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corpsentry · 4 years ago

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january: an art retrospective

i did some stuff last month (but it’s a lot of stuff and there’s a photodump + some Serious Fucking Reflection, so it’s all below the cut)

so ok, let’s start with this. here are some heads. each head has a red arrow. that red arrow is what i call the red line of the devil. it’s the slope of the face from the side of the eye to the cheekbone and then down towards the chin. up until like 2 weeks ago, i couldn’t draw it. i couldn’t fucking draw it. i would edit over that part of the face over and over again until i was frustrated and tired and i had a raging homosexual headache and it still never looked right. notice that each head is different. notice that each head looks wrong.

at the start of 2021 i finally admitted to myself, as per the image above, that i was deeply, deeply unhappy with my art. what was the problem? i dunno. but i decided i was going to fix it and i was going to do so via another one scribble a day event wherein for every day of january i would find a photo of a human head, and i would draw it.

january 1st, 2021. i was embarrassed to tweet this even on my private account where like 5 friends and a rock would see it. in retrospect, you can also see all of my bad habits emerging like dicks from a hole in the ground. it’s disproportionate. the brows look flat. the eyes are slanting upwards. the entire drawing looks flat, like this isn’t a 3d person but a caricature of one.

january 2nd, 3rd, 4th:

on the 2nd i decided to start a separate thread for doodles and applied learning. here’s the first set of tests

the rest of the week is kind of uneventful so we’re going to skip those. fast forward to january 11th

this one is especially bad. i am acutely aware, suddenly, that i am not changing anything at all. i’m stressed and miserable about it because i’m still trying to see people as people and trying to draw people that look attractive and proportionate and hot. my friend, leny, reminds me that i need to think about faces in terms of planes. i have a moment. my other friend masha sends me some links to anatomy tutorials. i have another moment.

january 11th. applied sketch

january 13th is when i start the troubleshooting process. the link above drives me mad because i’m pretty happy with the face but then i realize that there’s something very fucking wrong with the shape of the head LOL and then i realize that i’ve never had any idea what the proportion of the face to the rest of the skull is so i grit my teeth and i open a new canvas and i

bald studies. it seemed like the right thing to do. can’t draw heads? ok draw some heads. look at some photographs. i traced each photo but tried to stick to straight lines so that i could replicate the shapes more easily. i broke each face down into shapes. i thought about airplanes

i got really excited. i started doing studies, then applied studies, then stylized studies.

sketches. i’m not sure what’s going on (as always) and it’s very rough, but they look different from the sketches i did on january 2nd. that’s a start

january 16th’s daily study. looks more like a person now. juuuuuust a bit

more applied studies

on the 18th i take a break and go stare at some lips because i don’t understand how the fuck they work. again, i focus on shapes, on volume, on the fact that these things exist in 3d. holy fuck lips exist in 3d. holy fuck we are real

january 19th. i’m working on it.

january 22nd. some sketches + a daily study. it has finally occurred to me that heads can tilt up and down and that things look different accordingly. yes i was not aware of this before. yes i have been drawing for over a decade.

january 23rd. by this point after doing my daily sketch i almost always go back and do an applied study which is basically to say i drew a lot of fucking links. this one looks kind of okay. i’m kind of proud

january 25th. links. trying to make sense of everything i’ve learned

26th, 27th, 28th. daily studies

january 1st. january 31st

The End Of The Photo Dump (dab)

ok NOW i get to talk about what i discovered while studying the shit out of human beings

FIRST OF ALL, there is something precious and magical about drawing shit without the explicit knowledge that you’re going to tweet that shit out to 45 people later. it takes the burden of perception off your shoulders and that does something to you, or at least that’s my theory. i told myself i wouldn’t post any of this stuff until the end of the month (if i wanted to post it at all) and kept everything off my public social media accounts and that meant i could draw ugly as hell without worrying about who would point and laugh, which i absolutely fucking did. a lot of these are fucking trainwrecks. most of these are fucking trainwrecks. why do they look like that?? why??? this doesn’t look like the work of someone who’s allegedly been drawing since they were in kindergarten, does it?????

here’s why: because that person took a huge motherfucking swing at everything they’d ever known about art and spent a month building something new in its place. the abstract explanation is that i grew up on shoujo and weird old anime and my understanding of anatomy was unironically kamichama karin and while i love kamichama karin, when kamichama karin is your rule even if you try to break it, you’re going to end up going nowhere. “you have to know the rules to break them”, yeah? well i didn’t know shit. the abstract explanation is i’ve been miserable about my art for a few years now because i saw other people doing things effortlessly which i couldn’t and instead of going back to the basics, i tried to do what they did (not plagiarism, mind you, i mean i literally tried to copy the red line of the devil i mentioned above because i couldn’t even make that happen) and then i fucking failed.

the simple explanation is this. i had to unlearn everything, and relearn it again (like some kind of new renaissance clown, what the fuck is this?)

take this for example. all my life i’ve drawn faces in the order: eyes, nose, mouth, face shape, head. this works for some people, im aware, but it was something central to how i had always drawn, so i decentralized it. i said fuck you to the old me and changed the order up. now i start with the nose, then the eyes, mouth, the chin line, and the sides of the face. now i force myself to think about the human head as a series of parts interacting with each other instead of a bunch of disparate features which i want to look pretty.

or let’s use this zelda from last year. something about this looked wrong last october, the way something about all of my drawings looked wrong, but i couldn’t pinpoint it for hell the way i couldn’t articulate Any of my feelings about the visual arts. now, looking back, here’s what i see. that nose is sticking out far too much given how she’s not really facing very far away from the camera. that ear at the back shouldn’t be there. her forehead is too big. she doesn’t have a forehead. what the fuck is up with the shape of her head?

so apparently reject modernity embrace tradition has its roots in alt-right terminology and i’m not very horny for the alt-right (you understand), but the spirit survives here. you know sometimes you have to admit that you have no idea what the fuck you’re doing and draw people for 31 days. i’ve spent my whole life drawing stylized people and while again there are artists who have no issue with this, i veered off the track of the Good and the Holy and couldn’t get back on. i had no point of reference because i’d never thought about what an actual human being looks like, so i had no way to fix what i knew in my gut looked wrong but wouldn’t come out better.

this was hard. this was like oikawa tooru swallowing his worthless pride and admitting that ushijima wakatoshi had gotten the best of him for the last time in his high school career, but in haikyuu!! by furudate haruichi oikawa tooru fucks off to argentina and then joins the argentinean national team, and you know what, i think i’ve made it to argentina (not the team just the country). as per the golden rule of dont fucking move until you’re at least two thirds of the way through the month, i only started trying to draw Shit shit on like the 22nd or something, but i was happy with that i created. i am happy with what i’ve done. i’ve posted like 2 things this month that involve people with what i now call ~applied Knowledge~~ and they’re, like, not perfect obviously (perfection is an unattainable ideal), but i’m fucking proud of them. i didn’t spend 5 hours hunched over my laptop adjusting the red line of the devil because it’s not a devil’s line anymore. because i finally sorta get how people work. because i sat down and i said ‘we are not going to fuck with this misery shit anymore’ and then i did that. it’s just a line now.

here are 2 collages tracking my painstakingly carved out progress from january 2nd to february 2nd because i’m a slut for collages

and here’s what i’ve done to my art! the same person drew these but also Not Really! you know! for the first time in a year i don’t immediately hate what i’ve drawn. you know what guys? art is fucking fun. zelda’s forehead doesn’t scare me anymore because i know how foreheads fucking work now, and i don’t know everything, and i’m going to keep troubleshooting stuff as i go (i want to draw a skeleton. like a. i want to draw a goddamn skeleton guys) but i’m honestly and genuinely proud of what i’ve done in the span of a month, and i’m also in disbelief. i started this month-long challenge out as a last ditch effort to make peace with my art because i’ve been tired for a long time and i was ready to kick the bucket on drawing people altogether. i didn’t think anything would happen. nothing’s happened for years. i’ve been miserable for years.

this was the caption for january 1st, 2021. i was super, super fucking embarrassed and it looks like super fucking shit, but you know what, i think i did in fact triumph over the bullshit. surprisingly enough, when you put in consistent effort into something, You Will See Results. didn’t see that coming, did you? i know i didn’t.

this isn’t a success story. it’s a happiness story. i never gave a shit damn about the institute of art or whatever, i was just mad at myself because what i saw in my head didn’t match up with what was on the canvas. and now it’s getting better. now i’m calibrating the compass. now drawing not just backgrounds but also people is exciting to me, and i can stick my links in your face and tell you ‘they hot’. i’m going to keep doing that. i’m going to keep going until i drop off the side of the earth and then spiral towards mars like some kind of fairy, and then i’m going to create something beautiful.

thanks for reading. here’s a pr department link for sticking around until the end

#my stuff

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randompurplepanthergorl · 3 years ago

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FNF AU share

So I wanna share an FNF swap au I have, Spooky month characters exist too so I'mma share it:

It's called "Tuesday midnight twirling" and as I said it's a swap AU

I'll share how the characters are swapped and I did not draw all of them, only like two so most of their true appearances are only known to me-

Daddy Dearest swaps, or rather "Twirls" with GF, DD is now called Derek and he's a demon that bops to the beat on the speakers, his older sister (GF) does not approve of him and his girlfriends relationship

GF, like I said twirls with her dad which is now her little brother, she's now called Grace and she's a 30-something retired actress that looks 20-something, she retired due to someone causing an 'incident' which forced her to retire and she's always crabby due to this-

Mommy Mearest twirls with BF, she's now called Melody and she likes rap battling people, she's a tough demon lady whos barely scared of anything, if this was a mod Melody's 'scared by thunder' sprite would just be her going >:| or "Meh" Somth like that

BF, like I said twirls with MM, I'm still coming up with a name for him cause I don't want him called "BF" but I'm considering the names Keith or Jack, anyways BF is not related to Melody or Derek but he's Grace's boyfriend and a popstar, if this was a mod his week would take place on top of an airplane

Skid and Pump twirl with Monster and Tankman, Skid is now an enormous demon skeleton king or something who is immortal and indestructible has no physical age but is mentally 27 while chronically I'd say about 20000+ called "Crusher" it's not his real name but twirled Lemon Demon nicknamed him that, Crusher is bigger than a f***ing dumptruck-

Meanwhile Pump is still 8- He is the king of school, ALL ADULTS FEAR HIM. No seriously all adults fear him- He has an army of kindergarteners on his side, he pays them in candy and is their loyal leader and yes he is still wearing the pumpkin costume-

Meanwhile Monster is now a little kid around 6-8 who's dressed like a lemon monster named Lenny but he's called/prefers to be called "Lem-Lem" Lem-Lem's parents are always away due to work, they're extremely rich and their jobs keep them busy a lot also Lem-Lem is BFF's with Crusher

Luckily Lem-Lem has a babysitter! Or rather "Manny" cause he's more of a nanny than a babysitter- Who is named "John" John is twirled Tankman and John is a retired war fighter and now works as Lem-Lem/Lenny's babysitter/nanny Lem-Lem likes to make him dress in cardboard boxes to look like a tankman, which John surprisingly does not mind, John also knows about Crusher and knows he's real but he honestly could not care less-

Pico twirls with FNF Camellia (Yes canon swaps/twirls with modded it's MY au-) Camellia is a highly trained assassin that lives a street thug life that decided to take this role after accidently destroying a town with his powerful voice, he's also a retried music composer, unlike Pico, Camellia fights with music, he can sing and yell normally but if he desired his singing/yelling could destroy Countries He has a gun that shoots soundwaves and an actual gun, Yes Camellia would pop up on the speakers for song three in week 7 like Pico did cause he's like 'i'mma kill you' and she's like 'lol no, wanna rap' and they end up rap battling and becoming friends... kinda? and yeah he's still half sea urchin like the canon fnf one and Yeah Grace hires him to Off-Melody like DD did with Pico but unlike Pico and BF Camellia and Melody do not have any history, their complete strangers to each other

This one I actually drew: (Sorry I can't draw guns- also his hair was A PAIN IN THE A- Especially since he does not wear a Fadora in TMT)

Pico, since he twirls with Camellia now is a retired assassin that decided to take up music after surviving a school shooting, I don't have anything else fleshed out for him yet- Other than he's a jackass

Senpai twirls with Spirit, I don't have anything for them other than Senpai is now just an angry floating head lamo

Now for Spooky Month Characters (yes like I said, they exist in this AU)

Kevin twirls with Hank

Ross twirls with Tricky

Radford twirls with Sonic EXE

Robert twirls with Sunky.MPEG (I drew Rob as Sunky):

All the other spooky month characters I'm trying to decide so if you have ideas feel free to drop em!

