#Hyper rectangle

[rjalker]

I'm sure I could keep going but I'm too lazy to change the canvas size for all of them since I wanted them all to be the same size. not perfect but good enough.

[ID: Six simple geometric drawings, showing the progression from a single point, to a straight line, to a rectangle, to a 3D rectangle, to a 4D rectangle, an finally, attempt at a 5D rectangle. Each progressive shape is made by copying and pasting the one before it, and moving it, then connecting the two with more lines, making a more and more intricate shape representation. The point is a single black dot on the Left side of the screen. The line is two horizontal dots joined by a line between them. The rectangle is the line pasted again below the first, joined by two vertical lines. The 3D rectangle, or cuboid, is the rectangle copy and pasted on a diagonal, with four more diagonal lines connecting the original with the clone. The 4D rectangle, or hyperrectangle, has the copy of the cuboid dragged slightly down and to the side, with six new lines connecting them. The 5D rectangle has a copy of the hyperrectangle pasted again on a diagonal, with eight new lines connecting the two.

these are public domain because I said so. use for whatever you want.

[gelatinous-globster]

some recent Globby doodle pages, digital this time! found a new brush I like a lot ✨

@drama-glob @enbydemirainbowbigfoot

[r26yz]

[beebisbeeble]

Sgjbsjhbsjbhjshbhsghehuegjbgehgrrhggh

[novelconcepts]

Anybody wanna go through and meticulously screencap Taivan scenes so I have more drawing material for the coming months?

[burning-academia-if]

Very important question: What kind of houses do the RO's build in Minecraft?

Rook: He's split between 'fuck a house I yearn for the mines' and also being one of those insane people you see on tiktok/youtube who can recreate entire cities. He's probably wasted so much time making ridiculous projects, and he's probably had a week where he just sat down and hyper focused on making a giant castle or something.

Beck: The exact opposite of Rook what is architecture LMAO makes a basic rectangle house with a bed and chests and calls it a day. He might throw a sign over the door or a painting inside.

Rhea: Probably something really cute and cottage core esque. Lots of plant/flower blocks everywhere and she makes a little fountain in front of her house. It isn't anything super fancy, but it feels comfy.

Zoe: Makes something underground or into the side of a cliff. They'd probably scout out different locations and choosing the one that looks the prettiest without needing too much terraforming. Uses a lot of terracotta and stained glass for the walls and flooring. Makes sure to get a cat or two.

Lars: Also makes a basic house. Not because he can't do something better but because he just doesn't care. Going into one of his worlds would be wild actually because he's like "that's my house and there's whatever else I felt like making" and you go from basic house to a bunch of solid and competent projects.

???: They have no idea what they're doing in minecraft. You're going to have to teach them how to even use the basic controls. In a world where they have played video games before, I think they'd make a tree house, preferably in a giant mushroom tree, with a giant farm below.

[punksandcannonballers]

I’ve never encountered anyone who shares this pet peeve so I think it’s obscure but man I hate televisions, and I mean really loathe them. and I think it’s to do with coming of age in an era of media hyper-specialization + unpleasant experiences, because often what annoys me about tvs is when everyone is suddenly subjected to what one person wants to see, loud enough for everyone in the room to hear, and often tvs are placed to be focal centerpieces of the room and increasingly more enormous, so everyone is visually subject to it as well. but another thing is for some reason it’s considered normal for a bunch of households to just have the tv on essentially all the time, and I get that in theory that’s functionally no worse than staring at your phone or laptop all day, but in those cases it’s usually not being actively engaged with by any particular person, it’s just disrupting any quiet and being a distraction in what should be the most welcoming part of the space, where now everyone is either having to passively experience it or remove themselves from the space to get away from it

and to be fair if a group of people are all in agreement and enthusiastic about watching the same thing then hell yeah the tv is the best place to do it, get that shit huge in the living space set up to be casual and comfy. but otherwise the giant loud bright rectangle needs to retract into the wall and be covered up by a beautiful painting unless everyone inserts their control launch keys and turns them simultaneously

[how-to-fail-at-ship-jumping-au]

Hetch tutorial part 2! The rest of him.

Quick Disclaimer, this is by no means valuable information for anyone wanting to learn anatomy or how to draw on their own in any way. Simply my hyper stylized way of drawing my AU version of this character. So some of my steps are probably wrong. Got that? Okay!

I like to start generally by drawing a little stick figure to help me pose him. Then, I draw the torso and hips. The torso is kind of a mix between a triangle and a rectangle, while his hips are a rectangle. Attach them and draw the head (see head tutorial)

When drawing the limbs I like to draw the calves and forearms first. I don't know, I just like it. This is not accurate to how I draw his arms when he's not wearing a coat because I like to actually define the musculature then. But just making them kind of thicc is enough when I'm putting him in his coat. You don't need to worry too much about how his thighs look because his coat covers them.

Erase all unnecessary lines and start drawing the coat!

Erase the parts of the body covered by the fabric and you can (optionally) begin to sketch out the design on the coat.

As you can see, the way I draw Hetch for this AU is a little different from his cannon design. This is because I was planning on having Hetch's appearance change as the story moved on and his initial design is how he behaves before all of the unpleasantness takes full route and also because it was hard to find references of him initially. As you can see, his coat markings are meant to be similar to circuit board lines, but not so much that it's something you have to pay extra close attention to.

Finally, do the line art and color him in!

What a handsome bbg he is!

[tmiric]

Hello! This is a sort of mini article about lolita fashion! (More of an introduction article) Enjoy!

Lolita fashion-

♡ What is lolita fashion? ♡

Lolita fashion is a subculture which originated in Japan in the early 90s, and gained popularity throughout the mid 90s and early 2000s. The fashion is inspired by victorian clothing and rococo period and is a cute, elegant and modest style.a typical lolita outfit consists of a blouse, a dress or a skirt, a petticoat, long stockings and some headresses such as hats, bows, rectangles and many more. The lolita subculture is divided into 3 main styles- gothic lolita, classic lolita, and sweet/pastel lolita. There are a lot of in-between styles such as hime (princess) lolita, punk lolita, sailor lolita, guro(horror) lolita and many more. A common misconception about lolita fashion is mixing it up with cosplay, which is wrong. lolita is not cosplay, it is a lifestyle and a form of self expression through clothes, while cosplay is a form of roleplay, pretending to be someone else using costumes. another misconception about lolita, is thinking that it has anything to do with the famous novel written by vladimir nabokov lolita, which contains depictions of sexual abuse and pedophilia. The fashion itself is very modest and doesn't focus on sexuality. The meaning and reason for dressing lolita is different for each person. Some dress this way because they find it pretty, and some want to celebrate their femininity in a different and more modest way, rather than enhancing their feminine features. Some wear it as a way to rebel against society's pressure on grown people to act and dress a certain way.

