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dvzaiosamu · 3 days

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I know some of you don't read Lyney's lore when you gain friendship with him, so I'm totally going to force you all into reading all of it. I'm begging you all. Look, if you're not going to read it ingame, then read it here and devour that lore.

Now, now, this might seem like something I did because I didn't knew what to post, it's true, it is, but I also want to spread around Lyney's lore for all my Lyney lovers, even if making this post is pointless.

Character details.

The people of Fontaine love their tales of mystery. The intricate case setups and unexpected twists and turns are captivating for all.

Magic recreates this experience under the converging spotlights. For the price of a ticket and some of your free time, you can embark on a wondrous journey amidst thunderous applause and astounded cries.

If you were to ask around as to which of Fontaine's "guides" is best at setting up such fantastical tours, most fans will tell you that it is Lyney.

Suave, romantic, and talented, he performs miracle after miracle with a casual air.

In this industry, one needs only a stable of staple tricks to ensure a renowned reputation and comfortable life.

However, Lyney's shows always feature some new trick. Some say that he was born into poverty, and the resultant burning hunger for fame and fortune drives his boundless desire to create.

In truth, he simply pursues novelty in his capacity as a performer — indeed, he feels that if he cannot put his whole heart into the show, his deep desire to perform cannot be fully satiated.

This is why, despite the applause rising to a fever pitch and beyond, he will rarely satisfy the crowd's calls for a reprise of his most well-known tricks. Some devoted fans consider this to be a bit of a shame...

...And for them, such regret will only continue to increase each time they purchase a ticket and go in to watch his show.

Friendship level 2.

While Lyney first began his journey in magic to fill his stomach, he has continued to perfect his art even after becoming a person of some renown in Fontaine.

Magic, after all, has been his benefactor. Not only has it allowed him and his sister to survive, but it has also allowed them to gain the "acknowledgment" that most children, growing up in a loving home, would have received from their parents.

Even from an early age, performance was something closely tied to Lyney's life. Each time he would go on stage, Lyney would have the audience whooping and clapping. And yet, he did not lose himself in their adulation — if anything, it often troubled him.

If audiences were simply drawn to the spectacle of magic, then who was to say that they wouldn't abandon Lyney's stage as soon as they caught wind of a more enthralling show in town?

In other words, just as an audience would be attracted by petals and cards, they would also be pulled away by grander fireworks and crackling gun salutes. What else did magicians have up their sleeves to capture the hearts of their audience, beyond enticing them with ever more grandiose impressions of shock and awe?

In all of Lyney's performances afterward, audiences would begin to notice a change — Lyney would add many segments between performances in which he would interact with them.

Indeed, this magician seemed without any airs, sharing various fascinating anecdotes about his life, not even minding if the audience should try to guess at the secret behind his tricks.

Of course, the sharper wits amongst them would notice that Lyney's tales were not truth, but instead a way to build up the atmosphere, a bedding laid for a greater magic trick to land upon.

Yet no one would quibble about these white lies. After all, truth and falsehoods were already inextricable in many parts of the performance — why, even the magician himself could be said to have become a part of the magic.

Thus does Lyney sometimes appear near and dear, and other times just out of the reach of his audience, balancing human affinity and magical mystery perfectly in the palm of his hand, his smile leaving the audiences' imaginations free to run wild.

No matter how rich or poor, sad or glad the audience member, imagination is the great equalizer, carrying the charm of magic to all.

Thus did the mystery and elegance of this magician spread far and wide, with people even opining that his skill at creating an atmosphere is itself as exquisite as magic.

"Is that so? Well, I'm just trying to invite everyone to take a brief break from reality, that's all."

Friendship level 3.

Lyney's new home was the Hotel Bouffes d'ete, located in a corner of the Court of Fontaine.

The place was home to many orphans who shared similar experiences with him and his sister. The people here helped each other like a family would, greeting the fallout and consequences of those tragic years together.

But the siblings, even with a recommendation from the manager of the Hotel, did not find it all that easy to fit in, nor was it easy for the children there to immediately accept these new "outsiders."

And in this environment, oppressive in its gloom, the water pumping equipment broke while Lynette was using it, right before everyone's eyes, deepening the distrust to the extreme.

Lyney could only step up and take responsibility, agreeing to fix the equipment so as not to affect everyone's daily lives.

In truth, he did not know all that much about repair work, but given Lynette's propensity for damaging various small devices, he had long gotten used to following his intuition to do some fixes here and there.

Unfortunately, he underestimated the complexity of the pumping equipment and difficulty of fixing it. While he succeeded in restoring it to normal operations, he remained at a complete loss as to whether he had solved the root problem or not, he could not tell.

But just as he was at his wit's end, a seemingly reticent young fellow stepped forth, examined, and restored the facilities, even expressing his apologies.

As it turned out, he was the one in charge of maintenance at the Hotel, and as he saw it, Lynette had been the unfortunate victim of his failure to detect and replace the aging components in the system in a timely manner.

Lyney, for his part, was far more impressed by the young fellow's skills than any talk of responsibility. He wanted to learn from the youth — if nothing else, this would make helping Lynette all the easier.

The youth was, for his part, no good at refusing, and thus did Lyney become his assistant in the Hotel's small workroom — and over time, he and this Freminet would become friends.

Lyney would prove unselfish in spending time on other Hotel residents, whether it be Freminet or others, but he would keep them company in comforting silence rather than ask them about their experiences.

In this he was guided by Lynette's succinct life advice: "No one needs self-satisfied concern."

In time, the residents became more willing to share some of their pasts with him, and Lyney would thus become better able to help them with their issues.

Freminet was somewhat perplexed by this, believing that Lyney, who was slowly becoming the core around which the Hotel spun, did not need to go this far.

Lyney joked that he had helped Freminet when they first met because he knew that his sister would cause further machine-related troubles down the line, and he was uncomfortable with that.

But at this point, there was no fooling Freminet with such words. Under his attentive gaze, Lyney could only tell him the truth.

"Because Lynette's my one and only family, I've learned from her how one should treat all members of their family."

Friendship level 4.

On the Hotel Bouffes d'ete's Founding Day, all the children were abustle, draping festive colors all over the place.

To the residents, outside festivals and events were cold and emotionless things, foreign elements in their lives, and only this dwelling could bring them true warmth.

Everyone worked in concert to execute Lyney's plan. Lynette had purchased large amounts of festive ornaments, and together with the other children, she strung up colored streamers and hung handwritten festive greetings.

Freminet was ensuring that the magical props would operate properly — Lyney had faith in his craftsmanship, so much so that Freminet was completely entrusted with all the magic props this time.

Lyney himself was the busiest of all — not only did he have to ascertain everyone's progress, but he was also laying the final groundwork for a grand, unique magic trick in secret.

And thus was the banquet successfully held with everyone's support. The children danced to the joyous music playing from the grand hall's phonograph and enjoyed delicious food — this was the birthday of no one in particular, but this was the day they all felt they had gained new lives.

The finale, of course, was Lyney, Lynette, and Freminet's Founding Day magic show. The magic box was at the center of the room, and all waited with bated breath.

To preserve the secret behind the magic trick, even Lynette and Freminet knew not what was within. But as the room darkened and all eyes turned to Lyney, standing as he was in front of the box, even the highly-experienced magician showed some rare signs of trepidation.

"Now, you might consider the following words an exaggeration, but the "present" I am about to present to you all is, without doubt, the most important one we have received in our lives."

The paper firecrackers burst, and the once-empty box suddenly opened by itself. The crowd cheered, amazed — then fell suddenly into stunned silence.

What stood onstage was no present — nay, this was the Hotel's manager, its owner, and their "Father."

Her image was one of unsmiling dignity, and thus, though she did not come by often, no one dared to horse around whenever she was around.

Surely, Lyney had gone completely mad to have her make her appearance in such a frivolous way.

Yet, upon seeing the crowd's reaction, "Father" did not snap at anyone, opining merely that Lyney had kept this secret perfectly, just as a magic show should, declaring it worthy of praise.

That night, the children and their "Father" delighted in the various desserts together, and she personally sliced a serving of cake for each of them, which she herself enjoyed some of as well.

Perhaps the most amazing aspect of Lyney's Founding Day magic show was its ability to have even "Father" lay down her heavy burden and enjoy a brief moment of familial love.

Friendship level 5.

Magic and secrets piled up at Lyney's feet, growing ever taller like a tower. Gazing down from the top at the people as they passed by in the world below, Lyney knew there was no going back.

Both the dazzling sleights of hand and the missions he would come to receive from Hotel Bouffes d'ete had made a habitual liar out of him.

And while lies could sometimes be useful for seizing an advantage, they were more often employed to keep more people from being dragged into trouble.

Lyney knew very well that once trust had collapsed, the scales of judgment would no longer remain impartial, and even noble goals would become twisted and thought of as evil.

As such, not revealing more than was absolutely necessary was prudent when working with others. More often than not, this makes things go more smoothly, with everyone getting the results they want.

But lies will not simply scatter on the wind, and Lyney must maintain this illusion with utmost care, all the while keeping his distance from those affected.

As so the tower extended towards the skies, until there would be no one to take his hand if he reached out, and even their visages blurred in his eyes.

Falsehood was Lyney's constant and only companion on the path that he walked, and this road was long and lonely — this he was always clear-minded about.

Everyone knew the brilliant "Great Magician Lyney," but they loved only the mystery, the romance, the unattainable nature. They knew no love for the heart that lay deeper within.

He felt he had no right to pour out his mind to others, and yet he must carry on with gritted teeth, for the price of a fall from such heights was more than he could bear.

Having played too many parts, even Lyney would sometimes find himself questioning who "he" really was.

His dreams often took him back to the tower, where his resting place at the pinnacle vantage would grow smaller and smaller, and with the fog of death they called "betrayal" extending all around, there was nowhere for him to go.

But just before he could plummet, a hand grabbed onto him — and from it, he felt a familiar warmth that drew his soul back into his body, steadying "him" within himself once more.

"Thank you, Lynette..."

The awakening youth mumbled to himself.

Friendship level 6.

While Hotel Bouffes d'ete's operations in Fontaine work toward a just cause, its methods can often be radical. Only the influence of "Father" and her control over the inner workings of the Court of Fontaine prevent any serious incidents from occurring.

There was once an official funded by Lyney who served in the Maison Gardiennage. This person provided both intel in support of the Hotel's operations and scrubbed clean the effects of some of the Hotel's clandestine actions.

These were actions that came with no small risk, but the official always performed them well, for he believed that the Fontaine of the present day needed someone like "Father" who could bypass the many layers of laws and regulations and take direct action.

Lyney once joked to him: "I'll be there if you ever need help, and if you're in danger, I'll come to rescue you... Well, don't expect too much of that last bit. Just stay on guard, alright?"

The official knew that this was Lyney's way of expressing concern, of course. Yet even words spoken in jest could prove prophetic later, and so they did — this official's deeds were eventually discovered, and on the brink of capture, he used an emergency communication device to send a message to Lyney.

Upon discovering the device, the Gardes who arrived at the scene mocked the official's naivete, claiming that the signal sent merely informed his compatriots to save themselves — no one would be stupid enough to try to save him.

The official's reply was also quite simple — even such an ending would have been fine for him, for he did not believe that his prior cooperation was the wrong decision.

But just as the Gardes were about to arrest the official, thick smoke began billowing forth from dispensers pre-planted nearby, and the official caught sight of a brilliant blaze—

The next moment, he was in the drink in the Fleuve Cendre, and was rescued by Freminet.

It was said that the Gardes spent a great deal of time chasing after the skyborne flame-trail, believing that the criminal must have used some flying machine to flee the scene, only to discover later naught but wood dressed in clothes, affixed to a glider.

In truth, Lyney had earlier used this device to draw the Gardes' attention away before getting the official out of his predicament.

The official admitted that he had not had high hopes when pressing the device. Magicians were untrustworthy, after all — but still, he had chosen to gamble on that tiny chance.

"Haha. Well, it is indeed a gamble to place your trust in others."

"But don't worry. Magicians might be full of hot air, but we will never betray the expectations of our audience."

Friendship level 4: Rosseland.

There is a special entity amongst the cats adopted by Lyney and Lynette, and its name is "Rosseland."

Every cat in the Hotel has its own territory, but Rosseland has a special affinity for Lyney's hat.

A hat is a magician's most important prop, and each time Lyney must use it, he must first chase Rosseland out — a difficult affair when its displeased meows in response are so heartrending, especially to siblings like Lyney and Lynette, who themselves once struggled to find a home.

Thus the siblings began their search for a replacement, only to be met by refusal each time, no matter how lovely the new home — indeed, Rosseland would not even give them a second glance.

Lyney even specially commissioned an identical hat, thinking that this might put an end to the cat's choosiness, only for Rosseland to lay claim that new hat also, becoming aggrieved no matter which was whisked away.

But this was no feline tyranny. Indeed, Rosseland's requests were not terribly excessive. After much thought, Lyney eventually came up with a solution — to incorporate the cat into his magic shows.

He and Lynette constructed a little puppet inside the hat that would normally serve as Rosseland's cushion. During performances, Rosseland would burrow inside the puppet, causing it to jink this way and that in a mischievous and adorable manner.

And as it turned out, Rosseland was not at all shy — indeed, it greatly enjoyed its new job. Perhaps the spotlight brought it much enjoyment indeed, for it would never prove quite so predisposed to exclusive ownership again, even when it had to temporarily leave its nest when off-stage.

During one of his shows, Lyney once made a rare error, having left a card he needed to produce on-stage backstage.

With all eyes on him, he had mere seconds to think of a way to save the situation while maintaining his easy-going demeanor.

But to his surprise, there was an unexpected weight in his hovering hat — it should have been empty, but Rosseland had somehow found its way inside.

Out came the puppet, and out with it came the card Lyney had needed, to the instantaneous applause of all. Lyney heaved a sigh of relief, but he was also quite shocked, in truth.

Some thought was put into this matter — but Lyney could only conclude that Rosseland had, influenced by the twins as it was, also mastered the art of the magical performance somehow.

Friendship level 6: vision.

After Lynette gained the favor of the gods, the missions she had to undertake grew more dangerous and difficult.

Only Vision-wielders like Lynette could fulfill the most dangerous missions while remaining completely anonymous, and the twins began to operate separately more often as a result.

Lyney found himself unable to adapt to this. Not only had the siblings been together since childhood, but he knew that he was not the only one who felt disturbed by this split.

He still desired to be beside her, lending her all the help he could — this was his non-negotiable desire.

Knowing his desire for power was no longer pure, Lyney concluded that he had become undeserving of divine favor. Yet he still desired a means to bridge the vast gulf in strength between him and his sister, which he did not possess. Unless...

To this end, he solemnly sought out "Father," expressing his belief that he needed the mysterious and perilous might of a Delusion to operate alongside his sister.

"Father" was silent for a long while, till at last two slanted crosses pinned him in place with a wrath rarely shown to the children of the Hotel, her gaze seeming to pierce his very soul.

"And would Lynette want you to do this?"

Her simple yet powerful question cut through the strings that bound his heart, and in a daze, his sister's words once more reverberated in his ears.