And that's pretty much All I have for this AU for right now-

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jadevalentine-writes · 3 years ago

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Congratulations on 40 followers my dear!! 🎊💖🎉

For the prompts- because we are now firmly on the Hualian train, (but also bc I am having trouble with decisions (what else is new lol)): Hualian and stars ✨ OR Hualian and cherry blossoms (or other flowering plants)!! 🌸 Whichever speaks to you more!

Love you!! 💖

*wheezes* This is a bit late...BUT HERE WE GO!!! I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing it!!! :D

Rating: T

Words: ~3200

AO3 Link

Just a few notes:

The small town outside of LA referenced in this fic is one I used to travel to for work that I loved. The mountains and thirty degree F temperature swings were amazing. <3

This was supposed to be a light and airy fic but some Angst snuck in because…*shrugs and points at Xie Lian* ya’know. I hope it’s still sweet though despite the dark undercurrent!

“Gege, have you ever seen the stars?”

The question came from Hua Cheng as he sat with Xie Lian on the latter’s poor excuse for a balcony. It was a concrete rectangle twenty stories above street level that was barely big enough for the two folding lawn chairs and small glass top table that sat between them. Despite its size, they sat on it almost every night, once the oppressive sun had dipped below the horizon, and talked, sometimes until the small hours of the morning.

“I see the stars every night, San Lang,” Xie Lian replied. His statement is not exactly a lie. A few stars, only the brightest, cut through the smog and light pollution that hugs Los Angeles like a thick blanket. Most of the time, though, Xie Lian just saw satellites and airplanes enroute to LAX. They’re a type of star, he supposed. Just like he used to be.

Bright. Artificial. Made to be seen and consumed, but never really valued.

(Read More Below)

Hua Cheng made a small noise of disagreement in his throat, one that was reserved for Xie Lian. If he was anyone else, Xie Lian knew he would not be respectful in his disagreement.

“Touche, gege,” Hua Cheng responded, sinking lower in his chair, his long, black jean-clad legs stretched out before him, the toes of his sneakers tucked under the bottom of the wrought iron railing. “But have you ever really seen them.”

Xie Lian chuckled, though it rang hollow in the concrete bordered box in which they sat. “You know I haven’t, San Lang. Why do you ask?”

Xie Lian had lived in LA all his life. It’s where he grew up, where he went to acting school, where he attempted to become famous. It’s where he failed, spiraled, and, eventually, picked himself up. It’s where he met Hua Cheng, where they wooed, where they fell in love. Now it was where they lived, though not together, not quite yet. But Xie Lian had dreams of changing that soon.

Next to him he heard Hua Cheng shrug against the brittle plastic of the chair. “Just wanted to confirm, gege.” Xie Lian then heard the gentle snap of Hua Cheng plucking at the elastic hair tie on his left wrist as he stared out across the tops of surrounding buildings, watching the last dregs of the sun disappear from the horizon before it turned a hazy dark blue. It was Hua Cheng’s tell when he was lost in thought.

“Can you tell me about your favorite type of sword again?” Hua Cheng asked after a moment.

It was a clear diversion, a complete one-eighty from whatever really occupied Hua Cheng’s mind. Xie Lian followed it willingly and recapped, for what must have been the thousandth time, his favorite historical blade and how it was perfectly balanced in every way. Hua Cheng turned towards him as he spoke, his single eye enraptured as he propped his chin on his hand and watched Xie Lian flail his hands as he explained how the forging method used was “revolutionary”.

“I love watching you be passionate,” Hua Cheng murmured after Xie Lian’s impromptu fifteen minute lecture drew to a close.

Xie Lian, now turned sideways in his chair, smiled as he leaned across the small space between the chairs. “And I love watching you watching me.”

Hua Cheng smiled, his left eye crinkling as he drew towards Xie Lian, the tips of his fingers of his free hand propping Xie Lian’s chin up slightly.

“And I love you.”

Their kiss was gentle, and sweet, but not the last they had that night. They talked, as they often did, until the street lights dimmed and the sky threatened to lighten.

***

Three days later, Xie Lian was elbow deep in soapy dishwater when his cell phone rang. He had it on the counter next to him playing music and when he glanced at the screen and saw “<3 SAN LANG <3” across it, he quickly wiped a hand on the back of his shorts and swiped to answer.

“Hello?” he asked as he placed it on speaker phone. Xie Lian went through phones like most people went through underwear. It would just be his luck that he would drop it in the sink while attempting to hold it to his ear.

“Gege,” Hua Cheng’s voice came through the phone, a warm purr that automatically made Xie Lian smile. “Are you home? And do you have any plans for the rest of the day or tomorrow?”

“I am home,” Xie Lian answered. “I just had lunch with Feng Xin and Mu Qing a little while ago.” As he talked he continued to scrub at the charred bottom of the pot in the sink. It was his attempt at making lunch that inevitably ended with them ordering food in. “But I am free this evening and don’t work again until Sunday, so I’m yours for the next few days.” Xie Lian felt heat rise on his cheeks. He would be Hua Cheng’s forever, if he would have him.

“Oh, excellent. Could you buzz me up when you get a chance?” In answer, Xie Lian heard his front door buzzer sound. He walked the few feet over to it and hit the button with a damp finger before returning to the sink. “Thank you, gege.”

Xie Lian chuckled. “Why are you here? Not that I don’t mind seeing you, San Lang, but you rarely drop over unannounced.” They saw each other almost daily, but Hua Cheng was respectful of his space and always asked before coming over, or vice versa if Xie Lian felt like driving in the hell that was LA traffic.

“Mm, be patient, gege. I’ll tell you soon enough.”

All the information Hua Cheng provided when he entered Xie Lian’s apartment was to pack an overnight bag.

“And a sweater,” Hua Cheng added as he watched Xie Lian crisscross from the bedroom to the bathroom as he lounged on the unmade bed. “I don’t want you to get cold.”

“Can I know what this is for?” Xie Lian asked, though he already knew the answer.

“It’s a surprise,” Hua Cheng answered, a devious smile stretched across his face as he tossed his long hair nonchalantly over his shoulders.

“Mmm, I figured,” Xie Lian muttered as he crossed to his nightstand to grab his mouth guard, stopping halfway to peck Hua Cheng on the nose. He felt Hua Cheng graze his long fingers along his bare thigh and under the hem of his shorts and slapped his hand away lightly. Xie Lian was not about to reward Hua Cheng for his secretive behavior. Hua Cheng just chuckled in response but he fixed Xie Lian with a look that he knew well: Hua Cheng would have his way with him, likely in the future. And Xie Lian would be more than happy to oblige.

Once Xie Lian was packed and the apartment was locked, they rode the elevator down twenty stories hand-in-hand. Hua Cheng had somehow managed to parallel park his red pick-up truck right in front of the building, a feat Xie Lian always marveled at considering the obscenely long bed it had.

“Who drives a truck in LA?” Xie Lian had asked when Hua Cheng had picked him up for what would be their first of many dates years prior.

“I do,” was Hua Cheng’s quick reply as he opened the passenger door for Xie Lian.

It had made Xie Lian laugh. It had also made him realize that really no one else drove a truck. It was one of the many things that made Hua Cheng special.

As Hua Cheng pulled away from the building, Xie Lian once again asked what was going on.

“Patience, gege,” Hua Cheng chided playfully as he patted Xie Lian’s bare thigh before returning his right hand to the steering wheel as he merged into a throng of traffic.

Xie Lian pouted. “I have been patient,” he said defiantly as he crossed his arms over his chest.

Hua Cheng chuckled. “Just be patient for a while longer.”

***

A while longer meant getting on the highway and leaving the palm trees and the city in the rearview mirror. It meant following the highway through the winding path it took through the mountains and taking an exit that Xie Lian missed the name of. It meant driving down a four lane road with desert on either side, the cool breeze of the coast replaced with the wind from the open cab windows.

Xie Lian’s faux exasperation at Hua Cheng withholding information faded as he leaned against the passenger door with his right arm out the window, catching wind and sunshine on his skin as his long brown hair was tangled into knots from the wind. The sun was warm and the sky was clear, a true sky blue.

It was late afternoon when Xie Lian noticed that civilization became sparse. They entered a small town, nothing more than a gas station, a strip mall, and a modest hotel to mark it on a map. Hua Cheng drove down what served as the main thoroughfare before he slowed and turned unexpectedly off-road. At least it felt off-road with how the truck rattled.

“Did you just go off the road?” Xie Lian asked as he held onto the pull down handle above the door.

“Yes,” Hua Cheng confirmed. “Are you worried, gege?”

“Is this legal?” Xie Lian asked. “Can you just drive in the desert?”

Hua Cheng laughed. It was his real laugh, the light one that only Xie Lian could elicit. “I’m sure it’s legal as long we don’t make meth.”

“Fair enough,” Xie Lian mumbled.

Eventually, Hua Cheng slowed. Then he stopped and turned off the engine.

“This’ll do,” he said as he opened his door.

“This’ll do...for what?” Xie Lian asked as he followed suit, pushing his door open and hopping out to the rocky sand below. He could feel the heat of the sun, long stored in the sand and rocks beneath him, radiate through the soles of his yellow Converse.

Hua Cheng unsnapped the edges of the fabric cover that stretched over the bed of the truck. “This’ll do as a place to make camp.”

“Make camp?” Xie Lian asked as Hua Cheng folded back more of the truck bed cover. Xie Lian stood on tiptoe to peer into the bed of the truck. It was filled with supplies: sleeping bags, pillows, a small gas stove and tiny gas cylinders, a cooler. Xie Lian was impressed, and now understood why Hua Cheng just had him deposit his overnight bag in the back of the truck cab in order to keep all this, literally, under wraps. But he was still confused.

