#I started it as a character exercise and the old friend was doing creature design

[ace-malarky]

Assassin

Which really would have been the perfect prompt for Sparkles, perhaps, but that is not how the dice rolled so here we are with Ishal; herbologist, medic, researcher.

this setting is not one of the Mist Worlds but a joint project with an old friend that she seems to think? we've finished with? jokes on her; I kept writing even when she stopped responding to letters

~~

 There were supplies missing from her stores. Not much – not enough to be noticeable, if Ishal didn’t know the weights and placements of everything in her shack intimately.

 Whoever had taken it was good; barely anything else disturbed, which very much ruled out Irith. While he wouldn’t remember to say anything, he wouldn’t have hidden his presence.

 “And I suppose you saw nothing,” she said to Mals.

 Her pentaloft rolled her head towards her and burbled, not shifting from her sprawled out position on the roof.

 Ishal rolled her eyes and returned inside to check. The plants that had been taken nagged at her and she wanted to check her notes before she acted on anything.

 It didn’t take long. Ishal knew her stock, knew her plants. She just hadn’t wanted to believe it before, which was nonsense. She was a scientist, a biologist, a botanist. She knew the use of every plant in here, both on its own and in conjunction with others.

 “Shit.” Ishal ran her hands through her hair – loosened from its horsetail already by frequent use of the same motion – and stayed still long enough to work out a plan.

 Then she bolted from the building, running for the main structure, where she prayed to anyone listening that Ilse or Prianthus are inside. She’d take Ari or Jolek, but–

 Ishal ran.

 Oli was just inside the door, and he pulled to the side as she charged in. “Ishal?”

 “Ilse?” she asked.

 “Upstairs,” he replied, “she’s with–”

 But Ishal was gone, launching herself upwards along the curving staircase.

 “Wait, what’s happening?” he called after her as he followed.

 Ishal burst into the sitting room, startling the whole group.

 Prianthus and Ari both reached for their weapons. Nyssa grabbed the knife from zir plate. Jolek turned, shifting as if to run. Ilse flinched back in her seat.

 “Ishal,” Prianthus said, recovering first. “What is the problem?”

 “None of you have eaten anything yet?” Ishal asked.

 “No, Olizaar has only just brought it up.” Ilse frowned.

 “Good. Don’t.” Ishal fought not to bend over and pant.

 “What’s happening?” Oli appeared in the doorway behind her.

 “Poison,” Ishal said. “Plants stolen, nasty–”

 “Malle–” Ilse started to say.

 “She wouldn’t,” Oli interrupted. “Sorry. But. She wouldn’t.”

 “I meant it might be for her, we should–” Ilse flicked a glance towards Jolek.

 “She eats with the rest of the students,” Ari said with a growl.

 “She also isn’t our only high-profile student.” Prianthus kept his voice calm and level.

 “Oh, that wasn’t what I–”

 ��Ari,” Nyssa said. “Stop.”

 “It’s far more likely to be someone known to take meals separately.” Ishal straightened up, walked further in, and reached for the nearest dish. “Oli, was there anyone new in the kitchen?”

 “I – you know what turnover’s like down there, they don’t outlast Ari for–”

 “With fewer jokes,” Ishal snapped. She would apologise later.

 “Sorry. Um – there might have been – I thought he was just delivering supplies, but they don’t hang around that much.” Oli hesitated. “Unless he’s sweet on someone.”

 “Ari, stay put,” Prianthus said. “Jolek, you go with Olizaar. If he’s still around, don’t let him leave.”

 Jolek grinned and saluted, peeling away from the wall. “C’mon, kiddo. We can grab some food, too.”

 Ishal set down the plate and reached for the next.

 “We don’t have specific plates,” Ilse said, watching her. “If this is targeted, it seems sloppy.”

 “Yes, but–” Ishal froze, a plate in her hands. “Who was going to eat from this one?” She didn’t have to ask, really; the way it was loaded more to a northern palate gave it away as one of two people, and Nyssa had never eaten that much since she’d known zir.

 Ari frowned. “Me, but–”

 “If you are about to ask why, don’t,” Ilse said, sounding as close to snapping as Ishal had ever heard her. “You are one of the founders. You ride an elemental. Your death would disrupt a lot.”

 “Besides which,” Nyssa said, “as far as anyone knows, you are the sole survivor of the Satar clan.”

 Ari looked at her cousin. “Not Malle, then.”

 “She’s supremely uninterested in the politics of any clan outside the true North of the frozen circle.” Nyssa’s tone was arch, gently mocking.

 “I will – dispose of this.” Ishal covered the plate over with a waxed cloth from her pocket. “I advise that you all get new plates, regardless.

#

 It took longer than she would like to neutralise the poison. They’re far more up Irith’s tree, but he’s nowhere to be found. Again. As usual.

 Ishal ignored that, focusing on picking it apart. No one ingested. That’s good. She should, perhaps, teach them a class on identifying poisons.

 Or get Irith to. Maybe that would get him to focus.

 “Ishal?” Oli poked his head around the door.

 “You aren’t interrupting,” she replied.

 “Good. Because we found the poisoner. Ilse wants you there. If you’re… ready.” He didn’t come any further in.

 Ishal swept the remnants of the food into a pouch and sealed it. “Yes. Sorry.” She joined him at the door. “I shouldn’t have snapped at you.”

 “It was a tense moment.” Oli shrugged.

 “Still.” Ishal squeezed his arm. “I shouldn’t have. I’m sorry.”