♡ history & origin ♡

Although lolita became an established subculture only in the early 90s, its origins date back to the late 1970s. With kawaii culture taking its first steps, and the admiration of French culture being common among the youth, a new type of female street fashion was born, which is called otome (maiden) kei. It is a casual, romantic hyper feminine style, inspired by the European fashion and femininity of the 1960s. As a result, a lot of fashion brands such as milk, pretty (now known as angelic pretty) and pink house adopted this new look, and the style became very popular in Harajuku district in tokyo. During the 80s, the popular magazine olive influenced fashion by featuring those brands, and promoting a "french lifestyle", which paved the way for future lolita brands. The romantic french look of the 80s was a start, and a little later lolita was born! street fashion magazines such as kera and fruits started featuring lolita fashion in their issues, and the fashion became more popular. The 90s were also when gothic lolita made its first appearance, which was created by the visual kei guitarist mana sama. He created a link between Visual Kei aesthetic and a dark Victorian twist on lolita. He also opened his own brand, moi meme moitie which was a refreshing alternative to the classic lolita brands, and has influenced lolita to this day. At the time, lolita fashion became more defined and, by the noughties decade it was at its peak. Kera published the famous spin off magazine, gothic & lolita bible, which featured diy and makeup tutorials, interviews with designers and musicians, street photographs, new collections and many more. By that time, pretty changed their name to angelic pretty, and more brands started designing for specific lolita substyles. the movie kamikaze girls came out, in which the main character, momoko, is a lolita who wears dresses designed by the brand baby the stars shine bright (btssb) and daydreams about the french rococo lifestyle, influenced the style and members of the community and with that the sweet lolita was the new look. During that time lolita gained recognition overseas, with brands opening shops in Europe and the US, and misako aoki becoming the ambassador of kawaii lolita fashion. The livejournal community EGL (elegant gothic lolita)for western lolita was established, and the international popularity developed the style even more, but sadly as the time passed lolita became less popular. moi meme moitie closed all of their physical stores, and magazines like g&lb fruits and kera stopped publishing new issues. with the rise of fast fashion, came the downfall of lolita fashion.

♡ lolita lifestyle ♡

Many lolitas think of lolita as a way of living, and not just a clothing style. Some sweet lolitas choose to live like princesses at the court of Versailles, surrounding themselves with beauty, while goth lolitas like to be mysterious, hang around gothic churches and graveyards and read gothic poetry. each substyle has its own typical activities and lifestyle, although this way of living is optional and depends on the person. you don’t have to indulge in such activities to be considered as lolita. Some popular hobbies among the lolita community are baking, drawing, sewing and embroidery. Those who live the lolita lifestyle wear coords daily, participate in lolita meetups and interact with the lolita community regularly. Usually, lolita meetups take the form of tea parties or picnics in which the members of the community hang out and discuss the latest trends in lolita fashion. Each meetup has its own dress code. Some lolitas feel more comfortable hanging out in groups rather than alone, because the style drags a lot of unwanted attention. Many lolitas get catcalled and harassed simply for dressing a different way than what's considered as mainstream or "normal".

Metamorphose 2010 spring catalog

♡ substyles ♡

As I stated before, the lolita subculture contains lots of different substyles, but the main 3 and most popular are gothic, sweet, and classic.

♡ classic lolita -

a lolita substyle that is highly inspired by historical fashion. This style is more mature and elegant than other styles, as it focuses on capturing the elegance of the Victorian era. common motifs among this style are solid color pieces, florals, and stripes along with prints featuring crowns, fleur de lis, crests, antiques, animals, architecture, and reproductions of old master paintings. Animals and fruit prints in classic lolita tend to have a realistic or antique look to them, as opposed to the more cartoon or fantasy-like styles favored by sweet lolita. Unlike other lolita styles, flat shoes are very uncommon. There are many higher heeled shoes with straps as well as Victorian style boots. As for the hair, it's usually kept pretty neutral. common colors are brown, black and blonde. it can be styled in any way but nothing too extreme. The makeup is usually neutral looking to give off a mature elegance.

Metamorphose 2015 catalog

♡ gothic lolita -

a lolita substyle that takes its inspiration from Victorian clothing and the gothic subculture. This style was popularized by the visual kei guitarist mana sama. common motifs in gothic lolita often include crosses or religious themes, bats, skulls, vampires, coffins, chandeliers, deep red roses, and castles. Darker colors, such as black, navy and royal blue, maroon, crimson, and deep purples are all common in gothic lolita. popular hairstyles are straightened or curled hair left down, or put into pigtails. sausage curl pigtails are popular as well, but are usually styled with more over the top coords. As for makeup, dark lipstick ( red, wine, deep purple and dark brown) and smokey or neatly defined eyes are common. some may add a light blush.

Although mana sama was the one who popularized this substyle, he often wears a unique, dramatic, doll-like makeup look which is not very common among the community, but is well loved. common shoes are mary janes, rocking horse shoes (originally designed by vivienne westwood), boots, and platform shoes.

Alice doll magazine 2001 | Mana sama for Gothic Lolita Bible 7

♡ sweet lolita - a lolita substyle inspired by victorian and rococo period clothing, with a cute twist. common motifs in sweet lolita are puppies, bears, cupcakes, ice cream, cherries, strawberries, bows, hearts, stars, cakes, flowers and kittens. common colors are pastel colors (pink, blue, yellow, purple, etc) light shades of pink, pearly white, and mint. Sweet lolita accessories are usually very over the top, in order to reflect the fantasy theme of the lolita subculture. common accessories are crowns, stuffed animals, star and heart shaped bags as well as fruit shaped bags. shoes are usually flat, common ones are mary janes and tea party shoes in pastel colors. hairstyles in sweet lolita are very diverse. Some wear their hair curled, some wear pigtails and braids, and some prefer their hair left down. makeup is usually very light and neutral.

Baby the stars shine bright 2010 autumn collection

♡ lolita today ♡

Although lolita isn't as popular as it once was, it still exists. There are large lolita communities, online and in real life, and some of the brands are still open to this day. In recent years there has been a rising interest in japanese culture in the west. Whether it be through anime or manga, a lot are diving deeper into Japanese culture and fashion. I see lots of people online (typically young people) talking about Japanese street fashion, taking inspiration from fruits and other street fashion magazines, kawaii fashion, gyaru fashion and many more. I think that a part of our generation is trying desperately to go back to slow fashion. I see a lot of teenagers encouraging the consumption of second hand clothing and making things yourself. Maybe this mix of embracing Japanese culture and slow fashion will result in a lolita comeback. I feel like it's happening slowly, with the revival of Japanese street fashion as a whole.

References~

Gothic lolita- lolita wiki

What is Japanese kawaii culture?- the japanese shop

Lolita lifestyle- alternative fashion wiki

The Blog “Lolita tips” on tumblr

What is Otome kei- devilinspired

Classic lolita- lolita wiki

The history of lolita- the comm

History of sweet lolita-rebels market

Lolita fashion- wikipedia

Lace & petticoats by vysanthe pn YT

For pictures-

Lolitahistory.com

[thatgenderfluidmonstrosity]

Meme I made about my Tourettes :3

(Specifically because I’ll feel like I’m getting super hyper and/or happy, but in reality, I’ll just start ticking, it’s odd.)