“Why are we camping in the desert?”

Hua Cheng raised his brows at Xie Lian from across the truck bed as he secured a tie on the cover. Then he slowly pointed skywards.

Xie Lian looked up to the sky and squinted against the glare of the sun as he held his hand up over his eyes.

“The sky?”

Hua Cheng sighed and slowly crossed around the back of the truck.

“My beloved is so brilliant, but sometimes I wonder,” Hua Cheng said softly as he placed his hands gently on Xie Lian’s shoulder. When Xie Lian narrowed his eyes and scrunched his nose, Hua Cheng chuckled and ran a long index finger over his nose to smooth the wrinkles. “My love,” he said slowly, “we’re here to see the stars.”

Xie Lian’s brows remained furrowed for only a moment before his face fell slack, his mouth gaping as his eyes went impossible wide. He scanned the horizon around them. There were barely any buildings let alone street lights or airports or anything else that polluted the night sky with unwanted light.

Xie Lian looked at the truck bed, full of supplies, then back at Hua Cheng, who’s unbound black hair stirred in the wind, his left eye crinkled in adoration. He circled his arms around Hua Cheng’s waist and hugged him tightly.

“Thank you,” he said, muffled against the soft red v-neck shirt Hua Cheng wore, breathing in his scent of cinnamon and laundry detergent.

“Hah, don’t thank me yet, gege,” Hua Cheng said, his arms encircling Xie Lian’s shoulders as he pressed a kiss to the crown of his head. “We haven’t seen anything yet.”

***

Hua Cheng cooked up a quick dinner on the portable gas stove. He crouched on the ground like a caveman, poking at hot dogs with a pair of tongs until black grill lines appeared across them uniformly. Xie Lian set about making the truck bed comfortable, unrolling and layering the sleeping bags and setting the pillows against the back of the cab since he was shooed away from the stove almost immediately by Hua Cheng. It had nothing to do with his lack of cooking skills - Hua Cheng regularly ate and enjoyed Xie Lian’s cooking - but the fact that Hua Cheng did not want Xie Lian to lift a finger.

“This is all for you, gege,” Hua Cheng said, waving his tongs at Xie Lian for emphasis. “Just sit back and relax.”

They ate on the tailgate off of cheap paper plates that had hardly any structural integrity. Xie Lian swung his feet back and forth, the warm metal of the tailgate warning the exposed skin on his legs.

When they cleaned up dinner, the sky was turning the color of sherbet, orange with pink swirls. As the blue from the sky faded, so did the warmth and Xie Lian rubbed his bare arms against the breeze.

“Do you know now why I asked you to pack a sweater?” Hua Cheng smirked as he pulled on a black zip-up hoodie.

Xie Lian wanted to glare, but all he could do was laugh as he pulled on his favorite cream sweater, the one with the layered collar and the sleeves that were too long, resulting in perpetual sweater paws.

As the sky purpled like a bruise, they snuggled under a layer of sleeping bag, surprisingly comfortable despite the occasional brush against a rivet in the truck bed. Xie Lian hugged Hua Cheng’s left arm, their hands intertwined near his stomach as they shared a pillow and watched stars start to appear.

It was gradual, and Xie Lian was rendered silent. By the time the sky turned into black velvet woven with diamonds, the air was almost cold and he huddled closer to Hua Cheng, who dutifully pulled him to his chest and warped his left arm across his back. Xie Lian swallowed, twin rivulets of tears finding their homes on either side of his face, depositing salty offerings in his hair and ears. He pawed at his face reflexively and felt Hua Cheng stir in response.

“Gege?” he asked, his voice low and full of concern. “Are you crying?”

Xie Lian nodded and quickly removed his hands from his face so he could stare up at the blanket of stars once more. He felt Hua Cheng’s left hand squeeze his waist, a silent question.

“I’m fine, San Lang,” Xie Lian said softly after swallowing around the lump in his throat. “It’s just...so beautiful...OH!” Xie Lian bolted upright, pulling the top sleeping bag with him as he craned his neck back, eyes wide towards the sky. “Did you see that?! One of them fell! San Lang! One of them fell! I thought that only happened in movies!”

Hua Cheng laughed, a warm chuckle in the cold silence of the desert. “They’re real, gege. Stars fall every day, but you’ll never see them in the city.”

The irony was not lost on Xie Lian as he laid back down, curling against Hua Cheng’s chest. He rubbed his tear-streaked face into his chest and sighed as Hua Cheng pulled the sleeping back back around them. He then turned his face back towards the sky.

“There’s another,” Hua Cheng said quietly as another bolt of light streaked across the sky. “And another.”

Hua Cheng was right. Stars fell every day. But only some were caught.

***

When Xie Lian awoke, his nose was cold and he was shaking all over. Or rather, whatever he was laying on was vibrating. He blinked his eyes awake to a sea of lights, hundreds of thousands of light years away. He sighed and felt tears prick in the corners of his eyes again.

“Are you awake, gege?” Hua Cheng called softly from outside the truck bed, a crunch of rocks highlighting his location.

“Mn,” was Xie Lian’s response. He must have fallen asleep, and hard, if Hua Cheng was able to extract himself without disturbing him.

“Come on into the cab. I’ve warmed it up for you.”

“Are we going back home?” Xie Lian asked, sitting up slowly. He realized belatedly he should have said “his apartment” instead of home, but was too at peace to care. He did not miss the wide smile that Hua Cheng wore as he scooted to the tailgate and Hua Cheng lifted him unnecessarily to the ground.

“I booked a room at the hotel back in town,” Hua Cheng said as he shut the tail gate and walked Xie Lian to the passenger door. “If that’s okay.”

Xie Lian nodded. “Do they have free breakfast?” he asked as Hua Cheng opened the door.

Hua Cheng chuckled. “Yes, gege, there is free breakfast.”

“Good,” Xie Lian mumbled as he clumsily stepped up into the cab. “I love free breakfast.”

“I know,” Hua Cheng said softly. “And I love you.”

Xie Lian dozed as Hua Cheng unwrapped the truck bed cover and resecured it, only startling awake when he opened the driver side door. He felt careful hands adjusting him and heard the click of a seatbelt before the rocking of the truck lulled him back to sleep.

Xie Lian did not quite remember how he got into the hotel room - it very well may have involved Hua Cheng bridal carrying him past a very surprised desk attendant - but he woke up to the feeling of a soft pillow cradling his head. He then felt long fingers pulling at the laces of his Converse before gently removing them. He forced himself awake when he heard Hua Cheng cross to the other side of the bed.

“Mmm…San Lang?” Xie Lian asked as he felt the bed dip. Hua Cheng’s warmth was immediately at his side and he turned towards it, like a sunflower in search of the sun.

“Yes, gege?”

Xie Lian blinked open his eyes, his hands coming to either side of Hua Cheng’s face. His eyepatch was gone and Xie Lian gently rubbed his thumb under the empty right socket before pressing a kiss to Hua Cheng’s lips.

“Thank you...for the stars.”

Xie Lian felt more than saw Hua Cheng smile, his face muscles contracting under his hands. He then felt kisses placed to both of his palms, his nose, and, finally, his mouth with utmost reverence.

“I would give them all to you, if I could.”

“You did,” Xie Lian replied as he sunk down into the soft pillow, the siren song of sleep finally winning. “You did.”

You did, you did, you did. And you always will.

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velvethopewrites · 3 years ago

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Fic Writer Interview

Thanks 😊 @magic-girl-in-a-muggle-world! What a cool tag!

Name: Christina (never Chris upon penalty of death)

Fandoms I write for: Harry Potter - the one and only! Ironically, the very first fic I ever wrote was non-shippy and it was about Neville (Neville’s Bad Day) and his fear (and eventual standing up to) Snape. But now I write Harry/Ginny almost exclusively, although I have done Romione in the past, and I do tip-toe through Jily.

Favorite Two-Shot: You know, lol, I had to google what this was. Hahah Hmm, probably my very very old story (we’re talking ancient, pretty sure Eisenhower was in office) Flowers & Promises (part 1) and The Second Time (part 2) which are part of my Rememberall collection of fics. Written pre-OOTP if you can believe it.

Most Popular Multi-Chaptered Fic: Probably 17, Clumsy & Shy. It lasted far longer in fandom than I did and requests for me to finish the sequel is what finally drew me back. And here I am.

Actual Worst Part of Writing: the actual sitting down to do it. I don’t want to be writing, I want to have just written. Truer words never spoken. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I love to write, just…getting there takes an airplane, a boat trip, a raft and some hand-gliding to finally make it happen. Maybe also a ride on a donkey. Uphill, of course.

How You Choose Titles: Usually song lyrics, or song titles. 17, Clumsy & Shy, is taken from a Smiths song (sort of). Moving the Goalposts is from a song by Billy Bragg. See a trend? Even Possession owes its title to a Sarah Mclachlan song.

Do you Outline: Alas, not really. I’m sort of a fly by the seat of my pants type of gal. That said, I do take extensive, I mean extensive, notes in a notebook for each long story I create. The one for Essence goes on and on and on (kind of like the actual story. HAH)… I did a lot of research into Irish folktales and Irish goddesses for it. You never know when some little tidbit will spark into an idea or plot point.

Ideas I probably won’t get to but it would be nice: Sadly, I think my original idea for Possession. 😞

Callouts @me: Stop fretting. Stop worrying. Stop over analyzing every little thing. Stop comparing yourself to others.

Best Writing Habits: I listen to each chapter of Essence played back to me via the audio tool that comes with Word, right before I publish it to 1) catch any more mistakes (there are always some that make it, blast!) 2) make sure the dialogue is natural and 3) everything flows. It really is a wonderful tool and I wholeheartedly suggest it to others, especially if you fret over dialogue. And sometimes it is just a nice way to allow yourself to get lost in your own words and appreciate yourself and your hard work.

Spicy Tangential Opinion: Um. I know fandom loves the idea of a competitive Harry and Ginny, and I get that. I do, I do. (Hell, I wrote it) But also, I always think of that part in OOTP when Harry compliments Ginny on catching the snitch and she deflects and says she prefers chasing, when all is said and done. And to me, that just screams less competitive streak and more to her…sense of fair play. I mean, she’s obviously competitive, she plays a professional sport, but I think she leaves it on the pitch and does not take it into her marriage, if that makes sense. I don’t know is that a spicy opinion? lol

Oh, was it supposed to be about writing? Hahah Um. How about this -Adverbs are OKAY. Using the word said, is OKAY. Using italics - is OKAY. Write whatever the hell you want. Do it for you and the rest will follow. *nods sagely*

I tag @blinkngone @celtics534 and @but-now-imyourdaisy 💕

#tag you're it #fic writer interview #writing #fic things

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adelheidvonschicksal · 3 years ago

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Hi, I saw that you were a geographer. I was wondering what that entails? Are you someone who works with GIS, do you teach...? I'm not super familiar with the field but it sounds super cool and want to know more. Sorry if that's too personal.

It’s fine! A lot of people don’t know there’s actually a lot of stuff you can do with it or if they take a class in high school they just learn capitols or something.