 Oli smiled at her. “Well, when you put it like that.” He laughed. “Come on, let’s condemn an assassin and see what passes for justice around here.”

 “Assassin?” Ishal let out a puff of laughter. “Is that what they’re saying?”

 “Well, he did try to kill Ari, so.” Oli shrugged. “It’s accurate.”

 Ishal hummed and followed Oli back to the castle.

 Mals was more alert now, still perched up on the roof above the door but with her eyes focused on the path.

 Oli shouldered his way past the students who were milling about, avoiding their questions.

 “They know something’s happened.”

 “I mean yeah, they’re not dumb. Most of them.” Oli shot her a grin. “Plus, you made a spectacle when you launched yourself across.”

 Ishal hummed again.

 Oli led her into a room that rarely saw use. It was bare stone, thin slits of windows, not quite big enough to be a hall. There had been steps down into it, but not enough to put them fully underground and into the tunnels.

 Ishal started to look for a way down before she realised that the room was already occupied, and snapped her attention to them.

 There was Ilse and Prianthus, standing beside each other, Jolek to the side and Ari in the corner with a cloaked figure that Ishal assumed was Nyssa in her shadow.

 There was one more person; he looked to be from the north, like Ari and Nyssa and Malle, but he was dressed in worn labourer’s clothing and his hair was cropped short. He was standing, arms tied behind him, and was sporting a split lip and a swelling eye.

 “This is our thief?” Ishal asked.

 “Our would-be assassin, please,” Jolek said. “Don’t align him with me.”

 Prianthus shot him a warning glare.

 Their prisoner laughed. “I’d heard the rumours about a criminal in the ranks of these claimed riders. The beast must have been quite desperate. Or an easily led fool.”

 Jolek’s face tightened into a scowl.

 “Don’t,” Prianthus said, and for a moment it was unclear who he spoke to.

 A growl rumbled in through the windows and Jolek frown became a smirk.

 “They’re listening as well. So, you know. Be careful.”

 “Why did you attempt to kill me?” Ari asked. “Actually – why did you come at me like a coward?”

 Jolek muffled a laugh. “Priorities.”

 “Because we don’t want you coming back to claim the throne,” he answered easily enough.

 Ari squinted at him as she parsed his words. “I – I left, I was never in line, you just wanted our whole clan wiped out.” Ari stroked down the haft of one of her axes.

 He tiled his chin up, unafraid or resigned. “That should never have delayed your death.”

 “And then you failed,” Ari said.

 “Did your clan leader send you?” Prianthus asked.

 “He should have.”

 “Is that why you stole supplies from me?” Ishal asked. “No blessing from your clan?”

 “They will award my initiative.”

 “If you’d succeeded,” Jolek said.

 “If you get back.” Ari’s voice was light, noncommittal.

 Ishal shot her a glance; she was still stroking her axe, her face carefully still.

 Ilse shifted on her feet, almost as if she was going to caution Ari, but she didn’t say anything.

 “We don’t have any higher judgement than us,” Prianthus said, seeing Ishal’s glance.

 “Well, the dragons, but I think they’d jut as soon eat you,” Jolek said.

 “This is a Northern problem,” Ari said. “As such.”

 Nyssa placed zir hand on Ari’s shoulder.

 “Are we just here for witnesses?” Ishal asked, folding her arms. “He stole as well.”

 “Would you like his hand?” Ari asked.

 Ishal tilted her head. “What would I do with that?”

 “Don’t toy with your prey, Ari,” Ilse murmured.

 The prisoner snorted. “Children that you are, do you not know how the world works?”

 Ari growled.

 Nyssa squeezed Ari’s shoulder and stepped past her. Ze slipped an axe from Ari’s waist as ze walked on.

 The prisoner frowned at zir. “What are you, her dog? Do you dirty your hands when the failed bodyguard is too much of a coward?”

 Nyssa pushed back zir hood. “No, I’m proof of your failure.”

 He frowned. “You–”

 “Nyssa Satara, heir to the Satar clan.” Ze was smaller than him, slighter, but ze carried zirself with the grace of the whip tailed dog when it knows that a meal is close at hand. “We survive.”

 His eyes widened; he took a step back, as if that would help him avoid what was coming.

 Nyssa drew zir hand back, flipped the axe in zir grip, and sliced it across his throat.

 Ilse let out a gasp and covered her mouth with her hands. Jolek tried to shape his shock into amusement and mostly failed.

 Prianthus and Ari barely blinked.

 Nyssa stepped back to avoid the blood that was spilling down his front, and handed Ari back her axe as the man dropped to the floor behind zir. “I trust no one contests my judgement?”

 Jolek let out a high-pitched noise and then cleared his throat. “Yeah, it’s a – a bit late for that, I think.”

 “What do you intend to do with the body?” Ilse asked, fighting to keep her voice level.

 “Feed it to the dragons,” Oli suggested.

 Everyone turned to him like they’d forgotten he was there.

 “What?” He shrugged. “They’ll be hungry.”

 “That won’t even scratch the surface for one of them.” Jolek flicked his gaze down to the body.

 “Can I have it?” Ishal asked.

 “What are you going to do with it? Your penta can’t possibly eat all that.”

 “Oh, it’s not for her.” Ishal shook her head. “Research. It’s not often I get a chance at a fresh corpse.”

 “Horrifying,” Prianthus said dryly.

 “If Nyssa and Ari have no objections?” Ilse glanced at them.