[ID: A man holding his hand out towards a butterfly, with the text on him that says “Me”. The said butterfly is off to the side, a bit in front of him with text that says “The urge to tic”. Finally, white text on a black rectangle at the bottom of the image is a quote from the man extending his hand, saying “Is this an extreme emotion?” Talking about the butterfly. End ID]

[mangoshorthand]

No Hard Feelings- [Five Hargreeves x F Reader]. Ch9

SUMMARY: You're Five's latest assassination target, but things don't go to plan and now he wants you as his fuckbuddy. Funny how what we want and what we need are rarely in line. (Five's physically aged up). Obvious smut warning but there's plot too, I swear! Chapter One - Chapter Two - Chapter Three - Chapter Four - Chapter Five- Chapter Six - Chapter Seven - Chapter Eight - Chapter Nine - Chapter Ten - Chapter Eleven - Chapter Twelve

In this chapter: Back at the Academy, Five allows himself to be vulnerable.

This chapter is 90% smut so definitely proceed at your own risk

Chapter Nine: The Body

It was strange to go inside the place you'd only seen on TV before. Your memories of the Umbrella Academy's heyday were fuzzy, (of more interest to your childhood friends than you), but actually being there felt like stepping onto the set of one of those Nickelodeon sit-coms: real but unreal all at once. 

The atrium you entered by was almost overwhelmingly grand: even your deliberately stifled footsteps echoed on the marbled floor and off the high ceilings. Beside you, Five looked stealthily through the double doors into an equally opulent living area.

“Nobody there," he whispered, looking back at you.

But you were distracted, eyes fixed on the gallery above. The wall was covered in antique paintings of every size in grand gilt frames. There were fine, Romantic landscapes, dramatic geographies depicted in oils and watercolors; dotted here and there were portraits, their subjects late nineteenth century at most modern. Though mismatched, they gave the impression of an entire world glimpsed between marble pillars and mahogany columns.

Five’s hand rejoining yours brought you back to a sense of your situation.

“My Mom used to love those,” he said, pensively.

“They’re beautiful,” you whispered.  And then, haltingly, “I didn’t realize you had a Mom.”

“We didn’t exactly.” he murmured, “She was a hyper-realistic robot programmed to love and care for us.”

You laughed softly, assuming that this is his way of saying he didn’t like his mother. He changed the subject, not wanting to get into the whole: ‘no, seriously: a robot and a talking chimp were two of my most fundamental childhood relationships’ conversation.

"If you like those, you'll like this one even more.”

You could see him smirking even in the half-light, and he led you to the double doors he just peered through and gestured to a portrait over a mantle in there.

"I can't say I admire the subject, but the artist did a good job."

It was him as a child, still easily recognizable: the same eyes, long nose and arrogant expression, leaning with nonchalance on a leather couch. He looked sweet, but you could imagine only too easily the capacity for insolence on the cherubic face.

 You chuckled under your breath. 

"What?" he smiled, amused himself, "your Dad didn't commission oil paintings of you?"

"No,”  you snorted, “obviously I was neglected."

"So, what do you think?" he asked, smiling in anticipation of the invited jibe.

"You were a cute kid...but I think I prefer the original."

He gave a quiet hum of laughter and pulled you to him by the hand. He planted another sweet kiss on your lips, fingers combing your hair away from your face. 

When you broke apart, he drew you away from the living room and towards a passageway leading off the entrance hall. You cast a last, amused look at the smug-looking Five hung on the wall before you rounded the corner to a back staircase.

"Come on, my room's up here."

The stairwell walls were painted a deep red, and the staircase itself spiraled upwards in tight, dizzying rectangles. As he led you up the stairs, he continued to whisper:

"A lot of my family are here. Most of them tonight, actually. We're lucky there was nobody in the living room. It’s just me in the attic, thank God.”

“Why, you ashamed of me?” you asked, playfully.

“God no. More like ashamed of them . I want to avoid introducing you right now," he turned to you with a broad, brilliant smile, "I don't wanna scare you off.”

" You did your best to scare me off."

"True...yet here you are."

He closed his bedroom door quietly behind you both, switching on the light but still keeping his voice pitched low.

“Ignore the décor. I never got around to redecorating. And - shit, I didn’t think - it’s only a single bed.”

“Cozy,” you smiled.

The décor certainly was odd. In hues of blue, it was clearly a child’s room inhabited by a grown man…a grown man with a math fixation. 

The walls, decorated with a border of laughing illustrated children, were covered top to bottom with incomprehensible calculations, graphs and diagrams, chalked there in a hand you recognised from Five’s note about your TV. The shelf above his desk was stocked with toiletries: aftershave, cologne, antiperspirant, a razor and skincare, while a wicker box shoved underneath the desk was filled to the brim with old toy robots, racing cars and other childhood detritus. 

You gestured at the walls, “If you were worried about me thinking you’re insane, this hasn’t exactly helped.”

“Long story."

He helped you off with your jacket, and when you turned to murmur thanks, he didn't waste time. He threw your jacket over his closet door as he grabbed you around the waist, dipping you swainishly backwards for another, hungry kiss. You giggled as he set you back on your feet, and he continued to hold you, an eyebrow raised in suggestion. 

"So." you said, flirtatiously,

"So..." he repeated, stepping backwards, removing his waistcoat and throwing both it and his suit jacket over yours.

As he untucked his shirt, you reached out to stop him.

“Wait."

He’d undressed you too many times to count, most often wantonly and without care. Until now, he’d always stepped away to undress himself, usually leaving his shirt and pants on if he possibly could. Though he’d never told you that you couldn’t, you somehow sensed that undressing him had previously been off limits.

You approached him until you were face to face, and then, looking into his eyes, you held his cheek in the palm of your hand.

 Instinctively, it seemed, he stiffened, and so you withdrew your hand with a gentle smile. He liked to initiate touch, but being touched was different. 

His eyes held yours, all suavity gone, overwhelmed by unsureness. Something in them spoke to you. 

He looked back at you and he saw sympathy writ deep in every line of your face. It both confused and pacified him. He wasn't comfortable, but perhaps he wanted to be. Both of you could sense possibility in the air between you, the possibility of comfort and unbridled affection behind what remained of his barriers. 

Watching his reaction closely, you removed his loosened tie. 

He stayed still, tense, and you grazed your lips across his adam’s apple, fingers finding his open collar. When you began to unbutton the rest of his shirt, you could see gooseflesh erupting on his neck.

He spoke then, and his voice was raspy, as if it was an effort to talk. 

“I went so long without..." he said, by way of explanation. "and I feel all wrong like this," he finished, gesturing broadly at his body.

“Should I stop?”

“No…it's different. Maybe makes me feel less wrong.”

You kissed him then, gently stroking his neck. He stayed passive, eyes closed, letting go for once and surrendering himself to the arms of someone he could trust. 

You removed his shirt and traced your fingers gently down the line of hair that started beneath his chest, trailed past his navel and disappeared into his suit pants. You bent to skim and gently circle each of his nipples with your tongue. It made him start at first, but then he sighed softly with the sensation. 

When you raised your head, his eyes opened, and his dilating pupils met yours.

Telepathy passing between you in the capturing of his eyes, you unbuttoned his suit pants and pulled them down to just below his ass. Keeping your eyes on his and ready to stop at the slightest sign, you took the opportunity to stroke and fondle his asscheeks. The muscles there, beautifully firm and toned, relaxed as you cupped them. All the tension was starting to leave his body along your fingers’ path. 

