#i had a hard time choosing scenes for this set because there were lesser shots of the apartments than i expected

[trueloveistreacherous]

@pscentral event 27: scenery

Here's a thing I don't get. People who worry about living in a big city because of all the crime. As any true crime aficionado will tell you, it's the boondocks you need to worry about. I mean, let's face it, nobody ever discovered 19 bodies buried in the backyard of a 14-story apartment building. There's eyes on you all over the place here. And New Yorkers have a special way of communicating. And by special, I mean direct. We're packed in tight and stacked on top of each other like those who live...at the Arconia. Only Murders in the Building (2021-present) Created by Steve Martin and John Hoffman

#only murders in the building #omitbedit #the moving stuff thingy yeah #dailyflicks #chewieblog #tusersel #usercera #userreh #janielook #nessa007 #usermandie #tusercj #tusertha #userdanahscott #usermorgan #userrlaura #usersugar #userrobin #userabs #useralison #uservalentina #usershreyu #tusernath #tuserjen #usertina #userjessica #i had a hard time choosing scenes for this set because there were lesser shots of the apartments than i expected #i wanted shots of jan's and nina's apartments but there weren't any good shots :( #i wanted to include loretta's apartment so bad because it's so pretty but she's not from the arconia so :( #anyways i hope this is good enough as a ✨scenery✨ set akdjkdjdk

[gb-patch]

Ask Answers: May 15th Part 2

And here’s the next part of the long answer set of the day!

When will OL: N&F take place? Beginnings and Always took place during summer breaks, will now and forever take place during a fall break or will the characters be going to school at the time of the events we play through? 

It takes place over all of the fall season, so school will be happening in OL2. Some events do take place in school, though many times events only start after school is already out for the day, haha.

Hey!! I have kind of a weird question?? I’m sorry if it’s been answered before and I just haven’t seen it but is OL 2 taking place during the same years as OL 1? I’m just curious, thank you for such amazing games!!! 

It’s a similar time frame, but not 100% exactly same.

Do you have any idea when the demo for now and forever will be available? 

Hopefully this fall! But that’s not a guarantee.

Okay the crime show in Step 2: Growing up. Long blonde hair, police station, crime series? Was it The Closer? Because I’m the same age as MC and Cove and my mom was constantly watching that when I was 13. 😂 

Haha, yeah! The Closer and, to a lesser degree, Medium were the kind of shows I was referencing there. My mom also used to watch those back in the day.

Hey um this might be an odd question but if the setting of OL: N&F is  fall/autumn, what country or city will it take because my mind tells me it is either Poland or Canada. Also I can't wait for the game I am hyped 

It’s set in the USA again. We’d like to be able to have cameos and that’s easiest to do if the OL games take place in the same country.

Is it possible for the PC of OL to have non-seriously dated other people in the in between years even if they’ve had a consistent crush on Cove? 

You can causally date Baxter in Step 3 if you get his DLC and then ultimately choose Cove in Step 4. If you mean off-screen people, it doesn’t really come up, but you can certainly headcanon that. The game never says Cove is the only partner you’ve ever had.

Is there going to be a Kickstarter for Now and Forever as well? For like voiced names and stuff again? Didn’t find B&A until after it was released and I’d really love the opportunity to hear my name in the game 🥺 

Yeah, we are gonna have a Kickstarter with getting a voiced name as a reward! Though, it will be more expensive than it was for OL1. I feel bad to raise the price but we realized too late the first time around that it was being super undersold for the amount of work it took, aha.

Do you know how much the remaining DLC for OL will cost? (Step 4, Derek, Baxter) 

Step 4: Free

Wedding DLC: $2.99USD

Derek DLC: $4.99USD

 Baxter DLC: $4.99USD

Has an artist for the new position been picked yet?! I'm super excited for the new game! 

We did fill that spot. Thank you so much for taking the time to apply!

hmmm what would it take to get each of the XOXO jerk squad to feel the need to hug you? 

They’d have to first like you a fair amount, otherwise the most you’d get is maybe a pat on the shoulder. If they were attached, they might hug you if you broke down crying or if you gave them super good news.

Unless it’s Shiloh, of course. If you want a hug you only have to ask!

May i ask how the Derek DLC will work? I believe that there aren’t any memories in step 4 and doesnt derek’s dlc take place during that step? So will the dlc add memories? Thank you! 

Derek’s DLC will add five Moments to Step 2 (a new page will appear on that screen if you get the DLC). Then in Step 4 you’ll have to choose between playing the default epilogue or going through the Derek romance story.

Is the pc version on itch,io different from the steam version? Like an offline one or something? 

Steam has achievements, but that’s about it. Both can be played offline, if you prefer.

I've been wondering this for awhile, what determines if cove winds up with a ponytail in step 3? I've done multiple runs with different MCs with varying hairstyles. Or does it have to do with a particular moment in step 2? 

I’m afraid I can’t say exact choices that determine things. But generally it’s preference based options in the Step before that decide those things.

Any Floret Bond updates? 

No, the artist had to leave the project and it’s been on-hold. I’m not sure if I want to try working just with what we have or replacing it all entirely. The design is a bit too specific for us to easily find someone who could mimic it. Hopefully we’ll work things out later, though.

In step 3 is Cove's plan always to stay in sunset bird? 

Yeah. He is never ready at 18-years-old to make a big life change.

I love your content! If it's alright to ask, you answered in a previous ask about how Jeremy was too particular with what he likes his types to be romanceable with just any MC and it's sort of got me wondering.. What /are/ his types and/or preferences and such? Sorry if it's a lot! 

Jeremy likes stubborn jerks and will not date someone who’s sweet or even generally a decent person, haha.

uh, excuse me if you said this somewhere before, but how will step 4 be actually? Will it he like an actual step and have moments and dlc and all? Or will it be more like a long epilogue of some sort?

Will the step 4, the wedding and extra routes dlcs be paid too? Im just confused, sorry if im asking too much

Step 4 is only an epilogue, so it’s just a long series of scenes one after the other rather than a collection of Moments you can choose from.

The Step 4 epilogue is free, the wedding DLC, Derek DLC, and Baxter DLC cost money.

i’m not sure how much of the wedding dlc you have planned already, or if this would be to spoilery, but what kind of wedding traditions will be included? i keep thinking about how flustered cove would get over a garter toss & was wondering if we’d see a scene like that haha. obviously no worries if it’s not included, i’ll enjoy literally anything cove related 

I don’t know for sure yet, haha. Right now we’re focused on the parts before the big day. We’ll see how many scene alterations we can include for the wedding itself later on.

Hello! Firstly, thank you for creating such an amazing game like OL, and I couldn’t be more excited for OL2! Out of curiosity, are you looking for any writers to come on for OL2 or are you all pretty much set in that department? Just thought I’d shoot my shot haha but I’m still excited regardless ^^! 

We will be hiring writers for OL2 later this year! Thank you for the interest.

Will we be blessed with a spin-off Yandere Cove, like XOXO Blood Droplets? 

Sadly, no. It’s a shame but there’s not enough time to keep making OL1 bonus/spin-off content.

How is Q pronounced?

I’m afraid Q’s full name hasn’t been publicly announced yet so I can’t answer here (Q and T are the first letters of the names for the new LIs in Our Life: Now & Forever).

Question; is the steam version getting a Mac update?  I purchased the dlc there thinking it had Mac support without realizing it and just wondered if I’d need to refund it to purchase on itch.io 😭 

I’m really sorry, you will need to get a refund from Steam. We do hope to have it there for Steam eventually, but have no idea of when it’ll happen. Apple requires special notarization to be an officially accepted app for their devices. We don’t have that. Steam requires having that, Itch will let you release it as an non-notarized third party app. That’s why Itch is the only place that has the Mac version right now.

would you mind posting outfit sheets for Cove in every step? it would make things a lot easier for us artists. it would save a lot of time spent looking for references 

I think we did do the earlier steps when they were finished way back in 2019 (this game took a long time to make, aha), but we can probably repost them sometime!

In our life n&f, will we be able to get into qprs/will there be more options in regards to having deep platonic relationships with the love interests? Because as an aroace individual, it would be great if there could also be emphasis on platonic love so that it's more aspec inclusive. 

It’s a little hard to say at this point. There may not be things like a wedding DLC for OL2 and so the relationship for platonic and romantic feelings might not go as far as it did in the first game. We’ll kind of have to see how much we can do based on timeframe/budget constraints that will only be set near the end of the year. But we will be keeping things like that in mind at least.

hi! i really really like your game and im absolutely in love with it! i cant wait to try your other games like xoxo droplet and future OL NF :))

during the step 3 erands moment i got curious, which fudge flavor is his favorite? it seems like he likes all of them, but which 4 do you think he would like best?

also i noticed that in some playthroughs cove would let me give him a piggy back ride, and in some he wouldn't, how come?

how does your choices affect cove's interests or looks? i replayed the game without changing any choices but i got cove to look different, is it just random?

thank you!

Cove’s favorite flavors are ones with nuts and that are fruity! But he appreciates them all. Whether or not you can give him a piggyback ride depends on if your MC is fit/large enough to hold a muscular 6-foot-tall beach boy, haha.

Cove’s appearance does depend on choices and it’s generally tied to choices that are preference based rather than emotion/action based, such as which key chain you pick in Step 1.

Is it possible for cove to reject MC's proposal at the end of step 3? 

Nope. He’ll always accept.

hi! i was wondering how heavily the side characters will be featured in the our life wedding dlc? obviously it'll be cove & mc focused, but i was thinking it'd be sweet if we could take lizzie dress / suit shopping or dance with cliff at the wedding or something. 

The side characters are there about as often as they are in normal events. So, it’s clearly focused on Cove but he’s not the only person you have any meaningful moments with.

When will responses be sent out to applicants? 

I’m afraid we don’t send responses out to all applications, only ones we’re interested in offering the position to. Not everyone likes rejection emails and the amount of applications is too high to contact them all to say we’re not hiring them. We post updates on the job page when a position has news. Right now we’ve filled every role that was open.

Is there also going to be the option to keep your relationships with the love interests platonic in Our Life: Now and Forever? That's something I really appreciate in Our Life: Beginnings and Always

Yeah! OL will never force you to end up in a romantic relationship with someone.

I was wondering, in the Step 3 Happiness moment, what are the different fishes Cove can compare MC to? I got "you'd be a paradise fish, because being with you is paradise," but my friend got "you'd be an angelfish." Are there more variations? 

He says paradise fish if you’re a couple, angelfish if he’s just crushing, and then a royal dottyback/queenfish/emperor tetra (based on your gender) if he likes the MC platonicly.

Hello! So, in one of the Step 3 DLCs, Cove's arm was gone. I think it was to show him putting his arm behind his back. But if that wasn't the case, did it get yeeted? 

Thanks for letting us know. That was an error we tried to fix a little while back. When did you make the save file you were playing? If it was older that might be why it happened. Or maybe the error wasn’t fully fixed after all.

Asking for your opinion, but do you think Cove would at all be into ABBA? Because all I could imagine during the car trip in step 3 was him and the MC belting to Mamma Mia. 

Haha, yeah, there’d definitely be some ABBA songs he was into.

So throughout the game, Cove can develop different interests depending on the player’s choices; does this mean that he can have different careers in Step 4? Or his is line of work in adulthood never mentioned at all? 

He can have different career paths in Step 4!

Hi!! I'm so so sorry if this has been asked before but I just acquired knowledge about the so famous nsfw dlc for OL and nearly chocked on my bubblegum 💀💀💀 So, my real inquiry is if that specific moment will have any kind of impact at some point of the fourth step OR if it will just be treated as a side-story-ish “what if” scenario.Also, is there any chance there'll be something similar for Step 4? Haha jk,,, unless 😳Questions apart let me thank you profoundly for making the best visual novel I've ever played 😭 Really really looking forward the epilogue and OL2 💕 Have a nice day 

It’s just a bonus side story that’s fully separate from the main game.

It would be nice to have one for Step 4 too, but I sadly don’t see us having time to actually do it. I don’t know, if people are still asking for more OL1 content several months from now it might be doable and worth doing.

I'd just like to ask, when is Baxter's birthday :0 -- I'm really curious esp with their zodiac signs so ;w; 

I don’t know, haha. Maybe I’ll come up with one someday.

Please help!! I bought the Step 3 DLC but I still have no idea how to get to where you can propose to Cove - any tips? 

&

How do I get the option to propose to Cove at the end of the game?

You can click HERE for a discussion on that.

I love that Miranda and Terry are getting together! I'm curious if you have canon sexualities for them? Also just wanted to say how much I love OL and how much joy it brings me everytime I play it <3 

Terry likes ladies and Miranda likes dudes!

ngl Step 4 Terry's design reads like y'all see trans guys as their assigned gender more than you see them as men to me (a trans guy)... like maybe if he isn't heavily dysphoric, I could see it, but everything you've said about him doesn't line up with that. Even then, immediate warning bells go off in my head looking at him. I wouldn't have touched the game if I saw him ahead of time.

I’m sorry you aren’t comfortable with the way the design looks. The situation with Terry is that he’s now open about who he is, but the body he was born with is still physically the same. He only came out recently as an adult and hasn’t gone through any treatments/procedures yet (his chest is flatter because he wears a binder). However, even though his body hasn’t transitioned at the point Step 4 happens, no one treats him as anything other than the guy he is. Having a trans character who’s identity is supported/respected from the start is what we’re going for in this case. But what we’re doing with Terry isn’t the only trans content we’ve ever had/ever will have in the future.

how would baxter react to bae pyoun and vice versa? and can you please detailly explain both love interests personalities from our life 2: now and forever? i was just curious, sorry for dumb question!! 

I imagine it’d be pretty opposite experiences, haha. Bae would initially think Baxter is pushy and thoughtless, but would quickly realize, oh, he’s instead a soft, considerate boy. Very cute. Baxter would first be struck with the impression that Bae is charming and gentlemanly, but then would realize that, no, he’s a sarcastic asshole. And I’m afraid we can’t reveal the personalities for the next game yet.

Sorry if you've already answered this, but I have a question about the patreon exclusive moment you're working on. I was wondering if it's mainly going to be CGs or if it's mostly character sprites + backgrounds with some CGs.

Either way, thank you for doing the Lord's work and not only making Cove, but making this bonus moment as well 😌😌😌

It’s mostly sprites/backgrounds with two CGs!

—– —– —– —–

Thank you again for the interesting questions everyone :D

We released a new FAQ! It answers common questions and we’ll keep adding more to it. Please check there before sending an ask. FAQ   Also, if you prefer to just see the main posts without all the asks/reblogs, feel free to follow our side account instead: GB Patch Updates Blog

#our life #Our Life Beginnings & Always #Our Life: Now & Forever #xoxo droplets #ask #gb patch #gb patch games

[deiliamedlini]

WIP Wednesday 2

I’m posting two WIPs today because they’re both currently being absorbed into another fic and will never again see the light of day in this form! So here is the second one!

This BOTW scene, but written in a modern fantasy way is: Link is officially named Zelda’s appointed ‘knight’ (but it’s agent because modern).