Most of my work currently includes GIS. I’m working in health/medical geography for my local health department currently, so I mostly track COVID-19 and other community diseases at this time, which includes making coverage maps for the city to show density of COVID-19 and hotspots so we can target certain areas for vaccinations or testings and to monitor high risk communities like schools and nursing homes and socially vulnerable areas. Then, I just help out wherever we need or do my own projects. I’m actually helping our field guys get upgraded into the digital world instead of paper lol. I have a lot of spare time right now though so I just usually practice language books, coding, or try to write since I automated a lot of my work and work from home.

My prior job was in gas utilities almost as soon as I graduated. I don’t know if you ever seen construction workers or inspectors carry around ipads while on your property but usually they’re looking at digital maps that’ll show where pipes and gaslines are on your property or surrounding area and the different information about the pipes like cast-iron vs plastic or the pressure of the gas going through. So, my job was to digitize the maps they drew in the field into a database for them to see in the future. However, I was working in Mississippi at the time because they were backed up about 10 years in data, and a lot of the time I had to read hand drawn maps all the way from the 1920’s-1940’s to redraw the districts and retire old piping so that was…painful lol but it was kind of neat to see all the old drawings from that long ago. Most of them were actually really good.

My first real job though was in college working at an insurance/infrastructure company that builds weather resistant housing and making maps and powerpoints for them to use at conferences about their services and to help write grants. And to determine damage to the areas where they had a lot of houses built up after hurricanes.

Edit: I also had a job for about 3 days with a national defense agency for the army to clean up maps and airplane zones. Absolutely hated it. Broke down, cried an hour, and quit LOL. The deadline system was very stressful and I worked remotely so internet issues and the system was gross.

Other than that, I made money tutoring and teaching my sophomore-junior year in college, and I helped teach at camps for elementary kids with Americorp. I was really popular with the little boys because I knew what fortnite was, became the favorite teacher in one day. 😂 They were really adorable.

I really enjoyed geography though and since it’s a STEM field it was mostly guys but the class itself was about 150 students in the first two years then 20 majors last two years so you get to really know everyone. The diversity level in my class was pretty decent too though, because I know in fields like that some people might worry about being the only girl or only minority etc. but I didn’t have any problems ☺️ The only thing I hated was when we went kayaking on a field trip and i didn’t know how to steer so i almost got hit by a small boat LOL but I had leaned all the way back so I didn’t get hit. So if I’m ever in a horror movie at least I can trust my reflexes.

I’m not a really woodsy type of girl though so I usually do GIS or satellite imagery, but there are a lot of different parts to geography if you do like talking to people or working outside.

Human, which is what I’d fall under because I do community things. So medical, cultural issues would be in this category.

Technical, which is GIS and working with satellite imagery, which you don’t have to be a geographer. You can actually get a certificate in this in 1-2 years. We actually learn a lot the first two years with public administration students and meteorologists so we had a few of those students also get a certificate in GIS. So if you want to be a meteorologists, it’d help to take some geography classes too because we share a lot of classes the first year or two. And we had several army students as well. You can also work in emergency agencies, like for 911 because the EMS uses a GIS system. I met a guy in Florida who does this as well as drone surveillance.

Physical, so this would be like the people that like to study mountains and plates or the terrain of specific regions.

Environmental, so your park rangers, biologists, etc. your Discovery Channel and Animal planet guys. National geographic type guys. Also, disaster management and FEMA type jobs.

I’ve had teachers that tracked diseases in south america, plotted coffee growing land in south america and travel on donkey over mountains and stuff like that to do it (this was one of my older teacher so this was decades ago), and I also had a teacher that worked with wineries and breweries about how and where to grow their products based on climate as well as did sports statistics for soccer teams for where to line up their players for their best shots. I think he said he did that for a German team. So, there is Sports Geography and agriculture to a degree if you like Sports.

You can become an urban planner, which are the people that help build and plot out areas for construction for the government, which I think is what I want to do but I don’t really want to go back to school to master in it. 😭 or you can become a travel guide or teacher. I’m thinking of being a teacher so I can get summers off to travel.

But I think geography can be applied to a lot of things since humans are always interacting with each other and the earth so even just knowing the basics can probably help answer the why in a lot of things. So the job is really really flexible but a downside is that a lot of government jobs run on contracts and grants so you might end up bouncing from job to job every few years if your contract runs out unless you work for a utilities or construction company but working for a utility company means you’ll be doing the same task everyday which is looking at the drawing the inspectors do in the field then putting them in the digital system, but I usually have no problem finding another job to go to as a lot of contract agencies will message you first especially on linkedin. However, the agencies also get a portion of your paycheck. So like if you get an offer for $23, the agency will take $5, so you’ll end up making $18 an hour. And there are some specialties that are hard to get into so I won’t say it’s easy to find exactly what you want but it does give you a lot of options if you get creative with your skillset. Overall though, I think a class in human geography helps a lot with critical thinking skills since where I live most people have to take extra science classes anyway.

If you go to ESRI website, they have a few free classes, seminars, and data you can play with if anyone is ever interested.

#adelchat #geo 🌎#so if u see me being nerdy in my fics #it’s because i am #😘 thanks for asking

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gale-gentlepenguin · 4 years ago

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Gale Reviews: Miraculous World: New York

(The following review contains spoilers, and if you would like to not be spoiled, I would recommend watching the episode before reading)

(I had to pause a LOT to get through this special)

-Oh s*** Cosmo bug and Astro Noir. That is so cool.

-Okay maybe its my audio, but their voices seem a bit deeper. No big, just something I noticed.

-Okay the yellow flower was cute. Good on you kitty.

- Also, side note. This is very nice animation. Very crisp.

- Marinette is moving on... kinda. Well, she is trying. Its not easy getting over someone you have a thing for. I guess that means Miracle Queen did happen and I will need to suck it up. But.... I am not moving on yet either.

- The puppet show was perfection. And honestly on par with what you would expect from middle school projects. (I almost thought it was the adults showing them and was like WTF)

-BACK THE F***. Madame Bustier is PREGNANT! PREGNANT?! I am so lost? What is the story!? Who is the father! Is she married? Is it artificial insemination! Is it the principal?

-Adrien so moved by Marinette’s outburst of Friendship. Marinette ‘Just a friend’ Dupain-Cheng is going the Tia Gardner method of friendship. Lol

-Marinette ready to fight and Gabriel just like ‘Yea sure whatever’ (Gabriel’s smile murders puppies)

- Kagami trying to cheer adrien up. If you love adrigami, get that juice. (That looked like a kiss kiss, but the angle seemed off, so I am not counting it that way.)

- Kitty Clicker is wonderful. This entire scene is gold.

- Gorrilla doesnt like planes, poor baby

- Plagg, you are a devious little s***. I love you so much. As a writer, his dialogue on how to convince adrien is so devilish its amazing. Using technicalities to tempt adrien.

-Lukanette shippers get your juice... even if it was still tainted a bit by Adrien inclusion. You still get a kiss.

- Okay, can we appreciate that Adrien is also having the same amount of trouble as Marinette moving on, but also include Guilt into the equation? I love this because you KNOW Chat noir is going to get an ear full later.

-Marinette has totally moved on from Adrien.... Oh my poor sweet little girl. You havent. You havent even a little. This ride is litterally the reverse of Startrain and its amazing. Alya is NOT helping. Also, give the person that drew Marinette’s Daydreams a f***ing raise. They earned it

-Marinette pulling herself OUT of the situation. Now adrien is slightly bummed out. Well i am sure that this is the last awkward experience with Adrien she will have. It isnt like the two of them will get lost in NY together... thats whats gonna happen isnt it?

-Marinette walking past all the couples sleeping together. JULROSE GET YOUR JUICE!!!

-Ah yes, nothing like watching the sunset with your good friend. Yes, you good pal, Adrien. Who is Just a friend. Wow, the realization that Marinette used the word friend in this movie more times then Adrien did in the entire series so far. (Or at the very least close)

- Adrien, STOP! Marinette is trying to move on from you! Stop making it so damn difficult for her. (I am not serious, i am eating this s*** up like Sushi)

-Nino confirms he loves Adrien. ADRINO COME GET YOUR JUICE! But yea, I feel alya and Nino’s pain. So they are going to help them both.

-Adrienette hugs. Yes, good.

-And thank goodness for Techno Pirate! Saving everyone from awkwardness by trying to bring down a plane... thats heading for NY...

-OH SWEET! BATMAN RIP OFF AND Captain Marvel rip off! And their sidekicks, Robin rip off and... Medusa girl? Okay Neat.

-Jokes aside, Majestia and Night Owl are boss as hell.

-Wow, I know that Ladybug and Chat noir got powerups now. But these United Heroes make their powers look so bland in comparison.

-Get rekt France!

-ADRIEN! DONT USE YOUR PHONE ON AN AIRPLANE! Well, unless he is using the in flight wifi, then he good.

-How come New York has a f*** ton of superheroes in this universe? America really gets all the cool stuff regardless of what fictional universe your in.

- Why are the superheroes so keen on watching over Marinette’s class? Do they know? Do they know Marinette and Adrien are there? Or is it like they just want to prevent an international incident. PLEASE LET IT BE THE LATER.

- I have only had Aeon for 15 seconds and I would violently murder anyone who harms her.

-Oh my Sabrina! GET YOURSELF AN AMERICAN BOY! ... And Chloé is going to ruin the fun. Oof tough break roomies.

-The entire class! I cant even! Not even a second after the door closes they out to party on the roof!

-Aeon, “See? They are made for eachother!”

- Damn, now that’s some guitar playing! Plus Her design is boss as heck. America really just has better versions of EVERYTHING.

-American boy basically snuck in to see Sabrina! GET IT GIRL!

-HOTDOG SUPERHERO! WITH MAGIC HOTDOGS!!!!!! BEST NEW YORK EVER!

-Nino and Alya be tag teaming this!

-Wow Zag, you stuffing me full of Adrinette goodness. Gorilla is a beautiful sunflower.

- Marinette and Adrien havent been in the US 24 hours and they already have two shippers of them. Also, what do doors have against them?

-Jess is Shipping it too hard. “Lets put them in danger!”

-Jess is having way too much fun with this.

-Hawkmoth akumatizing an actual Super villain. FINALLY!

- “Wouldn’t you rather have an Atomic Bomb?” I love Techno pirate.

-”Super Heroes should never use their powers for personal gain.” Hmmm I wonder how this will back fire on everyone involved.

-”OH S*** HE STOLE THEIR CANNONS! BOOM GOES THE CANNONS!”

-Okay, I take back what I said, these heroes need some Miraculous asap.

- Ladybug is 100% justified in being angry with Chat Noir. It is his fault.

-AEON!!!! NO!!!!!!! Okay, guess i have to kill that techno pirate, and Chat noir

-MAJESTIA IS F***ING PISSED! WRECK HIM MAJESTIA!

- Seems they really hammering it in that Chat noir f***ed up. They right though, but at least Ladybug isnt angry enough to agree that Chat noir should give up his miraculous to some rando. FLEEING FROM THE LAW!

-So lucky charm can only fix damage due to specific villains. It cant fix things when the villain is gone or they are out of range. I always knew it had limitations, but damn. Chat noir REALLY screwed the pooch on this one.

-Adrien no! Oh s***! He cant just... I mean.... He can but...