“Five," you whispered, "do you know how hot you are?"

He smiled lazily and closed his eyes again. Your whisper against his skin raised all the fine hairs on the back of his neck.

"You're hot inside," (you kissed his chest), "outside," (you kissed his collarbone), "hot however you are."

You slid a hand to cup his package through his underwear. He made a small noise, spreading his thighs as far as his pants would allow, giving you access to his balls. You stroked him like this for a few moments, the heel of your hand massaging his straining dick and the length of your fingers gently cupping his balls. He hummed pleasurably as the tips of your fingers grazed his taint.

"Who's hot Five?" you asked.

"I'm hot," he whispered. He sounded unsure: vulnerable.

You kissed his mouth deeply and then stepped away from him.

“You’ll have to do the rest.”

You sat down on his bed and began to undress yourself. Five, back to earth, seemed surprised and flustered at finding himself in this predicament. He tripped over his lowered trousers as he tried to remove his shoes, but after he dropped down onto the bed and kicked them off, he made short work of his trousers and underwear.

You shuffled your naked body onto the bed properly, propping yourself up on your elbows. As, from all fours, he positioned himself astride you, finally totally naked.

“Hi Daddy,” you purred, eyes glinting.

He smiled back.

“Hello dear one.”

You glowed with the open, frank way he spoke the endearment, and you leaned into him as he kissed you again. He opened your mouth with his and caressed you with his tongue; it glided softly over yours before submitting to your tongue’s answering movements. Tasting him again was bliss; every second away from his lips was too long, and you moaned quietly into his mouth as they were reunited with yours.

"Beautiful." he whispered, breaking away and stroking your cheek.

You opened your thighs and fell into a recline onto the pillow. At his whispered request, you consented gladly, and he entered you almost immediately, wanting connection more than foreplay. He sighed out a contented, outward breath and, holding you tightly, slipped through your wetness with the steady, firm pace that he liked: that you both liked.

His body and yours moved together in a flowing, undulating song. Your sighs commingled and your hands drifted, for once, all over his body. The muscles of his back were unexplored terrain, and they rippled beneath your fingers along with his movement, surprising you with their firm strength. His warmth permeated your hands and, to him, your cool touch felt like relief;  like a cool cloth on a fevered brow. 

He lowered himself, not missing a stroke; first to kiss you, and then to caress your breasts. His fingers circled each areolae, each nipple. His palms gently cupped their weight.

“They’re so soft.” he whispered, as if he’d never touched them before.

You wrapped your legs around him and rocked in time with his thrusts. He made a small, throaty noise and lowered his mouth to a nipple, swirling his tongue and giving it an experimental graze with his teeth. The unexpected pleasure made your hips buck into his.

“Feel good?”

“Y-yes,” you whimpered, softly as his dick rubbed that sweet spot deep inside again and again.

He lowered his mouth once more, alternately licking, sucking and softly biting your nipple. You gasped and bucked with increasing intensity, and he responded to your little hisses of pleasure and mild pain, his thrusts became more rapid the more turned on it made him.

You looked into his eyes with his mouth around you, and he looked back with an expression of such lust and softness that you couldn’t tear your eyes away. His hips were becoming less graceful, your upward grind less fluid. Though your coupling became less harmonic as the intensity built, the eye contact tethered you together in these seconds; each one a finely detailed, piercing point in time.

That night, for the first time, you came together. The wild movement of your pelvis in response to his dick and his ever-increasing bites got him to the edge, and it only took him a few touches to your excited clit to bring you both crashing over the precipice together.

He sounded pained as he came, unable to stop moaning out loud despite the need for more quiet than usual. He stifled it by pressing his mouth against your breast again, instead moaning into your skin. Your breathing, ragged and gasping, stayed mercifully quiet.

When he slowed and stopped his thrusts, he took a few moments to catch his breath.

“That was...,” but he never finished, the words failing him. Instead, he asked: “Is your nipple okay?”

“Yeah,” you said, looking down at it,“Stings a little.”

He noticed its redness and bent to kiss it better. Then, relaxing, he came to spoon you, folding his arms around you. 

The closeness was exquisite; like floating together. The mingled scents of his body, sex, and cologne filled your senses. 

You knew you needed to wash, but it was too nice. It was too relaxing, feeling Five’s gentle strokes up and down your waist and hips with the back of a light hand. 

“Was that good for you?” he whispered.

“You know it was perfect,” you replied. 

He chuckled, glowing with your implied praise, with the things you said as you undressed him. It was good, so good to be lying in his bed and no longer be trying to explain away the way he felt. What sort of idiot was he to have fought it so long? He could have had weeks, months of this already if he hadn’t been so deluded. 

He continued drifting his fingers up and down your body, liking the gooseflesh he was raising on your skin and your breathing getting deeper and deeper.

Your eyes started to grow heavy.

But at least part of Five, it seemed, had ideas beyond sleep. As the minutes went on, you started to feel something hard developing between you, and then Five shifted and his erection was suddenly nestled between your asscheeks.

“Someone’s awake,” you remarked and he nuzzled the back of your neck.

“Mmhm. I used to be able to crank one out and that was me sorted for the foreseeable future. Now I’m stuck in this body, it doesn’t want to quit until I’m worn out.”

“Oh poor you.”

“Yes. A miniscule refractory period is one of the many burdens I bear without complaint.”

“You’re a hero,” you said, as he rubbed himself between your cheeks, suggestively, “but I’m a little too tired. I think it’s the Bordeaux.”

He made a sad little noise.

“Feel free to jerk off,” you said, a hint of humor in your voice. 

“When you’re here, and my bed is so tiny?” he said, wheedling, but only slightly.

You chuckled and shook your head, but then an idea occurred to you: “Maybe I want to watch you take care of yourself.”

“I’m listening.” 

“I can lie here and you can put on a show for me. Nothing hotter than a self-sufficient man.”

“Mmm…” he said, considering, “ok, I’ll bite.” 

He stood and moved his desk chair into place beside the bed.

“You gotta at least show me some titty though.”

You laughed as you threw back the blankets to expose them for him. 

Sitting on the chair, he began to stroke himself, eyes flicking between your face and breasts, and lingering on both in turn. 

His thumb gently caressed the head of his cock, occasionally pausing to focus on stroking the slit. He flicked his wrist in a practiced way, looking down at you as he did so. He watched you as you watched him, taking a little stretch of time to appreciate his body; the strength obvious in his toned but modest physique. His forearms, (the right flexed as he gripped his arousal), his softly defined pectorals, and his supple abdomen trailed with delicate hair.

Being watched this way was clearly heightening his experience, and he shifted his ass forward in order to deepen his lean back into the chair. His right hand came to cup his balls experimentally, weighing them in his hand and stroking himself faster.

“Slow down there,” you chided, gently, “it’s not a race. I want to watch you really enjoy yourself.”

He nodded and smiled slightly self-consciously. He slowed his left hand and returned his attention to his balls, no longer cupping, but rubbing them with an open palm. He threw his head back and shifted his ass forward again, almost horizontal on the chair now. His longest finger began to dip lower on his balls, grazing his perineum.