Goes along with this other earlier scene using the same Link and Zelda where Link saves Zelda from a Guardian with a pot lid (but it’s not a pot lid).  

~~~

“You wanted to speak with me, Father?” she asked politely, not waiting for his permission before taking one of the seats in front of his great desk.

He sat with a stack of paperwork that he pushed to the side while Zelda was here. “There are some things we need to discuss. Things of the utmost urgency. For one, the proposal that Robbie and Purah sent in. I know you had a hand in it, but you cannot be working with them. Not when your time is better spent trying to unlock your powers. That brings me to my second order of business: you must return to the springs.”

“No, father—”

“—Don’t interrupt me, Zelda. You’ll return to the springs and try again. This time, you will not be going with a large escort, but a single guard. An… appointed agent, if you will.”

“And who is this agent?”

“Well, you met yesterday, from my understanding. Send him in,” he called out.

Zelda turned as the doors opened and watched a young man, just a few years older than her, walk in. He was in street clothes, unlike the palace guards. And it only took her a minute to figure out why.

“You! You saved me yesterday. How is your arm?”

He bowed slightly. “It’s well, Princess.”

She turned back to her father. “One of my undercover guards is going to accompany me?”

“He will be in a uniform, not undercover. I pulled him from training for this meeting. Does he look familiar, Zelda?”

“Of course. We met yesterday.”

“No, no, not that,” the king muttered, waving his hand. “Think harder.”

Zelda stared at the man, unsure where else she was meant to know him from.

He was attractive, that much was undeniable. For a moment, she tried to think of magazine covers or advertisements, wondering if perhaps the man who’d saved her had been a world-famous super model. He had a rugged look about him, hard features, a sharp jaw, a piercing in each of his ears. She hadn’t expected him to be quite so tall either. How had she never seen him as one of her undercover guards? Surely she’d have noticed the incredibly attractive stranger following her everywhere.

Intense blue eyes. A stare that was beyond focused. A knit in his brow. 

Tired eyes. A set jaw. Worry lines.

His long hair was tied back into a low ponytail, though his shorter bangs didn’t quite make it into the elastic and fell in front of his face. Under her intense scrutiny, he made a point to push them behind his ears.  

“I’m sorry, Father,” she finally said, giving up. “I can’t place him beyond yesterday’s encounter.”

“This is the Hero of Hyrule, Zelda.”

Zelda’s head whipped toward her father so quickly that she could hear it snap a bit. “Excuse me?”

“The Hero of Hyrule.”

Her eyes went back to The Hero, much slower this time.

The Hero.

“The real one?”

The guard’s head bobbed once, tight and restrained, like an admission he didn’t want to reveal.

“You have the sword? You’re the man who went into that freaky forest and pulled the sword from the stone like? You?”

This time, he looked away, embarrassed. So, her father affirmed that it was him.

There was no sword on his hip though. Only a gun, something that she knew only the most elite of guards carried. It wasn’t a common weapon, and they were still working to perfect its efficiency, but the guards knew how to use it well enough to quickly load, aim, and fire at something to temporarily debilitate it. “Well, do you keep the sword with you? Is it under your shirt or something?”

“Zelda, you’re being unkind,” her father scolded. “Obviously he does not roam around swinging a sword. He’s well trained in—”

“Oh yes, we’ve all heard the stories of how well trained you are. ‘The Hero of Hyrule strikes fear into the heart of the enemies in Labrynna.’ ‘The Hero of Hyrule receives recognition for his acts of selfless bravery in the war.’ ‘The Hero of Hyrule strikes again, saving an entire platoon with his courage and skill.’ Believe me, Hero, we’ve all heard of you.”

“Zelda!” her father hissed. “This attitude of yours is unbecoming a future queen. This is Link Forrester, and you will address him without your snark. He’s to accompany you. Your life is in good hands with him.”

“My life? Am I not just going to pray again?”

The King finally stood up from his desk. “There have been… more attacks by the Yiga Clan. We have received intelligence reports stating that you are a target. I’m so sorry, Zelda, but you cannot be flouncing around unattended any longer. There is too much risk involved. You and Link will be acquainted here for the time being, and when I feel confident enough in his demonstrated skills, I will grant you leave to pray at the springs again.”

“Father, I don’t need a babysitter. I’ve been doing fine with my guards,” she countered, though inside, she was nervous. She was a target? But there was no way she could show her father, of all people, that she was succumbing to another failure. This time, a lack of courage.

“Enough, Zelda. You will not have a say in this. It’s decided. Starting tomorrow, Link will be your new guard. Agent,” he said, turning his attention from his daughter. “You’ve been assigned a new room on the same floor as the Princess Zelda to better accommodate her security.”

“My floor?” Zelda balked. That was taking things too far. A true invasion of personal space. “Is this not excessive? Am I the only one who doesn’t like this? I don’t want this. No. I want to keep my guards. I don’t need the Hero to be my shadow. Father, can we discuss this privately?”

Relenting to just that, King Rhoam nodded. “Leave us,” he said, as everyone behind Zelda headed back outside the room.

It was just the two of them, father and daughter staring at each other in open opposition.

“Father, I don’t understand!”

“What don’t you understand about this? You claim to be such a scholar; figure it out!”

“I’m perfectly happy with my guards! They do such a good job. They’re scarce when I need them to be, and they’re on top of me when I’m in danger. I don’t know why you think it’s safer for me to forsake my trustworthy and loyal companions for him. You’ve heard the stories, same as I have! I don’t want him.”

“Zelda, please,” Rhoam sighed.

“No! You must understand my ire better than anyone! You know how much I’ve struggled to earn the Goddess’ favors, and they will not smile on me for even a moment. But Link,” she spat his name like it was a curse, “is beloved by Hylia and her people. He is lavished with praise and inspires devotion from all who look upon him. The people treat him like he’s a god. The Goddess is likely to choose him as her consort rather than her hero at this point. She favors him enough.”

“Zelda!” Rhoam scolded. “Perhaps if you’d stop insulting the gods, you might earn their favor as well.”

“Please,” she begged as if he hadn’t spoken. “Anyone but him. I’ll dutifully accept any glorified babysitter so long as it isn’t him. Please, Father. Please.”

Rhoam stood and crossed the room, rubbing at the bridge of his nose. As much as he wanted to oblige his only child’s wish, this was not something he could budge on. “He is to be the Hylian Champion in the fight against the Calamity. He has the Master Sword. He is among the most accomplished and decorated soldiers in all of Hyrule--”

“Oh yes,” Zelda interrupted, “Tell me all his accomplishments once more. I’d forgotten them.”

Rhoam shot her an annoyed look. “He is the most qualified to protect you against the Yiga. He will be your partner when the Calamity comes. He can keep you safe from the monsters that are roaming Hyrule. And if you tell me how ‘wonderfully’ you evaded that moblin one more time, I swear to the Goddess herself, Zelda, I will not let you leave this castle.”

With a deep sigh, Zelda knew she was losing. In truth, the time she’d escaped a moblin’s notice while on her own was one of her proudest moments, though she might have used the story one too many times on her father to prove her capabilities. 

“What will happen to my regular guards?’

“They’re needed elsewhere, Zelda. And the Sheikah must return to work on the Guardian project. Let it go all, Zelda. You will not win this one. And you should go talk to him. This will be too long if you ignore him.

Zelda scoffed. “According to the stories, he barely speaks--”

“You speak enough for two,” the king muttered.

“--he’s blessed by every god and goddess in our kingdom--”

“What a horrible thing, to be sure.”

“-- and he’s just so serious! I have never known a thing about his personality, even from the gossip around the kingdom.”

Rhoam placed his hand on Zelda’s shoulder and began to lead her out. “Now you’re going to believe gossip? Surely you of all people know what lies are spread through gossip.”

“Please, Father,” she tried, one final time and with defeat ringing clear in her voice.

Rhoam stopped her at the door. “As your father, I sympathize. As your father, I want you to be safe as well as comfortable. But as King, I must insist you stop fighting me on this matter as my mind will not change. He’s here, and I, the king, will have no lesser soldier by your side given the threats on your life. You will accept this. Now go.”

 Zelda turned with a huff and headed out the door, listening to her father mutter something behind her as she followed the long hallway from his rooms. And immediately, Link was behind her.

“You’re starting now?”

He bowed his head, an apologetic affirmation.

“Ridiculous,” Zelda muttered, heading to her room.

#wip wednesday #legend of zelda #breath of the wild #botw #botw au #link #zelda #king rhoam #writing

[do-not-careissa]

Fic Writer Interview

tagged by @koa-ia thanks for tagging me ❤️ I doubt you expected an essay length response but meh I'm wordy

Name(s): Do_not_careissa (ao3), do-not-careissa (Tumblr)

Fandoms: mostly stick to DC stuff, namely Red Hood, Green Lanterns, Batfam, that area

Where you post: fics go on ao3 with links here on Tumblr, though I do have a few small sections of fics or wips I've put here too

Most popular one shot (by kudos): From Tragedy Comes Happiness, all the other fics with higher kudos are all part of my Sapphire Jason series so I'm iffy on if they could be considered one shots anymore

Overall: Into the Violet Light

From this year: Into the Violet Light

Most popular multi-chap (also by kudos): Guy and the Outlaws

Favourite story you’ve written so far: sheesh that's a hard one because it's more so specific scenes or what went into making the fic that I enjoy more. So I'mma cheat and say a few. Into the Violet Light for kinda obvious reasons, it was the starting off point for my series, it let me start messing around with this idea I'd had for a few weeks/months by then, and it got me to really focus on "how can I show that he deserves receiving this ring when the audience doesn't even know it's gonna happen?" Next one chronologically would be Never Again, specifically the Dick and Joker scene. That was one of those weird cases where I got the idea like at least 2-3 months before I got around to writing it. So the beats of this scene just sat on my white board for weeks on end and I knew I needed to do it and make it good. And I really enjoyed how I got to play around with Dick's perception of the world when the ring took over. Last one I'm gonna add here is From Tragedy Comes Happiness cuz I just can't not add it as a fav because it absolutely is one of my favorites. I literally wrote it in 3 days I was that invested in this story, Google thought I was expecting a child, it was a thing. And it is 100% @kiseiakhun 's fault for mentioning Roy being dead

Fic you were nervous to post: Not Enough My abilities with smut are limited at best, so having a fic that's almost entirely smut, especially with a lesser known ship like GuyHal, is of course gonna leave me nervous if it's even worth posting. I also wrote it in pieces during my half hour metro commute so it's not like I even had an idea what I was doing either.

How do you choose your titles: It changes from story to story. Sometimes when I'm thinking of the direction I want the fic to go a title will come to me, other times while I'm writing or editing I'll think of something either theme or dialogue related. Other times, much like the summary, I just kinda force my way through different ideas and go with the one that works best.

Do you outline: Kind of, sort of? It's not like X is the inciting incident, Y is the climax, Zamaron is our subplot, type of thing, but I do a little bit of planning (usually, sometimes I just start writing and that's that). Usually I start off with figuring out what the end goal is for the fic, then I'll make a note of that, like "Dick becomes a RL, Bruce injured", "Jason has first mission, romantic/sexual tension between him and Kyle by end, Jason oblivious?" Then I'll do what I consider my first draft(some might consider a detailed outline) where I go through, figure out the scenes, rough beats, basically laying out what's gonna happen in each. Sometimes it really loose, sometimes it word for word dialogue and stuff I'll use in the final. So it's like an outline, sort of

Complete: 21

In progress: 1

Coming soon/not yet started: next part of the Sapphire Jason series, of course that GuyHal one set back in like part 3 of the series, need to edit and write some more for the Guy and the Outlaws fic. Other than that, I've also been tempted by the idea of writing a fic centered around that time Guy became a Red Lantern since Hal wanted someone on the inside, play around with the emotional toil there, the pain and heartbreak and of course the GuyHal there cuz I might have an obsession but whatever. I've had some other ideas (Jason got picked up by Amanda Waller instead of Talia and all the angsty stuff to go along with that and the suicide squad believing Bruce tried to murder his son, Jason getting swept up into some horrible thing and gets killed then comes back as the Spectre and absolutely wrecking everyone type of thing, that everyone goes missing and Jason has to step up to lead the few remaining heroes idea, etc) not sure if I'll ever actually write them or if they'll just stay as plot bunnies in my head.

Prompts: I'm down for some prompts or ideas, I just can't guarantee I'll be able to get to them all

Upcoming work you’re most excited about: it's definitely a tie between the two for the Sapphire series just because the one is a bit funny, and the ideas I've gotten so far for the other are much more ansgty, emotional type things and I love both of those things.

tagging @wellthatjusthappend @wajjs @kiseiakhun

#fic writer interview #this turned out way longer than it shouldve #but i have no chill #also #quarantine really came up in here #slapped me #and said congrats bitch youre a writer now

[jisssooyah]

Hi you... if you were going to curate a little season of films for me, which ones would you choose and why? They don't need to be horror, I'm just curious what you would choose 🌸

I don’t know if you’ll like these movies, or if you’ve already watched them, but after i watched these films, i felt like they might need to belong to you now. i hope they make you smile, roll your eyes, and cry just as much as i did.

1. city of god (2002): this is one of the most immersive and gorgeously shot films i’ve ever seen. it’s set in rio de janeiro during the 60s and spans decades exploring the drug culture in the slums and how this can affect kids just as they are trying to figure their own selves out. the way this film is shot, feels like you were at the sea with them as the sand crunched underneath your feet. but the way that the director captures these individuals, makes you so fucking relieved that you don’t live through any of the circumstances that they go through. 

2. the dreamers (2004): set in 1968, this film follows three students in Paris who come of age and explore one another and their limits during the revolution. while these students prop themselves up as individuals obsessed with sex, running underneath themselves is a current of jealousy, obsession, and blurred familial relationships that made me increasingly uncomfortable. you find yourself feeling bad for the children, and ultimately upset at their upbringing because of their parents. 

3. if beale street could talk (2018): this movie is based off of james baldwin’s titular 1974 novel. in it, the director expertly and vigorously explores love: a love that feels so real that it hurts. the cast is what sold this film to me. the way they talk, laugh, cry, and smile at one another is achingly beautiful and terrifyingly sad. i wanted to transport myself back to their time period and watch the main characters fall in love because the film didn’t seem like enough. 

4. the neon demon (2016): this film follows an emerging model who sacrifices herself to the demands of the industry in order to be attractive and beautiful. there are so many stunning colors in this film that it makes you dizzy, like you’re in a trance and that’s what this world is for the main character: a trance. as she oscillates between reality and fantasy, her world and the characters in it, increasingly seek out to alter her personality. 

5. death becomes her (1992): a deliberately ultra-campy parody of trashy, pandering "women's pictures," soap operas and paperbacks from the '80s and '90s. The three leads all do some of their best work - it's hilarious watching Meryl Streep play a terrible actress, Goldie Hawn is particularly hilarious during her character's cat lady phase, and all around just a really fun and eccentric film. 

6. princess cyd (2017): i can’t think of anything to write for this but i just wanna say that this is literally one of the most pleasant movie experiences i’ve ever had. so much light and genuine interaction in warm sun rays radiating positive energy and an openness that is far too uncommon in movies nowadays. people talk, people connect, people grow bonds and are allowed to be sexual or intimate or personal without an air of shame or judgement. just pure kind and curious human association. 

7. spiderman: into the spiderverse (2018): the message of Spider-Verse is not "gentrify yourself! stop expressing your personality and just conform to what society wants you to be!" After all, what makes you different makes you Spider-Man, and Miles' final expression of himself as a superhero still retains much of his personality and individuality...they're just being used in more productive and fulfilling ways. It's the little things that drive the point home, like noticing that the title page for Miles' finished Great Expectations essay has been stylistically doodled and colored like street art. Rather than seeing his artistic gifts as an opposition to his schoolwork, Miles infuses them together to make the best of the hand he's been dealt.

8. my life as a zucchini (2016): initially heartbreaking and sad, but slowly becoming more joyful and heartwarming as the plot moves along. The film really feels like it captures the essence and child like wonder of these kids, all of them going through hardships but managing to find something to help each other out. It’s so refreshing to see the actual orphanage portrayed in a more positive light, not the usual horrid dump that a lot of lesser movies play them out as. The animation is stunning. One of the best uses of stop motion I’ve seen, everything is so colourful and detailed. There’s some moments set in snowy mountains and these look incredible. There’s clearly been so much love and care put into each and every scene here. The music too, sounds spectacular, it really works well with each scene. 

9. lovesong (2016): Mindy and Sarah have that type of relationship where they don't need words because they speak in a language made out of glances and touches. This movie is about the fear of ruining a meaningful friendship and losing an important person, about love that is so complicated that one might not even try because the outcome seems to be so obvious.

10. her (2013): Heartbreak is formative: it changes you heart side out, and leaves your muscles a little stronger, your skin a little thicker, your bones easier to repair. Before this film, I’d never seen anything constructive in having your insides pulled apart by the seams by another person, but this film taught me how. Being in love and then being forced out of it is an experience that changes you fundamentally, but Her taught me its purpose – you don’t need them to leave you so that you can find someone who’s a better fit, because perhaps you never will. You need it to participate in humanity. The common denominator is being hurt, and without it, you’re barely alive.

11. shoplifters (2018): bittersweet and richly transportive, Shoplifters is a film that nonchalantly eases you into its tragic beauty in a way that doesn't punch you hard until the end. It simultaneously made me want to be part of the film's world and also very glad that I'm not. The setting the characters live in is messy and cluttered and full of dysfunction and lies, but it's also got family, and laughter, and fist-bumps, and slurping warm noodles while rain pings on the tin rooftop. So nuanced, so many tiny moments of delicate beauty and unassuming heartbreak, so many people making terrible decisions with good intentions.

12. god’s own country (2017): though it is a love story between two men, this aspect is only addressed briefly in a single scene. Rather, the film is about finding someone who makes you want to be a better person, someone who comes into your life just when you needed it most. Gheorghe helps Johnny open up and realize the beauty of the simple life. From this relationship, Johnny begins to feel comfortable with expressing himself, and his love and gratitude towards others. He also begins to appreciate life in the country, surrounded by stunning landscapes and the beauty of simplicity. Addressing the Yorkshire countryside, Gheorghe says "It is beautiful, but lonely." Johnny is presented with the notion that he doesn't have to be cold and miserable, slaving and drinking his days away. He is presented with the possibility of no longer being alone and finally finding happiness and contentment - and it is more than gratifying to see him accept it.

13. disobedience (2017): a tender star-crossed daydream. the three main character dynamics are special enough on their own, but the romance that blooms at the center is cathartically intimate and even magical: a reunion that feels so inevitable. catching glimpses of a past life, details we aren’t privy to. all the stolen kisses and whispers and promises. a bond so strong that they fall back in sync with each other like second nature, even if they try to fight against it. even if it won’t work. and yet they choose each other, even if for a few minutes.

14. raw (2016): this film is so gross and I like that. There is tons of blood and unique body horror and it all works perfectly for the tone the film is attempting to set. The use of color, specifically neons, creates a constant feeling that you are traveling through some sort of weird ghost world, which I really like. Overall, it's a very well put together film with flashes of brilliance.

15. the night is short, walk on girl (2017): what an absolutely magical adventure of a film. Essentially this is a heavily episodic look at a night in the lives of several people, centered on a woman and a man as she gleefully floats from event to event while he neurotically obsesses over how to "coincidentally" talk to her. The storytelling is incredible; while the overarching narrative is simple there are countless threads woven together to connect everyone in the story to each other. That in itself is a big theme: connections between people, how everything is interrelated, and what a large impact seemingly insignificant things people do can have an impact on everyone around them.

16. coraline (2009): Coraline is the best stop motion movie ever made in my opinion. Before the film released in 2009, I read the book and was completely blown away by its creativity and story. It’s a pretty dark tale featuring many scenes of fright that work well in both a horror setting and an animated kids setting. On surface value, this film is quite horrifying, which is something I’ve always loved about it. While it does make a few minor changes to the book, it improves upon a piece of art that was already jaw-droppingly good. Coraline feels like a real little girl with some real problems. She’s selfish but likable which is something most films cannot translate well. Of course, she has a pretty awesome arc as well which brings this movie to a perfect close for her character. The other-mother is also perfectly done. She is almost exactly how I imagined her in the book and the animation on her is spookily gorgeous. There is not one dull moment in this film. It is literally a perfect piece of cinema.

17. the third wife (2019): haven’t seen a film this visually delicate in a while. Ash Mayfair works with the looming mountain surroundings to make her characters —these women, these girls— as small as possible, as isolated as possible. Uneasiest of all is the protagonist May, so young and so weighed by responsibility, her position blurs between being one of the wives and being one of the daughters. It’s an extremely bleak tale of circumstance. An old tale, certainly, but so beautifully crafted it doesn’t matter. Mayfair holds a fearful tension throughout, and it only ever shatters in the cruelest of ways.The abundance of women and display of sisterhood begin as a comfort, but horror takes over as we realize how conditional and fragile that comfort is. Even the daughters are subconsciously aware, one of them praying to the gods to grow up and become a man, shearing her hair off in naive triumph. It’s a doomed cycle of girls performing roles which are unfortunately their best option, right up until the final scene of May with her daughter, still in their mourning clothes. She, like the older wives, finally realizes they’re the same as the cattle laying on their side for too many days.

#asks #shortcake-kaspbrak

[tlbodine]

Trains (not really)

When I compile the viewing lists for our film series, I always search across every year of a given decade, compile a list of movies -- aiming for a mixture of influential and lesser-known, things I love and things I’ve never seen -- and then look for ways to pair them off into theme nights (since we watch two movies per week). 

