried, nothing seemed to work. That wasn’t his bed, nor his sheets or his favorite pillow, it wasn’t his wall or the window overlooking his backyard. As he stared at the empty, flat ceiling, he wondered why he couldn’t at least see a golden dome so he would have something to think about while he tried to sleep.

And so he woke up quite late, much later than he was used to. Maybe his body took the opportunity to recover all his lost energy, he had no idea. The only thing he knew was that he woke up thirty minutes before the agreed time with the pretty girl, and, it took fifteen minutes to get to the library from where he was.

He sent as many messages as he could while getting dressed and trying to look as presentable as possible. At least it wasn’t strange to see people running around campus, although it was in the first few weeks of school, where no one was really worried about anything.

“I told you I could wait a while” you mentioned, Iwaizumi was standing in front of her, trying to control his breathing, visibly agitated for having run all the way to the library. “Tell me you at least ate something” you murmured, in a way to accept his apology, then he sat on the free seat in front of you, trying to avoid that questioning.

“I can eat something later, sorry I was late” he apologized, again, he expected you to be upset, but you weren’t, instead, the first thing he saw was a reassuring smile, you hadn’t been more than ten minutes late, so, there was really no problem. “Again, I’m sorry, I was…”

“You don’t have to apologize, Iwaizumi. You were only ten minutes late, I’ve known people who take an hour to show up” the boy looked at the table for the first time, it was almost like the mess she had in yesterday’s class, only now it had several open books around it. “My class ended early so I went ahead to research an assignment I had, don’t you want to go get something to eat before we start?”

“I’d rather do this and then I can eat something, I wouldn’t want to waste your time even more” he replied, it was too obvious that he still didn’t quite master English, or maybe he did but he was quite embarrassed about how it was that he pronounced things. “I’ve never had this happen to me before, I’m sorry, I’m not usually like this.”

“How many times do I have to tell you it’s okay? Seriously, but why are you late? If you say it doesn’t usually happen to you” Iwaizumi looked towards the window with a frown, he felt like he would spend an embarrassment for that, because, sleeping late was not a good excuse, actually, nothing was a good excuse for his lateness, but still, he sighed. “Don’t tell me you’re coming in with a hangover?”

“No, no, not at all. It’s just… I’m still not used to the time change here and I’m used to sleeping at a totally different time” he said, though there was more to it.

The insomnia was only a collateral result of how he felt, and perhaps what kept him most irritable. Perhaps he had chosen that change too quickly, or the feeling was probably something that would fade with time. But he couldn’t help but feel like he wasn’t quite connected to reality, like he was living a strange dream. The routine he had worked on for years that kept him safe was gone, and was now out of his reach.

He missed going out every Tuesday for lunch with Oikawa, Makki and Mattsun. He missed walking to school and greeting his neighbors, or the way Oikawa’s older sister squeezed his cheeks, even though he said how much he detested it, he missed the karaoke he went to once a month and his mother’s food, hell, he even missed Oikawa’s obnoxious nephew.

“So, where are you from? Moving is hard enough, I can’t imagine doing it from another country” he looked at her, realizing she was genuinely concerned and curious, she meant it. The sincerity brought him calm, enough to say what he felt.

“Japan, I just got here a couple of weeks ago, I still don’t understand much and my English isn’t the best so I’m not having the best time” he pointed out, as he picked up his notebook, watching as she jotted something down on the computer, adding a document to start the essay. “Not to be rude, but your culture is really weird.”

“You don’t have to tell me, it is. But you end up getting used to it, don’t you? I find people’s behavior patterns depending on their culture interesting” Iwaizumi hadn’t even noticed that there was already a book on Byzantine architecture on the table, which showed a picture of Hagia Sophia from the outside. “Besides, it’s normal to miss your hometown, don’t you think, what did you most like to do there?”

“Playing volleyball with my friends” he answered without hesitation, for it was true. He missed every detail of it, from the practices, to the coach yelling at his teammates to the games, even the ones he lost.

“Oh, were they on a team together?” she put the computer aside, devoting her full attention to him. Iwaizumi nodded, ready to talk about all the amazing things his team had. “Were you guys good?”

“Well, yes. At least within reason, we were. We never made it to nationals, but within our prefecture we were very good” he nodded, still feeling the bitter taste of defeat on the tip of his tongue as if it had happened yesterday, his last chance to go to nationals ended before it even started.

“And what position did you play?” he questioned, Iwaizumi picked up the book on the table solely to have something to distract himself with.

“Uh, wing spiker. I was the ‘ace’ of the school, but of course, I couldn’t be any of it without Oikawa."

"Oikawa?”

The conversation did not stop since then, between readings, corrections and stories about his high school, Iwaizumi did not even realize that almost three hours had passed, three hours in which he could not believe what he saw in images, despite all the fear he had, all the nostalgia that accumulated inside him, seeing that building in Constantinople brought him a peace that he could not manage to understand, no matter how much he wondered what was going on.

Although it didn’t compare to how the pretty girl explained things, he should probably stop referring to her as the pretty girl and start calling her by her name, as he ended up forgetting it, and every time she said his name, he blamed himself for not remembering hers. He learned everything he wanted to know in one afternoon, thanks to her, the semi domes, the atrium, every detail, structural and artistic there, he memorized it with her voice, melodious, calm, safe.

After making a couple of questions, he lost his fear of asking what he was seeing, because, as she told him, “no one knows everything, there will always be someone who knows something you don’t”. So, he ended up engaged in a conversation about the wonders of medieval architecture and no more than ten minutes later, the conversation drifted to the karaoke that his friends loved, or the park where he and Oikawa learned to play volleyball.

Life at the university became more bearable thanks to her, Iwaizumi heard the story of how she had just moved out of her parents’ house, how they also moved out of their house and the pain it caused her to leave the home she loved empty. She enjoyed knitting, watching movies and listening to new music all the time. In a couple of weeks, he discovered her favorite food, and the kind of clothes she liked best, the movies that made her cry and the ones that made her die laughing, and with each thing he learned, she asked him the same questions. Even though he wasn’t entirely sure how he was supposed to answer, or what people used to say, it made him wonder if he seemed like a nice person or someone who would be interesting to spend time with.

Tuesdays of going out to eat became Tuesdays of organized movies in the dorms, once-a-month karaokes became visits to museums instead of his neighbors, now he was greeting his roommates every morning, now the cute girl in Medieval Art class was the one squeezing his cheeks, it seemed that, little by little, everything was starting to be as he knew it.

Or at least that’s what he thought

“But what do you like, Iwaizumi?” she asked him on a sunny afternoon where sunlight illuminated her room and there was a random movie on TV as the background noise, around her a lot of snacks and fried food, that’s what Saturdays were like, relaxed and sunny. “I almost feel like I know Oikawa like you do, but you don’t tell me much about yourself.”

“Huh?” he asked, doubtful, hadn’t he been talking about himself all that time, or had he only thought he was? “I don’t know what you want to know about me.”

“I want to know who you are, beyond all your friends and the people in your life.I know what Oikawa likes and how many fans he had or the perfect settings he did, but I want to know about you.” she told him.

She didn’t know if it was because the girl was an art enthusiast, or if she just hadn’t met someone who wanted to know more about him for her own pleasure, for what she felt was inexplicable.

“Well, well… with my team” he began, stopping the moment he saw the look on the girl’s face, who could only thus make him feel as if he were a scolded child. He sighed, running his hand through his hair, confused as to what it was he should say.

“Who are you, Iwaizumi, what do you like, what song do you like the most? I don’t want to know about other people, I want to know about you, about what makes you who you are.” She began, the moment only seemed more special with the way the sun was shining on her skin and her smile seemed to shine even brighter than it always did. “I know you’re a good teammate, a good son, a good friend, but who are you, what are the qualities that you have?”

He looked into her eyes, how many times hadn’t he stopped to look into those beautiful eyes that stole his breath, or those lips that said the cutest yet most painful things?“

"Iwaizumi. I want you to tell me the story that you have, like Hagia Sophia, do you remember all the marks that it has? the mix of everything that lies in you? There is so much history in who you are beyond your friends, I want to know if you are happy or if you like ice cream, how you react to things. I hope you understand me, it’s okay to like things that your friends do or showed you, but I don’t think it should be all that you are, so, who are you?”

Still not taking his eyes off her, he remembered every detail of the building he studied for weeks, the religious motifs and art on its walls, the history even in the broken parts of the floor, or those portions where the paint was completely gone. And, with tears in his eyes, he replied:

“I don’t know.” He murmured, his voice trembling.

And he really didn’t know, he had lived so long being a friend, son, teammate and neighbor that, little by little, without realizing it, he stopped prioritizing the things that to him and only to him made him happy.

“Well, there’s only one thing to do about it” she murmured in the same way, very close to him as if she were telling him a secret. “Find out who you are.”

And just like that, the first picture of the two of you decorated your wall, along with some paint smudges from a sunny afternoon, a canvas, and some brushes, and a volleyball mark at first. Two wrongs can make a right, your mother would say. You, in search of rebuilding your space, and he, in search of himself.

You couldn’t have picked a better time than that, or a better life than that.

taglist: @sugas-sweetheart @kirislut @hannahalanib1 @goopyartiste @yee-harr @ohno-grapes @peach-pops @meliorist-midoriya @milktyama @majestic-sea-flip-flop @starlessnyx @tanakasimpcorner @msbyslugg @ordinary-ace @boosyboo9206

#iwaizumi fanfic #iwaizumi x you #iwaizumi x y/n #iwaizumi haijime x reader #iwaizumi x reader #iwaizumi scenarios #iwaizumi hajime x you #hqcorenet

[appleb0mb]

Twisted Wonderland x Date A Live (Outfit) - Vil Schoenheit

Art Process of Agapanthus here!

Poll for Future TWSTxDAL content here!

Purple Agapanthus - Represents beauty, love, strength, power and fertility. For purple, it symbolizes royalty - making the person who receives/represents the Agapanthus as valuable and priceless.

Crocus - Represents dignity, pride and success. Also represents joy and cheerfulness, and the return of spring. 

Previous: “Mm…I can tell that there’s something different about them, Roi de Poison.”  [ The Aphrodites ] here.

“Effort is critical and essential to reach your goal. The ruthless, the hopeless, the beautiful and the ugly have all done the same. Even if people dry up like potatoes, I will persevere - and I will NOT falter.”

(NOTE: This is absolutely free! But NOT free to steal credit from! PLEASE CREDIT MY ART AND MUSIC, AND ASK FOR PERMISSION FROM ME!!!)

If you’re into some Pomefiore plot, please - continue below~.

A word from appleb0mb:

The final and last track I’ll be ever be making 2020 (still December 31st, 2020 over here)- and the second track of Pomefiore, Agapanthus! 

I must say, this track is by the far the most difficult track to make musically and artistically! 

Also when I was doing the quote for Agapanthus I was thinking of “Even if people wither like flowers”, but I think that it contradicts Vil’s personality so I had to do “Even if people dry up like potatoes” XDDDDDD

If I’m going to be honest - I’m not really proud of this track and its art altogether - but I am absolutely proud of the effort I made! I really hope it gets recognized though.

But like all things - its temporary. It’ll pass away. 

The Concept of the Track - Agapanthus: 

Boy Agapanthus was a monster to make.

I was really frustrated from trying to depict Vil’s character musically. Since #1, Vil is barely known (since Pomefiore’s chapter just started), and #2 - Vil isn’t a favorite for me.

Though, I knew the ideas I was going for Vil - a waltz, regal kind of music (like battle music!). I also knew that I had to use some synths and instruments that were applied in The Aphrodites. I didn’t expect to use a Organ and a Glockenspiel though!

I wanted to achieve a powerful, posh kind of battle music showing Vil’s tenacity and upholding personality. But I realized everyone has a gentle and calming side - even Vil.

Not gonna lie, I thought this song was way too good for Vil that I almost pushed this as Vil’s Overblot Theme! But I realized that it’s too soft and serene for an Overblot, so I changed it (and I so glad that did!!! :D).

There was so many images flashing through my mind about this song - and in the end I loved it! I admire how it shows the strong and kinder signs of Vil. The soundtrack sounding loud - soft - then loud again (along with the soft parts helping out the loud bits!).

I also liked how the instruments from the loud and soft sections helped accentuate the last parts of the song - the ending leaving the song on an ominous note.

Anyways.

Imagery and Ideas From Listening to Agapanthus:

In the beginning of the song, I imagine Vil looking into a mirror at his reflection or waving his halos in battle until the lullaby parts. In those lullaby parts I imagine an image of Pomefiore in stained glass at a cathedral till the glitchy part, when later on we transition to him back at the mirror, the mirror shattering and no longer see a reflection of his own...or none at all.

And everything crashes down, and he’s holding his well-toned face in his beautiful hands; hiding his wet, newly-formed tears. Lost in a garden maze of his own creation - covering his face in his knees, trying to seal all those desires of someone helping him.

TWSTxDAL Plot - Continuation!

Warning - long reading ahead!

Hours later the two Spirits finally arrived at their destination, after travelling above the Earth’s calming seas.  

The wintery night transitioned into a scorching, blinding sunrise - forcing the lilac to shield his eyes from the early, morning rays of the sun. The blonde also did the same, pulling his hat to conceal the disturbing light that interrupted his view.

Pearly-white heels and marron, cardinal-ribbon boots stepped on the porcelain tile, the duo waiting patiently near the upstairs windowsill. Within a second, the composite windowsill opened; before hastily closing and securing the grand, sophisticated bedroom.

“Why did you two take so long? I couldn’t even start breakfast without you two.” A firm voice spoke.

“Well, fear not! I have some exciting news to share with you, Roi de Poison.” Rook replied excitedly.

“I see. Epel, head to your room and get dressed. I’ll be downstairs in time to properly start breakfast.”

Biting the bottom of his lip quietly, he silently headed left to his upstairs room; careful to not intervene in the older Spirits’ conversation.

As Epel exited the bedroom a fair-skinned, petite form sat on the lavender, chesterfield sofa; lightly tugging the knots and tangles out of his gorgeous hair.

“As I was saying, Epel and I have discovered some new information regarding some...Spirits.”

Eyes of sangria swiftly glanced at Rook, the figure momentarily halting to a stop.

“I’m listening.”

“When we went to the island for training, we met two Spirits and an Invidaé.”  

His eyes slightly widened in belief. “Hmpf. An Invidaé? Impossible. A human cannot last that long under such intense circumstances.” 

“That’s the thing - they’re human. Besides, they already lost consciousness as soon as we came near them. Luckily, I stepped in and offered a price that they could never deny.”

“What was the price, per say?”

“If they tell us all the information regarding Spirits - we will give them the antidote in return.”

“And the antidote was made by Epel?”

“Of course.”

Short locks of blondish-mauve covered his neck, and a lovely blanched tank top covered his well-toned muscles underneath. Well-cut fingernails were polished meticulously; the polish glittering sublimely under the glaring rays of the sun. Elongated, onyx sportswear perfectly shaped his curves - displaying his fit, and slender body.

A full-length oval mirror reflected eyes of sangria, showing a stunning and enticing figure of beauty.

“Excellent job, Rook - as expected of you. You can go now and get ready.” He paused. “And just a reminder - I don’t like waiting.”