“What are you thinking about Five?”

“You.”

“The time I ate your ass?” 

He nodded, looking a little surprised. 

“I can tell.”

“How?”

You looked down at his right hand pointedly.

“By where that finger’s going.”

He grinned and abandoned pretense. He was rubbing his taint in earnest now, finger occasionally dipping a little bit to stroke his tight hole. The hand pumping his dick sped up slightly as his arousal grew. Gradually, he left his balls behind and exclusively stroked below them, letting out little shuddering breaths.

Then, he stopped and abruptly threw himself off the chair and onto his knees on the floor.

“What are you-”

But he’d already pulled a small box out from beneath the bed. From inside, he retrieved a large dispenser of lube. He looked up at you from the floor, and his expression was almost embarrassed, like a boy caught in wrongdoing, but for the smile you could see through it. 

“Interesting,” you said, encouraging him with your approval. 

This time, when he retook his position, he put both feet on the bed and reclined even deeper into the chair. Covering the fingers of one hand generously with pumps of lube, he rubbed it around his asshole, letting out a little hiss as he did so.

Now, slick with lube and eyes fluttering closed, one of hands regripped his cock, and the other gently played with the tight furl of his asshole.  He tapped at his hole with his index finger, applying darting pressure with which to start stretching and teasing himself, entering only as far as his fingernail.

“You’re looser than when I tried.”

“I’ve been practicing,” he whispered. 

His hair was starting to break free from its neat sweep, flopping into his eyes. His face was infused with a slight blush, his expression tight.  You were torn then, between watching him pleasure himself and watching his face: the former would have been the only thing you could dream of viewing, were the latter not before you. For all the strength you knew he possessed, his face was the picture of fragile beauty.

Soon, he was in up to the first knuckle, the strokes to his dick becoming more pronounced the deeper he went. When in to his full fingers’ length, he pulled it fully out again, slowly. He moaned at the sensation, his asshole contracting with relief, before invading himself again fully. He squeaked quietly, apparently hitting the right spot. 

“Good?”

“Nggh…”

Words were beyond him, he was too busy stroking, prodding and circling the engorged sweet spot inside him.

“Mmph!”

As his dick leaked a little milky fluid, his right hand seemed to remember what it was here to do, and he jerked himself again, hard, no longer any concern for drawing it out. His hips rose off the edge of the chair as he fingered himself vigorously- in a way you were surprised he could stand this soon, especially after being so tight when you’d explored those regions. 

Yet, with his finger at its deepest on the downstroke of his dick, his toes curled on the bed frame as he fucked himself hard and fast. His moans sounded almost like tiny, desperate sobs the more he tried to stifle them.

His neck tensed. He threw his head back,  eyebrows raising high and mouth falling open. With every stroke, his breathing became more heavy, more wobbly.

He let out a single, throaty ‘Ah’ ,  and suddenly his face contracted, mouth closing tight. His teeth dug white crescents into his lower lip. His face could have been screwed in lines of pain but for his grunts and flushed cheeks.

His dick finally exploded as he bucked his hips up and down, alternately pressing his dick and prostate harder into his fist and finger.He came in torrents, surprising given that this was his second round;  sticky, glistening fluid flooding onto his belly as he groaned, deeply now. 

When finally done, he removed his finger with a little ‘haah’. 

Spent, his body at last relaxed into the chair.

“That looked fun.”

“Sure was.” he said, breathlessly,  his voice still thick with receding pleasure, “I felt that one all over me.”

“You think you’ve put your dick to bed now?”

“Definitely.”

 After showers for which Five blinked you both directly into the bathroom and back, you returned to his too-small bed. Pressed together, he held you, his warm hands stroking idly where he touched.

 As you drifted off to sleep, you realized that this might be the place you felt safest in this world. In his attic room, in his arms.

Tag list: (lmk if you want to join) @dilfjohhny , @sunsunhe, @w4stedtr4sh,@nevbrooke-555

Masterpost

Alternatively, join me on A03.  Here is a link to the whole series

[demifiendrsa]

Stellar Blade - New Gameplay Overview

Stellar Blade will launch for PlayStation 5 on April 26, 2024.

Pre-orders will open on February 7, 2024. The standard edition will cost $69.99 / £69.99 / €79.99 / ¥8,980, and the Digital Deluxe edition will cost $79.99 / £79.99 / €89.99 / ¥9,980.

Key visuals

Latest details

The Story of Eve’s journey

Stellar Blade follows the journey of Eve, a warrior who descends from an off-world Colony to defeat the Naytibas, humanity’s enemy that suddenly emerged on Earth. The Naytibas appear to be attacking the human race at the will of a higher entity composed of Alpha and an Elder, but no one really knows about their origin.

The protagonist, Eve, finds herself in a devastated world where she meets Adam, a survivor left on Earth, and Lily, a member of a previous airborne squad. Together they join forces in battle against the Naytibas. Along the way, Eve’s party works with the surviving citizens gathered in the last human city, Xion.

The World of Stellar Blade

Xion is connected to a semi-open world region called the Wasteland and the Great Desert, which harbor many secrets. You get to cross paths with many different people and go on adventures in these vast fields to fulfill Eve’s goals while also helping the citizens of Xion. One of the missions involves gathering Hyper Cells, which are a massive source of energy sustaining Xion. These cells lie dormant throughout the fields, and Eve retrieves these Hyper Cells to turn Xion back to its original glory. This leads her to meet more characters along the way.

Throughout her adventures, you will pick up items like Exospines or Gears as well as acquire SP EXP which unlocks powerful skills. You can also acquire various cosmetics, such as costumes, accessories, and hairstyles.

Players will hear a wide of variety of music while exploring in Stellar Blade. From relaxing tunes at the camp to music that captures the poignancy of a ruined city. Almost all the songs have choruses and vocals, which will immerse you into the world of Stellar Blade.

—Stellar Blade makes use of the DualSense controller’s haptics and adaptive triggers to immerse players.

Pre-Order Details

In addition to our launch date, we are excited to share your options for experiencing Stellar Blade. Pre-orders will open on February 7 at all participating retailers, PlayStation Store, and direct.playstation.com. Preorders will go live at 7:00 a.m. PT / 10:00 a.m. ET in the United States on February 7. Players who preorder any version of Stellar Blade will receive an early unlock of “Planet Diving Suit” for Eve, “Classic Round Glasses” for Eve, and “Ear Armor Earrings” for Eve.

Get your hands on the standard edition of Stellar Blade for $69.99 / £69.99 / €79.99 / ¥8,980 MSRP. There will also be a Digital Deluxe Edition of the game.

The Digital Deluxe edition of Stellar Blade ($79.99 / £79.99 / €89.99 / ¥9,980 MSRP) will include the game, all the preorder incentives, as well as Stargazer Suit for Eve, Stargazer Wear for Adam, Stargazer Coat for Lily, Half-Rim Glasses for Eve, Quadruple Rectangle Earrings for Eve, Stargazer Pack for the Drone, 2,000 SP EXP and 5,000 Gold in-game currency to help you on your quest to reclaim Earth.