Sometimes my themes are a little silly, and occasionally they just kind of fail. 

With that disclaimer out of the way, let’s look at two more 2000s-era horror movies about trains (not really). 

Riding the Bullet (2004) was directed by Mick Garris, adapted from a Stephen King story of the same name. It tells the story of a college student who, shortly after leaving the hospital following a suicide attempt, learns that his mother has had a stroke. Because it’s set in 1969, the kid sets out to hitchhike up the state to visit his mom, and encounters a string of odd characters and frightening interactions with a death-like figure who makes a wager with him to choose between his own life and his mother’s. 

This movie is, um. Huh. Yeah. 

So, first off, “the bullet” is not in fact a bullet train (stop laughing at me -_-) but a rollercoaster the guy was too scared to ride as a kid. It’s also maybe a metaphor for life or death or something. It’s not super clear. 

Look. I have a lot of respect for Mick Garris. I don’t know if any person has as much enthusiasm for the horror genre as he does, and he’s poured a lot of time and money into some really amazing projects, like the Masters of Horror series, his Post-Mortem podcast, Trailers from Hell, just a ton of really cool behind-the-scenes horror fandom stuff. He seems like a really nice dude. 

But his movies do occasionally seem like they were directed by an alien who wants very earnestly to understand human motivations but just doesn’t quite get it. 

Riding the Bullet is bad. It’s not bad in the self-congratulatory “aren’t my precious OCs so cool and evil what do you mean I need a plot” way of Rob Zombie’s movies. It’s bad in the “none of these people have motivations that make sense and also this movie is long and boring and the metaphors don’t really work and oh my god are we really going to spend like 10 whole minutes at the end of this movie doing a voice-over epilogue to explain everything” way. 

It’s bad, and in the least entertaining way a thing can be bad. 

Midnight Meat Train (2008) on the other hand is actually pretty good! Directed by Ryuhei Kitamura, this is an American film with Japanese sensibilities (based fairly closely on a story from Clive Barker). 

The movie is about exactly what you’d expect it to be based on the name, but also not at all what you’re thinking. It begins with a photographer trying very hard to capture an elusive newsworthy artistic shot that will land him a big break. In his quest, he accidentally uncovers a crime ring involving a meat-tenderizer-wielding serial killer, a string of missing people, and a train that gets turned into an abattoir at night. 

This movie is hyper-violent and gory in a very Japanese way. At one point somebody gets smashed in the head and their eyeball goes flying out of their skull. It’s super gross and kind of cheesy but also pretty tense all at once. 

One of the best things about the movie is the villain, played by Vinnie Jones, who has basically no lines in the script but who is a magnificent physical actor. He just has a tremendous amount of very threatening and ominous presence. 

The other neat thing about this movie is the ending, which I won’t spoil. But let me just say this whole story doesn’t go where I expected, and although there are some things that go unresolved (what’s with the barnacles???) it’s a delightfully weird and twisted bloody romp to get there. 

#horror movies #horror by the decade #horror through the decades #riding the bullet #midnight meat train

[lettersofwrittencollective]

The Pull (10/?)

Summary: The Ragnulf’s are one of the oldest lines of werewolves known. A gift from ancient times was given to the line. Though not all of the line will experience it. There are some who will experience a Pull. This Pull leads them to their true mate, a soulmate. The problem is, just because the wolf finds their true mate does not mean that they are the same for that person.

Author: @lettersofwrittencollective​ 

 Pairing: Stiles x Hale!Cousin OC (Reader)

Word Count: 2741

Warnings: I don’t believe there are any. 

A/N: As always, please let me know what you thought. Any comments, questions, or concerns.

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You were sitting on the small terrace, watching the sky change colors as it prepared for the sun rise with a warm cup of coffee in your hands. You were never much of a morning person, but if these nightmares had anything good, it would be this. The scene in front of you was perhaps the most beautiful thing you had ever seen.

You wondered about the conversation you had last night. After everyone had gone to whatever room they were going to occupy for the night, you and Lydia had stayed up for a little while longer trying to figure out the best way to go about tomorrow. She had asked if you’d be willing to track Malia and you had to tell her that you were only able to get general scents but were having a hard time actually locking in on a specific scent to be able to follow it. It’s Lydia that suggested  using your hearing instead and you could have kicked yourself for not thinking of that. It was such an integral part of you.

You and Lydia had talked about it and figured it would probably be best if not all the wolves in the vicinity were chasing a coyote. Were or not, if Scott was having a hard time controlling his own instincts a group chasing down the poor thing may very well turn into a hunting party.  

The two of you figured it would be best if, as a group, you all paired off. In order to try and keep the wolves from hunting, Lydia figured it would be best to be one wolf with non-supernatural person. You’d had to remind Lydia that she is technically considered supernatural.  The idea the was to leave Allison with Isaac, Lydia with Scott and Stiles with you. She’d also asked you about the purple of your eyes and you had no answer for her so you simply said it was a family trait.

It’s as you’re sipping the last of your coffee and wondering just what the world has coming their way that the doors open. You don’t bother to look over, already knowing that it’s Isaac

“You really should be asleep, you know.”

You offer a weak smile without looking at him, “It’s been kind of difficult lately.”

“Why didn’t you tell me that both Derek and Peter are missing?” he asks as he’s handing you another mug of hot coffee.

Setting your empty mug down, you take the drink from him and wrap both hands around it. Inhaling the scent of the hazelnut roast, “Honestly, I thought I had. I swear, with everything that’s been going on though, I must have just imagined having the conversation.”

He sighs and comes to sit next to you.

“I’m sorry,” he murmurs softly, “If I had known, I would have come over more.”

“It’s fine, you were here most nights anyways… Wait how did you not notice they weren’t barging into the room after you?”

Isaac looks a bit sheepish before saying “I just assumed they were ignoring you…”

He looks so serious that you can’t help laughing, “Isaac, my cousins may be… difficult… but they’re not gonna just ignore screaming nightmares.That’s kind of hard to do.”

There’s a pause, almost as if he’s not sure he should ask but soon enough, Isaac is asking if you really think that saving Malia is going to help them.

“You want an honest answer?” at his nod you shake your head, “I’ve got no idea… all I know is that a nemeton is supposed to be a sacred place. I can’t help but wonder if somehow this nemetons been corrupted. In the past, when a sacrifice was made to the nemeton, the Druids would choose from volunteers. It was considered an honor. At least, that’s what my dad used to tell us. The sacrifices here, they had no idea why they’d died. What if it twisted the magic somehow?”

“Well, how would we know if it had?”

“Your guess is as good as mine.”

He sighs heavily, dragging a hand across his face and through his hair, “So this may not even work.”

“But Isaac, isn’t it better to try? Even if this doesn’t work, they’re going to feel better about trying. If they don’t succeed… well it’s not like it can get any worse.

I know you’re worried about Allison and Scott and, to a lesser extent, Stiles. So why not at least try?”

He nods his head and is silent for another moment, before - “Do you think it’s one of them? Or that it could be?”

“I don’t know.. Maybe? But honestly Isaac, I’m not going to put my life on hold trying to figure out who it is. The pain is manageable and it’s not like there’s much I can even do. It’s not like I see them and I suddenly know who they are.I still have to get to know them..”

“Scotts good people ya know..”

“You saying that cause you think it might actually be him or because you want to be able to date Allison and not feel guilty? He seems nice enough, but he’s not really my type. Besides, I think he’s interested in the new girl, Kira. Haven’t you notice his heart race pick up just a bit each time that he talks to her?”

Isaac shakes his head and you playfully shove him, telling him that he really needs to work on actually using his new abilities.

The sun has risen over the city and it’s slowly coming alive. You and Isaac stay out on the terrace for a little while before it’s time to head back in. Isaac will be going to get Allison and you will be staying here to work out the plan with his friends.

Later that afternoon, you join the McCall pack in the woods not too far from the Tate house. Everyone’s on edge and there’s a moment where Lydia questions if what you’re all doing is more bad than good. You stay quiet, not because you agree but because this isn’t an argument for you to be a part of, it’s a family matter. Scott, however, is making it something positive and Isaac and Stiles begin to bicker.

Ignoring them, you drown them out and try to focus hearing what’s going on in the woods around you. You hear Stiles dad calling for Tate and then there’s the sound of something crashing.

“Hey guys-”  you begin but there’s a gunshot ringing through the woods that makes you flinch back.

Scott jumps on his bike, calling for Lydia who doesn’t seem to hesitate before she’s on the bike with him and they’re taking off. Isaac and Allison are paces behind them.

Stiles is trying to get everyone to wait and so you clear your throat, reminding him that you’re still here when he turns to face you.  He lets out a frustrated huff before reaching into his pocket and calling his dad.

Cell phones have too much going on with them for you to want to try to make out what the Sheriff is saying but Stiles looks confused as he begins to pace.

“It took the doll again?” he turns to look at you while asking “What the hell is so important about this doll?”

Stiles is still on the phone when suddenly something occurs to him,”It’s the doll” he says assuredly as he hang ups the phone before second guessing, “It’s the doll?”

There’s more gunshots and you begin to worry that Allison or Isaac could be getting shot, you move to go after them before you remember, you could trigger a hunting party and you said  you’d stay with Stiles. So you stop your forward movement and settle for pacing between the trees. Taking a deep breath you try to focus on Stiles’ words, this doll means something. The gunshots however, are making you more and more nervous.

“Alright but why would it go all the way to the school and then all the way back to the house just for a doll? One that was in the car in the first place. We didn’t find it in the coyote den”

Hearing another gunshot you snap at Stiles “I was there Stiles, I know it wasn’t there.. Look it just likes the doll-”

“Yeah, it likes the doll alot.”

You rub your temples for a moment,  trying to focus on the situation in front of you and not the fact that your friends are running towards bullets. “Wait, what kind of doll is it Stiles?”

“It’s a - I don’t know. It’s a doll, you know?” He huffs, “It’s got little arms,a big baby head and dead, soulless eyes. Actually, I took a pic,” says as he reaches into his pocket and stands up. A moment later, he’s handing you the phone. “Here.”

You look at the picture, the girl in the blue jacket is on the right, sitting with a younger girl with red jacket. She’s the one that’s holding the doll. “Stiles, she’s not the one holding the doll. How many people did you say were in that accident?”

Stiles takes the phone back and looks at the picture again, “That’s Malia’s younger sister. So it was her doll.”

He continues to stare at the picture and you’re struck struck by the memory of taking your mother's favorite blanket to her grave when Stiles is looking at you.

“What?”

“I know where she’s going.”

Suddenly Isaacs screaming and you’re running towards him when Stiles grabs your arm and pulls you back

. “Natasha! You can’t go, he’s going to be okay.”

“You don’t know that Stiles, you he could have been shot!”

Stiles pulls you into his arms, his chest against your back and he’s wrapped both arms around your, “I promise he’s going to be ok.”

You had decided to listen to your instinct and trust these people you remind yourself. You have to latch onto Stiles, your hand gripping his arm, and  take deep breaths in order for you to actually do it. It takes a couple seconds but you nod. Stiles makes sure that you’re okay before the two of you are making your way towards the site of the crash.

Stiles is on his phone, apparently leaving a message for Scott and you end up trailing just a little bit. You’re slightly on edge and you keep telling yourself that Isaac and Allison with both be okay. You’re not really paying attention to your surroundings, knowing that you need to get to the accident when suddenly your foot lands on something that makes you freeze.

Looking down your eyes fall on a bear trap  and your foot is smack dab in the middle of the pressure plate. Shit. Isaacs scream suddenly makes sense. You could step down and allow the jaws to snap on your legs but to be honest you’re not sure how well you would heal or how quickly. You’re voice comes out panicked when you call Stiles’ name.

He doesn't seem to notice as he turns  to you but he sees something on your face, panic you assume, and he looks at the ground, his eyes landing on the bear trap.

He walks slowly towards you and you’re trying not to twitch on the plate. There’s a squeaking sound and you call out his name again, terror lacing your voice this time.

“Natasha... don’t move.”

“Wasn’t part of the plan…” you snark at him, terrified about what this thing may actually do to you. “Stiles- look for a warning label.”

“A warning label?”

“Instructions on how to disarm it.”

“Natasha, why the hell would they put instructions on the bottom of a trap?”

“Because animals can’t read.”

Stiles nods his head and kneels down. You try to focus on staying still and not breathing too fast, afraid you’ll trigger the trap. You can see Stiles moving around and it feels like a lifetime later before he speaks-

“Ummm... Tasha... we got a problem.”

You can only whimper as you risk turning your head to look at him. He’s looking up at you and his eyes meet yours

“I can’t read either..”

Because of course whatever the nemeton is doing is going to be worse when they’re trying to help. But, this is Stiles - he’s the one that’s been piecing together everything from what you’ve seen.

“You don’t need the instructions,” you dismiss. He looks at you, confusion written on his face and you continue on. “I’m willing to bet you’ve never used the instructions to anything in your life. You don’t need them because you are too smart to waste your time with them, okay?

You can figure it out. Stiles- you’re the one who always figures it out. So you can do it. Figure it out. “

You stay still, watching as Stiles finds a valve of some sort. He looks at it for a moment and you hold your breath. He asks if your ready and you give a small nod, he turns the valve and you jump off the plate, you end up practically falling on top of Stiles and arm around his neck, you grab his jacket with your opposite hand. His arms wrap around you and the jaws of the tramp snap together.

You’re breathing heavily and let out a slightly hysterical chuckle. You can feel the soothing circles that Stiles rubs across your back and you’re able to calm down.

Stepping out of his arms he lets you go and you thank him. The two of you begin to work your way towards the crash again when a roar is heard throughout the woods.

Scott was able to do it.

Later that night, after you had checked on Isaac who was healing up just fine you had decided to check in on the others. You found yourself at Stiles’ house, figuring Scott and Lydia would, also, be here. You had brought over popcorn and the Star Wars prequels, figuring they may need some time to just unwind and that it would be a nice gesture that they might like.

As you stood there, you realized that you could distinguish individual smells. Taking a deeper inhale, you realized that you could make out distinct smells and not just generalizations. Only stiles was here. He invited you in and the two of you sat in his living room. You gave him the popcorn and movie anyways, thanked him for earlier that day and when he had asked why you were so sure that he was going to be able to get you out of that trap you merely replied that you just knew. You were going to leave, when Stiles surprised you.

“Hey, uhh” he started off as he rubbed the back of his neck, “I - Uh.. That is to say… Well I wanted  you to know that - it’s, it’s not that I don’t like you…. You’ve actually been pretty awesome during all of this. It’s just that- well we’ve been hurt  a lot. That’s not to say that you’re going to hurt us but- you know how sometimes it’s not that people just pretend to be something that they aren’t - Not that that’s what you’re doing it’s just that -”

He’s gesturing somewhat wildly and seems to be looking at everything but you so you put your hand on his shoulder. He stops suddenly and when he’s looking at you, you say, “Stiles- I get it. Maybe I was overreacting, it just kind of sucked that it seemed like everyone but you was ok with me being around.”

He smiles back at you and, pulling your hand back to your body and you rub your upper arm.

“Wait, are you cold?”

Before you can respond, he’s already jumped over the couch, practically killing himself in the process and is on his way up the stairs.

“Wait - Stiles” you call after him but he’s already gone.

A few moments later, he runs back downstairs with a blanket that he drapes over your arms.

“Thanks..” you murmur. You’re not sure what the plan is but Stiles quickly sets up the blu ray player and settles down on the couch. Smiling at him you get comfortable on the couch. The two of you watch the movie and then put in another, during which you fall asleep

-

-

-

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Tag list: @nicole-lynne @fandom-princess-forevermore @capandbuck @biles-bilinski-24 @stiles-o-dylan24 @fiveisadorable @falling-stars-never-cry @blueraindrops @its-livelovelife @screamxqueenx94

Edit: had to change the gif cause tumblr kept removing it?

Do not copy and paste my writing anywhere without my consent. This work is the property of lettersofwrittencollective . Associated characters belong to MTV and are being borrowed for this work, all OC’s are the property of lettersofwrittencollective. These works contain material protected under International and Federal Copyright Laws and Treaties. Any unauthorized reprint or use of this material is prohibited. No part of these works may be reproduced in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system without express written permission from the author/publisher.

Posted 20 March 2019

#Reader insert #stiles #stiles stilinski #Stiles x reader #stiles imagine #stilinski #stiles stilinski x reader #stiles stilinksi x reader #Isaac Lahey #Teen Wolf #Teen wolf x reader #teen wolf imagines #my writing #The Pull #Series

[human-trash-fire]

Beautiful Disaster: Chapter 2

Hello loves, the following is the second installment of my Pynch fic! as usual you can find it on Ao3 @glam_reaper2 

TW: Blood and honestly some just big sads/ hospital/ references to grief and self harm.

His phone had not stopped its incessant Rhythm atop his nightstand. Adam was staring blankly at it. ringing... ringing, and then flashing: BLUE (missed call). She’d been trying to reach him for two days and he had yet to move from his bed for more than a quick trip to the bathroom. He’d shot a text to Boyd telling him he had a family emergency, skipped classes, and stood vigil alone in a sea of blankets. 

Grieving. 

His heart ripped from his chest by a man he’d never learn to love. His happy ending. Every color he’d dreamt of seeing, swallowed him whole. How was the world outside so bright? Who gave it the right to be so radiant, when hope had bleed out on the concrete in a back alley.

He closed his eyes, and let the dark drag him back.

The sound of a key turning the lock of his front door woke him. He knew it would be Blue, his best friend of four years, the only person other than his landlord who had access. He burrowed further into the covers and stared blankly at his bedroom door, waiting for the inevitable. 

“WHERE HAVE YOU BEE- oh…. Adam.” What had begun at a yell, drifted to a near whisper when her eyes found his. They were big, and the richest brown, Adam would have been lost in the color if he had the strength to feel. 

“Adam, what happened?” She whispered, coming to perch at his side, delicate hand reaching to touch his cheek.

“He’s dead Blue. He died. I- I couldn’t, I- “

“Shhh, it’s okay. Who Adam, what happened? Who died?”

My heart died. 

His eyes shifted to her left hand which was firmly gripping his. “Your nails don’t match Blue, they’re all different.”

“My wha- oh… OH GOD. ADAM! You found them? When did this happen? This is amazing! No, no don’t cry, fuck…Sweetheart.. what happened?”

He looked up then, her face a mask of concern as she wiped the tears falling from his eyes in splashing drops. 

“I… I was going to Boyd’s. There was screaming. There was so much blood Blue, it- it was everywhere. I tried to help, I- I couldn’t stop the blood. And then everything was bright and it was so red. Everything was so red. And warm. And cold. And I couldn’t sto-stop it. I-“ he choked on a series of sobs that wracked his whole being. He couldn’t find it in himself to stop. Blue kicked off her green boots and crawled into the covers, holding him tight to her chest as he cried. 

For hours she said nothing, allowing him the comfort of touch, and the space to grieve. He was completely broken, and she held the shattered pieces of his soul so tight, as if she could glue him back together with force alone. 

At some point he had fallen asleep, and when he woke Blue brought him water. He mustered the courage to tell her what had happened in the alley, tears flowing down both their faces when he finally made it through. 

“I don’t,” he released a shuttered breath, and tried again. “I don’t know what to do now Blue… there’s nothing, no happy ending. It’s… everything I’ve done.. I’m alone. I’m alone, again.”

“No. You’re not alone. You have me.” She stated, fact. “You have Henry. You have grad school and a future, and you’re going to change the world. This? This is horrific, but this is not the end for you. I promise.”

She was earnest in the way that only Blue could be. He heard the words, and wished they were true, but this felt like the end. 

“I…. I never even knew his name. How can I- how- I can’t even grieve Blue. I don’t know who I lost,” Adam whispered.

“Your heart knows, love, that’s enough.”

****

His eyes were heavy. His body felt like it was weighed down by sandbags, and his throat was on fire. He stirred slightly, trying to open his eyes, to lift his head. Water he thought, but the word never fell from his lips. 

He heard the muffled sound of a chair scrape back, and suddenly there was a cup being pressed to his lips. A warm hand holding his head steady, allowing the liquid to coat his ravaged throat. 

Ronan felt like death. Which was funny to him because, had he actually been dead, he imagined he’d feel a lot better. He choked on the cold, and the cup was removed. The telltale click of it being set somewhere off to the side, though the hand never left his face.

“Ronan…” Gansey. His voice was hollow, and the name on his lips was like a whispered question. 

“Mmm,” he hummed a non-committal sound, and tried again to peel his eyes open. He was met with bright light, and squinted, the blurry face of his friend slowly coming into focus before him when his breath caught.

“Dick,” he croaked. “Your eyes…” He still couldn’t breath. The world narrowed down to two pools of light-brown, rimmed pink, and set above purple shadows.

“What? Ronan, what’s wrong?”

“Fuck.. your- they’re- brown…” He trailed off, and felt Gansey stiffen from his perch at Ronan’s side.

“....What?” Gansey spoke, nearly inaudible. 

“I said they’re brown, Dick. THEY ARE FUCKING BROWN!” his scream was met with a surge of noise from the machine to his right, and that’s when he realized he didn’t know where he was. 

The world around Gansey’s eyes flew into focus, and he found himself in a hospital room. White walls, scratchy sheets, yellow lights.

He hated hospitals. 

“What the fuck happened? Who touched me Dick, WHO FUCKING TOUCHED ME?” He was hysterical. The beeping from the machine intensified with the beat of his heart. I’m having a fucking heart attack.

Gansey was pulled back by a team in scrubs, they swarmed the bed and spoke quickly. He couldn’t breath normally, his chest to fucking tight. His wrists searing flame. His heart a staccato beat hammering his ribs. He was dizzy. 

He was going to die. 

This is it.

Ronan felt the cool of a liquid being pushed through the IV in his hand, and as sleep came to claim him once more, he heard himself say “Who touched me..” then it was only a dream.

~~

He woke again, minutes, hours, days later, to the sound of hushed voices. This time, he stayed still. He didn’t want to be awake. He didn’t want to be here.

“- I asked Noah,” Gansey said.

“And?” Declan. Fuck.

“And, he doesn’t know.. He never got a name.”

“We’re sure it wasn’t one of the paramedics?” Mathew. Shit. Ronan wished his little brother wasn’t here to see him like this.