__________

-Gabriel stole the Eagle! The Kwami of Freedom. The irony is so delicious here.

- So night Owl and Sparrow are both chick with Masculine superhero appearances. Thats actually pretty damn smart, great way to keep people off their identity.

-Welp, i am depressed. Adrien doesnt have Plagg.

-EVEN THE PRESIDENT IS A SUPER HERO! AMAZING!

- So an akumatized person can USE A MIRACULOUS WHILE AKUMATIZED! WHAT THE F*** THATS AWESOME. Also why didnt catalyst do that?

-Gabriel actually getting adrien out of there while before s*** hits the fan. That is actually kind of a decent parenting move. Granted he is going to cause it, but appreciate it.

-Marinette the bike thief is back! And she is an international criminal!

- She tried so hard. Welp I am glad that Marinette is clearly over... actually no. This trip made that clear.

-Liberation, Wow. That is the most American power I have ever seen. I LOVE IT.

- Okay, so I never thought i would say this. maybe there is such a thing as too much freedom? Or at least Freedom that lets you impede on Other people’s freedoms.

- I know what Zag is up to, and it is working. I want a tv series Of Jess and Aeon. They are wonderful.

-So Majestia can casually move the moon. Yea, thats amazing and terrifying! I love her.

-Quantum masking! So there is a glamor effect! I knew it! So Aeon knows who ladybug and Chat noir are.

-DID I F***ING MENTION I WOULD MURDER FOR AEON!

-aeon will never see Tikki or plagg. Thats so sad.

-At least Adrien learned an important lesson.

-Cute LADYNOIR REUNION

-The was clever, using the keychain

- Eagle jess is epic.

-and Majestia can catch missles. Considering she can move the moon. Not surprising.

-OH DAMN, Night owl and Sparrow are LEGACY HEROES! Thats like the Phantom, Or like Jojo.

-That was sweet of Marinette and the class.

-Oh so the guardian of those miraculous came back to claim it.

-But now sounds like the set up for a new series.

____________________________________________________________________

Overall, I did greatly enjoy this movie. Though there were times i wanted to know more, and times I wanted to know less. I know this takes place sometime during season 4, but the exact time is vague. It did tell a really cool story. It felt like a three episode saga combined into one. It was kind of interesting. And damn the drama was higher.

I give it a 7.5/10.

I would rate it up there with my favorite ML episodes.

#ml #miraculous ladybug #ml ny special #miraculous world:#New york #ml ny #ml spoilers #ml season 4 spoilers

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agentfreckles · 4 years ago

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Hey Cassie, for Ramona in the ask meme! F2 and M14? :D

Hi!!!! Thank you so much for sending these!

Ramona x Felix

2. We know F has not seen much of the human world. Is there anything that your detective would like to show or do with them that they had not experienced yet?

-Oh man, so much! Ramona definitely took note of Felix’s reactions to both the carnival and paper airplanes. Honestly, any little thing she can introduce him to would be fantastic. I think what she’d most like to do though is show him Wayhaven, like really show him. All the little hidden spots, the seasonal festivals, everything that makes this tiny town special and so dear to her heart. This is Felix’s home now too and he should see it for all it’s worth.

Ramona x Mason

14. What do you think drew your detective to M? And when exactly was the moment, where it was “yes, I like them” (If they’ve admitted that to themselves, of course) And if not, what’s stopping them at this point?

-Initially? Your guess is as good as mine lol. Ramona and Mason did not get along at all to start with because they’re about as opposite as opposite gets. But in a similar fashion to her Adam route, that first fight (post talking to Kate in Mason’s case) ignited a spark that Ramona just can’t seem to shake. She writes it off as nothing more than a silly attraction and spends much of Book One actively trying to ignore it, but unfortunately for her she is the exact kind of shy type that Mason can’t resist teasing at every turn. But despite his brusque nature he grows on her and she him. It isn’t until she meets Unit Bravo again after that two month gap between Books One and Two and notices how genuinely happy she was to see Mason again that she realizes that silly attraction has evolved into real, solid feelings. And that’s where the fun really begins.

#god I love all of Ramona's routes so much #this girl's got so much love to give #oc: ramona gibson #felix hauville #special agent mason #ask freckles

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kenkamishiro · 6 years ago

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Ishida’s Q&A comments from YJ compilation, Part 8

Once again Ishida continuing to give answers that don’t actually answer the questions at all lol.

For anyone who doesn’t know about the relevant Questions to Ishida contest, please read here. You can start from Part 1 here.

The recent set of zakki:re and interview translations take a lot of time and effort, so if you enjoyed it please reblog or leave a like. Thank you!

2016

No. 1

Still 1 month left of this year! What’s something you still have left to do for 2015?

The storyboard.

Good luck.

No. 2

Sensei, please share with us a piece of news that was important to you in 2015!

I forget.

I wasn’t feeling so great in 2015.

No. 3

December 17 is Airplane Day! Now then, please share with us a memory you have that is related to airplanes!

I like the window seats.

Probably that time on the plane to head to the New Years party, when the staff was forced to stop because of me...

[T/N: Referring to his New Year’s party escapades in the volume 6 omake.]

No. 4-5

December 24 is Christmas Eve! Now then, please share with us a present that you want now as an adult!

I don’t need one since I’m an adult.

Even adults want presents too, you know!

No. 6-7

When you think of New Year’s Day...you think of New Year’s money!! Please share with us one way you spent the money you received from New Year’s when you were a child!

On games.

I was jealous of other people’s families since I didn’t have a lot of relatives.

No. 8

Sensei, please tell us your philosophy when it comes to food!

I think of meals as work.

I consider meals as work when I’m eating alone. When I go with people I eat whatever I like.

No. 9

January 28 is the birthday of the late Komatsu Sakyou! Now then, please share with us one of your favourite sci-fi works!

Gantz.

It’s not Star Wars...

No. 10

Please share with us one aspect or behaviour of the opposite sex that you unconsciously care about!

Their face.

How they use social media.

No. 11

Please share with us a Twitter account that you’re most interested in now!

Inagawa Junji-san’s for his ghost story tweets.

I find that accounts of artists are helpful for studying.

No. 12

Please share with us one of your favourite genres/videos that you end up watching on video streaming sites.

I got Netflix so I could watch Terrace House.

I still use it.

No. 13

If you were to ever film a Taiga drama who would you pick as the main character?

Siebold.

But why?

[T/N: A Taiga drama is a type of long-running TV drama period piece, often produced by NHK.]

No. 14

Graduation season is in full bloom! Now then, please share with us one of your favourite graduation songs!

“Lion” by Amano Tsuki.

Uh-huh, yup.

[T/N: "Lion” was one of the songs included in Ishida’s Spotify playlist.]

No. 15

Sensei, if you could decide the design of the 10,000 yen bill, who would it be a portrait of?

A cat.

A cat...?

No. 16

Today is Weekly Manga Day! Please tell us your number one favourite manga that is released weekly!!

I’m curious about what Ooima Yoshitoki-san will draw for her next manga.

Just how much do you care?

No. 17

Sensei, please share with us one thing that makes you go, “Man, I wanna go see this,” now?

Commentary on demonstration boards for shogi.

I went to one! Man, was it interesting.

No. 18

The final day of March is...Orchestra Day! Now then Sensei, please share with us a memory you have that’s related to musical instruments!

I bought a piano recently, and I’ve been playing it almost every day.

And I still play it.

No. 19

Entrance ceremony season has arrived! Now then, please tell us about a schoolteacher who’s left the biggest impression on you!

Some student hacked the school server and the teacher intercepted the culprit.

That’s the kind of school I attended.

No. 20

New dramas are starting one after another! Now then, please share with us a series that’s left the biggest impression on you among all the dramas that you’ve seen recently!

Right now I’m currently watching Mad Men.

I watched all of Mad Men. I can’t believe what happened at the end of “Meditations”...

[T/N: Not entirely sure what Ishida meant by that last line, but I think “Meditations” refers to the last episode of the second season, titled “Meditations in an Emergency”.]

No. 21

Sensei, please share with us one game that’s popular in your circle!

The staff and I often play Mafia a lot together.

Recently we’ve been playing table RPGs.

No. 22-23

Today is the day in which the elephant was first introduced to Japan! Now then, please share with us a person/thing/culture from overseas that you would like to come to Japan!

David Downton-san.

I don’t think that.

No. 24

It’s that time of year where it’s getting warmer even at night! Now then, please share with us something about hanging out at night that you still remember!

That time I went drinking at a bar in the outskirts of Tokyo with Takahashi Kunimitsu-kun.

I don’t want to go there again.

[T/N: Referring to that time in April 2016 where Ishida and Takahashi were at a bar and a middle-aged woman started hitting on Takahashi for 3 hours lol.]

No. 25

May 19 is Boxing Day! Now then Sensei, please share with us what you thought was the best match ever!

I like the match with David Haye.

Clearly it’s Darth Maul vs. Obi-Wan.

No. 26

Please share with us a story about a debacle that you or someone else caused at a drinking party!

The first time I met Nakayama Atsushi-sensei, I made so much of a fool of myself.

I was so piss-drunk that I fell asleep in the bathroom I think.

No. 27

When you think of June you think of June Bride! Now then Sensei, please share with us a story that you remember that has to do with weddings!

I drew the welcome board for my friend’s wedding.

That time I left early since I didn’t want to be late for my senpai’s wedding, but the flight ended up being delayed by over an hour...

No. 28

Sensei, please share with us one of your favourite literary works for children!

Ringing Bell by Yanase Takashi.

Stormy Night.

[T/N: Ringing Bell (Chirin no Suzu) was referenced in :re by Kaneki during Arima’s death scene. You can read about it here. Stormy Night also seems to have influenced :re.]

No. 29

June 16 is Wagashi Day! Now then Sensei, please share with us a confectionary that you like!

It’s not available in Fukuoka, but sweet mochi cake.

I want some now.

[T/N: Wagashi is traditional Japanese confectionaries.]

No. 30

June 23 is Olympics Day! Now then Sensei, please share with us a competition from the Olympics that you still remember to this day!

Uchimura Kouhei’s horizontal bar performance at the London Olympics.

I don’t really watch TV much, so questions like these are tough for me to answer.

No. 31

Please share with us your slogan for the latter half of 2016!

I won’t be late. I wasn’t able to keep that promise for the first half of the year.

Good luck with that.

No. 32

Sensei, please secretly tell us about one shop that you think is the King of Restaurants!

The Chinese restaurant by my previous workplace.

The stir-fried oyster with lettuce was perfection.

No. 33

Summer has arrived! Now then Sensei, what do you think of as “summer food”?

The spicy Mexican crispy noodle salad from Family Mart.

Ah that, that was so good. But I don’t see them sold anywhere now...

No. 34

If you could see exactly one historical event or incident live in person, what would you want to see?

I want to see Tezuka Osamu-sensei’s workplace.

The Perry Expedition.

[T/N: Tezuka is the “father of manga”, having drawn iconic manga like Astro Boy, Black Jack, and the currently airing anime Dororo.]

No. 35

When you think of summer, you think of the ocean! If you could raise just one sea creature as a pet what would you choose?

An octopus.

So I can eat it.

