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dimensionwriter · 4 years

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FlufftoberDay 4: Fake Dating

Axel x GN! Reader

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Am I deciding to treat the Axel lovers? Yes, yes I am.

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You should’ve have know something was about to go wrong when you saw Screw sitting at their desk with a smirk emoticon on their screen. Nothing good ever comes from that android when they’re feeling devious.

“So, what I am hearing is that you want us to go undercover to this...” you didn’t even want to say it. It was so embarrassing. “Android lovers festivals as a couple. Why?” This wasn’t part of the job. You were suppose to make sure that everyone felt safe, no matter their species. Not play pretend to go undercover.

“Listen, last year there was a few people trying to sell android illegally there. This year, we just want to make sure the same thing doesn’t happen. You two are to just go there and make sure to report anything suspicious,” Daniel explained, leaning back in his chair. You responded with a slow blink as you tried to process what he was saying.

“Where does dating have to come in? Can’t we just go there as, I don’t know, ourselves,” you yelled, trying to get your bosses to see the problem. First, they make Axel and you move in together, now this. What’s next, having to marry each other forever in the name of comradeship.

“Well,” Screw started typing, leaning forward. You just gave up when you saw that. This robot will not talk with reasoning. “This is an android lover convention. It would be pretty odd if a human and an android walked in without being a couple. They are either weirdly alone ooorrrrrr-”

You fell back into your chair to place a hand over your head. Why you? Do they even realize how awkward it will be to pretend to date your coworker? And why do you even need to pretend to date if no one will ask?

“Well, Axel, do you disagree with this?” You moved your hand to look over at Axel who was sitting next to you. His posture hasn’t changed at all since you guys were called in. He hasn’t spoken a word about this.

“I do not mind having to. As long, of course, it gets the job done,” he wrote in that same normal grey times new roman font. You squinted your eyes at it to see the bottom had a slight pink tint to it.

“There it is. Now go take off those old uniform jackets and get ready for a convention,” Screw wrote while clapping their metal hand. Is this even a job anymore or is this a sitcom?

A hand was placed on your back, but you didn’t lift your head off the steering wheel. You thought conventions would be small. This one wasn’t even one you really heard of before, so you believed deeply in your heart that it would be small. So, why are you parked outside of a stadium where there are cars everywhere?

A low whizzing sound caused you to look over to the passenger seat. Axel was sitting with his head to the ceiling. His outfit was a red shirt with a pair of black leather pants. A few chains and necklaces were frappes around him. He wasn't wearing this earlier, did he change?

"Hypothetically typing, is it that bad to date me?" Axel wrote in a small font. His hand wrapped around his knees as he looked over at you.

Oh, no he's getting the wrong idea. "No, you're a wonderful android. You're sweet, nice, and quite hardworking. Not to include it's adorable how you watch baking shows at 3 am when you think I'm sleep. You're a catch that any luck person would like to be with."

His form stuffed up which you translated to most likely from shock. He quickly turned his screen away from you to stare out the window. In the reflection, you could see the bright pink glow emanating from his screen.

"So, you want to go in?" You asked, leaning around to see his screen. It was kind of cute every time his screen went pink.

He didn't look at you, but opted for nodding his head. You tried your best to hold your snicker in as you unlocked the doors.

The stadium was quite large with silver beams shining proudly in the morning sun. The grass around it was glimmering in elegance from the morning dew. Maybe, just maybe, this won't be so bad.

It went bad. It went so bad so so fast. Axel and you walked into the stadium side by side and a man was at the entrance sitting at a table. He welcomed you to the "A.L.C" and his next question was if the two of you were together or individual.

Before you could open you mouth, a low mechanical purr came from behind you. A cold hand was placed on your shoulder causing you to look up to see a circular head with a screen on it, it almost reminded you of those old style television. "I sure hope this delectable thing isn't."

Axel's arm went around your waist and pulled you away from the weird android and into his side. He was a lot more warmer than the other android, weirdly enough.

The man at the desk said that's all he needed to know. He told you guys to go to the backroom behind him and to follow the path. He even threw in a cheeky wink.

Now any person with a brain would instantly connect what just happened together. The other android was just a test for something and apparently you two passed enough to be let into this secret area. This must be what Screw was telling you about.

Axel and you held on to each other until you were out of their sight. You rushed forward through the hallways, looking for the exit that could potentially lead to this 'backroom'.

A light appeared at the end of the tunnel and you two glanced at each other and nodded. This has to be it. So, you ran forward into the light, ready for actions.

And ended up right where you are now. On the stage, in the middle of football field, in metal chairs. To your left was a tall lanky human man next to a dark blue android. To your right, past Axel, was a plump non-binary person with there miniature android.

"Welcome to A.L.C. year 5, everyone," the announcer screamed into the microphone. There had to be at least 2 thousand people and andriods around you that instantly started screaming or whirring. "Today, we found 3 lucky couples that will be yelling about their cross species love."

You ignored their screaming and applauding to glance at Axel. He was sitting up straight as always, but his legs were spread wide with his hands in the middle tightly grasping each other. It's comforting to know that you aren't the only one uncomfortable right now.

"We will kick this off by letting each couple introduce themselves and talk about how they met." Okay, maybe it's time to come up with a plan to get out of here.

Grabbing the edge of your chair, you scooted closer to Axel until your sides were touching. You grabbed his arm and wrapped your arms around it. Leaning on his shoulder, you turned you head, so it was burried in his neck.

"Axel, I'm going to assume you can hear me. We need to find a way to get out of here. This is the complete opposite of being undercover," you whispered in a panic.

You slightly leaned away to see that Axel had put a hand on his screen that was glowing pink again. He tapped his screen a few times and the light went away.

"Sorry, I have to replay your audio. My sensors were distracted at the moment. Give me a second." Aww, poor guy. He was probably so uncomfortable with you touching him like this, but this is the only way to communicate without being conspicuous.

"Best plan of option to get out here without being noticed is to-"

His screen turned black again causing you to frown up. A small cough in front of you caused you to look forward to see the host standing in front of you with a smirk.

"Well look at these two. Guess we spread the chairs to far for these love birds," he jokes the crowed. A bunch of laughter and awws came out making you immediately go into an awkward smile. "Now, introduce yourself and tell us your story."

The microphone was instantly put to you causing your brain to short circuit. You looked up at Axel at what to do, but his screen was still black.

"Well, I'm y/n and this is Axel. We-ummm- we met at work. Well, kind of. I worked in a... bakery that only had human workers and he worked in a bakery that only had andriods. Our bosses thought it was a good idea to combine, so they did. The first shift with Axel, I showed up an hour late with breakfast in my hand, so that wasn't a good impression. He was acting all grumpy and angry around me, but I was- I was determined to make him not hate me, so I was always nagging him... Along the way, we became friends and one day I invited him to my house to watch a movie. I specifically remember picking out a movie that reminded me of our relationship, but had romance in it. Sitting there watching it, I felt that it was a sign that tonight was the night that things were going to change. That night, I confessed that I had fell in love with him and he said he felt the same way. The rest is history."

Was half that a reality and the other half a romance movie you saw a few weeks ago, yes? But they didn't need to know that. All you need was some sappy story to please these people and get this man to move on from you.

"Oh my gosh, did you guys here that? Society tried to keep them separate, but destiny and fate worked harder to bring them together. I think we found a good example of what human and android love looks like. No offense Xeno and Jordan, but I think they beat your ' met on a dating site's story."

Why did you not think of that? Oh gosh, now you just brought even more attention to you two.

"Okay, we have one more story before we will move on to some QnA from the crowd," he said, with a big smile to the crowd. He walked over to the next couple, finally leaving Axel and you alone.

"We got to get out of here, now," you hissed, tugging on his sleeve. He turned his screen towards you and begin to typed.

"My previous plan was to just simply walk off the stage with you. However, now the crowd seem to have grown a connection with us, unable for us to make a quiet exit. I searched up the itinerary for today and this 'couple proof' only last 30 minutes before another event start. It would be safe to endure it and then exit."

Thirty minutes, that's all you have to endure. That's not that bad. Almost 10 minutes has passed already, leaving with about 20-ish minutes for the QnA. Split that between questions for each couple, that would be less than 7 minutes for each.

After the 3rd couple finished telling their story (they met at a park while taking pictures of flowers and went on a date three days later), he moved on to the QnA for the first couple. He gave the crowd 6 minutes for them.

The questions weren't horrible to deal with. They were asking about any difference in species that you found out while dating. You could talk about Axel rarely needing to recharge, so most night he stays up doing stuff. Then there were some questions about favorite things to do for a date. Maybe go along with the bakery plot line and say baking. Ultimately, it ended with them asking for pictures of them hugging. Easy enough.

The man walked away from them and walked over to you, signaling the start of you guys turn. It was pretty much the same thing.

"What's something weird that Axel does in your relationship?*

"He doesn't need to recharge, so sometimes it's weird waking up in the middle of the night to see your boyfriend typing down recipes from a cooking show." Axel gave you a red tinted "No I don't" as that. The crowd just coos at it.

They asked Axel what he found attractive in a human. Even you were slightly curious because you didn't even know if liked humans liked that. Considering his whole 'I don't do emotions' act.

"Their ability to make things feel things they never thought was possible." It was short and kind of mysterious, but was enough for the crowd.

You two whizzed through the next couple of questions, giving them the answers they most likely wanted to hear, but kept them from being more suspicious of you two. That was, until the last questions.

"Hi, I apologized for this weird request, but I must ask. My mother is extremely speciest and thinks creatures of the same species should be together. And when she found out I attend these things, she said that it was just full of sick people who were faking it. I've recorder a lot of all the amazing creatures of there talking about there love and plan on sending it to them. But you story is the most inspiring. Can I have a picture of you two kissing to show my mother that all of this is real? That our love is so much more than anything society may think."

You know that feeling of whiplash from moving to fast. That's what it felt like to listen to her story and then hear her request. You understood trying to stick it to the speciest people, but you can't go around asking people to kiss.

"Oh that would be lovely. The crowd's favorite couple showing a sign of such raw affection that it has to prove to the world that an android and a human can love each other," the host wailed out. He dramatically threw a hand over his forehead as he started to sway. Was this man just male human version of Screw?

"I- ummmm," you drawled out staring into the crowd. So many eyes, screens, and plastic eyes stared back at you with hope gleaming in it.

A hand was gently placed under your chin and tilted your head. You looked up to see Axel's screen glowing a soft pink. "May I?"

Your eyes looked at the crowd before looking back into Axel's screen. His hand was so warm and comforting that it felt like it was melting you into a puddle. He stay in that position, waiting for your consent. You knew that no matter what you did, he would follow you with no hesitation.

You meekly nodded you head and closed your eyes. A screen was pressed against your face, but it felt different. A slight buzz was coming from him that traveled down your lips into your body. The warmth from his hands were nothing compared to his screen. It wasn't soft like a pair of lips, but it held the same compassionate and trust as a normal kiss.

Axel was the first to pull away. You sat completely still as you stated back up at the screen infront of you.

Screaming poured out from the crowd in waves bring you back to the present. You shuffled back into your seat and tried to ignore everyone yelling at you two.

"Wooza. Let that be proof right that to the world of true love," the host screamed with some fist pumps. The crowd went wild again making you internally cringe.

It was for the mission. All of this was for the missions. You can endure a little embarrassment and awkwardness for it. Protecting andriods lives from being sold was important.

But why did it have to include kissing Axel? Oh gosh, what was he thinking at this moment? Was that his first kiss with a human? Do andriods even kiss each other?

Thoughts spiraled through your head that you didn't even notice that the host was wrapping up the first event. Your mind was so full.

"Thank you guys for being lovely hosts. We hope to see you next year," he said. Your eyes was to the sky as your would was escaping your body.

It was until Axel's warm hand slid into you and gave a small tug. You got out of your chair and followed him off the stage with all the other couple.

This was just like the first day meeting. Stuff that wasn't your fault happen and you accidentally made it worse. Now Axel was sure to be mad at you. You should've kept a low profile, but you just had to make a drastic story.

Axel turned right into a dead end hallway that a was a little far away from main one. He placed you against a wall and stood in front of you, blocking your view.

"Are you feeling ill?" He asked, placing a hand on your forehead. "You are feeling quite feverish. I understand it might be quite sickening to relive the... action I had to take on stage. I do sincerely apologize for forcing you to show that level of affection with me."

He was kidding right. You're the reason you two had to kiss in the first place. You amped up the crowd and gave them hope. And he's acting like you didn't enjoy it- at a platonic level of course.

"Axel, first off, I'm not sick, just flustered. You can look up that human emotion. Second, it was a really nice kiss. Like, I’ve never kissed an android before, but it was good, you know. Not sickening in any way,” you rambled. Your temperature was sky rocketing as stared at the screen you lips were on just a few minutes ago.

“Good. That clears it up. I can relate a the same experience to you. I’ve never kissed a human, or anything at this point. Never say a reasoning to. However, I can understand why humans may want to do it all the time.”

Wait, what?

“Axel! Y/N!” A voice yelled from the end of the hallway. You looked around Axel to see an silver android in a baggy sweatshirt running towards you two. Do- do you know him?

Axel turned around and took a step towards the android. They stopped right in front of him and handed him a sheet of paper. Getting a little curious, you peaked at the document to see a list of names followed by a phone number with a location.

“These are the names a person gave me to ‘get an android’. We found them,” they explained tapping the document. Wait, was they talking about the mission Axel and you were assigned. Why was this random android in on it?

“Hey, how did you know about this stuff? And how do you know us?” You question getting in front of Axel to look at this suspicious android. They tilted their head to the side in confusion.

“There’s like 10 other cops here on this mission. Screw told us that you guys were to go undercover and cause a distraction for us to search. Did you not meet someone at the front that helped you with this?” they asked, scratching the top of their metal head.

A person earlier? The only person you met was that android that was flirting with you... that ended up getting you two on stage. So, he was another agent too. Was everything set up?

“Well, I came to show you guys what I found. I’m going to go back to the station and report what I found. Also, good job on the distraction. Didn’t think you would go that far, but yeah. Good job,” they said with a pair of thumbs up. Slowly, they walked backwards before turning and running off.

“Axel, I’m going to strangle Screw and there’s nothing you can do to stop,” you grumbled. How many of your colleagues watched you kiss your partner? How many are going to see Axel and you kiss from those videos?

You glanced at Axel to see his screen flickering between red and pink. “I might not notice if you do.”

You turned away to secretly placed your fingers on your lips. There was still a slight tingle in them that still had your blood rushing. The embarrassment may was worth it... just a little.

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Did I go a little overboard for this one because I haven’t wrote Axel in a long time? Yes. I miss this little android. Love him to pieces.

Also, just want to let you know that this isn’t cannon. This is the equilivant of an OVA. The main story line is the Mechanical Heart series. But this is just a little something for the Axel’s fan.

#exophilia #monster boyfriend #android #reader x android #android x human #android x reader #mechanical heart #axel #monster fluff #flufftober

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myhockeyworld87 · 4 years

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Choices - Tyler Seguin/Jamie Benn - Part 29

Word Count: 2,259

POV: Reader

Warning: Language

Notes: Back by no one’s demand...haha I’m not sure if anyone wants this back or not, but I promised I’d end it so here we go. There will only be a couple chapters left. As always, you’ll have 48 hours to vote, you can vote by commenting or sending it in on anon. Voting will close at 8pm EST on July 2nd. Happy Reading!

Choices Masterlist

You sat in Tara's kitchen just looking around. It was an open concept, so it gave you a view into her dining and living room as well. Her place, wasn't lavish by any means, not like Tyler's or Jamie's, but it did speak of someone that was well off or at least scamming enough money off of people to buy nice things. The place was neat and meticulous, nothing was out of place; which seemed odd for someone with a one and half-year-old. There should be toys lying around and a baby gate on the stairs, yet none of those things seemed to be anywhere.

What was interesting, was that the prosthetic maternity belly she'd had on the other day lying on one of the dining room chairs. "What do you have that for?" You blurted out before you could even think of what you were saying.

"Um…oh…I don't know what you mean. Do you need water or something? Should I call an ambulance?"

Oh shit, you forgot you were supposed to be in pain. "Oooo," you moaned slightly. "I feel like it's getting a little better resting, and you know focusing on other things. Which is why I'm trying to figure out about that baby belly." You groaned again, hoping she would answer and help take your mind off of things.

"Oh…um…that old thing. You see…I wanted to be an actress…Yeah, that's it." She said basically giving away that she was making this up as she went. "I had this role a long time ago, that I needed for it, and well…now a friend wants to borrow it. So I have it out for her."

It would've been a plausible excuse had you not already seen her scamming that man the other day or the fact that she'd stammered her way through that excuse. You also had to wonder if the 'friend' was Kathleen. "Oh wow, being a mom must have really put a damper on things."

"Yeah, it's really set my career back." She rattled off more easily this time as she settled into the lie. "There's just no time you know."

You really weren't sure if she was asking or not. "I get where you're coming from. I have no idea how I'm going to do it. You know with leaving Tyler and all." She nodded, so you continued. "Like how do you keep this place spotless? I really need to know your secret. My place is a mess since I haven't felt like unpacking. I can't imagine what it'll be like with the babies."

"Oh…well…you just have to do it when you can." She paused when you cocked your head to the side looking for more of an explanation. "I'm just a really active person I guess."

You knitted your brows together because no mother was that active to have all her baby's stuff put away. Tara had given you enough information. Granted, you had no physical evidence but it was enough to go to Tyler with your suspicions. "I wish I had your stamina." You got up then. "Thanks for letting me sit down; I really think I just overdid it. I feel much better. I won't trouble you anymore. I know you were on your way out."

"Oh, it was no bother. I'm glad your feeling better." She walked you out to the door, following you out.

"So, I guess I'll see you around the neighborhood sometime then?"

"Oh…uh yeah. I'm sure we will."

The two of you walked to the end of the drive. "Thanks again. Maybe we can exchange numbers and get together. I'd love to meet Christopher sometime. You know get some real baby experience. It's been a while."

"Yeah, next time I see you." She said opening the car and getting in. "I'm really late right now." You moved out of the way as she backed out of the drive and waved goodbye. You rolled your eyes as you made your way back to your vehicle which was parked out of sight. You knew she'd never exchange numbers with you, mainly because there was no Christopher to meet.

By the time you got to the car, you knew that you had to tell Tyler what was going on, but you also knew that Jamie would be upset with you for doing it. You hated that the thought crossed your mind, but you knew that you had to meet Tyler without Jamie knowing. The problem was how. Jamie was practically attached to your hip when he was home and after being on the road this long you assumed it was going to be worse. The only thing you could do was head to Tyler's house and wait for him to get home.

You shot a quick text off to Jamie, saying that you were out doing some shopping for the baby and would be home shortly; then you headed over to wait for Tyler. You parked in the driveway, just scrolling through emails when one caught your eye. It was from the paternity testing site that you'd used. You didn't have time to open it though, for Tyler's car pulled in beside you. He glared over at you through the window, before you both got out. "What are you doing here (Y/N)? I thought you never wanted to see me again."

"We have to talk Tyler."

"Apparently, we'll be doing that through our lawyers from now on." He slammed the car door shut with such force it made you jump.

"Look this isn't about us." He started to walk away, so you blurted out. "It's about Christopher." That made him stop.

"How do you…I mean…what…" He gave up then, you could see it on his face. "You better come in."

You trailed him inside. The dogs greeting you like they hadn't seen you in months instead of days. Though you wanted to give them love and attention, now was not the time. Tyler reached into the fridge and grabbed a beer, cracking it open and taking a long swig out of it. "Do you want anything?"