“I asked everyone on the scene, even the cops present just to make sure. It had to be the- Hey, Ronan. How are you feeling?” Gansey’s whisper morphed into the “Senator’s son” voice easily as his eyes found Ronan awake, and watching the group meeting in the corner.

“Fucking fantstic Dick.” He croaked, then swallowed hard, fighting the bile rising in his throat. They don’t know his name. He didn’t want me. He left m- Ronan smothered the thought in a blanket of self-hatred. Of course he didn’t want this, who would? 

The bed sank next to him and he turned to see Mathew’s beautiful head of curls softly lit in the low light of the room. “Hey buddy.”

“I’m sorry,” Mathew’s bottom lip quivered, and silver lined his ice blue eyes. “I, we, should have- I’m..” the sentence ended in a sob, and his head fell against Ronan’s chest. 

“Shhh, shh, shh.. Matty it’s not your fault. You did nothing wrong, I promise. I love you, okay?” He brought a bandaged wrist up to rest lightly on Mathew’s back. Even the slight movement sent dizzying pain down his arm. Ronan met Declan’s hard gaze over the head of curls. He looked tired; wrinkled and unshaved. His eyes, like Gansey’s, were circled pink, but his jaw was set. 

He was pissed. 

He made his way to Mathew’s side and gently pried him from Ronan. 

“Hey, do you think you and Gansey could go find us some real coffee? I can’t stand the vending machine anymore and I think we could all use some? Maybe you could even find Ronan some jello? I’m sure he’d love it.” Mathew dried his eyes, smiled, and nodded. Gansey moved to open the door, and Ronan saw Declan mouth thank you. Gansey’s head dipped subtly, and the door closed behind him with an echoed click. 

Silence. 

“I don’t want to fucking hear it.” Ronan growled. 

“Well that’s too fucking bad.” Declan spoke, tone hard. “What the hell were you thinking? Christ Ronan-“ 

“It doesn’t fucking matter.”

“It matters a great deal actually. Do you know what it was like? I got a call from Gansey telling me that Noah found-“ he took a deep, shuttering breath. “Found you, I.. I had to tell Mathew. How could you be so selfish?”

“I’m sorry to disappoint.” Ronan turned his face away. “I’m still here, so you can fuck off back to hell anytime. I’ll be fine.”

“Oh fuck you.” Declan spat. “You don’t get to do this anymore.”

Ronan ignored him, rage boiling beneath his skin. He wanted to be left alone. He took a deep breath, in through his mouth, out, slowly through his nose. A smoker’s breath, and closed his eyes. 

“This shit, whatever has gotten into you? I’m done, Ronan. You’re done.” Declan spoke frankly. “I’ve already called a rehab center in Arlington-“

“No.”

“-and seeing as you’re on a 72 hour hold as it is, they’re willing to take you in.” Declan continued as if Ronan had never spoken. “You’ll finish your detox there. Gansey has already sent over your clothes.”

“I said no. Get the fuck out!” Ronan snapped, opening his eyes to glare at Declan with a look that had brought lesser men to their knees.

“You don’t get a choice. Either you go, and save yourself, or you continue on this path of self destruction alone. I will not allow you into Mathew’s life if you choose the latter, he won’t be made to watch you deteriorate any longer.”

Ronan closed his burning eyes, once more.

“I’m sorry,” Declan whispered. “I-we can’t do this anymore Ronan. You’re breaking us. We love you, but we won’t help you destroy yourself.”

Silent tears slipped from beneath his closed lashes, running tracks to the starched pillows below. 

“I’m tired.”

Declan sighed, bringing his hand to squeeze Ronan’s once, lightly, before making his way through the door. 

“I’m sorry.” Ronan whispered to Declan. To no one. To everyone. To him. 

#BD au #pynch #pynch fic #pynch au #ronan lynch #adam parrish #ronan x adam #trc #trc fanfiction #au #ao3fic

[airlock]

airlock grades the Michalis archetype

next in this series, we line up the characters who are spitting on our faces and calling us bitches now, but were petting cute dogs just a moment prior. that’s right, it’s the Camus archetype’s archrival: the Michalis!

(do note: under cut are spoilers for… everything, and also a significant amount of me criticizing or blamming characters that you might like. you’ve been warned! but if you’d still proceed, then I shall brush you aside like the pebble you are in the grand scheme of my plans-)

a foreword

I’m going to need a working definition for this one as well, so here goes: by the reckoning of this listing, a Michalis is a secondary character who is characterized as virtuous, well-liked, or otherwise distasteful to fight against, but who still must be fought against, not due to the tragics that compel a Camus, but because the Michalis bears a severe flaw that overpowers the good qualities and will ultimately choose evil because of it.

here it goes!

you will adress him as king michalis of macedon

(7/10)

the original article delivers pretty well! often better intentioned than he might seem, he’s proud and reckless, and it constantly lands him in lousy situations -- whether he’s fighting his own family or getting straight-up killed because he deadass thought he had a chance against Gharnef. sure, jan.

he’s not the most compelling one in this list, but as that rare character who feels thorougly driven by his own personality and not the demands of the plot on a given day, he’s definitely on the better end of the archetype.

classist michalis

(2/10)

yeah...... this one’s another shot off the hoop for Valentia’s newer villains. when he’s not around, every character around will drop to their knees and beg you to go easy on the poor guy; when he’s around, he’s virulent far beyond what his sob backstory could possibly excuse. he thorougly fails to garner the sympathy the game is convinced you should have for him, and while some of his earlier scenes land with spectacle, he rapidly shrinks into an irrelevant appendage of Berkut’s and meets his end in a pointless, weak death scene.

the DLC maps do a heroic job of making him sound like something other than an annoying tool for once, but you know shit’s not going well if you need DLC just to make your character even a little bit less tasteless.

hungry michalis

(10/10)

sure, he’s hardened, vile, and deserves scarce sympathy for some of the deeds under his belt. but damned if he isn’t the most genuine villain in this list. born to a world that relentlessly spits on him and his, he spits back with all of his power, that the saliva of the world might run out and leave something better for the next ones up.

there’s something unique and incredible about his arc: for all the unforgivable atrocities he commits, he may genuinely have left the world a better place than he’d entered, but still, his end is not a tragedy; rather, his end is the final step needed in order to make things right for good and all. there’s no one else in the franchise who functions so effectively as a self-made villain.

and fuck Veld for encroaching on that perfection-

... I said he was a camus-michalis hybrid, right

(5/10)

but I’m not writing the entire analysis again, just read the Camus post

marqualis

(5.5/10)

this is maybe a little bit of a stretch; Darin is definitely not written as a virtuous or even halfway sympathetic character -- but he’s still given an undeniably human core that’s meant to set him apart from the literally inhuman secondary villains he rubs shoulders with, such as in all of the times he grows hesitant in the face of Nergal’s plans before Ephidel butters him back into compliance. plus, there’s a subtle sympathy to be had in seeing his family tearing itself apart because of manipulative villains, even if the entire family is dicks.

like the original one, he’s not an incrediblly compelling character, but his personality definitely sells his arc of the plot, and it’s hard to deny that taking him down for good and all at the Dragon’s Gate gets to be a moment of some power -- one that feels tragic, but right.

merchalis

(7/10)

hard sell again, but, as amoral and cruel as this fellow is, there’s an underscore of neutrality to him that makes him much more of a balanced character than the usual power-hungry villain; sure, he’ll do anything for the sake of his ambitions -- but that includes ignoring Lyon and potentially screwing him over! he bears with him that refreshing strength of being an antagonist who drives things his way and not just the plot-convenient one, similar to others on the list here. and albeit vague, his alluded-to past is somewhat intriguing, to boot!

darling michalis

(10/10)

undoubtedly up there in the pantheon of Magvel’s most incredible writing moments is the arc of this sick motherfucker. he perfectly disarms you for a few moments before the shoe drops and then it never stops dropping.

there’s any number of villains who are just repugnant, but this guy takes the whole thing to a new level: with the facade he starts off with, and with the positive but incredibly twisted motivations that drive him, he is quite possibly the most terrifying thing in this whole franchise -- above all of the undead monsters.

shiny-pecker michalis

(9/10)

a performer of nefarious, ostensibly shameless deeds, and at the same time, a character who is trusted and loved by many whom he wrongs again and again -- Naesala glides smoothly in the territory where the likes of Fernand have tripped.

the reveal that his overarching motivation stems from a cheap plot device is weakening, but still hardly impacts his stellar characterization; he makes his weight felt on every cutscene where he’s so much as mentioned, and besides, comparably to Travant above, he’s willing to own for himself the villainy that the world thrust upon him, which makes him an incredibly compelling character and powerfully adds to the tragedy of those characters who eagerly await for him to let his better nature shine through while he goes and betrays them once more.

boot camp michalis

(7.5/10)

as downright nasty as he is, Jarod’s sporting, capable villainy is arguably one of the prime strengths of Radiant Dawn’s Part 1. facing off against him feels like one grand competition, which gets to be unique where Tellius’s villains tend to fight from the shadows instead.

his drive for efficiency as a soldier, constantly slammed against his subordinates’ lesser preparation, makes for a consistent, active motivation, even as it frequently drives him into the path of cruelty -- although there’s a criticism to be had in that he sometimes takes the cruelty up to eleven in situation where it makes no sense to (like, say, frequently lancing his subordinates for incompetence; sure, he hatehatehates that and it’s not out of character for him to be violent about it, but murdering one’s own ranks in occupied territory is uncharacteristically stupid for him).

his final stand is a particularly standout moment; where the plot could’ve simply moved on by the time of Sanaki’s intervention, the last hurrah comes about anyway because he personally decided to make it happen -- and for compelling, intriguing reasons, at that!

king michalis... of plegia

(6/10)

the antagonist driving the least weak arc of Awakening is surely one of its better ones, yes? well, kind of -- he’s more than a little pastiche and not enough consistency, but at least, when he’s on the scene, he chews the scenery so hard it bursts into color.

well, then! this time, I don’t even know if I’m directly missing a sample from fates, so that’s a wrap. what do you all think? are you charmed enough to ignore all of the innocents I just slaughtered, or are you having none of it and will put an end to my evil deeds? if the upcoming Three Houses is to have a Michalis, how despicably lovable should they be? well, think what you will -- the truth is, I’ve been onto you this entire time! of course you’ll share your thoughts in a reply or a reblog... right?

#airlock grades the villain archetypes #fire emblem is tagged in this post

[brutcllysoft]

4th of july ft. @becamedcath

setting: a boutique in LA, july 2015

ROWAN

Rowan knows she’s in trouble. In fact, trouble doesn’t even feel like a big enough word to describe the situation she’s found herself in. Against all of the odds and all of her preconceived notions, she finds herself drawn to Andy. The last few months have been nothing short of bizarre and as much as she’d hated to admit it back in May, after she got to know Andy a little better he isn’t that bad. He isn’t what she’d thought he was --- it’d taken a little time for them to get used to each other, for her to begin to chip away at the walls that surrounded him and get to see glimpses of who he really is, not the image that’s portrayed to the media. He’s sweet, in the biggest twist of events --- grown to be nice to her now that they don’t want to kill each other, he makes her laugh, and he keeps her on her toes which she loves. Her stomach twists into knots at the thought and she knows she’s in trouble because she’s starting to kind of think of him as her boyfriend and not her business partner. She’s fucked. 

And even more so because it’s like she never knows where they really stand anymore. Sometimes she thinks she’ll catch his eye and see something --- like maybe he’s having the same thoughts she is, like he wants to push things further and say fuck the contract but then one of them will blink and they’re back to shy glances and sheepish smiles over fret boards and sheet music. They’re in California this week, the label holding 4th of July party at their Los Angeles location. The hotel they’ve been put up in is nice enough, and though the party doesn’t officially start for another few hours, Rowan’s stylist and his team have been in her room since noon, working their magic. She thinks she looks fine. Her hair and make up aren’t a problem, though they rarely are aside from that few months back in 2012 that her stylist thought 2001 Justin Timberlake curls should be brought back. She’s not exactly fond of the dress, though, a little disappointed that they’ve put her in pink yet again despite the fact that she’s trying to break out of the Bumpkin Barbie prototype. But it’d been the best out of all the options she had been presented with and she doesn’t look bad. Just different than how she’d like. But her thoughts are stolen from her when there’s a knock on her hotel room, a giddy feeling filling her when she knows it’s Andy --- and following quickly after is guilt because she shouldn’t be feeling that. She swallows it back though, opening the door.

“Hey---” she can’t stop her smile from falling when she catches sight of him. Not because he looks bad --- he always looks good, she’s come to realize, and she kind of hates him for it. A few weeks ago they’d taken a red eye to New York City and he’d looked as handsome as ever while she looked like she’d just rolled out of bed (which, to be fair, she had). However, his choice of clothes is cause for concern. She knows he’s got an image to uphold but the party has a strict dress code for cocktail attire and she doesn’t think his ripped jeans and leather jacket are really going to make the cut, causing her to let out a quiet breath. “Andy,” his name comes out in a slight whine, the stress evident in her. It’s not that she really cares what he dresses like because honestly, she doesn’t. But the party is a good opportunity for both of them to rub elbows with new people and the last thing she wants is for the two of them to end up on TMZ  for the wardrobe faux paux. “Please tell me you’re kidding and you’ve got something you’re going to change into before we leave. Didn’t Chris tell you about the dress code?

ANDY

The last thing Andy had ever expected to happen to him was to fall for Rowan Fisher. She’s not his type, she’s someone he would scoff at if they hadn’t been thrown into this PR stunt together. And yet, in the last four months, they’d become friends, actually managing to find common ground and create a relationship with one another that didn’t begin and end with snide comments. He finds himself looking forward to each time they’re together, wanting to soak up every minute that they have. He had assumed she was just what the media portrayed her as, but as they spent more and more time together -- The truth became more apparent: They’re more alike than he thought. It had been enjoyable when they reached a friendship, but now… He couldn’t look at her without knots forming in his stomach, without taking a second look in the mirror to fix his hair. The word crush isn’t what he would call it, mostly because he’s scared to admit to something like that, but there’s no denying just what it is. Andy keeps the thought to himself, playing it cool whenever they’re together, knowing that if he lets his own feelings seep into this, it could fuck up their contract -- And he’s not about to have Rowan Fisher’s legal team come after him for a crush.They’re getting ready for some bullshit party the label is putting on for the holiday, all about networking and setting off fireworks or some shit. Andy’s not entirely sure, but his first single had come out a week prior, and already shot him to the top of the charts -- So tonight was immensely important, and they had to be on their A-game, even if they were going to be stuck with industry snobs. At least there was an open bar.

He knows Rowan is probably being held hostage by her hair and make up team, who are surely forcing her to dress like a neon puff pastry. Mostly it was just an excuse to see her before they have to go and put on smiling faces for Greg Sullivan and his band of merry misfits. He spends five minutes standing in the mirror before leaving his dressing room, fixing and then touseling his hair multiple times, rehearsing what to say as his excuse. It’s odd to be in the position -- He can’t think of the last time he had a genuine crush on someone. Bethany had been… a different case. His relationship with her was built on sex, coke, and causing a scene in the hotel bar -- At the end of the day, they didn’t really like each other, just the adrenaline high they could achieve together. For lack of a better term, Rowan is different. She’s good and wholesome, with a heart the size of a small country -- It’s something Andy’s come to really admire about her, the way she opens her heart to people in her life, whether it be through her everyday life or her music. Of course, he hadn’t told her any of this, nor did he have a plan to. It’s hard not to let himself think she’s just putting on an act and he’s fall for it, that she’s just trying to make the best of a weird situation until she can be rid of him. Andy tries not to dwell on the thought.

Instead, he makes his way to her dressing room, knocking once before opening the door. “You decent?” He calls out before sticking his head in first, entering entirely a moment after. “Oh, Jesus -- Clearly not.” Andy makes a face as he catches sight of the pink monstrosity she’s been put in, but it doesn’t last -- She’s already pointing out the fact that he’s still in the ripped jeans and t-shirt/leather jacket combo he arrived there in, clearly not impressed. He’s a little caught off guard by how much he enjoys hearing the sound of his name on her lips, drawing him closer to her without even trying. “What?” He’s genuinely caught off guard, brows furrowing as he looks down at the clothes he’s wearing. Andy’s not like Rowan in that regard -- He doesn’t get done up for events, or spend hours with hair and make up. Usually a stylist shakes out his hair and he wears his signature leather jacket, and they call it a day. “Who cares about a dress code?”

ROWAN

The face he makes when he walks in has her has her feeling just slightly self-conscious, but she tells herself she’d had a similar reaction to the dress --- doesn’t dare to let herself think that he could be making the face at her in general and not the dress itself. Christ, her ego can’t take that kind of blow tonight, not when she needs to be on her A-Game. Besides, she knows the outfit is bad. It’s something she probably would’ve picked out when she was fifteen, but now all it does is lock her into the image she’s already been shoeboxed into, rather than actually helping her move forward into the new one she’s desperately hoping to break into. “Don’t make that face,” she scolds him, nose scrunching slightly. “I don’t get as much wardrobe freedom as you apparently do. It was this or neon green with long sleeves so this is the lesser of two evils.” Though still very much evil, she leaves that to herself. It’s something she probably would’ve enjoyed wearing when she was sixteen, but it definitely goes against the more mature and grown up image she’s so desperately trying to break into. A hand moves to tuck blonde hair behind her ear and she can hear her hair stylist tsk over it, but chooses to ignore it in favour of the conversation at hand.

His question has her lips pursing momentarily. A voice somewhere in the back of her head tells her not to push it --- that she always does things like this, always comes on too strong about things that don’t really matter in the grand scheme of things, that her control freak tendencies are always one of the first things to make people realize how annoying she truly is and can be. But it’s like a compulsion she just can’t help. “Greg Sullivan does,” the answer slips out as casually as she can, shrugging her shoulders but it’s obvious that Greg Sullivan isn’t really the biggest factor here. Though that being said he loves to remind them all that they’re under his thumb and while Rowan herself has never been on the receiving end of a verbal lashing from him, she’s heard them and has zero interest in doing so. He creeps her out enough from the few and far between interactions she’s already got to smile her way through, she doesn’t need to add that to their itinerary. “And honestly, so do I. Looks are important in the industry -- to make a good impression.” Which has been drilled in her head since she was sixteen --- to always put her best foot forward, not to let anyone see her looking anything less than perfect. No wonder the sight of Andy in his ripped jeans and t-shirt before the night of a big party have her stressing out. Then she realizes she’s kind of insulted him and her cheeks heat up just slightly, stumbling to correct herself remembering how shitty it felt moments earlier when he’d given her that look. “You don’t look bad, but do you want Greg Sullivan breathing down your neck about it in a few hours? You’re not allergic to button downs, are you?” Her tone shifts, something more casual, closer to the teasing one she’s adopted around him in recent weeks.

ANDY

It’s not lost on them that there’s different expectations held for them -- From the sexism that plagues the industry, all the way down to how different their styles are musically, aesthetically, everything. She’s the good girl, the one with the smile and innocence who has a squeaky clean image -- Whereas he’s the opposite, known for causing fights and showing up in a leather jacket, without much thought for anything else. His image is built off of him being a mess, so he’s never been forced into putting a suit and gelling back his hair. “Jesus,” Andy’s sure she’d look good in whatever her stylist put her in, but neon green may be a stretch. “You sure you didn’t offend your stylist, or something? ‘Cause that sounds personal.” It’s a lame joke, but he laughs at his own words. A few months ago, he spent all of his time around her huffing and making snide comments -- It was strange to think that now, they were cracking jokes and having a conversation that didn’t involve mocking the other. “Wanna borrow my jacket?” He suggests, only half-serious. “Might give you a little more edge than… Whatever it is they put you in. Can’t imagine you’d look too bad in it.” He immediately kicks himself for his last comment, feeling like a child with a school boy crush. Hopefully she won’t pick up on it, save him the embarrassment and burning cheeks. Since when was he the kind of guy who got crushes on girls? Who made comments about a girl wearing his jacket and then had to use all of his will power to not go beet red? Jesus.

He wrinkles his nose at the mention of Greg Sullivan, someone he hates deeply -- But he welcomes as a topic change. The words fuck that guy are at the tip of his tongue, but even Andy knows better than to blurt out something like that in a place like this. You never knew who was listening, and he wasn’t planning on getting sued for defamation or something for making a passing remark. He gets the point when it comes to the importance of appearance, that perception is reality. Andy couldn’t give a shit if Greg Sullivan liked how he looked, but in that moment -- He cared about Rowan’s opinion more than he wanted to admit. A half smile comes when he notices her cheeks changing to a twinge of pink. Christ, this girl had just insulted his outfit and still he’s standing there with knots in his stomach. What the fuck. At her question, a smirk comes to his lips. “What, think you could do better?” He challenges, giving her a look. He may not be able to handle accepting his feelings for her, but he was always happy to flirt with her -- Whether she dished it back or went red and stumbled over her words. Either way, he was into it.

ROWAN

The way Andy’s face takes on just a little colour after he makes a comment about her in his jacket certainly isn’t lost on her, and it creates a small smug feeling in her chest. Even if he’s just doing all of this for fun or to pass the time, it’s satisfying to know that it isn’t completely a one way street --- that she isn’t the only one being affected by it. “Maybe when the sun goes down,” she hums out the answer to what was likely a rhetorical question, unable to keep herself from poking at it just a little. Somewhere in her mind a voice tells her that if the paparazzi outside the party get a shot of them leaving with his jacket slung over her shoulders they’ll be on the front of every magazine in the morning and she has to stop herself from frowning, disappointed that that had come to mind at all. She knows that’s the whole reason they’re even in the same room right now --- the contract is still heavily hanging between them -- but sometimes it doesn’t feel like it’s about that anymore. Certainly not in moments like this, and she doesn’t want to somehow taint it with something like that so she doesn’t let her facial expression change and pushes the thought away. “S’long as you think I can pull it off,” she teases just a little, circling back to his comment.