No. 36

Sensei, please share with us the most nerve-wracking moment you’ve ever experienced in your life!

That time when I had to address a speech to over a hundred people for the launch of the anime.

Finishing the manuscript before the deadline of the final chapter.

No. 37-38

Sensei, please share with us a word or phrase that’s been stuck in your head recently!

“Pandas exploding in the wild.”

It’s from group_inou.

No. 39

Sensei, please share with us a small luxury that you use in your everyday life!

On days I stay up all night I buy carbonated drinks.

Feels kinda pathetic huh.

No. 40

The disbanding of idol groups nationwide is hot news, but please tell us about an experience that you’re still reluctant to part ways with.

A little while ago, I bought a copy of Jump every week for several months.

It was so I could read Hunter x Hunter.

[T/N: Question is most likely talking about the disbanding of the top male idol group SMAP which was announced around this time of the year.]

No. 41

Sensei, what item makes you think, “whoever invented this is a genius”?

The PC.

Amazon.

No. 42

What was the most interesting reception you’ve received up until now that has made you the happiest?

I got a shikishi from the staff to commemorate 100 chapters of being serialized. Though no one from that time is left anymore...

I also got a shikishi from the current staff. I was happy.

No. 43

Sensei, please share with us a moment that’s made you feel the generation gap the most!

Encountering people who were born in the 2000′s.

Sha-Mail.

No. 44

It’s Reader Autumn! Please tell us what you consider as your bible!

Recently it’s “Speak Aloud and Rhyme”.

Now it’s “Drawing the Morphological Human Body with Boxes and Cylinders”.

No. 45

Sensei, please tell us about a manga/anime/novel that you’d like to see as a movie!

I’m looking forward to “Satoshi: A Move for Tomorrow” being released this fall.

I missed the chance to watch it.

No. 46

Sensei, what were you most enthusiastic about playing with when you were in school?

Smash Bros.

Games that are updated periodically.

No. 47

Sensei, please tell us about something that you’ve used for many years and have been unable to throw away!!

I throw things away when I need to.

My Cintiq 22HD (DTK-2000/K1) LCD tablet. The size and responsiveness of it matches it better than the latest model.

No. 48

Sensei, when was the moment you felt you became independent?

If I’m living.

What? Probably when I got my pay cheque.

No. 49

November 2 is Family Culture Day! Sensei, please tell us about a rule that’s only found in your household!

Playing no more than 1 hour of games a day.

That’s proper.

No. 50

Sensei, please share with us any furniture/interior work that you want to replace right now!

The bookshelf.

Same.

No. 51

Sensei, please share with us the first CD you’ve ever bought!

Morishita Reika’s “Your Wind is Blowing” (most likely).

Most likely, yeah.

No. 52

This year has had various movies become blockbuster hits, but in your opinion what work do you consider as a hit?

It’s actually a drama, but Game of Thrones.

I recommend it.

previous || next

#Tokyo Ghoul #zakki:re #Ishida Sui #Ishida Q&A #Translations #my translations #these series of questions were especially enjoyable #also lol the last one #the timing for it couldn't be worse huh

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lewiselder · 5 years ago

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are you following me? a short, dumb story

helloooooooo

i know i know i know.

but lewis! your last post was only like 2 weeks ago and you usually wait 8 ridiculous months between posts!

i know dude but this dumb thing happened yesterday and i thought it was funny, so here i am logging into tumblr.

let’s get straight to it.

i’m back in STL for a couple weeks to visit my mom and grandparents and cat. it’s hot and humid and beautiful. i love st louis so fucking much!

ted drewes! gooey butter cake! chocolate drop cookies from missouri baking co! gus’s pretzels! companion bakery! nelly doing backflips in that vid where he beats allen iverson in a half court shot contest (yes that is a real video and it is incredible and never forget charlamagne tha god said the only celebrity he ever thought might really beat his ass on air was nelly).

so this was yesterday, july 25th, a wednesday. i had spent the day working in a coffee shop and then went to the brentwood ymca to workout. i’m sitting on a bench in the Y between sets, and this middle aged white dude comes up to me.

guy: “are you following me?”

me: *looking up from my phone* wat

guy: *in an over emphasized teehee jokey joke tone* are you followin’ meee?!

me: *scrunching up my face*

me: *again* wat

guy: *doing about the jokey-est voice fucking humanly possible and adding in some comedic hand gestures for emphasis*

heh are you followin’ me?! are ya stalkin’ meee?!

me: dude do i know you?

guy: *face dropping a little* oh heh heh, no! i was in the coffee shop earlier! and now i see you here...

me: ohhhhh ha okay. yeah bro im a lot more recognizable than you are lol.

when i said this, he had a good 2 seconds where he looked exactly like that lady thinking of math meme

yes that classic! he did that exact face.

guy: *in much lower voice* heh aw yea- azsexrdcf gkl... *mumbles unintelligibly and just turns around and walks away lol*

that was it! close curtains. throw roses.

i wanted to write about this one because it was so simple, short, and i really found it funny.

this guy saw me, lewis, a person with a clear cut distinguishing physical feature [my arm for new readers >_>] and made a subconscious mental note. later, he saw that same person (me, lewis) with that same clear cut distinguishing physical feature in a second location!

woah! he must’ve thought.

and in this guy’s NPC ass head, he assumed, well i remember that guy, so he must remember me too!

wrong!

sorry, buddy. unlike me, for better or for worse, you do not stick out. i couldn’t pick you out of a lineup. if you went missing, i would have accidentally told the cops i’ve never seen that man before in my life! you look like everybody. i didn’t see you, i didn’t notice you, and i sure as hell didn’t remember you. shit i’m sitting here right now, less than 24 hours later, and i can’t remember what you look like.

i watched him have this realization in real time.

multiple times a year i have people whom (does whom go here or is it who?) i’ve never met come up to me in the most random situations and tell me they remember me from X. we played baseball against you in 4th grade! i had a class with you in college! you tried to fight my friend during a rec league basketball game!

being physically disabled can be exhausting for a multitude of reasons. but one of the perks, besides the fact that i pre-board airplanes with impunity, is that i am indeed unique. my arm, and consequently the body sack it’s attached to, is seared into the mind grapes (if you get that reference hit me up right the fuck now to collect your prize) of thousands of people all over the world, from ymca to shining ymca.

it’s simultaneously one of the annoying and rewarding parts of being physically disabled. depends on the context and my mood and how recently i’ve eaten a cookie.

anyway, that’s it.

no, random generic background character guy, i don’t remember you and i’m not following you.

if anything, you’re following me.

*if you read this far and you’re ever in STL i will legitimately give you all of the city’s best spots and secrets, pls do hmu*

#lewis elder #lewie armstrong #disability #disabled #lucky fin project #st. louis #tier 1

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rainbowzephyr · 5 years ago

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Tag Game

Rules of the Game: Answer these questions and tag 10 blogs you’d like to know better!

Tagged By: @spideyandtheboys

Nickname(s): My Uncle calls me Drew but no one else does lol

Zodiac: Leo♌️

Height: 5’7 or 175 cm

Time: 12:37

Favorite Band/Artist: Green Day and Mariah Carey

Song Stuck In My Head: All I really Want by Alanis Morissette

Last Movie I Saw: Captain Marvel on an airplane lol

Last Thing I Googled: “what is 5’7 in cm”

Other Blogs: hmmm

Do I Get Asks?: No

Why This Username?: It was like 3 AM and I thought it was cool

Following: 522

Average Amount Of Sleep: Depends on my mood lol

Lucky Number: 22

What I’m Wearing: Basketball shorts and a t-shirt (pjs)

Dream Job: Singer or actor

Dream Trip: Tour across Europe

Favorite Food: Mozzerella sticks

Instruments I Play: None but I wish I could play the harp

Eye Color: Green

Hair Color Dark brown

Aesthetic: I wish I knew

Languages: English, 2 years of Spanish in high school, 1 week of Czech on Duolingo lol

Most Iconic Song: Emotions by Mariah Carey

Random Fact: Sinnoh is my favorite gen

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starspatter · 6 years ago

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WIP Challenge

Tagged by: @summertime-children

Tagging: @astrologista, @atsushishelteredinmoonlitjasmine, @benditlikegumby, @cryptoriawebb, @ibmiller, @iceperialprincess, and @otherwise-uncolonized

Challenge: post the names of all the files in your WIP folder, regardless of how non-descriptive or ridiculous.

I'll also do what deta did and post comments + short fragments. (Be warned it'll be very long though, and most of these are actually Pokémon fics since I was a much more prolific writer when I was younger, and that was the fandom I wrote mainly for.) I also won't be including "Heroes and Thieves" on here (or any DC/superhero stuff really since I’ve essentially “done” everything I had planned for now), as *technically* it is all already completed in draft form, and I'd like to keep things a surprise for whenever I do end up posting~

Hero and Seek

“Well, we’re all together now, so let’s have some fun, all right? Don’t worry, it’s really simple. One person is the ‘demon’, and the others have to hide from him.” “Eh? A ‘demon’? But that’s scary!” Three pairs of eyes turned up to her in fear. Those eyes, which screamed and streamed the stark color of blood the first time she saw them – not just from tears, but from the ‘monster’ they believed dwelled deep within. She thought for a moment, then removed her scarf. “How about this then? Whoever’s the ‘hero’ has to find and rescue the others. It’s a very important Blindfold Brigade mission!”

I’ll start with the one Kagepro fic I did attempt at least, which I described previously here, but is basically about Ayano + the Meka Trio playing “Hide and Seek” for the first time. (I actually had it originally titled as that but just came up with this new version on the spot lol I’m so clever~) For some reason I’ve always been hesitant about reading/writing Kagefic, but I actually got a fair bit farther in this than I thought, so perhaps I should try to finish it someday... Princes and Frogs

“K-Koizumi-senpai… Um… Please go out with me!” Itsuki stared down at the tiny underclassman, watching a rose mantle spread slowly over her cheeks as she gazed back with shy, but determined hope in her bespectacled eyes. The older boy could make out his own handsome face reflected off the lens, a virtual image embellished by sparkling hearts and stars. With dim satisfaction and relief, Itsuki ensured that his bright, patient smile betrayed no hint of the weary sigh that whispered behind it.

This is an intro excerpt of the first chapter I planned to write for an ItsuHaru fic from The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, which I only ever posted the prologue for. ItsuHaru was my first obsessive OTP, and I still think about returning to this story someday (especially since I have now proven to myself I *can* finish a full chapter fic if I put my mind to it), but it’s been so long I feel like I’d need to refresh my memory of the whole series/am still holding out hope for a Season 3 to motivate me again. *shot*

Fall to Pieces

As Itsuki stared at Yuki’s vacant visage, his resentment kept building. His hands clenched, rigidly gripping the edge of the table. Somehow, it just didn’t seem fair. That she could so easily ignore the madness fate had dealt them, never reveal any signs of suffering or bitterness towards her situation, and yet always, always wear the same damn expression on her face. How could she possibly stand it? He can’t stand it. (any more)

An ItsuYuki one-shot, where Itsuki basically blows up at her from pent-up frustration over having to wear a mask all the time and his hidden feelings for Haruhi. The two start to form a connection over their respective “unrequited loves”/understanding of each other’s pain, and one thing leads to another... Like “Heroes and Thieves”, this is in fact technically “complete”, since I actually used the leftover steam from the former towards finishing at least one thing I started a long time ago - although I’m still not sure I’m totally satisfied with it/kinda want to wait to figure out what I’m doing with my other ItsuHaru fics before I publish it by itself. (Incidentally the working title comes from an Avril Lavigne song lol.)