 Ari shrugged. “Let something good come of him.”

 Ishal nodded. Maybe this would get her brother out of his head for a bit.

[hikari-kaitou]

Capcom’s Official AA Fanclub Surveys - Main Series Edition

Naturally, Capcom’s official AA fanclub site didn't only post surveys about the DGS characters; they published far more of them about the main series characters. It makes sense, as they started the trend before the DGS series had even been conceived.

Back in the old days, they used to hold a survey on Capcom’s official AA fansite every few months where they’d write about the seasonal activities of a handful of characters and ask fans to vote for the funniest/most pleasant/strangest/etc answer.

They stopped doing them in like… 2016? 2017? The original text is lost for good as far as I can tell. Even the wayback machine couldn’t help because the content was password locked and you can’t get past the password wall while remaining in the archived version.

Fortunately, I saved some of my translations of them so I thought I’d share them. Unfortunately, I was doing these translations very casually and only intended to share them with two of my close friends at the time when I did them, so some of them are just summaries rather than proper translations, and I tended to only focus on characters that we personally were interested in or scenarios that we thought were funny or interesting. That means there are parts missing, and because I didn't expect the original text to be wiped off the site I didn't save it so I could go back and fill in the blanks. Sorry about that...

Cut for length!

"Spring is on its way and each of the AA cast members spent their day off in different ways. Who's way of spending their day off sounds the most pleasant?"

Phoenix- he finished unpacking his moving boxes and sorting his seasonal clothing. While he was packing away his ugly pink sweater and such, he happened across the complete works of Shakespeare at the bottom of one of the boxes, got completely absorbed in reading, and ended up abandoning his unpacking.

Mia- She went shopping at a department store for a new summer suit. On her way, she coincidentally ran into Maya, who was on her way to the agency to hang out, but then at some point Maya vanished. Mia tried calling her cell phone but she didn't answer. "Don't tell me she's lost at her age," Mia thought, and began to search for her. She found Maya transfixed by a rooftop Steel Samurai show. It seems that she was both exasperated and relieved.

Maya- she tagged along on Mia's shopping trip, but the second she spied a poster for a rooftop Steel Samurai show, she made a beeline for the roof. She got into a cheering battle with a mean-looking elementary school boy and really enjoyed the show. When the show was over, she reunited with an exasperated looking Mia. She gleefully led Mia to a burger restaurant so they could eat some burgers together.

Edgeworth- he treated himself to a drive along the coast in his red sports car... Well, that was the plan, but then he was pushed by his mentor Von Karma into being the driver for his shopping trip. As a reward for his service, he received a brand new Von Karma style, stylish and flashy summer suit.

Then there's Larry, who dragged Phoenix to a café to hit on its hot owner, and the judge who bought a wig.

"Apollo, Fulbright, Edgeworth, Klavier and Kristoph made visits to a nursery school near the courthouse. Which of them did the most pleasant activity with the children?"

Apollo acted out the story of the “Crying Red Ogre” for the children. Phoenix played the part of the blue ogre, and Apollo was the red ogre, and Apollo’s wailing moved the children to tears too. In a panic over all the crying, they got Trucy to cheer them up with a magic trick in which she made Apollo disappear.

Fulbright: He came dressed in a blinding white costume to teach the children about justice and put on a play. The children gave him thunderous applause... But when Jinxie, who had been forced to play the part of the heroine, saw Fulbright, she thought he was the ghost of an army general, got scared, and slapped a charm on his face.

Edgeworth and Gumshoe: He and Gumshoe were going to reenact the story of Kintarou (an old Japanese fairytale). Franziska handed Edgeworth the Kintarou costume she’d designed (If you've seen Ghibli's Spirited Away, recall what Bou, the giant baby, wears. That's what we're talking about here). Edgeworth fearfully asked “You... expect me to wear this...?” Gumshoe, who had painted his whole body black to play the role of a bear, told him “Of course, sir! It doesn’t fit me!” and shoved Edgeworth out on stage in it. Edgeworth quickly began to reconsider Gumshoe’s salary for next month.

Klavier and Kristoph: Kristoph started giving a boring lecture on the importance of law, and the kids were getting antsy. Seeing this, Klavier came over with his guitar to liven things up, performing a rock style arrangement of the “The Bear Went Over The Mountain". But then he threw in the unnecessary comment of “If any of you scratch the frets of my guitar, I’ll be suing for damage of property, ok?” And they both ended up getting kicked out.

"This survey is about who knows how to enjoy a sunny day at Gourd Lake the best"

Simon: To give Taka some exercise, Blackquill took him and Fulbright (who was on guard duty) out for some falconry. Things were going well until Taka heard something about this mysterious creature “Gourdy,” freaked out, flew into the little shop selling Gourdy merchandise and started making a huge mess. Blackquill and Fulbright gathered Taka up in a panic and hightailed it out of there as fast as they could.

Edgeworth had seen Phoenix home and on his way back passed by Gourd Lake. Just as he was starting to get bad flashbacks... he happened to hear Larry in the middle of a flirting attempt and got dragged in. The woman he was trying to put the moves on was a foreigner, and she and Edgeworth started chatting in her native language. Larry couldn’t understand and was annoyed that Edgeworth was apparently moving in on his target, so he sulked and blew up at Edgeworth.

Athena tried to play matchmaker for Apollo and Juniper, so she told them to meet her in the forest near Gourd Lake so that they would run into each other there and hopefully hit it off. Juniper got there first, expecting to find Athena, but when Apollo showed up, she panicked and hid behind a tree. While she was trying to gather her nerve to go talk to him, he wandered off and she lost sight of him.