His wrinkled nose and disgusted expression is one that she can very much relate to when it comes to both Sullivans, but she doesn’t comment further on it. For a minute she’s a little worried she may have pushed too far and that they’ll be back at square one, her insult having hurled her right back into his bad graces. Then he’s smiling again --- or as much as he ever really does, and Rowan decides then that even if it kills her she’s eventually going to see that half-smile he always sports turn into a full blown grin stretching across his face eventually -- and she’s relieved. “I know I could do better,” she counters confidently, head tilting at him. “There’s a little place down the street I could do some serious damage in as long as you’re willing to trust me on it. No pink, I promise.” And yeah, maybe her fingers are metaphorically crossed behind her back because it wouldn’t kill him to wear a pink tie and match her, but she’s not about to open up with that.

ANDY

It’s almost shocking to him that she goes back and forth with him, half expecting Rowan to have made a face or tried to change the topic quickly at the offhanded comment. “I’ll hold ya to it.” Andy adds, something of a smirk at his lips. He hates that he’s getting coy around her, but if he just tells himself it’s harmless flirting — He can make it out without cheeks that look like he’s sunburned. A certain doubt keeps him grounded, reminding him of the contract they share and that anything they do that could make them look good on a paparazzi picture is the goal. He wonders if that’s motivating her, or if she actually likes him — But that’s a road Andy refuses to let himself go down (right now, at least), knowing it’d put a damper on a night that’s supposed to be a good. Just enjoy yourself. He tries to remind himself, though it’s unclear if it’ll last. “I think you’d look pretty good in leather.” He smirks as he speaks, looking her up and down as if to assess the possibility. A brow arched at her confidence in dressing him, a look of surprise on his features. “Is that so?” He challenges, hating that the way her head tilts while she speaks so confidently has his heart slamming against his chest. Her suggestion is one that could easily get them in trouble with Reina and Chris (especially the former), but admittedly — That’s part of the appeal. He’s not sure where this will lead but he’s eager to find out. “You’ve got a deal,” he begins, before holding a finger up. “If, and only if, I get to pick an outfit for you too. Because this —“ He gestures to the pink mess of fabric she’s wearing. “Isn’t gonna cut it. We’re going to a label event, not prom.” He teases her, unable to stop the half smile that comes with it. “We got a deal, Fisher?”

ROWAN

It’s so strange to think of where they are now compared to a few short months ago. She’d been so sure that there wasn’t anything in the world that could make her even tolerate him, let alone be friends with him. And now here she is --- with a crush. Maybe it shouldn’t be surprising. Rowan has always had a habit of jumping in head first and falling for the men in her life far too fast. She is vaguely aware of the fact that she looks at the world through rose coloured glasses and right now Andy is included in that world. The flirting and the back and forth is something she’s come to enjoy --- the phone calls late at night something she looks forward to and finds herself disappointed if they miss. It’s dangerous territory, that much she is aware of and when she has moments of clarity -- usually when she’s alone, catching herself thinking about him when she most certainly shouldn’t be -- she tells herself she needs to draw a line in the sand and stay on her side of it. And then she’s with him again, or he’s texting her and it all goes out the window. It’s just so easy to have this kind of relationship with him.

She’s surprised when he agrees so easily, honestly having had expected to have to beg just a little but the look of satisfaction that comes with it falls just as quickly. Of course he has conditions. Her lips purse together, hesitating and weighing out her options. She hates not having control over it --- but then, had she really had control over her outfit tonight anyway? Or over anything she wears, for that matter? Her teeth catch on her bottom lip for a moment, trying to figure out if this moment of rebellious freedom will be worth the inevitable chewing out she’s going to get from Reina for showing up in something that hadn’t been pre-approved. They’ve worked so hard over the years to carefully craft her image into what it is, and while they’re trying to break away from parts of it --- that break away is just as carefully planned. “Deal. But it can’t be anything that’s gonna have Reina draggin’ me outta there by my hair.” She’s not sure that’s even possible, but it’s worth a try. She moves to slip her shoes on. “Okay, slugger, let’s get this over with.”June 4, 2020

ANDY

She’s become a piece of his life, one he didn’t expect months ago — Rowan became part of everything he does now. Andy sees her everywhere he goes, he’s left each day wanting to hear the sound of her voice and know what she’s thinking.  He doesn’t tell her that, of course. Instead, it’s masked with a phone call where he asks about her day, or purposefully leaving something of his with her so he has a reason to come back. This conversation started just the same — Wanting an excuse to see her, so he checks in under the guise of seeing how she’s doing. Under any other circumstance, he wouldn’t have agreed. It’s not often that he actually “dresses up” and if it weren’t her insisting on dressing him, he would have told whoever criticized his outfit to go fuck themselves. But with Rowan, he’s eager to have alone time with her, to sneak off and do a task as mundane as this with her by his side, and no one looming over either of their shoulders.

His heart rate speeds up as she bites her lip, apparently deep in thought over his conditions, before she agrees. Truthfully, Andy’s a bit surprised they were both willing to agree to this — But he’s not complaining. At the mention of Reina, something between a scoff and laugh comes. God knows the woman in question wouldn’t be happy with anything he does, even if he could move mountains she’d complain they’re too far to the left. “I’ll skip the leather and chains, got it.” He jokes, knowing that they’re going to surely get in some sort of trouble regardless of what either of them are wearing. The nickname slugger pulls a smile from him — He tries to conceal it, as stupid as it sounds, so that she can’t see how much he enjoys it. “Well?” He holds his arm up for her to loop her hand through (the idea of holding her hand makes him more nervous that he wants to admit, before the embarrassment of being nervous to hold a girl’s hand settles in.), so that they can be on their way.

Getting to the boutique in question is a simple enough task — They still have hours until the event tonight, so no one is on the hunt for them, leaving a window of opportunity to sneak out. This place isn’t exactly somewhere Andy would choose on his own, but he’s willing to trust Rowan’s judgment. Before he knows it, he’s got an arm full of hanging clothes, shoved into the fitting room so that the fashion show can begin. He’s got the first suit on — One he’s pretty sure she’s picked out just to fuck with him, now that he’s looking himself wearing a blazer with a matching pant that’s pattern could rival the curtains at his Mother’s house. “Okay, I’m regretting agreeing to this.” He says loud enough for her to hear, before opening the fitting room door to show it off. “People actually buy this shit?”

ROWAN

It hadn’t taken them long to get to the boutique she’d had in mind. Part of her finds herself disappointed when they get there, her arms easily slipping out of his so they can get down to business but she doesn’t dwell on it. While they still have a good amount of time before anyone is expecting them, she doesn’t want Reina to find out about her disappearance and send out a search party or something. On the other hand, the little bit of alone time they manage to sneak is something Rowan would like to hold onto for as long as possible, so maybe the embarrassing search and rescue would be worth it. Either way, she makes quick work of buzzing around the shop, loading up his arms with various articles of clothing she insist he try on —- and yes, maybe a handful of them are a little extravagant; things that aren’t really practical for where they’re going nor would she want him to wear them, but part of her just wants to see if he’d be willing to indulge her. It doesn’t quite occur to her yet that soon they’ll be in opposite situations and he can have her trying on something equally horrendous.

Before long they find themselves hidden away in a private fitting area. Rowan flops onto the couch while she waits for him, slipping out of her heels almost immediately and justifying it by saying she’ll, hopefully, be buying a different pair of shoes anyways. “Don’t be a baby,” her eyes roll at his comment, though her voice remains light and teasing. “It can’t be that—-” turns out it is that bad. Her words fall short when the curtain opens, her lips pursing together into a thin line to keep herself from laughing too hard, though that only lasts a few seconds. Her nose crinkles while she really takes in the outfit, clearly not one of her more serious choices. “It’s bold,” she suggests weakly, trying not to start off with something too harsh should it make him regret this whole thing. “Maybe just a little bit… busy.” She stands from the couch and takes a few steps to cross the room, one finger lifting to touch against the largest piece of the pattern — a deep red flower that’s on the jacket at least sixty times. “This colour is nice, though, and I think there’s a shirt in there that’s pretty similar. That should be round two.”

ANDY

He’s not sure where this is headed -- He’d agreed to letting her dress him because he likes a challenge and has a crush he won’t admit to, but now that’s actually standing in the fitting room, Andy’s not sure what Rowan had in mind. He may have a crush on her, but that doesn’t mean she doesn’t have an ulterior motive. Or maybe he’s just assuming the worst. It never takes him long to get into his own head, but once her words fall short at the sight of the suit he’s in -- It’s reassuring. “I look like a lamp.” He dead pans, trying to ignore the way he holds his breath when she steps closer to him. Rowan isn’t even really touching him, just examining the design -- But it’s enough for his nerves to make a comeback. “Somehow I doubt that’s gonna be much better.” He replies easily, giving his usual poker face despite what’s actually going on behind the mask. “But for you, I’ll give it a shot.” Andy gives her a half smile, before turning on his heel quickly to return to the dressing room before she can catch sight of the redness in his cheeks. God, when did this become so fucking personal? He’s never had an issue talking up a girl at a bar, an event, whatever -- But Rowan’s managed to get a hold of him, one he hadn’t expected. He retires to the fitting room once more, replacing the suit with a button up shirt of the same pattern with a pair of black pants -- It looks much better, truthfully. Rather than getting swallowed by the pattern it’s more of an accent, but he’s still hesitant. The majority of his closet consists of black, denim, or old band shirts. Nothing like this. “I don’t know about this, Ro.” He calls from the fitting room, a knot in his stomach at the nickname. Get a fucking grip. He opens the door after, showing her the clothes before stepping over to the mirror. “This one still looks… like a lot.” He continues, sizing himself up. "You sure this isn't some form of sabotage?" He teases her, giving a pointed look.

ROWAN

Part of her is pretty sure this isn’t going anywhere and that at the end of all of this, he’s going to revert back to square one and leave here in the exact same outfit he’d come in wearing. Rowan’s not sure that he really trusts her on any of this, and that much is evident as he calls out that he doesn’t know about it again. “It’s not sabotage. You’re my boyfriend --- at least as far as the world is concerned. You look bad, I look bad. It’s a package deal thing.” She manages to catch her slip up relatively quickly, but kicks herself for having done it at all. Rowan is very much aware of the fact that she’s getting herself into a potentially heartbreaking (not to mention financially devastating should Andy’s legal team decide to sue her for some kind of breach of contract) situation by starting to actually like him, but it’s not something that she has any control over. He had seemed like the perfect candidate for the role a few months ago --- one of few people in the world that her bleeding heart wouldn’t open up for, and he’d managed to knock down all of her expectations and preconceived notions about him and here they are.

“It just looks like a lot because you’re not used to it.” Her smile is soft, trying to reassure the obvious nerves he’s got. “It looks good, but if you’re gonna be uncomfortable all night then you shouldn’t wear it.” She knows exactly what it’s like to have to wear something you don’t feel confident in and how it can ruin a whole night. Her lips purse together for a second before disappearing into the dressing room to dig around for a moment, coming back out with a few items thrown over her arms. “I think you should stick with that pattern. It looks nice on you, but if you’re unsure about the shirt you could try this---” she steps up beside him, moving to hold a black shirt up -- not her first choice, if she’s being honest but it’s not really about her --- against his chest before draping a tie in the same pattern over his shoulder. “I still like the shirt. But I’d give this the okay, too. S’your choice.”June 11, 2020

ANDY

He hates how much he loves hearing the word boyfriend fall from her lips, though he pushes the feeling away, telling himself he’s just reading too far into things. She’s just talking about how his fashion choices, or lack thereof, effect her -- Even if he’s not sure he’s ever heard her refer to him as her boyfriend outside of a paparazzi filled event. “Yeah, yeah -- I get it.” He plays it cool, verbally waving away her words despite the knots in his stomach. “We’re America’s sweethearts or whatever now -- Did you know we’re the new Brangelina?” He teases, gasping at the mention of the couple, eyes rolling as he leaves the dressing room to show off the clothes. Her smile is soft, sending him back to square one -- Andy hates that something as simple as just fucking looking at her is enough to make him feel like a little kid, but he can’t help it when she gives him a smile and tries to ease his concerns. “I guess,” he shrugs, turning to look in the mirror, examining himself. The longer he looks at it, the more the shock begins to wear off -- But it’s still a bit much in comparison to his usual look. She moves to place a shirt in front of him while standing behind, and though it’s something more his speed -- A black button up, right to the point -- he can see she’s not that impressed. The close proximity between them gets his heart racing, and before he knows it he’s turning on his heel to face her. She’s closer than they usually are when the cameras are present -- Enough for him to smell her perfume and have to resist the urge to reach out and move a piece of hair from her face. “I think I’m gonna trust your judgment on this one.” He nods, looking down at the patterned shirt he’s wearing. “If I end up on a worst dressed list I’m blamin’ you, though.”

ROWAN

It comes as a surprise when Andy turns around and she’s suddenly aware of how close they are. Her initial instinct is to step back and put some distance between them, to try and retreat back to the easy atmosphere between them but she doesn’t move. Instead, she stays where she is — almost like she can’t pull away, like if she does he’ll just move too as if they’re connected to each other. “Good choice,” she smiles up at him, tries to regain the bit of composure that she has lost. She can feel his breath fan against her cheeks when he laughs and despite how unprofessional it is (is their relationship even professional anymore? It’s all so confusing) she can’t stop the idea of how easy it would be to just lean up and kiss him then — her eyes linger on his lips for just a second too long, cheeks flushing slightly and her hands move to smooth out the collar of the shirt, not because it really needs it but she just needs to do something with them. “You’re gonna be thanking me tomorrow when you make top ten best dressed —- maybe even top five.” She bites her lip for a second, trying to figure out just how much she’s willing to toe the line. Her eyes stay on the top button of the shirt, “you’re gonna look good —- you do look good. If only you knew when to make a move, coulda been the whole package.”

ANDY

Anyone who saw this would be able to tell exactly what’s happening — They’re shamelessly flirting, finding themselves in what would be a montage in a stereotypical rom-com. There’s no denying that he’s enjoying this, how seriously she’s taking this and each smile she gives creates knots in his stomach. Admittedly, he turned to face her for purely selfish reasons, wanting to be closer to her, even if he has to resist the urge to reach out. Andy has to remind himself that she’s not actually his girlfriend, that none of this is real — And there’s a large possibility that Rowan is only humoring him for the sake of the contract they’ve signed. He catches the way her eyes linger on his lips, the twinge of pink on her cheeks, the way a shiver goes down his spine while she fixes his collar — A voice in the back of his head tells him he’s just making it up, but for this moment, he’s letting himself enjoy it. “I’m gonna hold ya to that.” Andy smiles, giving her a look. The tension is palpable, and he’s tempted to lean in, but stays where he is for fear of misreading this — Rowan is a sweet girl, one who always sports a smile and something kind to say, it wouldn’t be shocking if he’d made this all up in his head. And then — If only you knew when to make a move… A brow arches, smirk at his lips. “Make a move, huh?” He repeats, a hand moving to the back of her head as he leans in — “Oh, oh my goodness, I’m so sorry.” One of the workers are the boutique turns the corner and interrupts once he’s practically a centimeter from her lips, stopping him dead in his tracks. Of fucking course. Truthfully, his brains first reaction to someone interrupting had been that Reina found them and was going to rip him apart. His hand lets go of her, and he clears his throat as a hand rubs the back of his neck. “I think this one is good. Let’s uh — Let’s find ya something to match.”

#v: nashville. #nash: andy.

[alexanderessexmediaroles]

Day 9 - Individual Artist Roles for both Stop-Motion and 3D/CG

For today’s research, I thought I specilise it to looking into the four roles I’ve chosen to pursue with for my project by looking what is required for those roles as well as potential artists that share those very same roles so that I can research them for the media roles project. 

Before I did any major research on my own, I went back to the sources of information that Carla had given us for the one project we had to do as they’res still a lot of useful resources that i can use to research the roles specifically and for finding my potential artists and animation companies to look into as well. I first started off by going back to ‘ScreenShare’ and looking at the Animator, Model Maker and Rigging Roles to see what the website I had to offer. Whilst I would research into how these roles work by themselves and how to get into them, I plan to do just a brief version today as I’ll do a more detailed look into how to apply and get into those job roles in the industry when I talk about them a lot more in depth later on as I want to research into artists from those roles for inspiration.

Animator for Stop-Motion and 3D

Starting off with the role of an ‘Animator’, the basic role of an animator is to follow a visual brief off the storyboard which the director helps to give a verbal brief to that same animator in order to make the scene just right in the film or production. In order to be successful and knowledgeable as an animator, you have to make sure you have a good understanding of the principles as well as being familarised with weight and timing to make the character and scenery as realistic as possible to the point where it seems seamless as your watching the performance. This however depends on how many frames you’re animating on as the more frames a second allows for much smoother animation with lesser frames making it slower but more stylistic. You also need to be organised and be able to communicate in this role effectively with not only exploring your ideas to others, but also effectively meeting deadlines to when a scene needs to be animated on time. This goes the same for both 3D and Stop-Motion based Animators although I would say deadlines for animating are probably more important in the stop-motion industry as they have a much tighter schedule when it comes to animating since it takes them longer to make a frame compared to 3D/CG.

Rigger

With the role of a ‘Rigger’, they’re the digital puppet-makers of the 3D animation department as they control how much a puppet is articulated and moved for a certain action like how a character should walk from A to B in a scene or how their body will morph and change as their feelings are expressed. Essentially, they help to create all that is needed for the animator to fully play around with the character. Whistl it’s their job to make the skeleton of puppets, they have direct involvement with the animators on set too as they pass back onto the rigger what would need changing about the puppet order to achieve a certain pose or look for that character. This could vary from slightly loosing up a characters joints to make the job of animating a lot easier in stop-motion or adding more points in a digital skeleton to get some freer movement. Whilst riggers specilise with character, they are essentially responsible to anything that is seen that is movable as objects also provide a skeleton to perform certain actions like thrusters moving off a car. In addition to working with the animators, they have to also work with modelers too to see how they will pan to put the skeleton into the model and understanding if some areas are possible or not for movement.

Model Maker

Model-makers can be approached either as 3D modelers or stop-motion puppet makers but I’ll be focusing on more the stop-motion aspect of the role. Having said that at some point in my research, I would still like to look into 3D modelling as there’s a particular artist I like that motivates me going along as a 3D modeler as well. With stop-motion model making, there’s a lot of the same knowledge as an animator and rigging that goes into puppet making as all three of these roles have to communicate with each other in order to create a successful and poseable puppet for the scene as well as having the same kind of skills and intuition that goes into the other roles. Because of this, Model-makers have to make several different puppets that are the same and for their clothing and accessories too which I learnt from LAIKA Studios. In addtion to making the puppets in stop-motion as a model-maker, it’s also consists of creating models for the background of scenes as well like making the tiny little prop’s that all add to the realism of the set in addition to the main set pieces to the scene.

Something off the ‘Skill shares’ website that I found interesting was that in smaller studios in the industry, model-makers are more of a general role that are taken as they need people working in the studio to have multiple skills rather than just one. This is definitely reassuring for me as I‘m very unsure to what I should specilise in for the future as I like doing many roles at once.

3D Animator and Rigging Artists I would like to Look at:

Alexey Zakharov

Audri Phillips

Dreamworks

Blue Zoo

JellyFish

This was a bit tricky to research and find for as there aren’t too many famous 3D animators out in the wild that i could find and research on compared to something like Stop-Motion. Having said that, there are still a ton of companies that I find interesting to me that I might choose to really research into how specifically what it’s like to be a 3D animator which goes the same for rigging too. 

However for the ones I did find, I found both to be really interesting to me for different reasons as even though they both aren’t to do with character animation and rigging, they still show how these people work as well as well as having different ways of showcasing their skills as animators. The first artist I looked like was a 3D artist by the name of Alexey Zakharov who creates very photo-realistic set pieces and test shots such as his take on the show ‘Futurama’ if it was to be in 3D. Obviously something really eye-catching with his work is by how visually stunning it all is to watch as everything has been made from the ground-up through Alexey’s work in four different software's that being:  3dsmax, Nuke, Photoshop, After Effects. These all help to light, model and animate the scene which we see below. Because of this, I might plan to look at the different types of software used for both 3D animation and rigging as this would help me with my industry knowledge.

Futurama 3d (test shot)

Through his making of video where it shows the steps to how each element was made for the test shot, there was one aspect that I found interesting to me that looked at the rigging side of the project which was the ‘Planet Express’ ship and seeing all the different modelled parts used to construct the model as that’s the main ship that’s animated in the test shot. This is why there are multiple tiny bits of the ship that you both see and don’t see on the ship as they all contribute to the little tiny bits of the ship that move as it flies in the test shot which was done through rigging. In a way, it was cool to understand that rigging isn’t just limited to character.