Gracefully, he stood up from the plushy sofa - staring at his reflection before him. The morning light warmed his elegant complexion. 

A complexion of the most fairest and the most beautiful of them all - Vil Schoenheit. 

- End of Post -

Thank you for supporting the fan-made music and art of Twisted Wonderland x Date A Live.

And have a wonderful Happy New Year!!!

Note: If you have any questions about this post, please request it in my inbox or under this post.

#TWSTxDAL #TWSTxDAL album #twisted wonderland #twst #date a live #pomefiore #vil schoenheit #rook hunt #epel felmier #twst vil #twst rook #twst epel #YO IT'S CANON VIL GOT THEM HALOS #AND THEM HALOS GOT SOME HARSH HITS #He's actually a powerful character if you use his powers correctly #and if he wants you to- #I'll might do a part 2 #Idk??? #Happy New Year's gift MAY be coming #actually HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL #You haven't met Vil yet - don't worry! #But be careful! Do NOT underestimate Vil! #Neither Rook! Neither Epel! #I have a lot more to say but I really need to upload this!!! #You can try the inbox! It's open!

[thesecondmate]

reading: wk1

the new year is here!! whilst i don’t make resolutions, bc failing at my own goals is v bad for my motivation, i do want to do more of what i love: reading, running, and learning languages. i want to keep up with the stack of books on my bedside table (to remind me to read them) and to actually use duolingo (blessed free resource), and i signed up for a beginner’s mandarin course online so we’ll see how that goes.

in terms of my actual degree, i’ve just started my orthopaedics/trauma/emergency rotation and oh boy am i in love with critical care. the adrenaline of waiting for a crash call to arrive. the physiology and pharmacology. the way it requires you to be on top form, as good as you can be. love it. anyways.

books

✩ calling a wolf a wolf // akbar (finished) i’ve had this book for a very long time but have only just finished it! some of akbar’s imagery is gorgeous, like a warm golden hug, the smell of tea and persimmons, but i don’t understand some of the poems or feel very much with them. i want to get more into poetry in 2021 - or at least, stop berating myself for not ‘understanding’ it! - so am trying to be gentle with myself.

✩ emporium // johnson (in progress) reread of this collection of short stories. ‘teen sniper’ is the first story - cannot believe this collection was published in 2002, it’s so very late-stage capitalist america.

poetry & essay

✩ Real Estate // Siken

✩ Pig Bttm Looking Up & Babe the Pig Does the Sheep-Noise When Mourning the Sheep // Sax

✩ Time Decides // Taylor oh so sad. oh so quotable. a raw wound, as if seen through rippled glass - just out of reach but i know its shape from having seen it, albeit never touched it.

articles: covid-19

✩ A side-by-side comparison of the Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna vaccines - Helen Branswell, Stat

✩ Two more life-saving Covid drugs discovered - Michelle Roberts, BBC finally! not one but two covid articles (this + the above) that don’t make me want to claw my eyes out!!

articles: medicine & psychology

✩ Black Death - History growing up in the uk, i do actually know quite a lot about the black death - it’s taught v commonly in uk history classes - but needed a reference for the origins of quarantine, which comes from the venetian for ‘forty days’, because that’s how long sailors were made to stay aboard their vessels in venice to curb the spread of the plague.

✩ Healing hands: the Italian surgeon treating Libya torture camp survivors - Giorgio Ghiglione, Guardian

✩ Chinese scientist who edited babies' genes jailed for three years - Ian Sample, Guardian

✩ Chinese scientists use CRISPR tool on HIV patient for the first time - Julie Zaugg & Serenitie Wang, CNN HOW did i miss this?!

✩ CRISPR-Edited Stems Cells in a Patient with HIV and Acute Lymphocytic Leukaemia - Xu et al. (2019), NEJM paper that the above article is based on. so so interesting - amazing that they got proof of principle, even if not a total success!!

✩ Does Your Daughter Know It’s OK To Be Angry? - Soraya Chemaly i cannot overstate how much this article shaped me - i think i saw a quote from it a few years ago, or something similar, and i’m not sure it ever left me. i’ve saved a lot of the references to read later, when i can handle 44-page pdfs (today is not that day). favourite quotes are: - Anger impairs people’s immune systems, contributes to high blood pressure, heart damage, migraines, skin ailments, and chronic fatigue. Unresolved anger contributes to stress, tension, anxiety, depression, and excessive nervousness. - Clinicians believe that a large component of depression is anger and a specific type of anger caused by a perceived or actual loss or rejection. There are many reasons why girls might feel rejected, powerless, and angry. First, they begin to see the effects of gender–based double standards that fly in the face of everything they’ve learned so far about their abilities, equality, and potential...Second, they become aware of physical vulnerability...Third, they begin to encounter the cultural erasure of women, people who look like them and whom they are meant to emulate, as authoritative. The older girls get, the fewer women they see in positions of power and leadership. Boys and girls move from childhood realms where women are their primary caretakers, teachers, babysitters, neighborhood, and family adults to institutions where they are marginally represented as leaders.

articles: refugee/migration issues i work for a charity that does fundraising + education around refugee issues, predominantly in europe, hence the detailed research on particular topics that sometimes arises (in this case, the italian govt’s abhorrent quarantine policy).

✩ Pressure grows on Italy to abolish migrant quarantine ships - Stefania D’Ignoti, Politico

✩ Italy’s use of ferries to quarantine migrants comes under fire - Sara Creta, The New Humanitarian the fact that a medical doctor, no matter how junior, did not recognise such signs of illness that a 15-year-old boy died is beyond comprehension. i am furious and heartbroken.

✩ Nice church attacker identified as 21-year-old Tunisian man - Lorenzo Tondo & Jason Burke, Guardian

articles: culture

✩ Uncertain Attraction in “Work in Progress” and “Dare Me” - Emily Nussbaum, New Yorker i only read the dare me half of this article whilst trying to find hard proof that beth and/or addy is gay. the author gets the vibe but no comment on gayness. pity.

#weekly #reading 2021

[fuckingthefictional]

Nice to meet you, Soulmate.

Derek Hale x reader.

Request: no

Warning: n/a

I had always wondered what it was like to meet your mate. Would it be like Scott and Allison when it was love at first sight. Instantaneous and full of a love that was so bold and strong and caused them both to act on impulse.

I often think about the little things. Like what they look like when they smile, or if they had little habits that they picked up during childhood.

But then the ‘what ifs’ kick in. What if I never find my made? What if they’ve already met the one for them? What if they don’t want to find me? What if I don’t even have one.

The last one would be false I suppose, I can hear the thoughts of my mate. They’re usually grumpy and frustrated, but that doesn’t matter to me. It’s my mate. Or at least that’s what I hope it is.

Let me tell you something, it’s one thing to have not found your mate. But it’s another when you’re not even in a pack and you had no friends. An Omega that’s all I am. A lone wolf. And if you didn’t know Omegas aren’t supposed to last long without a pack.

The past year or so had been full of more supernatural bullshit than Beacon Hills had seen in a long time. I was there protecting my fellow wolves from danger and harm- even if they didn’t know who their supposed ‘hero’ was. But regardless of that, here I am packing books away into my locker and try to keep a low profile.

If there was one thing I knew I was good at, it was being a wallflower. I noticed everything about everyone and yet always managed to stay out of the limelight. It was great. Lonely. But great.

The locker next to me slammed shut, making my body jump and my heartbeat spike up. The locker’s owner sent a confused and apologetic look my way, before walking off.

English. I used to love it- but now with the argent takeover in school. I hate it. Victoria Argent was a sneaky, stuckup piece of work. Who honestly made me anxious.

Although she’s sly, she’s clever and she knows it. The likelyhood of her finding out about my ‘condition’ was high. Especially with the full moon being around the corner.

It wasn’t like I hadn’t shifted before. I was born a werewolf- but being the runt I was abandoned. You had the shift locked down, even to the point of being able to shift into a full form (tail and all)

The problem with the full moon was my mate - or lack thereof. My instincts were constantly telling me that I needed to find my mate. Then everything would make sense. It’s as if my body was a magnet and it was being lead on a wild chase to find the other half.

“Miss Y/L/N!”

Shit. I was daydreaming again and not paying attention and the snake had caught you.

I raised my head up, putting myself fully in her gaze.

Act normal

“Yes Mrs Argent?” I replied sweetly, a sugar coated smile played on both of our lips.

“The answer Miss Y/L/N.”

Fuck

I racked my brain for any type of possible answer.

‘It’s about Lord of the Flies- what do each of the characters represent.’

The gruff voice was present again, but you could tell it was full of sympathy and genuineness.

‘Thank you

“The characters are split into 3 main areas: good, bad and middle ground. “ I racked my brain for the answer, “Ralph represents democracy and civilisation of society and the general utopia that Golding wants society to be. Piggy is the intellectual one, he’s out of the circle of stereotypes that a British boy should be, his worth isn’t noticed until the end of the book. Simon is the martyr and the only inherently good person- hence why he has religious imagery.” I sighed deeply, “Jack is the savagery that Golding knows is present in every person, Golding believed evil and impulsiveness is present in all our lives.”

An awkward silence fell over the room, I doubted anyone had ever heard me say that much in a single sentence.

‘You’re clever...I like that’

My cheeks burnt up in a rosy hue.

‘You’re being chatty today.’ I teased the person at the other end of the connection.

‘I can always go if that’s what you want.’

‘NO. Not what I meant!’

A deep chuckle resonated from the guy. Damn that was hot.

‘Thanks.’

My body froze up and I felt my hand smack itself on my forehead.

I can’t believe I said that.

I had a love hate relationship with coach, on one hand we had a no annoyance policy he stays out of my way I stay out of his and I get my work done. On the other hand, he was just plain erratic- you had sometimes questioned the possibility of a possession but eventually you had to cut it out. He was just batshit crazy.

“Y/L/N! Get your ass over here now!”

Speak of the devil and he’ll appear

Jogging over I braved myself for the conversation to come.

“Yes Coach?”

“You get free choice of the trail you want to run today. So pick one, get back to me and then set off.”

I wondered for a few seconds, how far I could stretch this. I had double Phys Ed.

“I’ve got my mind set on the beacon hills reserve, if that’s okay coach?”

A deep, gruelling sigh resonated for the teacher. “Ugh fine. I know you’ll come back, but if you don’t I’m sticking you next to Greenberg for the rest of your school career.”

With the permission granted I began my journey, I loved the freedom of running.

Granted it wasn’t in wolf form (and nothing could beat running in wolf form) but I still loved the sensation of the breeze on my skin and the cool air whipping through my hair.

I focused on the pounding of my shoes on the leaf covered ground, I had not a care in the world (which was rare) and I let my senses take me wherever they wanted.

I kept running for about 30 minutes, before stopping at a rather crispy looking wreck of a building. It was spectacular.

It was charred black and half of it was completely burnt down, the windows were gone and the frames only held the ghosts of the people who lived there before. It was a site of grief and a story of loss.

I didn’t know who lived here previously, but I felt myself sympathising with them massively. I knew what loss was like, and what it could do.

I also didn’t know what possessed me to take a deeper look into the wreck of the house, but my body worked on autopilot as it began to charge up the stairs.

“This is private property.”

Shit.

The man stood there was gorgeous, he had a well built body and his muscles pulled taunt through his jacket. His expression look angry and my adrenaline slowly drowned in a pool of pure anxiety.

“Shit indeed.”

My eyebrows rose into my hairline- shock coating my entire being, I swallowed “you’re him.” I pointed pathetically as he took a large step forward.

“The names Derek. Derek Hale. Nice to meet you soulmate.”

#teen wolf #teenwolf #derek hale x reader #derekhale #derek hale #derek hale x you #derek hale x y/n

[stuckinthekookiejar]

My Star pt. 2 (final)

Pt. 1 || Pt. 2 (final)

Taehyung x Reader

Genre: Angst/Fluff

Word Count: 5,300

Taehyung reached across the table and pouted, “C’mon...don’t be like this... It’s my last day in Korea and you’re gonna be all sour?” 

He watched her movements as he gently took her hand in his. She kept her gaze down, her expression was still filled with nothing but irritation. 

Taehyung knew that bringing her to the mall probably wasn’t the best idea. No, he wasn’t worried about being swarmed with people, he was worried she’d see things she liked then go off on an explosive tantrum when he’d break the news that he wouldn’t buy every single thing for her. 

Well...looks like his worries came true once again. 

Currently, the two were sitting in a cafe sharing a portion of shaved ice together. Luckily, it was a weekday which meant adults were pent up in their workplaces and kids were in the middle of class. There was no one available to interrupt the couple’s date, aside from the employee who worked at the cafe. She asked for a photo which Taehyung and Miri happily obliged. Taehyung knew that they probably would not be able to stop by this cafe again anytime soon. 

Miri was sulking as always. That was one of the best things she did, as Taehyung noticed over the course of their dating period,

“What’s wrong? I thought you said you liked shaved ice?”

“I do like shaved ice, but not when it’s comeback period and I have to watch my weight 24/7.” She grabbed a glass of water, took a sip, then slammed it back down on the table. 

“Are you really that upset that I didn’t get you that one handbag?”

“Oh, and how would you have ever figured that out?” She spat with a clear tone of sarcasm in her voice.

“It’s only a bag. It’ll still be in the store when...”

“No, it won’t be! It’s a limited edition handbag that was made only available for the 100th anniversary of the brand! Plus, there are only 100 out there in the world. It’s probably sold out by now.” 

A thick silence filled the air as Taehyung took another bite out of the mound of ice. 

Eight months ago, when their relationship first began, Taehyung had no idea what he was getting himself into. He and the boys were doing promotions, and A.Mi also happened to be doing promotions as well. He bumped into her on his way to the bathroom (surprise, surprise) and she immediately introduced herself as one of his fans. Soon they started up a small conversation and it ended with her giving him her number. Taehyung didn’t know how he didn’t faint on the spot.

The first few months went by like a dream. Everything just felt so perfect: the dates, the hugs...the kisses. Miri was just as sweet as Taehyung thought she’d be, just as sweet as the entirety of South Korea thought she was. 

Too bad nothing is ever as it seems.

He started to see beyond her facade after the third month. That was when Taehyung first properly introduced the members to her. It was all good at first. The boys were polite, even you were polite (which kinda petrified him considering you were equally just as overprotective over him as he was with you). You and the boys did accept Miri at first. 

However things soon began to go downhill pretty fast. Every time Taehyung left the boys alone with Miri, he’d always return to a weird and awkward atmosphere in the room. Whenever the boys were having lunch and Taehyung asked if Miri could come, they’d never fail in producing some excuse for her not to attend. Taehyung thought it was rude of them of course. The boys were totally fine if it were you or even Yeo Woon coming over, but when it came to Miri, everyone just sighed.

A number of the boys actually did confront Taehyung about Miri, but he didn’t choose to listen until you talked to him. It was like a big slap in the face once he heard those words of distaste towards his girlfriend come out of your mouth. He never felt so hurt by you before. He thought that you, his best friend, would support him all the way...but that wasn’t the case and that made him distraught. 