"Just a bottle of water please." You took a seat at the island like you had so many times.

"So how do you know about him?" It was a simple question yet such a complex answer.

"Remember when I said that the first sonogram was canceled." He nodded. "Well, I lied."

"Jesus, (Y/N), you were shutting me out way back then?"

"It's not like that. I hadn't planned on it, but I saw you in the parking lot with Tara and I recognized her." He winced, yet you could see him understanding why you'd cut him out of the appointment. "Once you left, I ran to talk to her. She told me that she'd had your child and you paid her to keep quiet."

"Listen, I can explain."

"No Tyler there's more, let me finish." He stayed mum then. "I was hurt and angry, and if I'm being honest; I still am, but we can deal with that later." The questioning glance he shot you made you keep going. "Other things started to not add up. I saw Tara with Kathleen, and then I ran into them at the coffee shop." You could see the news that the two knew each other, was something he didn't know. "Something they said, it just didn't sit right with me." This was the part you knew he wasn't going to like. "So while you were gone, I broke into your place." You ducked your head kind of sheepishly at your actions and waited for him to yell at you.

He didn't. "Look (Y/N), I don't care that you were here. This place was always meant to be ours, but I have a feeling there's more than just that."

"Oh, there is." You added quickly changing the subject back to the matter at hand. "I found the paternity papers. You know the ones Tara gave you and the ones Kathleen blackmailed you with."

"You mean in the safe?" He was mad now, but you had a feeling it was more about the engagement ring that was in there and not you breaking in to find the documents.

"Um…yeah. But look, Ty, the papers don't match." You pulled out your phone and brought up the photos. "There's a slight difference. See right here the fonts are off." He peered at the pictures, squinting in an effort to notice the subtle difference. "And here, the address is misspelled. I know it's hard to tell flipping back and forth, but if you put them side by side." He took off down the hall to his bedroom and you followed. It wasn't long before he had the documents out, to see if you were correct.

"Fuck me, you're right."

"The signature's even a tad different. See the S." You pointed out to him.

"Ok, so this means that one of them is lying."

"I think it's worse than that Ty." He pulled his head back slightly as if he couldn't believe your words. "Let me ask you something. Have you ever seen Christopher?"

His hand went to the back of his neck and he dropped his head down so he didn't have to look at you, a tell-tale sign he was nervous, only this time you knew he didn't want to admit something to you. "No, no I haven't. It's just…" He went to tell you his reason why but you stopped him. There would be time for explanations later.

"I don't think he exists Ty." His head snapped up to look you straight in the eye.

"How do you know this?"

It was your turn to be ashamed now. "I went to her house. Well, I actually followed her and Kathleen first. I found her pulling the scam on someone else. She has a prosthetic baby belly and when I was inside there's nothing there that says she has a kid, not a bottle, rattle, anything."

You saw him processing the information and what a toll it was taking on him. He sat down on the bed heavily, papers falling to the floor as he did. "You mean all this time; I've been paying for my son and he just doesn't exist." You hadn't expected him to take it this hard; though it was a lot to digest.

"I don't think he does Ty." You sat beside him then, rubbing his back in a soothing motion. "I'm so sorry."

"I don't even know what I'm feeling right now. Like part of me is relieved and, yet...I feel sad." He looked over at you then. "I could never really acknowledge him, you know? When she told me, all I could think of was that was the reason you left me, and every time I thought about him…" He exhaled a heavy sigh. "God I can't even say his fucking name."

"It's ok Ty. I get it," and you did. You realized that Christopher was just an extension of your failed relationship and would always remind him of that one night he fucked up. It made sense when you looked at from his point of view, but it didn't make the fact that he lied about sleeping with Tara any easier on you.

"What am I going to do?"

"Well for starters, I think you need to ask Tara for a paternity test. Someplace where you all can go and get tested at the same time. That way she can't trick you in any way. You'll know then if she's telling the truth because she'll have to bring Christopher with her."

"Yeah, yeah," He nodded. "That's a good plan. Where did you go?"

"Well mine was mail in, but I think they have a place here in Dallas. I just got an email from them." You pulled the correspondence up on your phone, flicking it open for the first time. "What? No? This can't be right?"

"What? Is something wrong?"

"It says here that they mixed up my paternity samples and gave me someone else's by mistake." It started to sink in then. Tyler may not be the father of your unborn children. "Oh my god." You could see the confusion written on Tyler's face.

"(Y/N), what does this mean?"

You'd said so much this afternoon to him, you didn't know how to break this news, but you still had to do it. "I don't know if you're the father of these two babies." He pulled back as if you'd slapped him across the face; he was so stunned, but then so were you. You had so many questions, but the foremost thing in your mind was you had to tell Jamie. You got up, ready to head out of the room.

"Where are you going?"

"I have to tell Jamie, Ty. He has to know the truth."

"I don't know if that's a good idea."

"Why not?" Honestly, you couldn't see any harm in this news. In fact, Jamie would be ecstatic.

"What if you get his hopes up, just to be let down. I know he loves you (Y/N). Cause god knows I still do. Don't crush him, if you don't have to." You sat there weighing your options, not knowing what to do. Part of you knew Tyler was right, but it just seemed so wrong to lie to Jamie.

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Your turn to make a choice!

A) Tell Jamie the truth, he needs to know.

B) Decide to get a paternity test with just Tyler. Once you know the results you can tell Jamie.

#Choices series Tyler Seguin Jamie Benn #tyler seguin #tyler seguin imagine #tyler seguin imagines #jamie benn #jamie benn imagine #jamie benn imagines #nhl imagines #nhl imagine #nhl fanfic #hockey imagines #hockey imagine #hockey fanfiction

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paperanddice · 3 years

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Tears of the Crocodile God 12

Now it’s time for the last big post of this conversion as I build the encounters for the 13th Age version of the adventure. Unlike the 5e one, I actually really like the encounter building rules for 13th Age, and with a system much more focused on balanced combat based on group size I’ll actually build versions of the encounters for groups with 3 to 6 characters. Some will be more straightforward than others, and some of the big boss fights like the Crocodile God itself will be quite a bit tougher for smaller groups, but those groups should have better odds of going in fully stocked thanks to plenty of uses of the Crocodile Fonts to heal, regain recoveries, and possibly recharge daily powers and spells.

Drowning Vault (Monster, Hazard)

With only the one type of monster in this, the drugged up manticores, this is an easy one to set up. I don’t even need a chart or special modifications. Simply use one manticore for every two players (round up), and you’ve got your encounter.

Howling Hunt (Monsters, Shields)

3 Players: 1 tanarukk steel cavalry, 5 howler dread hounds 4 Players: 1 tanarukk steel cavalry, 10 howler dread hounds 5 Players: 2 tanarukk steel cavalry, 5 howler dread hounds 6 Players: 2 tanarukk steel cavalry, 10 howler dread hounds

An easy enough setup regardless of which version of the encounter you run. If you choose to use the Howling Hunt as a result of a campaign loss or characters taking a full heal, if there’s multiple tanarukk have them split up and approach the party from different directions wherever they’ve settled down for a bit more fun. If they’re in the room with the Spellsplinter Shields, have the cavalry use quick actions to switch their shields with the magic shields and encourage players to do so as well. Otherwise just play up the howlers closing in and hunting the party down easily thanks to using the runewheels and any sacrifices the party’s collected.

Statues in Stasis (Monsters, Shields)

3 Players: 5 child statues, 1 empowered child statue 4 Players: 6 child statues, 2 empowered child statues 5 Players: 5 child statues, 2 empowered child statues, 1 teenager statue 6 Players: 5 child statues, 3 empowered child statues, 1 teenager statue

Scatter the animated statues among the places on the map with the shields. Make sure to use shields such as the Fool, Dungeon Door and Mind Flayer on the stronger statues, while the weaker ones start with the Black Dragon and Umber Hulk. Don’t double up on any statues until you’ve got one of each in the encounter, then start repeating the weaker ones. Keep the other statues around for them to pick up during the encounter and for the players to take action to either take them or to just deny the statues from getting them.

Hag’s Lair (Monsters, Hazard)

This one doesn’t require a complicated setup. Simply make use of Old Beshebra the hag, then enough Filth Hag Sons so that there’s one opponent per character. Three characters requires 2 sons, 4 has 3 sons, and so on. Old Beshebra and her sons will take advantage of the movement risks in this move to ensure that vulnerable targets have trouble escaping them and keeping the more dangerous opponents away from Beshebra as much as possible.

Mold King’s Throne (Monsters, Hazards)

This encounter is going to be a mess no matter what, with the 40 crocodiles dropping in slowly, with a bunch of them turning into death mold crocodiles, the death mold itself, the goal of collecting the scroll cases without getting hit by the death mold. I’ll indicate the number of death mold zombies that seems reasonable to include depending on the number of players, but with the constant mooks and environmental threats it’s hard to say exactly how the encounter will play. Do your best.

3 Players: 4 death mold zombies 4 Players: 6 death mold zombies 5 Players: 8 death mold zombies 6 Players: 8 death mold zombies, and adjust the death mold’s action to function up to 3 times per round.

Chained Hydra (Monster)

The hydra should be able to face off against a party on its own. For a group of 3 or 4, just include the one 7 headed venom maw hydra, while a party with 5 or 6 characters can face off against one that’s been bumped up by 1 level. Increases its initiative, attack bonuses, and defenses by 1 each, increase its hit points to 280, adjust its additional head sprouting to give 55 hp each, and increase its damage so that each gnashing teeth attack deals 16 damage on a hit and 8 on a miss, while the venomous spit increases to 8 damage per attack. If you choose to use the nastier special instead, the damage should still be fine for an 8th level hydra.

Mimic’s Parlor (Monster, Brand)

3 Players: 1 impersonator mimic, 5 mimic spawn 4 Players: 1 impersonator mimic, 1 cloaker, 5 mimic spawn 5 Players: 1 impersonator mimic, 1 cloaker, 10 mimic spawn 6 Players: 1 impersonator mimic, 2 cloakers, 10 mimic spawn

Most of the enemies start this fight hiding. If a player willingly sits down, they get stuck and the fight likely starts as soon as they realize they can’t stand up again. Start the battle with that character already grabbed by a mimic spawn, rather than having it use its ambusher ability.

For this encounter, adjust the description of the room a little to stick a whole bunch of additional furniture and debris in the room so that when the mimics use their vanishing trick there’s more things for them to hide among.

As with the 5e version of this encounter, I think that this room can be given an additional fun role play scene where the impersonator mimic offers a dice game to determine if it gives over the hidden brand in the room. If someone sits down to play, it will throw a d6 and add one for each lotus garland the player has. On a result of 7 or higher, the player gets the brand, while anything else results in their death. Of course, anyone who doesn’t have a lotus garland can’t be allowed to leave the room alive, but the mimic won’t reveal that until it’s gathered as much information on who these intruders are as it can.

Guardian’s Run (Monster)

The mummified cyclops on its own is an “even” fight for 8 characters of this level, so pretty much all groups won’t want to tangle with it. It’s not meant to be an actual battle, simply something the characters flee from and avoid by other means. Don’t worry about how unbeatable it is, that’s entirely on purpose.

Crocodile Tears (Monster, Hazard)

Unleash 1 mummified crocodile on groups of 3 or 4, and two of them on groups of 5 or 6. Since this will happen alongside the rising sand trap, things will be interesting enough to be enough of a challenge even for the larger groups in each of those situations.

Crocodile God’s Lair (Monster, Environment)

This one is a bit of a challenge for me. The Crocodile God is a good boss for a group of 3, but for groups above that level it immediately isn’t quite as imposing and dangerous. A group of 4 is technically even with the Crocodile God, and once you get more than that the party now has the advantage. So the God will need some assistance with any group above the minimum. This was something I did not consider in the initial plan, so I am lacking a great instant substitute.

Here’s my solution: Last minute stat block! If facing larger groups, the Crocodile God summons up a few giant crocodiles to help it:

Giant Crocodile Large 7th level mook [beast] Initiative: +9 Clamping jaws +12 vs. AC - 30 damage Natural 14+: The target is also grabbed. It takes 5 ongoing damage as long as this grab lasts. AC 22 PD 21 MD 15 HP 50 (mook) Mook:Kill one giant crocodile mook for every 50 damage you deal to the mob.

3 Players: The Crocodile God 4 Players: The Crocodile God, 2 giant crocodiles 5 Players: The Crocodile God, 3 giant crocodiles 6 Players: The Crocodile God, 5 giant crocodiles

Nephalot’s Quarters (Monsters, Hazard)

Nephalot is not meant to be an easy fight, but the surprise round the characters get help make a huge difference. This will be a test of the player’s ability to focus fire and get the hell out before getting overwhelmed, and so the additional reinforcements will quickly be overwhelming even against a larger group. Each row will have the creatures in the room initially, and then the main round of reinforcements. No matter the size of the group, have 8 crocodile cult acolytes swarm in every round after the reinforcements arrive, just swamping the room and driving players away with an overwhelming number of attacks.

3 Players: Nephalot. Reinforcements: 1 crocodile cult priest. 4 Players: Nephalot. Reinforcements: 1 crocodile cult priest, 2 crocodile cult enforcer. 5 Players: Nephalot, 1 crocodile cult priest. Reinforcements: 3 crocodile cult enforcers. 6 Players: Nephalot, 1 crocodile cult priest. Reinforcements: 1 crocodile cult priest, 3 crocodile cult enforcers.

And with this, I’ve finished my 13th Age conversion of Tears of the Crocodile God. Thanks for following along, and I hope you’ve enjoyed this. If you make use of anything from this conversion at all, even just a monster stat block or a hazard, please let me know! I love to hear whenever someone uses my material.

#13th Age #Adventure #Tears of the Crocodile God

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undertalethingies · 4 years

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Help Wanted

Alphys was very excited about her new royal position. (The one she’d gained by lying and cheating and-) She was absolutely ecstatic to have attained her goal, even if her means had been just a bit questionable.

It was fine, right? People lied all the time. Everyone did it. Bending the truth a little to get what she wanted was nothing compared to what some people would have done. (Liar, liar, liar. Everything you have is stolen from the more deserving, if they knew they would all hate you-)

So it was fine. She was fine. No moral crises were occurring here, thank you.

Anyway.

Alphys was very excited about her new position, but with it having gone unfilled so long, she was absolutely drowning in work. While she was able to complete engineering related requests relatively easily, she was having difficulty with the ones related to magical science, especially the more theoretical ones.

She’d always found that her genius focused most easily on the practical disciplines, the ones she could visualize in her mind’s eye. She had a unique advantage in that area, in that she was easily able to imagine the schematics in her mind, rotating and adjusting them as her will dictated.

Things that relied purely on theoretical equations and ideas, though, tended to give her difficulty. She often ended up tripping over things with them, and it was hurting her performance.

So Alphys decided to hire an assistant. Someone knowledgeable in quantum physics, preferably.

Sans wouldn’t admit it, but he was regretting moving out of his parents’ house. He’d had all sorts of reasons for it, of course. Wanting more alone time, wanting to escape his family’s nagging, wanting to get away from his brother… (He loved Papyrus, really, he did, but his sibling was overbearing at the best of times)

His biggest reason, though, was that he wanted to prove he could make it on his own. He’d always had poor health, as a consequence of his miniscule HP, and while his family had never outright said it, he could tell that they saw him as a bit of a burden.

It was perfectly reasonable, really. He was always in and out of doctor’s offices and hospitals, trying to either heal his latest minor injury or “fix” him all together. His parents had been forced to spend large sums of money just to keep him alive, and he knew it wore on them, even if they did their best to hide it.

So he’d started working odd jobs when he was fourteen, and had amassed enough savings to get his own place by his seventeenth birthday. Not too shabby, if he did say so himself.

His apartment kinda sucked, though. It was tiny and dingy and had bedbugs by the dozen. (As a skeleton, they thankfully couldn’t hurt him) So while he was proud of being able to provide for himself, he couldn’t help but wish he’d waited until he could afford a better place. Plus, Hotland friggin’ sucked. If it weren’t for his ability to conveniently bypass the (awful, terrible, horrible) vent system, he’d have come running back home with his tail between his legs within the space of a week.

...He wasn’t really certain, whether he was happy about that or not. At least the heat didn’t bother him, since he was bereft of any internal organs that might react poorly to it. As far as climate adaptability went, he was pretty lucky to be a skeleton.

So he wasn’t really doing much with his life, in the end. Not accomplishing any lofty goals or fulfilling his personal aspirations. He was just kind of… Existing. In limbo. He had a couple jobs to pay the rent, of course, but he’d pretty much just taken what positions were available, without much regard for his own personal interests. (Which he did actually have, contrary to common belief)

When he saw the ad for a personal assistant to the new royal scientist, he found himself intrigued. He doubted he’d get the position even if he did apply, of course, since there would be so many other applicants, but the ad said that she was looking for people who were good with quantum physics especially, and, well…

Quantum physics had been Sans’ special interest for a full decade, now. The equations had always fascinated him, along with the things they could accomplish. He’d read just about every textbook and journal he’d been able to get his hands on, and written a few things himself. (Nothing published, of course. He’d just wanted to better understand the material he was working with)

If the royal scientist was looking for a quantum physicist, he might actually have half a chance at this. According to the flyer, prospective applicants could take an aptitude test a week from then. Couldn’t hurt to make the attempt, right?

Sans spent the week reviewing the scattered information he’d been able to gather on the discipline from trips to the dump and various libraries throughout the underground. He also did his best to brush up on the math involved as well. He really hoped that this test would be entirely focused on theoretical physics, because Sans couldn’t engineer his way out of a wet paper bag with a gun to his head.

When the time came, his nervousness betrayed his excitement. He really wanted this. He could barely focus on anything the whole morning, to the point where he ended up locking his keys inside his house by accident on the way out. (Thank the angel for teleportation, right?)

As Sans entered the testing venue, he spared a glance for the other hopefuls. Some looked excited, a few looked like they’d been forced to attend, but most just looked pants-wettingly terrified. Jerry was there too, for some reason. He hated that guy.

“You look a lot calmer than most of the monsters here, hon. Feeling sure of yourself?” The clerk asked him politely. Sans shook his head, saying

“nah. i’m just better at hiding it,”

“Well, I’m sure you’ll do fine, dear,” They said, smiling at him. He returned it, and went to sit down until it was time for the testing to start, feeling more jittery than Paps on caffeine.

He hoped the clerk was right.

Alphys was swiftly becoming aware of a problem with her plan. With each test she reviewed, it became more and more glaringly obvious that this probably wasn’t going to work as well as she’d hoped, because, apparently, there was not a single freaking monster down here who could do basic math.

Everyone had their addition and subtraction down pat, of course, the education system underground wasn’t that bad, but algebra and calculus? Complex geometry?

She might actually have to bring this up with Asgore. She’d realized, of course, that education in the underground was a bit lacking, but she’d never quite put together the equation of how few monsters were able to teach those subjects and how even fewer wanted to learn them. Not to mention the difficulty in accessing textbooks and scientific papers from the surface, which was just about the only way to get new information without having to rediscover the wheel for every little thing.

She was lucky that the royal scientist was a celebrity position, or it was possible that no one would have even applied. As it was, about a hundred monsters took the test, and she was beginning to think that if she wanted an assistant, she’d have to train them herself.

The point of this was to give her less work, not more! She had no time to play teacher for whatever kiss-up showed a bit of promise. Regardless, she was desperate, so she put the applications that showed at least a willingness to learn aside.

It was with this mindset that she opened the test from “comic sans serif font”. The lack of capitalization (on their name, of all things!) had her pessimistic from the start. She’d excuse the use of font, since she knew full well that if she was named after one, she’d never shut up about it either, but not capitalizing your own name? What possible reason could there be for something like that?