"No one needs self-satisfied concern."

Lyney did not need to ask his sister to know that she would never accept his desire to stay by her side with the use of a Delusion. It was only then that he realized the absurdity of his wish.

"Father" stood up and left, but not before reminding him that this was not the first time he had lacked power, but that he had found an answer before.

Lyney would lock himself in his room, trying to digest the reasoning behind the words "Father" had left him with. When he and his sister had been out on the streets, the answer he had found then had been "magic." What, then, would the answer be now?

Lyney found the dossiers for all the missions Lynette had taken up during this period, carefully analyzing the process of each one and modeling his sister's every action.

Was it really necessary to pass through this dangerous valley to get close to a target?

Was it really a must to leap into such a swift river to flee the scene?

No, this was just the Vision's light covering her.

Thus did Lyney start to make comprehensive plans for his sister's missions, using his understanding of her to design the most suitable routes, make the most practical tools, and choose the best rendezvous points.

The pure desire to protect one's family would not be moved, gods' favor or no.

But even the best laid plans of mice and men may go awry. After conducting dozens of successful missions, the children of the Hotel were caught up in a betrayal, and as a result, Lynette's movements were exposed.

Before the siblings was a towering cliff, just like the night when Lynette had gained her Vision — but this time, it was Lyney's turn to reverse their fortunes in a moment of crisis.

He opened his emergency paraglider, and grabbing her, threw himself off the edge. But their pursuers followed, raining gunfire down on them.

Lyney twisted this way and that, avoiding many a shot, but still the glider was punctured in several spots. Unable to maintain balance, they began to plummet downward towards the embrace of the ground below.

Still, Lyney grit his teeth and refused to despair — should fate itself conspire to refute the answer he had come up with to protect his family, he would defy it to the end.

Their pursuers began to snicker, knowing that a fall at such speeds would be fatal — only to have a flame light up the skies, pushing the stricken glider toward a fast-flowing river nearby.

The power of Pyro changed the direction of their fall, while Anemo defended them from harm — and thus did the twin lights intertwine and spread under the moonlight, fading slowly like the applause that fills the stage during a curtain call.

Lyney did not guess at the meaning of the shining Vision he saw in his hand. The answer was, after all, no longer important.

#lyney #lyney genshin #genshin impact #lore

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eggbreadboi · 6 months

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aaAAA this is Big Delayed, but I literally cannot stop thinking about your Niki Lauda art, it's genuinely one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen I'm not exaggerating, I saw it and instantly shared it with a friend and literally got us both so emotional you achieved a few tears, just a few smol ones 🤏

Your art style is just so gorgeous and pleasing, it's a lovely blend of all this soft shading, deliberate thick lines, balanced with such detailed and intricate linework elsewhere. The way you draw and shade the fabric of their driver uniforms is always so satisfying to me. It's my lockscreen now, and I like to just to look at all the flowers you so meticulously drew, the highlights you put on all the leaves. I cannot imagine how much time that would've taken, and it looks amazing! (Not to mention holy hell the COLOURS!!! Beautifully picked.) I don't know my flowers, but I love the white ones with the reddish edges the most. (Something something, placed over his heart.)

The layout of everything is so impactful too, I think that was definitely the bit that got me. The way the flowers frame him as if to lift him up, to make him such an intense spot of focus (I see you; the focus blur of the flowers brought to the front, it's such a great touch that's add greatly to the composition.) And the empty space too, the subtle movement of everything in the air. The blank space that sits above him is not oppressive, it's just so bright and so open. It makes the space so much bigger. It feels like such a visual weight off his shoulders, not on.

Brought back into the light to be held aloft, loved, and celebrated after the darkest times, and being able to look towards that with a smile while still baring its marks so openly. And just the tiniest peak of the sun's glow at his side. It's just very very emotional to me, I can't understate how emotional this art makes me. You drew everything perfectly, from concept to execution.

I just think it's utterly beautiful, and I mean it when I say if you ever sold a print and signed it, I don't think there's a price I wouldn't pay, I would frame this in a heartbeat, in fact I'm begging you to sell this as a print.

(I hope I did okay at expressing myself with what I've written.)

Also, I would love love love to know what flowers you drew for this! (and if there was any reason why you chose them) because, as before, I'm no good at flowers ;-; Thank you very much for drawing and posting your art.

First of all, I just want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for this ask. It means the world to me that this piece moved you enough of you to write this, and I sat for a long time tearing up after reading this ask for the first time. Even going back to it now, its nearly overwhelming(in a positive way)

Thank you as well for the wonderful analysis, I am so happy to see that the emotions and thoughts I wanted to convey got across so clearly. The focus of Niki's story as it is so often told is his crash, and I think more attention should be paid to the victories after, an entire incredibly successful half of his career. To the unnending determination to come back stronger and be a champion. So I wanted to wreathe(no pun intended) him in well deserved glory and approach his trials with the same frankness and openness that he employed during his life. I struggled with the background for a long time and eventually settled on blue sky, open and bright to match the richness of the flowers and the bright sun.

(I've been contemplating an online shop for a while now, and rest assured, if(likely when) I open one, this will be available)

The flowers!!!!! I would love to share, I put some thought into them haha.

the little white bells are Lilly of the Valley, which bloom first in spring when the snow is melting. They symbolize hope, new life, and return after hardship, all, of course, incredibly thematically appropriate here.

the wreath is laurel ofc, for victory (the bow is the Austrian flag)

the large clusters of multicolored flowers all over (and as you so keenly noticed over his heart) are Gladiolus, which mean strength of character, bravery, and remembrance. I chose them both to mirror Niki's traits and to echo the purpose of this piece as a tribute.

Finally, the little purple flowers in the bottom right hand corner are heather, for independence, admiration, and good luck. Theyre there for much the same reason as the gladiolus, though to be honest I wish I had included more of them.

The golden confetti, to be honest, is entirely decoration

Thank you again for the opportunity to ramble!

#AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAKJRBEO3I4GHVKJ23RNGEFO3I2GHPI35O2G #<<<<my genuine reaction to receiving this #breadanswers #about my art #niki lauda #f1

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paleparearchive · 1 month

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The Jar of Happiness

Millet's 1st initial 3★ story (2/2) ( 1 - 2 )

Location: café 2 | Characters: Millet, Courbet, Mucha

Millet: I wonder if the person who sold me the jar is really a scammer…

Courbet: I'll make it clear in today's discussion.

Man: –Sorry for keeping you waiting.

Courbet: Finally, here you are, you scammer.

Millet: H-Hold on, Courbet! It's rude to talk that way…!

Courbet: Hmpf, what's wrong with telling the truth?

Anyway, sit down. I want to talk to you about this jar. Prove to me that the pricing of this jar is appropriate.

Man: Ooh… You're saying you're not satisfied with the price of this jar?

Courbet: Exactly. In the first place, I heard that the price of this jar was determined solely by your discernment, am I right? Is it really worth the price Millet paid? It's typical of a scam to sell something with unrealistic words such as “it will bring happiness”, to begin with.

Man: Whatever the method of pricing was, Mr. Millet was convinced to buy it. So there's nothing wrong with that, right?

Millet: That's right, Courbet. I'm happy I bought this jar, see?

Courbet: You shut up.

… Anyway, I demand a full refund. Immediately return the money this guy paid.

Man: Ah, that would be impossible. It's written right in the contract. No refunds for any reason.

Courbet: I would've missed it if it was written in such small print. Millet, was this explained to you at the time of purchase?

Millet: Uhm… I wonder if that happened…?

Man: Of course I did. So I think there is a properly signed contract, right?

Courbet: That's a rule you've decided on your own. It isn't something we necessarily have to follow.

Man: However, Mr. Millet and I agreed to the terms of the contract and the sale was concluded. Right, Mr. Millet?

Millet: Y-Yes…

Courbet: But…!

Man: Haah, I don't think I can keep up with you any longer. That's all for now, if you'll excuse me.

Courbet: H-Hey! Wait!

Millet: Courbet, that's enough!

Courbet: But he's clearly a scammer. We can't just let him go on like this…!

—

Courbet: Sigh… Looks like we'll have to take legal action. The point is that you were brought into the store. In other words, under the Specified Commercial Transactions Law…

Millet: Hey, Courbet. I really appreciate your concern, but I think I made a good deal, okay? It's not every day you can buy a jar that brings you happiness. I hope this will help me do better at my job so I can send more money to my parents.

Courbet: You... You should learn to be a little more skeptical of people. That's bullshit.

Millet: You're the one who needs to trust me a little more, Courbet. This jar is pretty good, isn't it? See, this coloring. I think it has a depth that mass-produced products don't have.

Courbet: … If you ask me, the picture is certainly not bad. I was looking at it with a prejudiced eye, thinking it was a con artist's jar, but…

Mucha: Oh, what a coincidence to see you in a place like this. Are you two dining together?

Millet: Oh? Mucha-san. Is something the matter?

Mucha: I had a meeting with an art dealer. I was about to leave when I saw you were here.

Oh my… that jar…! Where did you get such a precious jar?

Millet: …? Well, I bought it in town a while back…

Mucha: Amazing... It is well preserved. A gem like this is hard to find.

Courbet: Hey, what are you excited about?

Mucha: This vase has excellent value. Unless you are very wealthy, I do not think you could afford it…

Courbet: What!? Is this jar really that expensive…?

Millet: Um, so does that mean it's worth many times more than a month's salary…?

Mucha: You were able to buy it for that price!? It should jave been many times that... dozens of times more expensive.

Millet: Huuh, seriously!?

Mucha: If you are willing to sell it, I can introduce you to an art dealer. This is a first-class piece that everyone wants.

Millet: … I see, it's such an amazing thing. Then it better be in the hands of someone who really wants it.

Courbet: I can't believe it... So that scammer didn't realize the value of this jar either.

Mucha: ! Scammer…? May I ask you for more details?

Courbet: Yeah, actually…

Millet: (I can't believe that it could be a month's salary multiplied dozens of times… I knew it was a jar that brings good luck! I'm so lucky someone this kind gave it to me.)

#palette parade #palette parade tl #palepare #palepare tl #card tl #card translation #translation #3★#millet #jean françois millet

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miloscat · 3 months

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[Review] Pic-a-Pix Classic (PSVita)

A pleasant pixel puzzler.

I'm still recovering from Covid and need rest. One of the best ways to get me to sit still for extended periods of time is to give me a nice Picross game to play; I simply can't help but beaver away at it while listening to podcasts. Other nonogram games are available, of course, including the line of Pic-a-Pix games from small UK studio Lightwood Games.

I've played one of theirs before in 2019, one of the Colour variants on 3DS. But I prefer the simplicity of the "classic" style of monochrome nonograms, straightforward logic puzzles with frankly a more aesthetically pleasing solution image. These were particularly good here: recognisable cartoony depictions of various subjects done in simple, clean pixel art, unlike a lot of Jupiter's more recent detailed and shaded solutions. There's no colour or animation in the finished product at all, but that's ok.

I particularly like doing these puzzles with touch controls so I was hopeful for the Vita version here; sadly I wasn't satisfied with their implementation, which requires touching to swap marking mode. I ended up playing with buttons which worked perfectly well, with good choices on consecutive marks and screen wrapping, etc. Besides, on the larger puzzles the touch targets for squares are probably too small.

Puzzles go up to 30x20 over the course of the 150 selections, and even on the nice big Vita screen I had to squint at the larger sizes. Oddly these puzzles have a margin around their border; they could have zoomed in to fill the screen to make these a little more readable. Puzzles also randomly select a colour for grid squares, and some are easier on the eye than others, although a colourblind mode is available.

Apart from this options are sparse: you can toggle auto-marking of clue numbers (a must) and there's a "fix" option to check your work, but you're locked into "free" mode (not that I mind, I prefer this mode) and there's no option to give hints of any kind (again I wouldn't use them but it's nice to have). The only other setting is a toggle for background music but why would I want to turn off those cheery chiptunes? I didn't get tired of them for my whole playthrough, they're fab.

I was very pleased with this one. The presentation is nice and clean, it's very functional, and the puzzles never require guesswork. Other releases in the series are expandable with scads of add-on packs but this is just the one set of puzzles for a decent price, and there's nothing wrong with that. And check out the puzzle in the key art, it's a puppy wearing sunglasses! How can you say no to that?

#picapix classic #picross #lightwood games #review #psvita #indie

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thesinglesjukebox · 5 months

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TINASHE - "NEEDS"

youtube

I mean, have you seen the price of cold cuts lately?

[6.79]

Jacob Sujin Kuppermann: So catchy that it's become the background radiation of my mind. [9]

Crystal Leww: Earlier this year Tinashe was playing Knockdown Center in New York and a friend of mine tweeted that tickets were $5. I really did check because it did seem like a believable reality at the time which is really all you need to know about whatever is happening with Tinashe in the year of our lord 2023. [3]

Ian Mathers: I don't have, like, a list but I suspect/dimly remember that there's at least a microgenre of sex jams with videos set in innocuous backdrops like the grocery store found here. But I don't recall any of them seeming like they had quite as much fun there as Tinashe and her dancers do; fitting enough for a song that doesn't do anything particularly novel but does it all with such frank matter-of-factness and confidence that it feels fresh. [8]

Frank Falisi: How can you tell that a singer is a good dancer? I think maybe it's in the voice. I think maybe a voice is a thing that can be wielded and conceived of as entering a physical space like any other limb. I think maybe Tinashe proves that. "Needs" is a paean to get and give that puts the pleading back in pop music, an apparatus that approximates us by asking to take up our time and space for three minutes or less or so. Crucially, Tinashe's voice choreographs that approximation in terms of necessity instead of luxury: everything here is just plain simple needs, like breathing and being. The voice prepares a body for wanting. It clips and jabs, wups and garbles life. There's a pitch shift here in the first minute or so that feels like a somersaulting step, like the total inversion a beloved can inflict on a body. It makes me gasp, which makes me aware of my voice. It puts us head over heels, moved and moving. [8]

Wayne Weizhen Zhang: Tinashe running around grocery store aisles with a turkey pan on her head, Tinashe wearing deli meat as an outfit, Tinashe twerking on top of containers of nuts, Tinashe riding in a grocery store cart. The "Needs" music video is an instant classic for the same reason the song slaps: it's effortless and clean and simple, but doesn't take itself too seriously. This is the type of cool that enjoys itself, the kind that's unconcerned with anything but having a good time. [8]

Leah Isobel: What does Tinashe have left to prove? Songs For You demonstrated that she can make creatively satisfying crossover pop without a major label; 333 was an ebullient victory lap that pushed her art outward in all directions, uniting her most experimental tendencies and her most down-the-middle melodies behind her star presence. She could fuck off for, like, five years and still have people (me) frothing at the mouth for her return. But of course, the industry doesn't work like that: if your job is to make music and perform, you have to keep clocking in. "Needs" finds a way to make those obligations both transparent and irrelevant; "They ain't never seen moves like these," she sings, as if she's still a new artist, as if there isn't ample evidence of her staggering physical skills. It's branding as much as it's boasting. But we -- I -- come to Tinashe for that outsized confidence, the easy bravado masking tremendous effort. And "Needs" still delivers where it counts, with a warm bath of a chorus that stretches on and on and on. Even when she's just punching the clock, she's generous. [7]