Taehyung didn’t know what to do with that new found feeling towards you, so it resulted in your first full blown argument that seriously put a major dent in your friendship. During those weeks of not talking, he felt crushed. Numerous times he wanted to message you. Numerous times he wanted to apologize, but he was scared. He didn’t want to damage what little he felt that you two had left. So when he finally mustered up the courage to apologize, he felt so relieved that you wanted to make up too.

After that, he began to realize the true nature that Miri hid behind A.Mi. On stage, in front of cameras, in front of fans she was the most gorgeous, polite, sweetest human being on this planet...but behind the curtains...she was someone else. Taehyung didn’t even know how her true nature seemed to slip past his radar, but when he finally did see the truth he reacted in a way no one else would have thought of: he stayed with her. 

You see, Taehyung was a people person. He loved to befriend people. He loved to help people. He’s seen how he could change people, and he hoped that he could do the same for Miri. 

It’s been months since he’s made that decision and he’s had countless more arguments with both the members and with you. On top of that, Taehyung had made very close to no progress on Operation: Make Miri An Actual Nice Person.

Now, as he sat across the table from his oh so wonderful girlfriend, he finally began to wonder if all of this was worth it. Was trying to stay with Miri, trying to change her really worth all the pain he had to endure? Was it worth putting your friendship on the line? 

Taehyung was starting to admit defeat.

Miri tossed her bag in the backseat of the car that one of Taehyung’s managers so generously let him borrow for the day before settling down in the front passenger seat. Immediately, she took out her phone and held it up in front of her,

“Taking a selca?”

“Yeah, I haven’t posted in a while and many of my fans are wondering where we are.” She shuffled around in her seat as she tried to find the right angle, “Taehyung-ah, do you mind turning a bit? I can’t really see your face...oh and smile! We can’t have people starting rumors that we’re having problems or anything.” 

Obediently, Taehyung moved into frame so that Miri could capture the supposed “sweet moments” she was going to explain that they were having in the caption. Once she was satisfied with the photos, she sat back in her place as Taehyung began to drive off to their destination. 

It was quiet for the whole duration of the car ride since Miri kept herself occupied by watching all the likes and comments rack up. She craved the likes, the numbers, the attention. Taehyung wished that she could crave for his love like that.

The car came to a stop and finally snapped Miri out of her stare down with her phone, “Where are we?” 

After unbuckling himself, Taehyung reached over and unbuckled Miri, “We’re somewhere that’s more valuable than handbags.” 

Hand in hand, Taehyung lugged along the ever so indifferent Miri who once again turned her attention to the small gadget in her hand after hearing it burst with new notifications. She only gave him her full attention once she felt a woosh of cold air hit her and saw that now she was engulfed in darkness. The only thing allowing them to see where they were walking was the illumination of the dim lights that lit the narrow aisles. 

“Where the hell are we? Like for real?” 

“Shush, c’mon sit down. The show is supposed to start soon.” He took a seat somewhere in the middle of one of the rows and Miri had no choice but to follow suit. As she took her seat, she almost fell backward. The only thing that stopped her from completely crashing backward was the support of Taehyung’s hand behind her waist, “Are you okay?”

“Yeah...thanks.” She adjusted herself, this time feeling for the seat with her hands before laying completely back. Confusion filled her head as she thought that these seats laid back lower than normal ones, but it all made sense to her once the show began to take its course.

A beam of light flashed from the center of the room and shot up toward the gigantic domed ceiling. With magnificent colors and imagery, the ceiling turned into a brilliant depiction of the bright, blue sky. Quickly the sunny day time lapsed into the radiant splashes of sunset and eventually slowed down once night hit. In the night sky, buds zealously sparkled through the darkness and the calming voice of the narrator started her narration about the stars.

Taehyung was instantly captivated by the shimmering polka dots that scattered the dome above them. Each small point represented something hot, something burning...something shining and it brought him wonder and awe at what else the universe has yet to offer for us humans to discover. He wasn’t always this way. He didn’t always appreciate the stars as much as he did now. He only opened his eyes to the wondrous beauties of the night when you showed it to him back in high school when you forced him to star gaze with you. He grew to like the stars, not for their meaning, but for their sheer beauty. 

The show came to an end and Taehyung still sat, jaw dropped with awe, in his seat. He turned to his girlfriend who was slump in her seat with drool peeking out from the corner of her mouth,

“Jagiya, wake up. The show’s over... Miri-ah...” He poked at her and gently shook her before she finally woke from her slumber. She slowly batted her eyes open and yawned, but shot up in her seat after realizing that she fell asleep. Miri looked at her wrist watch,

“OH MY GOD. IT’S ALREADY 5:07 PM?!” Miri jumped to her feet, “Taehyung, we have to go! I have to get back to the company by 6!” She grabbed his wrist and pulled him all the way back to the car. 

Once again the car ride had been silent. Once again Miri was glued to her phone. Taehyung thought that this little trip to the planetarium would be able to open her up, perhaps give her something new to talk about other than her impressive Instagram ratio. But to Taehyung’s seemingly never-ending disappointment, he was wrong. 

“So..jagi..” He slightly turned his head over to his silent girlfriend in the hopes that he could spark up some sort of conversation,

“Hmm?”

“How was the show? Did you like it?”

She nodded her head, gaze still trained to her phone, without taking even just a glance at Taehyung, “Yeah...”

“Were you even awake?”

“Hmm...” She was paying him absolutely no attention what so ever, but he continued the conversation on his own anyway,

“The show was so fascinating. I can’t believe how many starts are up in space just burning with such intensity. And the different colors they’re in too? It’s so...”

“Hold on, can you shush for a bit? One of the news channels posted a clip on Twitter talking about me. I wanna hear it.” 

“Oh...okay...” 

Taehyung didn’t know how he hadn’t yet grown tired of the constant silence. Sometimes he’d feel like he was the only one trying in this relationship...well, he practically was. He figured out, after being nagged by you and members many times, that Miri had only used him for publicity. 

Maybe him deciding that he’d stay with Miri and help change Miri was just an excuse because Taehyung didn’t want to admit that he made the wrong choice in dating her in the first place. 

After a little under an hour on the road, Taehyung made it to Miri’s company barely on time. 

“Thanks for the ride Taehyung-ah!” She grabbed her bag and got out of the car as fast as she could without giving him the usual peck on the cheek. Forgetting something as small as a peck wouldn’t have affected others, but that made Taehyung’s heart drop. It only confirmed to him more that Miri really wasn’t in the relationship for him.  

He turned to look back, getting ready to back out of the parking lot when he spotted something on the floor. It was an envelop of some sort. He thought that it must have fallen out of Miri’s bag when she tossed it in the back earlier. With care, he picked up the envelope and put the car in park intending to get out of the car...but he hesitated. He knew it was rude, but his curiosity was getting the best of him. He looked both ways as if anyone could see him through the tinted windows, before opening the envelope. 

The bags beneath your eyes were absolutely no joke. For the past two nights, you were kept awake by your own loud thoughts. You contemplated on calling or messaging Taehyung to apologize, but you threw that out the window because you knew you didn’t do anything worth apologizing for. But you didn’t want him to leave on tour again with your relationship left like this...you didn’t want him to leave on bad terms. 

“Wow, you look like shit.” Yeo Woon, who was standing by the front door waiting for you, handed you a piece of toast knowing that you didn’t have time to eat a full proper breakfast.

“Thanks, Woonie. You sure know how to make everyone’s day don’t you.” 

“Hey! Brighten up! I’m sure whatever is going on with you and Tae is gonna get resolved soon. He’d like a lost little puppy without you.”

“I’m sure he’s doing fine without me.” the piece of toast in your mouth muffled your reply, “I gotta go, or else I’m gonna be late.”

Quickly, you slipped on your sneakers, took your umbrella and dashed down the corridor,

“Have fun working with the bitch!” You scowled at your roommate’s ‘comforting’ words.

Shoulder to shoulder you bumped into many people as you rushed down the hall. It was nothing new. At least getting to make friends with many famous idols made up for all the bruises you got over the past couple years. 

You were on your way to the break room in need of a nice five-minute break when a hand caught your wrist, dragged you out one of the doors and into the back parking lot. You were lucky that there was an overhead awning or else you would’ve gotten drenched by the horrendous rainstorm.  

“Let go! Who do you think you...” You paused after you saw just who decided to drag you outside, 

“Hello to you too you fucking rat.” Your eyes rolled instantly as if it were instinct.

“I was hoping we didn’t have to see each other for another hour, but I guess something must’ve happened if you willingly decided that you needed to talk to me. If it has to do with your boyfriend, then why can’t you just ask hi...”

SLAP

The left side of your face stung worse than when you had to wipe rubbing alcohol on a paper cut, 

“IT’S ALL YOUR FAULT!” Before you could even comprehend anything, you were suddenly pushed against the wall behind you. Miri’s elaborately manicured talons clawed at your collar, “TAEHYUNG BROKE UP WITH ME BECAUSE OF YOU!”

You blinked rapidly. Did you hear her correctly? Taehyung broke up...with her? Was this a dream? 

Unfortunately, it was quickly confirmed that you were not dreaming when you felt another harsh sting on your other cheek. Miri had backhanded you. You should’ve been fuming. You should’ve had flames come out of your ears. But all you did was smirk with satisfaction. 

“WHY THE HELL ARE YOU SMILING LIKE THAT? Are...Are you mocking me?” The grip on your collar tightened, “Huh? Is that it, you rat? How dare you laugh at me!” 

She held her hand up as if she were going to slap you again, but the back door swung open before any contact was made, 

“Y/N-ssi, are you...” It was your boss who was probably wondering why your break was taking longer than usual.

Miri immediately let go and fell to the ground in a dramatic fashion, “Oh help me! This..this wench...she dragged me outside and threatened me!” 

Your boss scurried over to Miri and tried to calm her down as he helped her up, “Oh, I am so sorry A.Mi-ssi. I’ll make sure something like this never happens again...Y/N-ssi, why don’t you apologize?”

Miri glared at you, mentally slapping you in the face this time with her own look of satisfaction, “There’s no need for an apology. Why don’t you just fire her instead?” Her grin was growing by the second.

Your boss was surprisingly taken aback, “A-A.Mi-ssi...as Y/N-ssi’s boss I will decide what consequences she will have to face. Come inside, why don’t you...”

“NO! She threatened my life! She...she almost hit me! I was just defending myself from that monster. She deserves to get fired!” Her lies were beginning to really make you fume. Too bad your boss was here or else you really would’ve liked to pull at her hair.

Luckily, you and your boss were on really good terms. If it weren’t for his strictly business sort of attitude, you’d probably consider him a friend. Even though he was your boss, he’d always allow you to vent about your job and that was probably because he was in your position once. He understood your struggle of dealing with some ruly and rude people. 

“A.Mi-ssi, we can deal with all of this at a more appropriate time. As for now, you will be performing in less than an hour and you have plenty of fans waiting for you. You wouldn’t want to let them down, would you?” 

Miri slumped in defeat, “Fine. Later it is then.” 

Your boss opened the door for Miri and she flipped her hair before making her exit. Towards your boss, you mouthed a quick “thank you” to which he just smiled and apologetically nodded. 

You brought your hands to your face and soothed the areas where Miri’s ring cladded hands came into contact with. The flaring warmth of your skin stung even worse now. As you made your way to the break room to get some ice, you started to think of ways to explain how you got two hand marks across both of your cheeks to the rest of your coworkers. 

Taehyung groaned in his seat at the airport. He, the boys and their managers were patiently waiting to board the plane, but the flight had been delayed a for a couple of hours due to the major torrential storm pouring down.

The boys all remained quiet, looking through their phones, playing games or writing down lyrics as usual. Everything was the same other than the fact that Taehyung was now a single man once again. It would’ve been a lie to say that the members were anything but happy when he told them that he broke up with Miri. In fact, they seemed a little too happy that Taehyung decided to break things off and it kinda hurt him a bit...but Taehyung understood why they were happy for him. 

He couldn’t believe that Miri would actually do that to him. 

His mind traveled back to yesterday right at the moment he opened that cursed envelope. Engraved in his brain was the sight of that small pile of photographs of you and him at the park together. 

You were right.

The photos actually existed and they were in Miri’s possession...she did have someone follow him to the park that night when he hung out with you. The guilt that plagued him was so unbearable. You didn’t lie to him. You never lied to him, but he snapped at you...he didn’t believe you, the one person who he knew would forever stand by him no matter what.

And so, he marched into Miri’s company and asked for her. When she came out to the lobby, Taehyung held the envelope up to her face and asked her why she had those photos. Miri had nothing to say, not even some lame excuse left her lips. Her silence, her lack of denial was all that Taehyung needed to finally push him over the edge. 

Beneath him, he rummaged through his carry on and found the envelope. There was no way in hell that he’d just return these photos to Miri, so he kept them...and he couldn’t help but keep on looking at them. He’d been staring at them all night. Just the look on you face, your smile, your complete and utter happiness in these photos made his insides churn so much. The guilt was eating him from the inside and he desperately wanted to call you, tell you how sorry he was...but he couldn’t. He didn’t know why, but he didn’t have the courage to apologize to you right now. That was probably because he thought that you were disgusted by him. Deep down, he knew that you had to put up with a lot of shit because of Miri, but he was the one who didn’t do anything to stop it. He was scared that you’d finally had had enough with him and hated him after the last argument you two had. 

So, for now, he decided to wait until he could muster up the courage to face you again. 

He put the envelope back in his bag and reached for his back pocket where his phone was kept. As much as possible, he wanted to stay away from social media since he knew that the news of his breakup would’ve hit the internet by now, but he had nothing else better to do. Just as he opened up Twitter his phone began to ring. 

He answered it on the first ring and bolted for the exit as soon as he heard Yeo Woon’s voice,

“T-Taehyung...it’s Y/N...she’s...she’s hurt.” 

The ceiling wasn’t as entertaining as you would’ve liked it to be. It wasn’t like you didn’t have anything else better to do other than stare at the ceiling, but that was what you just felt like doing after a long day of work. Well...a long shortened day of work. As a result of the little altercation between you and Miri, your boss had no choice but to send you home early and give you a month suspension with no pay. He didn’t want to punish you, but you knew that he’d look bad if he had let you get away with “threatening” an idol so you gladly took the punishment given. It wasn’t like he was firing you anyway. 

You rolled on your side and reached for your phone on the nightstand. With tempting eyes, you stared at Taehyung’s contact number. Should you call him? Would he be on the plane by now? 

Behind you, you heard your door creak open and a loud irritated groan, “Why don’t you just call him instead of staring at your phone like a little school girl staring at a photo her crush. Oh, wait. He is your crush. And you’re practically like a little school girl” 

“Shut up.” You flung a pillow in her direction, but Yeo Woon had quick reflexes. She caught it without being fazed at all. 

“So,” she leaned against the door frame, “You must be happy. Our little Taehyungie finally broke up with Miss Bitchy Face....why don’t you swoop down for the kill? Now’s your time to shine!”

“Oh, shush. Even though Miri-ssi was a total ass, I’m sure Taehyung must be hurting.” 

“Awww, look at you being all worried about your wittle honey bun.” 

“YA!” You cheeks flared, causing your already tender cheeks to become even warmer, 

“Why don’t you just call him, Y/N? Don’t you wanna make up with him before he leaves?”