As she actually looked at what they’d answered on each question, though, she felt hope bloom in her chest. This person… actually really knew their stuff. She’d put some pretty difficult questions at various points throughout the application, and they’d answered each one thoroughly and creatively.

She put the test aside, suspecting that she had her winner.

Sans didn’t really expect to hear back from the royal scientist. A lot of people had applied, after all, so he doubted they could really afford the expense of sending a letter to every tester. Paper was pretty pricey underground, after all.

So when he got a letter in the mail with a return address of “the lab” he got a little excited. It didn’t mean he’d been selected, of course. It was entirely possible they’d decided to send letters to everyone who managed to clear some margin, or something.

...Or he’d done so badly they’d felt the need to ban him from ever doing science or math again, but that seemed just a bit unlikely. On that note, he sat on the edge of his mattress and opened the letter.

...

...Sans had been accepted for the position of assistant to the royal scientist, and was to go to the lab at his earliest convenience if he was still interested.

He wasn’t freaking out. He totally wasn’t. His hands were repeatedly running over the letter as if to ascertain its veracity and his grin was so wide it threatened to exit his skull entirely and run away to join the circus, but he wasn’t freaking out.

Sans grabbed his nicest outfit, which was coincidentally also the one he’d worn to testing, (a blue jacket over a miraculously unstained white shirt, and basketball shorts, let no one call him a fashionista) and set out.

Given that the monster Alphys had sent the letter to lived about twenty minutes from the lab, and the letter had to actually get to them before they could read it and come to accept the position, she was startled to hear a knock on the door only half an hour after the post had left.

She opened it to discover… a skeleton in a hoodie and basketball shorts, looking like they’d just won the lottery. She wasn’t sure what she’d expected from someone named after comic sans, really. Assuming that this was the applicant, of course, which she was slightly doubtful over, since, again, not enough time had elapsed since she’d sent the letter for them to arrive unless they could run at the speed of one of the cars from the surface.

“A-Are you Comic?” they visibly winced.

“yeah, but i go by sans. i find my first name’s a bit too…” they winked “comical,” Alphys narrowed her eyes. Puns? Absolutely unacceptable.

“Well, Comic, why don’t you come in?” Their eyes widened.

“please just call me sans, i’m begging you, i hate my first name so much,”

“I-If you p-promise not to make any p-puns,”

“i think i’d dust on the spot,” Alphys rolled her eyes.

“This is going to be just w-wonderful, I can tell,”

Part two here!

#undertale #undertale fanfiction #undertale fanfic #alphys #sans #alphys and sans #alternating pov #might write more of this at some point #edit: wrote more of this at some point #help wanted

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justjessame · 4 years

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If Only Someone Looked At Me Like They Look At Guns 7

I knew, as surely as I knew my own name, that loving the MacManus brothers wouldn’t always be rainbows and butterflies. They killed bad men. Bad men who had vast resources. Which was how, after nights slept between the two of them and the hours we spent locked in our own passionate bubbles, I found myself in this current mess.

The day started normally. Well, my new normal anyway. Snuggled between the two men I loved, and who loved me. Connor, still naked from the night before, spooned against my back. Murphy was wearing his shorts, but cradling my head on his arm and pressed tight against my front. Waking this way was as natural as breathing.

As was Murphy’s mouth curving over mine, waking early just for me. His shorts were soon forgotten, as he pressed me down into the mattress and Connor’s hand linked with mine. Natural.

Murphy got to shower first, while Connor kept me company. We’d kiss, we’d assure one another that they’d be safe and so would I. We’d chat about nothing and everything, but not the one topic off limits. We wouldn’t talk about their ‘business’.

That didn’t mean I didn’t know what they’d done so far. My customers were gossips, all of them, and so I had learned early on about the killings that happened when they’d barely touched land. Asian’s packaging drugs and the mob guys keeping them company, dead. My dad was a font of knowledge. Daily briefings about the goings on in Boston, that’s how I knew about the massacre at the Mexican restaurant. Probably a restaurant connected to Romeo, I thought, but didn’t say aloud. And even though we didn’t speak about it, I knew there’d be more. They weren’t done, not by a long shot.

Connor had kept his word, and the promise that Murphy had reiterated. No one seemed to know that I knew them, much less that we were involved. So far I’d only been asked the bare bones questions that everyone on the same street as Doc’s were asked. That suspiciously sweet southern FBI agent, Eunice Bloom, how surprised she seemed to be to find a good ole West Virginia girl living in South Boston. She gave me her card and seemed to cross me right off the list.

Guess that’s why I developed a false sense of security.

After they both showered, kissed me soundly goodbye, and grabbed their rosary beads from the coat rack that they’d taken to hanging them on, they went off to Mass. Such good Catholic boys, I’d thought, drawing a morning bath. I had a bit before I was due to open the store, and I planned on taking advantage of it. After I’d soaked and bathed, I put on what the boys affectionately called my ‘uniform’. T-shirt, wine red this time, skinny jeans, my ballet flats, and braided my long hair down my back. Glasses on my nose, jacket on, and bag slung across my shoulder, I locked the door, and headed to work.

The day went normally. They’d stopped in as my first customers, got their daily coffee, pressed me against the nearest bookcase and once again kissed the breath out of me. Then, with a promise that it might be a late night for them, but they’d be home before I could miss them, they were off. I worked the whole day not knowing that this could very well be my last on earth.

I locked the store at the end of the day, and was about to turn toward home when everything went dark.

When I regained consciousness, I was in a room with peeling wallpaper. I could smell tomatoes for some odd reason, and the sound of crackling music, like from a record player. No, I thought, blinking against the dust motes floating through the beams of sunlight coming through the dirty window, like a phonograph. My grandma had one, and that’s how the music she had played on it sounded. I was about to shout when I realized I couldn’t. I wasn’t in my right mind yet, so I hadn’t noticed that I was gagged. And tied to a bed, I realized as I couldn’t move my hands or legs. Great, I thought, kidnapped.

I heard the music stop and then heard the sound of footsteps approaching. The door to the room opened and an elderly man entered.

“Ah, you’re awake.” He said, accent heavy. “Good, good. I worried the idiot boy had screwed up the dosage and you were damaged.”

I tried to speak, but the gag was still there. Damn it. He moved closer to the bed and looked down at me. Studying me, it seemed. He had a tomato in his hand, that would explain the smell, I thought. He looked me over. Careful to take note that my glasses were still unbroken, and that I didn’t appear to have any marks on me. I knew that he was taking in these details because he was muttering it as he looked.

“The glasses,” he gestured to my face, “are they necessary?”

I once again started to speak, rolled my eyes at the impossibility, and nodded. He smiled, but it didn’t calm my fears. He pulled a chair close to the bed I was trapped on and sat down.

“You’re not what I expected.” He said, and I was pissed that he seemed to find fault in me. Why I cared, I have no idea. Brain still wonky, I guess. “The two of them?” He said, and I realized why I was here.

I closed my eyes and took a breath. Why did I give a solid shit what this asshole thought about my relationship with my men? It might be unconventional, but it was real. It also landed me in this mess, but fuck you, I wanted to scream.

He chuckled. “I mean no offense. I’m just curious, I suppose.” I opened my eyes to see him taking a bite out of the tomato. Eww, I thought, just like my family. “Are you hungry?” I shook my head, glaring at the tomato. “I have other foods here, I could fetch you something?” I shook harder. Dude, you fucking roofied me to get me here, no thanks to more poisoning. He sighed. “Perhaps I’m understanding their attraction. Stubborn, just like them, like their papa.” I felt my eyes widen. Their dad? What the literal fuck?

He sat with me for a while longer then left. I didn’t know if it was an improvement to be alone or not. I was fully awake and aware now. Once I heard his footfalls fade, I started testing the bindings. My hands were the tighter of the two sets, clearly whomever tied me up considered my short legs less worrisome. Good, I thought, I could possibly work with that shortsightedness.

I kicked my feet, trying to see how loose the kidnapper had left them. Not loose enough, I realized, smacking my head down on the pillow they’d considerately provided. A puff of dust enveloped my head. Or they were trying to kill me by aggravating my allergies, I thought as I sneezed. Well, fuck. And Connor and Murphy wouldn’t even notice until they got home from their latest job.

It was still light out, but wait, that didn’t make any fucking sense. It was too bright. I’d been gone a full night, at least. Then they knew. My heart soared. Then plummeted. Shit, that what old dick tomato eater wanted. For them to find me, I was bait. If they could even find me, if they knew who ODTE was. I fought against my fear and upset. They’d find me. We’d be fine.

Since I had time on my hands, well brain, since the hands were bound, I decided to make a list of what I needed to do once I was free. There would be no more negative thoughts, I decided, instead I’d make plans. Now, what had I been putting off doing for months. First, I thought, I should definitely think about cleaning out the fridge. Between the leftovers and the lost beer, it could take hours. Upgrading the bedroom linens would be a good idea. I’d have to do some shopping and maybe I’d take the guys with me. I should learn to bake, after all, the money I put into the bakery’s pocket could be refunnelled back to myself.

With a new flash of panic I realized something I hadn’t done in months, perhaps too many months. Shit, why hadn’t I heard the reminder on my Blackberry? I’d set it, hadn’t I? I closed my eyes and sank into the bed. Dear Lord (Lord’s name), tell me I wasn’t so irresponsible that I forgot to do the ONE thing that made having unprotected sex with the two of them no worry? I tried to think back to the last time I’d gone in for my shot. Why was I remembering summer? Why was I remembering sweating on the walk back? Fuck, fuck, fuck.

I could be carrying a little MacManus right now inside of me. Shit. Well, so much for making lists. Now the panic rose up within me. Along with bile, and I had to force it back down, making my throat burn. Tessa, now is not the fucking time to worry about this, I told myself. Now is the time to worry about when they’d find me. Then, after we were free from this old weirdo, I could make sure I was remembering the last time correctly. If I did, then I’d take a test in a few weeks. No big deal. I’m over thirty. I have my own business. And I’m in love with two vigilante killers. What could possibly go wrong?

I must have dozed off, because I awoke to gunfire. Fighting against my bindings, I tried to scream, but the gag in my mouth was more than effective in keeping me quiet. It sounded like a war was going on around me, downstairs and I think I heard something massive fall. Then silence. Men in dark swat gear barged in and found me bound to the bed. After making certain that the room was clear, except for me, of course, they untied me. Once the gag was gone, I asked the only question that mattered to me.

“Are Connor and Murphy alright?” I gasped out, not caring if any of them made assumptions.

#Connor MacManus X OFC X Murphy MacManus #Boondock Saints 2 #mention of smut #kidnapped for bait #possible pregnancy #alternative universe

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davidedwardking · 4 years

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I found an extremely bizarre internet survey

Nobody knows what rock bottom truly is until they've hit it.

Being abruptly fired from a job you've worked at for the past ten years, and then catching your girl cheating on you with your replacement really makes a man think.

Hell, my student loans aren't even paid off yet.

What a shitshow this life is.

After a rather boozy night that consisted of sending out about four dozen resumes and horrendously written cover letters, I passed out.

When I woke up the next morning, I decided to at least try and make some money at home while waiting for an interview.

At that moment, I thought that the best way to go about it was completing those internet surveys that yielded 5 dollar subway gift cards and other shit like that after about an hour of answering questions. I mean, I didn't have any other marketable skills that could've yielded immediate income.

It was either that or wasting the day away playing computer games. At least I wouldn't have to pay for food.

I did these surveys for about 5 hours before nearly passing out. It was way more excruciating then I'd originally anticipated. At the end of those 5 hours, I'd accumulated about $45 in cash and gift cards.

$9 an hour. Not like I was making much more than that before. I was about to close my laptop up for the day and head to a bar in an attempt drown out my melancholy when I first saw it.

It shouldn't even have been noticeable... but for one reason or another, it was. At the bottom corner of the website that I was on, existed a tiny, singular advertisement. Maybe it was the simplicity that got me. Plain black letters in a tacky font that read "Surveys for cash" overlapped a completely white background.

At least they were direct with the message. One more couldn't hurt, I thought. Might as well scrape together a little bit more booze money before heading out.

I sat back down, clicked on the picture link and prepared myself to grind through some more painstaking inquires. The first few questions were simple enough. I guess they weren't really questions, but more data collection. My name, age and occupation. I thought it was kind of weird that they also asked my height and weight, but it wasn't unheard of.

The first real question was a different story though. I must have stared at it, eyes wide and mouth agape, for god knows how long.

What the actual hell?

In plain English, this is what popped up on my screen: "How strong is your urge to currently look behind you?"

There were five options below, ranging from "Not at all" to "overwhelming".

There was no feasible reason why I should've been afraid at that moment. But I was. I tightened my breathing, trying to make out any subtle noises behind me. There were none. After maybe about five minutes, I worked up the courage to look. There was nothing. I sighed in relief and scoffed at myself at the same time.

This must have been some kind of joke. However, I decided to entertain it, answering "neutral" and clicking onto the next question. This is what it read: "Why would you look behind you?"

I smirked. Funny, before simply typing in a "I don't know" in the response box and once again clicking next. This was the 3rd question: "You're on a plane. Apart from you, there is only one other passenger, who is sitting somewhere behind you. At some point, you get up to go to the washroom, and find that the man is gone. You check to see if he is in the only bathroom on the plane, but he isn't. What do you do?"

Again, I must have stupidly stared at it for nearly ten minutes. Was this some kind of obscure personality test? I mean, it must have been, right? Right?

I put the same answer that I used for the last question: "I don't know." It was true. I didn't know. How was I supposed to answer this shit?

I click next again, now more intrigued than anything. The 4th question went like this: "You wake up in woods unfamiliar to you. It's nighttime, and the moonlight provides you with only slight visibility. About thirty feet away from you, there is a small, dimly illuminated cabin. The door is open, and a smiling woman is motioning for you to come in. Do you go? Explain why."

This question wasn't necessarily weirder than the last one, so my conjecture that this was some kind of odd personality test was still feasible. I actually make an attempt to answer this one, something along the lines of going into the cabin because there's simply nowhere else to go.

Once again, I click next. Probably shouldn't have.

The questions started getting fucked up. They weren't too gory or explicit, not anything like that. They were just stranger. Weirder. More psychologically disturbing. If you're wondering why the hell I kept going, I can't really give you an explicit answer to that. I just felt like I had to. It was an esoteric, creeping sensation that I can't quite explain away. But I could never shake it. So I just went on.

Some of the questions that stood out were:

"Suppose that you wake up one night to find an elevator in your house. During every midnight after that, it opens up for five minutes, revealing an exact copy of yourself that gets progressively more injured as time goes on. Do you keep living like this? Or do you enter the elevator once and end it all?"

And:

"You're in a hotel room but are awoken by a rapid knocking at your window. You peek through the blinds, seeing what appears to be a man missing both his eyes. He puts his mouth to the glass and tells you to kill the woman in the bathroom immediately. Do you listen to him?"

This was one of my least favorites:

"You are watching home videos with your mother. One of the tapes include footage of her being murdered by a masked intruder. Your mother simply laughs at this footage without saying anything. In your opinion, is this a cause for concern?"

In addition to this insanity-inducing shit, there were some rather disconcerting events happening in real life as well. I received a knock at the door about thirty minutes in. I looked through my peephole to find a guy standing there, frantically shaking his head and mouthing "no" while making direct eye contact with me. He looked terrified. Obviously, I didn't open up.

I received about ten phone calls from somebody named "the auditor" on my caller ID. They left a message every time, but each one was just a recording that consisted of somebody saying numbers through heavy static. Actually, it sounded more like screaming now that I think about it.

About an hour into this thing, and I was on the verge of a mental breakdown. I was petrified of looking behind me, even though there was no indication that anything should've been there. I heard some soft scratching coming from my vent at one point, so I moved my couch over it.

Eventually, I reached what appeared to be the end of the survey. However, it wasn't a question. It was simply a statement.

"Don't let them in. They're not to be trusted."

Almost as if it were on cue, I heard more knocking at my door about five seconds after reading this. As slowly and silently as I could, I moved over and looked through the peephole once again. It was a different person than the one I'd seen earlier. She was a woman, looking to be in her mid twenties. She was wearing a thick blazer, despite it being around 90 Fahrenheit outside. She was also wearing sunglasses, so I could never really tell where she was actually looking. She eventually took a piece of paper out of her pocket and slipped it under the door.

I look down and read it.

"It's lying. Leave your apartment immediately."

It's been about half an hour since. I can't bring myself to look at the computer screen nor at the woman outside. She's still there. I can see the shadows of her feet from underneath my door. I heard my bedroom window open a few minutes ago, but I've since jammed the door shut with a chair. I can hear some kind of distorted muttering coming from behind it now.

Maybe rock bottom wasn't so bad.

But what the fuck am I supposed to do here?

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muthaz-rapapa · 5 years

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StarPre Ep 13: Culture Shock & “Fitting In”

Ok, I’ve only ever studied abroad for one summer semester so I can’t claim to know what it’s like to be a foreign exchange student.

But WOW did it not feel that this episode portrayed the realism of that experience in spades (for me, anyways).

Which is why in spite of it being another filler, ep 13 shot itself up the ladder to become, perhaps, one of the best episodes in the season so far.

But before we get into that, I just want to say this. Though we have four lovely protagonists to drive the plot forward, it’s pretty clear that the heart of StarPre’s overall story lies with Lala and not the lead Cure, Hikaru. Lala is the actual main character here (heck, even her personal motif is a heart so take that how you will).

Much like how MahoPre focused on Riko gradually letting go of her self-limitations and opening her mind to the world, Lala is slowly learning to release her constant grip on the AI and look for something that data cannot give her.

Hikaru and Mirai may be responsible for building the bridges, extending their hands and establishing the connections between the different worlds of their respective seasons (which is JUST AS IMPORTANT and don’t you let anyone else tell you otherwise!) but Riko and now, Lala, are the ones who demonstrate the necessity of meeting them halfway, however hard it may be at first, in order to gain true understanding.

So, with that said...

Lala’s first day at school. She’s very excited and of course she is!

Back on her home planet Saaman, she didn’t have school. The AI is the go-to for everything. So she’s never known what it’s like to interact with other kids her age, attend classes together, study together, etc.

It’s totally brand new to her and she wants that. She wants to know what life is like for Hikaru, Elena and Madoka. She wants to be a part of that life because that’s where her friends are.

And in their lives, they don’t have AIs to aid them throughout the day so Lala decides she wouldn’t need hers either.

Lala didn’t realize it at the time but the fact that she chose to leave her AI glove at home spoke volumes of her willingness to step outside her comfort zone.

Again, she’s relied on that AI for her entire life up till this point so if she brought it with her to school, just to have some sense of security while she adjusted to the setting around her, nobody would say anything about it. Yet she didn’t.

Lala really wanted to experience what it was like to be a normal kid on Earth. She didn’t want to be the old Lala who clutched to her AI like a lifeline. She wanted to become someone who could handle things without the AI.

The only reason why she brought AI-chan with her the second day was not because she grew afraid and backtracked on finding her new identity but because she underestimated the culture shock that would bowl her over.

And what a culture shock it was. Look, there are even lightning strikes for emphasis.

LOL, anyways...

Things on Earth are so different from things on Saaman that it physically drains Lala’s energy after she discovers just how different they are.

What’s more, for all of Saaman’s apparent “advancement”, it seems that its civilians can’t do much without AIs, which makes Lala feel ashamed when she compares herself to the Earthlings, who do make an effort to learn and understand what they learn.

Not just absorb details and retain them.

On Earth, they ask questions, they make theories, they perform tests and experiments and they repeat the process.