Daniel Montesinos-Donaghy: It's great when Tinashe gets silly, something that was in short supply during her embargo at RCA, where she square-peg-round-holed into trends or pushed onwards with her gothic mumblings. Her most recent album, BB/ANG3L, could do with a few more athletic sex-comedy routines like "Needs." Over queasy West Coast keys, Tinashe's filtrated voices bawdily narrates a hook-up, where there's teasing and power-play but no humiliation. It's all very silly and rather human: "I'm just human, we all got needs," she lilts in the warmest of shrugs, like it's really that easy. [9]

Alex Ostroff: A decade on from Tinashe's initial mixtapes -- which were heralded as the emergence of a talented new left-of-centre voice in R&B who was just a little too vibey and ethereal and uninterested in big shiny hooks to take over the mainstream -- Tinashe has returned to that position, following a brief detour into the world of major labels that tried to DJ Mustard her way into pop hits. She's made two compelling albums since going independent again that mostly exist in her midtempo R&B comfort zone. "Needs" exists in the same space, but feels slight and tossed off. It's catchy enough that it only took 2 or 3 listens before "peaches, banaaaaaanas" was permanently embedded in my brain, but by its nature its pleasant, wispy and low-stakes. [6]

Katherine St Asaph: I've always heard an empty sadness beneath Tinashe's singles, even the ones (which is most of the big ones) that aren't meant to be. "Needs" is supposedly gleeful -- watch Tinashe grin all throughout the strip-club Supermarket Sweep video. But its musical palette is all resignation: vacant handclaps, synths flickering in and out like the lighting of an abandoned floor, minor-key melody delivered with almost no flirtation or embellishment, like the checked-out cadence of "Big Spender"; the fact that the phrase "we've all got needs" usually comes with the implication that they aren't currently being met. The fact that no one else ever seems to hear this makes me worry that maybe this is some kind of projection on my part; but I can't hear anything else, and the resulting tension between sound and intent makes "Needs" more compelling than it should be. For instance: That buffet line because wasn't sexy on Katy Perry's "Bon Appetit" either. [7]

Alfred Soto: She mastered this midtempo sex jam years ago; 333, the best album of 2021, was a middle finger to challengers. She can record these melodies over click tracks forever. In the best of Tinashe's midtempo sex jams I hear more at stake. [6]

Will Adams: As a single, it's serviceable, with Tinashe going cruise control on a cutesy sex jam. But it's a disservice to the otherwise excellent BB/Angel, where tension was the mode and, as a result, far more interesting. Docked an extra point for that weird vocal processing midway through that makes it sound like she's suspended in Jell-O. [5]

Joshua Minsoo Kim: BB/ANG3L is one of Tinashe's best albums if only because it's 20 minutes long -- the maximum amount of R&B she can deliver before everything turns to mush. And "Needs" is indeed more of that nondescript, nocturnal mood music: gauzy synth pads, a minimal beat, her voice flitting in the ether. That lone verse is the best part, her vocals slurred as she sings about getting eaten out -- the brashness matches the dingy, dimly lit atmosphere. Artists with 10x her budget would make being horny a glamorous, extravagant, all-consuming affair. As an unimaginative songwriter and perpetual C-lister, Tinashe can't quite do that, and so she sticks with meat-and-potatoes production and finds the lyrics to match. [6]

Michelle Myers: Nashe seems to be enjoying herself again. Perhaps my perception is colored by its twerking-in-the-grocery music video, but "Needs" feels more like a dirty joke among friends than a genuine attempt at seduction. [7]

David Moore: I enjoy the Ryan Leslie-esque synth clouds, but the song goes beyond circular to samey -- a mass of wispy gray stratus clouds when they needed to be little fluffy cumuli. [6]

Brad Shoup: Not entirely certain why she bothered with a verse. Maybe she had nowhere else to place the peaches, bananas. A short, spare song but there's still room to ponder whether the simp sucks or not. (The verbal abuse feels central to the action.) Great singsong chorus, even if I keep hearing "talk real mean" as "taco meat". [6]

Taylor Alatorre: An impressionistic portrait of desire intermingling with control that sets a rather low bar for itself, and then proceeds to leap over that bar with an abundance of style. And by "style," I mean Tinashe doing violence to her voice in a way that's meant to embody twin ideals of cuteness and menace, which has the knock-on effect of making her say "peaches, bananas" in a voice that sounds like it's been taken over by the Shimmer from Annihilation. Now that's just good clean fun, in my opinion. [7]

Edward Okulicz: Nice song. Not sure why they shot the amusing video with Tinashe and her dancers having fun in a supermarket before they finalised the vocal though because there's a fine line between sexy and bored in a jam and this is on the wrong side of it. Wait, what? This is the final version of the song and it's not waiting on a re-recording to make her sound as fun as she is having in the video? You're shitting me. [5]

Jackie Powell: It is impressive that Tinashe was able to freestyle the final line in the chorus "we all got needs" which launched the entire concept for "Needs." She told Dazed that she "just pressed record and played a beat" and a chorus was born. This track seems more like an extended hook or an interlude rather than a full song. The chorus and post chorus make up over 75 percent of the entire song. It's fine this song was made for TikTok, but the only verse this song has contains a vocal distortion that ruins what came before it. Tinashe's voice is smooth and sensual enough, it doesn't need to sound like it's underwater. I say Na-na-na, na-na-na to whoever decided that Tinashe's diction had to suffer in the track's only verse. She sounded like she was holding her nose. [6]

Nortey Dowuona: Tinashe was always meant to be a mid tier artiste. She had both too many outre tastes to stay comfortable in conventional pop structures, but was too nostalgia heavy and cynical to drift into a more esoteric mysticism. She could dance, she could sing, she could dance and sing, in a world where neither of those things was novel to the marketplace or stunningly amazing, she could have comfortably avoided irrelevance and been scooped into the orbit of an actual star. But Tinashe has always charted her own path and set her own course, so instead she's doing this slower than 120 bpm pop-R&B tune about satisfying the desires for pleasure and indulgence, the things music can easily achieve without breaking a sweat. Thank god for Tinashe. [10]

[Read, comment and vote on The Singles Jukebox ]

#tinashe #r&b #music #music writing #music reviews #music criticism #the singles jukebox #Youtube

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jennilesl · 5 months

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My latest project complete

Progress Report for Molten Ironworks

What is working?

So, this past week I took to the streets so to speak and went to a ton of businesses in town with my business cards, my promo video, and a bit of confidence. I met and shook hands with a lot of the business owners in town, put my business cards in multiple high traffic areas around town. I spoke to 2 of the art galleries and a local vendors market where I can rent a shelf for $65 for a month, which I'm seriously considering doing for the month of December for hopefully some Christmas sales.

What is not working?

Again, despite all my effort to meet people and get my name and my card out into the community, I don't have any new clients for the welding repair yet. But I'm still hopeful of drumming up some more business before the close of this course, I just might have to get more creative with promoting myself and the business.

How is the project coming?

I feel like I'm really starting to find my creativity again, it's starting to come more naturally, and I have a few different creations in the works. The most recent one I completed is featured in the picture above. It took me about 3 hours in total to create this, from rusted scrap metal I acquired from one of my neighbors. I cleaned it all up, cut and fit and recut and refit pieces until I was satisfied with the positioning of everything. I then welded everything solid, cleaned it up with my grinder and dremal, then polished everything until it shone. Now that its complete, I have another unique nature scene that I can take ideas from later as well and recreating it won't take me nearly as long.

What am I learning about running my business?

Time management. I always seem to underestimate how long a project might take me, and just how much work really goes into these art pieces. It's not as simple as welding it all together there's a lot of time and thought and planning that goes into each piece. Also, while taking to the art galleries, I learned so much about what people are looking for in terms of size and style, what sells really well there and what tends to stay on their shelves and walls longer before being bought. I also have a much better idea about pricing my pieces to the public, and what swings people in favor to your art.

What am I learning about myself?

I am really starting to see just how motivated I am to own and operated my own business. Every day is a learning opportunity, and I am taking in as much of it as I can. I am starting to get really confident in myself and my promotion and marketing. I'm getting a feel for how to approach people and how to keep them engaged or interested. I'm finding new and creative was and places to promote my business and myself and meeting a lot of interesting people and connections along the way.

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shatar-aethelwynn · 2 years

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I just graduated and I'm 18 so what do I do now

What do you want to do? Seriously. That's the important question. And that’s not one I can answer for you. Do you want to go to college? If so, do you know what you want to study? Can you afford it? Because I don't recommend going entirely on loans, I'm still dealing with mine. Would you rather go to a trade school? Or just skip the whole potentially unnecessary hassle altogether and focus on getting a job and spend your time learning what you want to learn at your own pace while enjoying the hobbies you want to enjoy? You don't have to decide right away. God knows I wish I had taken time to figure myself out before going to college. Might have saved myself the hassle of school transfers, extra courses to compensate, and realizing toward the end of Junior year that I didn't actually want to be studying my major after all but was too far in with student loans to be worth quitting or adding another year or two by switching majors. Whether a degree is even important depends entirely on what you want to do for work. And I'll be honest, even with a degree the chance of getting that job immediately after graduating is generally low (and in some fields just about nonexistent) for most people. And even though society is going to try to pressure you into it, you don't need to go for further schooling if you don't want to. It's not mandatory. Do you want to stay where you are or move? If you want to move, you'll want to start looking for jobs in the area you want to be. Many places will ask if you're willing to move if hired, so even though you aren’t there yet you could still put in applications to business in the area if you’re thinking of a more long-distance move than “just a town or two over”. And you'd want to start looking at prices for rents. Check what the minimum wage in the State is because that's the lowest you could be paid so you can use that number to see how much you could afford for rent/transportation/groceries/etc. Could you afford the costs on your own or do you need to start looking for roommates? (How to find people is not something I can give suggestions for, sorry) Or are you in a situation where it's safe and healthy for you to remain with your parents while you figure out what you want to do? Because for most people independence begins with figuring out income and access to transportation, and that’s not always easy. Especially if you don’t have access to some sort social network for mutual support (these come in many shapes and sizes, family and friends often count, and what individuals need varies person to person, and I’m really not the best person to ask for advice on obtaining this since I’m a bit of an anti-social recluse in person). Another thing to consider in all of this is what makes you tick. What is the thing, no matter what anyone else says about it, that makes your day good when you engage with it? This doesn’t need to be your job, but it does deserve to be a factor in your choices. For me that's a certain degree of intellectual study and craft things, and I enjoy being able to teach. My job requires attention to detail, precision, some degree of artistic ability, and because of how long I’ve been doing it I have training responsibilities. So even though my job has nothing apparently related to my degree or my hobbies it still somewhat satisfies that part of the brain that says "this is why I enjoy these hobbies" if that makes any sense. For my sister her thing is art, so she tries to make time for it and doing so helps reground her after dealing with work stress, and the jobs she's enjoyed the most have been the ones that give her a chance to exercise some sort of creativity. She's also much better than I am with people so a job that puts me dealing with people all day would fuck my head right up, but she has a higher tolerance threshold before she has to go scream. And being able to help people is part of what gives her a sense of personal satisfaction at the end of the day. Or are you someone who actually enjoys cleaning? I don't, it makes me stressed, but I have a relative who worked as a house cleaner part time for a while because she genuinely enjoyed it. These are things to consider. Being an introvert doesn't mean you can't enjoy a people job, and being an extrovert doesn't mean you won't thrive in a job that is more private. But everyone has different personalities and different strengths, and you’ll be happiest in your choices when you take that into consideration (and on that note, remember that if you move across State lines you may experience some mild culture shock depending on where you move to, which can easily manifest as personality clashes, especially in a work environment).

However, I will warn you now that even though you try to do everything right you may find times in your life when you do have to accept an uncomfortable job for a while, or what sounded like a good job turns out to have an asshole boss and you have to start looking for a new one again. Or an apartment that seemed nice turns out to have really shitty neighbors and you have to put up with it for a while before you find a new place (been there). So if that happens don't give up, almost everyone has been there at least once. Honestly, right now you've got an endless range of possibilities in front of you and the only one who can make the choice of what you do next is you. So. What do you want to do? Once you find your answer to that you can start looking at what is needed to get there. And you always have the ability to change that goal at any time you want. You don’t stop learning, changing, or growing once highschool is over, so don’t let anyone demand that you lock down an unbreakable plan for the rest of your life right now.

#disabilities will throw another factor into all of this as well #and that's not something I can offer suggestions on #since again everyone's circumstances are different

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golleecosmetics · 1 year

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The field of eyelash extension training has been growing rapidly over the past few years, but what are the benefits of private, group, and online eyelash training? If you’re an experienced lash artist or thinking about getting into this industry, you may be wondering which method of training you should go with. Depending on your needs and goals, each has its own advantages. Want to learn how to become an eyelash extension artist? Not sure which type of eyelash training program would best suit your needs? Eyelash extensions are one of the fastest-growing beauty services in the industry today. There are many training programs available for those looking to break into the business, but you want to make sure that you make an informed decision about which program will provide the best return on your investment. Eyelash extension training is available in various forms, including one-on-one classes, webinars, podcasts, and online programs. Whether you’re new to the eyelash extension industry or have been an artist for several years, it’s important to consider the benefits of each type of training before committing to the expense of any program. Private Eyelash Extension Training One-on-one eyelash extension training gives students plenty of personal attention from the instructor but can be quite expensive. How do you get started? If you want to learn how to apply eyelashes by yourself or in a group setting, there are a variety of options available. The first step is deciding whether you want to take private lessons or join a group training course. A private lesson may be more beneficial if you would like to have one-on-one instruction from an experienced instructor. If you prefer being in a small class with other beginners then joining a group training course may be the best option for you. There are many reputable companies that offer group courses either online or in person. To make sure you're making the right decision it's important to do your research before enrolling in any course as there can be big differences between them. Some providers offer very basic instructions while others offer more advanced classes that include tools and lash types as well as applying lashes to different eye shapes including deep-set eyes and hooded eyes. It's also important to find out what type of certificate they will provide you with - sometimes they only give you a certificate that doesn't come with any benefits such as discounts on future services or educational credits. Some popular providers offer courses all around the world, so no matter where you live there should be one close by. They also vary in price so it's worth looking at their website and comparing prices before signing up for anything. Before you sign up, make sure to inquire about: 1) How long is the course? 2) What equipment will I need? 3) What type of certificate will I receive? 4) Will they teach me tips and tricks on top of just giving me directions on how to put lashes on someone's eyes? 5) What happens after my training session? 6) Do I get any discounts on future services or educational credits? 7) Is this course transferable or refundable? 8) Where will the training sessions take place? 9) Can I ask questions during these sessions? 10) When are the next training sessions starting? 11) What happens if I'm not satisfied with the course? 12) Is there a waiting list for these courses? Etc. Benefits of private eyelash courses If you want to learn the art of eyelash extension then you can take private eyelash courses. These courses provide you with the opportunity to work one-on-one with an instructor. Private courses are perfect if you live in a remote area or if there is not an eyelash extension training school in your area. Some people will even travel to a different state or country to take these courses in order to get more advanced training that they may not be able to get near their hometown. You may also have a friend who does extensions and decide to take on-the-job training from them as well.