“Yeah...well...I don’t know...I just can’t will myself to call him for some reason...”

“Ugh, Y/N! You’re so useless sometimes! All it takes is for you to press a simple button then BAM you’ll be able to hear his voice and apologize to him....please talk to him. I don’t know if I can handle your constant sulking for the next few months.” 

You turned onto your back and snuggled yourself further into your bed, “Whatever...I’ll call him later. He’s probably on a plane by now...” 

Yeo Woon was saying something to you, but your drowsiness just wasn’t having it. Soon enough, you eyelids fell shut and sleep pulled your consciousness away, drowning out Yeo Woon’s nagging voice in the process.

Your eyes fluttered open and your eyebrows furrowed at the weird sensation of some sort of cloth wrapped around your face...actually it was wrapped around your entire head. It was everywhere. It covered your eyes, covered your mouth. The only place it didn’t cover was your nose so that you could breathe. 

Was it gauze? Was it a blanket? A towel maybe?

Eventually, you figured out what was wrapped around your head.

What the...is this toilet paper? What the fuck...

You tried to bring your hand to your face so that you could rip the thin paper, but a gentle grip on your hand tightened at your movement,

“Y/N-ah...” the voice sounded strangled as if the owner was trying to choke back tears, “Are you okay?” 

You didn’t need to see his face to know who was talking, “Tae?” The toilet paper muffled your voice, “Whar arf you doinf her?” 

Suddenly, you felt Taehyung engulf you in a hug, “I’m so sorry, Y/N-ah! You were right all along... I’m so sorry for everything...” 

He cried against your shoulder and you comforted him as you knew that he probably felt guilty after all this time. While he was crying, you took the opportunity to rip the paper from your face and handed him a few pieces to wipe away his tears with,

“It’s okay, it’s okay.” 

“Y/N... No! Your wounds!”

“My...wounds? What wounds?” Taehyung removed his face from your nape and took hold of your cheeks which did cause them to sting a little. Boy, did Miri really pack a punch. 

“Yeo Woon...she called me and told me you got hurt...and when I got here your face was covered up so I thought you were hurt very badly...” 

Dammit, Yeo Woon. 

She probably called Taehyung and wrapped your head in toilet paper to scare him while you were asleep. Poor Taehyung was probably terrified at the sight of your mummified head.

Was the toilet paper really that necessary?

“Don’t worry Tae. I’m fine. I just got...slapped a bit on the face, but other than that I don’t have any fatal injuries. See?” You moved you head around to show him the lack of cuts and bruises that he probably imagined that you had sustained. The only thing that adorned your face were two hand marks on both your cheeks. They were faded now, but the clear lines where Miri had hit you could still be seen. 

“I can’t believe she did that to you... Didn’t you take self-defense classes? Why didn’t you put her in a headlock or something?!”

“I couldn’t just have simply put one of Korea’s most beloved idols in a headlock, Taehyung.”

“Ya! But what about me?” He pushed you lightly on the shoulder. His small pout and eyes full of disbelief made you burst into laughter for some reason. Soon enough, he too joined in the fit of laughter. The awkward atmosphere that you thought you two would’ve had was nonexistent and that was a major relief to the both of you. 

After calming down, Taehyung decided to ask about what happened, “I heard you got suspended for a month. But it wasn’t even your fault! How could she just blame you for something you didn’t do?”

“I know, but my word against her words...well...people who don’t know the real Miri probably wouldn’t believe it if I said that their sweet A.Mi slapped me in the face.”

“But...you didn’t do anything wrong! You...” 

You pulled him into another hug, “It’s alright, Taehyung. I’m fine.” 

“You may be fine, but I’m not!” He tightened his arms around you and said in a hushed voice, “If word got out that you supposedly threatened Miri, then you’ll be attacked with an onslaught of horrible comments and even death threats.”

“I know... But as long as you’ve got my back then I think I can manage. That, and I guess I won’t be going on the internet anytime soon.” 

Taehyung didn’t know how, but you were able to crack a smile even when you knew that your reputation may be massacred on the internet at any moment. He always admired how you changed from that shy little girl to such a strong woman. 

“Aish...my little star always seems to shine brightly even during the darkest of moments, huh?” He ruffled your hair at which you winced, “Oh my god...are you alright? Did I hurt you?!”

Quickly, a smile grew on your face, “HAHAHA! Did I scare you? You should’ve seen the look on your face! You...” 

You were disrupted by him placing you in a headlock, “YA! KIM TAEHYUNG LET ME GO!”

“Nope!” 

You two heard a few “tsks” from the doorway prompting Taehyung to let go of your head, “Well, I see that the two hooligans finally made up.” 

As much as you wanted to throw another pillow at your roommate’s face, you did owe it to her for helping you and Taehyung make up. She walked over and sat on the edge of your bed in between you and Tae,

“Have you guys seen the news yet? Get ready to go back to work, Y/N. I don’t think you’ll be put on suspension anymore.” 

You and Taehyung stared at each other in confusion for a moment before turning to look at the phone in Yeo Woon’s hand. On the screen was a recently posted video entitled “Idol A.Mi Attacks a Staff Member?”. It looked as if it were taken by lurking fans waiting around the back of the building for a chance to see their favorite idols and the video showed everything from Miri dragging you out to Miri slapping you on the face two times. 

Normally, you hated to see a person’s downfall, but watching this video made you practically jump for joy in the inside. You knew that Miri’s reputation as Korea’s sweetheart would forever be tainted. 

Taehyung watched your face as you looked at the video. His smile grew wider as your’s grew by the second. You were beaming stronger than ever before. He realized that didn’t need a planetarium or a telescope to gaze at the stars. As long as he had you, he could go stargazing whenever he wanted because you may not have known it, but you truly were a glimmering star. You were his star that opened his eyes and showed him the way.

After many months, he thought that he truly felt happy again...he felt happier now than in all that time he spent with his ex. 

Taehyung guessed that all he really needed was to see his little star shine again.

Gif not mine, cred to the owner.

#requested #bts #bts scenarios #bts taehyung #bts v #bts kim taehyung #kim taehyung #taehyung #taehyung scenarios #kim taehyung scenarios #bts angst #bts fluff #taehyung angst #taehyung fluff #bangtan sonyeondan #bangtan boys #beyond the scene #kpop angst #kpop fluff #bts scenario #bangtan #kpop taehyung #kpop scenarios #kpop imgine

[cafephan]

dan and phil play what would you do if: a summary

danandphilgamesDILEMMAS i feel personally attacked thanks phil they credited jack's video aw they didn't need to do that but philly loves crediting people phil's example includes a badger of course the brown vs black circle debate "we're learning things about each other and you're learning things about us" i'll be shocked if you find anything you don't know about each other tbfh the firearm question... wow okay "hey there mister philly, what've you got yourself an illegal weapon for? planning on doing some sneaky shooting?" cue the multitude of policeman!dan aus dan tear your eyes away from him actually don't i've missed this "i'd put it in a cloth bag without touching it with my own hand, so there'd be no fingerprint, then they'd know i didn't touch it... unless i did touch it then wiped it down and then did that... but they wouldn't know that" well phil did say we'd learn more about them... he's thought about this to a great extent before "this sounds like something you've thought through" dan and i on the same wavelength "life isn't grand theft auto, guys" - phil lester 2k17 'what would you do if the house you are in is on fire?' "i mean it would be very good for your username" phil ever the optimist "we don't have pets, stop rubbing it in game" "i feel like because the internets watching i have to say i'd save everyone but me" dan's array of accents is always lovely phil got about five hours sleep the night before the boy needs an early night "what is a pervy stuff?" first of all mister english degree, flawless grammar usage and secondly dan's reaction represents all of us "as pervy as you want mate, time has stopped.... as long as you don't leave a trace" the wholesome howell branding has completely disappeared phil discussing going into a locker room whilst time has stopped... i wonder which gender he has in mind if any at all the dimple is looking particularly gorgeous today dan knows phil like the back of his hand and is insistent that phil would actually do the pervy stuff wake up people wake the hell up phil is now obsessed with pervy stuff and is making up his own option have fun with that, smut writers dan is spiritually always stuck in sewers "i believe there are mutant crocodiles beneath london" - again, phil lester 2k17 "phil would lick a foot rather than stay somewhere for three months, that's what we've learnt" of course dan gets a question about his dead best friend and the trend of killing phil apparently is still a thing,,,, remember that video "it's actually dan and fernando games" phernanado looks weird so i used fernando ok fight me "i'm not fernando. ask me something fernando wouldn't know" // "i mean you've been fernando the entire time..." // "oh" phil's weird tongue laps great description kirsten truly you have a gift don't mind me roasting myself back to the video "that means i can use my real voice now.... continue the friendship daniel" // "bye mate" yet phil cannot use his real humour as fernando,,, abolish the innocent branding bc it's one thing u ain't "bestselling novel, yes mate" // "is that your next book?" i'd kill for dan to write a novel i really would like he jokes about it but nah i'd be all over that shit "dan and fernando games, thumbs up if you want it to continue" // "rebranding incoming" joe dare he joke about it the ripped skinny jeans and glitter nail polish are the true rebrand here "i like sitting down" dan's facial expressions in this video are absolutely extraordinary i love him daniel trump "phillu..." // "yassu" "yes punch me dad" can dan go a single video without calling something or someone dad i wonder if he calls his own dad dad that would be weird by this point right if dan became a spider..... that's definitely going to be a fic by the end of this week spies instead of flies same dan's deep speech "spiders only live for like a week..." // "ideal" phil's logical reasoning i'm living the word orgasm comes into the mix and dan's clocks slows right down and he's thinking all manner of things look at him dan you're on camera stop thinking of either you or phil climaxing in space or both of you i'm not here to judge nor am i a mind reader unfortunately anyway phil would film himself moonwalking in space and upload it like he needs the views pfffft "that's such a laddy answer" p a r t y b o y s "that's some mark of oxin shiz" "what, you're going to incinerate me???" // "definitely" you can tell who said what in that last quote pair i'm laughing phil's question is about living with a monkey but he already lives with a clingy creature does he not "no i'm not having sex with a monkey!" "i would spoon a monkey, for sure" phil i have many questions, oh so many questions dan describing the options in detail is extremely interesting if you think about it "... or just once a month, spank the monkey" what beautiful imagery dan thank you so much for killing any fic inspiration anyone had phil is going to extreme lengths to argue against banging a monkey "i would spoon the monkey, watch some game of thrones, and then go to bed in separate rooms" and now dan won't leave the spanking of the monkey alone fucking hell the tension i can feel it through the camera "no monkey sex!" "you guys are alright out there... mostly" "that was an emotional rollercoaster" you said it danny boy i feel like i do know so much more about phil whether or not that is a good thing i am still debating "no please god no that was traumatising" dan actively trying to stop people requesting another video he knows that just spurs people on it's been years now "we'll see you next time if you come back after that monkey question" please nobody write that fic i'm begging you please please don't danhasnomorals AmazingMonkeyLover i wonder who edited and added the annotations for this video hm i have no clue this was a mistake eventful to say the least

#aaand this took ages again how fun #gaming vid summaries

[the-cryptographer]

My tiny yugioh shrine - before and after pics. The Jounouchi figure still up top, holding a chain and ready to shank you with a scapegoat~ But I thought I’d zoom in so we could see my BEAUTIFUL NEW ISHTAR SIBS CLEARFILE INSTEAD~

I thought my shrine was getting a little too shippy. And especially a little too shippy in the absence of Mai. WHERE IS ALL THE KUJAKU MAI MERCHANDISE?! i need it pls, thx. But, anyhow~ I bought the Ishtar clearfile off of auction. And I thought it might be an old one, but on the back is actually a logo for the 20th anniversary of ygo, last year in 2016. And they weren’t even really in the movie, so now I’m wondering maybe there is also the chance of some recent Mai merchandise out there, hmm, so she will properly be represented in my collection >3>

But yeah, this is just by the exit to my room so i can stop by before i leave for the day and, offer coins or pieces of fruit or whatever and pray at my card game based alter, and maybe then Jounouchi’s good luck will rub off on me a little~

...

And there’s also a gore version of the shrine, but I usually keep that picture in the back so visitors don’t think i’m a creep. i guess i’ll put this picture in the front if i ever decide to host ritualistic demon summonings in my room or smthn~

(Both prints are from toxicosis by the way.)

Doujinshi are in another location. And I was only going to talk about my stupid ygo bookshelf shrine thing today, but then my doujin shipment came in and I decided FUCK IT i will brag about my crippling lack of impulse control cool swag all at once if i want to... Under the cut-

@battymarionette

If you remember this one~

tdah~ Basically it seems like a Kaiba Corp has put out a game, some kind of ridiculous fantasy RPG where Atem is some kind of Ron the Death Eater villain and Jou may or may not be the princess or smthn. And Mokuba invites Jounouchi over to play it or playtest it or something of that nature. Which seems like as good a premise as any for this kind of thing. And it’s got all the cute platonic Joukuba vibes which is a plus~

But yeah, Jounouchi goes over to Mokuba’s place, has some kind of fight with Seto, and some kind of conversation with Atem, and Mokuba’s kind of confused or upset about something, and then Jou gets all cute and announces that he and Kaiba are dating~ which i’m pretty sure Seto didn’t want Mokuba knowing about or whatever~

But, see, now I’m making this doujin sound sweet when, to be really blunt, i didn’t like it. At some point Seto slaps Jounouchi across the face for something.

I guess I shouldn’t pass judgement when I can’t even read the moon runes that explain why this has happened, but- no. (I’m trying to articulate. It’s not that I think Jou and Seto are incapable of being violent with one another (jfc how hypocritical would it be of me) but there’s something about the whys and the hows~? in my mind, Seto doesn’t gets hands on with that kind of thing unless it’s landing a measured martial arts blow in self defense, or lashing out from a place of extreme vulnerability - the kind that involves him being five seconds away from curling up in a ball of self-protection. So... Seto being collected and composed and instigating violence on Jounouchi’s triggers all my ‘no’ responses. And I also doubt Jounouchi would take that kind of thing without complaint, unless he was actually raving or spiraling and it was, like, a calm-the-fuck-down slap. I think he would definitely retaliate with shouting and intimidation, if not a physical blow. With Jounouchi it’s a little harder for me to define what would prompt physical violence, partly because i think his idea of what violence is is narrower than mine, and doesn’t include things like grabbing somebody’s jacket collar and shaking them around. But, hmm, I think by the time he’s through canon he doesn’t exactly break out the fistcuffs lightly.)

The point was that this doujin made it to the top of my shit list very fast. And I was concerned because, see, I had been avoiding buying KaiJou (in that order) doujins because most of them kind of do this thing to me and completely miss the glass cannon type of volatile fragility I see as being kind of central to Kaiba’s character. But then I caved and ordered a whole bunch. But, actually, I was pleasantly surprised by the other couple of ones I bought, so maybe the curse has finally lifted~ I liked this one in particular-

But, tbh, it also knew the way into my heart~

The way into my heart is Wheeler siblings :x

@rainstormcolors

First of all, I got POLARIS and it was good!