MAKING OF “Futurama 3d (test shot)”

The different parts of the ‘Planet Express’ put together 

One of the other artists that I looked at other than Alexsy was ‘Audri Phillips’ who isn’t your conventional artist so to speak as she animates in a very expressionistic style rather something at face value with a simple character animation that meets a brief. Instead her work is all to do with dance and how animation can help to visulaise the thoughts she gets from listening to the music as well as watching the performance too as her work is often played side by side with a performer on stage. This kind of animation is something I really haven’t seen before but it’s something I could really get behind as I love doing dynamic animation so to see something like this being used is really inspiring to me. Whilst the models you see in her pieces are done through CG, all the other supernatural events that occur in the performance are all created using 3D elements to help make enhance the journey through animating really large faces as well as objects floating in the air. Whilst I may stick with more character-based animation, I really enjoy how she express meaning through movement which something to think about when it comes to animating my characters and rigging them.

Heart Dance

https://vimeo.com/394248256

Stop-Motion Animator Artists 

Nick Park

Adam Pesapane - PES

Len Lye

Michael Mort

Having already looked at two different stop-motion companies before hand, I’ve covered a lot of info on the that part of the industry to have a nice enough grasp on it all. Because of this, I really wanted to research some stop-motion artists that either share multiple different roles like animating and directing as well as looking at the more independent stop-motion artists. From the documentary I watched from Carla’s research, Len Lye was a really early British animator which his work doesn't seem like stop-motion at first as it consists of etching paint and prints into 35mm tape. But the way it all comes together and how he’s creating a painstakingly frame by frame animation is hard to say it’s not as if you were to watch his films, so much time would have been invested in making sure each frame matched up to the last one on such a small scale at the time. But the main reason why Len’s work interested me is through his persistence with the art form as at the time, he was struggling to have something unique through his previous attempt at animating a monkey puppet. This determination is something I wanted to take from Len’s work as something that should be highly valued in the industry no matter what role I end up specilising in due to their drive to keep going on makes will definitively help you to stand out.

1935-1937 Len Lye - "Kaleidoscope" + "A Colour Box" + "Colour Flight" (highlights mix)

Model Making studios I like to look into:

Kerry Dyer - Model Maker

Hetty - Model Maker

Roos Mattaar - Model Maker 

Astrid Goldsmith - Model Maker

For researching on stop-motion model-makers specifically, I was really surprised to see that there was a lot of info on how they work and what they’re career journey has been like much more so compared to the other roles I looked at today. One that I felt that really stood out to me was Ross Mattaar due to really going into depth to how she creates her puppets and armatures by the different materials she uses and how she isn’t just limited as a puppet maker as she also specilises in armature making and as an animator as well. These included various different processes to how she makes her puppets like mold making, casting (silicon, resin and plaster), needle felting and brass tubing.

http://www.roosmattaar.com/about-me/

Overall, I’m really happy with the research I’ve done today as whilst it was a small explanation of each role that I’m highly interested into as well as a small bit of research towards some artists I discovered, I plan to go into more depth into at a later point in both areas later on in my research as i want to also look into some additional roles that I hadn’t considered yet until doing this project.

Sources:

Top 30 Animators That Really Know Their Stuff

https://sageanimation.com/top-30-animators/

Alexey Zakharov - Art Station

https://www.artstation.com/seccovan

FIND A JOB IN ANIMATION OR VFX https://www.animationuk.org/subpages/find-a-job-in-animation-or-vfx/?section=skills

[seriouslyhooked]

True Colors (The CS Mixtape) Part 162/?

Series of CS oneshots inspired by music. Collection on FF Here.

A/N: This is a highly specific reader-requested scene I got sent ages ago that adds to the Neverland arc from Killian’s POV. It is supposed to mirror the moment Emma and Neal have at the end of 3x7 but culminates in another CS kiss in Neverland. It would fit into cannon right around the beginning of 3x8 between the time when they retrieve the shadow in Dark Hollow and when they rescue Henry. It’s also tied into a separate reader request for the song ‘True Colors’ by Cyndi Lauper.

“So what you’re saying is we’re blocked in… again?” Emma asked with her arms crossed over her chest in a defensive stance as she stared down Regina. 

The Queen had just announced that the overgrown forest up ahead, which they all thought would be their way into Pan’s camp, was guarded by a magical barrier that couldn’t be cut through without consequence of death. The news was a significant blow to their plan, and it represented yet another hurdle they’d have to face to find Emma’s boy again.

Killian felt for Emma as she heard the news, not because she gave anything concrete away about how badly it hurt to hear, but because underneath the layers and layers of protections she had erected around her heart, there was still pain there. Killian could see a flicker in her jade colored eyes of fear and of sadness, and though he doubted any of the others could sense it, Emma’s feelings of hope that they could actually get back to her son were taking a hit with every block in their path. She was starting to give in to the pressure, but damn if she’d let anyone know it.

“But how is that possible? We’ve followed the maps. We stuck to the course. We even have Tink’s inside information on how to break into Pan’s compound. How does he keep blocking us?” Emma’s mother asked, looking to her husband for an answer the prince could in no way provide since he was just as flummoxed as the rest of them.

“He keeps beating us because it’s his island and we’re helpless to do anything but play his game! Not everything can be solved with a healthy dose of hope and self delusion, or hadn’t you two figured that out yet?” Regina tossed back, beginning to lose her temper and show the remnants of the Evil Queen she claimed she was trying to put behind her.

This lobbed attack on Emma’s parents whole way of life upped the hostility amongst all parties currently present and Killian could sense the anger and the fracturing of the team dynamic that they’d all formed in recent days growing ever more present. But he didn’t give a damn if Snow and Charming’s feelings were hurt or if Regina had a fit about how niceness never got a villain anywhere. All that mattered was putting out this fire for the sake of the woman Killian was here for at all. He knew in his heart that Emma wanted – nay needed – unity, and the more fighting that happened the more stress she’d take on her own shoulders which Killian couldn’t stand for.

“The way I see it we have two choices,” Killian said, with all eyes including Emma’s landing on him as he unexpectedly inserted himself in the family discussion and then pressed forward. “We can either stand here arguing about the same tired rubbish, or we do what needs to be done and make an actual plan to get the boy back. But we won’t accomplish the latter if we’re wasting all our energy fighting it out amongst ourselves.”

“Hook’s right,” Emma said after a moment, and the words were like a shot to the heart for Killian. She agreed with him, and the look they exchanged of appreciation for each others agreement made him actually feel like he’d been useful to her which was all he really wanted. “We have nothing if we let Pan break us all apart, and I’m not about to lose my son because we couldn’t all come together.”

With Emma’s thoughts on the matter out there all of the others were quick to agree unlike when Killian had proposed essentially the same thing. But Killian didn’t mind the lack of credit as the not so merry band of rescuers all set about to make camp for hopefully one last night. Truth be told he only cared for Emma’s good opinion anyway, because she was the one keeping him here.

It was strange but Killian felt an already present and enduring loyalty to this woman he’d only just met and in his heart there was a want to do right by her. It was confusing and a shock to his system since he hadn’t felt anything like this for years and years. Suddenly his world was about more than getting his revenge. His new wish was to be good enough to stand at Emma’s side, a prospect that was too lofty to ever deem probable, but even if logic and reason dictated they could never come to be, Killian still felt the trickling of hope every time he was near her. She was bringing light into a world of darkness, and he was growing more addicted to that brightness and the sense of color and vibrancy that seemed to follow Emma Swan wherever she went.

“Let me be clear: If I had to choose someone I choose Henry. He’s the only love I have room for in my life.”

Those words uttered by Emma just hours before had sent a sharp pang through Killian when she threw them out in a fit of anger. She’d been furious at him and at Neal for their actions in the hollow, understandably so, and Killian had felt nothing but shame in the face of her resentments. Here he was pining after a woman and playing games with Neal to get into the man he believed was his competition’s head while Emma was genuinely hurting. Her son, the boy she loved more than anything and the one piece of real happiness she had in her life, was missing. And what was Killian doing? He was making her life harder by trying to get the upper hand for her affections. It was wrong and selfish and those blunt words from Emma had been all he needed to wake up to reality and to set him back to that determined state of trying to do good even when goodness was so foreign a concept to him now.

It really was remarkable though that Emma could even tempt him into trying and be a better man at all. For centuries Killian had lived his life as a pirate, content to wade the murky waters of an outlaw’s existence and make his own rules outside the realm of kindness and expectation. He’d seen real darkness in the world and he’d taken part in it more than a little along the way, to the point where very little could surprise him. After hundreds of years of surviving just for the chance to have revenge on the monster that had wronged him, Killian had seen just about everything that the world could throw his way good or bad. He’d faced countless storms, bested every other obstacle that stood between him and the vengeance he craved, but the days and nights blurred together into a mass of forgettable excess. Nothing stood out. Nothing caught his eye, at least not until Emma.

In many ways it still shocked him just how strongly he was reacting to her. For actual centuries his heart had hardened and he’d erected all kinds of defenses against anything that might deter him from his one life’s mission, but this brilliant, stubborn, infuriating blonde beauty had a way of sneaking past all of that without giving a damn for all the damage she was causing to his usual way of life. Emma was making him feel again, and even if the sting of emotion was guilt like the kind he’d felt today after his ridiculous outbursts with Neal, it was still so refreshing to feel anything other than a blinding sense of hate low in his gut.

Casting another of the frequent glances he found himself stealing of her from where she stood across camp, Killian had to admit that Emma Swan was pushing him, challenging him, and demanding more from him than anyone or anything had in maybe his whole life. And the craziest part of it was she did it with this sense of command that wasn’t authoritative even if it was absolute. She was earnest and honest and raw in a way Killian used to know but had long since shied away from. Emma might not admit it but she was a creature of feeling herself, bearing the weight of the whole bloody world on her shoulders and experiencing it all far too keenly, but she didn’t bow, and she didn’t break. She held strong with her hands on her hips and her head held high, pushing forward where anyone else would throw in the towel.

He had seen Emma stand toe to toe with danger incarnate before and not back down for lesser things than this, but what Pan was doing now was risking her son, the child she loved and the one person it seemed she’d actually opened her heart up to. With her lad Killian could see that Emma was more giving of herself, and though she might have parents who loved her and a chance to rekindle an old flame with Neal, the thought of which made Killian’s stomach churn in a sickened way, it was Henry that kept her going. He was her light in the darkness and Killian knew just how powerful light could be, for he was a man who’d been in the depths of the dark for ages until he’d fallen into the path of Emma and started to inch closer to the sun once more.

“It’s not like you to be so quiet, Hook,” a voice said behind him and Killian didn’t need to turn to know it was Neal. The hard edge of his tone was tell enough, but Killian bit back his instinct to tell Neal to bugger off. He wouldn’t fall back into the trap of fighting with this man again, not when Henry was still lost on this island, but it was difficult to take the high road when Neal continued with another barely veiled accusation. “You’re up to something.”

Biting back a scowl and hoping to maintain his usual unaffected air, Killian swallowed down the instinctive retort for Neal to stop being so paranoid and leave him well enough alone. He could have succumbed to those darker impulses, and Gods knew time had taught him how to be as ruthless or cutting with his words as with his actions, but Killian caught sight of Emma across the camp again and this time she was looking their way, so he shrugged off the urges to put Neal in his place and he answered the only way he knew how.

“Forgive me, mate. I was under the impression that no one really needed any more of my particular brand of wit this evening. Was I wrong? Because I’m more than happy to oblige if you’d rather.”

A sound that bordered on a laugh came from where Emma was sitting across the way, but as Killian tried to slyly look her over and see her reaction for himself she was already busy concealing it. Her eyes were downcast and she’d silenced herself once more, but at the corner of her lips Killian swore he say the tiniest indication of a smile and his heart hammered in his chest because of it. Damn that felt good to see, and honestly he’d sign up right now to the be the island’s official court jester just to keep Emma’s spirits from the darkness where they’d turned.

“Just know I’m watching you, Hook,” Neal said before ducking closer to whisper his words so there was no chance of anyone overhearing. “I know you and I know you haven’t changed from the pirate you always were. So whatever your motive is with Emma, whatever you think is in it for you, just know I’m onto you. And I wont let you hurt her.”

Neal said the words and it was like a bitterly cold wave washed across Killian. There it was, the blatant reminder that he was a villain, a no good pirate with no right being here. At least most of the time on this excursion that had been only stepped around or mocked in a way that left some levity in sarcasm, but what was he to say? Yes he was a pirate. Yes he’d done terrible things and not given a damn for consequences or fairness or justice in the least. But right now he was a mix of angry and regretful and all he could think was that he needed distance from everyone else. So as Neal headed back into the fray of camp, Killian cut through the overgrown brush until he found a place to gather his thoughts away from the others.

When he finally had that comfort of solitude, Killian let his mind wander on everything that had been said and everything he’d been grappling with their whole time here. On the one hand Killian was enraged by the thought that anyone would box him into a corner, especially Neal. After all he’d done to Emma, Neal was going to stand here and cast judgment? The man had left this woman if Killian understood correctly. He’d abandoned this all too rare creature who was good and kind and strong and stubborn, to fend for herself when she needed him most. Killian didn’t know every gory detail but he did know that Emma was with child at the time and more than vulnerable and Neal had just left. He’d walked out on her like nothing happened and then came back all these years later expecting to be accepted. Killian might have committed grave sins indeed, but none of his misdeeds had ever harmed Emma in such a cutting and insurmountable way. At least he had that to hold onto.

But on the other hand, there was this level of remorse that was brimming to the surface in Killian’s heart. It was a symptom of this whole allowing himself to feel thing, as if once he’d taken interest in Emma he had no choice but to face some of the bitter truth of his past. He was just a pirate, and where being a pirate had always given him pride before, he now looked back and was starting to hate the man he was. What had he really done with his life? What had he done for anyone who wasn’t him? Nothing, at least not compared to Emma or her family who barged into any given situation with the one hope of saving people and doing good now and always.

“This seat taken?” Emma asked just a few moments later, taking Killian completely by surprise thanks to her expert levels of silent sneaking.

“No, Swan. It’s yours if you wish for it,” he replied and the ghost of that smile appeared again, teasing his heart with the feistier and more vibrant woman lurking under the surface. He could imagine her in a time of peace when they weren’t grappling with such life or death conundrums and all he wanted was to see her that way. For Emma Swan might be capable of handling the worst the Gods could send her way with grace and capability, but she deserved better. She deserved to be free of this pain once and for all and he just wanted the chance to see her enjoying in such a life.

“So about earlier, back at the hollow…” Emma began, looking a bit awkward as she tried to find the words she wanted to say.

“You were right love. I was totally out of line. I let my ego get in the way of doing right by your boy. That’s a mistake I don’t intend to make again. You have my word on that, Swan.”

Emma’s eyes softened at the promise and the acceptance he saw shining through felt almost magical to Killian. For better or worse Emma was learning to trust him now, and though his word as a pirate might not carry much weight with many people, it seemed to be enough for her. It was hard to describe how much that meant to him, but to have even a tiny bit of Emma believing in him felt better than most anything he’d ever known, even rivaling that soul searing kiss they’d shared just a few days before.

“I was going to actually say I’m sorry. Not for what I said, but for how I said it. Henry is my priority and he always will be, but I didn’t mean to make it sound like you haven’t helped along the way. Maybe today was a bad day, and maybe none of us were at our best, but we wouldn’t have gotten this far without you, Hook. I wouldn’t have gotten this far without you.”

Killian didn’t know exactly what to say to that. He had never in his wildest imaginings believed Emma would in any way apologize. After all she was completely in the right before, but the fact that she’d approached him and said anything at all spoke volumes to him. If she was regretting the harsh tone of her earlier words then maybe they hadn’t been totally true. Maybe, just maybe, there was still a chance that when this was all behind them Emma could have room for more than her son in her heart.

“There’s no apology necessary, love, and as for my help I’m just happy to be of service in whatever way I can be.”

In the face of his words Emma gazed upon him with the same curious kind of look he’d seen a time or two while they were here in Neverland. There was a sense of questioning there and searching for something, but in her green eyes, underneath the fatigue of this journey and the strain of their fight against Pan, there was something so much more alluring. There was no revulsion from him, and though it was slightly discomforting to be so on display for anyone to see, Killian couldn’t dislike the sensations that came when Emma looked at him this way. It was different with her, as if she had this inexplicable gift to dig beneath the surface and root out the man he’d once been or could have been or might be if he just gave goodness a real and honest try.

The silence stretched between them a bit longer than he was expecting, and Killian was about to question whether something was wrong. The look in her eyes didn’t speak to anger or frustration, but he greedily wanted to know everything about Emma. Observing her could tell him much of what he wanted, but sometimes he needed more and now was one of those moments. After all, he’d laid his cards out on the table this afternoon before they’d made it into that gods forsaken hollow. He’d told her that he intended to fight for her and to win her heart, and they’d never had a chance to discuss it. Perhaps she was uncomfortable with that forwardness, or anxious that he’d push for too much too soon, but before he could inquire as to the reason for her silent ponderings, Emma closed the space between them and pressed another kiss to his lips.

While this brush of her lips against his was hardly the heated and no holds barred exchange from a few days ago, it packed all the same power of that kiss before, and in some ways even more. Because after everything that had happened it felt like, despite what Emma had said earlier, she was making a choice. Emma Swan wasn’t a woman for games. She wouldn’t string a man along just for the sake of doing so, and for her to make this move in the midst of all that had transpired today and everything still to come was a statement. It was a sign that he wasn’t misguided in believing that there was something really worth fighting for here, and though Killian hated the moment when she pulled back and away from him once more, he felt the tingle of where her lips had been on his and a warmth more comforting than a barrel of the realm’s finest rum coursing through him.

“Not that I minded in the least, love, but what, might I ask, was that particular display in honor of?” Killian asked and Emma grinned, her smile almost at a hundred percent even though they were still trapped on this miserable island. In his book that was a tremendous feat indeed and he felt even more so like he could conquer the world than he did when this miraculous woman had kissed him.

“For being you, and for having my back while we’ve been here every step of the way. You’ve shown your true colors through all of this, Hook, and I want you to know I see that even if others might not be so lucky.”

Killian was tempted to say that he’d always be on her side no matter where they were stationed be it here or back in her home port of Storybrooke, but he was stunned by her remarks on his true nature. This level of acceptance was unexpected but he cherished it more than anything, and the only thing he could regret about this surreally perfect moment was the part where the ambient hum of the camp behind them increased and their private interlude was broken by the realities at hand.

But despite its being over so soon, and despite the fact that any feelings he may be harboring had to be put on hold for the time being, Killian didn’t really mind the interruption. For he was certain now that it was just a matter of time before Emma was successful in finding her boy, and when that happened and all of them were safe once more Killian was going to do everything in his power to show her that his earlier promises were right. He would win her heart, he would prove himself worthy, and he’d keep being the man that Emma Swan could see in him no matter what it took to get there.

………………

You with the sad eyes Don't be discouraged Oh I realize Its hard to take courage In a world full of people You can lose sight of it all And the darkness inside you Can make you feel so small But I see your true colors Shining through I see your true colors And that's why I love you So don't be afraid to let them show Your true colors True colors are beautiful Like a rainbow Show me a smile then Don't be unhappy, can't remember When I last saw you laughing If this world makes you crazy And you've taken all you can bear You call me up Because you know I'll be there And I'll see your true colors Shining through I see your true colors And that's why I love you So don't be afraid to let them show Your true colors True colors are beautiful Like a rainbow If this world makes you crazy And you've taken all you can bear You call me up Because you know I'll be there And I'll see your true colors Shining through I see your true colors And that's why I love you So don't be afraid to let them show Your true colors True colors True colors Shining through I see your true colors And that's why I love you So don't be afraid to let them show Your true colors True colors are beautiful Like a rainbow

Post-Note: So thank you first and foremost to both lovely readers who floated prompts for this particular chapter. I always love a reason to write more Neverland scenes, and this is such a classic song it totally belonged in the mixtape in my opinion. I also have been kind of slacking a little in my updates to this collection, but I promise there are still more chapters to come. I have such a long list of song ideas and trope requests still that this mixtape will have a nice long life. I’m just a lot busier this summer than I expected to be. But nevertheless there is more fluff and cuteness in store and I thank you all so much for reading and your continued support! Hope you have a lovely rest of your day!