You need to do your research and find out what types of classes are available in your area before making any decisions on where to go for eyelash extension training. The eyelash extension industry is on the rise. The demand is high and there are not enough qualified lash artists to meet the need. This can make it difficult for someone who wants to learn this trade. Private eyelash extension training can be an excellent solution because it will give you the one-on-one instruction that you need to start learning this trade right away. You will also get access to their course materials in order to help prepare you for your certification exam which is usually required in order to work in a salon. You can either get private classes so you have the flexibility of doing them at your own pace when it works with your schedule. Your instructor may also show you how to use other beauty products such as makeup or waxing services which could make for some nice income streams for a mobile service provider. There are a few benefits to private eyelash training. The first is that you get one-on-one attention from the trainer. This allows you to ask questions as they come up and work through any issues that arise. Private lash extension classes also provide individualized instruction with a personal touch. Lastly, these courses typically offer more hours of instruction than group or online courses which means more time spent learning the art of eyelash extensions. Private lash courses also offer plenty of benefits, including smaller class sizes and customized curriculums to suit each student's individual goals. Plus, one-on-one coaching means you'll get expert advice from someone who knows the industry inside and out! Buying a Private Course from an Instructor Although most people would prefer to have a one-on-one class with an instructor from beginning to end, that isn’t always an option. If you’re interested in learning how to do something specific but don’t want to join a group course or take an online program (or if you just don’t want anyone else to know your trade secrets), purchasing individualized courses might be a good option.  There are several pros to buying a private course: 1) You can learn at your own pace 2) You can work on things without feeling like you’re holding up other students 3) You can ask questions whenever you need help 4) You can get feedback on your work as it progresses. Benefits of group eyelash training Eyelash extension artists are in high demand these days as more and more people turn to this service as a way to achieve luscious lashes. But with such intense training requirements, it can be hard to find the right training to fit your needs. That's why some are turning to group eyelash training programs. These programs offer a much shorter but still intensive course that covers all of the basics you need to know about the industry and provides you with an opportunity for hands-on experience before entering the workforce. Group eyelash training is a great option if you have been considering becoming an eyelash extension artist but are hesitant to jump right into it. It offers the opportunity to learn with other people who have the same interests as you. The group setting also helps remove some of the feelings of intimidation that come with learning a new skill. Plus, because there are a variety of people in your class, you are able to learn from different perspectives and styles. The downside of this type of training is that not everyone participates equally, so sometimes you may feel left out or frustrated by what others say or do. If you prefer more one-on-one attention and hands-on instruction, private training might be more suitable for you. Group training is a great way to share information and skills with others who are in the same or similar industry. It is also a good way to meet new people who may become friends or business partners. In addition, group members can offer feedback on each other’s work.

The cost of group eyelash training is generally less than private eyelash extension classes due to the lower overhead costs of hosting. That being said, group members do not get any one-on-one time with the trainer. If you want someone to be available to answer your questions outside of class hours or want personalized attention, you should consider taking private lessons instead. Benefits of Online eyelash training An online lash course is perfect for those who have their own business and want to learn how to expand their offerings or get a head start on filling their waiting list while they're traveling or running errands. You'll be able to complete the course at your own pace, and once you've completed it, you'll earn a certificate of completion from an accredited beauty school. Some courses will even allow students to practice doing fake eyelashes on themselves throughout the duration of the class. Online training allows you to do your training on your own time. You can start it when you have time, pause when you need a break or need to go do something else, and then pick back up where you left off. Even though an online class may not provide you with an in-person experience with your instructor, there are still plenty of advantages. An internet-based course allows you to study at a time that is most convenient for you; some individuals prefer studying at night while others prefer during their lunch breaks. An internet-based course also makes it easy to rewind if you feel like something was left out or simply skipped over. You can easily go back and review certain parts of a lesson that didn’t sink in as well as you would have liked. And when taking an online course, you don’t have to worry about getting dressed up and driving to school on a regular basis. You can study from home whenever it’s most convenient for you! With an online course, you will be able to take advantage of interactive tools such as discussion boards and video chats. These tools allow students to communicate directly with instructors and other students within a given program. Another benefit of an online course is that it provides students with access to resources they wouldn’t otherwise have access to – both within their own community and across state lines. If you live in a small town where there aren’t many learning opportunities available, an online course can help you gain access to information and techniques that might not be readily available where you live. Online courses also provide students with access to a larger pool of teachers than what may be available locally. This means that even if your local area doesn’t offer any courses related to lash extensions, you could still enroll in one through another city or state. When you decide to sign up for a group class, you’ll have access to more instructors and classmates than what might be offered in an online course. In addition, taking a group class gives students direct access to their classmates and fellow students who can answer questions or provide support throughout the duration of their studies. How to Choose an Instructor Good eyelash extension instructors have gone through many hours of certification and on-the-job training. Before you choose an instructor, ask what certification courses they have completed. If they can’t name them specifically or only list a website as their resource, it’s a red flag that should cause you to look elsewhere for instruction. Also, be sure to find out how long they’ve been working. It’s always best to learn from someone who has experience working with clients similar to yours. Finally, don’t forget to inquire about their previous job history. Did they work in salons? Did they own a salon? What kind of clients did they serve? All these factors will help give you insight into whether or not your potential instructor is right for your needs. In general, if you want to get trained in something that doesn’t require extensive certification

(such as lash extensions), make sure that any person providing instruction has at least five years of industry experience. And if it does require extensive certification (such as permanent makeup), then be prepared to pay more money because you are going to get a much higher level of expertise from somebody who went through intense education and testing than from somebody who didn’t go through such rigorous training. Things to Know Before Investing In an Online Course Online courses can be a great investment if you’re thinking about changing careers or taking your current skill set to a new level. However, there are some things you should consider before investing in one. Online education is growing in popularity at an astonishing rate. This may seem like a positive change in our everyday lives as we spend more time looking at screens than interacting with people. However, it may not always be in our best interest to replace human interaction with a screen-based activity. There are some important factors that you need to take into account when deciding whether or not an online course will be beneficial to your career.  Here are a few things to think about: How much experience do I have? If you’ve never done anything similar to what you want to learn, then it might not make sense to invest in an online course. You probably don’t want someone who has never driven teaching you how to drive a stick shift! You need practical experience before learning how something works. The same goes for any type of job training. When deciding on an online course, ask yourself how many years of experience you already have in your field. If you’re just starting out and don’t know too much yet, then an online course might not be right for you just yet. It could help give you a little bit more information on certain topics but won’t necessarily teach you everything that you need to know right away. Do I want certification? Conclusion You can take a course in person or online. Although you might find it more convenient to take an online course, having a trainer by your side to guide you through each step of your education is more valuable in the end. In a class setting, you’re able to ask questions in real-time and observe other students working on their projects. Online courses also have limited interaction with instructors. If you opt for an online course, make sure there are tools available to help answer your questions and that you have plenty of one-on-one time with instructors. Additionally, if possible, look into group classes; learning alongside peers can be helpful because they may share different perspectives than what you learn from instructors alone. The above-mentioned services can be beneficial to individuals who want to learn how to perform eyelash extensions professionally. By using these three types of training discussed, one can decide which method they will find most convenient. While one person may prefer in-person instruction another individual may like learning on their own. While a third person may prefer watching an instructional video online before practicing with a real client. The choice is really up to you!

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wasabito · 3 years

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➽ corruption collab masterlist — hosted by @ultimate-astridwriting and @bummie ♥️

➽ note: definitely gonna come back and edit this a bit more because threesomes are hard as fuck, no pun intended lmao happy v-day everyone!

➽ word count: 3.2k

➽ cw/tags: polyamory + body worship + threesome + praise kink + public sex + choking + handjobs/fingering + vaginal sex + squirting + established relationship

➽ pairing: akaashi x fem!reader x bokuto

💿 1. nasty — ariana grande || 2. come on — jhene aiko

With Valentine's Day fast approaching, it becomes rather apparent that love and romance are in the air. Storefronts are decorated in bubblegum pinks and reds. Flower shops promote their special bouquet arrangements at discounted prices. Even your favorite hole in the wall coffee shop has fallen prey to the spirit of cupid as they announce their new strawberry shortcake dessert and heart-shaped scones.

In lieu of staying home for the third night this week, your boyfriends escort you to dinner at an upscale restaurant in the city. They treat you to a five-course meal and a bottle of wine even pricier than the dinner itself. One would think, after three years of dating, you would no longer be caught unawares by their spontaneity. And yet, here they are, once again pulling the rug from underneath your four-inch heels.

Your gaze flickers from Akaashi's tranquil smile to Bokuto's wide grin.

Adjusting the napkin in your lap, you open your mouth to speak, then pause as the right words fail it come. Brain short-circuiting instead, you let out a confused, "Huh?!"

"We're taking you to Italy!" Bokuto repeats, about ready to hop out of his seat with excitement. He looks to Akaashi, "Three nights in Venice, right 'Kaashi?"

"Yes, we decided on Venice after you told us you'd always wanted to visit. Remember Koutarou's birthday last year?"

"But that was like months ago! Did you two honestly hold onto that drunk little confession this entire time?"

"Of course."

"Yup!!"

It's in moments like these when you are reminded of their history together, first as teammates playing volleyball, and eventually close friends. Not much longer after that, you'd met and fallen for Akaashi, then Bokuto, and thus began the relationship of today. While you find it a little ridiculous, it seems neither of them has any qualms about this trip.

After all, you are their lovely girlfriend. Why wouldn't they want to make your wishes come true?

Bokuto claps his hands, eyes sparkling. "Everything's already planned out, babe, so don't worry your pretty little head, okay?"

You can't argue with that. Reaching over, you take Bokuto's hand in your right and Akaashi's in your left. "Alright, since you two went to all this trouble for me, I guess I'll just sit back and enjoy it."

♥️

Venice is just as beautiful as you imagined.

It looks as if it's floating upon blue-green waters with lots of sunshine, beautiful architecture, and a vibrancy that makes it feel like the city has a life of its own. You are grateful you didn't come by yourself. There is no way you would've enjoyed it without Akaashi and Bokuto at your side.

"We're about a ten-minute walk from Piazza San Marco," Akaashi says as he taps his glasses. His sharp gaze is locked on the map in his hands, likely committing most landmarks and details to memory. "Would you like to check it out?"

"Yeah! Let's do it."

"Off we go, go, go!"

Thus, a majority of your first day in Venice is spent sightseeing.

The three of you take a gondola ride through Canale Grande, then have a peek into the Gallerie Dell'Accademia at Akaashi's insistence, though naturally, you wouldn't have come all the way to Italy and not visited at least one art museum. Afterward, the three of you go to the Le Mercerie shopping district and buy gifts for your friends before finally taking a pit stop for the most delicious gelato in the city.

The sunsets sooner than expected, casting the entire block in deep red hues. Bokuto's mood is greatly influenced by it, and the jetlag certainly doesn't help. He props himself against you, nuzzling you in a way that says he's itching for a kiss.

"Tired, Kou?"

Bokuto hums. "A little... More hungry than anything."

He leans in and pecks your lips with a sated smile. "Maybe I should eat you. I mean, how is it my girl's so damn cute? Not fair, I can't resist."

You snort at Bo's silliness but can't help shivering a little at the tiny implication of his words. He always did like to lay his head on your thighs, leaving a trail of kisses and love bites where he could.

So, the thought of him eating you out made you squeeze your thighs together.

Akaashi approaches with your frozen treats held between his long fingers; having overheard Bokuto earlier, he tucks his wallet back into his pocket.

"We'll get some dinner after we drop off these shopping bags. How does that sound?"

You eagerly take your gelato from him with a smile.

"Sounds like a plan."

Akaashi nods, standing at your other side, close enough to brush elbows though not as close as Bokuto, who was nearly hovering.

The three of you are in one of the narrow, maze-like streetways, basking in the warm, early evening glow. The sweet taste of fruit and cream on your tongue fills you with so much contentment, especially while being with your favorite people. You aren't sure if anything could top the way you currently felt, and the trip has just barely started.

Upon arriving at your temporary place of residence, a quaint little villa on the waterfront just along the shore of Punta Sabbioni Beach, Bokuto immediately kicks off his sandals, dumps the bags, and promptly falls asleep on the couch.

"It's so weird seeing Kou like this." You remark. "On any normal day, he's brimming with almost too much energy, but now he's all tired."

"Well, he did stay up an entire twelve hours on the plane. It was only a matter of time before fatigue caught up to him." Akaashi picks up Bokuto's shoes with practiced ease and places them by the others.

There is a fond smile running along the edges of his mouth as he tucks a throw around the man's larger frame. You help him adjust a spare pillow under Bo's head and then set off to explore the rest of the area.

It seemed like everything about Venice was taken straight out of a romance film, with its cobblestone paths, gothic cathedral architecture, crisp ocean waters, and authentic Italian cuisine. It is no wonder the city's known to draw hapless souls together in romance. Even you fell subject to it, and by each passing moment, you crave to be with your boyfriends.

You are standing at the balcony overlooking the beach, satisfied with your inspection of the villa when Akaashi comes to stand behind you. He holds onto the railings, caging you in his arms, and rests his chin on your shoulder.

"He was right, you know." He murmurs. "You do look good enough to eat."

Blunt as ever. Apparently, something's never change.

Though one might say that Akaashi is as he's always been after high school and college, there is no denying his boost in confidence. After all, he had landed not one but two rather attractive partners.

He kisses your cheek, then your jaw, before latching onto your neck.

The sun's scenic view on the horizon, reflecting upon the beach sands of gold and shimmering orange waves, makes for an excellent backdrop.

You turn to face Akaashi and pull him into a heated kiss. His lips convey a sense of devotion to you, and with each press of them against yours, you can feel just how bad he's yearning for more.

"Kei," you whisper. "Let's go inside."

In a moment, Akaashi whisks you off your feet quite similar to how Bokuto would, though you both don't even make it to the bedroom.

Your other partner had sat up on the sofa, hair flat on one side, scrubbing his eyelids.

"Guys, I'm freaking starving!" Bokuto groans. "Let's get some food or something."

He doesn't even notice how you and Akaashi are breathing heavy or how your clothes are sporting wrinkles that were not previously there. Regardless, Akaashi has food delivered while you went ahead to shower the day's journey away. There are still two days left. You'd get your chance with them at some point.

♥️

Sadly, the entirety of day two is spent indoors. Heavy sheets of rain continue to fall, muddying the shoreline. The three of you huddle on the sofa wrapped in blankets with subtitled movies playing in the background.

Even though you would've much rather been out exploring in the city, just sharing in your boyfriend's warmth would suffice for now. Akaashi hands you a steaming cup of something rich in both color and smell.

"What's this?"

"Just espresso." He takes the empty seat beside you.

You savor the taste while leaning against his shoulder. "Mm, nice."

Bokuto keeps his head on your lap, loving how you thread your fingers into his hair.

It is a tranquil kind of peace that soon lulls you to sleep.