Phoenix was at the park and he got caught by Larry who was doing his part time job of selling Samurai Dogs. Larry saw a pretty lady that he wanted to flirt with so he asked Phoenix to mind the shop while he was gone. Business was slow, so he called in all the WAA members to put their full range of skills to use. They seem to have managed to sell them all!

Gumshoe took Missile for a walk in the park. They stopped for a rest and Gumshoe fell asleep, so Missile slipped out of his collar and ran over to where the Samurai Dogs were being sold. He ate them all without Phoenix noticing. Phoenix handed things back over to Larry when he got back and Larry got in huge trouble for losing so much product.

"This survey is talking about how the cast spent their Valentines Day"

Trucy gave Polly chocolate for himself and some for Klavier and asked Apollo to give it to him for her. Klavier wasn’t in court when Apollo went to look for him, though, so he and Phoenix went to the prosecutors’ office together with their chocolate. On their way, though, Apollo found himself getting a lot of strange looks from Themis Legal Academy students.

Ema gave some chocolates to Phoenix to give to Edgeworth because she suddenly got called to a crime scene. Phoenix headed over to the prosecutors’ office but Edgeworth was in court and wasn’t there, so Phoenix waited out in front of the prosecutors’ office with this flashy, girly looking bag of chocolates. Edgeworth’s trial ended up going a long time and Phoenix got a lot of stares as he waited.

Edgeworth was hit by a pollen-filled spring breeze on his way back to the office and suddenly his eyes got all red and itchy and he was left sneezing and sniffling. Phoenix came to talk to him and got quite a surprise when he saw the state Edgeworth’s face was in. The chocolates Ema gave him were in the shape of the Steel Samurai and they made Edgeworth so pleased that it seemed to ease his suffering a little.

Flower Viewing:

Phoenix and Apollo go to the park early to hold flower viewing spots for the WAA members. They see some people from around town that they know who ask them to hold their spots while they go and grab this or that. Phoenix and Apollo do their best to hold those people’s spots and in the process lose their own. They end up begging Edgeworth to let them share his and Klavier’s spot.

White Day:

Because of his painful memories about Valentine’s Day from elementary school, he doesn’t like Valentine’s Day or White Day that much. As a return gift to his beloved daughter, he gave her painstakingly handmade magic panty shaped chocolates. Apparently he forced the ones that didn’t turn out on Edgeworth...

Klavier was holding a ladies only concert, which he invited Trucy to. Phoenix was worried about letting Trucy be out at night by herself, so he sent Apollo along in disguise (as a woman!!). But Klavier saw through Apollo’s disguise easily and to Apollo’s horror, called him up on stage.

Autumn/Moon Viewing:

Phoenix, Edgeworth and Larry went to collect chestnuts together. Larry was too focused on looking for chestnuts and not watching where he was going and fell down the mountain slope. Phoenix had tried to catch Larry but he ended up falling too and spraining his ankle slightly. Edgeworth had to carry Phoenix on his back down the mountain.

Apollo went moon viewing with the rest of the WAA. It turned out into kind of an office party and Apollo had drink after drink while assuring everyone that “I’m fine!” but ended up getting pretty hammered. He proceeded to pass out and Phoenix took care of him.

Obon Festival:

Klavier performed a bonfire festival dance version of the Guitar’s Serenade at the summer festival and Apollo provided the taiko drum backup. He filled the gaps in the taiko drumming with his chords of steel, and it was a very energetic bonfire dance.

Edgeworth noticed the festival going on on his way home from work and decided to have a look. He saw Phoenix selling Samurai Dogs and desperately wanted one, but couldn’t bear the thought of Phoenix finding out that he was a Steel Samurai fan. He hemmed and hawed in front of the festival stall, trying to decide whether to buy one, but they sold out before he could make up his mind.

Phoenix went to the festival with Maya. Larry, who was working the Samurai Dog stand, called them over and forced them to watch the stand while he made a booty call. Phoenix and Maya’s manzai comedy duo style vocal advertising was so successful that they quickly sold out.

Christmas:

Phoenix, Trucy, Athena, Apollo and Pearl all spent the night at the office after their party wrapped up. Phoenix put presents next to the kids' pillows during the night.

Edgeworth grumbled about having to play Santa but dressed up anyway and snuck in at night to bring the younger ones at Phoenix's office some presents. He accidentally ends up sneaking into Phoenix’s room instead.

Apollo wanted to be a good big brother to Trucy and Pearl, so he snuck into their rooms to leave gifts but tripped over something, let out a Chords of Steel volume shout as he fell and ruined the surprise/

Klavier, as a favor to Trucy, snuck in dressed as a Visual Kei style Santa, but he announced his arrival with a rock arrangement of Santa Claus is Coming to Town and got caught and kicked out.

Blackquill had to make a jailbreak in order to play Santa, was chased down and Phoenix woke to find the police surrounding his office.