Little White Lies

“Perhaps the best thing for the princess would have been to fall in love. But how a princess who had no gravity could fall into anything is a difficulty--perhaps the difficulty.” -George MacDonald, The Light Princess - Haruhi Suzumiya was walking on air. Itsuki could tell by the way she glided into the clubroom, sailing like a paper airplane – or a balloon with an inflated ego to match.

...Yeah that’s as far as I got with this. This was meant to be a “White Day” story, which is Japan’s “answer holiday” to Valentine’s Day, where guys reciprocate by giving gifts to the girls who gave them chocolates. I always wondered how the boys actually responded in-universe, and I imagine Itsuki secretly stressing out a lot about taking care to not upstage Kyon, but at the same time wanting to sincerely express his genuine appreciation and feelings towards Haruhi - whatever they may be. In the end, he settles on a copy of “The Light Princess” by George MacDonald, which I highly recommend reading since it reminds me so much of this pair, and in general is such a fun and snappy “tongue-in-cheek” take on the fairytale genre. Sora in Wonderland

But wait- this one was a bit different from all its brothers and sisters. For one thing, it was wearing a fancy waistcoat with pockets- and sleeves that were far too long for it. As soon as it passed by her head, it stopped and slowly turned its head around to stare directly at her with its huge circular yellow eyes. Sora stared vacantly back for a full five seconds before the information registered in her brain and she suddenly yelled, “Hey!”, and sat bolt upright. The Heartless panicked upon hearing her voice and fled at top speed across the white sands, headed towards an opening in the rocks; Sora jumped down off her perch and immediately chased after it, no longer caring about the heat. The Heartless hastily disappeared inside the cave, and Sora soon followed after, determined to catch the freaky little thing and ask it some questions, like what it was doing on the island at this time, and where on earth did it get a waistcoat.

OKAY SO I TOTALLY FORGOT THIS WAS A THING but apparently I tried to write a Kingdom Hearts parody of “Alice in Wonderland” lmao. I’ve never actually played the games (aside from half of CoM), but it was probably inspired by a crossover art my friend drew? ^^; Also Sora is a girl in this bc that’s my headcanon and I’m sticking to it. XP *shot* Note: The following fics are all Pokémon-related so I’ll just be listing them in roughly chronological order (from most recent to ancient, although they’re all pretty old at this point). Stranger

The elder slowly rose to his feet, gazing at the boy, the champion, the stranger. “In all this time, why didn’t you come back? You could have seen for yourself how she was.” Lance wanted to yell something defiant, like a child. But he wasn’t a child. Children were forgiven for their mistakes. And he didn’t want to be forgiven. The professor’s ancient hand came to rest on the boy’s shoulder. “It’s the way this town works. We don’t talk about things that happen outside our own world. Maybe it was too long ago – too late for you to understand.” Lance didn’t say anything. “At least talk to Delia. She’s been wanting to see you.” “Sorry. It’s too late.” “You’re a bastard.” “I know.”

So this looks to be among the last things I’d written before taking a long break from fanfiction circa... 2007, jeeze. Over 10 years, huh. But, I think it speaks a certain amount of maturity that it’s the piece I liked most upon rediscovering. It’s based on an idea I once had that Lance was (unknowingly) Gary Oak’s father, and he was friends/rivals with Ash’s father, who originally won the title of Champion but relinquished it so he could be with his “wife” and kid (or rather, then-pregnant teenage girlfriend). *Something* happened though (I forget what I had in mind) and he ended up dying, leaving Lance bitter and depressed so he refused to return to Pallet Town because of too many painful memories. (Though he *cough* “comforted” their other female childhood friend for one night of drunken grief before he left. ;() What I like most about it honestly is the parallels bw Lance’s relationship with Ash’s dad and their sons’, and that amidst all the angst I enjoyed portraying the earnest energy and optimism of Ketchum(?) senior (”like father like son” after all). I was definitely inspired by Mitsuki’s father in Full Moon wo Sagashite/Maes Hughes from Fullmetal Alchemist by making him a total “dork dad” who’d brag about his (illegitimate) family on national TV during the championship tournament lol.

Ihavenoidea

Either way, I get the feeling this really wasn’t what I had in mind when I made my decision to quit training. I mean that in an intuitive sort of way. Like, sometimes I feel as if I’m not meant to be here, like my life should have ended up differently someplace else. Perhaps this is just one of those weird inconsistencies I told you about. Perhaps not. Even after all that’s happened to me recently, I still can’t really be sure about it.

...No seriously, I have no idea where I was going with this. As far as I can tell it’s written from the POV of Gary Oak, whom I’ve always had a lot of... “complicated” feelings towards. It probably has something to do with another concept I’ll discuss next, although for some reason it sounds like I was going for some sort of AU? *shrug* By contrast to the above, it reads like a whiny teenager complaining about his life - which makes me cringe but is probably an accurate portrayal of who I was at the time. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ This one was actually dated a little after the previous, so my best guess is it was some kind of vent rant where I would “give up” writing/creating and “childish” ideals for a while, as I was wont to do - but I still always come back to it somehow... RainbowMolly

Molly stepped out from the car and onto the dusty road, her heart beating wildly. She could hardly believe she was actually here, of all places. The ride had been long and mind-numbing with anticipation, and now that they’d finally arrived at the destination, it all felt somewhat surreal to her. A small bear clambered out from the vehicle, joining her as she stopped to take in the rustic view that met her bright blue eyes. She smiled and picked up her Teddiursa, cuddling its warm, fuzzy body close to her own. Her gaze traveled down the road which stretched in both directions, houses lining up against its margins. She followed it with her eyes towards a hill in the distance, on top of which sat what looked like a quaint little farmhouse with a windmill, turning in the summer breeze. She breathed in the country air, catching whiff of a faint salt smell from an ocean in the distance. So this was Pallet Town.

...Why I didn’t actually name the file “Chasing Rainbows” - which was the title I had planned for this - I don’t know. This dates back to an old idea I had where I believed Molly Hale from the third Pokémon movie was secretly the true “God” of the Pokémon world - in the sense that the entire universe was an unknowing fantasy of her own creation, similar to Haruhi Suzumiya (ok fine this was totally a crossover/rip-off of the same concept so sue me OTL). In a place where children never seem to grow up and can go on grand fantastical adventures forever, Gary always struck me as an anomaly who willingly *chose* to forego such a life to pursue more “adult” interests by becoming a researcher. So I saw him as filling the role of “Kyon” - the cynical narrator who was destined to ground “God” and bring her back down to earth, but at the same time be won over by her innocence and charm and learn to appreciate “kids’ stuff” again. However, the Legendaries were actually aware of the power Molly holds, and so saw Gary as a threat to their very being - as by “waking” the dreamer and having her face reality meant erasing their kinds’ entire existence. As the “apocalypse” nearly occurred in the third film, Mew and Celebi took on human disguises (in the form of May and Max respectively) to investigate Ash, who was able to calm Molly and “save” the world by “perpetuating” the delusion (and whom Molly totally has a crush on btw *shot*). So it’s a bit of a love triangle lol, with Mew and Celebi (*cough* an alien and a time traveler, get it? *shot*) acting as mediators/interference. (Although Mew might’ve secretly shipped Gary and Molly herself. ;O)

Betrayal

And these blades, these damned scythes that attached themselves to my arms when I was born, a curse upon me since birth, though it had not been apparent up until now. They were covered with blood, the vital crimson liquid that flows through our bodies, now dripping down the steel surface in a webbed pattern, drops beginning to splatter the pure, emerald grass below. The arm felt heavy and weak as I tried to lift it, as if it did not belong to me, but that was only a wishful thought. I gazed calmly at it, inspecting the intricate designs the flow of the substance had created, as if it were an abstract piece of artwork. Tentatively, a pink tongue rolled out and caught a small droplet of it just before it fell from the sharp edge, just to convince myself that it was real. The semi-sweet, metallic taste confirmed this. I had indeed taken these men’s lives, just as I had taken hers.

So I remember this was written from the POV of a Scyther who seemingly went on a murderous rampage. I only know that I wanted to give him an “Edward Scissorhands”-like story, since the idea of having such sharp objects attached to one’s limbs so that one could never directly “touch” another without being a danger is pretty tragic. I suspect “her” was someone (a human?) he cared about but killed by accident, and after that he was only seen as a symbol of power/treated as a tool to incite fear before eventually rebelling against his “master”... Roses

“If you love someone, you should give them something that’s yours. That shows how much you care for them.” In the darkness, I pictured his smiling face, explaining to me as he wrapped a present for his girlfriend. His blue eyes were shining with a sort of spirit unfamiliar to me; I guessed, a feeling of love.

Another “dark” take on a Pokémon’s biology (I really liked writing explorations of those back then lol), this time of Roselia. The idea was that a Roselia was so in love with her trainer that she would do anything for him - including allow him to cut off her arms so he could give them to his girlfriend. I actually ended up turning it into a poem at one point:

Love is like a rose they say, And affection leads to grief they warned. For in the end love betrays, Its Beauty maimed by a poisoned thorn. You gave me pure water with a smile. Your cheerful face became my sun. I offered up my blood to you, And in return demanded none. Chop off my wrists, and tie them together. I’ll gladly bleed myself to death. In order to give you that which I hold most dear. My dear, my dear, Won’t you accept this bouquet? You take it, smiling warily. A blush creeps onto your face. And in those eyes I can see A garden of roses stretched out, Composing a wondrous place. Then you bound my hands in lace, And brought them to the girl next door. You presented them to her with grace. … My blood continued to pour.

Fanfic

She smiled at me, although something about her expression indicated something wasn't quite right. I watched as she glanced over towards the west, her gaze lingering momentarily on the setting sun. The glowing, orange sphere was slowly sinking behind the distant mountains, peaks cloaked in a pale, lavender haze illuminated by flickering beams of gold and scarlet cast across the horizon.

More accurately, I found this buried in a “catch-all” file where I had several (mostly finished) fics saved. This was meant to be from the POV of an Eevee who had just evolved - supposedly into an Espeon due to happiness and bond with her trainer, which is what both wanted. However, since it took place at sunset, she didn’t realize she had become an Umbreon instead, and her trainer ended up abandoning her for it. ;( It was a warm

Children’s shrieks and laughter echoed across the park as they flocked towards each other, and soon were chasing one another round the playground, weaving in and out between the swings as they partook in an innocent game of Tag. One child was It; she was trying desperately to catch one of her friends so that they would take over the job instead. Then it would be her turn to run away, for none of them wished to play the loathsome role of It. Or was it because they feared being tainted by the person’s touch? It must have been one of the two, for while she would struggle to reach them, catch hold of them, they would only flee, thoroughly enjoying the fact that they were vexing her. Twice she nearly caught one. Her fingertips were almost within reach of one of the other girls’ dresses, whose russet tresses were flowing wildly from the rush of movement and shining with golden highlights as the rays of the sun struck individual strands. The target shrieked and shook her head, whisking her skirt free in time to escape capture, laughing with glee at the sight of the girl left behind, miserable and alone.