I don’t know what to share about it other than that because it was mostly porn. But I felt like it was kind of sweet and sentimental and Kaiba and Atem going on silly dates at the beginning with gorgeous background details. Also they sit on the throne together at the end and look very in love teehee~

But, yes, thank you for reccing~ I enjoyed a lot~!

BUT- !!! More importantly this finally came in the mail!

To answer your question, it’s a normal rivalshipping anthology. 112 pages, comics and fic~ Exciting things happen like Yuugi and Kaiba playing twister~

And in another story they’re out travelling and having punishment games of some sort and Yuugi gets a beard painted on his face~

AND HIS MOM OMG!! I love when odd characters cameo in my doujins. I think you can tell~

But, no, I lied- I addition to the anthology I got all this other stuff too~

I don’t know. There’s a set of tiny playing cards you have to disentangle. Some have exciting images.

Notably Jounouchi and Atem are the jokers, heh~

I still haven’t checked out the CD. This is a very rushed post where I don’t attempt to read things carefully or any of that~ But it comes with a manual with a bunch of character avatars - lots of expressions for Yuugi and Kaiba, as well as one avatar each for Jou, Anzu, baby Seto, Kisara, and BEWD. So I think it may be a visual novel of sorts. Undetermined~

So now you’ll know what you’re getting if you decide to order, in theory at least. I’m not sure because I bought this off the author’s BOOTH, so idk if the extra merchandise is limited in any manner or if toranoana only sends part of it(?)

ugh, let’s see.

I also got another anthology- a Yuugi-centric one.

It’s mostly rivalshipping, which I’d expect. rivalshipping is really popular in the jp fandom. but, tbh, i enjoyed the more odd ships more-

Like Juudai/Manjoume/Yuugi... Kaiba walks in on the Kohais basically crushing yuugi with love after this it’s so cute~

And Otogi/Yuugi. Ah~ I love the DDM chapters in the manga and how softly Otogi warms up to Yuugi~

A Duel Monsters themed art book I spent too much on~ I’m ashamed to say I don’t recognise a whole lot of the cards

but you’ll recognise Yubel, perhaps~

or the lady that Y!Bakura crossdresses as ;)

and there were quite a few dark magician girls and blue eyeses.

from another illustration book~

and i found a couple of apprenticeshipping doujins on BOOTH, but none of them wow-ed me really~

although I’ve been thinking a lot recently about how Mana inherited the Ring in manga canon. I feel like there are things to consider here. This picture struck me as a result.

Alright~ And now for my favourites~

OMG! A WHOLE DOUJIN ABOUT MALIK AND HIS SIBLINGS!!! I think this one was a predictable fave. I loved it so, sooo much. I was absolutely filled with quality Malik and Rishid moments.

EVERYONE IS SO CUTE!!

Malik and Rishid go biking and run into Mai which is very !!!

There are vacation photographs~

It looks like Malik tries to feed Ra a revival slime and gets eaten himself. I don’t know. But it was good. I’m so happy~ Ishtar family doujins. My life is complete. not really. i can’t die until i finish my fics.

Okay, but my other fave I didn’t see coming at all.

I don’t ship this! I shouted into the void. But nobody really believed her, not even herself. It’s too late for me. I’m just multiship trash. I will ship anything you put in front of me...

Okay, but the real reason I decided to get this was because of this preview panel. Of course I knew it was puzzlleship. But actually I love Mana and vaseshipping for reals. And this was so cute and the art was so pretty I thought- We might as well check the rest of it out~ (the idea of top!Yuugi didn’t hurt either...)

And then jackels happened~ And this kind of ethereal magic stuff~

There was some confusion I think with the cultural imagery in the doujin. Some of it looked vaguely Indic to my untrained eye but- I don’t know what to say, the art was so gorgeous and detailed.

And the smut was all facials and frot so obviously the doujin artist has my gd number, smh.

And Jou appeared near the end, looking amazing, and Jou is automatically about +50 points for any doujin.

I don’t know what to say. Very nice. Would recommend.

Also- just fyi- I do buy doujins for things that aren’t ygo. pls forgive my focus on my ygo obsession tho.

I’m really glad I stumbled across this in the hetalia tag~

And there’s a picture of Tifa being so bad at games at the golden saucer that Nanaki, who doesn’t even have opposable thumbs, can defeat her in PvP. Beautiful~

#doujinshi #Malik Ishtar #Mana #JouKai #prideship #rivalship #kuribohship #offership #nurseship #puzzleship #ygo gx #save me from this card game hell #cw: gore

[doomedandstoned]

The Strange, Fantastic World Of Devil's Witches

~Interview by Mari Knox~

We will shock our readers when they read that behind the name Devil's Witches there is just one guy. So James, introduce us to your project, tell us who are you and where your music come from.

Thank you for having me. I'm not really big on talking about myself, not because I want to create some false of sense of mystique but because I want to create a very specific experience. When someone like Hendrix says, "Are you experienced?" he's talking about seeing things with an open mind. He talks about transcending the ego and getting lost in your trip, whatever form that may take. I feel like by focusing on the artist, you can destroy the immersion of the art, unless, of course, they become the art themselves, like David Bowie did during his Ziggy era. So my reluctance to talk about myself is more about this world I've created through the story of the album and the points in time I've referenced. I feel I'll get in the way of the immersion I want to create in the listener. I'd rather just slip into the background and let the music speak.

Your debut, 'Velvet Magic' (2017), is a concept album and your songs seem to find inspiration in the works of Jess Franco, Jean Rollin, and Russ Meyer, not to mention gorgeous and charming actresses like Tura Satana and Soledad Miranda. What more can you share about the fascinating story you're telling here?

The story of the album centres on a mysterious female who is fully in touch with her feminine magic. If anyone has read ‘The Satanic Witch’ by Anton LaVey, they will know what I'm talking about. I don't regard myself as a Satanist, but this aspect of the left hand path is of great interest, as is Crowley. This godlike female is affronted by the horrors of humanity, specifically the tragedy of Vietnam. Her goal is to use her magic to quite literally save the earth through sex. Sex, to me, represents life, not perversion or shame. She finds this male soldier who was part of some of the worst atrocities in Nam, including the My Lai massacre, and decides to redeem him to save everyone. The album follows his story as he comes back to the US and right up until the two of them connect in astral coitus. It's really quite a beautiful statement when you drop all baggage connected to attitudes towards sex. I enjoy playing with juxtaposition and you will find it all over the album and visuals. Polarity is a very powerful thing.

I am a very visual person. The music that resonates with me the most are ones that create pictures in my head or have videos or art that inspire me. I've lost count of the times the visual side of certain music has compromised my enjoyment of the songs. It works the other way too. I've had songs that may have been seen as mediocre, not necessarily bad, but I respond to them because of the pictures they create in my head. Obviously, the music is the main priority, but I see the visuals as quite high, maybe even bordering on equal. Interestingly, movie director Jess Franco, who is a big influence, was mostly concerned with pictures. He didn't even write full scripts sometimes and just shot with his instinct having other people overdub later on. Often times, he had no involvement in that process, as he was off capturing new images.

"Psyche, Fuzz, Doom, and 1960s Worship" -- these are the keywords you use to describe Devil's Witches. What are your biggest musical influences?

Hendrix is everything. He's the only musician I've ever heard who can hit a wrong note and it's still the greatest note you've ever heard. Second to that is Frank Zappa. His early output with the Mothers Of Invention in the '60s is my favourite. Zappa could take pop sounds and turn them into prog rock. He was a musical genius in the truest sense. Other influences are The Doors, Jefferson Aeroplane, and Grateful Dead. The heavy side of my music is inspired by Black Sabbath and Electric Wizard. What resonates with me most about heaviness is the physicality of actually feeling the music through the speakers, even at low volumes. The heaviest song on the album is none of the singles, and it's very dark.

It not easy to create such an impressive and variegated wall of sound like this all by yourself. Sometimes it feels like there are four people playing together. How do you fashion this sound? And, since this is a solo project, how did you record all of the parts?

Russ Meyer was one of the greatest auteurs the movie business every saw. He financed, scripted, shot, directed, and edited most of his pictures. Looking up to someone like that is very motivating when faced with great ideas and a lack of resources. This kind of inspiration is what helped me -- having great role models with cast iron work ethics. I recorded the album just like most bands would, but obviously I had to do certain tracks at a time. The key is to always try to stay in the place where music feels magical and not to get bogged down by the mechanics of it.

At the moment, I know that 'Velvet Magic' will have a tape release via the Chilean label Golden Dawn Recordings. How did you get in contact with them? Would you like to release the album in other formats, as well?

They actually contacted me, in all honesty. Due to my love of the cinematic, I had previously played with the idea of having my name before ‘Devil’s Witches’ like old movie posters for example ‘Russ Meyer’s 'Supervixens.’ I decided against this for the reasons expressed earlier, but I forgot I'd uploaded some art with my name on it in this fashion. It became easy for anyone who enjoyed the output to find me. So Golden Dawn contacted me and expressed interest in releasing the album on cassette and that was even before they heard all the songs. Vincente Zamorano of Golden Dawn is a great guy who has believed in this music from the moment he heard it. I just recently sent him the whole album and he was very happy with it. Regarding other formats, I've also signed with another label who wants to put the album on vinyl. This label is enjoying the album greatly, as well, which is very promising. Stay tuned for the reveal of that. I'd love CD, but no one has contacted me. Maybe that format is dead. Also, it will be available digitally.

You really care for the band's graphics, from the art posted on social media to the music videos. Do you personally take care of that aspect or is someone else helping you with this?

Everything is done by me apart, from the logo. That was designed and drawn by a very talented Spanish artist by the name of Raúl Fuentes. He draws exclusively in black and white and has the most macabre underground style. His usual output is death and thrash logos and zine covers, but I asked him to capture the '60s in his style. The logo is very typical of the era, even labels like RidingEasy records have adopted this look and it was this familiarity I wanted Raúl to bring into the design. Combining that element with his underground horror qualities, Raúl takes the logo from '60s pop culture symbol into a darker place. This comparing of worlds is central to what Devil's Witches is about. Check Raúl out at Mörtuus Art .

The overabundance of female in the imagery obviously ties directly in with the music exploring feminine magic. I grew up exclusively around woman. My grandmother practically raised me and the only kids in my area to play with were girls. Even now, I live with five women, although two of them are cats. My admiration and respect for every facet of femininity is the cornerstone of Devil's Witches. I have deep religious feelings towards the divinity of the feminine, but maybe those conversations are for future articles.

Trevor William Church, the frontman of Beastmaker, supported you a lot during the creation of 'Velvet Magic.' How was this collaboration born?

Just like everyone else, Beastmaker caught me by surprise. I saw them at a Blood Ceremony show and was sucked into their Mario Bava soaked world. Trevor seemed like the kind of guy I could get along with, but I'm a shy person so I never worked up the courage to chat with him. When I got home, I added him on Facebook and just through commenting on each other posts, we become familiar enough to regard each other as sort of long distance friends. When he heard "Voodoo Woman," he messaged and complimented me on the song, the riffs, melodies, but he said the mix was not where it needed to be. He gave me invaluable pointers and has been my go to guy these past months while for navigating the album mix and certain other music business details.

Any chance that we will get to see your project on stage or is this something you're not interested in making happen, at the moment?

I have thought a lot about what a Devil's Witches show would look like and it's not exactly a record label or promoter's dream. It doesn't involve a band simply playing the songs to tour an album. It would be a kind of performance art. It wouldn't even be like theatrical rock. Going back to my cinematic influences, you might begin to imagine what I'm getting at. I wouldn't even necessarily be present on the stage. The problem is that it needs to be very specific. One wrong move and it's a bit of a laughing stock. So I'm not sure you're going to see it touring the world anytime soon.

It's quite clear that you prefer bands from the '60s and '70s, so if you were to suggest a recently released album or a contemporary band, which one would you choose?

There's definitely one artist I would love to praise right here, but I’m going to keep that one for me. Let me just say she has managed to create her own universe in her music through imagery and performance. Her own life has become a work of art, too, and she's a million miles away from fuzzy doom. But those images I talked about earlier are very strong here and inspire me in very tangible ways. Maybe one day we'll get to collaborate.

Before we say goodbye to the Doomed & Stoned readers, I've got on last question to ask. What should we expect from you in the future?

I have already begun writing album two and the story follows directly on from Velvet Magic. I'm just as excited creating this as the first, so it may not be too long, but the future right now for everybody is Velvet Magic. Thank you for offering me a platform to connect with listeners and bring this experience to a wider audience.

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[terryblount]

Ori and the Will of the Wisps PC Review

It is hard to believe five years have passed since Ori and the Blind Forest debuted on our screens. Developers Moon Studios crafted a momentous game that not only reinvigorated the metroidvania genre, but also reminded gamers how beautiful and intricate these titles can be. Now the long-awaited sequel is finally on our shelves, but how could any studio follow up on lightning in a bottle like this?

The answer is in Ori and the Will of the Wisps. I mentioned in my Rage 2 review that all good sequels have the ability to reach the full potential of their I.P’s. It is not just about more, bigger or prettier. Good sequels elevate themselves to those untouched areas of gameplay that their predecessors never reached, and this is precisely what Moon Studios achievedwith their second Ori game.

Enjoying the pleasures of home

If ever there was a write-up willing to criticise Ori and the Will of the Wisps (hereafter Ori 2), you will not find it here. Perhaps this will not be a review of Ori 2, but my best attempt to express what a masterpiece this sequel has turned out to be. Moon Studios maxed out every strength from their first game, and remind us once again why metroidvanias can be some of the most fulfilling experiences in our industry.

A picture is worth a thousand words

One of the highlights from Ori and the Blind Forest was Moon Studios’s incredible talent for using visual language. Like many other metroidvanias, the first Ori game could impart a lot to the player using only modest resources. There wasn’t much exposition, there were limited snippets of dialogue, and the game had a very conservative use of cut scenes.

Nonetheless, it was still an experience you could get lost in. The devs allowed their game itself to communicate with the player on a visual level, and this design philosophy spills over into almost everything in Ori 2. In short, Ori 2 is a game that shows rather than tells in that the visuals of Ori’s story are a fundamental bridge between both the narrative and the gameplay.

Take the eponymous (and very cute) Ori, for example. Even a noob taking a cursory glance at this little critter would immediately tell there is something agile, yet vulnerable about… it. Hold on a second, is Ori a boy or a girl? Only thing I know is that the name has a Hebrew origin meaning ‘my light’, so perhaps Ori is Jewish?

Name of the game (Image from Ori and the Blind forest Wiki)

Anyway, I digress. True to the sloping lines and gossamer-like luminance of the character model, Ori once again felt super smooth and an utter pleasure to control for the thirteen-ish hours I spent leaping and bounding throughout the various biomes. There is a weightless momentum in how Ori handles, which encourages the player to keep moving and to experiment with acrobatics.

It seems that virtually niggles and annoyances have been ironed out from the first game, and it is clear the devs wanted to push the boundaries of traversal in this series to the next level. Moreover, Ori’s revamped animations are equally slick in this sequel, both in the twirls or somersaults when leaping weightlessly through the levels, but also in the combat or ranged attacks against enemies.