DGS Edition

[gally-hin-phantom]

Tutorial/Step-by-step/Tips 4

I will this time mainly talk about how to create coherent Characters Design, break down my thoughts process and give additional general tips

Since it's Concept Art, I won't do a "clean" lineart (I will mainly use my usual comfort textured brush and won't go further than a clean 2nd Sketch) nor add any shadings/effects (to not alter the color palettes)

Those characters are my friend pages_of_altaire's OCs, Vlad Masters's employees

I’m not a professional and nothing is “rule”, just an art nerd sharing what they learn in their free time

Long post !

xxx

Step 0: Collect Information

It’s tempting to straightly jump into the drawing but I really don’t recommend it

I usually make a tab with a part including basic information like : Name, Hair color & type, Eyes color, Skin color, Height, Body type And a part with : Cloths, Particular Accessories, Personality

If your characters are good with themselves and not hiding personality traits nor secrets, their personality and what they do in life/where do they live should be reflect in their clothing (however it’s interesting to make contrast if you want to create surprise, like a ruthless evil character with childish traits, or a very kind and sweet muscular tall man)

Pages_of_altaire made me a tab with all the information + mood boards 👌💚

Tip: We artists are often confront to same-face syndrome, but I will add that same body type syndrome is also very common while less talked about (even in the professional world like comics, or mangas) I highly recommend you to try going outside the “perfect standard body type” we usually start our drawing journey with if you want to vary your characters and give more depth to your world & stories (manly to feminine, thick to thin, tall to short, muscular to frail, old to young...) Tip: Like changing eyes types, varying hair is also very interesting to give your characters more personality (long, short, straight, waivy, curly, coily, braided, tied, messy, clean) Tip: Including a little personalized accessories and details really make a character stand up and more “unique” (a ring, a watch, glasses, jewelries, freckles, make up, a printed t-shirt...) Tip: If you don’t have any ideas, searching clothes and fashions references on Google or Pinterest could help

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Step 1: First sketch

This is just a really rough sketch to choose the eyes types and what poses would reflect each characters’ personality best

Eyes and face are the reflect of the character soul, it’s what we tend to look first and focus on (it’s biologic) so obviously we will have to be careful about the face

If the eyes are the soul, the hands are the spirit Don’t neglect how important hands are in a pose, are they showed ? hided ? crossed ? opened ?... A good pose includes good hands poses

Ask yourself, is your character cheerful ? grumpy ? confident ? cool ? shy ?...

Tip: The spin also shows how confident a character is, they could rise up or bend Tip: To make an interesting character sheets composition don’t sort the characters by height smaller to taller, try to vary and make height “waves”

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Step 2: Second sketch

I’m usually don’t bother doing a second sketch, unless I really want to have a clean final result But the cleaner your sketch is, the cleaner your final lineart will be

Since I’m still not totally comfortable with my anatomy (still working on my memories library) to make clean final product I generally use 3d models with the free app Easy Pose and adjust my sketch to give them the height & body type I want (changing the hips, busts, shoulders, muscles etc...), correcting the pose if necessary

There is nothing wrong with tracing a pose as long as you trace responsibly, it’s really common in industries (like Disney or Ufotable) to use 3d models to speed up the work and make artists’ lives easier Good tutorial and explanations by @pesky-poltergeist under @the-stove-is-on-fire‘s art tutorial => https://pesky-poltergeist.tumblr.com/post/646558144390119425/wing-drawing-hack-trace-a-photo-no-seriously

Tip: Use a dark blue instead of pure black to draw to rest your eyes, you will focus better this way and could still change the line color after :) Tip: To make a lively lineart, vary the line weight; thick for separate shapes & intersections, and thin for details & textures Tip: We tend to draw the eyes first, but try to draw the eyes at the very end of your sketch/lineart As said above, us human are social creatures, we are biologically programmed to search eyes and faces, by drawing the eyes first we tend to unconsciously search the eyes of our characters and then are distracted from the whole picture

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Step 3: Silhouettes

The silhouette help to understand how strong a character design is, iconic characters like Sonic or Cloud have very distinguished figures A silhouette also help to see how confident a character is If the silhouette is still clear the pose is strong and the character confident, on the contrary if the silhouette is more blurry the character is more shy

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Step 4 : Values + Textures (useful for greyscale comics like mangas)

The most important in a drawing is values (brightness), before saturation and color/hue (if you don't know value/saturation/hue, I recommend you to search some tutorials about the color theory on Youtube) I always start with choosing my values before adding any saturation or colors

Values could drastically change the mood of a piece (calm, drama, tension etc...) and for character design, artists use a full range for clarity; from high key to low key

There my example with bad values, as you could see cloths, hair and skin blend together and make the visual difficult to read

My final values, with define separations between the different parts

Tip: When you are drawing a group, try to vary where the darker and lighter values are between each characters to make an interesting and harmonious blend Tip: Adding textures/patterns give more life to a flat 2D drawing, especially for clothes or backgrounds; you could hand draw it or use premade brushes

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Step 5: Values / Hue / Saturation (Finished Concept Arts)

The value “rule” for clarity is still there for a colored drawing, you will just have a bit more values to consider

Since I was working on a group, to not clash characters I decided to give each of them a different main color based on their personality

Abby - Green : Youth, Energy, Freshness (bonus: green go well with redheads)  Nate - Blue : Serenity, Stability, Wisdom, Reliability Jolie - Red : Passion, Danger, Importance Angel - Purple : Independence, Nobility, Bravery Brad Yellow : Joy, Optimist, Enlightenment

While adjusting my hues I adjust at the same time the saturation to make something harmonious to the eyes, I usually choose to saturate one/two piece(s) of clothes or accessories by character to make it pop, usually the main cloth or the hair

To finish I just blur the line a bit, a bit of blushes, eyes lights and a paper texture on the whole piece Tada it’s done !!