Later, when you finally wake up, it's dark, and you're alone. A blanket had been tucked around your shoulders to shield you from the sudden chill. At some point, the television had been shut off along with every light in the room. You might've been a little scared if not for the voices coming from the second floor. Slowly, you creep up the winding staircase, dragging along the blanket around your shoulders.

"Hey, hey, hey!" Bokuto chuckles. "You're finally up!"

His hair is down, wet from his shower, and he holds a thin towel together around his waist. In his hand is a cellphone, and he doesn't hesitate to shove the screen into your face. "Say hi, Tetsu!"

"Hi Y/N, how's it going?"

You blink slowly, still trying to wake yourself up.

"Kuroo, hey… I'm well. How are you?"

"Great, just about to head out for a late lunch. I hear it's almost ten pm over there."

"Yeah, it's an eight-hour time difference."

You and Kuroo continue to chat while Bokuto towels off his hair and puts on clothes. Afterward, you let Bokuto resume his conversation and join Akaashi on the bed. The man had gone full editor-mode with his glasses propped up in his hair as he read through some work documents.

When you approach, he greets you with a kiss on the cheek. "You look well-rested."

"Is that your way of telling me I have drool on my cheek, Keiji?"

He cracks a tiny smile, eyes taking in your features, then he pokes your cheek with his index finger. "Perhaps."

You scrub the corners of your mouth with your sleeve and drape yourself over Akaashi, work be damned. This was supposed to be a special weekend for relaxing.

"I really wanted to go to the beach today." You pout.

Akaashi interlocks his fingers with yours. "Maybe we still can. It stopped raining a few hours ago."

"Really?!"

You hop off the bed and head for the window. He's right, the rain had long stopped, and the beach lay bare, lit by only the moonlight.

Maybe a short walk to the beach would do you some good.

♥️

The grains of sand feel cold against your feet without the sun to beat down on them, but you don't complain. The air is humid enough on its own that you forgo wearing actual clothes and instead wear a swimsuit along with Bokuto's old Fukurōdani windbreaker.

You walk along the shore, toes digging into the sand, letting the ocean waves lap at your feet to wash them clean again.

At first, it's so eerily quiet without a soul around except you, but even that doesn't last long. You hear Bokuto's voice bellow into the night as he jogs towards you in nothing but swim trunks. Behind him, Akaashi trails slowly after with a blanket in hand.

"We thought you might want some company." He says and spreads the cover on the sand several feet away from the water, content with just watching.

Bokuto grabs your hand and you go running to the water with him, but a second later, you both come sprinting back.

"It's freezing!"

"S-So co-co-cold!"

You collapse on top of him, fingers splayed across his bare chest. However, when you try to sit up, Bokuto has other plans. He keeps you pressed to his chest with both arms around your waist.

"Let me keep you warm, baby!"

You know he meant it in the most innocent way, but you can't help but think other thoughts. Your nerves fray at the image that blooms in your head and spreads like wildfire.

And as Akaashi strokes your back, you know he's probably read your mind.

It's the way your eyes seem to glitter with want that gives it away. Akaashi has always been rather observant, and so your silent cues are something he's always been privy to.

His nimble fingers curve around the nape of your neck, and he tilts his head to capture your lips in a kiss. This one is unlike the one from yesterday. There is no rush, no desire to quicken his haste; instead, he savors the taste of you like it's something to be thoroughly enjoyed.

Underneath you, Bokuto stirs, growing aroused at the sight of his two lovers' kiss. He can't decide whether he wants to join in or sit back and watch. But his large hand comes down to stroke your ass, resulting in a moan you breathe directly into Akaashi's mouth.

"You're not usually so forthcoming, Keiji," you whisper against his lips. "Eager, are we?"

Akaashi pulls away just enough to pepper your face in feathery kisses. "Can you blame me? When I have such a lovely girlfriend here."

As if confirming his words, he slips a hand under your jacket and cups your breast. The pads of his thumb brush along the seams of your bathing suit, caressing your nipple.

"Kou, let's show Y/N just how much we love her, yes?"

Bokuto didn't need to be told twice. He had been in entranced by you and Akaashi, completely taken by the way your lips danced upon one another. But now, he wanted more than anything to touch you, kiss you, hold you.

Bokuto cradles you in his lap, propping your legs open with his knees so Akaashi can kneel in front of you. It didn't take much for him to relieve you of your clothing, namely your swimming bottoms. But the second the air hits your bare cunt, you feel tense.

You aren't sure what it was, but the atmosphere is different. Both Akaashi and Bokuto are so focused on you, it feels like you're under a spotlight.

"You're so pretty, so beautiful," Bokuto says while squeezing your thighs. His warm breath tickles your ear as he presses his nose into your neck. Next, his lips follow suit. "Wanna fuck you, so bad baby. You'd like that, right?"

His words earn him a chuckle from Akaashi, who merely licks two of his fingers, wetting them and sliding into you. Your mouth parts, shaky breaths barely expelled from your lungs. You're hyper-aware of the fact that you're literally being fingered on a beach in the middle of the night, and you can't bring yourself to care. It feels good to be pampered by the two men you love.

For every moan, Akaashi gives you double for your efforts, thrusting his fingers just right, curving them in such a way that has your back arching off Bokuto, who has also taken to fondling your nipples. With every roll of his hips, you feel his cock against your ass, and it pushes you further into Akaashi's fingers.

Your impending orgasm sweeps by so close and yet so far away. All you can do is rock yourself faster.

"Please," you whimper. "W-Wanna come."

Akaashi crooks his fingers, pressing into the perfect spot that sends you hurtling over the edge. Your cunt spasms around his fingers, clenching in intervals you have no control over until his hand is coated with your wet, slick juices that keep coming the more you squirt all over him.

"She's so wet 'Kaashi. Look at our pretty girl."

Akaashi places a chaste kiss on your forehead with a smile.

"She's doing well, so far. Let's see if she can keep going."

Bokuto shimmies his shorts off enough to free his hard cock. He had been uncharacteristically patient until now, but that was soon to change as he lines himself up with your cunt, teasing you with just the tip.

Your whining is unintelligible, but both men understand you more or less.

"Give the pretty girl what she wants," Akaashi says. He strokes his own hard-on at the sight of Bokuto's pushing past your wet folds. "I know she can take more than that."

Bokuto has always been girthy, and it takes you more than a few seconds to adjust to his size, but when you finally do, it feels like heaven.

The position you're in gives Bokuto all the power to thrust into you like a ragdoll. But it's only when you make eye contact with Akaashi that you realize that it's, in fact, the other way around for him in particular. From where he sits, stroking his cock with flushed cheeks and choked moans, you see just how much control you have over him.

"Kiss me." You moan.

Akaashi doesn't let you repeat yourself. He kisses you long and hard even as you grip his throat with one hand and his hair with the other. He kisses you until his lips are red and bruised.

"Good boy. Both of y-you."

Bokuto groans loudly. "Say it again. Keep saying it!"

"Y-You're both so good. I-" your hips stutter against Akaashi's fingers that are rubbing circles into your clit. "Good, so good-"

That's all it takes to take Bokuto over the edge, blowing his load. "Perfect, so fucking perfect."

You can feel another orgasm swelling up inside your belly. You try to tell them but can't, too overcome by the feeling of your body tingling with desire. It's too much, overwhelmingly so; your vision blurs with unshed tears as Bokuto continues to pound into sopping pussy. Pleasure floods every fiber of your being until you're limp and every nerve in your body is set alight.

Bokuto slips out of you easily, a string of his semen following.

You can only look on in a drowsy haze as Bokuto leans over and kisses you and then Akaashi, working him over with a tight fist.

♥️

The following morning, you’re the first to wake, but only because there’s a limb jammed into your back and a heavy weight on your chest. It takes you a moment to realize, but it’s Bokuto’s elbow poking you and Akaashi’s head resting on you.

All three of you are a tangle of limbs in bed, but you aren’t sure how you’d gotten there.

“G’mornin’” Bokuto breathes. His lips caress the column of your neck.

“Morning.”

You shift into a more comfortable position. Though doing so presses Akaashi’s morning wood against your thigh.

“Keiji, you awake yet?”

“Mmm barely.” Akaashi looks up at you through his lashes, then smiles and nuzzles closer into your chest.

Bokuto, content with being your big spoon, reaches over to touch Akaashi, hands cupping his cheek. “It’s Valentine’s Day!”

“That’s true, should we do something special.”

Thinking about the previous night, you feel desire stirring in your gut. “Could we just... do it again?”

Both men look to each other then back at you, sporting matching smiles.

“Why not?”

#bokuaka x reader #bokuto x reader #koutarou bokuto x reader #akaashi x reader #keiji akaashi x reader #haikyuu x reader #hq x reader #haikyuu smut

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ghirahimbo · 3 years

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Revalink Halloween Week 2021 Day 3: Lens of Truth

feat. concept art Revali :D I might continue this with tomorrow's prompt because it feels more like a "to be continued" than a one-shot, but we'll see? Also, I've had the idea for a story where Link encounters the Champions as wandering spirits King Rhoam-style for a while, but I also know somebody made a post somewhat recently with the same sort of idea? If anyone happens to know who that was so I could credit them I'd appreciate it, because I can't find it anywhere T-T

—

It was an old Sheikah relic, Impa had explained as she gave it to Link, passed down through uncounted generations. Used by ancient heroes in journeys past, the Lens of Truth pierced through deception and lies to show that which was hidden—to reveal the ultimate truth in its unblinking eye.

…Or something like that. Link took his legends with a dose of skepticism these days, all too aware of how even one hundred years could shift a story sideways. Still, he'd thanked Impa for the gift, and discovered a few good ways to use it. Taluses were made obvious at a distance now, and those treasure-headed Octoroks never got the jump on him anymore. Most importantly, Link could identify Yiga with it at a glance, and that alone made it more than worth the space it took up in his pockets. Now, instead of reacting warily to each lone traveler he met on the road, he could reach for his hidden hand glass, looking through surreptitiously to see if all was as it seemed.

Of course, the Yiga only ever tried to pass as Hylians, which meant that when Link first came across the strange Rito playing violin by moonlight, the Lens of Truth never even crossed his mind.

Link heard him before he saw him, though the lantern hanging from a pole at his belt marked him against the night soon enough. Pale gray feathers stuck out in tufts above a wide-brimmed hat, fading to dusky charcoal where the tips of his wings held both bow and violin, with a thick, woven poncho hiding everything in between.

The melancholy music tugged Link forward as surely as Kass's cheerful accordion ever had, until he stood before the stranger. The brim of his hat pulled low masked the Rito's expression, but the bow paused against the strings as Link approached.

"It's a bit late for traveling, don't you think?" he asked, raising his head enough for Link to make out one green eye. "Old bones have been known to attack those who travel past sunset."

Link shrugged, watching the stranger curiously. Stalmonsters weren't any harder to deal with than their living counterparts. Easier, in fact.

"I've not had a problem with them."

"No?" The Rito's laughter had a short, bitter edge that matched his mournful music. "Well, I'm in no position to call you cocky. You are still alive, after all." Setting the violin aside, he reached inside his poncho, pulling out a rolled-up cloth. “Since you are here and alive, would you care to examine my wares?”

Brow furrowed, Link leaned in to watch as he rolled it out.

"I thought you were a bard."

"I play as well as that, do I?" the Rito said, a satisfied smirk twisting the corner of his beak. "Of course I do. I've had plenty of time to practice, after all… but no. I simply deal in arrows."

And so he did. Spread out on the cloth for Link's perusal was every kind of arrow he'd ever seen, plus a few he didn't recognize. Picking up the strangest one of the lot, Link examined its mechanical arrowhead curiously.

"An ancient arrow," the Rito said, his smirk more pronounced now. "I'd be a bit more careful with that one… assuming you enjoy continuing in this plane of existence, that is."

Link stopped just short of uncovering the arrow's hidden point, flushing as he set it down carefully. Some of them were no doubt far outside of his price range, but it never hurt to restock on arrows, and these looked like they would fly straight.

"How much?"

"Oh, make me an offer, I suppose," the Rito said, sounding far more disinterested in the topic than most merchants were. "I've not much patience for haggling."

That turned out to be true enough. Link felt almost embarrassed at how little he paid in the end for a full quiver of arrows, elementals included, though he had the feeling that the merchant would have taken a lower offer still if Link had dared to make it.

"Heading to Rito Village?" the merchant asked as he took his scant handful of Rupees, watching Link out of the corner of one eye with uncomfortable intensity. Link could almost believe he suspected Link of trying to cheat him, except he hardly seemed to care about that one way or another. "I could point you in the right direction, if you'd like."

"Uhhh… no." An odd question, considering that Rito Village was nowhere nearby as far as Link knew. "I'm looking for Zora's Domain, actually. Do you know the way?"

"I'm afraid not," the merchant said, his sardonic grin lopsided now. "Somebody else can help you there, I'm sure."

He bent as if to roll up his much depleted pack, but Link stopped him.

"What are those?" he asked, pointing towards a few unassuming arrows tucked off to the side that had escaped his notice. There wasn't much to differentiate them from the standard arrows already filling his quiver. In fact, Link couldn't really say what about them had caught his eye, aside from maybe their curiously blue-feathered fletching.

"Ahhh." From the merchant's expression, he'd been waiting for Link to ask. Holding one of the arrows delicately, he ran a feathered finger along its perfectly straight shaft. "A creation of my own design. These arrows will hit whatever you aim them at."

"Isn't that how all arrows work?" Link quipped, and was met with a sharp glare.

"You misunderstand," the Rito emphasized. "These arrows will strike where you aim them." His smirk returned. "Even the most average marksman could make good use of these." The words "like you," though not spoken, came strongly implied.

Link frowned, not (entirely) out of offense. Such a claim sounded farfetched, yet somehow, he believed it. He also believed he'd be paying far more for these arrows than he had the others.

"How much?" he asked warily. Sure enough, the merchant hummed in the pretense of thought.

"Shall I part with such a treasure for mere rupees?" he mused, still playing with the arrow absently. "I'll admit I had in mind a bargain somewhat less traditional—information, perhaps? I have three of these special arrows in my possession at the moment, however…" His visible eye flicked towards Link's face. "I will trade all three away in exchange for one question answered honestly."

Confused, Link nodded slowly. He felt as short on answers as he was on Rupees these days, but with nothing to lose he might as well try.

"Shoot."

"What makes someone deserving of a second chance?"

"...What?" Link blinked, caught entirely off guard. Somehow, he hadn't expected anything quite so philosophical. "What do you mean?"

"A second chance," the Rito merchant repeated impatiently, as if he expected Link to keep up with this bizarre conversation. “An opportunity to rectify a failure, or right one’s own wrongs. What makes one person worthy of such a chance, while another must wallow in their own defeat with no hope for redemption?”

“I…”

Link went quiet, considering his answer. The question must have meant something to the strange Rito, or he wouldn't have asked it. At the very least, Link had the strong impression that any less-than-earnest answer on his part would be dismissed outright.

"Maybe nobody deserves one, exactly," Link said at last, thinking it through as if it was some kind of riddle. Was it? "That's what makes it a second chance, right? Or... some people get one and some people don't, but I don't think it's a mark of worthiness. Terrible people get second chances sometimes."