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8, Part 9,Part 10,Part 11, Part 12,Part 13, Part 14, Part 15, Part 16, Part 17, Part 18, Part 19, Part 20, Part 21, Part 22, Part 23, Part 24,Part 25, Part 26, Part 27, Part 28, Part 29, Part 30, Part 31,Part 32, Part 33, Part 34, Part 35, Part 36, Part 37, Part 38,Part 39,Part 40, Part 41, Part 42, Part 43, Part 44, Part 45,Part 46,Part 47, Part 48, Part 49, Part 50, Part 51, Part 52, Part 53,Part 54,Part 55, Part 56, Part 57, Part 58, Part 59, Part 60,Part 61,Part 62, Part 63, Part 64, Part 65, Part 66, Part 67, Part 68,Part 69,Part 70, Part 71, Part 72, Part 73, Part 74, Part 75,Part 76,Part 77, Part 78, Part 79, Part 80, Part 81, Part 82, Part 83,Part 84,Part 85, Part 86, Part 87, Part 88, Part 89, Part 90,Part 91,Part 92, Part 93, Part 94, Part 95, Part 96, Part 97, Part 98,Part 99,Part 100, Part 101, Part 102, Part 103,Part 104, Part 105,Part 106, Part 107,Part 108, Part 109, Part 110,Part 111, Part 112,Part 113, Part 114, Part 115,Part 116, Part 117, Part 118,Part 119,Part 120, Part 121, Part 122, Part 123,Part 124, Part 125,Part 126, Part 127, Part 128,Part 129,Part 130, Part 131,Part 132,Part 133, Part 134, Part 135, Part 136, Part 137, Part 138,Part 139,Part 140, Part 141, Part 142, Part 143, Part 144, Part 145,Part 146, Part 147, Part 148,Part 149, Part 150, Part 151,Part 152, Part 153, Part 154, Part 155, Part 156, Part 157, Part 158,Part 159, Part 160, Part 161

#captain swan #captain swan fic #cs fic #cs ff #cs fluff #cs oneshot #captain swan ff #captain swan oneshot #cannon divergent #captain swan mixtape #cs mixtape #the captain swan mixtape #emma swan #killian jones #mary margaret and david #regina #neal #neverland arc #ouat fic #prompted fic

[counttotwenty]

Bullet Points: This Isn’t What it Looks Like

Ill Boding Patterns–part 6 (part 1-5 here, here, here, here and here)

Bullet points are encapsulated scene analysis from the top of each act to the bottom. (each act is bookended by a commercial break)

1. “The bakers son will think twice about pushing me in the mud now when he sees me carrying this.”

It’s interesting that Bae didn’t recoil from the idea of the darkness, quite the opposite. He immediately began thinking of how he could use it to exact revenge on his enemies.

Like Gideon.

And very much unlike this iteration of Rumple,who apparently wants to do better but keeps getting sucked in deeper by his darkness-craving offspring.

2. “It’s the only way to protect ourselves.”

I can see why Rumple had to take quick action here. At the rate Bae was embracing the power of the dagger he’d have been looting and pillaging by nightfall.

3. Memory potion seems, to me at least, like the easy way out. A way to pretend a pivotal moment that changed the course of one character never occurred for the other one involved. It’s the equivalent of soap opera amnesia.

They’ve got any number of insightful compare/contrasts going with Bae and Gideon but the whole issue of drinking the tea versus not drinking it is one that falls flat. Because it’s weak storytelling that doesn’t translate to another plotline.

YMMV of course.

4. “You killed him. How could you?”

RC’s spectacular and exquisitely subtle acting here brings the viewer right back to the moment when Rumple released his choke hold on Beowulf because he didn’t want his son to see him as a murderer and judge him for it.

Now here he is--having killed Beowulf at Bae’s command, watching his son judge him for being a murderer. The very thing he was trying to avoid.

In lesser hands than RC’s this could could have come off as cheesey but he sells it spectacularly.

5. Belle continues the idea that initial assumptions can be incorrect when she chides Gold for letting Gideon do something to the Blue Fairy.

That plot point isn’t going away anytime soon.

6.  “For once you put our son first. You darkened your soul so he wouldn’t have to.”

The small strangled sob Gold lets out as he sinks into Belle’s embrace makes it clear how deeply her words affected him. The first time he made the decision to protect his son no one was there to see. Hence no one truly understood his reasoning. This time Belle sees.

BOING!!!!

So on to the proposal

7. The exterior establishing shot of Granny’s, showing that it was nighttime, then the shot of Killian sitting alone in a booth brooding, were very important.

They made it crystal clear this was not an issue he took lightly. He knew the stakes. This is not a knee jerk reaction. This is Killian, after much careful thought, doing the right thing.

Very nice.

8. For as many times as we’ve seen Killian look at the ring, and open the ring box etc... it was clear as he went up the stairs that proposing was not what he was here to do.

Obviously we’re about to find out he didn’t have the ring on him, but that doesn’t play into the visual as he approaches the front door. 

He is there to tell Emma the truth about Robert.

Full stop.

9. In this case my beloved stairs cast an ominous metaphor. He was going up, she was coming down. His steps were heavy, she was gliding on air. And perhaps most telling of all was the fact that she came out of almost full shadow indicating she didn’t have all the info she needed.

10. “I’m afraid it wouldn’t give me the courage I need.”

Despite the somewhat grave look on Killian’s face Emma hears this as nervousness at the thought of proposing. And in terms of the scene going forward this is crucial.

She doesn’t get ahead of him and give her answer before he pops the question because she’s selfish and only thinking about what she wants out of this moment. Just the opposite.

She does it because she thinks he’s unsure and she doesn’t want him to feel that way. She never wants him to doubt her feelings for him or her intense desire to share their futures together.

She jumps ahead because the question itself is less important than what it signifies. 

Right now versus forever.

Beautiful. And beautifully played by JMo. 

11. “What I have to say isn’t easy” “I’m not entirely sure how you’re gonna react.”

These words take Emma further down the rabbit hole. She sees insecurity and she wants to erase it. She sees uncertainty and she wants to make it go away. At this point the proposal isn’t about her--at least not in her mind--it’s about him.

12. And on the other side of the equation Killian knows he has to tell Emma about Robert’s death before he proposes because he loves and respects her enough to want her to know the truth. No secrets. Regardless of what it means for him. His being honest with her isn’t about relieving his conscience--it’s about the depth of his feelings for her.

13. THAT is what true love is all about. Anyone who still thinks this is heading for some sort of trite breakup can stop worrying.

BAM!!!!

14. “Maybe I can make it easier” “How can I ever be mad at you?”

This scene paints a crystal clear picture. Each of them is thinking first of the other. The way her voice drops to a whisper, the way he gets swept up in her happiness and anticipation.

GORGEOUS!!!

15. Two pillar candles standing tall on matching holders framed in the background. Right now they’re unlit. Look for them to reappear at a later date (cough*second proposal*cough) except this time lit.

16. Really fascinating use of shadow and light in this scene. Once Killian pops the question there are cuts that actually create almost a strobe of darkness and light. But as the scene ends both faces are bathed in light.

BOING!!!!

17. It’s hard to choose whether I prefer David’s high school chem lab spell-casting set up or Regina’s bubbling cauldron.

It’s magic. We get it.

18. “Your fault? Okay, let’s go with that then.”

Yes, Zelena, let’s. Just don’t expect it to stick.

19. “It was a test. To see if I could move forward and I failed.”

A test you say???To see if you could leave the past in the past??

BOING!!!!

20. “I guess I’ll always being paying the price for what you did. What I did.”

I’m glad to see Regina acknowledging AGAIN, at least on an intellectual level, that the evil deeds of her past are part of her and can’t be swept under the rug.

Let’s see if it actually leads to a change in behavior this time.

21. Nice work with the establishing shot from the snake’s point of view. Heh.

22. Aaaand the EQ is back. Goody?

#ouat meta #bullet points #6.13 ill boding patterns #cs meta #captain swan #epic love story #full steam ahead

[asfeedin]

‘I don’t have to be the captain to take on a leadership role for South Africa’

In 2010, David Miller entered international cricket as a confident 20-year-old with a reputation of being a big-hitter and a rhyme to match his style. “If it’s the v, it’s in the tree; if it’s in the arc, it’s out the park,” he said, repeating a phrase his father had taught him. For five years, he thrilled with cheeky cameos before finally getting his first international hundred. Today, Miller is the most experienced member of South Africa’s ODI side. He has played in two 50-over World Cups, two Champions Trophies and two T20 World Cups, and is a few matches away from becoming the country’s most-capped T20I player.

He spoke about his new-found seniority in the side, his lesser-known love for the longest format, and the legacy he hopes to leave behind.

Last summer was a particularly tough one for South African cricket, with only one series win from the five at home. Lungi Ngidi recently revealed it was a pep talk by you that sparked the turnaround and ultimately led to the ODI series win against Australia. Can you tell us a little more about that? It was during the first match of the ODI series in Paarl. Everyone knows what had gone on with Cricket South Africa and the number of retirements we’ve had, and that we have a new crop of players in the team. I always thought, even with all those things, we were in a great space because we had a lot of guys who have been around the block, even though not at international level. They are all very experienced domestically. So I just told them that now is the time we need confidence and self-belief to go forward and we need a shift in mindset.

With respect, international cricket is just another game. I said to the guys that all of them have been there before and played in must-win situations at domestic level. All that’s changed is the situation has heightened. I told them that everyone is capable of performing, everyone deserves to be here, and it’s about not waiting for a Quinton de Kock or David Miller to score the runs. Or even for Dale Steyn or Faf du Plessis to come back. This is the game now and we’ve got to play it. I think when that realisation that they can do it happened, things changed.

ALSO READ: 2019: South African cricket’s annus horribilis

It sounds like you have really stepped up into a position of seniority. Are you surprised your name has not come up much in captaincy discussions? I enjoy being a leader, and off the field and during practices, I like to help the guys. When I came up, there were a lot of leaders around and I learnt a lot from them. Then there comes a time when you have to step up and you realise you can lead too. After the 2019 World Cup, I had some time to reflect and I realised that maybe because I always had senior players around me, I didn’t necessarily need to step up, but now that they are gone, it’s my responsibility to lead. So I changed my mindset.

I don’t have to be the captain to take on a leadership role. Quinton de Kock is a good captain. He doesn’t overcomplicate things and he gives us a sense of calm. He is also very switched on in the field and knows what he wants from his bowlers and his field placings. He is street-smart and it helps having some senior guys from the domestic scene, like Rassie van der Dussen and Jon-Jon Smuts, around. That’s helped me too.

When you look back at the fallout from the World Cup, and given you had already stopped playing first-class cricket, did you consider walking away from international cricket and becoming a T20 freelancer? With a World Cup, we know that only one team can win, but the way we played and the number of things that didn’t go our way – it was really tough.

I thought about things a lot. My priority is still South Africa. I love playing for the country and I love the challenge of playing against the best in the world, so it’s never been an option for me to give it up. I know that I play in a few leagues, but that’s always outside of my national duties. And I am only 30. I still feel like I have a huge amount to offer.

David Miller made 64 in the first ODI against Australia in Paarl. South Africa went on to win the series 3-0 AFP/Getty Images

Does that mean you might consider changing your decision to retire from first-class cricket? You averaged 67 and 44.37 in the last two seasons you played in, so do you think there’s a chance you could come back and push for a Test place, especially as batting is such a big focus? I’ve never been one to rush into decisions, so when I made the decision to stop playing first-class cricket, I had thought about it for a long time. I knew I didn’t start well in my first-class career and that had pushed me to the back of the pecking order, which was fair enough. I also knew I couldn’t pick and choose between T20 and first-class, so that’s when I made the decision. But things can change and there may still be hope. I might have to have a discussion with Graeme Smith and Mark Boucher and it could be a possibility.

Do you enjoy red-ball cricket? I absolutely love it. I still love watching Test cricket and I always wanted to play Tests. That was my goal growing up. And after my start, I found that in the last few years of my first-class career, I was scoring heaps and I was really enjoying it. I think I got better as I got older. I was building my innings better.

Time in the middle has been a consideration for you even in limited-overs cricket, where you sometimes get to the crease with just a few overs or balls left and are expected to make a big impact. Would you like to have time to set up your innings or the chance to bat longer? I’ve always wanted to bat higher, but at the same time, I felt really privileged to be playing. As you move on in your career, you want more responsibility and more time to get set and then finish off. We all have dreams, but it is also about what’s best for the team.

ALSO READ: Mark Boucher excited ‘to see the guys grow a bit’ in white-ball cricket

How have you dealt with the expectation that comes with being labelled a finisher? It’s part of the position that I play, so I’ve become thick-skinned. No one has to tell me that I should have won a game because I am the first one to know that I should have. It’s taken time for me to get used to that role and to what gets said about you when things don’t go your way, but then, on the other side, when the rewards come, they are so high that it makes it worthwhile.

How do you train for the role? Is it just about big hitting? Power-hitting and clearing the rope are things I worked hard on earlier in my career. But now, mentally I am in a great space, so I am working on a few other things. It makes a big difference having Mark Boucher around. He has taught us that the game is always evolving. Guys are getting quicker and smarter, and if you don’t keep working to get better, you will fall away. He has got us working on different skills and shots and putting myself under pressure in the nets so that I am prepared for different game-day scenarios.

Has your game progressed more under Boucher than other coaches? He is so experienced and has played for so long, and him and I have had similar roles in the middle order, so I can pick his brain. He is honest and open, but he is also cut-throat, which you want as a player. There’s no beating around the bush. You know exactly where you stand.

“The IPL is a cut above the rest, in terms of pressure. In every game, you are playing in front of 40,000 to 90,000 people. Then, off the field and in hotels, there are a lot of demands” BCCI

What are the big goals for the rest of your career? The 2023 World Cup is one of my goals and I am excited for what we can do in that tournament. We have a group that is in a similar space – a lot of young guys who are all a similar age and we know they will be available. It’s not a case of a whole lot of guys retiring after two years. It’s almost like we can grow for the next four years and it’s only a matter of time before things click.

So you think South Africa have a chance at the 2023 World Cup? We are right up there talent-wise and we produce a lot of good players. Maybe what we’ve lacked is pressure in domestic cricket, because we don’t draw the crowds that other countries get and that plays a big role in helping you cope with pressure. That could be something we need to look at and it’s started with the Mzansi Super League.

You’ve played in various leagues around the world. Could you describe the differences in the leagues you have played in? And do you intend to continue playing in them? All the leagues are unique. The ones I have played in most are the IPL and the CPL. The IPL is a cut above the rest, in terms of pressure, which is what you want. In every game, you are playing in front of 40,000 to 90,000 people. Then, off the field and in hotels, there are a lot of demands, from the public and the owners, so there’s a lot going on.

The CPL has a bit more flexibility. They call it the biggest party in sport and I guess it is. I do hope to keep playing, but moving into the latter part of my career, I want to play as much as I can but also listen to my body.

ALSO READ: Alternative Universe: South Africa win the 2015 World Cup

What has been the highlight of your career so far? The 2015 World Cup, which might be surprising. It was disappointing to lose and maybe we played some average cricket through the competition, but it was just a really good team vibe and a really good time in my career. I felt like I was playing well and the environment was good and the two months we spent in Australia and New Zealand were really special, even after how it ended. So hopefully we can create something similar again.

Although you’re very excited to play cricket, we know live sport is unlikely to return for a while. How are you coping with the current lockdown? It’s tough. I’ve got a back garden, so I am doing some workouts there, and I’ve got a passage, so I am hitting tennis balls, which takes me back to my days as a youngster. But that’s it. It’s frustrating because going into the nets is also a release for me. It gets me in a good space and it’s what I love, but I can’t do that at the moment. But I also know we are all in the same boat, so it’s just about dealing with it for now. And once the lockdown ends, we can see what we can do in terms of team camps and hopefully we can get going again.

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6 Secrets for Taking Unique Photos in Tourist Hot Spots

There's more to shooting major cities than typical tourist destinations. Learn how to find the hidden corners of popular locations with tips from these six experienced travel photographers.

In the late 19th century, photographers like Francis Bedford, Solomon Nunes Carvalho, and Francis Frith showed us the world. Through their images, the public was able to see the Egyptian pyramids, the churches of Jerusalem, and the plains of the American West for the first time. In the last 100-plus years, travelers with cameras have revealed extraordinary places and shared the stories of countless people. Today, we can access faraway cities with the click of a button, and few locations remain unphotographed.

The digital era forever changed the way we travel. For professional photographers and tourists alike, photography has become an indispensable part of the way we experience new places and cultures. On Instagram, popular hashtags like #wanderlust, #instatravel, #travelstories, #travelmemories, #travelgram, and more bring up millions of photographs from people around the world.

We wanted to know exactly what it takes to find a unique point of view in 2019, so we asked six travel photographers to tell us about how they find hidden gems in big tourist cities. Below, they take us on a journey to Dubai, Venice, Russia, Prague, Munich, and the “Blue City” of Morocco, revealing unexpected street corners and out-of-the-way treasures.

1. “When I'm on location, I always ask a receptionist at the hotel for recommendations.”

Shahid Khan

Image by Shahid Khan. Gear: Nikon D750 camera, Nikon 24-120 f/4 lens. Settings: Focal length 82mm; exposure 1/640 sec; f8; ISO 400.

What's the story behind this photo?

While in Dubai, I took advantage of a day pass and used it on the metro to go from one end of the line to the other end. While passing through the downtown area, I saw the high-rise buildings on both sides of the metro line, and it looked like a scene from a sci-fi movie. I set my camera on a faster shutter speed to avoid any camera shake. The good thing about the metro in Dubai is that it's driverless, so with a little effort, I got a spot at the front and had an uninterrupted view.

Image by Shahid Khan.

Pro Tip

Obviously, the first point of contact is Google. An image search will show you the main landmarks and the popular points of view. I usually scroll down a bit to see images other than the major landmarks and note down the names of the locations that interest me. My second choice is Flickr. The good thing about Flickr is that you can get in touch with local photographers for tips, and the trick is to contact at least five photographers so you get a response from at least one or two.

When I'm on location, I always ask a receptionist at the hotel for recommendations. I've gotten great recommendations from receptionists and waiters alike. I always visit the information center, if there is one in town, and I get ahold of all the pamphlets I can. They will sometimes have information about hidden landmarks or free walks. When I am in a city for a bit longer, I always take time to roam aimlessly by foot or on public transport.

Instagram | Website

2. “I read tourist guides and blogs by locals, and I learn about how this city has been depicted by artists in the past.”

kavalenkava

Image by kavalenkava. Gear: Canon EOS 5D Mark III camera; Canon EF 70-200mm f/4L IS USM lens. Settings: Focal length 97mm; Exposure 0.3 sec; f8.0; ISO 200.

What's the story behind this photo?

This is one of my favorite Prague views, seen from one of the Prague towers, located a distance away from the usual tourist routes. There were no sightseeing groups or signs advertising this spot, and at first, it was unclear whether or not it was possible to climb the tower. After a while, we found an inconspicuous door, and it turned out that you can climb the tower for a small fee. There were few visitors, which allowed us to take photos before and after sunset and to use a tripod.

This view is much more interesting than the well-known views from Old Town Square, and it includes the most famous sites: the Church of Our Lady of Tyn and Prague Castle, as well as the rooftops of the old city. I took this photo at sunset, when the yellow and red colors of the sun combined with the illumination of the buildings. The city looked like a magic box.

Image by kavalenkava.

Pro Tip

I begin my search for “hidden gems” long before planning a trip. I follow a variety of Instagram accounts and blogs, study popular photos on Shutterstock, save interesting photos and drawings, and sort them by country and city.

I then get acquainted with the history of the city itself in order to understand what matters to its inhabitants. I read tourist guides and blogs by locals, and I learn about how this city has been depicted by artists in the past. I mark the attractions that interest me on an online map, and I look for places that offer an overhead view of the city, including bell towers in churches, shopping centers, or restaurants with panoramic terraces.

From there, I wander around the main sights. I go far from the central tourist routes because the most beautiful views can often be found at a distance. If there is a hill or a mountain in the city, I will definitely be there. Sometimes, locals will offer to show you interesting places when they find out that you are a photographer. Do not hesitate to ask tourist office staff members, hotel administrators, and even souvenir merchants for advice.

Choose a hotel room or apartment based on the view, or hop onto social networks and look for people who would be happy to take you to their balcony or roof. Also, many hotels will have restaurants with terraces on the roof; in that case, you can go have lunch and get an exclusive shot at the same time.

But my most important tip for finding real gems when traveling to new places is simple: If you see something interesting, take your photo right away. You may not get a second chance. Often, when people see an interesting place, they might say to themselves, “I am tired now. I'll rest and come back later” or “Today is only the first day, I will pass this spot a hundred times.” But the truth is that you might never get a chance to return.

Instagram

3. “Using sites like Flickr, 500px, or even Google Images will help you find new perspectives or locations.”

DaLiu

Image by DaLiu. Gear: Canon 5D Mark IV camera, Canon EF 16-35mm f/4 IS USM lens. Settings: Focal length 16mm; exposure 1/160 sec; f8; ISO 100.

What's the story behind this photo?

The first time I visited Venice, I had only half a day in the city, and it was overloaded with tourists, so last year, my wife and I decided to go in January to avoid the crowds. I started searching for iconic locations in Venice, and, of course, everything was obvious. I had the almost impossible task of finding beautiful and unknown spots, but at some point, I found a picture on 500px with a building in Venice surrounded by canals all the way around.

It was an interesting view, but, of course, the author of the photo hadn't specified the location of the building, so I started to think about how I could find it. Luckily, the old city of Venice is not big, so it took me some time, but in the end I did manage to find it on Google Maps.