Lala, who’s always been told what the answers are, has never learned how to do that and she feels so lost because of it.

Then there was the ill-timed comment from Himenowhatsherface on her fluency in Japanese and therefore also, indirectly (and unbeknownst to mostly everyone), Lala practically been home schooled since forever so of course she wouldn’t know about the rule of no running in the halls.

It’s no wonder Lala’s become so depressed by lunchtime.

Poor girl. That’s a lot to take for just the first day.

What’s sad is that Lala’s misunderstanding the whole situation. She thinks that it’s her fault for not acting like the other kids when in reality, no one really expects that of her.

She’s from a different country, speaks a different tongue, has different customs. They all know that. Nobody is asking her to change that, to be like everybody else.

But given Lala’s perfectionist nature, every “mistake” she makes only drives her desperation to “fix” it as fast as possible.

Remember beginning!Lala? How she closes people off when she’s frustrated nothing’s going her way? How the more she tries to make things right, it just becomes more of a mess?

Yea, Lala still doesn’t do well under stress.

But this time, the stress has lead her to making the wrong assumptions.

The next day, she’s got her glove on again and doing her best to talk to everyone in “lun”-unaccented Japanese.

All the way down to the keigo.

Considering that Lala was completely fine with not using honorifics or acknowledging seniority and the like before, it’s no surprise that this new development shocked her friends.

The issue is not Lala’s attempt to assimilate. The issue is that she’s trying to assimilate when there is absolutely no need to.

And I’ll say it again. If Lala brought AI-chan with her to feel more at ease in an unfamiliar environment, maybe to have AI-chan help her translate some things or explain some Earthling stuff, then that’s one thing.

However, Lala continuously referring back to AI-chan throughout her second day at school and asking it what she should do to appear more “Earthling” is counterproductive to her original objective (learning not to rely on the AI).

She’s taken the phrase “when in Rome, do what the Romans do” a little too much to the extreme.

She’s trying to erase what makes her unique so she can blend in with the people around her.

Which is so...awful to even say out loud but that’s just how badly Lala wants to fit in!

But even more than that, she’s so afraid that her being different will damage her friendship with the other girls.

She doesn’t want to be so “foreign” or “odd” to other people that it would affect how they look at Hikaru, Elena and Madoka as well. She doesn’t want to inconvenience her friends that it will change their relationship. She doesn’t want to be what breaks them apart.

After all, they’re the biggest reason why Lala’s going through all this trouble. They’re the reason why she wants to stay on Earth in the first place otherwise she wouldn’t have fought so hard in the last episode to stay together with them.

Lala’s willing to give up being herself just to stay with them (AWWW) and reassures Hikaru that she’ll do her best to get used to being “Earthling” (read: not Lala).

But Hikaru and the others, being the awesome friends they are, straight up tell her “No, Lala, you’re wrong” and set about reminding her why she wanted to go to school with them in the first place.

Yea.

They love Lala for who she is.

The would never demand Lala to act like them or speak like them or know every single Earth custom there is to know in order to hang out. Friends don’t give friends those sort of conditions (wow, that would be majorly screwed up).

They just wanted to spend time together with Lala and give her the experience she didn’t have on her home planet.

Lala never needed to worry about “fitting in” because she fits in with Hikaru, Elena and Madoka perfectly fine and she always had. Just because she goes to school with them now, nothing has changed.

Nothing that truly mattered had changed.

And they’re going to keep it that way.

had to correct it, not apologizing for anything except that text font, srslywtf “yeppers”?!

Finally, I think if this has taught Lulu anything (other than what’s already stated above), it’s that if she lets people to get to know her, including all her oddities and quirks and whatever makes her Lala, then they will surely respond to her sincerely and learn to appreciate her just as much as her own friends do.

It’s a scary thought, to face an unknown world where you might be rejected for who you are or what you are not.

But it’s not so bad when you do find someone who does understand and wholly accepts you.

That makes being different, being unique, everything worthwhile.

#i hope i mentioned everything i wanted to say #star twinkle precure #hagoromo lala #cure milky

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aliceslantern · 4 years

Text

Beyond this Existence: Atonement, chapter 2

Ansem always had a penchant for strays, so it's not at all surprising when he takes in the orphaned child Ienzo. The boy's presence changes everything, far more than Even is willing to admit. Ienzo's brilliance seems promising, but the arrival of a young Xehanort pushes the apprentices onto a dark, cruel, inhumane path which will affect the future of the World. And even once it's all over with--once Xehanort is dead--they still must pick up the pieces, forgive one another, find a way to atone for their atrocities, and struggle to accept the humanity which has been thrust upon them.

Read it on FF.net/on AO3

---

Ienzo has just turned six. He’s been at the castle for most of a year.

Aeleus is icing the simple white cake when Even goes to get his morning coffee. “You’re spoiling the boy,” he says in lieu of greeting. “Ansem gives him more than enough sugar with all the ice cream.”

Aeleus shrugs. “It’s not a birthday without cake.”

“Indeed, when presented with such things when I was younger, I nearly went feral,” Dilan says. “Though sugar does not seem to affect his countenance.”

“Not much does.”

“It’s worth celebrating, that he’s speaking,” Aeleus says. He puts the frosting knife in the sink. “Maybe we can encourage him to talk more.”

He still does not speak much, even now. His sentences are short, plain, often monosyllabic. At least they no longer need to rely on the whiteboard.

But now that he speaks, his nightmares have heft, sound. Even can hear him cry for them. It never hurts any less.

“Ah, speak of the devil,” Dilan says. Ienzo appears, still in pajamas, rubbing his eyes. “Happy birthday.”

He blinks. “That’s today?”

Even chuckles. “I figure today we can do something you like. Play, or perhaps go outside?”

Ienzo opens the fridge door and takes out a juice box. “No thank you,” he says politely. “I want to finish my book.”

“Anything for the prince, eh,” Dilan says. He’s taken to calling Ienzo that; despite the fact that he and Ansem have no blood ties and that “king” is an elected title. “If you go outside you can get more books, you know. Not just this dusty old tosh.”

This grabs his attention.

“I’ll even buy you one as a present.”

Ienzo turns pink. “Thank you.”

Dilan smiles. “Why it is my pleasure. Go get dressed. We can leave after breakfast.”

He retreats to his room quickly. Even puts up oatmeal. “That’s kind of you,” he says.

“He needs exercise. It’s not normal to be cooped up all day.”

“Dilan spoils the boy, but I can’t?” Aeleus asks dryly. “The double standards.”

Even laughs a little. “Such is the way of life.”

He returns to his lab. He had success with another fertilization; this one actually divided twice before dying. What was the difference? He doesn’t think he did anything differently. During all of his medical school studies, he did not recall IVF to be so finicky.

This isn’t the same thing. It’s a vehicle.

He studies the corpses of the cells under blacklight, trying to find anything that might illuminate the truth.

---

Ansem approaches him now, not the other way around. Even would be lying if he said he doesn’t enjoy the power. “Sorry to intrude,” he says.

Even looks up from the chaise and decides to be nice. “Nothing to intrude. I was mending Ienzo’s coat. He’s growing so quickly, I had to let down the hem.” They can buy clothes at the shops, but not many vendors sell lab coats in children’s sizes. They’re teaching Ienzo general chemistry; he needs to have protection.

“You’re sure? He’s awfully small.”

He hums idly. “He’s on the bottom end of average,” he admits. “I have a feeling Ienzo will always be relatively petite. But he eats plenty, and Dilan introduced him to the library in town, which is an incentive to walk.”

“...He goes on his own now?” Ansem asks. He sits without being invited.

Even pauses slightly in his stitching. “How old were you when you ran your first errand?” he asks instead. “He has to be back in half an hour, otherwise we take away the books. Funny. For most children reading is punishment.” He holds up the jacket, checking for evenness. “Can I help you with something?”

He picks up the book he’s carried in. It’s an odd size, old, the cut of the paper uneven. “I… admit I still do not know anything about which you’re working. But I know you have a body problem. I wonder if this might help.”

He eyes it derisively. “Not exactly cutting edge science, is it?”

Ansem chuckles. “No, but… I’ve spoken with a new… friend, and I wonder if this is food for thought.”

Even takes the book from him. The font is ancient, hard to read. “ Mysticism of the Heart? Sounds a bit… Romantic.”

Ansem shakes his head. “It’s nothing to do with feelings. Well, not quite. The author was a sorcerer… oh, many years ago. She studied the heart.”

“...As have I. As have we all.”

“The metaphysical heart, Even.” He seems exasperated. “I find myself… intrigued, as well. I was up all night reading it.”

“...That so?” He strokes the cover, the soft, crumbling leather.

“If you… want to make something living, you have to understand the forces behind it. At least, that’s how I see it.”

“None of this is proven,” Even says, but despite himself he can feel his mind stirring, the block loosening.

“Maybe not with science. Maybe not with black and white.”

“Consider my interest… piqued.”

---

Like Ansem, he finds himself engrossed in every page; he takes copious notes. The text is hard to read, from the font to the fact that it is an older dialect of their language. But the ideas behind it are fascinating, and not just from a scientific standpoint.

Everyone knows a person is made of a body, heart, and will; but nobody understands the latter two, how they function. Nobody can test something so abstract. But if he can figure it out… or at least start to get there… maybe it will mean something for the dying cells smeared on his slides.

He can feel an excitement rising in him, an eagerness, a passion, that he hasn’t experienced in some time. He’s finally getting somewhere. He photocopies the book to have as reference, and without a word, gives it to Aeleus.

Within two weeks none of them can shut up about it. Ienzo watches them discuss it, warily, another fantasy story in his hands. Even finds himself digging through the libraries all throughout the castle for more--there has to be more. But everything else he finds about the heart is vague, at best. Limited. A single line in a dictionary. He bites the bullet and begins looking towards texts of religion and philosophy as well, but unlike Mysticism of the Heart , it is all waffling.

The sorcerer who crafted the book spent her whole life studying the heart. After apprenticing under a master magician, she spent years crafting spells to look within--to feel the heart, what it might mean. She asked as many people as she dared (it was a time and place where magic was viewed as heresy, so Even can’t help but admire her nerve) if she, too, could look within their hearts. She wrote out each as a case study, but her major conclusions were as follows:

Hearts are not mere physical matter. They are made of two forms of metamatter, heretoafter deemed “light” and “darkness.” Like yin and yang, they were not necessarily good and evil, but rather seemed to have certain qualities: light was associated with feeling, healing, and nurturing, while darkness was associated with power, knowledge, and a desire to better oneself rather than the collective.

Hearts are about “feeling”, about aqueous aspects of identity.

The presence of bonds seem to make a heart stronger or weaker, depending on their health.

Stronger individuals could always produce more and fulfill themselves more.

Even had, of course, studied darkness and light; but they had been viewed mostly as pejoratives, things that were intangible. If this is right--this dusty old tome from who knows how long ago--it’s so much more literal than they ever could have guessed.

---

He is trying to draft ways to explore this more clearly when Ienzo finds him. Without a single word, he places a book on Even’s lap. “...What’s this?” Even asks him.

“It talks about hearts.”

Even examines it. It’s a fairy story; one from Ansem’s study. He feels a swell of something like pride when he realizes that Ienzo likely took it without permission. “A fantasy story?” he asks.

Ienzo shrugs. “They talk about dark and light.”

There’s no point on waiting for him to elaborate. “I will… examine it in more detail,” he says, shunting it to the bottom of his list.

Ienzo begins to leave, but then turns. “And magic,” he says.

Even furrows his brows. Acting on impulse, he opens the storybook Ienzo left behind.

Well, hell.

---

It all causes a massive dissonance; how much lore, nebulous and malleable, actually has more truth in it than they all think?

As a man of science, and yes, he thinks, reason, how can he possibly believe it, when this whole time he only believed what could be proven with numbers?

Even’s mind slivers into pieces: the part of him invested in his experiment; the part of him beginning to play into this heart nonsense; and the part of him that looks after Ienzo. Because the boy really does need looking after.

He’s still not well--with the absence of proper treatment, he can never be well. No longer trusting only Ansem’s word, Even takes a look at his predecessor’s reports--Ansem’s office is so disorganized, he will never notice if these things go missing for a few hours--and discovers to his horror that Ansem wasn’t embellishing at all.

The shift in Radiant Garden’s economy from manufacturing to STEM brought unprecedented progress. It increased their food yields, meaning nobody went hungry; it gave them technology and medicine to save lives, to make life in general easier. But with that shift meant a loss in other ways of other studies; they became neglected. Namely, the humanities. And under these older referendums, psychology was not deemed a hard science.

The people are feeling the strain. This, on top of the cultural stigma that comes with seeking help. Not so many students are studying the subject--none that will pursue the accreditation, anyway. Meaning with a dying and retiring population of therapists, there’s increasingly nowhere to turn to.

It isn’t just psychology, either. Even doesn’t have the time to crunch the numbers, but with the arts and humanities slowly being neglected, Radiant Garden is going through a slow cultural death. It upsets him more than he thought possible.

Perhaps this is why, after one of Ienzo’s nightmares, he does more than leave him be.

It’s almost a routine at this point. It’s clear that Ienzo has no control of himself during these spells; as soon as he wakes up, he tries his utmost to quiet the cries, so as not to disturb the rest of them. More upsetting yet.

Even brings him a cup of weak tea with honey, a cool cloth for his face. “...Are you alright?” he asks the boy. He has no idea where to begin. “How do you… feel?”

Ienzo looks at him as though he couldn’t have asked a stranger question.

He tries again, feeling rapidly out of his depth. “Are you afraid?”

He sniffles. “No. I… see them.”

“In your dreams?”

“All the time.” His small hands tremble when he takes the teacup. “I know they’re… dead.”

“Yes,” Even says. “I’m sorry.”

“I don’t… remember. Except for…” He touches his shoulder. “Did I make it up? Those monsters.”

“...No.”

He considers this. “They ate them?”

Even flinches without meaning to.

Ienzo interprets this as a confirmation. “They ate them.”

“It is never… easy, to lose someone.” The ever-present ache around his heart tightens. “We’ve… tried measures, to get rid of them.” It doesn’t help that the Unversed population is almost impossible to track; but this isn’t Even’s purview. “We won’t let anyone hurt you.”

“I know,” he says.

“It’s okay to miss them,” Even says. “You know this, yes?”

Slowly, Ienzo nods. “Where are they?”

“We… had them cremated shortly afterwards. While you were recovering.”

He shakes his head, and repeats the question.

“Oh… well… there’s no clear answer.” He clears his throat. “Some people believe that they go to a heaven, or an afterworld. Others believe that their souls are reincarnated into other people, or animals. Some think that they… merely go to sleep.”

He thinks about this. “Is it peaceful?”

Even’s heart about breaks. “Yes,” he says softly. “It’s very peaceful.”

“...Okay,” he says, and shrugs. “As long as they’re okay.”

“If you would like, I can… make a space for you to mourn. With the… mortuary tablets.”

“No thank you,” he says. “I’m tired now. Good night.”

---

Even does not know how else to broach the subject, but the conversation reveals him to be something of a hypocrite. How can he possibly teach Ienzo how to grieve when he refuses to grieve his own losses?

But he can’t begin the process and not end it; it would be continual, it would take work. It would distract him for his research and possibly incapacitate him for some time. He couldn’t give in to that urge now, not when he is so close to a solution. This is what’s been missing, he’s sure. Something… that can’t be created literally. But to move forward first he needs to understand more about hearts, and how they relate to their people.

“Master? Forgive me for intruding.”

Ansem looks up at him wearily. “Oh… hello.”

“Are you alright?” he asks, without meaning to.

“I’m merely tired. I’ve got… more arguments on my hands. It’s hard to find the budget to jumpstart a mental health program without taking away other things--and none of my colleagues can stand any of my suggestions.”

“I’ve no idea why you decided to go into politics.”

“Consider me a fool for trying to enact change.” Ansem sighs. “What is it you need?”

Even folds his hands together. “I don’t need more resources, but I was hoping to… reallocate some things,” he says. “We--Aeleus and Dilan too--would like to investigate the matters of the heart more scientifically. It would mean certain projects would have to wait, but… we all feel a passion for it, and I can’t pretend that’s meaningless.”

“...Yes,” Ansem says. “I… feel the same way about it. Finding truths about life itself… would make my work feel a lot less frivolous.”

“I can draw up a budget--”

“No need.” Ansem smiles. “Do what you must.”

---

So that’s it, then.

They need a workspace, one where they could all gather. There’s space in one of the lower levels, near the castle’s CPU; the maintenance techs will not be happy to deal with their comings and goings, but Even could care less. It is a bit isolated, but that also means it will be quiet.

It has been a long time since the four of them worked together on something, since shortly after graduate placement. And truly they had never done it like this.

Dilan surveys their office space with distaste. “...Quite sterile, isn’t it? No natural light.” Aside from two offices, the space is completely open; Ienzo spends quite some time running to and fro, and as he scarcely does this, they indulge him.

“...Is it? I could rather care less about decor.” Even opens one of the boxes and gently begins unpacking his gear into a cabinet.

“I’ll bring some plants,” Aeleus says.

“Well, we have what we need; where do we begin?” Dilan asks.

“Ansem started this. Maybe he has some clue.” There’s a loud crash; Ienzo ran clean into the sharp end of one of the metal tables and clutches his knee. He does not cry, but grits his teeth in silence. “Oh, goodness. What have you done to yourself?” At least he had the good sense to place his first aid kit towards the top of the pile. He tends to the small cut. “Be careful, alright? There are more dangerous things in this room than just a table.”

He shrugs, and drops his eyes. “I got excited,” he says.

---

It is all terribly exciting. It shouldn’t feel this strange to have Ansem back in the room with them. They sit clustered around the worktables, brainstorming or trying to; Ienzo studies, supposedly working out some math problems Dilan set him.

“There must be a way to unify these two methods,” Ansem says. “The science, the magic. Why shouldn’t it be some combination of both of them?”

Dilan all but rolls his eyes. “That’s all fine and dandy, if it were not for the fact that none of us have any training.”

“Couldn’t we learn?” Aeleus asks. “The… manuscript details how these things were done.”

Dilan twists the ends of one of his braids. “...Teach a machine how to do magic,” he says slowly. “It’s so insane that it might actually work.”

“A machine?” Ansem asks.

��Well, the manuscript also mentions how exhausting such spellwork is--not to mention, how advanced. We can’t afford to wear ourselves down. Nor do we have the time to study such things for so long.”

Even thinks about it. “You may be onto something.”

---

It takes time, and it takes all of them; fall wears into winter. The castle has always been drafty and damp, but here in the basement it’s basically unbearable. They huddle around space heaters, wander around in too many layers. Dilan spends hours--weeks--poring over page after page of blueprints, trying to figure out how to make it work.

It isn’t as if Even can sneak away to try to work on his own projects, so he focuses on Ienzo. The boy isn’t perfect; he does trip up and make mistakes and occasionally can’t wrap his head around things. He has more aptitude for some subjects than others, favoring biology over chemistry and psychology over math. Even can’t help it; maybe he can’t give Ienzo the help he needs, but maybe he can give the boy the tools to eventually help himself.

Intellectually, he’s more advanced than many. But he’s still a child, with all the trappings of one. When he sees the snow on the ground, he’s tempted. So Aeleus takes him out to play. He returns delighted, pink-faced and soaked, and for the first time Even can recall he doesn’t have a nightmare.

Then he gets sick.