Yeah I totally just went with the default beginning of the first sentence lol. I guess this comes full circle with the first Kagepro fic I mentioned (although I’m not even sure I was aware back then that the Japanese version of the game literally called “It” a “demon”, which is even more fitting). I believe this was part of a Pokémon series I was writing involving a creepy little girl and Mewtwo who would bring about the end of the world or something like that, but generally I guess I was just going for a “Catcher in the Rye” feel. *shrug* Golden Lights

The pale, rosy fingers of dawn were filtering in through the Granite Cave entrance, basking a small area near the opening in pinkish illumination. Just out of reach of its expanse sat little Mika, huddled in the gloom of the shadows, watching the light creep steadily towards her as the glowing ball of fire rose slowly towards the East. She knew about the Light that came from Outside. There were plenty other small apertures broken into the cavern walls and ceiling that allowed some thin streams of gold brilliance to trickle through. She had always done well to avoid them. The brightness was like poison to her skin. But they weren’t the Lights she’d had described to her by the old Crobat that always resided now deeper within the underground chambers, dozing now, most likely. He wouldn’t awaken until night came round, and she did not wish to rouse him and perhaps disturb him from a pleasant dream. She was very wise about things like that, being the young child that she was. Still, she would have liked to hear a story to comfort her just then.

Last one I could find, about a Sableye who, like Icarus, literally “flew too close to the sun”. In this interpretation I imagined that Sableye were creatures who could not stand sunlight at all, as it would cause their skin to burn. But Mika (pronounced like “Mica”) always dreamed of going outside to see the “Light” anyway. She was eventually tempted by Mew to leave the cavern under her angelic PROTECTion and step into the Light, who was acting as Ho-Oh’s messenger to “recruit” souls to “live eternal as an element of Ho-Oh’s Guarding Flame“, as the PROTECT faded and a “holy fire” began to spread. I guess I was going for a Biblical/”Rapture”-esque reference. (...Man I sure was obsessed with the endtimes as a kid. *shot*)

#Kagerou Project #Tateyama Ayano #Mekakushi Trio #Suzumiya Haruhi no Yuuutsu #ItsuHaru #ItsuYuki #Pokemon #Gary Oak #Molly Hale #fanfiction #starstories #astrologista #atsushishelteredinmoonlitjasmine #benditlikegumby #cryptoriawebb #ibmiller #iceperialprincess #otherwise uncolonized

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backtothestart02 · 2 years ago

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Death by Design - 1/? | westallen fanfiction

A/N: Watched Final Destination (the first one) the other day and now I need a Flash version where basically only WA survive. Lol. Enjoy!

...

Synopsis: AU - When Barry sees his plane explode before it happens and saves the lives of all those who listen to him, the only thing he thinks he has to deal with is survivor's guilt. Little does he know that death has a design, and it is still coming for them all.

...

Chapter 1 -

Nora Allen flicked on the hallway light and pushed her son’s bedroom door open when it was still dark one Saturday morning in mid-March. The light filtered into the room until it landed on her son’s sweet 17-year-old face that twitched slightly the more the light spread across it.

“Barry,” she cooed, pushing the door open further.

Barry groaned in response, and her smile widened further. She stepped into his room and flicked on his bedroom light. Immediately he grabbed the edge of his blanket and covered his face.

Nora chuckled lightly and came to sit beside him on the bed. She rested her hand on his covered shoulder and continued to urge him awake.

“Paris, my beautiful boy,” she said, leaning into the lump under the blanket. “For 10 days.”

He grumbled something unintelligible.

“You’ll have hours to sleep on the plane.”

She drew her fingers to the edge of the blanket he held tightly too and pried his grip free.

“Maybe you’ll even meet a French girl.”

“Moooom.”

She pulled the blanket back to the end of the bed, and he pulled his knees up to his chest, shivering slightly.

“Get dressed,” she said, patting one knee. “I’ll have pancakes ready for you when you come downstairs.”

He groaned again and tried to reach for the blanket blindly with his eyes shut but opening one eye revealed that his mother had taken it, folded it, and set it on the chair in the far corner of the room on her way out the door. And she’d left his door wide open.

Sighing deeply, he got up and walked to the doorway to shut the door when his father crossed his view on his way down the hall.

“Morning, slugger.”

Rubbing his eyes, Barry forced a smile.

“Morning, Dad.”

Henry Allen winked, and Barry shut his door.

“Well, guess I’m up.”

…

On the way to the airport, the Allen’s stopped at the Ramon residence to pick up Barry’s best friend, Cisco, and his older brother, Dante. Cisco was fully wired, so much so that Barry suspected he might not have gone to bed the night before. Dante was more on his level, as far as how tired they both were. Barry’s parents tried to get the boys chatting the rest of the way, but they ended up talking mostly to Cisco, which was fine with Barry. He was feeling uneasy for some reason, and not just because he wasn’t the biggest fan of flying in an airplane.

On arrival, he grabbed his suitcase and carry on and waved goodbye to his parents, as he and the rest of the senior class started to pile into the airport entrance. After checking in, Ms. Horton, a teacher from the school, and H.R. Wells, their French teacher, who would assist with translation, led them to the gate. H.R. occasionally paused to make comments, making some of the students roll their eyes and scoff and others just glaze over because they were barely standing up straight.

At last, everyone made it to the gate and settled in. Hunter and Caitlin were making out on one seat, Lisa and Bette were flipping through magazines another row over. Iris was doing some sort of paper puzzle, sudoku maybe, as she slid her headphones over her ears and jammed away to some jazz music.

Barry sat next to Cisco, who was still buzzing, particularly about landing himself next to either Lisa or Bette, two of the most popular and prettiest girls in their grade. He was equally crushing hard on both.

“Flight 180 to Paris, France is now boarding.”

Mostly enthusiastic, the students rose from their seats and made their way past the gate booth and through the long tunnel attached to the massive plane that would take them to their destination.

With every step, Barry felt more and more nervous. He told himself there was nothing to be nervous about, but he just felt on edge. It was different from the last time he’d been on a plane. It was worse. Like something really bad was going to happen. Something life…ending.

But no one else seemed to be remotely worried. Tired, maybe, or pre-occupied with their best friend or significant other, but…not afraid for their life.

He swallowed hard and headed for his seat, overhearing just barely as Lisa and Bette tried to get Cisco to switch seats with him so they could sit together. His hands shaking, his brow sweating, he landed in the final seat in back, away from everyone else, he didn’t even register whatever his best friend may have said.

“Hey, Barry,” Lisa Snart said, pulling him out of the semi-trance he’d fallen into.

“Huh? What?”

Lisa and Bette shared a look before continuing their query.

“Would you switch your seat with us so we can sit together?” Bette asked, eyebrows raised.

“Yeah,” Lisa added, “Cisco said something about getting sick on planes.” She scrunched up her nose.

Distracted and probably looking gross by now, he nodded hurriedly.

“Oh, uh, yeah, sure.”

“Thanks, Barry, you’re the be-” Lisa tried, but he was out of earshot before she could finish.

He dropped into the seat beside Cisco and tried to calm himself, tuning out Cisco’s complaints about why couldn’t he let one of the girls sit by him. Barry looked out the window and put his seatbelt on and the A/C. The table on the back of the seat in front of him fell down suddenly, spooking him. When he tried to put it back up, the screw on the latch came loose, making putting the table back up impossible.

Great. A screw loose.

Still, he told himself he was overreacting. The plane couldn’t really be about to fall apart. Could it?

The flight attendants went over all the precautions. The pilot spoke. Everyone’s seatbelts went on, and the plane started to move.

Barry’s nerves were shot. He couldn’t sit still, couldn’t stop looking out the window. And when the plane started to accelerate and lift off the ground, it made everything a hundred times worse. While everyone was cheering that they were on their way to Paris, Barry was counting to a hundred and then some, just trying to keep himself distracted.

Everyone else, grinning ear to ear, no one could’ve expected what came next.

The plane jolted. It rattled. The lights flickered. Baggage fell out of the above compartments. Drink carts flung down the aisles. Oxygen masks dropped from the ceiling. Then without warning, a whole side of the plane ripped off and was flung into the air, taking multiple passengers in their seats with them.

Barry’s eyes bulged, hardly daring to think, assuming death was near. And it was. Because then a blazing fire fueled in from the cockpit and consumed the passengers whole, and the last thing he remembered was his whole body burning in an instant and then…

“Hey, Barry,” Lisa Snart said, pulling him out of the semi-trance he’d fallen into.

“Huh? What?”

Lisa and Bette shared a look before continuing their query.

“Would you switch your seat with us so we can sit together?” Bette asked, eyebrows raised.

Gasping for air, Barry lunged out of his seat, not saying a word, but jumping into the seat beside Cisco, who immediately started to complain.

The table fell down from the seat in front of Barry, and when he tried to put it back up, the screw holding it together came loose and wouldn’t go back.

“Oh, my god. Oh, my god. Oh, my god. Oh, my god.”

“Dude.” Cisco squeezed his shoulder. “Are you okay?”

Barry lunged into the aisle, barely holding himself together.

“The plane is going to explode!”

“Oh, now what?” an annoyed Hunter grumbled, his animosity for Barry ever-present. Caitlin beside him tried to calm him by patting his hand.

“It’s going to explode!” Barry said again. “We all have to get off right now!”

“Barry, calm down, what are y-” Cisco tried, but it was no use.

“Sir,” the pilot came out of the cockpit after several tries to calm Barry down got him nowhere. “I’m going to have to ask you to get off the plane if you can’t get back in your seat.”

“You don’t have to ask me, I’ll do it myself!” He made a bee line for the exit, only faintly hearing the pilot saying anyone in the aisles at the time of Barry’s departure also had to leave. That meant Hunter, Caitlin, Ralph and both teachers. It wasn’t until after the fact that Barry discovered Iris had quietly gotten off as well, following his best friend, Cisco who’d gotten off at his brother’s urging.

“This is unbelievable!” Hunter complained.

“Calm down, Hunter,” Ms. Horton said after urging HR and airport security to let him go back on the plane. Her short stature did almost nothing to calm the tall teenage bully down. “There’s another flight in a few hours. It’ll be fine.”

Caitlin tried to soothe her boyfriend too, but it was no use. Hunter flung himself at Barry, pushing him onto the floor.

“The plane’s going to explode. The plane’s going to explode,” he mocked. “We all have to miss half a day in Paris because Allen here had a bad dream?”

“I saw it,” Barry said pathetically, and Hunter scoffed, looking away as the plane rose into the sky just beyond them.

And then 1…2…3…

The floor-to-ceiling windows burst all around them, sending them flying. And when they looked up, all of them watched in amazement as the plane the rest of their class had been riding on burned in the midnight sky, then fell apart and crashed into the river.

And all of their gazes shifted then to focus on one form shivering on the floor, that of Barry Allen.

“I saw it.”

#westallen #westallen fanfiction #backtothestart02 fanfiction #death by design #chapter 1 #final destination au

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