"I see." The brim of the stranger's hat pushed low over his face again, hiding his expression. "What determines who gets that second chance, then?"

Link shrugged.

"Fate?" he suggested, a bit helplessly.

The stranger gave the same laugh as before, short and bitter.

"It always comes down to fate, doesn't it?" he sighed. "The hero chosen by the sword… fate's eternal darling." Raising his head at last, the Rito met Link’s gaze directly for the first time, his eyes glinting harshly. "So by your estimation, you did not deserve your own second chance?"

Link froze. Maybe it was the challenge in his green eyes that gripped him with strange familiarity, or a trick of the light that made the lantern glow ever so faintly green… or maybe it was the memory, still recent, of an old man's tattered clothes transforming in an instant to kingly raiment that burned with ghostly fire. Whatever it was, Link found himself reaching for the Lens of Truth, pulling it out slowly.

Somehow, the Rito caught his intention.

"Think carefully before looking," he warned, and though he didn't quite step forward, Link felt the intensity of his stare like a weight against him. "Once you've seen the truth, this is over for both of us."

Though Link stopped short of looking, he made no move to put the lens away, either.

"What's your name?" he asked coldly—and to his surprise, the Rito laughed.

"Ill-bred Hylian," he said, shaking his head. "Finally got around to asking, did you? If you must call me something, you may call me Vale. Does that suffice?"

Slowly, Link nodded. Not his true name, obviously, but still better than nothing.

"And what is 'this,' exactly?"

The Lens of Truth slipped back inside Link's pocket, and though again Vale didn't visibly move, Link felt his relief like a cool breath of wind. With a flourish, he presented all three arrows, blue-feathered fletching pointed outward.

"Why, me selling you arrows, of course. At unbeatable prices," he added dryly—but then his humor faded into something uncertain. "And… something else, maybe? My own second chance, perhaps, little though I suppose I deserve it."

"As we agreed," he murmured as Link took them silently. "May they always fly true, as promised."

Their exchange concluded, Vale retrieved his violin from where he'd put it aside.

"Mira?"

"Give my regards to Mira when you see her," he said, setting the bow against the strings. "It's been a long time."

Link frowned.

But Vale was already playing, the melody echoing mournfully over Necluda's darkened hills as he ignored Link completely. Disgruntled, Link watched him play for another moment before turning reluctantly back the way he'd come earlier. Vale couldn't have made it clearer that he'd been dismissed.

On the point of putting the arrows away, Link paused to examine one, running his fingers along the blue feathers. Arrows that never missed... well, he might as well test one out to see if he'd gotten what he 'paid' for. Seized by a mischievous impulse, Link drew his bow, whirling around and aiming for Vale's hat.

A darkened hilltop met his eyes, filled only with the already fading sound of a violin.

#revalinkhalloween2021 #revalink #revali #botw #loz #lol this one kind of got away from me?#not entirely sure how i feel about it yet but #here it is

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bored-storyteller · 3 years

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Okay, I can't find where this request went anymore, but I'm sure it existed (or I wouldn't have written this). I'm going to try to look again in the mail. Anyway, our boys (Vil, Azul, Leona) a little sad and the reader comforting them with hugs.

54- Twisted Wonderland, Vil, Azul, Leona x Reader

His life isn't that easy. Back straight, head up, be elegant, be polite, never show the weight that falls on your shoulders. This is Vil's life, nothing more, nothing less.

As beautiful as a marble statue, a precious object that can only be admired, not touched. Sometimes he himself forgets that he is human.

It's hard to never break down, it's hard to keep up appearances, and you make it more difficult. You, the most precious thing he has.

He should feel free with you, right? Isn't that the cliché of every love story? But he can't really know, he's always the bad guy in stories.

So even with you it is the appearance that counts him, because you love him for that, right? It's not like there's much more to him than just his appearance - and apparently not even that is enough to give him any real value.

He is tired, that's why he has such negative thoughts. A restful sleep and the next day it will be a fragrant flower again, but it is still early to go to sleep.

"Vil?" Your angelic voice rouses him. You are there, stuck a few steps behind him, you look at him doubtfully and his heart trembles. Oh, did you notice too much wrinkle in his expression?

"Vil." You call his name again, and he is already preparing to tell you how tiring his day has been to clear the doubts that are likely creeping into you.

Vil is not someone used to being touched, he is a precious work of art after all, yet he is convinced that even a caress from you could at that moment bring him relief. But he has to keep up appearances.

"My dear?" His questioning smile tries not to be too guilty under your worried eyes that scrutinize him.

After a few seconds of silence, you are moving. You are slow, yet fast. Your arms slide gently under his, and your body tightens to his chest. Your warmth invades him as your face seeks refuge under his chin, lovingly rubbing your nose against his neck.

"It's cold ..." You murmur, and this is the justification you use, but he knows that you have only read inside him, and you have simply taken some of his weight for you.

"You smell good." You continue, while his arms hold you slowly, in a silent request for affection.

“Oh yeah… it's a new perfume you know? I thought…"

"Yes, that perfume is good too, but you also smell of something else."

He just walks away, so that his purple eyes can look for the answer in yours for that doubt you have posed to him. There is no need for him to ask, he knows that you will give him the answer.

"The scent of Vil." Your cheerful and affectionate smile erases all poison from his heart, and he smiles at you as he does not smile at anyone else as he silently welcomes you back against him.

Who knows, maybe with you appearances are completely useless.

A faint sigh comes from the dorm leader's lips to confide only in the air the pressure he is feeling inside him.

He is an excellent trader, a businessman, an excellent speaker and a perfect gentleman. Is not enough. He is never enough, and he probably never will be.

Sometimes the slander and contempt of many also burn him. Not everyone looks favorably on him, Azul knows, it's the price he himself chose to pay - at least he got something in return, right?

He isn't sure. Days like this, flat and heavy, occasionally bring back the most latent insecurities of him. Not that he shows it, only his eyes barely reflect the weight in his heart if you look at them carefully.

You are a relief, usually. Like every day he waits for you to come and greet him, but more than every day he would like to drop everything else, take you in his arms and hold you there. Yet despite his appearances he is still so shy. Sometimes even your gaze makes him blush, you know it, and you also know how much he cares about his figure and his representation in front of others, so you never take a step too far towards him, and he never has the courage to ask.

"Azul?"

Your voice finally reaches his ears, your bright eyes peeking through the crack of the half-open door before you allow yourself to enter.

"Oh, here you are ... give me a second, I'm almost done." His voice is as firm and calm as ever. He doesn't look at you, it's not strange, but the way he bows his head to avoid you sends you strange meanings.

He doesn't have the courage to look at you, the need he has for you makes him feel ashamed. A child who needs pampering, that's what he is at that moment. A nullity in front of you.

He feels you close, you are next to his chair, standing, looking at him. You don't move away, and he understands that you want his attention, he won't be able to ignore you for long.

"Do you need something?" He finally asks you, and his eyes force them to lift to your face, and he is surprised when he sees you smiling.

You just stare at him for a few moments, without giving him an answer, and then suddenly your arms are around his shoulders, his cheek gently resting on your shoulder.

"I missed you, Azul!" Your light but cheerful voice caresses his ear, while you hug him protectively, full of affection.

"We only met last night ..." he murmurs, in a tone that wanders between wonder and relief.

“I know, but I don't care. I missed you." You confirm again, as you make your way into his lap and let him hold you.

Your weight on him is reassuring, your touch and your presence welcoming.

"I can't hide anything from you, right?" He whispers in your ear, as if he is afraid of being heard by others, even if only the two of you exist in the room.

"No, I would say no." You mutter satisfied, snuggling up to him.

Usually he is so good at silencing that part of him, but when that black feeling arises it feels like a living being inside him struggling to get out and leave him weak, empty, mocked. He always swallows it, never allows it to peek out. Sometimes it curls up in the stomach, other times in the lungs, or gets stuck in his ribcage making his heart heavy, almost blocking his breath.

Leona is good at silencing those wounds to his pride, but sometimes it happens that a gesture, a laugh, a word at the wrong time weaken his defenses, taking him away from the already heavy looks of others.

In the greenhouse he is alone with himself. No, he's not there to sleep, he just needs to calm down. For some reason today it is difficult, more than usual. The weight in his chest causes him to hunch over, head bowed, ears down. His hands are left in his lap as he sits hidden among the plants, he almost seems to be meditating. Calm down, calm down, calm your anger. It is what he repeats to himself like a mantra as he listens to his own breath. Nobody can beat you, nobody can hurt you.

No, no one is going to hurt him - no one thinks he's worth hurting, do they? All that he is, all that he knows he is worth, is always trampled on, torn to pieces, thrown away by others, as if it were of no use.

"Caught!"

Your weight is never too violent against his sturdy back, but his surprise causes him to lean forward slightly.

You laugh as your hands gently tighten around his neck, and he growls.

"Idiot! Are you crazy ?! " His words are acidic, but by now you've got used to it. You are the only one who can ever afford to do such a thing with him, you are the only one he can forgive.

He doesn't realize it right away, but that little leap to his heart you gave him has suddenly lightened his mind. He only knows when your arms go away from him.

Wait, stay still.

That thought unexpectedly reaches his mind, but he is quickly kicked out. He won't beg for mercy, not even from you, especially with you.

Still, even if he doesn't speak, your weight doesn't stray too far. Your arms now slowly encircle his stomach as you drop relaxed on his back, like a lion cub on his father's back.

With your head resting behind his ribcage, Leona knows you're listening to his heartbeat. He knows this because he is listening to you too, he listens to your breath which naturally coordinates with the muscle moving slow and powerful in his chest. And then he understands that you understand his need that he pretends not to have.

"You are so strong, Leona."

And that's enough.

A light sigh caresses his lips: "Of course I'm strong, otherwise you-"

"I'd be fine!" You defend yourself, knowing full well where he wants to hit.

You don't see him, but a proud smile is painted on his face as he continues on his way: "Otherwise you would have already been eaten by now."

#twisted wonderland #disney twisted wonderland #twst #twst x reader #leona kingscholar #vil schoenheit #azul ashengrotto x reader #azul ashengrotto #twst leona #leona kingscholar x reader #vil x reader #azul x reader #vil schoenheit x reader #twst azul #leona x reader #request

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bruhstories · 3 years

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Vogel und Jäger

Summary: You accidentally witness a murder, but the murderer takes pity on you. Pairing: Zeke Jaeger x Fem!Reader (mafia AU) Warnings & Content: murder, language, angst Word Count: 1.7 k

A/N: i've been dying for a mafia au with zeke so here's part one of the series Vogel und Jäger. i have two more chapters drafted, and i'll try to post for this series weekly so i can write some moooore for it.

Bang!

The blood-curling sound was familiar to your ears. A gunshot — followed by the gurgling of a man.

Bang!

Another shot and the gurgling stopped. Panic settled in your heart, making you jump back and knock the metallic bin which served as a shield against the perpetrators.

Shit.

Footsteps drew closer and you began to pray. Running was futile. Running was always futile. Your throat was dry, your mascara was smeared all over your cheeks from all the tears, lips chapped and bleeding.

Our Father, who art in Heaven...

The cold muzzle of the gun pressed onto your forehead and you shivered, breath hitching, eyes glued to the wet pavement.

Hollowed be thy name...

The Mafia never spared any witnesses, you knew that all too well, even if you happened to be in the wrong place, at the wrong time.

Thy Kingdom come...

"Hey, boss, we got a girl."

"Kill her."

"No, please!" You threw yourself at the feet and mercy of the armed man. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry! Please, I'm only nineteen!" Through the sobs, your voice was still melodious, syrupy. So sweet that the boss stopped in his tracks.

Thy will be done...

Another pair of footsteps approached, tentatively, not as eager as the first person. You still haven't looked up, too scared to even blink, to even breathe.

On earth, as it is in Heaven...

"Hand me the gun, Yelena."

"As you wish, boss."

You felt someone crouch down next to you, someone dressed in expensive clothing, by the look of the trousers and polished shoes.

Give us this day our daily bread...

"You've got a very pretty voice." He lifted your chin up with the barrel of the gun, chills running down your spine.

"T-thank y-you..."

"Can you sing, little bird?"

"Y-yes."

And forgive us our trespasses...

Finally, you looked at the perpetrator — spellbinding grey eyes, platinum blonde hair slicked back and a matching goatee. His gaze was either boring or pitiful.

"Lucky you, we're hiring."

As we forgive those who trespass against us...

Anxiety coiled in your stomach, words caught up in your throat. You were still praying, unaware if this was all a sadistic joke or a miracle.

And lead us not into temptation...

Dark lashes fluttered, more tears streaming down your beautiful face as the gears in your head turned in a desperate attempt to understand what was happening.

But deliver us from evil...

"Hiring?" Your voice went up an octave when you saw the small stag pinned to the man's chest. The Jaeger family — the most feared mafia family in Paradis City.

For thine is the kingdom...

"A pretty voice like yours shouldn't go to waste." He got up and offered you his hand.

And the power, and the glory...

Reluctantly, you took it, helping yourself up and chewing your lower lip.

For ever and ever...

"T-thank you!" You told him, slender fingers squeezing his hand tightly. "I owe you m-my life."

Amen.

"Correct. Your life, your soul, your eyes and ears." He walked you to a car and opened the door for you. "Yelena, take us to the club. We've got business to discuss with my little brother."

•°.•°.•°.•°

Your eyes wandered all over the soundproof office, situated one floor above and opposite the stage. Every inch of the bar, the seating areas, everything was visible from that room. You tapped a finger on the wide window, eyes narrowed at the idea that it might, in fact, be bulletproof. These men were not playing, and you were now their property. The door opened and you jolted at the sound of music filling the office as your saviour walked in with two other people.

"This is my younger brother, Eren. You already know Yelena. I assume you know my name."

You nodded.

"Zeke Jaeger."

"Good girl." Zeke was pleased with your answer as he poured himself a glass of bourbon.

"I thought we didn't spare any witnesses." Eren shot you a look that made you regret being alive.

"Settle down, little brother. Tell us your name."

"Y/N, sir. Y/N Y/L/N." You swallowed, fingers fiddling with the hem of your blouse in an attempt to calm your nerves.

"You see, Eren, Y/N can sing." Zeke opened a drawer and pulled a gun out. More guns, more panic. Your eyes widened and your plump lips quivered when he aimed the gun at you with one hand, glass of alcohol in the other. "Sing or I paint the walls with your brains."

Your legs almost gave in at the threat — you knew it wasn't an empty one, and with all the courage you could muster, you closed your eyes and sang the first song that came to your mind, fucking Kiss from a Rose.

Your voice seemed to coat the people with honey, all three of them somewhat relaxing at the sweet sounds coming from your vocal cords.

"See, I told you she can sing." Zeke put the gun back in the drawer and closed it, swirling the bourbon in his glass before finishing it.

"Where do you live?" Eren crossed his arms, still suspicious of you.

"Historia's." You told him, eyes drifting to the ugly fur rug on the floor.

"The orphanage?"

"Yes."

"But you said you're nineteen." Zeke intervened, a brow quirked at you.