The castle’s something of a germ vacuum. Of course the moment Ienzo’s vulnerable something sneaks in. At first it seems merely like a cold; he sneezes over his studies, needs to be reminded to cover his mouth. Even gives him cold medicine, keeps an eye on him; all he knows is that he can feel this is something more, and his reliance on that instinct embarrasses him. When the boy begins audibly shivering Even takes him upstairs to bed. Ienzo’s fever rises dramatically--he’d forgotten how bad, how terrifying it can be in small children. Even plies him with fluids, with an antiviral. He just has to wait, to mop the poor child’s sweaty brow and hope it gets no worse.

“...How’s our patient?” Dilan asks. He carries a tray with soup for the both of them. “Don’t protest. This is for you. You’ve been up all night.”

“It’s the flu, I’m afraid.” He’s just dipped this cloth in cool water, it’s warm already. “Thank goodness he’s sleeping. He’d be miserable otherwise.”

Dilan stares down at the lump that was Ienzo, barely visible below all the blankets. “...How bad is it?”

Even checks his log; he’s been taking his temperature every two hours, in the vain hope that it’ll break sooner rather than later. “Hovering around 40.5.”

“...Goodness, that’s…”

“If it gets higher we can chance an ice bath. But I’d rather not do that if I can avoid it. He’s already so sensitive--odds are his mind would interpret the cold as pain.”

“Couldn’t you simply… put the boy to sleep?”

“As if the ice water wouldn’t wake him up?”

Dilan puts a hand to his forehead. “Forgive me… my head is rather foggy.”

“You must be exhausted.” Even rewets the rag and places it back on Ienzo’s warm little face. “Get some rest. The last thing we need is for you to get it as well.”

He nods. “Should I… call someone?”

“Like who? Dilan.” He chuckles. “I’ve seen many sick children in my day. I promise I’m qualified.”

“I know you’re close to the boy. That can cloud things.”

“...We’ll be just fine. Your concern touches me.”

He stays with Ienzo that night; Ansem comes in and out, bringing them food, blankets, tea. He makes Even go sleep for a few hours. Even hopes his own exhaustion is just that. The last thing he needs…

Ienzo’s fever drops from 40.5 to 39. An improvement, but not much of one; now instead of being asleep, he’s conscious and miserable and the cold medicine only makes him irritated. He still can barely keep anything down. Even tries not to worry--it takes much longer than two days for the flu to pass--but inside a web of anxiety is spinning, gently, what if he doesn’t get better, what if the fever suddenly worsens in the night and he seizes, isn’t there something else I can do? He almost has to force the boy to drink, considers starting an IV line. After a few hours Ienzo sleeps, fitfully, shivering hard. Despite himself, Even drifts too, jolting back into consciousness every time his head nods. He knows he should ask for someone to relieve him, at least temporarily. But who?

During one of these sleepy waves, he hears it. “Daddy?”

Even blinks hard. “It’s Even, little one. Go back to sleep.”

He takes a shaky breath, one full of phlegm. “Where is he?”

He cracks a little. “I’m sorry. He’ll be back soon.”

“He’s supposed to--” Ienzo’s reeling a little, his eyes rolling.

“What, love?”

“The song to make it go away--” He shudders, propping himself up.

“Lay back down. It’s alright.” His family must have had rituals, Even realizes, just like any other. “I can read to you, would that help?”

“Why did they leave?” His voice breaks.

“Oh, love. They didn’t want to.”

Ienzo bursts into tears. It’s not the same as the nightmare-induced panic attacks; there’s a cold sentience to this. Almost instinctively, and against his better judgement, Even draws him into his arms. He’s unsure of how Ienzo will react to the touch, but to his surprise he feels the boy clinging to him. It feels so familiar. The weight of him is almost exactly like--

Anything but that.

He tries to focus on comforting the boy, but all he can say are some variations of “it’s alright.” It seems to take a very long time for Ienzo to calm down, settling down against Even’s chest in an exhausted heap. He dares not move, lest he disturb him more.

The next thing he knows he’s waking up, the boy still asleep in his arms. As gently as Even can, he lays him back down and tucks the blanket more securely around his shoulders. He checks the boy’s fever. 38, only a touch higher than normal. They’re out of the woods. Or, he notes with a groan as he feels a sudden ache in his back, Ienzo is. He makes his way slowly out of the room and sees Dilan. “Don’t come any closer,” he warns. “I believe I’ve caught it too.”

Dilan sighs. “I’ll bring you some soup. Best get to bed.”

“...Right. Never a dull day around here, is there?”

“If only.”

He is beginning to feel the brunt of it in earnest; he shivers as he bathes no matter how warm the water, and the blankets do not seem to be enough. Dilan, in a mask, brings him medicine. Even tries to read for a while, but nothing has straight lines anymore, so he succumbs to a restless sleep.

Of course he’s aware delirium can twist the mind, can weaken it, can lower one’s defenses. That doesn’t make him prepared for the onslaught that follows. He can see their faces clear as day as desperately as he tried to forget them--he can hear their voices--

Dad, look! Look, I got it! The boy, hanging determinedly from a set of monkey bars.

Please be careful--oh, love--

Even, kids get hurt. Let him have his fun.

He ran out of time. He should’ve been with him. If he’d’ve been there maybe none of this would’ve happened. They’d still be--

Officers in deep blue uniforms--

An electrical failure--

Transformer blew--the place likely went up in minutes.

They probably didn’t feel much of anything.

He wasn’t there, making his imagination work all the harder--did they cry? Were they together when it happened, holding one another? Did they think of him? It has to have been awful--to feel oneself be torn apart--no matter how quickly it happens--

Something cool pats his face, bringing him almost, but not quite, to consciousness. He feels horrifically nauseous. “Go back to sleep,” says the voice.

“I have to… check on him,” he mumbles.

“Ienzo’s doing much better. His fever broke. You, on the other hand--” A wry chuckle. A sound like woodsmoke.

Smoke? “I should’ve--”

“Nonsense. You took excellent care of him. Now you must look after yourself.”

“He could’ve fallen.”

“Ienzo’s going nowhere.”

Even’s feeling increasingly woozy. “He feels like him. Why did you do this to me?” And then it’s happening, he’s crying again, a sensation that physically hurts. He feels a hand on his back above the blankets.

“Why do you feel you must suffer alone?”

Darkness, for a long time. When he wakes he still feels horrid, but at least things are beginning to sharpen again. His head’s pounding, and his muscles feel like lead. He groans a little when he tries to prop himself up.

“Even?”

His head snaps up; the sudden movement worsens the pain. “You should go, you needn’t see this.”

Ansem looks exhausted. His hair is unkempt, his beard needs trimming, and the circles under his eyes are nearly comical. “You’re too unwell to take care of yourself. I was near Ienzo, so if I’m already infected, no point exposing the others.” He pours Even a glass of water and hands him a few pills. “Your fever’s not so terrifyingly high, but you were quite delirious for a while.”

“I am… aware.” He scowls. He’s so thirsty. The moment he sets down his empty glass, Ansem gets more. He’s dragged a chair to Even’s bedside; it’s here Ansem sits.

“I wish to have… a word,” he says, with difficulty.

“While I’m essentially a captive audience? Not very sportsmanlike, is it?”

“Well quite bluntly otherwise you’d flee. Because you’ve been avoiding it like the plague.”

Even lays back down with a huff.

Ansem scratches his beard. “Kick and scream, I don’t care. We’ll chalk it up to your illness. You’re clearly suffering. Pushing it away isn’t going to make it any easier. You’re living in a state of quasi-denial where everything’s fine. Everything needn’t be fine, Even.”

“You think this is denial?”

Ansem looks him in the eye. “Yes. I do. The longer you put it off, the more you don’t have to face the fact that your life is forever changed, that your residence in the castle is no longer a temporary one. You have to grieve them, Even. It’s been almost two years.”

He looks up at the ceiling. The dome light, a moth flickering around it agitatedly. “...Has it been that long already?” he asks. “I… hadn’t realized.” He’s again exhausted but can’t find the energy to be angry.

Mostly because Ansem’s right.

He feels Ansem’s warm, dry hand slide over his. “I do not expect you to be the same. But I would like you to let me help you.”

“What could you possibly do for me?”

“Listen.”

“With all your free time?”

“Even.”

He exhales shakily.

“Bonds can make a heart stronger,” Ansem says. “That’s what you need right now.”

How very like him, to frame it in context with Even’s work. “Where would I even begin?”

“You mentioned that Ienzo feels the same.”

It’s hard to breathe. “...Yes,” he says. “They’re about the same size. He was, rather. My son.” Saying it feels like getting stabbed. It’s easier not to look at Ansem, so he doesn’t.

“I… remember. But he never had an aptitude for the sciences. A gentle soul, that one.”

“Incredibly. Dare I say it, too fragile to last very long. Almost like we were tempting…” He trails off.

“...Fate? Even, I thought you didn’t believe in such things.”

“Ansem, I’m not certain of anything anymore.”

“...That’s quite alright.”

“I had wanted to make things better.”

“It’s not too late.”

“It always will be, for them.” He closes his eyes. “As for me…” He doesn’t know what else to say. “Other than my work, truly…”

“What is there to live for?”

“...I’m frightfully pathetic.”

“No. You’re in pain.” He adjusts his grip on Even’s hand. “Closing yourself off to the world won’t heal your heart.”

“I suppose it won’t.” It’s an emotion he’s unsure of, fragile and pale. “Why is it you care?”

“Even, I’ve known you since university. I’ve seen your brightness, your hope. I know you can find it again.”

“I’m afraid your certainty must be enough for the both of us.”

“I will try my best.”

---

He feels a bit different after the sickness, like he’s shifted a bit to the left. It takes a while to regather his strength, physically and otherwise. He spends this intellectually useless time with Ienzo, in the large library; the boy can’t seem to believe there are so many books. The excitement of it soothes Even. He wishes he could feel the same, that he could go back to the point where he, too, saw so much wonder.

Truthfully, other than his size, Ienzo bears no resemblance to his son. That child was an artful soul, constantly drawing; Ienzo never picks up a marker unless it is to write. That child loved to play; Ienzo would much rather read and seek stimulation more quietly. Were he older, Even thinks, Ienzo might have been a peer to himself. He surely must eventually go to university, to meet more people his age like him. Scientists are poor excuses for friends.

“So that’s him? Cute kid.”

The voice startles him; his heart jolts unpleasantly. He turns and sees a man he can only vaguely recognize, in the castle’s deep blue guard uniform; his short dark hair is slicked back, and a red kerchief covers his collar, breaking protocol for sure. “I’m sorry, can I help you?”

The man puts a hand on his hip. “Heard you guys are cooking up a project, and could use the extra help around here.” He sticks out his white-gloved hand. “Name’s Braig. We’ve met.”

Even glances briefly back at Ienzo, who has barely moved. Braig’s glove is a little dirty, and after he shakes his hand he makes a note to wash his own as soon as possible. “Then surely I needn’t introduce myself. That boy over there’s Master Ansem’s ward, Ienzo.”

“Figured. Everyone’s been talking about him.” Braig observes him for a moment. “You’re Ansem’s right hand man, aren’t you?”

“Master Ansem,” Even corrects. “And I’m one of his science officers, if that’s what you’re referring to.”

The man shrugs. “So then why are you on babysitting duty?”

Even takes a breath to compose himself. Braig’s manner is most unbecoming to a supposedly-stoic castle guard. “I assist with the boy’s education,” he says instead.

Braig chuckles. “If you want to call it that.”

He tries to bite down on his temper. “Don’t you need to return to your rounds?” he asks, politely.

He shrugs. “I’m off the clock. Just taking a look at my new digs. Only saw it briefly during orientation, which was a lot longer ago that I want to admit.”

So he doesn’t even have newness as an excuse for this behavior. “I see,” he says distastefully.

“Can I introduce myself to the kid? Don’t want to freak him out if I’m going to be around.”

Even blanches. He hates to admit Braig has a point; Ienzo needs to be familiar with those around him. “...He is rather shy. Don’t be surprised if he simply ignores you.”

Braig shrugs. “Eh, I’ve had worse.” He approaches him slowly. There’s something lazy, almost cat-like, about the way he moves. Even watches him warily. “Hey, kiddo. Whatcha reading? Doesn’t look like a whole lot of fun.”

Ienzo looks up at his assailant with an expression of dull disappointment.

“Name’s Braig. One of the castle guards. ‘Fraid you’re going to be seeing this ugly mug a lot.”

“Okay,” is all Ienzo says. He goes back to his reading. Braig crosses back over to the door.

“Not a people person, I guess,” he says. “Be seeing you, Even.”

Even bristles when Braig doesn’t use his title. “With all due politeness, if we’re to work together you must be respectful.”

Braig smirks a little. “Sure thing, Doctor. ” When he leaves, his tread is nearly soundless. Even sighs a little out of frustration.

“Ienzo? We must go get some lunch.”

“I’m not hungry,” he says, turning the page.

“You lost weight when you were ill. The last thing we need is for you to get sick again.”

---

“...I admit he’s… a character,” Dilan says, his lip curling.

“Is there no one else?” Even asks. “If this is to be the constant, I wish for it to be someone who’s… more in line with decorum.”

“Ansem does not seem to mind,” Dilan remarks. He looks pale, the skin under his eyes the color of a bruise. Even’s not sure which cup of coffee he’s on, but he’s also sure he doesn’t want to know.

“I understand the… trepidation,” Aeleus says slowly. He searches through the tome he’s holding slowly. “I worked in tandem with him for some time. Braig is very experienced, and the people like him. That’s not for nothing. Have you truly never met?”

Even feels his face reddening. “Not that I can recall.”

Dilan chuckles. “Perhaps he’ll respect you if you respect him.”

“Of course his labor is valuable.”

“...Not what I said.”

“How are things going?” Even asks instead.

He takes off his reading glasses and rubs at the bridge of his nose. “Feels I’m running a fool’s errand,” Dilan admits. “I consulted with the wizard Merlin, as Master advised, yet…” He digs something out of his pocket and sets it on the table between the three of them; it’s a blistered, patinated bit of scrap metal, its edges splintered. “This is all that’s left of my prototype.”

Ienzo hops down from his chair to investigate. He reaches up to the table to take the piece of metal, his arm too short to reach the center of the table.

“No, child, that’s quite sharp,” Dilan says.

“I just want to look at it,” Ienzo says, with a hint of a whine. Aeleus hefts the boy onto his knee. He peers through the curtain of hair at the metal. “Not aluminum.” He pronounces it like “lumininum.” Even corrects him gently.

“No. It’s… it was an alloy,” Dilan says.

He shakes his head. “Needs to be something flexible.”

They are all silent for several moments; Ienzo cocks his head slightly.

Dilan scoffs a little to himself. “The boy’s right. Good on you, Ienzo.”

Ienzo beams at the praise, revealing his missing front teeth--the milk teeth fell out some two weeks prior.

Dilan drums his fingers on the table. “But if not metal, then what?”

Ienzo shrugs. “Master says gummy.”

Even raises an eyebrow. “What, rubber?”

“Gummy,” he repeats, slowly, as if that makes it any clearer.

“Ienzo, we’ve no idea what you’re talking abou--”

He turns red. “That’s what his friend says!” He’s almost yelling. Ienzo’s temper is a new development.

Aeleus rubs his shoulders gently. “Calm down and think about what you need to say,” he suggests.

He’s tearing up, sniffling in frustration. It’s clear Ienzo occasionally has difficulty stringing together his thoughts, especially as he becomes more verbal. “His friend, his friend speaked about it--”

“Spoke,” Dilan corrects.

Aeleus tucks a strand of gray hair behind the boy’s ear. “What about this friend?”

Even’s almost sure the conversation’s meaningless until Ienzo says, “His friend has a star. He’s little, not like me. And he has a…” He shapes something with his hands, something long and thin.

Aeleus offers him a pencil and some graphing paper. “Why don’t you try drawing it?”

The boy begins sketching dutifully, the lines messy. It looks almost like a sword, or a bat, but he adds something to the tip of it, something like--

Even’s heart all but stops, and from the looks on Aeleus’s and Dilan’s faces, theirs do too. “Are you… quite sure of what you saw?” Even asks gently. Ienzo is not a particularly imaginative child, but this seems more plausible than the truth on the paper in front of them.

He nods. “I see… I saw it.”

There, in the horrible fluorescent lighting, is a drawing of a Keyblade.

---

There are so many thoughts going through Even’s mind, he doesn’t know how to keep track of them. He honestly isn’t sure if he feels sick or exhilarated.

They always thought that Keyblades were legend. But considering Ansem’s fascination with other worlds… Has he, privately, tried to contact them?

Is Ienzo merely lying?

The boy is not a liar, but it makes so much more sense if Even believes he is. Well, there’s one simple solution to all this. He may make a fool of himself, but he has to pursue this feeling.

During a break in Ansem’s schedule, he goes to see him. He considers bringing Ienzo too, as a sort of collateral, but Aeleus is in the middle of a biology quiz, and Even knows how busy Ansem gets.

He feels breathless, and sweaty. “I must have a word.”

Ansem’s head snaps up. “My friend! Are you alright? Please, sit.”

He does, sinking first down onto a pile of files before he remembers to remove them. Ansem pours some water from a decanter and hands it to him. Even watches the light refract off of the crystal glass, trying to gather his nerve. “You had Ienzo in on a meeting,” Even says.

Ansem looks more confused than anything. “I never involve him in city work.”

“A visitor, then? Some friend of yours?” He sounds a bit wheezy. “The boy is either… telling tales, or you’ve been up to something.”

Ansem hesitates, and this hesitation tells Even everything he needs to know. “I did not intend for Ienzo to be there, but he just so happened to arrive when--”

“Who?”

Ansem sighs heavily. It’s a sound of getting caught.

---

Forty-five minutes later, Even has a splitting headache. He may, he reckons, be going completely insane.

Apparently out of the blue one day a mouse king arrived from another world, teleported willy-nilly via something he called a “star shard.” Even does not know how to begin unpacking this. Mouse? Child-sized, sentient, speaking their language? And of course Ansem immediately started asking him about this--the two spent some hours talking about their worlds, the commonalities, the differences. Which of course Ansem kept to himself. Only then the mouse (mouse!) king returned, during one of Ansem’s tutoring sessions with Ienzo. This time he brought books, books from this other world, and some aqueous cubes of material he calls “gummi blocks.” And he was very pleased to tell Ansem he’d become a Keyblade master.

What in the world is going on? Nobody has ever believed Keyblades were real , and here the proof is in the pudding, so to speak. It’s all true, which makes Even feel even more mad; it seems like everything he’s learned is a lie.

In it all, a glint of hope.

Ansem lends him the books. Here there’s more information about light and darkness--well-reasoned studies proving, more than anything, that it’s a whole lot more literal than any of them have ever thought, and provides them with building blocks on how to seek it out in the environment.

The gummi material is exactly as alien as Even thought; immensely mutable, easily replicable. He spends hours subjecting the stuff to tests--extreme heat, liquid nitrogen, stress, impact, gravity. It can hold shape with ease, hardening to become like glass, its texture scrambling to become whatever they urge it to conform to. And it seems to be extremely durable.

“Something flexible,” Dilan says with awe. “This must be what Ienzo meant.”

It seems to be exactly what they need to move forward with their research. Now that he knows he’s not suffering a mental breakdown, the possibilities excite Even, actually make it difficult to sleep at night.

They create something like a pod, with the hope of being able to isolate the light from the darkness. They need something living, to study; they examine mice, reptiles, insects. While these things do seem to carry light and darkness in their own way, they also lack hearts--the real, intangible, metaphysical hearts. The proper thing to do would be to study people. The machine seems to do no harm to the lesser animals, but the moment humanity comes into it, it gets intensely more complicated.

“It will take… quite some doing,” Ansem admits. “You have to create a risk impact statement, and that statement has to pass the board of ethics. And I need it to. I will not have anyone getting hurt. We know so little about these forces.”