Bonus: Step-By-Step gifs

Thank you pages_of_altaire for the character design exercise opportunity

I haven’t draw braids nor curly hair for a while now and it’s good to challenge ourselves a bit sometimes It’s help me go back on art after some rough weeks, and force me to go outside my comfort zone and comfort characters (aka Danny & Dani)

If you have any questions don’t be scared to ask me, I’m not a professional but I like to nerd about art ^^ 💚

[threeeyesslitthroat]

So I watched Chaos Walking(2021)

Yeah, lucky for me, my local theater was open and showing(side note, I love my local theater so much. Like, not to brag but seven dollars for a movie and a snack is so great)

Anyhow, I watched Chaos walking. This is sort of my review. 

First off, I read The Knife of Never Letting Go and one third of The Ask and Answer, almost two years ago. When they finally dropped the release date and the trailer, i made the choice not to go reread the first book because i wanted to give the movie a chance and make an exercise of managing my expectations(in preparation for Disney’s Percy Jackson adaptation). Which means not only do I not have a complete understanding of the source material, but I also have a shit memory, so I don’t have a great shot at analyzing this films in adaptation terms, but i’m gonna try anyhow.

So first off, The Noise.

I found it a bit sketchy that they decided to make the make Noise have visual elements alongside audio but I decided it was fine, since it be pretty hard to bring this to life with only just audio and not make general audiences confused.

But they did try and do a solid job. Minus not letting us hear the Noise of animals, which sucks. we do see the Noise of a Spackle, but briefly.

The part that really pisses me off is the final confrontation, when the Noise is treated like a Super Power. we see this when Todd scares Davy’s horse by conjuring up an image of big snake, when Mayor Prentiss tricks Viola into a false trap, when  Ben tricks everyone by pretending to give Viola up when in fact he’s buying Todd and the real Viola time to get away, and in the final, Todd distracts Prentiss by conjuring up the image of his mother(complete with bloody wounds) and the various women that died when he was a baby, which caused Prentiss to fall to his death.

I don’t know how the Noise is depicted in the later books, if it was anywhere remotely like this, but i know for sure it doesn’t happen in the first book, which the film is based on.

(Also, how the fuck does Todd know what his mum looks like, or any of the other women and how is he able to bring up their images so perfectly how is ANYONE ABLE REMEMBER SOMEONE WITH THAT MUCH DETAIL That goes beyond photographic memory)

Second bit, the Spackle.

 The design is boring. Its clearly an alien, buts its dark grey, tall, holds its own when Todd attacks it in the film, has zero impact on the film as a whole and pretty boring. I do recall reading the book and imagining them to have faces similar to real world lemurs or Sloths, with big expressive eyes and such, but the CGI monster doesn’t emote for shit in this film. Todd comes at with a knife with every intention of killing it and it shrugs him off and walks away like it wasn’t fucking attacked my gods.

But in short, they only brought up the Spackle because they’re a thing in the world and it teased the bigger concepts of the next books with like, one measly exchange between Todd and Viola. (it went something like this)

Viola:We’re the aliens, though. They’re the natives.

Todd: huh.

Third bit, New World itself. Not a big deal, It looked like how i originally imagined it, no mention of swamp apples, though we see Todd Hewitt use a knife to stab a big ass bug thing for food. i hear some critics consider it lame that the planet isn’t actually alien but eh, whatever, Didn’t really feel an alien vibe reading the book so it doesn’t matter. 

Now there’s one bit i have to acknowledge in passing. At one point Todd decides to go get lunch by going into the water with his knife and wrestles with some big ass thing with tentacles. Which is fine, just have a couple of questions.

A: is this in reference to the books? Where there big ass tentacle creatures in the novel that are hunted for lunch?

B:if not, was this the film makers deciding to remind the viewers that yes, they are not on planet earth and to make Todd look cooler and justify why he’s useful for the quest and show how much Viola doesn’t know?

I kinda have to acknowledge the thing.  In that scene, Todd and Viola take a break, and Todd removes his clothes (all of them) and decides to go hunting in the water naked as the day he was born. You may have noticed that the Tom Holland stans are all over this scene because One) the camera focuses on Tom Hollands muscles when he takes his top off and Two) one can see his bare ass in the distance. 

Not a big fan off this, just find it interesting because its the most recent example of a Male being objectified by the camera when this never happens once to any of the female characters in the film, including Viola. Also, a touch of weird character detailing because haha, get it? Boy’s never seen a girl before in his life and doesn’t know what modesty means.

Also, very weird because Todd Hewitt in the book was so fucking self conscious that he would never have done that. 

Now I gotta talk about the characters.

( i understand why they aged them up, i truly do, better to get established actors instead of child actors that could more easily break to movie than sell it. its easier to make movies with legal adults instead of working with child labor laws. but damn it you lose so much of the fucking nuance of the novel when you age them up. There’s so much shit that makes an impact because of how young they are. Around the ages of eleven and twelve is when ones understanding of good and evil has its foundation, to me it was like the story was grappling with Todd Hewitt’s very soul and you lose so much of that when you change it to them being older because instead of being just kids in fucked up situations its younger adults in messed up situations. Like ugh. and aging them up leads to even more problems but we’ll fucking get to that)

Tom Holland’s Todd Hewitt is not the Todd Hewitt of the novel. He just ain’t. There is nothing there that reminds of the boy. The acting is solid, don’t get me wrong, but it just ain’t the Todd Hewitt i remember. Neither is Daisy Ridley’s Viola Eade.