"I am. I try to help as much as possible in exchange for a bed and a roof over my head." You explained, eyeing the white couch that looked so incredibly comfortable.

"Just sit down already." Eren scoffed and you rushed to the furniture, mumbling thank you’s over and over.

"And why were you on that street tonight?" Yelena spoke for the first time since you came to the club. You looked at her and she seemed just as suspicious about you as Eren.

"I... the man you k-killed... he was... I'm-"

"A prostitute." Zeke nonchalantly interrupted you.

It was true. People like you, orphans, didn't have the privilege of being properly educated and finding well-paid jobs. Paradis was a jungle, and you did everything you could to survive. Everything.

"Well on the bright side you don't have to do that anymore." Zeke shrugged as he sunk deeper in his chair, feet on the desk, but you sensed he wasn't entirely honest. "You do have a beautiful voice, and our last girl had some... business to attend to, so you'll be taking her place."

"Is this why you called me here?" Eren sighed, leg impatiently shaking.

"Don't be stupid, of course not. I need Armin to prepare this month's tax reports and I need you to keep an eye on the police. They're sticking their nose in our business again, and I want them out of it. You two can go. Y/N, you stay." Zeke waved his hand and Eren and Yelena left, music briefly filling the office again.

You twiddled with the cushion in your lap, waiting for your new boss to say something. Being in that room was nerve-wracking, and you felt the air grow thick. Eventually Zeke took off his glasses, fingers rubbing the bridge of his nose as he sighed.

"Sir?" You dared, voice feeble and frail.

"What?" He clicked his tongue and you instantly regretted speaking.

"Sir, I'm not educated, but I've been on the streets long enough to know that every man or woman has a purpose..." You placed the cushion back. "...and a price. What's my purpose? I doubt it's only to sing."

Zeke nodded, fingers tracing the wooden desk.

"You're right, it isn't just to sing. It's to distract."

"Distract who? And from what?"

"You're asking an awful lot of questions for someone who's just witnessed a murder. You best not go to the police." He narrowed his eyes, piercing your soul. You sighed and walked to the desk, taking a seat opposite Zeke.

"It's not... my first murder." You confessed to him.

"Oh? My dear, you're full of surprises. Pray, tell. Drink?"

"Yes please." You answered, throat dry as a desert. "I can't go to the police. And even if I could, I wouldn't." The drink earned a disgusted look from you, but it was better than nothing. "Two years ago, I ended someone's life. He deserved it, he broke into Miss Historia's orphanage and tried to... to..."

"I understand." Zeke stopped you. "And if you go to the police, they'd do a background check on you." He continued, satisfied that he had a leverage in case you decided to turn against him.

"Exactly. And Historia helped me so much, I wouldn't want to put her in danger. So, I'm asking again, distract who from what?"

Zeke walked to the window, telling you to follow him. He pointed at two men, a tall blond one, and a short brunette one.

"See those two? They're policemen. They work for us, but we suspect they're double agents." He explained before pointing at three other men. "Those we suspect of being Marleyan mobsters. You see, Y/N, we have a lot of enemies. And we must keep our guard up every second of our lives."

You nodded, perfectly understanding Zeke's words. Paradis was a chess board and only the filthy rich played — the rest of you were pawns.

"Sir, you spared my life, and I know I can't ask for anything in return. But please, please don't drag Miss Historia into this. The children there did nothing wrong." Tears pooled at your eyes, rolling down your cheeks and you wiped them with the back of your hand. "I swear my loyalty to you."

"For someone uneducated, you're extremely clever." Zeke's voice was serious. You half-smiled at the compliment, but you knew the mess you got yourself into cut your lifespan severely. "Can you shoot?"

"No, sir."

"It's alright, Mikasa will teach you. Sleep on the couch tonight, I'll have Yelena bring you a blanket. Tomorrow you'll swear an oath in front of the family. And if you want to protect Historia, you'll move out of the orphanage."

You nodded. You understood that mingling with the mafia endangered everyone you loved, but you couldn't stop yourself from crying the entire night. Historia was but a few months older than you, yet she gladly took you in when she invested in that orphanage. Now you had to leave everything behind for her safety — and yours.

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dtrhwithalex · 3 years

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TV | Leverage (Season 1, Rewatch)

Rewatch of the first season of TNT's LEVERAGE (2008-2012), created by John Rogers and Chris Downey together with Dean Devlin and his production company Electric Entertainment.

In anticipation of the show's reboot / revival / sequel LEVERAGE: REDEMPTION coming to IMDbTV on 09 July this year, I am rewatching the original 77 episodes and writing about my favourite moments and things from each episode, season by season.

(Just a note, this first season was aired out of order, so the dates won't actually form a chronology, since I'm going with the intended order rather than the one they were aired in.)

101: THE NIGERIAN JOB

D: DEAN DEVLIN. W: JOHN ROGERS & CHRIS DOWNEY. Original Air Date: 07 December 2008.

I have lost count of how many times I have seen this episode (or any episodes of this show to be completely honest), but it holds up every single time. It is one of my favourite, if not the favourite TV pilot episode I have ever seen.

The way this pilot sets up who the main characters are and what the core of this show is, is simply perfect. The introduction of Nate at the bar being approached by Dubenich, then the intercut between him convincing Nate to do the job and the actual job happening -- just wonderful. The same goes for the individual introductions of the other players. Nate's comment about Parker ("no, but Parker is insane") which plants a thread for the rest of the show already, the flashbacks of each character to exemplify who they and what their talents are, combined with the episode then showing you those talents and what Nate can do with them -- which is, of course, his talent -- sets up this whole show so well.

So many seeds that come to fruition throughout the show are already planted right here. Nate's mentoring of Parker to become his eventual successor as Mastermind ("Haircuts, Parker, count the haircuts" -- "I would've missed that"), Eliot's role as protector, the iconic overhead shots and the gloating, the alternate revenue streams, "Hardison dies in Plan M" -- it's all already right here in this episode. A brilliant piece of writing. Hats off to Rogers and Downey, no questions asked.

Rewatching this episode made me think of what this show is about, in its essence. Yes, it is about standing up for those who can't do so themselves, taking on the bigger bad, showing how corrupt and terrible the world can be, but also how much good there is to still find in the world. But also, this show is about a lonely man being actively bullied into the family he didn't know he needed or wanted, but will eventually come to realise is the one thing, the only thing that is keeping him alive. LEVERAGE is the story of a man and his crusade to avenge the death of his child, but is is very much also the story of a man who finds a reason to keep getting up every morning in the four people who are on this crusade with him. And this pilot episode already holds the seed and the potential of all of that. And that is why this show is to this day still my favourite show of all time, because it is utterly perfect in every way.

102: THE HOMECOMING JOB

D: DEAN DEVLIN. W: JOHN ROGERS. Original Air Date: 09 December 2008.

I absolutely love how John Rogers was like okay first episode, some greedy asshole who does whatever he wants for his own gain, we'll take him down a notch. Episode two? Hmm, oh yeah, the government is completely corrupt, filled with rich greedy assholes who do whatever they want for their own gain and always get away with it. Not on my watch (I love him very much, thank you).

This episode, once again, so good. The re-introduction of every character in this new reality of Nate's crusade is just as brilliantly done as the original introduction of them all. Sophie at an audition (love the John Rogers cameo here) completely butchering it once again, Eliot beating up some thug, Parker stealing valuable art, and Hardison doing what he does best: creating a beautiful office-slash-home space for the team, putting his all into their backstories, the equipment, the behind-the-scenes workings of what they need to get the job done. My man.

The message of this particular episode is also just something I am very fond of. The rehab facility doctor's words in the beginning, and then in the end again -- "people don't just show up to help. that's not the way the world works" -- as well as Nate's ultimate answer to her, "so change the world." That right here is the message of this show. It's already right here, all up in your face, episode two.

I completely adore what this episode does for the character dynamics already. The detail Hardison puts into the other's backstories, the interactions around the conference table, Eliot sharing his knowledge, Nate explaining the money laundering scam, the whole thing about laws being in a wooden box, Sophie elaborating why she knew Congressman Jenkins was lying to her -- they don't just work together, they already start giving the others insight into their talents and their knowledge and share that. It's beautiful. I especially adore the shot of them at the end, everyone leaning against the car while watching Corporal Perry and the other veterans debating what to do with the money. They are already so comfortable and at ease with each other, leaning into each other's spaces. They're family. You can see it here already.

Absolutely fantastic episode. For a long time, whenever I thought about The Homecoming Job, I somehow associated a more negative emotion with it than with other episodes, but I don't quite know why, because this is a brilliant episode and I love watching it.

103: THE WEDDING JOB

D: JONATHAN FRAKES. W: CHRIS DOWNEY. Original Air Date: 13 January 2009.

We love Jonathan Frakes in this house and every single time his name shows up with the director tag on this show, I know that I will enjoy every last second of the episode I am about to watch. Frakes directed the hell outta this thing. The Wedding Job is an absolutely excellent episode. Dan Lauria as our main baddie Nicky Moscone is perfect casting and there are so many great comedic beats in the scenes with him and Nate. Everyone, generally, is so weirded out by Priest!Nate, but Moscone just takes the weirdness in stride. This episode holds a very special place in my heart because it contains the introduction of my favourite FBI duo -- McSweeten (McSweetheart, as we call him) and Taggert. I adore these two bumbling fools so much, and I am so glad they kept being brought back, because they are both just so lovely. McSweetheart especially is very dear to me because of the D.B. Cooper Job from the last season (where, I ask, do I start my McSweetheart for Leverage: Redemption campaign?). Overall just such an excellent episode, really. So many great moments between our main characters--Sophie and Nate and their little "relationship" problem, Hardison and Eliot talking about marriage, Parker pretending she was waiting in the screening room to have sex with Hardison, Hardison appreciating Eliot's cooking. I also absolutely adore the beginning, the four of them convincing Nate that Teresa is definitely the type of client they take on. And Nate's resigned "Yeah, okay, yeah. Let's go rob Nicky Moscone. A guy who kills people and lives in our city. Yeah, let's go do that" as if they weren't going to go above and beyond any of that in the five years they will spend together on this crusade of his. You're so precious, Nathan. Of course, the ending of this episode is beyond brilliant, and lives both in my heart and my head rent free. It is such a magnificent found family moment. Getting Teresa the restaurant back, the news footage regarding Ray's appeal, and of course, Eliot cooking for them all, and them celebrating together, all of them. It is such a beautiful moment.

104: THE SNOW JOB

D: TONY BILL. W: ALBERT KIM. Original Air Date: 27 January 2009.

I adore what the client says to Nate in the beginning of the episode: "You work hard, you play by the rules, but when you need help, you really need help? They let you hang. They let you hang and it's your kid who pays the price." This show hammers home its message so many times in such great character moments and it makes watching these brilliant people take on these greedy bastards and robbing them for all they've got that much sweeter. It is such a satisfying thing to watch. Especially because they're all so damn good at this.

This is a great episode but it is infinitely funnier if you know and speak German, because it makes the scenes between Sophie and Eliot absolutely hysterical. And the delivery of the line that Ute Ausgartner says when she discovers they replaced her with Sophie is just wrong enough to crack you up.

Again some wonderfully brilliant comedic beats -- the Frakes cameo in the hospital waiting room, Parker casually hanging off the ski lift, Hardison and Eliot arguing over who puts dye in the dead body, Eliot carrying off a pissed of Parker, and so many more.

This episode also, for the first time, really gives insight into Nate's drinking problem. We had the one moment in The Homecoming Job, but this episode starts to explore it more in depths. And something that I've always appreciated about this show is that it never glorifies the drinking, but Nate is also never vilified for it. It is a fact of Nate's life and they explore different aspects of it, and everything is done with such care (which does not surprise me one bit since this is John Rogers' show).

The ending of this episode is also, once again, so beautiful and nicely done. It is just so incredibly satisfying to watch these greedy bastards get what's coming to them, and to see the clients be compensated beyond anything they'd ask for.

105: THE MILE HIGH JOB

D: ROB MINKOFF. W: AMY BERG. Original Air Date: 20 January 2009.

Another fantastic episode (you will realise that I will say this about every single of the 77 episodes this show has)! Amy Berg wrote some excellent stuff for this show, and this episode is one of them. Always a lot of great character relationship moments, and absolutely brilliant comedic beats.

I am very fond of the fact that here, in the early days, we have the whole team present around the table during the client meeting. We see all their reactions and inputs here already, and not later when Nate or Hardison (usually) relays the information of their next job to the rest of the gang. It's a very lovely moment.

I am also very fond of the entire recon bit at the GenoGrow office. Sophie's French rave-girl act, the others having to climb stairs, Hardison's absence, the cut from Parker's bomb to the microwave at the HQ, Nate, Eliot and Parker yelling "Oh it's right behind us, it's chasing us!" and grabbing Sophie on the way out, meanwhile the security guys completely buying it. Absolutely brilliant, all the way through.

Both Hardison's adventure at GenoGrow as well as the others on the plane contain so many great comedic moments. Hardison's Spanish maintenance guy act, his interactions with both Cheryl and Steve (talking into the cupboard? His fake meeting and getting Steve to take a dive? The whole birthday thing? A+ all around. Amy Berg, everyone) and of course the reaction he has to the plane safely landing on the highway ("lord I was so scared, I wanna cry and call my momma" I love him so much, y'all). I also have big feelings about Nate's pep talk to Hardison, "you can do this, I trust you ... the only guy I can count on in a situation like this." Sir, I am experiencing an emotion alright.

The sequences on the plane are of course also absolutely fantastic. Nate and Sophie's domestic, Parker's day job and her interactions with Marissa, Eliot being a big softie who holds Marissa's hand all the way up to the in-flight bar and hugs the woman he sat down next to when they safely land (womaniser, big softie. tomayto, tomahto). Also big shoutout to the fake names Nate and Sophie have. We love our DOCTOR WHO references in this show. I love these nerds very much, thank you.

106: THE TWO HORSE JOB

D: CRAIG R. BAXLEY. W: MELISSA GLENN & JESSICA RIEDER (GRASL). Original Air Date: 16 December 2008.

This episode also holds a very special place in my heart because it contains the introduction of our dearly beloved antagonist, Mr Jim Sterling, the absolutely amazing Mark Sheppard. We love Sterling in this house, yessir (again, where do I have to address my Jim Sterling For Leverage: Redemption campaign to?). Every moment he is in is fantastic, but I especially adore the conversation he has with Nate at the race track (especially the "Nathan Ford is a common criminal" -- "Common. That's just hurtful" bit of it).

This, of course, is an episode by our wonder twins, Glenn and Rieder (now Grasl), which they ended up naming the in-universe safe company after. Always fantastic work when the two of them are involved. Some amazing character moments again here.

We get to see some of Eliot's backstory with Aimee which in turn gives us two fantastic moments with him and the women of the team. I love his interaction with Sophie at the racetrack: "I like Aimee, I do. I mean it, I like you both, Eliot. I just, I don't know what comes of chasing the past, you know." -- "Well Sophie, sweetie, I don't think you and Nate get to serve me that particular meal." Just fantastic moment between these two, who I like to call The Conference of Mom Friends whenever they are in scenes together. The other interaction is with Parker in the car: "We need you to do this. I need you to do this." I adore Eliot and Parker's relationship and this already is a very early glimpse at the dynamic they develop which will eventually lead to beautiful moments like that in the ice cave in The Long Way Down Job in season four.