“Of course we will obtain informed consent,” Even says. “We merely wish to examine them, and to ask them questions about the more… mythical things. Like bonds, or memories. How do we measure these things? We can only figure it out by gathering data.”

“I warn you, this may take some time,” Ansem says. He crosses his legs, looking towards the machines--Dilan has made two more. “The typical amount of time it takes things to pass the board is six months--something like this? Perhaps longer.”

Even curses his own lack of foresight. He should have drafted something earlier, before they got swept in this nonsense, to avoid these roadblocks. But who, says a small voice inside of him, would really stop them? Who would inspect them? After all, this would all be so harmless. “...Of course.”

“I will try my best to force it past them--but they must carry out their own studies, and observations. The people have a right to know what happens at this castle. Especially if it may-- however nebulously--impact them.” He closes his eyes for a moment. “I’m sure you have other things to pursue in the meantime.”

“I suppose I could… spend some more time on Ienzo’s education. I fear in all this excitement it’s been rather neglected.”

He smiles, but it’s tired. “I’m sure the boy learns much more than you think merely being around you.”

“It was his idea to use the gummi blocks,” Even admits. “I think he intuited their use before we even experimented on them.”

Ansem stares at him. “Is that true?”

“Children often have fresh, blunt perspectives,” he says. He goes to adjust the band in his hair, but again, the elastic breaks against his fingers. “...Blast.”

Ansem chuckles. “If it bothers you so much, cut it.”

“It is rapidly getting to that point.” He takes the band and tries to tie it around the mass. It holds, barely. “As I was saying. Ienzo’s intellect here pairs well with that freshness. He can see things we’re too stubborn to see, in a way far less complex.”

Ansem twirls a pen. “Would it do him good to continue to observe your work? Does he enjoy it?”

Even thinks. “I believe so. It started this way out of necessity--if he’s not with you, he’s with one of us, and this is where we’ve all been.”

“If it’s as harmless as you say… I see no reason why it shouldn’t continue. So long as he still gets sunlight, and the like.”

---

For a while they all slip into a sort of lull. Even takes Ienzo to town with him, hoping to enroll him into some sort of activity that would encourage him to make friends; but the stimuli of the city actually reduces Ienzo to tears, and Even ends up carrying the boy home. It’s strange; Ienzo’s always been able to make it to the library, but the library isn’t in the dead center of town. He puts him to bed, lays a cool cloth over his eyes. “We can try again when you’re ready,” he says softly.

Soon, though, Ienzo disappears again, for more than his usual trip to the town library. Even tries to be more rational about it this time--the boy probably lost track of the hours--and he finds he doesn’t have to go very far. He’s merely in the square, near a blonde teenage boy wearing odd clothing (the fashions these days). He must’ve been bringing Ienzo home. “Ah, there you are. Didn’t I warn you not to wander off, child?” Ienzo gives a small shrug. He turns to the blond boy. “I see we owe you our thanks. We have done our best to raise the boy, since his poor parents are not here to do it.”

The teenager stares down at Ienzo. “Oh, you’re on your own, huh?” Then, to Even--”Sir, I’m looking for a friend of mine. He’s a tall guy dressed kinda like me. Have you seen him?”

Even would not have expected such politeness from someone dressed so. But he knows a gaggle of teenagers gathers on the outskirts of town. “Perhaps I did see him in the outer gardens. Just follow this road.”

“Thank you.” Something about this boy’s face is familiar. Who knows--such kindness and eagerness to protect might make a good guard out of him.

Even smiles a little. “No, thank you, for keeping Ienzo out of harm’s way.” He pauses. “And… well, let’s just say I have a feeling we are destined to cross paths again.”

The boy seems unsure of how to respond. They part on that note. Even notices a sudden vacantness in Ienzo’s eyes.

“How kind of that young man to bring you home,” he says. “Then again, I suppose everyone knows who you are.”

“No,” Ienzo says.

“No, what?”

He looks up. He squeezes his shoulder once. “Nothing. It was by chance. Do you think you’ll meet him again?”

He blinks. “I think anything’s possible. Don’t you?”

---

He’s finally fallen deeply, blessedly asleep one night several weeks later when he’s being woken. Aeleus, urgent and flushed. “We need you,” he says.

“What? This late? Why?”

“It’s Ienzo.”

He doesn’t bother putting on his formal clothes and follows Aeleus in his dressing gown. The air’s cool, dry; it smells like ozone. Even notes that outside it’s storming. They go down to the new lab. Even can taste his heartbeat, knowing all too well that nothing good has happened here. Braig, of all people, is cradling the boy; he’s in an odd state of quasi-consciousness. Even notices for the first time that the man’s wearing an eye patch, one he most certainly did not have several weeks ago. What did that miscreant do? Well, it’s not important now.

“I was doing my rounds down here when I saw him,” Braig begins. “I asked the kid what he was doing but he just stared at me. He was standing over there--” Braig points to one of the machines. Aeleus darts over to investigate. “I dunno. He started breathing all funny and then dropped like a sack of potatoes.” He lays Ienzo down so Even can examine him. His pulse is elevated, and he’s nearly hyperventilating. A finger of panic threatens to overtake Even, but he swallows it down.

“What is it, Aeleus?” Even hedges.

“Come here,” Aeleus says in an odd voice.

“I’m tending to Ienzo, Aeleus, he needs--”

“You really have to see this.”

Braig shakes his head. “I’ll keep an eye on the kid,” he says.

Shakily, Even joins Aeleus. Instantly he can tell what overtook Ienzo; the strong scent of chlorine gas makes his eyes water before he can turn away. The ventilation is good enough that it shouldn’t affect the rest of them now; but for a small child, one good lungful is enough. A hole has been burned clean through the ersatz gummi glass; something’s a molten lump inside, pinkish and still smoldering. More alarming than this, though, are the thin purplish tendrils rising from it.

“Chemical smoke?” Aeleus asks.

Even knows this is not the case. He isn’t sure how he knows--it’s just a certainty deep inside.

The gummi block drips darkness.

---

He tells Aeleus to put on protective gear and seal the block somewhere safe so they can observe it. Meanwhile, he has more important things to deal with. He brings Ienzo to the med bay, decontaminates him in case the chlorine got on any other parts of his body, and starts him on oxygen. He does not need to be intubated, thank the stars, but it takes much too long for his breathing to sound less labored. In all this, the poor boy falls asleep.

He sees Ansem’s face peeking in through the glass panel on the door, but he doesn’t dare intrude until Even gives his approval. He rushes over to Ienzo, pulls him close; Even’s shocked to see a tear run down his face. Once he seems to assure himself the boy’s stable, he turns to Even, danger in his rust-colored eyes.

“A word,” is all he says. A command, not a question.

Even stands and glances over towards the bed.

“Aeleus will keep an eye on him. Come.”

Even follows several paces behind, his heart pounding dread. Once they’re well out of earshot, in the breezeway, Ansem speaks, his back turned to Even, his hands held behind. None of the affable friendliness of their normal interactions--no longer just Ansem, but Ansem the Wise, King of Radiant Garden.

Very well.

“This must not continue,” Ansem says. His voice is soft, and low, barely audible above the rain pattering loudly on the crystal ceiling.

“Do not blame this on me. The boy went down there on his own.”

“Of course he did! He’s a child, a curious one. We’ve done nothing but enable him, and now we’ve put him in danger.” Ansem looks over his shoulder. “I forbid him from observing this research any longer, at least until he’s old enough to understand consequence. I figured that you of all people would know better.”

It feels like a barb, rendering Even’s retort useless. He doesn’t catch his breath for a full moment. His heart is full of ice. “What are we to do, then? Have him under lock and key? Am I to keep twenty-four hour surveillance on him?”

“I mean you need to be careful.”

“I am nothing but careful.” He should feel enraged, but all he feels is a strange, cool distance. “We are all careful with him. Moreover…” A breath. “He’s your son. We did not collectively agree to raise him. If you’re so concerned about his wellbeing, perhaps you should have a more active role in his life. I can’t do everything, Ansem.”

He turns. Even holds firm.

“You prattle on about my recovery, and yet, you’ve no idea of the weight of the responsibility you’ve placed on me.”

“You think I do not know responsibility? ” There’s a sharpness to his tone Even’s never heard before.

“Abstractly, yes, of course. But when faced with it in the flesh, you--”

There’s a splitting crack outside, a crack of thunder; a shockwave cracks the crystal window closest to Ansem, and they both jump. “What on earth?” Ansem spits. “Even--dear god, look out the window.”

The sky is swarming with darkness--luminous pink and violet and black tendrils. “We must get inside.”

“Get Ienzo. Go somewhere safe, all of you. Go. ”

“Don’t tell me you’re going to go out in this?”

“Even, I must see what’s to be done. The people may be in danger.”

He takes a breath. Be careful, he nearly says. “...Alright.”

Ienzo’s conscious when he gets back to the room.

“What’s happening?” Aeleus asks.

“I’ve no idea. The three of us are going down to my lab. There’s--” He feels Ienzo’s eyes on him. “Something’s going on outside. A bad storm. Best keep away from windows. No need to worry.”

Aeleus knows he’s lying for Ienzo’s benefit. “Can you walk?” he asks the boy. “You know what? Here.” He hefts him into his arms. “You’ll soon be too old to be carried around, yes? Might as well enjoy this small luxury.”

They go together, Even carrying the oxygen tank. Ienzo still seems limp, tired, though his eyes betray something else happened down there. What on earth had the boy done? Melted down a gummi block? But how? Nothing Even did to them had that reaction. Something that resulted in a production of chlorine… unless the gas the melting block emitted simply seemed like chlorine? They do not truly know what the blocks are made of, just that they can make themselves into any substance.

And how did it produce darkness in its rawest form?

Ienzo’s staring at him, so he tries to smile. “You, little one, are in a lot of trouble,” he says jovially. “What were you doing in the lab on your own? You know it’s not safe! It’s a good thing Braig found you. You could’ve gotten sick.”

Ienzo says nothing. Again, he’s limp against Aeleus, but his breathing’s not audible and his pulse feels more or less normal, all things considering.

“We will talk about this,” Even says to him sternly. “Once you’ve rested.”

In the lab, they rest the boy on Even’s cot, the one he uses when he’s simply too exhausted to walk all the way back. He tucks the blanket around the boy’s shoulders. “Try to get some sleep.” He sits with Ienzo until the boy’s drifted off. The thunder’s much quieter here, but still, to the listening ear, audible--even through all the stone.

Aeleus wordlessly hands him a cup of coffee and nods his head towards the supply pantry. Even follows him inside and shuts the door most of the way. "Have you any idea what this is?" Aeleus whispers.

"I… almost feel as if I imagined it," Even says in an equally soft voice. "The sky was full of color--of darkness. But I don't know--where would it have come from? We've no idea what so much of it can do--the myths all point to destruction. I was told to come here with you and protect the boy." He feels his lips curl into a sneer. "And of course I must follow orders."

Aeleus sighs. "He blames you?"

"Of course he does. I'm afraid I lost my temper."

"I'd be surprised if you didn't."

"We have to figure out whatever Ienzo was doing," Even says. He fusses with the dry ends of his hair. "Not just for his safety… for our research. And why he decided to do this on his own."

"He likes independence," Aeleus says simply.

"Well. There's plenty of time for him to be independent when he's older--"

"Even?" They hear him call from the other room.

He crosses over to Ienzo; he's fiddling with the oxygen mask, unable to get it off of his face.

"Little one, you should leave that on. You breathed in some nasty business."

He blushes, then admits, embarrassed, "I need the washroom."

"Oh--of course." Even takes it off, points to the door where it could be found. "But it goes on the moment you're through."

They wait for him. Aeleus pulls a puzzle charm out of his pocket and begins working on it. "Can't solve this one. I've been on it for weeks."

"You and your games."

"It keeps the mind limber. You should keep neuroplasticity in mind. We're at the age where we begin to lose such things."

Even looks into his half-drained coffee cup. "I'll ignore what you're implying," he says.

Aeleus chuckles.

It seems like Ienzo's been gone a long time; is his stomach upset? Even debates for a moment or so on checking in. Or--more insidiously--was he overtaken again by faintness? He can't help himself; he knocks on the closed door. "Ienzo? Are you alright?" He hears what sounds like muffled breaths. "You sound like you can't breathe, child." It's the silence that worries him. "I'm sorry, I'm coming in."

He finds Ienzo curled opposite the toilet, rocking a little. If Even hasn't seen this before, he'd figure it does have to do with his breathing. He kneels down next to him. "That was scary, yes?" He says gently. "You're safe now." He flinches away from Even's touch for the first time in a long while. "Ienzo?"

He's sobbing a little, a sound that hurts to hear.

"It's safe here," he reasserts, only to immediately be contradicted by the loudest peal of thunder yet; they both jump, and Ienzo continues to shudder. "It's merely a storm."

It takes a long time for the boy to calm. He's shivering; Even drapes his robe over him, but it doesn't seem to do much good. He wants to go get a blanket, or better, get the boy back to the cot, but he's also unsure of leaving him alone. He's on the verge of asking for Aeleus to get it for him when he hears a small "I'm sorry."

"Oh, child, it's alright."

He shakes his head. He uncurls a little, revealing that he's wet himself.

"No matter. Happens to the best of us. I'll get something clean for you to change into, yes?" Privately, he's concerned; how deeply shaken was Ienzo, in order for this to happen? He goes to prop himself up, only to feel a small hand grab at his. "I promise I'll be right back. Aeleus is nearby. You're safe."

Aeleus does give him an odd look; all Even does is shake his head and press a finger to his lips to tell him not to speak of it.

“I need to go get a few things,” he says instead. “Wouldn’t hurt to check on the situation, either. Perhaps we can go back upstairs, to bed. I’m exhausted. I’m sure you are too.”

Aeleus shrugs. “We’ll be here.”

It seems like a very long walk back upstairs to their residences, but it isn’t. Even’s endlessly troubled; first and foremost to what is obviously a trauma response in the boy, and also to the unearthly cataclysm going on outside. Never, as long as he’s been alive, can he recall ever experiencing something like this. Radiant Garden is prone to violent outbreaks of wind, but only in the winter. Climate change is the only thing he can think of, but they moved away from harsh fuels long ago--before he was even born. And truly carbon dioxide cannot cause this.

And why is this happening only after they’ve had contact with an outside world?

Even gathers some dry pajamas and a blanket from Ienzo’s bedroom, and one for himself and Aeleus while he’s at it. He hopes that, wherever Dilan is, he’s safe. Dilan may be occasionally foolhardy, but at least he’s practical. He chances a glance out the windows in his quarters. To his immense relief, the sky is no longer dark in that abnormal way--the rain now seems normal. But is it only temporary?

Where is Ansem in all this?

He returns back to the others. “Things seemed to have calmed,” he says to Aeleus. Ienzo still appears to be hiding in the bathroom, door cracked slightly. “I’m sure you’d rather be in your own bed,” he adds, for Ienzo. He hands him the dry clothes through the crack and gives him privacy. Aeleus bobs his head towards this, and Even just shakes his head. After a moment Ienzo emerges, his face flushed with embarrassment. “Shall we go?” he asks the child. He nods.

Even is finally able to put the child to bed, and insists he wears the oxygen, at least until morning.

“I know it’s not very comfortable, but humor me,” he says. “You’ll feel better for it.”

Ienzo clings tightly to his small stuffed cat, a relic from his parents’ home. “It hurts,” he says, his voice muffled through the mask.

“What does?”

“The… the noise,” he says. “I can--” He glances towards the window.

“The thunder?” It becomes a little clearer; he’s sensitive enough as it is, all of the noise must have been internalized as pain. “It’s rain now, little one. Hear how it’s letting up?”

“I… I heard …”

“What did you hear?”

“Someone was angry. Screaming.”

“In the lab?”

He shakes his head. “In the sky?”

The darkness? Has the boy sensed it? Is it possible? More likely, this is part of that same trauma.“Is it still happening?” Even asks.

“No,” the boy admits.

“Perhaps you had a nightmare. You know how those bleed into reality sometimes.”

“It wasn’t ,” he insists, with more anger. Then, “Darkness.”

Even exhales. “Let me look into this for you. It’s possible you’re sensitive to it. In the meantime, you have to rest. Things will be clearer in the morning.”

“Believe me?” Ienzo asks.

“Of course I do, little one.” He squeezes his hand. “And should you need to get out of bed, you can take the mask off by pulling this tab.” He stands.

“Can you leave the lamp on?” he asks.

He tries to smile. “...Certainly.”

He knows he needs to sleep as well. It’s getting light out at this point, and the covers of his bed feel heavy, nearly alien. Even drifts for a while, fighting the worry that’s swelling in his chest, only to be fully roused by the soft creak of the door opening. He huffs. “Can’t a man have an hour’s worth of peace?” he asks.

Ansem is standing there, soaked to the skin, his red stole hanging limply against his jacket. “I apologize,” he says. “I wouldn’t ask for your assistance if it weren’t warranted.”

Even could do without his tone. “What is it now?”

“Dilan and Braig found a boy--a young man--in the square. Seems to be injured and reeling.”

“And? Can’t he go to the hospital like everyone else?”

Ansem frowns. “We believe he arrived with the storm.”

Despite himself, it all makes sense--he read however nebulous about darkness’s ability to transmute, to transport. “I will dress and be there shortly.”

The young man’s about eighteen, and unconscious. They found him facedown in a pool of rainwater in the square. One of them has changed him into dry clothing. Braig and Dilan hover nearby; Dilan exhausted, Braig vaguely pained. Even examines him and notes that aside from some a few nasty scratches that require stitches, he seems to be alright. His hair isn’t gray like Ienzo’s, but a much more violent shade of silver; his eyes, when Even opens them, are a glistening gold. But the young man won’t wake. “Well he has no brain injury,” Even says. “No fever. I’m not sure why he won’t rouse. Was he conscious at all?”

Ansem sighs. “But for a moment.”

“Did he say anything? Did he give a name?”

He looks towards the young man. “Xehanort.”

#beyond this existence: atonement #even (kingdom hearts)#ienzo #ansem the wise #aeleus #dilan #beyond this existence

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ghostboy-gamedev · 4 years

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Learn Log #3 - GUI

This week I studied various elements of Graphical User Interfaces (GUI) including text, logos, buttons and cursors. For practice, I made a mock-up of a fantasy RPG menu which turned out alright. Apologies for the late post. I was a bit busy this past week. Hopefully this doesn’t cause a delay in next week’s post but we’ll have to wait and see!

Text and Font

To practice my font making skills, this week, I tried to make readable fonts in the smallest sizing possible. My reasoning behind this is letters might be read in large passages of text, so a smaller size will likely be required – especially for small menu spaces such as inventories.

Above was my first attempt which used 3x4 pixel letters. While many of the characters were recognisable, a good number were not. The ‘M’ and ‘W’ were utterly unreadable, and some of the characters were difficult to read, like ‘S’ and ‘X’. I decided to move up to a 4x5 size.

With this slightly larger size, I attempted to make both uppercase and lower case letters, most of which worked pretty well. While most characters such as the ‘S’, ‘E’, ‘3’, ‘Z’ and so forth benefited from the extra pixel in the Y-axis – characters were still needed an extra pixel along the X-axis. Characters such as ‘M’ and ‘W’ were still basically unreadable, and characters such as ‘T’ and ‘I’ were difficult to align along the even number of pixels. To fix this, I moved up to 5x5.