DaLiu

DaLiu

DaLiu

Pictured: [1] DaLiu [2] DaLiu [3] DaLiu

Pro Tip

When I start planning a trip to a new city, I do a lot of background work beforehand. I look for photos online to see all the iconic spots, and after that, I dig deeper on the internet to find lesser-known locations. Using sites like Flickr, 500px, or even Google Images will help you find new perspectives or locations. Where possible, try Street View on Google Maps, and search for articles online about the city you're visiting.

In most cases, this kind of preparation will give you something, even if it's not totally unique. You just need to be patient and put in the time needed for scouting new shots. I usually try to find these areas before I leave for any trip. It'll save you a lot of time, and, in many cases, even the locals won't be able to help you to find exact locations.

Other than that, the best tip or trick I can give is to walk around outside of the most popular locations and explore the city. Once you find something unique and photogenic, make a plan. Check to see if it'll look best at sunset, sunrise, or even midday, and then come back at the right time for your shoot.

Instagram

4. “When you go to those famous places, talk to the locals. They always give a ton of tips about the city.”

Burak Budak

Image by Burak Budak. Gear: Nikon d7100 camera, Tokina 11-16 dxII lens. Settings: Focal length 11mm; exposure 1/250 sec; f4.5; ISO 200.

What's the story behind this photo?

When I was in Chefchaouen, Morocco, everything was all about the famous blue houses and streets. But when I started to talk with the locals, they told me that there is also an amazing natural waterfall. I rented a car and made the trip with a few friends from my hostel. It was hard to get there, but it was worth it.

Image by Burak Budak.

Pro Tip

When I travel to different countries, I always try to find a local photographer, and, if possible, we travel together in the city. They always know where to go and, of course, where to eat. Before my trips, the first thing I do is check blogs about the city. If you want to find secret places in a big city, you need to know the famous places first. When you go to those famous places, talk to the locals. They always give a ton of tips about the city.

Couchsurfing is another resource I use. I let people in the area know what I'm doing and what I'm looking for, and I ask questions. I find a lot of places that way. The most important thing to remember is that you need to walk a lot. Walking and waiting are key.

Instagram | Twitter | Website

5. “Look for movement, and either freeze it or show it with a slow shutter speed. Your creativity is what will make your photos special.”

Christophe Faugere

Image by Christophe Faugere. Gear: Canon 5D Mark II camera, 16-35mm F2.8 II lens. Settings: Exposure 13 sec; f13; ISO 50 (I used several shots to add car lights).

What's the story behind this photo?

I was walking-running, in fact-between several landmarks at the blue hour when I crossed a street near Saint Isaac's Cathedral in St Petersburg, Russia. The Cathedral was not very close, but the cars passing by had lights on, and the lights of the city matched the sky. I just stopped there and took some shots. This one has quickly become my best-seller.

Image by Christophe Faugere.

Pro Tip

My first tip is to use your feet. Before leaving for a photo trip, I try to do minimal research on Google. I don't want to miss the landmarks because those photos are what I'm going to sell. I'll usually be at those spots for sunset (or sunrise), but, apart from that, I just walk a lot. Walking from one spot to another, slowly, will enable you to find unknown places.

But honestly, nowadays, there are hundreds of thousands of photographers all around the world. It's never as easy as asking the local people to tell you where to find the perfect hidden gem. It's impossible to find a place that has not been shot before, so my second tip would just be to open your eyes. Look up and down. Look for shapes, reflections, and good light. Look for a mood-a rainy day can be great in B&W, for example. Look for movement, and either freeze it or show it with a slow shutter speed. Your creativity is what will make your photos special.

Instagram | Website

6. “Do not follow the crowd. Turn off the tourist route and stroll through the streets.”

badahos

Image by badahos. Gear: Fujifilm X-T20 camera, Fujifilm Fujinon XF 18-55mm f/2.8-4 OIS lens. Settings: Focal length 18mm; exposure 1/140 sec; f4.0; ISO 200..

What's the story behind this photo?

I took this photo in Munich. It had just rained, and people were hiding in restaurants and hotels. A big city after the rain always has a special atmosphere. I decided to walk around the small streets when suddenly, I noticed my lace was untied. I sat down to tie it, and after that, I looked up and saw the reflection of the street in a puddle. I immediately took a few photos. Then using Photoshop, I flipped and edited this photo for a more dramatic effect. You never know where a good shot awaits you.

badahos

badahos

Pictured: [1] badahos [2] badahos

Pro Tip

Always look through Google Maps before your journey. You can see the streets and find interesting places that way. Mark the spots you want to visit and things you want to see. Spend time walking around the city, and don't hurry. Stop and look around; even in the most ordinary places, you can find an interesting shot. After standing for just five minutes in one place, everything can change: the lighting, the weather, and the situation. If you find an interesting place during the day, return there at night and take another photo.

Do not follow the crowd. Turn off the tourist route and stroll through the streets. Small, non-touristic streets are always imbued with local colors, and you can find unexpected moments there. Do not carry a lot of equipment with you. It will draw attention, and you will get tired easily. Enjoy the process!

Instagram | Website

Top Image by DaLiu

The post 6 Secrets for Taking Unique Photos in Tourist Hot Spots appeared first on The Shutterstock Blog.

[kayawagner]

Scum and Villainy Review

There is something about space opera that just begs for the inclusion of rogues, thieves, and criminals. Sure, Star Wars has Han, Lando, Boba Fett, and Jabba the Hutt, but even Star Trek has its Harry Mudd and its Orion pirates. Even comic book universes known for their superheroes seem to have their share of interstellar rogues, with the Marvel universe providing the Starjammers and the Guardians of the Galaxy, and the DC Universe providing L.E.G.I.O.N.

There definitely seems to be a demand for rogues plying the starlanes, pulling heists, collecting bounties, and sticking it to the (space) Man.

Scum and Villainy is a Forged in the Dark game (based on the core rules of Blades in the Dark) that takes its inspiration from media like Star Wars, Firefly, and Cowboy Bebop, with characters profiting from crime in the backwaters of the Hegemony.

Artifact Parameters

Scum and Villainy is a 360-page volume, with a color cover and black and white interior artwork. In addition to the black and white line art, there are a few system maps detailing the Procyon sector, as well as many charts and tables throughout.

The book is formatted with bold, clear text, and is very easy to read. If you have seen Blades in the Dark, the format is what you might expect from a sci-fi spin on that same theme. The physical book is a solid chunk of well-constructed lore, which arrived just as I was starting my review process.

The Basics

The initial section in the book, The Basics, gives a broad overview of what the game is about, how it is played, and touches briefly on mechanics that are fleshed out in the later sections of the book.

Some of the important topics introduced up front include:

Progress Clocks

Action Rolls

Position and Effect

Consequences and Harm

Resistance Rolls

Fortune Rolls

If you haven’t played a Forged in the Dark Game, the basics include rolling a set of d6s and taking the highest rolled die as your result. A 1-3 indicates that you don’t get what you were hoping for. A 4-5 indicates that you achieved at least part of what you were trying to do, but with a complication of some sort. A 6 indicates that you got what you were aiming for, and multiple 6s indicate a critical success.

Adding to that basic structure is position and effect. When a challenge comes up in the game, the GM describes that challenge, but the players decide what skill they want to use to address that challenge. Based on the situation and the skill chosen, the GM then explains the position (controlled, risky, or desperate), and the effect (none, lesser, standard, or greater).

Position will determine how severe the consequences for the various levels will be. A character that rolls a 1-4 in a controlled situation may just realize their approach isn’t working and may be free to come up with a new idea. That same roll in a risky position might alert security, which will arrive soon, and in a desperate situation may get the character zapped by a nearby security drone that they failed to notice.

Some tasks may require an extended effort to complete, and some situations might get progressively worse or better over time. These are tracked with clocks. The GM determines how much time or how much effort must go into what the clock is representing, then draws some lines to create an even number of segments (the smallest clock being a 4-part clock).

For tasks that involve clocks, an action with limited effect may fill up less of the clock than one that produces a standard effect, and a critical success may fill in the whole clock in one shot.

Characters have a set amount of stress, which acts as a currency for how effective they can be in the scene. Characters can spend stress to resist consequences when they occur, as an example, but once the character is out of stress, they are no longer effective in the scene (they may not pass out or leave, but they won’t have any significant actions contributing to the group).

Characters

Scum and Villainy presents its character types in playbooks, in a manner that might be familiar to players of Powered by the Apocalypse games. Playbooks are essentially character classes that bundle a set of character options together for a player to choose. The character types presented in Scum and Villainy are the following:

Mechanic (a tinkerer and someone that can push the ship’s systems in a pinch)

Muscle (a gunslinger or bruiser whose main job is to punish opponents)

Mystic (someone that can touch the esoteric elements of the setting with mysterious powers)

Pilot (the character that can pull off maneuvers using the ship or vehicles more effectively)

Scoundrel (a character that gets by on doing all kinds of criminal things by pushing their luck)

Speaker (the person that can pull off a con or talk the group out of trouble they have gotten into)

Stitch (a doctor, medic, or scientist who can also patch up injuries)

Characters can trade one of their abilities in to define special Xeno abilities if they are from a non-human species, although the rules of exactly what a species can and can’t do will be defined by the player and the GM.

Ships and Crews

In Blades in the Dark, the party chooses what type of gang they are, and that choice introduces special rules that make the group better at doing the kind of work they specialize in. This same concept is present in Scum and Villainy, but instead of choosing a type of criminal gang, the group chooses a specific type of ship. The options included in this chapter include:

Stardancer (a light freighter type of ship good at hauling loads and doing all kinds of jobs)

Cerberus (a patrol craft that’s good for tracking and hunting bounties)

Firedrake (a small corvette that’s good at, well, starting localized rebellions that might grow larger)

Each ship has lists of modifications that the players can choose from, and those modifications usually require the team to either pay off, align with, or upset some faction or another. Your starting ship also influences how many gambits you start play with—extra dice that a character can add to their die pool when attempting an action. The Stardancer and Firedrake crews rely more on luck, while the Cerberus doesn’t grant it’s crew as many gambits. Ships also allow the crew an extra dot in actions based on the theme of the ship.

Each ship has a starting scenario, sample jobs, and a list of opportunities. These scenarios, jobs, and opportunities are all tailored to the ship’s theme, so the Firedrake will have various raids on Hegemony targets, and the Stardancer will have rumors about cargo that needs to arrive at a certain time or place.

Pre-release discussion mentioned that the modes of play for Scum and Villainy aligned with campaigns that might be more like Star Wars, Firefly, or Cowboy Bebop. It didn’t strike me until I read through the entry on the Firedrake that the Star Wars  “flavor” is very much in line with the early seasons of Star Wars Rebels, rather than Han, Chewie, or Lando’s adventures.

The Job

When doing a job in Scum and Villainy, you jump straight to the point, rolling an engagement roll to determine how far into the job you get before you hit an obstacle, and how dangerous a position you are in when that happens. Before you roll the engagement roll, you determine what kind of plan, which establishes your narrative position as the job starts. Those plans are:

Assault

Deception

Infiltration

Mystic

Social

Transport

This structure allows you to start playing very quickly, but I have to say, my own play group had a hard time coming up with using a mystic plan if you don’t have a mystic character or artifact, and transport kind of seems like it’s a “sub-category” of some of the other plans.

Characters will determine the load that they are carrying, either light, medium, or heavy. How much of a load determines how conspicuous a character is while doing the job and gives the character several checkboxes they can mark off to indicate that they brought just the right tool along for the job.

Because jobs start with characters already in the thick of it, characters can also call for flashbacks to determine what they might have already set in motion. Depending on how elaborate the action taken is, these flashbacks might cost 0, 1, 2, or more stress from the character’s stress track.

Downtime

The downtime section of the book introduces a very specific procedure for dealing with the aftermath of the jobs that the players just completed (or abandoned). Walking through these steps determines how much the PCs get paid, if they keep their ship in working order, how much heat they built up for the job they just did, and if that heat causes any immediate problems for the crew.

In addition to the procedure followed after the job, each player can spend two downtime actions to do a variety of things. These downtime activities include:

Acquire Asset (getting an asset for temporary use)

Craft (building a gadget)

Indulge Vice (doing one of your favorite things to help recover stress)

Lay Low (staying quiet to lower your heat)

Long-Term Project (starting and filling in a clock to represent a long-term plan)

Recover (healing from harm)

Repair (fixing things that went wrong on your ship)

Train (getting extra XP, because you don’t know how to relax during downtime)

Some of the little quirks of downtime I particularly enjoy—you can “spend” your friends and allies whenever someone shows up to arrest you, instead of going to jail or paying off the authorities. You can also overindulge in your vice and do something… ill-advised.

How to Play

The How to Play section of the book covers a wide variety of topics, starting with when to just narrate and react to the fiction, and when making a roll is interesting and furthers the story. This section also goes more into the philosophy of picking an action, determining position and effect, and giving details to the scene and to the actions being taken.

The next part of this section is a deep dive into the individual actions, giving examples of what the actions look like, what the GM should keep in mind when those actions are used. For each action, there are examples of what controlled, risky, and desperate looks like, as well as what reduced effects and serious complications might mean in context of that action.

The section ends with a list of player best practices. These include getting into the mindset of a character living a dangerous life in this kind of setting and engaging the rules to push the elements of the story that you want to see played out.

Running the Game

This section is aimed towards the person running the game. It details the goals the GM should have, the questions the GM should be asking, and the GM principles for running the game. There is a section of GM best practices, as well as GM bad habits, and how to get the game started.

This section has some nice, boldly highlighted advice on what to do to keep a session moving and highlights the major responses a GM should be making when the PCs act. The section on GM bad habits addresses baggage a GM might bring with them from games that don’t have the same structure as a Forged in the Dark game, such as assuming a specific action is the only way to resolve a situation.

This section also includes some of my favorite GMing advice that I appreciate whenever I see it repeated—don’t make the PCs look incompetent when they fail. They are awesome. They are the star of the show. Things just didn’t work out. What did that look like?

Science and the Strange

This section goes into the rules surrounding characters finding and using artifacts and designing and making gadgets. The rules surrounding artifacts dovetail with the setting lore on The Way, an energy field that binds and penetrates all things, but is also a little bit like the Warp from Warhammer 40K, depending on how you want to flavor it.

The section on artifacts details using the Attune action to interact with ancient technology, what effect the artifact has, and what kind of glitches it might have developed over the years. Artifacts have different scales on how far reaching their effects might be, and some examples are given. Some are simple personal weapons that aren’t as clumsy or random as a blaster, and others are literal rifts in the fabric of reality that let you travel from one star system to another.

I will admit, the rules for designing and building items using the crafting rules feel a little heavy for the effect they have on game play. Effectively, most items you build will do something very specific for a job, or it will do something with more effect than a similar, common piece of equipment. For that kind of narrative positioning, there are a lot of steps to walk through.

The Procyon Sector

This section of the book details the four main star systems of the Procyon Sector, a backwater of the galaxy where all the game’s action takes place. Because of the way the jump gates work in the setting, it’s easy to keep the galaxy narrowed down to a manageable size, where a limited number of systems means managing heat is something meaningful.

Each system gets a sub-section here, detailing important NPCs, planets, and various factions that are the most prominent in that region. In addition to suggesting what power groups might be in play in each system and on each planet, the descriptions also suggest what kind of jobs might be available where, and what locations are the best for lying low when the crew is in trouble.

In addition to the star systems in the Procyon Sector, each of the major factions at play get their own write-up, complete with goals, assets, enemies, and allies. The factions are divided up into Hegemony factions (strong ties to the ruling government), Weirdness (beings that look for ancient artifacts and/or deal with The Way), and Criminal (these folks don’t have much respect for the established rule of law).

The factions lend themselves towards different styles of campaigns. For example, there are rival mercenaries and assassins for bounty hunting PCs, renegade Imperial legionaries and the local imperial legion for rebellious PCs, and lots of shady groups that want something moved under the noses of the people that are the established rulers of the sector.

Changing the Game

This section of the book is all about optional rules and hacking the system to produce a different type of game. There are examples of how to make different special abilities, ship abilities, modified rules for using gambits, optional costs for space travel, and rules for affiliations with various guilds and factions.

Scum and Villainy versus Blades in the Dark

If you are familiar with Blades in the Dark, you may be wondering if the game has any major departures from that game, beyond the space opera setting. Some of the major mechanical differences are as follows:

You don’t track what turf you control in Scum and Villainy–your crew is on the move and your ship is your home

Healing clocks are a bit more forgiving–it’s a six-segment clock as opposed to a four-segment clock, but once you are healed, you are fully healed

Gambits are mentioned in the optional rules for Blades in the Dark, but they are a major feature of this game–there is often extra luck floating around for your interstellar rogues

Scum and Villainy has a built-in “end game” –when you reach +3 favor with a faction in Scum and Villainy, you do one last job for them that changes the sector in a big way, and retire your characters

At The Table

My local group of gamers managed to get this game to the table before I was finished writing this review, so I have a few extra insights to provide. In the interest of full disclosure, I have managed to play Blades in the Dark before, but I’ve never run a Forged in the Dark game, and none of my players had any previous play experience.

Position and effect can sound intimidating in the abstract, but if you remember to walk through stating what the obstacle is, asking what action the player wants to use, then determining position and effect, the rhythm of the process becomes comfortable in a short period of time. My group intentionally talked through some unlikely actions for a situation as kind of a warm-up, like what cracking a safe using sway would look like).

There are a lot of little steps, and it’s easy to forget a few of them. For example, my group completely forgot to pick a heritage. We also ended up backtracking through the ship modules, as we got ahead of ourselves when detailing the ship. Many of those little things are great details for long-term play, and I wish they were a little more obvious, but they didn’t get in the way of the normal flow of play and aren’t anything that can’t be added back in later, once it’s obvious that you missed a detail here or there.

It was very easy to start a job and resolve actions. The only prep I did for the game was to print out the rules references and the playbooks. I explained the rules as we were making up characters. We had a little bit of confusion over actions versus attributes, but that didn’t take long to clear up. For the most part, our gang of smugglers managed to steal a floating Way creature for a cultist while hauling a bunch of racing animals and avoiding getting smashed by a six-armed empathic ape. The rancher didn’t even find out he had a forged document until they were out of the system (3/4 segments on the clock).

Less than 12 Parsecs

It captures the feel of being a space criminal, bound for fortune and glory, while providing some substantive rules on which to hang a narrative. 

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The game manages to strike a skillful balance between several extremes. Individual rules are simple, but the interaction of the rules is likely to keep players that appreciate longer-term play engaged as well. The setting is made up of many recognizable elements, but the individual factions have a lot of character and personality. It’s easy to understand what makes this universe tick. It captures the feel of being a space criminal, bound for fortune and glory, while providing some substantive rules on which to hang a narrative.

Even I Get Boarded Sometimes

Some of the character or ship details are easy to miss, even with the play aids and the detailed playbooks. There are a few elements that still feel like they are more re-flavored elements from Blades in the Dark, rather than integral space opera crime story elements.

The Way makes sense, as many space opera stories feature supernatural elements beyond “standard” science, but Way creatures feel like an attempt to keep ghosts, vampires, and demons in the game without as much backstory. The more involved process of creating arcane and alchemical items makes sense in the creepy, supernatural city of Duskvol, but using a similar process to make a blaster that is good enough to plug a legionnaire with full effect doesn’t feel as appropriate to the setting.

Recommended–If the product fits in your broad area of gaming interests, you are likely to be happy with this purchase.

If you like more narrative games, but still want to have enough rules to give you something to engage with over the course of a story arc, and you like space opera, you will appreciate this game. It uses the tropes of the genre well, and provides a setting with lots of personality, while still retaining a good amount of blank space for personalization.

Reading this book reminded me of my first forays into Powered by the Apocalypse games. I could never quite get comfortable with Dungeon World, for example, but games like Monster of the Week helped me to re-contextualize Dungeon World. I have a feeling that Scum and Villainy, with its space opera setting and slightly fewer moving pieces in campaign play, may do the same for Forged in the Dark games.

What is your favorite fusion of crime and space opera? Has any other RPG helped you pull off heists in a galaxy far, far away in a manner that you find satisfying? Are there any other Forged in the Dark games on the horizon that have your attention? Let me know in the comments. I’m looking forward to hearing from you!

Scum and Villainy Review published first on https://supergalaxyrom.tumblr.com