[yurideification]

somewhat funny bug that i'm too lazy to fix

apparently. for whatever fucking reason. when you're on this startscreen, the code that tells enemies to move on the screen keeps updating even when there aren't any enemies

which normally isn't an issue because it takes like 2+ minutes for enemies to hit the bottom of the screen. and even then typically you have no reason to idle so even now when i have enemy speed set to 50x the normal for testing purposes if you click within 2-3 seconds or so you'll just get a standard game

HOWEVER. if you wait like, i dont know, 30 seconds? at this hyper-accelerated speed what will happen is, the enemies will move down, and then, since the game state isn't expecting enemy movement yet and so isn't checking for if enemies are colliding with the bottom of the screen yet, what'll happen is that they'll just go straight down through it and continue basically into infinity, and since the rectangle i use to check for collision at the bottom doesn't extend infinitely downwards (because that'd be stupid)

you'll be left with this when entering the game

a completely blank screen. no enemies, nothing happening. you can move of course. you can even shoot. but this will be it until you press r to reset the game or restart it completely. genuinely somewhat eerie

[five-rivers]

Ancestral 9

“So.  Aconite?” asked Danny during a lull in the stream of treatments and tests.  “Isn’t that wolfsbane?”

"Yes," said the doctor, looking rather nervously at Matthew.  

At least, Danny thought she was looking at Matthew.  His vision was still kind of blurry, a reasonable side-effect of having poison splashed into them.  She could have been looking at the family in general, all of whom were squeezed into the room.  Apparently, as long as they stayed out of the way of the doctors, it was best for security purposes to have them all together.

“Both the tests on what was recovered from you and what was recovered from the cup indicate that the wine was dosed with massive amounts of aconite, and your symptoms match.  It’s a very, hm, traditional poison, so treatment is well known.  We’re monitoring both your blood pressure and your heart rate, and you’ve been given an activated charcoal treatment and atropine.”  She paused.  “You seem to be recovering, although your heart rate is still much lower than we’d like.  I’m actually surprised you’re still conscious…”

“That’s normal for Danny, now,” said Jack.  “Well, maybe not this low, but his heartbeat is pretty slow all the time, now.”

“It isn’t in his medical records,” said the doctor.

“Had him checked back in the US.  I guess it never made it here.”

“We had other concerns at the time, Jack,” said Maddie from where she was sitting in a chair next to Danny’s bed.

Oh, yeah, Danny had the impression he was missing a metric ton of significant looks.  

“Well,” said Danny, “I feel… not great, but okay?  Like, my skin is still pretty numb, kind of like when you get an anesthetic from the dentist.”

There were, however, significant looks that Danny wasn’t missing.  Apparently, he wasn’t seeing the ghosts with his physical eyes, but with something else, because they stood out sharply from their blurry surroundings.  Right now, they were looking at him like Jazz did, when he said he wasn’t hurt after a fight.  

Really, he was fine.  Spooked, but fine.  

(In some ways, it was sort of a relief to know that he was human enough to be affected by poison.  Being half dead had a tendency to make you hyper aware of your own mortality and dubious of it at the same time.)

“But, back to it being wolfsbane.  Why wolfsbane?  You’d have found that if that was why everyone else…  I mean, they don’t think you’re a werewolf or something, do they?  Is that a thing?”

Matthew sighed.  “No, I’m not a werewolf.”  Another sigh.  “Unfortunately.  I’d love to only have to worry about wolfsbane and silver”

“No, that’s not what’s going on,” said Maddie.

“So what is going on?  I think I deserve to know, having been almost killed and all.  Are you going to try again with the coronation?  And- And has anyone found Vivian yet?”  He tried to send an apologetic expression Vivian’s way, for using her as a conversation pivot.

“Doctor Hys,” said Matthew.  “This discussion is about to touch on both family matters and those of state, so if you can continue your monitoring else where…?”

“Of course, your highness.  May God and the ancestors bless you.”  Danny saw the door, briefly, as a rectangle of slightly dimmer light, and then the doctor closed it behind herself, and the family was alone.  

“The Assembly is discussing regency,” said Joanna.  

“Which they really should have since the beginning,” added Eugene.

Danny wasn’t so sure of that.  He wasn’t clear on all the details, but regents had fewer powers than a sitting monarch.  They couldn’t change throne policies - like the one about approval of foreign businesses, Danny realized - or appoint new Secretaries - which would leave the Speaker hearing spy reports.  Great-Grandma Rose had been Alfred’s King’s Secretary.

Other countries would probably have a conniption about the conflict of interest.

“It makes more sense than declaring one of us king or queen without the trials,” agreed Joanna.  “They were set on it, but now they think the poisoning is a… bad omen.”  There was a guilty sort of satisfaction in her tone.  

Maddie scoffed.  “Can you not?” she asked.  “Here, with my son seriously injured, can we discuss this like rational human beings who live in this century?”

“If we were dealing with rational human beings,” said Irene, “we would.  But a person willing to commit so many murders isn’t rational.  Nor are… humans in general.”

“Mom,” said George.  

“I want to know about Vivian as well,” said Jazz.  “There has to be something about where she went.”

“The investigation there is ongoing,” said Matthew.  “For the rest of Danny’s questions… To start at the beginning, you wouldn’t know this, but in the very distant past, there was a legend that members of the royal family with the favor of the spirits and the ancestors were immune to wolfsbane poisoning.  So, of course, any member of the royal family who was successfully poisoned didn’t have their favor.”  His blurry form made a shrugging motion.  “It’s been discredited nearly that long - there were herbalists back then who were occasionally able to use belladona to counter some of the effects of aconite poisoning - but that particular method of assassination has become traditional for signaling certain grievances.”

“Did Lord Kyppe have those grievances?” asked Iris, darkly.  

“He’s maintaining that he had no idea.  Which, considering his position, is very nearly as bad,” said Matthew.  “Even if he turns out to be innocent, the traditionalist faction will be out for his blood.”

“Ha!” exclaimed Jack.  “Forget them!  Maddie and I are out for his blood!”

“We’ll keep that in mind,” said Matthew, dryly.  “And, then… You are right that we’d be able to tell if- if everyone else died of aconite poisoning.  It decays quickly, but not that quickly.”  He shook his head.  “We–”

He was interrupted by a phone ringtone, a high-pitched electronic version of the Avlynyse national anthem.  

“Hello?” answered Sophia tremulously.  There was some shifting as she moved through the room.  “Alright,” she said, voice already cracked and tearful.  “I’m sitting down.”  There was a beat, and then Sophia made a high, keening sound.  

“Mom?  What-  What’s wrong?”

Another phone started to ring (still with the national anthem, but a slightly more traditional version), and Matthew swore.  “What?” he snapped.  “Oh, God.  Are you sure it’s her?  Yes.  Yes.  We’ll make the announcement… shortly.”  Matthew took a deep breath and closed his phone with a snap.  “They found Vivian’s body.”  

There was quiet.  Danny was sure everyone had already at least suspected that Vivian was dead.  Having it confirmed was something different.  

“Oh,” said Leo, weakly.  “Oh.  Do they… do they know how…?”

“You don’t want to–” started Matthew.  

“She’s my sister.”