Finally! I have successful ‘M’s and ‘W’s! From this test, I really think that there are a few principals for creating nice fonts. 1) If you know or unsure about if the letters ‘M’ and ‘W’ are involved then make the canvas size for each letter at least 5 pixels wide. The same can go for characters like ‘S’ with regards to height. 2) Make the canvas size an odd number along the X-axis to better align specific letters.

With this last font set, I was also able to size the canvas for different types of characters differently. Capital letters occupied the full 5x5 canvas, lowercase letters occupied a 3x4 canvas (except for the ‘M’ and ‘W’ which had to be 5x4), and numbers and symbols filled a 3x5 canvas. I did this so readers could better distinguish between uppercase and lowercase letters, and similar characters like ‘O’ and ‘0’. I’ll have to see what it’s like an actual game later, but I think it’ll be a pretty useful trick.

I do think I will be able to make larger fonts than this and size them down in the Unity engine. Even if this is the case, I think this worked pretty well as practice within tricky boundaries.

Logos

I think logos and titles are pretty crucial to a game. They plaster the cover and main menu of the screen, and I’m sure we can all think of a few memorable logos we’ve seen in games. So, now that I’d practised making text I wanted to make a banner logo for my Itch.io page. The first thing I did was a little sketching on paper before converting it to a small pixel art concept, as shown below.

The recommended banner size for Itchi.io is about 900px wide. I was not going to start here, so I decided to do my rough draft at 45x26 and detail it as I scale up. I made this draft by implementing the concepts I really wanted first and building around that. I knew I wanted to include the ‘S’ wrapped around the ‘T’, so I started there and worked my way through the logo. I also wanted to include a little ghost, so I left a space for it in the bottom left corner. Next, I wanted to add some detail and hollow out the letters, so they were white with a black outline. This is useful as it means the letters are both white and black, allowing the logo to be read on dark and light backgrounds.

To add the detail, I scaled up the previous logo by 400%. This allowed me to round out the edges and create a nice ‘blocky-but-smooth’ look. I also adjusted the ‘G’, ‘T’ and ‘S’. The original ‘S’ and ‘T’ combo made the ‘S’ seem a little bit strange, but this new version was a lot better. With the hollowed out ‘G’ I made it seem like it was beneath the ‘H’ which I thought was a nice effect. I left one of the ends of the ‘Y’ very blocky to make it seem like it had been interrupted by the T. At this point the logo was 180x104, so I scaled it up by 500% to reach 900x520 before adding more detail.

If someone were to ask me, ‘Hey, should I make a 900x520 pixel art logo dealing round edges and circles?’ I would slap them. In fact, I’ve slapped myself because I did precisely this, and it took ages. At smaller sizes, circles can easily be adjusted, viewed, or manipulated to trick the viewer into thinking they are looking at a round edge. When you need to make 4 circles, the largest being 220x220 this becomes insanely difficult. Looking back on this issue I definitely should have used anti-aliasing - I completely forgot about it if I’m honest. The ‘O’s didn’t even come out looking that great. They look quite boxy – definitely should have used anti-aliasing. I have regrets.

Luckily the other letters turned out much better. I did adjust the ‘Y’ also as previously the logo read ‘Ghosty Boy’ rather than ‘Ghost Boy’. This did make the canvas 840x520, but I don’t think it’ll be a noticeable change. I’m pretty happy with it, especially after all the time it took. I may revisit the logo at another time (especially to fix up those ‘O’s).

Above is the final logo, I added the pattern used in my profile picture (slightly desaturated to make it easy on the eyes) to the insides of the letters and called it a day (or 3 days. I hate the letter ‘O’).

Buttons

So, we’ve got our game’s font and title, what we need now are some buttons for interacting with the menus. To practice making button sprites, I decided to make link buttons for social media sites. I started by making the designs of the buttons, as shown below.

I started with small, white 9x9 designs of each social media sites’ logo on a background of their associated colour. I wanted the buttons to be small (to be put on the sidebar of a website) and completely circular. The Itch.io logo could not fit onto the small size, so I made a rough-looking videogame controller instead.

I then expanded these designs into a larger 13x13 circle which I would later turn into the button. Not much happened in this step but this.

And the buttons were done! I shifted the logos of each button upwards before adding a shadow and highlight line on the bottom. Buttons require some sense of depth or separation from the background to show that they can be interacted with. This is really all that’s needed, but more detail can be added to make the button look more appealing.

I added a shadow around the back of the buttons to emphasise the edges of the buttons, separating them from background. I then added some more detail to the highlight to make the button seem shiny and draw attention to it. By alternating between highlights and normal tones, the button appears metallic. Finally, I changed the white logos to a light yellow so the white didn’t seem too bright.

Overall, I’m pretty happy with how the buttons look. The colours on the Itch.io button are a bit desaturated which conflicts with the metallic look. This is due to the colours of the actual logo being quite desaturated. If I were to return to it, I would change it to be pink or orange to capture a similar colour but make the button as bright and eye-catching as the others.

Cursors

There’s not much to talk about in regards to cursors. The default cursors of PCs and Macs are pretty good, however, adding a custom cursor image to a game makes it look really cool I think – even if it’s just a simple adjustment. I tried my hand at making some cursors. The circular points make fitting cursors for shoot games as they’re reminiscent of a gun scope. The hand cursor is a little tricky to do in a small space and might not be worth it as cursors need to be small. Like I said regarding text - if Unity has an option to scale down cursors that will make things much easier. These are some simple ones, but I’m sure there could be more eccentric designs even within these cursor shapes.

Assessment

So, for this week’s learning assessment, I wanted to make a mock-up fantasy RPG menu based on the items I made last week. This was definitely not a lazy excuse to use the same colour palette and 100% a sincere artistic decision.

The first thing I started with was the buttons. It is crucial a menu’s buttons are clear and easy to read so they should dictate the size and presentation of the rest of the screen. I really liked the scroll item from last week, so I decided to make the buttons scrolls. This made the addition of depth more complicated, but I think I did an alright job by adding a shadow bottom right of the scroll.

For the text on the buttons, I wanted to delve into the fantasy aspect and use rune-like letters. I had to tread a fine line between clarity and the desired aesthetic of the letters which took a lot of trial and error, but I think I got there in the end.

I then scaled up the buttons to add some further detail to the scroll and the runes. I thought the plain white background looked pretty bland so I decided to make a background.

I made a mountain range as a background for the menu and changed the text of the ‘PLAY’ button to an outlined red. I kept the background quite simple as this week’s topic was interfaces, and I was concerned that a detailed background might distract from the interface elements. I turned the ‘PLAY’ red because I wanted to give the impression that the option was being selected. I had ample empty space to the left of the screen, so I decided to create a logo for the game to fill that space.

[photo]

After some more trial and error with different rune letters, I created this logo giving this fake game the title ‘Mt Doom’, inspired by the mountain range background. The rigid rune style really gave the title a more menacing feeling which was good. The ‘O’s used looked a bit weird as I had trouble turning them into a rigid rune style. I increased the size of the logo to add more detail and popped it into the menu screen.

The extra detail made the runes look a bit nicer. The ‘O’s were still off but did fit the rest of the font a little better after adjustment. My biggest concern was how out of place the whole logo looked. This was quite clearly because of the pure white colour used for the letters. I could change this to the white within the colour palette; however, this colour was used in the background, so I decided to match the selected button and use the colour red for the logo.

The red made the logo really pop while fitting in with the rest of the piece. Additionally, some light shading on each of the letters made letters stand out even more. I also moved the black outline of the text slightly to the right to make it feel more like a shadow rather than just an outline. Unfortunately, I didn’t feel like the logo had a grand enough presence for its purpose and menace to shine through. To fix this up, I digitally resized the logo by approximately 133.33%. Now, digital resizing really works well for stuff like 200%, 500%, 1000% and so on because it just adds pixels. However, a resize of 150% means you are resizing the image by 1 and a half-pixel which is not possible. This creates jagged, messy lines – but I decided to give it a shot because why not?

To my surprise, the sizing was perfect, and the messy lines actually worked somewhat with the aesthetic. The shading did get messed up a bit, and if I were to do this again I would go back and adjust the shading, but overall I actually think it improved the piece. Finally, I decided to add a cursor, a watermark and social media buttons into the piece, as shown below.

This watermark and the social media buttons do look a bit out of place in the piece, but I think that works in their favour. It draws attention to them and makes it clear that these are not part of the game or menu. This is particularly useful as those social media sites will open an external tab so showing they’re not part an internal part of the game is important.

Looking back on this piece, I do wish the background had more detail. Initially, I didn’t add it so the interface was clear and this may have worked. Still, the fact the background is very simple makes it aesthetically different and distracting. Also, while the scrolls were a nice concept, they could be designed to have more depth and a better select state. Overall, what I took from this practice is that this design process of ‘Buttons to Background to Logo’ is quite useful, but I do need to make adjustments as I go through each stage in the process.

Conclusion

That concludes week 3 of learning pixel art. In week 4, I will be diving into environments starting with grass, trees, bushes and some other features of nature. I’m really excited to build pixel art environments, and I think I’ll enjoy it more than this week as I got a bit sick of making letters over and over again.

My learning and this blog post wouldn’t have been made possible without these fantastic resources. Go check them out if you wanna learn some stuff about pixel art!

Creating A Pixel Art Font by TutsByKai

How to Make a Pixel Logo by TutsByKai

Pixel Art 101: Buttons by Pixel Pete

How to Animate a Button by TutsByKai

How to Make Pixel Art Cursors by TutsByKai

#pixel art #pixel #pixel aesthetic #video games #gamedev #game dev #learning #learn

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heavenlyelle-blog · 5 years

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What You Ought To Understand The Art Of Website Design

You might have scoured the whole web for that greatest advice on website design, however as you now have found this article, you can stop your search. Here, there is some fantastic advice given by experts who know web page design inside and out. Check this out the article and you may not be disappointed. You may also interesting in web design quotes

HTML5 video is placed in becoming the next standard for displaying videos on the web and naturally, you should offer both a way in which users can stream your site content using an HTML5 format along with another format including flash should you have an older browser version.

Avoid using frames. Most sites have abandoned frames on their own as better alternatives have become available, but you will still find sites around which can be kept in 1996. Options to navigational frames include fixed-position navigation panels, having navigation in multiple areas (e.g. left and bottom) or simplifying page structure to ensure that navigational links are never miles away.

Use a site map. They are helpful to your customers and the various search engines, as they give you a detailed summary of all of your websites. It could be a guide for viewers looking for a certain part of your web site, as well as allow you to monitor its structure and layout.

To help you attract an even more professional crowd to the site, ensure you design your site without any spelling errors. When building the website, employ a spell checker and if must, a grammar checker. For those who have a site with poor spelling and grammar, people will not want to do business together with you since they will believe that it is unprofessional.

Encourage visitors to return to your website repeatedly, by providing them a newsletter. Giving your clients a reminder that you're still on the web and have some excellent deals or new content that may bring them returning to your site to get more. Provide you with the signup form as a link off to the side on the site. Be sure to have a method to keep an eye on who enrolled. Be sure to only give you the newsletter to those who have requested it!

Wherever your logo appears on your site, you must accompany it using a complementary slogan or tagline. Ideally, this tagline should be catchy and informative, and ought to offer some elementary review of the purpose of your blog or product offering. A combination of your logo and tagline should display on every page to make a sensation of cohesion.

Use Photoshop to create stellar websites.

This software will ensure you have all the impact and tools you need to create graphics that seem like these folks were performed by a pro. You can expect to expend lots of more time and lessen your odds of creating a professional site when you neglect to invest in programs for example Photoshop.

Make certain your site relies on a consistent font throughout. Some websites change fonts willy-nilly with no design reason to accomplish this. This will make the content tough to process for visitors. Most websites, especially business websites, can do perfectly sticking with basic fonts like Arial, Veranda, or even Times New Roman.

Make certain the websites you're designing are cross-browser compatible.

You must check your blog in the most popular versions for each top browser. A few examples include Internet Explorer, Google Chrome, Safari, Mozilla Firefox, and Opera. Many users begin using these browsers for surfing online, so you should be sure your designs are being seen correctly on anything they use.

Make sure your site for broken hyperlinks. Do this now and then, before uploading it to the server. You wish to make sure everything you build is being employed as people become deterred after they see content with a faulty site, this could make them eligible to never return. Therefore, you would like to double-make sure that all things are working as it should help you avoid this from happening.

To make your blog more interactive incorporate games into the site.

Having games on your site causes it to be a thrilling time for the visitor. If your readers are not having a great time on the site, chances are they will leave and go search for another thing to accomplish.

Your host will probably have design tools that can be used for the basic layout. Don't depend upon these power tools entirely, however. So that you can personalize your blog, you will want to add features that differentiate your website through an incredible number of generic cookie cutter website online.

Every website designer demands a good platform to examine their work out on, and XAMPP is probably the best out there. XAMPP will enable you to run your test sites with PHP and MySQL, therefore you will always be able to spot anything that must be changed. XAMPP is a relatively light download and it's very simple to understand.

It does not matter how much money you may have invested in the website,

being a site host will not be a good idea. Your design should reflect the notion of your business but purchasing hosting services are the easiest way to keep your site safe and secure while avoiding the stress of maintaining a server.

To acquire your first webpage up, you should educate yourself concerning how to do this properly. There is certainly quite a lot of fine website building information on the net at no cost. Should you aren't acquiring knowledge from skilled web-site designers, you most likely will end up with terrible looking website pages which nobody will be at.

Become familiar with photoshop around you can should you be just starting with web site design. You wish to be as diverse with plenty of programs as you possibly can and photoshop is crucial towards learning to be a pro at website design. So learn this program and prepare for others also.

To summarize, your quest has stopped for how to ensure that your web design suits the company's overall plan. Ideally, the information which was provided here is not only going to get you energized about creating a great website design but will also prepare you for the ideal way to implement it.

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warmdevs · 5 years

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New Post has been published on https://warmdevs.com/branding-an-intranet.html

Branding an Intranet

Most Intranets are created and owned by IT, HR, Corporate Communications, or a combination of these departments. While these teams have the necessary skills to create and maintain great intranets, they don’t usually include experts in branding. Thus, intranets frequently lack a brand identity. A weak or nonexistent intranet brand leads to poor credibility, adoption, and acceptance.

Any intranet team can improve the intranet branding by focusing on a few key elements —name, logo, relationship with the public-facing website — that can have the biggest impact.

Name of the Intranet

It’s important for an intranet to have a name, for two main reasons:

Identity: The name conveys the intranet’s goal and identity. An intranet called Center, for example, can suggest to employees that it is the place where everyone congregates and gets information. An intranet called Harmony could indicate that groups recently merged or acquired will be working together.

Reference: Employees use the name of the intranet to refer to it in speech and writing. The name should be easy to remember, spell, and pronounce. Employees should never wonder how to say the name of the intranet and they should not be embarrassed or shy about saying it.

These points may sound obvious, but many intranets have no name, so employees don’t know how to refer to them.

Other intranets have names, but they are not helpful. An acronym, an uncommon word, or a play on words may seem like good ideas, but they can backfire. For example, imagine that a Texas-based company named its intranet FacTX — a name that combines the word “facts” (to indicate that the intranet houses factual information for employees) with the Texas state abbreviation “TX”.

Clever, but when I have tested intranets named like this, employees have been confused. Some employees would pronounce the name “facts”, but others would pronounce “fac T X” like three separate words or “factucks”, pronouncing the last two letters. Others would just mumble the name, say they feel silly, or say outright, “I never know how to pronounce that.”

By far, the most common names for intranets I have encountered are:

Intranet

Portal

Inside <Company Name>

<Company Name> Hub

These names may seem unimaginative, but in practice they work quite well. Feel free to use one of these straightforward names for your intranet, provided there are not multiple intranets or other apps at the organization that could be confused with the intranet.

Sometimes crafty names can be effective, however. For example, several years ago we studied American Airlines’ intranet, named JetNet. This name remains one of my favorite intranet names because it had all these traits:

easy to pronounce

easy to spell

not confusing

whimsical (rhyming) element

related to the company’s purpose

lasting

underlying a subtle theme: that employees would be fast at getting things done when they used the intranet

This kind of cagey intranet name doesn’t come easily. If you want to try one, test it out with employees before implementing it. And think about whether the name can last for years to come. Getting people to call the intranet by a different name is difficult. They will still refer to the intranet by the old name, especially it if was catchy. So, choose a name your organization can live with at least until the next time the intranet is greatly modified, and you want to change the name to indicate that transformation.

The Intranet Logo

Often, a good logo for an intranet includes simply the intranet’s name, with no other fanfare. It is positioned in the upper left corner on all site pages and indicates to employees where they are in their organization’s digital workplace.

Four of the 10 intranets that won NN/g’s 2018 Intranet Design Annual contest included the intranet name only as their logo.

Many intranets use the company logo along with the intranet name. This practice is effective and differentiates the intranet from the public-facing website, while still supporting the organization’s brand.

Five of the 10 intranets that won NN/g’s 2018 Intranet Design Annual contest used the company logo along with the intranet name.

Using only the company’s logo by itself to denote the intranet can be confusing, since that logo usually appears on the public-facing website and employees may thus have a hard time distinguishing the internal pages from the external ones. Also, users won’t know if the company logo on the intranet will link to the company’s homepage or to the intranet’s homepage.

Intranet teams may consider creating an elaborate, separate logo for the intranet if they have the needed resources. While usually unnecessary, it can help indicate to employees that they are on the intranet and can foster the intranet’s identity.

Matching the Public-Facing Website

The colors and fonts used in the intranet’s visual design often closely match those used on the organization’s public-facing website, since intranets usually adhere to corporate branding guidelines. In theory, it’s a good idea to for the intranet to support the organization’s sanctioned branding, but should the intranet look and feel the same as the public-facing website?

The answer depends on the goals of the intranet and the organization. After all, the users of the intranet are probably not the same as the customers of the company, and thus, the goals of the website and the intranet often differ. For example, it’s common for organizations to project externally a tone of voice that is professional, credible, and informative; that same organization may choose a fun, light-hearted, and open-minded tone to communicate with employees. While these goals are not at odds, they are different and affect design and content.

In shaping the design of the Intranet, consider the following dimensions:

audience: tasks, needs, desires, ages, and so on.

technology supporting the development: confined to an intranet system or highly flexible

capabilities for development: engineers at hand who can control and adapt the software you use

On each of these dimensions, the company’s public site and the intranet may or may need to match. For example, for the hypothetical situation below, none of the dimensions should match.

Audience Technology Capabilities Public-facing website Millennials Opensource that’s highly flexible Full-time large team, fair budget, fair timeline Intranet Millennials, Gen-X, Baby Boomers Intranet solution that does the heavy lifting, but dictates much of the UI design Part-time small team, small budget, short timeline Match No No No

If the audiences for the internal and external sites are different, you will need to adopt a different tone of voice (for example, you may want an amusing yet concise one for your intranet’s millennial audience; and a professional, image-rich one for the public site’s audience) and possibly even different visual design. Still, the intranet can adhere to branding guidelines by using the same color palette and typeface.

When considering the relationship between your internal and external-facing sites, follow these recommendations:

Give the intranet the look and feel it needs to meet its goals.

Be careful not to make it so drastically different from the corporate branding that it doesn’t seem to be part of your organization.

Don’t make it look so much like the public-facing website that employees can’t tell the difference between them.

Don’t make the intranet your personal art project. Just because the intranet is free from corporate style guides shouldn’t give the intranet team license to do anything.

Don’t Overbrand the Intranet

While some intranets have little or no branding, others suffer from overbranding. Avoid these common overbranding pitfalls:

Don’t attempt to brand features by giving them a catchy name. For example, the area for posting a document doesn’t need to be called Upload Wizard. A descriptive label such as Upload a Document is fine. A set of links doesn’t need to be branded as Quicklinks. Even the very best intranets in the world offer quicklinks so you are in good company if you have them, but this is no excuse. Name that section something less vague, such as important links or popular links.