A battle in spirit

Ori has been given quite a substantial upgrade in terms of how players will fight against the malicious bugs, slugs and even bosses scattered around the world. Combat is now closer to the metroidvanias that have followed in the interim from the first game’s release (for example, Hollow Knight) in that Ori can now swap on the fly between a spirit sword, ranged spirited projectiles, heavy weapons, and more.

The player will really have their reflexes tested on normal or hard difficulties since the combat is fast and frantic. I strongly recommend a first playthrough on ‘easy’, particularly since you cannot adjust the difficulty later. Nonetheless, this spirit bunny is every bit as agile and responsive during battle as he is with traversal, and there is a decent variety of ranged and melee attacks to make up your fighting strategy.

The spirit trees that give Ori his abilities

It is from the combat I noticed that Ori 2 now boasts a more varied menu and progression system. Moon Studious have swapped out the linear style of the previous game, and have implemented something closer to an RPG’s structure, which allows for abilites and weapons to unlock quicker, and thereby leaving the choice to the player on what to upgrade and define their own playing style.

The forest lives on

The reason why Ori possesses these abilities and, frankly, why he glows in the dark, is because he was one of several spirits inhabiting a mystical willow tree – the heart of the entire forest’s spiritual energy. The first game saw Ori being adopted by a creature called Naru after falling out of the willow tree during a great storm, and eventually setting out to rescue the forest dying from a malicious corruption.

With the forest now restored to its lavish glory, Ori 2 opens with a touching scene of the pair living a serene life, along with their new friends Guma and Ku. All is well until Ku, who is the cutest little owlet EVER, finally becomes overwhelmed by the desire to fly. Unfortunately, Ku’s tiny little wing got mangled, leaving the owlet grounded and very depressed as it watches the other birds go by.

First flight

Ori and co. therefore try to help Ku with a makeshift wing which seems to work quite well until, during its first flight, Ku is caught in an angry storm, not unlike the one that shook Ori from its tree. With Ori riding on Ku’s back, the duo crash land in a desolate area of the forest, and they become separated.

The stage is set for Ori to embark on a rescue mission, and as a surprise to no one, Ori finds that all is still not well in the deep, forgotten places of the forest. The mission to rescue Ku therefore becomes intertwined with restoring the forest’s life force to an abandoned and hostile world, and Ori soon finds that it is not only Ku’s life that hangs in the balance.

In certain segments there are chase sequences. You really feel Ori’s vulnerability here, and it is utterly terrifying.

Thanks to absolutely superb animation and expert use of potent imagery, the story in Ori 2 is nothing less than sublime. Without spoiling anything, I will just say that the narrative plays out as a riveting and engrossing mix of fairy tale tropes, which are interspersed with gut-wrenching climaxes of triumph and failure.

The hauntingly beautiful soundtrack is also a crucial component here. The melody is a beautiful reflection of the game itself in that the orchestral swells alongside dream-like notes are constantly tinged with an undertone of sadness and melancholia.

In all honesty, I was taken on a rollercoaster ride of emotions during my play-through, and it has been a long time since a game has had this effect on me. Seeing that poor baby owl frightened and alone in the dead forest wasteland brought me right to verge of tears, while I beamed like adoring parent during the more happy moments. This is really fantastic story-telling.

Breaking boundaries

Both the story and the gameplay is of course sustained by two immaculate pillars: The graphics and the level-design. You often hear about video games blurring the boundaries between art and entertainment, but Ori 2 utterly shatters this division. This game IS art. The visuals are so imaginative and aesthetically pleasing that it looks like you are playing through Bob Ross painting brought to life.

With Unreal dominating the source-available market at the moment, I am really glad Moon Studios showed us how Unity still has a lot more to offer

Running on the Unity engine, the devs have created a massive world rendered with more detailed textures, a much higher particle count, and a more complex lighting system than the first game. The forest feels alive and breathing with several different biomes for Ori to explore, and each area has been coloured with a very distinct palette to reinforce the player’s awareness of location.

I mentioned visual language earlier, and it is in environmental design that Moon Studios have really put this to work. The greens, browns and blues represent colours that guide Ori, that beckon the little critter to safety. The reds, yellows and purples on the other hand represent danger, and it is astounding to see how consistently the devs have endorsed this system throughout the entire game.

I simply could not get enough of this beautiful world. From races against the ghosts of other players, to doing small quests for animals that inhabit in the forest, to feeling that satisfaction of nimbly making it through heavily-spiked, narrow corridors, it is mesmerizing that all of this is functioning so well in one game. It is a model of excellence in environmental design.

Ori, the paragon

We often hear people complaining that ‘they don’t make games like they used to’ and I somewhat agree. I feel like modern studios tend to put money before their vision for making their game because of how alarmingly competitive the industry has become. As such, games rarely take risks, and the industry often faces something of an identity crisis.

Ori and the Will of the Wisps stands as a shining contradiction to this ethos. This game oozes creative energy, and was quite obviously made by people who really have a passion for this genre. It shows how we can use technology not just to enhance everything in a game, but also how complex systems can be made to function alongside one other.

It is so rare that we see excellence in our games these days, which is why Ori and the Will of the Wisps truly is a non-negotiable moment. This is not just a game: It is an education to what gaming as a medium can accomplish. You simply have to play this.

Breathtaking soundtrack

Gorgeous art style

Immaculate level design

Great story

Controls well

Good dev support

Some bugs

Long start up loading time

          PC Specs: Windows 10 64-bit computer using Nvidia GTX 1070, i5 4690K CPU, 16GB RAM – Played using an Xbox One Contoller

The post Ori and the Will of the Wisps PC Review appeared first on DSOGaming.

Ori and the Will of the Wisps PC Review published first on https://touchgen.tumblr.com/

[limejuicer1862]

Wombwell Rainbow Interviews

I am honoured and privileged that the following writers local, national and international have agreed to be interviewed by me. I gave the writers two options: an emailed list of questions or a more fluid interview via messenger. The usual ground is covered about motivation, daily routines and work ethic, but some surprises too. Some of these poets you may know, others may be new to you. I hope you enjoy the experience as much as I do.

  Magdalena Ball

was born in New York City, where she grew up. After gaining an honours degree in English Literature from the City University of New York (CCNY), she moved to Oxford to study English Literature at a postgraduate level. After a brief return to the US, she then migrated to NSW Australia, where she now resides on a rural property with her husband and three children. While in Australia she received a Masters degree in Business from Charles Sturt University and a Marketing degree from the University of Newcastle. Magdalena runs the respected review site Compulsive Reader. Her short stories, editorials, poetry, reviews and articles have appeared in a wide number of printed anthologies and journals, and have won local and international awards for poetry and fiction. She is the author of the poetry books Unmaking Atoms, Repulsion Thrust and Quark Soup, the novels Black Cow, and Sleep Before Evening, a nonfiction book The Art of Assessment, and, in collaboration with Carolyn Howard-Johnson, the Celebration Series poetry books Sublime Planet, Deeper Into the Pond, Blooming Red, Cherished Pulse, She Wore Emerald Then, and Imagining the Future. She also runs a radio show, Compulsive Reader Talks. In addition to her writing, Magdalena is a Research Support Lead for a multinational company, and regardless of what she’s doing, will usually be found with a book or two in one form or another, sneaking time for reading.

The Interview

1. When and why did you begin to write poetry?

I honestly cannot remember a time when I wasn’t writing poetry. It feels very natural to me to express myself poetically, probably because I grew up with a lot of poetry around me, from Dr Seuss and Maurice Sendak to the songs my mother, who was in a rock band, was writing and singing or the poetry my uncle set to music including literary giants like Edna St Vincent Millay, Frank O’Hara, WB Yeats and Emily Dickinson. Poetry has always been part of my environment. I created a lot of handmade ‘zines, themed booklets and celebration poems for friends when I was growing up, but my first official publication was a full centre-page spread in a Greenwich village magazine while I was an undergraduate. I’ve lost the publication now though I kept the clipping for years, but the buzz of that first publication was pretty intense.

2. Who introduced you to poetry?

I think I’d have to say my parents. They both read to me a lot – and there was poetry in the children’s books I loved (Sendak and Seuss come to mind immediately because I also bought and read many books by those two authors for my own children, but there were many books I loved when I was very young like The Story of Ping by Marjorie Flack, Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown, and Harold and the Purple Crayon by Crocket Johnson, all of which became introductions for me to what language can do as an art form, and how poetic language in particular can convey complex ideas in ways that jump past the intellect using rhythm, correspondence and imagery. I always had a visceral response to the books that were read to me, perhaps because my parents were very good readers and tended to act out the work and engage me in the process by talking to me about what they were reading, letting me fill in words and take over when I was ready. I’m deeply grateful to them for this early gift, which to be honest, I didn’t properly recognise until I was much older. Beyond being read to, I was pretty heavily influenced by my uncle, the composer Ricky Ian Gordon, who not only set a lot of superb poems to music – the sound of which formed a backdrop to my childhood as I spent a lot of time at my grandparents’ house where Ricky, who is only 10 years older than me, was growing up, but also he was always recommending and gifting books to me. I remember a book pack he gave to me when I was around 12 after he read some of my poems. I still have the books, which include Plath’s Ariel, Sexton’s Live or Die, Brecht’s Manuel of Piety and Rimbaud’s The Drunken Boat – none of which were age appropriate (!) but they certainly left a mark on me – like many young women I became a bit obsessed with Plath in particular for a while! Even now, when I see him he’ll usually recite a poem by heart to me from someone he personally knows or has recently discovered which will immediately blow me away.

3. How aware were and are you of the dominating presence of older poets?

I’d be lying if I said I didn’t suffer from imposter syndrome regularly as a writer. However, I have always been a confident reader. The delight I take in other people’s words is something that has bolstered me since I was very (possibly too) young. I think it’s fair to say that nearly all writers, no matter how famous, need and love attentive readers and reading is my happy place. So whenever I don’t feel like I’m writer enough to match the company I’m keeping (and that company may be on the page rather than in the flesh though I have been lucky enough to meet some intimidatingly good writers), I’m always able to fall back on the joy of delighting in the words of others. It’s a great privilege I think to be able to just pay attention to art that is exquisite. The sheer joy of that deep engagement is something that I think transcends age, fame, and even genius. It’s connection that is very primal and powerful and wipes out jealousy, intimidation and domination. That said, I’m always actively seeking diversity in my reading as I’m conscious that the “dominating presence of older poets” is really partly determined by a canon that isn’t necessarily very diverse. I’m actively trying to read as diversely as possible, not only because it is healthy to be exposed to what challenges you, but also because nuance and exquisite beauty can often be found in under-represented writers that isn’t so easy to find in some of the bigger, more famous names that are treated as “classics”. So I will sometimes deliberately resist that domination.

4. What is your daily writing routine?

I think it would be a rare day when I didn’t write something, but aside from that I just write whenever I can, often in brief snatches here and there, or while everyone else is watching television in the evening once the hubbub of the day has eased off. I have done things like pulled my car over to the side of the road to write something down that came to mind; written poems during business meetings; stirred something on the stove with one hand while writing with the other – you get the idea. I have three children and a day job so can’t really be precious with the time. Poetry is particularly flexible that way and can be fitted into a tight schedule but I have to admit that fiction is harder for me to write in short bursts which is why I’ve been writing a lot of poetry over the past few years.

5. What motivates you to write?

I’m not really sure what motivates me! It’s kind of instinctual. If I don’t write almost every day I find I’m not at my best – I get cranky – some variation of hangry – like there’s a hunger that needs satiating. Being able to sit down, even for just a few minutes, and put something down in writing is part of what my body needs each day – like food, water, exercise, sleep. It’s just part of how I live in the world. I get a lot of pleasure from extrinsic motivations like publication, praise (poets seem to me to be particularly supportive of one another and I’m so grateful for the gorgeous community I feel very much bolstered by), the odd tiny financial reward, and being able to perform/read/connect with readers – they’re all really wonderful perks, but the practice of writing is something I do regardless of those things.

6. What is your work ethic?

I was born and raised in New York, and it may just go with the territory but I think my work ethic has always been a little bit too strong. I have really tried to ease back on my work ethic – to be more present; to take more time on quality over quantity; to slow down a little bit and not feel like I have to be ticking every box on a daily to-do list. That said, I’m always feeling the tug to get one more thing done today. I’m trying to plan a little bit less, and to be more open as I get older.

7. How do the writers you read when you were young influence you today?

See question 2. The writers I read when I was young have had a massive influence on me – they’ve helped formed my identity and not just as a writer. I honestly don’t think I’d be the same person if I hadn’t read so much Maurice Sendak as a child. I still get a little shiver of excitement thinking about Little Bear’s trip to the moon or that wordless page of the wild rumpus in Where the Wild Things Are. I also was heavily influenced as a young adult by writers like Czesław Miłosz who I saw perform at Princeton when I was about 17, and I used to hang around the St Marks Poetry Project around that time hoping one day I might just end up having a conversation with Patti Smith, Jim Carroll, Allen Ginsberg or Anne Waldman. I was always too shy to approach them (see question 3), but I knew very strongly then that this was a place I felt at home and that theses were voices that resonated with my young self. I took a lot of that in and it helped form my identity.

8. Who of today’s writers do you admire the most and why?

I love so many writers that the answer to this question could go on for about 20 pages! It never fails to amaze me how much superb work just keeps coming out. I’m very lucky to be a book reviewer and so I get a lot of books. I certainly don’t like everything but I get at least one book a week that is excellent, often by someone I never heard of before. I know that the minute I commit a name to paper I’ll have missed out someone critical or maybe I’ll read someone tomorrow and by the time this goes to air I’ll be sad I didn’t include them. So instead of answering this question I might just ‘gather some paradise’ (to steal a phrase from the wonderful PoemTalk podcast) and talk about a few poets that I’ve recently read whose work I like. Please note that this is a snapshot of the work I’ve been in contact with over the past month or so and is in no way comprehensive! Tracy K Smith’s latest book Wade in the Water is just so good. You can read the title poem here: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/147467/wade-in-the-water Another poet whose work gets me everytime is Danez Smith’s Don’t Call Us Dead. I don’t even know why but the book has brought me to tears several times and even now, I’m thinking of the title poem. I’m right in the middle of reading Anne Casey’s Where the Lost Things Go which is just so warm and lovely – so rich with empathy and compassion, and so very relevant. Another book I recently read and loved was Ali Whitelock’s And My Heart Crumples Like a Coke Can, which is hysterically funny, raw, sad and uplifting all at the same time. Both Anne and Ali are people I recently met and immediately became friends with – it was like we’ve known each other for years and we instantly began planning collaborations, tours, tweeting about one another’s work, etc. I’m so happy to give their wonderful books a shout-out.