(excuse me while i get Percy Jackson flashbacks)

Now, I have to acknowledge the fact that neither actor(actually none of the actors in this film) slouch on the job. They bring solid and at times very good acting.(If Tom Holland is in the film, its not going to be complete waste of time. He brings quality.)

Honestly, respect to Mr Holland because he was basically the main character, not only acting but also doing voice  and various stunts(also huge credit to the stunt coordinators and stuntmen) and I heard that filming wasn’t that great and bloody broke his nose how many times like damn boy, hats off to you.

But here’s the thing. I don’t want to say that Holland was playing himself or just a version of peter Parker, because i really don’t think he wasn’t but it just. Didn’t feel like a legit character? Especially when compared to the novel. Like Todd Hewitt in the novel is such a raw force of emotion and such a smartass and i was so looking forward for Holland to own this role but in the movie he just? Awkward dude going through some stuff?

but yeah, Holland works his ass off and there are some scenes and moments in the movie that work just because this fellow is just that charming, so (shrug emoji) like i said, He doesn’t waste your time at least.

Ridley....sigh. i know this woman can act. But next to the character who’s thoughts are heard constantly she’s very boring. And it hurts so much because Viola has an actual personality in the novel like; I’m ninety percent sure that Viola hits Todd with a big stick and I do remember that there were multiple moments where she lets Todd know when he’s being a dumbass.(seriously, i may have a shit memory of the book, but i do remember that they play off each other well and hugely entertaining seeing two twelve-year-olds handle the shit getting thrown at them)

Like, Viola in the film doesn’t really have much going on. We see the crash, we hear about the graves she dug herself, we see her be sad, we see her look at Todd like weirdo, we see her look horrified or shocked. (its so sad that I only remember the facial expressions more clearly than the actual dialogue) We really have no idea what the hell is going on with Viola Eade. I don’t think we can blame Ridley, only the film makers, because how can you see Viola Eade in the novel and then turn her into that????

i do have to talk about the relationship between Tom Holland’s Todd Hewitt and Daisy Ridley’s Viola Eade, even though its painful. In the novel, them is just two kids on a really tough adventure.  Because they aged them up, its not two kids old enough to run for the playground when recess starts. Its Teenagers. 

First question, HOW OLD ARE THEY??? Is Todd sixteen? Eighteen? Seventeen? He sure as hell ain’t Thirteen in this. What about Viola? I mean, big shout out to the hair and makeup team for making 28-year-old Daisy Ridley look so much younger but how. OLD. IS.SHE? Nineteen? Twenty? Twenty-one? Pretty sure she’s older than him in this? I ask because it MATTERS.

The way they play off each other has a vastly different energy to the novel because they are aged up. Its pretty obvious pretty fast that Todd’s feelings are basically a big crush, though not all of it is superficial as the film progresses. And Viola is clearly not receptive to that in the film. (honestly i cringed so hard at the “daydream kiss’ and whatever the hell that was in the Farbranch mayor’s house)

The relationship in the film just doesn’t have the nuance or the energy that the novel had in depicting their relationship which is depressing for all the Todd x Viola fans i’m sure. There’s some adorable bits though, like Viola seeing Todd’s dream of her playing with Manchee, and not so adorable canon bits like when Viola read the diary to Todd.

I’m just grateful that the film at least ended with them being friends instead of trying to force the romantic relationship. That right there is why I like the movie. It’s a crush, its used for a couple laughs, they’re friends, its fine. Even if you didn’t read the novel that’s really great for a movie in this day and age to not end with forcing two opposite sex characters into a relationship. To be honest, I like the idea that the film leaves us thinking that yeah, maybe these two could be real friends one day.

I just want to touch on Manchee real quick.

Manchee’s Noise is not seen or heard in the film. It is briefly acknowledged by Todd ins their first scene but other than that? Nada. Which is a low blow in comparison to the novel because Manchee was a character in his own right, which is why the death hit so hard. 

Todd?” he barks, confused and scared and watching me leave him behind. “Todd?” “Manchee!” I scream. Aaron brings his free hand towards my dog. “MANCHEE!” “Todd?” And Aaron wrenches his arms and there’s a CRACK and a scream and a cut-off yelp that tears my heart in two forever and forever. And the pain is too much it’s too much it’s too much and my hands are on my head and I’m rearing back and my mouth is open in a never-ending wordless wail of all the blackness that’s inside of me.”

in the film, it takes place in white rapids, So its chaotic, its awful, the veiwer’s all stressed out because Viola can’t swim, everyone's getting separated and Aaron’s there and he is seen drowning Manchee. 

Dude, its brief, but not pretty. Because you can see Manchee’s legs trashing above the water, struggling to get free. Aaron is drowning a dog, letting its lungs fill with water. For the folks that don’t like watching dogs die in graphic detail on screen, this isn’t great. 

Personally, I love this scene in the novel. Its the first time i had to put the book down and take a moment. It hit really close to home for me, because i watched my own dog die in real life. It was emotional and horrifying and had such a fucking impact because we could hear his thoughts. Todd had to make the choice to leave him behind to keep Viola safe. To be honest, i think the death is better in the novel, since Manchee basically dies instantly instead of drowning, which takes time(I’ve always assumed that his neck was snapped but I’ve heard others say it was the psine but whatever) it would have been easy and necessary for them to not show that on screen. I personally just think that in terms of depicting a violent death, the novel did a lot better.