Rethink using third-party–software brand names. For example, rather than using SAS or Citrix as link or menu terms, use labels such as Job postings or Schedule a meeting that carry stronger information scent for your employees. consider whether naming them for the user’s task—like—might be more understandable terms.

Conclusion

Your intranet name should prime your employees to think of the experience they will have while using it. Choose a name your organization can live with for a long time. Consider renaming the intranet if it has been redesigned, since a new name and a fresh look can signify to employees that the new design is better and more usable.

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richardmperry88 · 4 years

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What Is User Experience (And How Can You Use It to Build a Site That Suits Your Audience)?

What a time to be alive!

Beginners with no coding experience can now build a website with minimal effort and expense. Even better, the options are limitless: You’ve got an entire arsenal of colors, fonts, images, and buttons at your disposal. But with so many design elements to play with, it can be tempting to go a bit wild.

“A sprinkle of animation here! A dash of cheetah print there!”

But, as is often the case with things that glitter, it’s easy to go overboard — especially if your creativity is reducing the functionality of your site.

Whether you want to sell a product or share some blog posts, you’re not really building the website for you. It’s your site’s visitors that need to be happy with the design and user interface. That’s where User Experience (UX) comes into play. Keeping a strong focus on UX while building your site should pay off in higher conversions and lower bounce rates.

In this article, I’ll give you a crash course in UX and explain what a UX designer does. Then we’ll go over some tips on recognizing good UX design when you encounter it. Finally, I’ll show you how to use UX to create a better website for your audience. Feel free to jump ahead to the section that’s most beneficial to you!

What is user experience?

What does a UX professional do?

What makes a good UX design?

How can you create a positive user experience on your site?

List of the best UX resources

Ready to talk UX strategy? Let’s get started!

An Introduction to User Experience (UX) and Why It Matters

Simply put, User Experience (UX) is how interacting with technology makes a user feel. UX applies to any technology, from an app to a game console.

When it comes to websites, UX design is about optimizing the interaction between the human user and the page. A site built with solid UX principles should leave the user feeling like they accomplished what they came to do without frustration.

That may make you think of going all out with the website’s visual design. That might include flashy animations and gigantic image carousels. If you remember MySpace, you probably still have nightmares about animated glitter and MIDI versions of Blink-182 songs . . . yikes.

But UX design has a lot less to do with how a site looks than how it’s used. To be effective, your website should be a complete experience — not just words and images on a page.

Users will forget data, such as how much they paid for the products they ordered. However, the experience of ordering should be pleasant and effortless. That experience will stay with them, increasing the odds that they’ll buy from you time and again.

If your site delivers a poor UX, you may see the opposite result. Users who become stressed out or angry when using your site will likely head to one of your competitors’ sites. They have many options and no reason to return to a website that’s difficult to use.

If you’re still not convinced that UX matters to your website, here are a few key statistics:

17% of users will not return after a single bad experience.

Better UX design can raise your conversion rates by up to 200%.

48% of users are annoyed by sites that aren’t mobile-friendly.

All of this serves to illustrate the importance of good UX design when building a website.

Related: The Great Pop-Up Debate (and Other Dark UX Problems)

The Role of the UX Designer

UX is so vital there’s an entire profession dedicated to optimizing it. A UX designer’s day-to-day tasks will vary based on what kinds of projects they’re tackling. However, the goal is usually the same. The UX designer’s job is to optimize the user’s experience when interacting with digital technology while also keeping in mind the well-being of the business.

To achieve this balancing act, the UX designer follows a process that results in multiple deliverables.

Before any actual designing starts, there’s a lot of UX research to do. Therefore, the designer may first create one or more audience personas. This enables the designer to understand the user’s needs.

Next, the UX designer may present a potential user flow diagram to help explore possible ways that a user may interact with the website. They can then translate that information into a prototype. Prototypes may be as basic as a wireframe, a rough blueprint for what a final web page could look like. The designer may also create a more visually-robust prototype or even one that can be interacted with.

A basic wireframe.

The UX designer’s responsibilities don’t end with the final design. Once the site is launched, they may conduct usability testing or look into usage analytics to identify and fix potential problems.

In other words, they’re involved with all stages of a website’s creation and launch.

Related: How to Start User Testing on Your Website

How to Recognize Good UX Design

If you’re handling your own UX design, it’s your responsibility to advocate for your audience while ensuring that you’re still getting what you want from your site. To do that, the first step is to learn how to recognize robust UX design.

With that in mind, let’s look at some examples of UX in the wild. There are four key elements you’ll want to pay close attention to.

1. Navigation

Poor navigational design can render any website useless. Moving through a site should be smooth and intuitive. The navigation menu should also be accessible no matter what device a visitor is using.

Breadcrumb navigation is one way designers prevent users from getting lost, especially if a website has many pages.

It’s also important to pay attention to links. Web designers who employ strong UX make sure you can identify links when you see them. This often means underlining them and using a different text color. They’ll also use meaningful anchor text, so you know where the link is taking you before clicking on it.

Related: 12 Tips for Optimizing Your Blog’s Structure

2. Content

A significant part of successful UX is understanding how people interact with different parts of a website. For example, most people don’t read web page content normally. They scan it and then stop to read if they’ve found something interesting.

Content is scannable if a user can quickly browse through a blog post or sales page and come away with a clear idea of what it’s communicating.

Keeping paragraphs short is one way to create scan-friendly content. Those paragraphs should be broken up frequently with headings, lists, and images. Designers may also make use of pull-quotes, bolded text, and similar elements.

Related: How to Create a Content Strategy for Your Website

3. Animation

Animation is an effective way to stand out from a sea of websites and grab a user’s attention. It adds an element of fun and can contribute to creating a memorable experience for the user.

However, there’s a right and a wrong way to go about implementing it.

Subtle animation can provide feedback while you wait for a transaction to complete. An animation can also loop endlessly while you struggle to focus on reading a product description. These approaches create two very different experiences. The overuse of animation can also affect UX on mobile devices.

4. Responsiveness

Optimizing a website for mobile users is a must. If you’re like most people, you usually use your phone to access the internet. If you come across a site that you have to struggle to use on your device, you’re likely to simply abandon it.

Beyond choosing a responsive theme, you can take additional steps to ensure that your site works well on all screens. For example, you can run your website through Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test Tool.

This tool will alert you to issues that are keeping your site from being mobile-friendly. You may find that a particular font is too difficult to read on a tiny screen, for instance, or that buttons are too small to tap easily.

Related: How to Increase Your Website’s Conversion Rate with Typography

How to Use UX to Design a Site for Your Audience

Now that you know what good UX is, how do you apply it to your site?

You probably won’t be doing intensive market research or prototyping with high-fidelity wireframes. Still, putting on your UX designer hat can help you create a site that both you and your audience will love.

First, it’s important to be clear about why you have a website and what you want it to do. For example, are you:

Selling a product on an e-commerce site?

Creating content to generate revenue (for example, blogging about food or fitness)?

Running an affiliate website?

Trying to get hired for freelance work?

Promoting your services with an online portfolio?

Building an online presence for your brick-and-mortar business?

Next, get to know your ideal user or potential customer. Creating a user persona will help you imagine how your target audience may interact with your website. This persona can be as simple as who the person is, what they want, and what keeps them from getting it. Crucially, you must identify what the user needs to be successful on your site.

Remember that accessibility is an integral part of UX. You may have visitors who use assistive technology, so consider making accessibility a priority when building your site.

You can also check out your competitors’ sites to see what’s working for them. Is the shopping cart icon always in the upper-right corner? Maybe yours should be, too. You can be creative without reinventing the wheel; users shouldn’t have to figure out how your site works to accomplish their goals.

Finally, website performance matters for UX. Slow pages will cause visitors to leave before the site has a chance to load. There are many ways to speed up your site, although your best bet is to start with quality hosting.

Building a Better User Experience?

Partner with DreamHost. We’ll make sure your website is fast, secure, and always up so your visitors trust you. Plans start at $2.59/mo.

Choose Your Plan

UX Resources

At this point, you’ve likely figured out that UX design isn’t something you optimize in one shot. There’s a lot more to this field than we can cover in one article.

Fortunately, there are many quality UX resources you can refer to as you continue to improve your website:

Awwwards is where you can find inspiration. Grab some coffee; you’ll probably be scrolling for a while.

UXmatters covers just about everything related to design. There’s content for everyone — from the seasoned UX strategist, UX researcher, UI designer, or graphic designer to brand-new UX enthusiasts.

UX Magazine publishes the latest news, timely insights, and UX research for anyone interested in improving their visitors’ digital experience.

Stack Overflow is the place for all your burning questions. It’s an open community of helpful, knowledgeable people.

Website and Digital Marketing Help is a Facebook group powered by DreamHost where website owners of all levels can share best practices and ideas.

If you combine these resources with research and practice, you should find yourself implementing good user experience practices in no time.

Design a Great User Experience

You don’t need to be a professional UX designer to build a website your audience will love interacting with. All it takes is some understanding of what will make life easier for your visitors and a willingness to build a site that provides that experience.

UX describes what the experience of interacting with your website is like for users. Optimizing your site’s UX means ensuring that it has clear navigation, creating content that’s easy to scan, testing it for responsiveness, and more. There’s a lot to learn, but there are also plenty of useful resources and knowledgeable designers who can help.

After that, you’ll be ready to conquer the internet with your UX-optimized website! You can check some of the performance-related tasks off your list early with our high-quality shared website hosting plans.

The post What Is User Experience (And How Can You Use It to Build a Site That Suits Your Audience)? appeared first on Website Guides, Tips & Knowledge.

from Website Guides, Tips & Knowledge https://www.dreamhost.com/blog/what-is-user-experience/

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mrhotmaster · 4 years

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Sony A6600 Detailed Camera Review: Check Here

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Sony A6600 Detailed Camera Review

Better focus monitoring, longer battery life and a screen articulation – a lot is in it.

Sony's Alpha-arrangement APS-C mirrorless cameras have for quite some time been mainstream decisions for easygoing just as lover picture takers, in view of their usability, excellent execution, and compactness. Sony has been producing new cycles of the A6000 arrangement predictably and it propelled its most recent lead camera, the Sony A6600, in late 2019. This camera expands upon the effectively incredible A6500 with flawless enhancements, for example, a greater battery, much faster self-adjust, a flip-up LCD show, eye self-adjust (AF) for video, and a lot progressively seemingly insignificant details which we'll get into further in the survey. Do the trick to state, it's the best trimmed sensor mirrorless camera Sony has offered to date. Alongside these new highlights, additionally comes a marginally more significant expense of Rs. 1,17,990 for simply the body. Is the Sony A6600 worth the premium? This is a perfect chance to explore.

Sony A6600 Structure

The body of the A6600 will look natural in the event that you've utilized any of the past models right now. Notwithstanding, there's one significant contrast: the camera hold is much greater gratitude to the bigger battery. Just because, Sony has utilized a battery from its full-outline mirrorless models in the Sony A6600, which is said to offer 800 shots for every charge. This is an enormous advance up from the past 350-400 shots for each charge that other A6XXX models have been evaluated for. The bigger grasp additionally implies that this camera is increasingly agreeable to hold for a drawn out timeframe. The body is worked from a magnesium combination and is said to be residue and dampness safe. The catches are ergonomically spread out at the back, and the vast majority of them can be altered, including the named ones. The mode dial on the top offers the typical shooting modes, including the committed S&Q (slow and speedy) mode, which we saw on the A6400. Sony has dumped the spring up streak on this model, however you despite everything get a hotshoe for outside flashes.

The ports on the left half of the Sony A6600 presently incorporate an earphone jack, alongside the standard receiver, Micro-USB, and Micro-HDMI ports. We're a little disillusioned that Sony hasn't moved to the USB Type-C standard yet for this arrangement. The back 3-inch touchscreen has a 921K speck goals and can be flipped upwards 180 degrees, making it simple to take selfies or outline a shot while vlogging. There's a three-second clock that is consequently empowered for stills when the screen is flipped up. It can likewise be tilted downwards, giving you a reasonable piece of adaptability when you have to take shots at odd points. You additionally get a 0.39-inch OLED electronic viewfinder with a 2.35 million dab goals. In general, the A6600 feels all around assembled and tough, similarly as you'd anticipate from a premium Sony camera. The little body makes it simple to slip into any pack, and at 503g its weight is truly reasonable. The extents clearly increment once you slap a focal point on to the body. Sony sent us a 18-135mm long range focal point alongside the camera body. We've seen it as genuinely adaptable for easygoing shooting, however the gap scope of f/3.5 to f/5.6 doesn't make for extraordinary low-light shots. All things considered, as a starter focal point, we managed to get not too bad outcomes with it.

Sony A6600 Details And Highlights

The Sony A6600 highlights a 24.2-megapixel trimmed (APS-C) CMOS sensor with a local ISO scope of 100-32,000. This can be extended to 50-1,02,400 and you can set an edge for the greatest ISO that the camera can utilize when shooting. Burst shooting tops out at 11fps (in Hi+ mode) and 8fps in the live-see and quiet screen modes. The cradle for holding burst shots isn't too large, and Sony claims it can hold just up to 115 JPEG outlines or 46 RAW records one after another. This is a ton lower than the 269 JPEGs and 107 RAW documents that the A6500 was able to do. The camera utilizes a solitary SD card, set adjacent to the battery, yet it just backings up to UHS-I speeds and not UHS-II.

One of the features of the Sony A6600 is its AI center following capacity. The sensor highlights 425 stage identification self-adjust (PDAF) focuses, and a similar number of difference recognition AF focuses, which is the means by which it's ready to secure concentrate simply 0.02 seconds, as indicated by Sony. This isn't actually new, since Sony's own A6400 which we tried a year back had a similar arrangement. Face and eye following are still entirely dependable and promptly kick in when you half-press the shade button. There's continuous eye self-adjust for creatures as well, and this worked tolerably when we attempted it. The camera additionally has in-body 5-hub adjustment to help lessen obscure in stills when utilizing a high zoom level. The A6600 has some entirely clever video abilities as well. Other than having the option to shoot at up to 4K 30fps, with full pixel readout, the camera additionally underpins propelled picture profiles, for example, S-Log2, S-Log3, and HLG, for HDR work processes. This is additionally Sony's first APS-C camera to offer eye self-adjust when shooting recordings. For cell phone network, the A6600 bolsters NFC, 2.4GHz Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth. A year ago, Sony at long last supplanted its Play Memories buddy application with the new Imaging Edge Mobile, which is simpler to utilize and set up. You can utilize it to remotely duplicate photographs to your telephone, either in their unique size or a diminished size. You can even utilize your telephone's presentation as a viewfinder for controlling the camera remotely.

Sony A6600 Execution And Battery Life

The Sony A6600 has a similar local most extreme ISO as the A6400, which is 32,000, and the aftereffects of our ISO test were comparative as well. Clearness and sharpness were saved very well from ISO 100 up until about ISO 800, where we began to see exceptionally minor grain. Hopping to ISO 3,200, we saw some mellow mutilation along the edges of the pencils, yet nothing excessively horrendous. At ISO 12,800, the edges of the pencils started to lose definition, however indeed, this was just observable at a 100 percent crop. Grain was noticeable as well yet no chroma clamor yet.

At the most noteworthy local ISO of 32,000, the picture had entirely noticeable artifacting even without expecting to zoom in. Utilizing any ISO over this level doesn't yield ideal outcomes, so we'd encourage constraining it to around 25,600 for a decent harmony between a generally quick screen and low grain, when shooting handheld around evening time.

When shooting outside in light, the A6600 once in a while staggered and was consistently on moment that it came to concentrating on what we needed. We liked to utilize the camera's 'Grow Flexible Spot' AF mode, yet the others were dependable as well. There's following AF, which functioned admirably on individuals and items the same. Scenes had generally excellent subtleties, and hues were lavishly spoken to. Dynamic range was very great as well. We noticed some gentle vignetting toward the edges of edge at higher zoom levels, yet thinking about that you have 24 megapixels to play with, we thought that it was simpler to just harvest pictures to the ideal casing later on.

Close-up shots were taken care of quite well. Regardless of the marginally restricted opening extent, utilizing a touch of zoom for our nearby ups yielded some extremely pleasant profundity of-field impacts. The huge number of self-adjust focuses additionally made it extremely simple to catch quick moving items, for example, flying creatures. Indeed, even at full zoom, the camera rushed to follow our subject and stay bolted on for the burst length. One thing to note is that since the cradle isn't exceptionally huge, there's a reasonable piece of holding up before you can really audit your shots, which got a bit of irritating here and there. The touchscreen is extremely responsive and it tends to be utilized to rapidly change the center zone and survey your photos. Be that as it may, it despite everything can't be utilized for exploring the menus.

In low-light situations, the Sony A6600 despite everything concentrates rapidly and we possibly saw a touch of chasing when shooting far off items or at full zoom. Dynamic range was very acceptable as well, and the in-body adjustment worked quite well, in any event, when shooting from a moving vehicle. In exceptionally low light, we saw a touch of grain in photographs, however that is on the grounds that we were taking shots at the most elevated local ISO setting. Letting it fall down yielded increasingly good outcomes.

Video execution is similarly acceptable. We were essentially shooting at 4K and were very intrigued with the detail and hues that the A6600 can catch. Centering was by and by entirely solid and a straightforward tap on the viewfinder will easily change the concentration between subjects. Countenances are consequently followed however this can be crippled if necessary. You can likewise set the speed at which center and following are changed, contingent upon your shooting style.

The A6XXX arrangement has for the most part battled to offer incredible battery life, particularly when recording video. Such changes with the A6600, because of its a lot beefier battery. With the camera in Airplane mode, we saw around 25 percent left in the battery in the wake of taking in excess of a 1,000 shots. In any event, shooting 4K video doesn't make as large a gouge in the battery level as we've encountered with more established models. You can charge the camera (with the battery inside) through a force bank as well.

Decision

The Sony A6600 feels like the most complete APS-C mirrorless camera to date from Sony. It gets the best bits of the A6500 and the A6400, alongside the reward of an a lot bigger battery. In addition, things like the earphone attachment, flip-up LCD, and speedier following self-adjust make this camera very appropriate to vlogging. That is not saying it's ideal – we might at present want to see Sony move up to a USB Type-C port and include quick charging; let us utilize the touchscreen in the menus; and perhaps include support for UHS-II speed SD cards as well. Going to the value, the A6600 is somewhat costly. The camera body and the 18-135mm unit focal point together are evaluated at Rs. 1,51,990, in spite of the fact that you can discover them selling for about Rs. 20,000 less on the web. Remember that the A6500, with a similar focal point, would now be able to be found for under a Rs. 1,00,000, so except if you completely need the greater battery and marginally snappier centering, the past model is as yet a decent choice. Generally speaking, the Sony A6600 is an extraordinary alternative in case you're searching for a do-it-all mirrorless camera or are essentially hoping to redesign from a section level model.

Value (M.R.P)

Body just: Rs. 1,17,990

With 18-135mm focal point - Rs. 1,51,990

Pros

All around assembled and minimal

Quick and precise self-adjust

Generally excellent picture and video quality

Astounding battery life

Convenient highlights for vloggers

Cons

Still Micro-USB, no Type-C

No UHS-II card support

Evaluations (out of 5)

Manufacture/structure: 4.5

Picture quality: 4

Video quality: 4

Programming/highlights: 4

Battery life: 4.5

VFM: 3.5

Generally speaking: 4

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