Matthew exhaled slowly.  “She was beaten to death.  They stole her Key and the Lesser Seal.”  He inhaled again, loud enough to be heard.  “We’re going to need to make a public statement.  And–”  His phone tweedled.  “And the Assembly wants to have a special session to hash out a regency decision, and–” another tweedle, “and, ancestors.”  More tweedles.  “It’s going to be never ending.  My family is dying, and–”  He fell silent.  

“Matthew?” asked Irene from the same general area Sophia was in.  Were they hugging?  Maybe?  “What’s wrong?”

“Investigation just found that someone replaced the contents of Grandma’s capsule pills with nitroglycerin,” said Matthew, tersely.  “Matches with her symptoms… heart stopped, but not the other signs of anaphylaxis, darn it.”

“That’s… three different causes of death, isn’t it?” asked Jazz, thinly.  “Four different methods, if you count the wolfsbane.  That’s unusual, isn’t it?”

“I don’t know,” said Matthew.  “It could be six, for all I–  Nevermind that.  We need to get back to Kyr Argyn, for the special session, and ‘figure out what the future will look like.’”

“We who?” asked George.  

“Adults,” said Matthew.  “Anyone eligible for regency.”

“Not me, then,” said Eugene.  

“You, too,” said Matthew.  “Just because some idiots in the newspapers called you a bastard a few times doesn’t mean you aren’t perfectly legitimate, legally speaking.”  

“Wait, what do you mean I’m legitimate?  I thought–”

“You can’t expect me to leave Danny,” interrupted Maddie.  “He was just poisoned.”

“Legally, everyone currently in the country–”

“I can stay, Mads,” said Jack.  “Me’n Jazz’ll hold down the fort with Danny here.”

“We really do need you to come,” said Matthew.

“Fine,” said Maddie.  “Danny, I–”

“It’s okay, Mom.  I’ll be fine.  I am fine.”  

Maddie patted his hand.  “We’ll have to disagree on that.  Jazz, if you notice anything unusual, let your father and the doctors know right away.  And– Who from security will be staying with them?”

Matthew rattled off a list of names that Danny instantly forgot.  

“Right,” said Maddie.  “Let them know, too.  Danny, just… try to be safe.”

Well.  Ouch.  Danny would have everyone know that he always tried to be safe.  And careful.  And a lot of other things.

It took a few most of a half an hour for everyone to move out.  Apparently they had to coordinate with the security team, get everything lined up beforehand, etcetera.  

“I think,” said Danny, “that I’m in shock.  Emotionally speaking.”

“That makes all of us,” said Jazz.

.

Jazz couldn't give him the kit until they were alone and Jack had dozed off.  

"Security took me back to the house to get some of your clothes and things.  You're going to have to help me, though.  I don't know what's best for poisoning."

Neither did Danny, really.  Surprisingly, poison, contact or otherwise, wasn't something he had to deal with all that often.  Except for blood blossoms… and whatever was in Vlad’s stupid knockout gas, and those spiders that one time… did Spectra’s weird ghost mosquitoes count as poison?

Next chance they got, Team Phantom would have to look into poison remedies.  

“Energy tablet for now,” said Danny.  “Then, um.  The little jar of eyewash.”  The eyewash was a dilute solution of ectoplasm and salt, usually used for eye injuries, or the irritation that he sometimes got from his eyes deciding to be flashlights, but it could help. It’d be nice to be able to focus his eyes again.

Jazz passed over the tablets almost immediately.  The eyewash, however…

Danny sniffed at the jar.  “This isn’t the eyewash.”  It was, in fact, the blood blossom cream.  After a few additional natural portal related journeys, Danny had found that while just being near blood blossoms in ghost form was agony, touching them in human form gave him a nasty, itching rash.  And hives.  And… And there was a thought there, but it wouldn’t come loose.  

“It’s the only jar you have,” said Jazz.  

Danny frowned.  “Oh,” he said.  “I might have…  Not brought the eyewash, I guess.”

“Why?”

“It’s liquid.  You’re not supposed to bring liquids on planes.”

“We had a private charter flight.”

“I didn’t know that when I packed.”  He handed the cream back to her and chewed on the energy tablet.  Ecto-dejecto and weird dehydrated orange juice powder.  Yum.  

Not.  

“I brought something else as well,” said Jazz, pulling something small and square from her purse and unfolding it.  

Danny squinted.  “Jazz,” he said, his whisper dripping with as much disappointment as he could squeeze in, “is that a ouija board?”

“I thought it could help with, you know.”  She leaned in, and if the only witness wasn’t dead asleep, she would have definitely given them away.  “With communicating with your invisible friends.”

“Can we not say things that make me sound crazy?” asked Danny.  “And I know you can’t be serious.  Ouija boards are trademarked by Hasbro.  Nothing trademarked by Hasbro can possibly be spiritual.”

“I don’t mean like that,” said Jazz.  “I mean, regardless of what it’s supposed to be used for, it’s still got the alphabet on it.  If the ghosts here can’t write anything out, they can at least point and you can read what they’re saying.”

Good idea, except… “I can barely see, Jazz.  Everything is little blobs of color.”

“Okay,” said Jazz, “but you can still see well enough to point where they’re pointing, right?”

“Well… yeah.  I can see them pretty well, actually.”

“Great,” said Jazz.  “Then, I’ll read off what you’re pointing at, okay?”

Danny looked up at Gwensyvyr, who shrugged, then nodded.  “Okay, yeah.”

“Then let’s start with Vivian–”

“She’s not here.”

“What?”  

“She went with Aunt Sophia and Lewis and Leo.”

“Oh.  Well.  That makes sense.  Who’s here, then?”

“Uh,” said Danny.  “A whole bunch of people.  And Gwensyvyr.”

Silence.  

“As in, the founder–” started Jazz.

“Of Avlynys Gwensyvyr?” they finished together.  

“Yeah, that Gwensyvyr,” said Danny.  

“Okay.  Um.  Nice to meet you…?”  Jazz paused for a long moment.  “This is really weird.  Did you see who tried to poison Matthew?”

Danny followed Gwensyvyr’s finger.  

“Hm,” said Jazz.  “That’s a yes.  Do you know their name?”

Gwensyvyr shifted.  

“No.  So.  That’s too bad.  Anyone else here know their name?”.

.

Matthew’s would-be poisoner, as it turned out, was a young, red-headed man with a press badge that said his name was Wallace Hadryn.  Right before the ceremony, he’d had a quick interview with the Cupbearer, and dropped two pills into the cup while distracting the Cupbearer ‘masterfully’ in the words of one of the ghosts.  

The pills had been red.  All but invisible against the dark wine.  They’d dissolved slowly, and the Cupbearer’s high-tech tests and traditional sip hadn’t affected him.  

“At least,” said Jazz, “not at the time.  I wonder if he might start feeling some symptoms anyway.”

Before that, none of the ghosts had been particularly paying attention to the young man, so they didn’t know who he’d talked to before, if anyone.  

As for who had killed the others…  The ghosts had no real idea.  They’d been repelled from the area, and had only seen ‘suspicious figures’ at a distance.  If that.  

That was bad.  It was very bad that whoever did this knew the ghosts were there and could get rid of them.  Or that whoever had killed them had coincidentally stumbled on something that could banish ghosts.  Even if they were weak ghosts.  