9. Why do you write? Probably answered in question 5.

10. What would you say to someone who asked you “How do you become a writer?”

At the risk of sounding like Yoda (it wouldn’t be the first time), there is no ‘become’ – if you want to write, write. Don’t waste too much time dreaming about it or making elaborate promotional plans (something I have been guilty of). Just get on with it. Write what you like to read best or what you feel compelling to write. Or pick a competition and begin working towards a submission. Push asdie the doubt and discomfort and that stupid “monkey” voice at the back of your head that says you’re not up to it, and just get on with it. No one is a ‘natural’ – first drafts are almost all bad, every writer no matter how well-respected is struggling with what they’re working on now, and the only way to get good at writing is, like anything, regular practice. You have to fail. It’s part of the learning curve – so get on with the failure, accept it, become comfortable in its presence and keep going. When you’ve got enough material or when your material fits a market, submit it somewhere. Then repeat the process. The one other thing you must do is to read, a lot, and diversely. If, like me, you’re nervous about promoting your own work or you’re uncertain that what you’ve done is great, then promote someone else. Shine a light on the wonderful, especially where it’s underrepresented. Everyone has the power to do that these days – leave a review, buy someone a book for a present, talk up what you love. Then get back to the table and make your own beauty. There’s no magic formula and raw talent that isn’t utilised is nothing. (may the force be with you…)

11. Tell me about the writing projects you have on at the moment.

I’ve just had a poetry book published by Flying Island Books titled High Wire Step, and I’ve got another one coming out in April from Girls on Key Press titled Unreliable Narratives. Neither of those were planned this time last year and I’m really pleased with how they came together and the incredible editorial support I had on both books (I’m very grateful to Kit Kelen and Anna Forsyth respectively). I’m still a bit in promotion mode for these two and there are launches and performances planned at the Newcastle Wrtiers Festival this year and throughout the early part of 2019. I have begun working on a new book of poetry (I’m always working on a book of poetry ), and I am still working on my third novel, a sci fi which is proving to be quite difficult. One of my resolutions for 2019 is to either finish the thing or call it. Every time I sit down to write it strikes me as being too good and too far along to abandon but then I get distracted and it drifts away from my mind and the desire to work on it recedes. This is the year I either finish, or make the call. I also have quite a few multimedia/anthology collaborations in-hand, which I’m very excited about. I can’t divulge, but good things are on the horizon.

Wombwell Rainbow Interviews: Magdalena Ball Wombwell Rainbow Interviews I am honoured and privileged that the following writers local, national and international have agreed to be interviewed by me.

[amieravenson]

My tarot decks for Summer

I haven’t been posting a lot outside of my Magickal Month posts lately. There’s a good reason for that. It’s hot and I don’t wanna. Nyeh! (Actually, I’ve had a lot of other things going on, including Camp NaNoWriMo, a group on Facebook that is meant to facilitate and support making positive changes in life, lots of doctor visits, and also it’s hot, and I don’t wanna. Nyeh!) (Our AC in the office sucks, and it’s usually well into the mid 80s in there. Gross.) (Last of the asides, I promise.) (Maybe just one more.) SO! *ahem* What’s a girl to do when her tarot/office/work space is hot as balls, and she just can’t find the motivation to do much? She sits in the living room and writes. I’ve been writing a few guided meditations, and I’ll be recording those in August. I’m still doing tarot readings, but not quite as frequently. I’ll also be doing the speed tarot dating/readings at DragonCon again this year, at least 2 sessions, maybe 3! If you’re going to be there, come check that out in the Paranormal Track room! (Is the app out yet?) (DRINK!) ******************************************* So my summer decks haven’t gotten much play this year, which is a shame. These really are some of my favorite and oldest decks! Some of them are like old friends that I come back to for comfort, and they’re seasoned so they give really great readings!

June Decks

June

Tarot of the Trees I love this deck for several different uses. I use it in huge readings where the smaller cards keep the reading space a reasonable size. I also use it for my Kundalini/Chakra Reading, where the twisting of the trees reminds me of the twisting of kundalini energy. And I also love it for June. The energy of the deck lends itself really well to the beauty of wild, untamed nature, and I find that it really resonates this time of year. As I look at the world around me, with vines twisting all over everything, the trees are all iridescent green, and the dark colors of the deep forest make the colors of wildflowers and sunsets pop that much more. This deck represents tree/nature/fae magick at its very height, and so it has to be the deck for the month of Litha. The Faeries Oracle I don’t know anyone who doesn’t love this oracle by Brian Froud. In fact, I don’t know anyone who doesn’t HAVE this oracle. It’s popular because it’s amazing. And I love working that playful fae energy around Litha. Unlike other art decks (where the art was created first, and someone said ‘Hey! Let’s attach some meanings and make these paintings into oracle cards!), this one really gives a deep, meaningful reading. I think that’s because Brian Froud has always been so deeply steeped in the world of archetype and imagination, and that’s universal to all of us. His interpretation of an oracle deck is unique, useful, and very engaging. 10/10 would recommend!

July Decks

July

The Sacred Circle Tarot This is my second oldest deck, and the one that I’ve been reading with longest. (The first one was the Sacred Rose, and it’s a study-only deck for me now) This is the deck that I use when I want to give a general reading, or I don’t know the person very well that I’ll be reading for. It just gives a very solid, meaningful reading for almost anyone in any situation. My sister really likes when I use this deck, as she says she can just feel the energy coming off of it. That’s because I’ve been using it for well over 20 years. I do have some beef with the printing (there are misprints throughout), but I’ve started to accept that that’s just part of the deck. And unfortunately, the black edges/borders tend to wear a little. But I just go over them with a Sharpie every few years, and we’re good. This is the deck you’ll most likely see me carry around to DragonCon or other events. The Druid Animal Oracle This is such a beautiful oracle, but if I’m being honest, I don’t use it much. Why? It ruins my hands when I try to shuffle it. I’m in the process of cutting the borders off and cutting the corners, and I hope that will help at least a little. But the images are stunning, and I’ll ALWAYS love working with animal energies. I think it works really well with the shamanic/Pagan themes of Sacred Circle. The book is a bit cumbersome, however, and I tend to use a cheat sheet I made (or memory) when I’m working with these. In the book, you’ll get the energies of the card, but mixed with lots of stories, etc. That’s really cool if you want to study them, but not great for a reading. This is problematic with oracles in particular, because while you can memorize tarot meanings, oracles are all over the place and it’s much more difficult to keep ALL the different meanings of ALL the different cards of ALL the different oracle decks in mind. But please don’t let me dissuade you from trying this deck. As long as you know these things from the get-go, you can enjoy the gorgeous, juicy images and deep animal symbolism.

August Decks

August

The Motherpeace Tarot This was my third deck, gifted to me by a customer where I worked when I was maybe 18. She had had it for years and years, and it had been gifted to her originally. In fact, it’s an original 1981 printing, and I guess I’ve always felt it was too sacred to really use a lot because of that. But I LOVE to use it, and I feel like August is the perfect month for it. The colors are kind of sun-baked, and there’s a lot of really beautiful desert imagery that really reminds me of this time of year. I’m usually not a sun/fire/yellow/gold/hot type of person, preferring cooler purples, blues, and greens, but there’s something about this deck that feels really primeval and archetypal. You can also read the cards as upright or reversed, or you can try reading whether they’re facing the right or left side. I’ll be honest, I haven’t done that, but if you have, please let me know what you think? Goddess Guidance Oracle So say what you want about Doreen Virtue (I’m not crazy about her either after she turned her back on/condemned the oracle community that SHE helped create). She did make some really good decks, though, and this one is no exception. I chose this one because it just seemed so natural with the Motherpeace Tarot, but it has the added benefit of being really beautiful. Again, these aren’t normally my colors, but the kind of sun-bleached desert tones work with the dry hot days of August. And there are a lot of goddesses/heras here that I wouldn’t have encountered otherwise, like Damara, Oonagh, or Sedna. I’m trying to get better about shuffling gold-edged cards without worrying about ruining the effect, though. It’s really not easy. :0) ********************************** So what decks have you been drawn to this summer? Are there any you would recommend? My wishlist is ever-growing. Blessed be! Read the full article

#cartomancy #divination #Lammas #Litha #lughnassadh #oraclecards #pagan #summer #tarot #tarotcards #wicca #witchcraft

[a-h-arts]

As much as I love Leyendecker's art and talent As much as I love Leyendecker's art and talent, the writers of this book come to table with a load of baggage and prejudices. If you just want to look at the images, fine, but if you want content, try a more well rounded author. Go to Amazon

An almost ridiculously handsome ideal Fine book on an absolute master. Lavishly illustrated, the larger color plates allow for appreciation of the artist's magnificent draftsmanship and brush work. Well represented is Leyendecker's creation of an almost ridiculously handsome ideal -- even Cary Grant never looked THAT good -- predating Ralph Lauren by two generations. All his major covers are here -- if mostly in miniature -- along with his famous shirt ads. Plus, the author did not shy away from exploring Leyendecker's shadowy personal life, oh so different from the easy, suave, clubby world he depicted. Go to Amazon

Magnificent portrayal of the wonderful artist I ordered this book because I have a calling card of J.C. Leyendecker's, with a few of his doodles on the back of it. I picked it up when my aunt took me to his studio in New Rochelle, which she rented after his death. I always remember Leyendecker as the "Arrow shirt man", from his ads. The book is a beautiful book, with dozens of pictures of his paintings. It will be so nice to know, now, how he, along with Norman Rockwell, portrayed America through the decades. In ending, I was also very surprised to find my aunt, Molly Guion, spoken of in the book. I wish I had been more attuned to the fame in this man's life, but as a 10 year old, who would? A great buy, especially if you love art portraying America. I wish I could get one of his paintings, but I guess that would be impossible, as they are apparently, so rare. Go to Amazon

Excellent. If you're an artist ...this is my highest rec in regards to studying drapery . Leyendecker is a master of drawing the negative space/shape a fold makes , not the actual fold...best believable hand drawn/painted/stylized drapery you'll ever see. Go to Amazon

A Joy For illustrators and artists of all types, this book will please, showcasing as it does the impressive breadth and depth of Leyendecker's exceptional talent and skill. I bought the book for a different reason, however. I am always searching for images of well-dressed men to serve as a balance and antidote to the current era's preference for ugly,undignified, ill-fitting and guttersnipe "anti-syle". Leyendecker's wondrous images of beautiful men and women dressed in gorgeous perfectly-tailored clothes did the trick for me!! Nothing better. Go to Amazon

Beautiful Book with Beautiful Imagery Beautiful collection of one of America's greatest early 20th-century illustrators. The reproductions, the paper, and the binding are high quality. Great reference work with stunning images of the beauty of the American male between 1910-1930. Go to Amazon

The Golden Age of American Illustration Norman Rockwell is a household name to many Americans, and just as many non-US born enthusiasts, but as those very same Americans who J.C Leyendecker is and they'll likely draw a blank. Go to Amazon

Fantastic reference for stylized characters One of my absolute favorites. I kept checking it out from the library until someone stole it. I decided I needed my own copy. Fantastic reference for stylized characters, hair and clothing. Phenomenal artist. Definitely a keeper. Go to Amazon

Five Stars Five Stars Five Stars This book is a treasure! Leyendecker was a master ... Five Stars Five Stars A must for illustrator art fans Five Stars Wonderful Five Stars

#Historical #art #book

[flowing-paint]

Dark Imperium

So I finally gave in. I jumped on the Warhammer 40k 8th edition bandwagon. It was faster and easier than I thought though. I still have some mixed feelings about it but overall I’m glad that I did it.

Games Workshop products are known for two things: 1) they probably are the best sculptures around with the finest details 2) they are insanely expensive. Notice I did not say overpriced 'cause you get what you pay for but still, they cost you an arm and a leg. This is the main reason that was holding me back from diving directly in. This and the fluff which I am not really sure I will ever be able to fully embrace. I mean, a fascist Roman empire in the far future? Duh...!

Anyway... how did I end up starting collecting Warhammer 40k do you ask? I was drinking a beer in Kobe Chinatown with my good board gamer friend when he described me a "Dark Imperium" unboxing he saw and how cool those miniatures looked. As a long-time tabletop wargamer, I knew what he was talking about and that’s probably why I was instantly sold. Also, why I should not decide to buy stuff when semi-drunk: the last thing I know is that I went back with a sense of urgency to scan the whole eBay for the cheapest Dark Imperium deal available. I found a pretty solid deal so I asked my friend how was he feeling about that and I got a weird and certainly unexpected answer: I’m going to London next week, I’ll take care of it. And he sure did. He came back to Japan with a big bag full of presents:

Dark Imperium starter box

1 extra rulebook

2 measuring tapes (GW original)

All for half the price you can get for just the starter box in this overpriced country. I have to admit, this was a great Christmas present.

The miniatures

I am pretty sure you all know about the Dark Imperium contents but the other day when I was trying to get a full list of the miniatures in the box I wasn’t able to find one in the first Google search page so I’ll make one. Let’s see what you get in the Dark Imperium box.

Primaris Space Marines

1 Captain

2 Lieutenants

1 Ancient

10 Intercessors

3 Interceptors

5 Hellblasters

Death Guard

1 Lord of Contagion

1 Noxious Blightbringer

1 Malignant Plaguecaster

7 Plague Marins

1 Foetid Bloat-drone

20 Poxwalkers

You get a total of 53 miniatures which is probably a lot even if I feel like the rulebook covers a big portion of the cost. As usual with GW starter sets you also get unique characters and they probably add a lot of value to the box anyway.

All the miniatures you get are provided in the new GW scale which means they are 32 mm. Roughly. Of course, according to GW’s official take on the matter, the new Primaris marines were bred to be bigger and stronger than ever but this doesn’t explain why the dudes in the Death Guard grew accordingly. Maybe the power of Nurgle? Or the power of the new GW board members trying to drive new blood in the game? I don’t care: the new sculpts are exceptionally good. Like good good good... they look easy to paint with abundant but still fairly large details and with some reasonable color scheme suggestion that can make painting them a breeze, even for beginners. In twenty years I’ve seen miniatures from all the possible sources, old GW, Reaper, Fantasy Flight games, Megacon Games, etc. etc. and the level these new minis reached is amazing. I can imagine that painting them will be a lot of fun. Not to mention that this box contains a figure that is probably one of the best GW miniatures ever: the Lord of Contagion.

The factions

As you can see in the previous section, the two factions that come in the box are the Primaris Space Marines and the Death Guard. Splitting between two friends we had to decide which faction to go with but we both agreed it could be better for him to stick to the marines: first, he likes the looks best and second, they’re easier to paint for a beginner. So I got to pick up the Death guard because models are more complex and you may agree with me that they may represent a fair challenge even for an experienced painter.

Wandering around the internet to see the whole army points you get, I found this thread on Reddit where they did some calculations: like all GW starter sets, the good guys are slightly overpowered, with the Space Marines scoring around 100 points of overhead in respect to the Death Guard. I don’t mind losing games so I don’t care that much but I saw the very same thing in the Age of Sigmar starter set where the Stormcast are way more powerful than the Korne dudes. In addition to this issue, the total points seem to be pretty low (don’t even know on which base I am saying this but bear with me) so we both decided to add some extra units to pump up the fun a little bit: you don’t get a super-powerful army from a starter set. As far as I know, my friend bought some Reavers, a Librarian and a bunch of the Space Marine Heroes (Japan limited edition) so he now has something like 4 or 5 HQs to choose from together with some ranks. I will describe my additions in the details below.