I also love how it is Hardison and Parker's discussion about horses that ultimately reminds Nate of the Lost Heir con. Aldis' delivery of "Wilbur loved Mr Ed! He loved him like a second cousin twice removed" is absolutely brilliant. Unsurprisingly, however, my favourite interaction of this episode is the one Eliot has with Aimee at the end: "You're never gonna be the kind to settle down, but I'm glad you found a family." -- "Th-those guys?" Yes, Eliot, those guys. You might not know it just yet, but that is absolutely your family, and the fact that an outsider already comments on it this early is simply perfect. My deepest gratitude to you, wonder twins.

107: THE BANK SHOT JOB

D: DEAN DEVLIN. W: AMY BERG. Original Air Date: 30 December 2008.

Amy Berg on the typewriter once again (typewriter? Alex what are you talking about this was 2008...)! I really like this episode a whole lot. An excellent one for Nate/Sophie, as well as Hardison/Parker. I have a huge soft spot for my crime children pretending to be law enforcement. Any combination of them is good, but Parker and Hardison as FBI agents especially is just exquisite.

This episode is also just fantastic for illustrating some of the small town criminal activity that happens from the top down. Judge Roy's entire bit about how "these little people" will do and say whatever he tells them to do and that, because he is the law in the town, he gets to decide what is actually true and what is not. To then have Hardison fake security footage and them turning the story against Judge Roy is of course poetic justice. I adore the moment when the bank manager Frank decides that sticking with the false facts these random people have come up with is the better choice than having the judge remain in charge.

I also really love the interaction Derrick has with Sophie and then later with Parker, as well as the moment of uncertainty in-between. His "I don't know what to do with that" when Sophie tells him she's a thief is so funny and so good. The turn of "but they're criminals....then again" when he looks out of the window on the way to Parker is also just a nice moment to illustrate exactly what Parker then later says, "sometimes bad guys are the only good guys you get." Ethics and justice are such muddy concepts and especially in situations like Derrick is currently in, there is no way of knowing who is actually good, who is bad, and who is just trying their best. It is a lovely moment and once again, one of those great instances of "important message within character moment" that this show does so well.

Of course, I am also very fond of Hardison's mention of DOCTOR WHO, his "Geek power baby, stay strong" line, Eliot's fight scene with the crack dealers ("stay in the car!"), Hardison's bullshitting the demands at the bank (Hall & Oates!) and, of course, last but not least, the return of my favourite FBI fools, McSweetheart and Taggert, getting yet another win laid in their lap by the Leverage crew. This episode is filled to the brim with greatness.

108: THE MIRACLE JOB

D: ARVIN BROWN. W: CHRISTINE BOYLAN. Original Air Date: 23 December 2008.

An absolutely excellent Nate-centric episode! We finally get a bit more of a view into Nate's past, aside from the ever-present flashback to Sam's death at the hospital. I really like the relationship of Nate and Father Paul, which I think is very interesting and so well done. Through Paul we get another side of Nate, which may have stayed hidden otherwise. I am also very fond of how Maggie is introduced here. She doesn't get a voice yet, but we learn about her through Nate, Sophie and also Paul, and I quite like that. It sets up expectations for her appearance in the finale, which is really intriguing.

This episode has so many great comedic beats as well, and I barely even know where to begin. From the team's inability to deal with Sophie's acting talents (or lack thereof) to the whole "It's not Santa" gag, the amazing faces Sophie pulls when the mark tells her about Bibletopia, Hardison's "God will smite us" thing -- there is just too much good stuff in this episode.

One of my favourite interactions in this episode was on the construction site, after Grant takes what he thinks are his meds.

Sophie: What is that you just took? Grant: Xanax. For my nerves. Parker: Actually caffeine. With a dash of dextroamphetamine. Eliot: You have him speed? Hardison, shrugging: He beat up a priest!

The look Eliot gives them then with a half-shrug, an expression which cannot be described as anything but "aight, fair enough" -- just absolutely excellent.

What I also really loved about this episode, is that we get to see more of the HQ than just the conference room. We have the team meeting in Nate's office, we see Sophie picking through her mail, Hardison making space so he can build fake Saint Nick statues. Added to that, the team is setting into such a nice familiarity with each other. Eliot brings Sophie a cup of coffee to the meeting in Nate's office. The fact that they all do get mail at the office. This is their space. I love it so much.

What this episode also gives us, is a first instance of the con possibly going side-ways because of how convincing it is. I adore that their possible downfall will never be incompetence, but rather over-competence. They are so good at what they do that sometimes their talent comes to bite them in the ass. We see this again, a bit different, in The Juror #6 Job.

The ending of this episode is very dear to me. It is a very lovely moment between Nate and Paul, but also Nate and the team. It creates such a beautiful moment of intimacy between these characters, which I think is done with extreme care, and it shows. This episode also very nicely sets up a nice sort of grounded-ness for the next episode, which I think the subject matter really deserves and needs.

109: THE STORK JOB

D: MARC ROSKIN. W: ALBERT KIM. Original Air Date: 06 January 2009.

This one and the next episode are excellent Parker-centric plots and this one in particular also has some wonderful Parker/Hardison content. Nate, also, is just very good in this episode as well. Keeping the tone the last episode established especially toward the end, this episode has such a nice grounded-ness to it. Nate's first meeting with the client is so careful in a way, and we don't always see that. Generally, Nate is careful and considerate in this episode, I think. Even when Parker goes rogue, he is so good with Parker (I attribute the brashness entirely to his director role here). It meant so much that he doesn't shoot down the idea of coming back for the other orphans, he knows how important this is to Parker (and Hardison).

With this episode we learn that both Parker and Hardison have grown up in the foster system. I really adore the conversation they have at the van after they find out about the orphanage -- Hardison telling Parker about his Nana, Parker's fear that foster system will be cruel to those children, Hardison's "I like how you turned out" -- it is such a lovely and meaningful moment. This and the "we're a team" / "a little more than a team" moments are such great instances that highlight the importance of these characters and their relationships in this show. It isn't just some crime procedural where every characters is replaceable at any given moment -- this show is about people, and about these specific people.

On a lighter note, I also really adore Nate and Sophie's dynamic in this. How they coach Parker and Eliot individually but at the same time, while also arguing about Sophie conning Nate back in the day, is just brilliant. Their "delightful banter" as Hardison calls it, is so good, and I absolutely love that Nate figures out the way to con Irina is the same way he would have to con Sophie. It's just too good.

David S. Lee as Nicholas is also incredibly good, although since watching THE LIBRARIANS I always expect him to swoon over a blonde and call her Duchess any minute.

110: THE JUROR #6 JOB

D: JONATHAN FRAKES. W: REBECCA KIRSCH. Original Air Date: 10 February 2009.

The lighter of the two Parker-centric episodes, but a brilliant one nonetheless. This episode also brings us the introduction of Peggy played by the lovely Lisa Schurga. We love Peggy in this house and, once again, I ask: where do I address my Peggy For Leverage: Redemption campaign to?

This episode is great for many different reasons, one of course being that Hardison is so good at what he does, that Parker's alias has to go to jury duty. What a talent, we absolutely have no choice but to stan. I love him so much. Other fantastic things that make this episode absolutely excellent are

- Nate's "there is not some evil conspiracy lurking behind the curtain of every routine civic activity" speech which he then has to retract,

- Sophie teaching Parker about persuasion with the help of Eliot who is absolutely precious in this interaction,

- Eliot's friend Donnie, who poses as another employee from the company Sophie pretends to be from, who then turns out to be Scottish,

- Nate and Sophie sending the kids off to work at the door, with a briefcase and handshake for Hardison and a snack and high-five for Parker,

and Hardison's entire act as a lawyer. He is so good. Of course his stalling is brilliant, but the turn-around once he has to actually try and win the trial? A masterpiece. I love how he tears the doctor apart for his drunken airplane misconducts, but what takes the cake by miles is of course his closing statement. He is just, so good, and such a goodhearted, wonderful person. I love how he directly addressed Parker. Hardison is full of sunshine and I love. him. so. much.

And I would be remiss not to mention how incredibly fond I am of the rest of the team watching the feed of the jury room from the HQ with such proud looks on their faces as Parker leads the other jury members and they vote in favour of the plaintiff. This is their girl and she's done so well. What a brilliant episode. My love to Becky Kirsch, honestly.

111: THE 12-STEP JOB

D: ROD HARDY. W: AMY BERG & CHRIS DOWNEY. Original Air Date: 03 February 2009.

Another episode, another instance of me asking the question: Where do I address my Hurley for Leverage: Redemption campaign to? We love Hurley! Drew Powell is absolutely fantastic, I adore him. Also huge shoutout to Joseph LoDuca for that absolute banger of a song that plays during the intro and the credits.

This episode has some fantastic Eliot/Hardison moments that are very dear to me. The two of them looking for Hurley and fighting over Hardison's slushy spill is just lovely. The whole car bomb sequence is also just completely brilliant. It's such a step in their relationship and I love it so much. The moment of "D'you want me to kick it?" / "God, I'm gon' die" is a wonderful comedic beat in this tense situation, but it is the bit after that I really adore. Hardison figuring out how to trick the bomb and then,

Eliot: What's our margin of error here? Hardison: 'bout half a second. Eliot: Run the ba-bag of bricks by me again? Hardison: Are you ready? Eliot: No.

I am just, so fond of these two. Also the fact that Eliot's hand shakes when he reaches for the cables and waits for Hardison's signal always puts me all up in my feelings about him. I also of course adore the scene at the rehab facility with Hardison's "I'm with him. No, I am with him. See, he thinks the flirting makes me jealous, but it doesn't. But if you was like Brad Pitt or Denzel or somebody, oh girl it would be on." It love it so much.

Nate, of course, is also just great in this episode. His entire experience in rehab is another wonderful insight into his character, his issues, how he sees himself and so on. The hallucination of Sterling says so much about him. I think this also very nicely sets up how Nate behaves in the finale double episode.

I also really want to mention Parker here, because Parker in rehab is also something I am very fond of. I love the moment where she pickpockets the Koreans searching for Hurley and then so innocently comes to Nate to confess what she's done and tells him in this tiny voice "I didn't meant to, it was just instinct." I love her so much. And her, at the end of the episode, skipping along and then running toward her people, jumping on Eliot while tossing her stuff at Nate, and then going to hug Hardison, is such a lovely moment. I love how the three of them then walk toward the car arm in arm, too. I love these kids.

112: THE FIRST DAVID JOB

D: DEAN DEVLIN. W: JOHN ROGERS. Original Air Date: 17 February 2009.

First half of the first finale! I gotta say I really love the David Jobs very much. It is such a fantastic first finale. I really adore how the opening of this episode is mirrored in the opening of the second half.

Given the set-up of the previous episode, I really like how for a first time watcher, this opening sequence very much looks like Nate is completely off the rails doing his own thing getting revenge on the man who, basically, killed his son. It isn't until Blackpoole introduces Nate to 'Portia' and we see Sophie turn around that it becomes clear that we're on the con, which I think is done very nicely. Only then giving the viewer the "how we got here" part is just great.

This episode of course also brings us, finally, Maggie (yes, I'll ask again: where do I address my Maggie For Leverage: Redemption campaign to?). I absolutely love how she is introduced here as Eliot's date. I also love how absolutely terrified Eliot looks once he realises that she isn't just anyone, but Nate's ex-wife. Maggie is such an excellent character, and I adore her. I also am very appreciative that this episode holds the singular moment of jealousy Sophie has toward Maggie. After her momentary outburst as Maggie tells Nate she hasn't stopped caring about him, we never see it again. Even better, once Maggie learns about Nate's crew, Sophie and her even become friends. And it is lovely.

We also have some great Parker/Hardison moments in this episode as well. I adore Parker and her enthusiasm for their "little naked man" and Hardison being weirded out about it (and turning the little David around so Parker can change in private). I, of course, absolutely love the kiss (and Eliot's grinning question at Sophie who of the two of them Parker had kissed) and then the theft of the First David. Hardison is so in awe of Parker and it is a sight to behold.

I also quite enjoy the "downfall" in this episode. Sterling showing up (we love the bastard), the fight between Eliot and Mr Quinn, the conversation about Sophie conning them on the roof, and then of course the final confrontations on that same roof as well as the HQ. This whole thing of "and then I asked myself, what would Parker do?" / "but then I thought, what would Hardison do?" is just brilliant and lovely. It shows how far they have all come throughout this first season and how much they have learned from each other already. I am very fond of it.

I am sad about the offices being blown up, though. As much as I love both McRory's pub and Nate's apartment in Boston, as well as the Brewpub in Portland, I've always really liked the LA offices as well. It was their first home and it was lovely. I am however very happy that Old Nate made it out unscathed.

113: THE SECOND DAVID JOB

D: DEAN DEVLIN. W: JOHN ROGERS & CHRIS DOWNEY. Original Air Date: 24 February 2009.

And the last episode! As I've said above, I adore how this opening sequence mirrors that of The First David Job. Similarly, I also love how until Sophie notices Parker's laser pointer and Eliot sees Hardison, as a viewer you assume they are on the job together, which is again the reversal of the first half of the finale. Just lovely storytelling, I adore it. Speaking of mirrors, the scene in the MC Hammer mansion where Nate inconspicuously manages to get them all thinking about the con together and putting their differences aside once more, also mirrors one of my favourite scenes from the first episode of season two, where the team does the same to Nate.

This episode on the whole I also just marvellous. Eliot's awkward date with Maggie, Nate finally telling Maggie about Blackpoole's involvement (or lack thereof) in Sam's death, the team involving Maggie in the planning of the con and her, precious as she is, questioning Nate's ability to just get people to do what he wants -- it is all just so good. I love Maggie on the con, too. Sophie coaching her, how good Maggie is at it immediately. Just lovely.

Then, of course, the entirety of the con from the moment Nate shows up at the museum. Sterling hurrying all over the place trying to figure out what Nate's plan is, finding out about the mummy, the release of the gas, the evacuation, the David statue replicas, them finally getting in and finding Nate alone in the exhibit room. I adore that shot of him leaning against the display case with the two Davids still inside, only highlighted from the open hatch in the roof. It is such a beautiful shot. I really enjoy Nate and Sterling's dynamic here, too. And I am very happy that Maggie gets to punch Blackpoole just like Nate got to in the episode before. They both deserve to give this man hell.

The ending of this episode and therefore this season always has me in all of my emotions. If I didn't know there would be more after this, I would just go lie down and weep for a while after watching it. The trademark overhead walkaway shot is of course a must, but the fact that they stop, that all of them hesitate, thinking about turning around, thinking about changing their minds. And then it cuts to black, and if this had been it, we would've never known! Ah, what a show, what a first season. I am completely in love with this show, as pretty much everyone knows, but I just -- this show is so damn good. It gets me every single time. Every time.

[image taken from the electricnow website]

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