Gwensyvyr had suspicions, though.

There have always been those who seek to tear power from this land and all kinds of people leave ghosts, Gwensyvyr had picked out, letter by letter.  I fear this is a plan long brewed.  We have been growing weaker for some time, even before your grandfather’s death.  Cut off from allies.  Many of my kin have only woken for this latest tragedy, and will sleep again, perhaps forever, and some sleep still.  No hope for the future.  

At least, that's what Danny and Jazz had eventually puzzled out.  Wonderful their ancestor might be, it was clear she'd never practiced the art of spelling.  In any language.  

“You think the ones doing this are ghosts?” asked Danny.  

Perhaps.  Or they are guided by ghosts.  Look to the death of your grandfather, of your grandmother.  Look at those who preach progress and stability, but only think of paper gold.  She bared her teeth.  Look at their corporations and businesses.  These worms in the Assembly.  I call especially for you to look on Julius Skippa.  His father brought in that vile construction business.

“But why would they do it?” asked Jazz.  “Apart from the usual mundane reasons, I mean.  It seems like all they’d have to do is wait.”

There are sacred things our family has long been charged with, older than this kingdom.  Things that have been desecrated and not restored.  Things that I may not speak of.  Your grandfather was the last to attempt the trials.  Vyvyan was preparing for them.  

“They would have noticed something,” said Danny.  “Or the trials would have fixed some of it.”

Gwensyvyr nodded and pointed at yes.  I think, too, that the monsters wish to return.  To take more than what they have taken already.  Thus the seal.  Thus the key.  Would that I were stronger!  I would tear them to shreds if they tried.  

“But Matthew wasn’t going to do the trials,” said Jazz.  “Not right away, at least, and with everything else, it would have been easy to distract him from ever taking them.”

But Mathyw denied them.  On the phone, and later, in the halls of Kyr Argyn.  And I am not certain sure that we face only one enemy.

A ghost phased through the wall and made gestures at Gwensyvyr, who nodded.  

Keep safe, little syvyrys.  The title - applied to both him and Jazz - made Danny blink, then flush.  His numbness must be getting better, for him to feel that.  With you here, there is hope for the future after all.  Then Gwensyvyr took a step back from the board and made a closing motion with her hand.  

Jazz hastily closed and put away the ouija board.  Just in time.  Matthew had returned.  

“Jazz, Danny, how are you?”

“Fine,” said Danny.  

“As well as can be expected,” said Jazz.

Matthew smiled tightly.  “Jack,” he said.  “Maddie wants to talk to you.  Jack!”  He nudged Jack’s shoulder.  

“Whazzat?”

“Maddie wants to talk to you.”

“Alright, then,” said Jack.  “Will you–”

“I’ll watch the kids, yes.”

“Okay!  Stay safe, kids!”

“That was fast,” commented Jazz.  

“It didn’t seem that way,” said Matthew.  “You two didn’t realize there were monitored security cameras in here, did you?”

Danny’s heart leapt into his throat.  From the way Jazz froze, he suspected hers had done the same.  

It made sense that there would be, of course.  In retrospect, security wouldn’t have left them alone like this otherwise, but that meant…

“How long,” asked Matthew, voice trembling with some emotion Danny couldn’t place, “have you been a syvyr?”

[thenightlymirror]

Long Legs is the best horror movie l've seen since Hereditary. Not quite that good, but unmatched.

I was watching the Nicole Kidman AMC intro, thinking, I wish someone would parody this with a face as horrifying as hers really is, and it's like they read my mind.

Basically, it won me immediately. The beginning was excellent. There were certain moments when I was so so glad I saw it in a theater four rows from the front.

There's flaws haha. But not due to lack of originality or all the things I usually hate. Just immediately metaphysically scary. And it goes back into it, in and out, masterfully. It hits that spot. Dream time.

Honestly, I misunderstood who directed it while I was watching it. I thought it was whoever directed Barbarian (Whitest Kids You Know guy Zach Cregger.) Because there is a section of Barbarian that is very psychedelic, and I felt like this was an expansion of that moment to an entire film.

Certain parts actually brought to mind The Blackcoat's Daughter, but I didn’t know.

All these horror films on the periphery of greatness just have to shed their exoskeleton of nostalgia, and they will really be something. Can something be about memory and not about nostalgia? Yeah. The touchstones of time and decade in this film were trying to do something, but they mostly seemed superfluous to me. It’s the way it uncannily evoked memory and such sharp transitions in consciousness that were really incredible.

I had to sit in the car for a while afterwards because I just felt entirely too high to drive. There is a red screen for a long time early in the film, and I saw a hyper-saturated Stygian blue after image which was amazing. The entire screen. The scene where the detectives investigate the house in that very wide exterior shot felt so intensely lucid wherever their flashlights touched.

I wasn’t stoned. I think if I saw this a second time, I might have a totally different reaction, or the more I thought about it, certain things would feel like misses to me. But I feel like the organ of the mind is soft delicate tissue that bruises easily and is sensitive to the angelic language haha, to magic, only once.

Maybe I don’t understand what aesthetics are, but I feel like that experience, the phenomenology of intense metaphysical experience, more than beauty or pathos alone, is important. What would be the best way to frame this? I feel like a lot of the transcendental experiences I am often trying to describe are aesthetic experiences and are in some sense enabled or evoked by beauty, let’s call it vulgar beauty, sometimes sublimity. But you’re really missing something if that’s all you imagine I’m describing. There are leaps in the quality of consciousness, and the feeling of being here, when life passing through the aperture of now becomes italicized. And that is what this movie is about. It’s closer to The Tree of Life than Hereditary. For children who had night terrors. Haha which was me.

It also really brings home an anxiety that I have sometimes mentioned about fucking aspect ratios! Which is that they are insanely important to the sometimes very delicate metaphysical language of a given film. You can’t just turn a full frame movie into a standardized squashed rectangle. Because some films are about apophatic theology without saying so. They only say: something is out of frame. And what is framed like so, and not framed like so, is the spirit. In a more scientific framing, negative capability is invoked. Totality is suggested by form alone, and if you fuck with it because it’s just not something you’re sensitive to because you live in a society obsessed with quantities, not qualities, you’re just ignorantly trampling on something quite serious. Electricity before wires.

[kokoasci]

23, 4, 17, 1, 2

23. what's something you hope people notice when looking at your art

i love love loveee putting metaphors and detail into my stuff, so when ppl catch it it makes me super happy :D

4. favorite thing to draw

clothing AUUGHH i love drawing weight and folds sm

17. what do you love getting compliments about

gahh i really like the hyper specific compliments. multiple ppl have written essays in tags and stuff abt texture or metaphor and im like??? wow??? thank you?? it feels so special :D

how would you describe your style

plastic wrapped ghibli vibes

at least, thats what im going for 😭 if it feels nostalgic then im succeeding :D

2. what's your favorite thing about your style

dang. hmm. i like the hard highlights in each piece (like, those big white rectangle highlights on top of everything) :D i really really love how highlights look in art which is why i do it, and it makes me feel like im getting to the artstyle ive always wanted :)