The rulebook

The last time I had a full (physical) rulebook from Games Workshop was back in the days of Warhammer Fantasy Battles 4th edition. I also had two army books (one for my Lizardmen and one for my Dark Elves armies). All the books were that kind of softcover with the glue binding on the side. I’m not a librarian so I don’t know the appropriate term to describe them. On the contrary, the new 40k 8th edition rulebook is hardcover and packed full of gorgeous imagery and fluff. It reminds me the special edition of the Mercs 2.0 rulebook. As per new GW policy, they tend not to show you drawings or renderings but more dioramas with full armies on display: case in point, the AoS books with lots of army photography but almost no drawings. I guess this way the result turns out cheaper for them. The WH40k 8th edition book, however, is packed of full-page (kickass) drawings up to the level that it feels very much the same as the old-school GW manuals but with a more high-quality look and feel. In a couple words? Fucking awesome. It’s so good that I went through it a few times and I still have to get a glimpse at the rules. Enough said.

Death Guard reinforcements

As my friend started buying a lot of additional figures I had to do the same. I did it my way, though. As usual, the first addition I did was some crap I found on the eBay (almost) for free. The auction was for 5 old Plague Marines and 5 old Chaos Space Marines (all painted). The price was more than fair as they turned out around 1$ per unit. I wanted them as test models anyway. I also got 10 Tyranid gargoyles for the same price, so good deal overall.

With such an ugly paint job, the idea was to strip them and make a tutorial out of the process, unfortunately, they were painted with some sort of metallic enamel and the paint did not fall off completely even after immersion in pure ethanol. I just primed on top of the old crappy colors and used them as test models. I had the insane idea to use pre-heresy Death Guard colors, a scheme that unfortunately involves a lot of white in the process and you all know how difficult is to paint a smooth white if you are not using an airbrush. So, God knows I needed some testing before hitting the road with the bigger new models. Talking about bigger models: the eBay dudes are 2nd edition figures so take a look what happens if you place them side by side with the new ones! I’m gonna call them my “baby plague marines” ‘cause they’re tiny!

The big boy in the pic is another of the reinforcements I got (together with some Poxwalkers), just a normal “push fit” easy to build plague marine. Despite being of different size, they will probably work well together on the battlefield as my friend is not terribly WYSIWYG but the style is still quite different. I was however surprised to see how the new sculpts are a straight evolution from the old ones: they have very similar features and you effectively feel like you are painting the same faction. Even after twenty years. I guess that showcasing the same colors and being slightly loose on the weapons etc. will do it. You can see the color scheme I chose in the picture below.

You have way more possibilities to get out some kickass effects on new models but the overall look-and-feel should be close to this one. It makes me feel good to see that even in this test stage it looks way better than the green metallic dude so I just cannot wait to paint my first new-era plague marine.

The last piece I bought is, again, another somewhat strange addition: Typhus. One of the named characters in the army. If you head to the GW page or Google for him, you can find many pictures and that’s exactly what I did. The only problem here is that the new sculpt looks super cartoonish and it’s simply not credible as a man-killing soulless machine. I do think the new sculpture is gorgeous, don’t take me wrong, but it doesn’t match the whole Death Guard look: I mean, he has smoke coming out with big mosquitoes and a Nurgling hugging him! Naah... I’ll pass on this sculpt. What do you guys think about him?

I still had to do something to add this dude to my army so I just headed to the Forgeworld page and grabbed the Horus Heresy special edition Character.

Oooh, yeah! Now we’re talking. This is what I call “Death Guard” look! Even for WYSIWYG purposes, he counts exactly as his future-self but with that badass factor that blows my mind. They also cost exactly the same amount of money so this one was a no-brainer: I pulled the trigger in the fraction of a second and the model is now flying over Russia, eastbound. Cannot wait to put my hands on him!

Ok, I wrote enough words on this. It’s time to get some paint flowing and see what I can do with a new model and my pre-heresy color scheme. I can already see a step-by-step tutorial coming in the future on how to paint Death Guard in these colors. You guys let me know what you think and stay tuned for the updates!

... game on!

#warhammer 40k #Starter box #Death guard #Nurgle #primaris space marines

[terryblount]

Ori and the Will of the Wisps PC Review

It is hard to believe five years have passed since Ori and the Blind Forest debuted on our screens. Developers Moon Studios crafted a momentous game that not only reinvigorated the metroidvania genre, but also reminded gamers how beautiful and intricate these titles can be. Now the long-awaited sequel is finally on our shelves, but how could any studio follow up on lightning in a bottle like this?

The answer is in Ori and the Will of the Wisps. I mentioned in my Rage 2 review that all good sequels have the ability to reach the full potential of their I.P’s. It is not just about more, bigger or prettier. Good sequels elevate themselves to those untouched areas of gameplay that their predecessors never reached, and this is precisely what Moon Studios achievedwith their second Ori game.

Enjoying the pleasures of home

If ever there was a write-up willing to criticise Ori and the Will of the Wisps (hereafter Ori 2), you will not find it here. Perhaps this will not be a review of Ori 2, but my best attempt to express what a masterpiece this sequel has turned out to be. Moon Studios maxed out every strength from their first game, and remind us once again why metroidvanias can be some of the most fulfilling experiences in our industry.

A picture is worth a thousand words

One of the highlights from Ori and the Blind Forest was Moon Studios’s incredible talent for using visual language. Like many other metroidvanias, the first Ori game could impart a lot to the player using only modest resources. There wasn’t much exposition, there were limited snippets of dialogue, and the game had a very conservative use of cut scenes.

Nonetheless, it was still an experience you could get lost in. The devs allowed their game itself to communicate with the player on a visual level, and this design philosophy spills over into almost everything in Ori 2. In short, Ori 2 is a game that shows rather than tells in that the visuals of Ori’s story are a fundamental bridge between both the narrative and the gameplay.

Take the eponymous (and very cute) Ori, for example. Even a noob taking a cursory glance at this little critter would immediately tell there is something agile, yet vulnerable about… it. Hold on a second, is Ori a boy or a girl? Only thing I know is that the name has a Hebrew origin meaning ‘my light’, so perhaps Ori is Jewish?

Name of the game (Image from Ori and the Blind forest Wiki)

Anyway, I digress. True to the sloping lines and gossamer-like luminance of the character model, Ori once again felt super smooth and an utter pleasure to control for the thirteen-ish hours I spent leaping and bounding throughout the various biomes. There is a weightless momentum in how Ori handles, which encourages the player to keep moving and to experiment with acrobatics.

It seems that virtually niggles and annoyances have been ironed out from the first game, and it is clear the devs wanted to push the boundaries of traversal in this series to the next level. Moreover, Ori’s revamped animations are equally slick in this sequel, both in the twirls or somersaults when leaping weightlessly through the levels, but also in the combat or ranged attacks against enemies.

A battle in spirit

Ori has been given quite a substantial upgrade in terms of how players will fight against the malicious bugs, slugs and even bosses scattered around the world. Combat is now closer to the metroidvanias that have followed in the interim from the first game’s release (for example, Hollow Knight) in that Ori can now swap on the fly between a spirit sword, ranged spirited projectiles, heavy weapons, and more.

The player will really have their reflexes tested on normal or hard difficulties since the combat is fast and frantic. I strongly recommend a first playthrough on ‘easy’, particularly since you cannot adjust the difficulty later. Nonetheless, this spirit bunny is every bit as agile and responsive during battle as he is with traversal, and there is a decent variety of ranged and melee attacks to make up your fighting strategy.

The spirit trees that give Ori his abilities

It is from the combat I noticed that Ori 2 now boasts a more varied menu and progression system. Moon Studious have swapped out the linear style of the previous game, and have implemented something closer to an RPG’s structure, which allows for abilites and weapons to unlock quicker, and thereby leaving the choice to the player on what to upgrade and define their own playing style.

The forest lives on

The reason why Ori possesses these abilities and, frankly, why he glows in the dark, is because he was one of several spirits inhabiting a mystical willow tree – the heart of the entire forest’s spiritual energy. The first game saw Ori being adopted by a creature called Naru after falling out of the willow tree during a great storm, and eventually setting out to rescue the forest dying from a malicious corruption.

With the forest now restored to its lavish glory, Ori 2 opens with a touching scene of the pair living a serene life, along with their new friends Guma and Ku. All is well until Ku, who is the cutest little owlet EVER, finally becomes overwhelmed by the desire to fly. Unfortunately, Ku��s tiny little wing got mangled, leaving the owlet grounded and very depressed as it watches the other birds go by.

First flight

Ori and co. therefore try to help Ku with a makeshift wing which seems to work quite well until, during its first flight, Ku is caught in an angry storm, not unlike the one that shook Ori from its tree. With Ori riding on Ku’s back, the duo crash land in a desolate area of the forest, and they become separated.

The stage is set for Ori to embark on a rescue mission, and as a surprise to no one, Ori finds that all is still not well in the deep, forgotten places of the forest. The mission to rescue Ku therefore becomes intertwined with restoring the forest’s life force to an abandoned and hostile world, and Ori soon finds that it is not only Ku’s life that hangs in the balance.

In certain segments there are chase sequences. You really feel Ori’s vulnerability here, and it is utterly terrifying.

Thanks to absolutely superb animation and expert use of potent imagery, the story in Ori 2 is nothing less than sublime. Without spoiling anything, I will just say that the narrative plays out as a riveting and engrossing mix of fairy tale tropes, which are interspersed with gut-wrenching climaxes of triumph and failure.

The hauntingly beautiful soundtrack is also a crucial component here. The melody is a beautiful reflection of the game itself in that the orchestral swells alongside dream-like notes are constantly tinged with an undertone of sadness and melancholia.

In all honesty, I was taken on a rollercoaster ride of emotions during my play-through, and it has been a long time since a game has had this effect on me. Seeing that poor baby owl frightened and alone in the dead forest wasteland brought me right to verge of tears, while I beamed like adoring parent during the more happy moments. This is really fantastic story-telling.

Breaking boundaries

Both the story and the gameplay is of course sustained by two immaculate pillars: The graphics and the level-design. You often hear about video games blurring the boundaries between art and entertainment, but Ori 2 utterly shatters this division. This game IS art. The visuals are so imaginative and aesthetically pleasing that it looks like you are playing through Bob Ross painting brought to life.

With Unreal dominating the source-available market at the moment, I am really glad Moon Studios showed us how Unity still has a lot more to offer

Running on the Unity engine, the devs have created a massive world rendered with more detailed textures, a much higher particle count, and a more complex lighting system than the first game. The forest feels alive and breathing with several different biomes for Ori to explore, and each area has been coloured with a very distinct palette to reinforce the player’s awareness of location.

I mentioned visual language earlier, and it is in environmental design that Moon Studios have really put this to work. The greens, browns and blues represent colours that guide Ori, that beckon the little critter to safety. The reds, yellows and purples on the other hand represent danger, and it is astounding to see how consistently the devs have endorsed this system throughout the entire game.

I simply could not get enough of this beautiful world. From races against the ghosts of other players, to doing small quests for animals that inhabit in the forest, to feeling that satisfaction of nimbly making it through heavily-spiked, narrow corridors, it is mesmerizing that all of this is functioning so well in one game. It is a model of excellence in environmental design.

Ori, the paragon

We often hear people complaining that ‘they don’t make games like they used to’ and I somewhat agree. I feel like modern studios tend to put money before their vision for making their game because of how alarmingly competitive the industry has become. As such, games rarely take risks, and the industry often faces something of an identity crisis.

Ori and the Will of the Wisps stands as a shining contradiction to this ethos. This game oozes creative energy, and was quite obviously made by people who really have a passion for this genre. It shows how we can use technology not just to enhance everything in a game, but also how complex systems can be made to function alongside one other.

It is so rare that we see excellence in our games these days, which is why Ori and the Will of the Wisps truly is a non-negotiable moment. This is not just a game: It is an education to what gaming as a medium can accomplish. You simply have to play this.

Breathtaking soundtrack

Gorgeous art style

Immaculate level design

Great story

Controls well

Good dev support

Some bugs

Long start up loading time

          PC Specs: Windows 10 64-bit computer using Nvidia GTX 1070, i5 4690K CPU, 16GB RAM – Played using an Xbox One Contoller

The post Ori and the Will of the Wisps PC Review appeared first on DSOGaming.

Ori and the Will of the Wisps PC Review published first on https://touchgen.tumblr.com/

[a-h-arts]

As much as I love Leyendecker's art and talent As much as I love Leyendecker's art and talent, the writers of this book come to table with a load of baggage and prejudices. If you just want to look at the images, fine, but if you want content, try a more well rounded author. Go to Amazon

An almost ridiculously handsome ideal Fine book on an absolute master. Lavishly illustrated, the larger color plates allow for appreciation of the artist's magnificent draftsmanship and brush work. Well represented is Leyendecker's creation of an almost ridiculously handsome ideal -- even Cary Grant never looked THAT good -- predating Ralph Lauren by two generations. All his major covers are here -- if mostly in miniature -- along with his famous shirt ads. Plus, the author did not shy away from exploring Leyendecker's shadowy personal life, oh so different from the easy, suave, clubby world he depicted. Go to Amazon

Magnificent portrayal of the wonderful artist I ordered this book because I have a calling card of J.C. Leyendecker's, with a few of his doodles on the back of it. I picked it up when my aunt took me to his studio in New Rochelle, which she rented after his death. I always remember Leyendecker as the "Arrow shirt man", from his ads. The book is a beautiful book, with dozens of pictures of his paintings. It will be so nice to know, now, how he, along with Norman Rockwell, portrayed America through the decades. In ending, I was also very surprised to find my aunt, Molly Guion, spoken of in the book. I wish I had been more attuned to the fame in this man's life, but as a 10 year old, who would? A great buy, especially if you love art portraying America. I wish I could get one of his paintings, but I guess that would be impossible, as they are apparently, so rare. Go to Amazon

Excellent. If you're an artist ...this is my highest rec in regards to studying drapery . Leyendecker is a master of drawing the negative space/shape a fold makes , not the actual fold...best believable hand drawn/painted/stylized drapery you'll ever see. Go to Amazon

A Joy For illustrators and artists of all types, this book will please, showcasing as it does the impressive breadth and depth of Leyendecker's exceptional talent and skill. I bought the book for a different reason, however. I am always searching for images of well-dressed men to serve as a balance and antidote to the current era's preference for ugly,undignified, ill-fitting and guttersnipe "anti-syle". Leyendecker's wondrous images of beautiful men and women dressed in gorgeous perfectly-tailored clothes did the trick for me!! Nothing better. Go to Amazon

Beautiful Book with Beautiful Imagery Beautiful collection of one of America's greatest early 20th-century illustrators. The reproductions, the paper, and the binding are high quality. Great reference work with stunning images of the beauty of the American male between 1910-1930. Go to Amazon

The Golden Age of American Illustration Norman Rockwell is a household name to many Americans, and just as many non-US born enthusiasts, but as those very same Americans who J.C Leyendecker is and they'll likely draw a blank. Go to Amazon

Fantastic reference for stylized characters One of my absolute favorites. I kept checking it out from the library until someone stole it. I decided I needed my own copy. Fantastic reference for stylized characters, hair and clothing. Phenomenal artist. Definitely a keeper. Go to Amazon

Five Stars Five Stars Five Stars This book is a treasure! Leyendecker was a master ... Five Stars Five Stars A must for illustrator art fans Five Stars Wonderful Five Stars

#Historical #art #book