Anyway, on to the other characters

(I had to choose the one with the big orange fluffy coat, and i couldn’t find a good pic og Ben and Cillian on google images.)

As for Mayor Prentiss, he’s played by Mads Mikkelsen, and he delivers. But for the most part, we don’t really know why he’s the bad guy, he just wants to get Viola because “she’s the key” which isn’t really explained, and at the end he tries his hardest to kill Todd. 

Because i only read the first book, I don’t know what exactly his character arc is. And since its been a really long while, I don’t remember what he’s like in the novel regardless, other than the cliffhanger ending.

I did take a quick crashcourse  through the wiki and it turns out that Todd and Prentiss have a relationship in the later books, which the film sort of touches on, because Todd looks up to Prentiss in the film from the get go. 

To be honest, I knew that the trilogy was a lot more complex, and even though I didn’t read the whole thing I knew it would be really disappointing for the fans to see the mayor be hollowed out to almost unrecognizable and not getting to see the whole picture on screen.

As for Davy Prentiss Jr., he was an asshole and stayed an asshole. I know he improves and gets killed off in the novels, so yeah, exhibit B of character foundations not being laid down because there isn’t gonna be a movie after this. Also, why is he played by Nick Jonas? Did they actually have more in mind for him when they decided to go with a Jonas brother or was it just star power? 

As for Aaron...don’t have much to say about him, other than just being pretty weird fit to the film. I think he’s after Viola because he’s just that full of delusions but other than that, his character is just flat and useless. (I wish to the gods that writers would actually think instead of going with “religious delusion” to explain insanity) He only brought tension in a few scenes for the most part. I’m pretty sure that in the novel Todd and Aaron have a confrontation, like the final fight of the novel, and I’m 90% sure that its where the Novel gets the Knife of never Letting Go as its title, because the knife is big deal at that point. But I guess they wanted Viola to have a quick boss battle for the ending and set him on fire. 

Ben and Cillian were fine. They did a good job, the actors were pretty great, I liked Cillian, and i like how they acknowledged that these dudes were family(i know that they’re gay and a couple but the film doesn’t say it outloud beyond letting them sleep in the same bed, be Todd’s parents, and having Ben hold Cillian in his arms) I get a kick out of the fact that the official reviews by Movie Critics are openly curious about why the film doesn’t make it more obvious that they’re gay, but whatever.

As for the overall plot, this is a fine example of mashing three books into one film and not having good results. Instead of going to Haven, the movie decided to shortcut the ending and go to the original ship that somehow has working tech but whatever, Viola needs to communicate to her ship. So not only do we not get the great relationship between Todd and Viola, not only do we not get the Spackle, Not only do we not get to see the noise of Manchee, not only do we have poor character adaptation, we also don’t get to have a plot that matches THE ONE BOOK THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO ADAPT. THEY HAD ONE FUCKING JOB AND THEY COULDN'T ADAPT THE ONE BOOK-

Its only so sad that they decided that this was going to be a one-shot deal because they didn’t have faith in the film and chose to have all the threads tied up. I mean, its so sad for the fans because the movie makes it very clear that we are not going to have anymore movies. sigh. 

slight respect towards the film makers for tying up all the story threads instead of leaving them hanging. they did a neat job, even if it wasn’t a great one.

Anyway, maybe later on when google images has more than the promotional material I’ll do a review of only the good stuff this movie did, even if its a sad pathetic failure of an adaptation. Anyway this review is a bit of a mess and already so long so i’ll stop now. 

May the gods give us strength against all the Tom Holland stans that will inevitably clog up the Chaos Walking tag with their Todd Hewitt x reader fanfics.

[randomnessunicorn-imagine]

can i get one for Garak, Odo, Julian, Kira, and Jadzia and their reactions to the reader getting a tattoo (i just got one) romantic relationship or platonic either way

{ I only write 4 characters for ask and so I only wrote about the aliensbecause I think their reactions are more interesting. }

⭐ GARAK ⭐

Humans really are weird. Really.

At first, he does not understand the sense of it, it’s not somethingCardassians do and so it’s a pretty new thing for him and so he’s quitecurious. You know, Cardassians’ skin is different, it’s like reptile skin, theyhave scales and so it’s hard making tattoos on scales, their skin is rough andresistant. Garak would never do something like this and the thought of needlesthat penetrate his skin freaks him out.

You explain to him that’s a form of art, there are so many terrestrialarts he still does not know but this one is very particular since it involvesyour body and a lot of pain.

It’s like humans loved pain, they have this sadomasochist nature butthey still don’t accept it, Garak thinks, they should be more honest withthemselves. A very fascinating phenomena anyway.

Humans have a weird relationship with sufferance and everything that’sunhealthy, human’s history explains this concept very well since humans have somany kind of addiction and when even art becomes painful, well, humans areaddicted to pain as well. They look so weak and innocent but they hide a toughpersonality. He has always thought they are creatures of contradictions andoddness.

When you explain to him the normal procedure of getting a tattoo andthat involves needles and ink, Garak thinks it’s a new form of torture and hedoes not understand why you let them torturing you in such inhuman way, noteven Cardassians tortured their enemies like this. Human’s sadism isimpressive, he may take them as role model, at least, he learnt something newand even if his career as a member of the Obsidian Order is over, learning somenew technical of torture is always useful, it’s like a master, an upgrade ofhis skills. Yes, he considers this thing as a valid form of torture since it includespain, blood and needles, so it surely is a form of torture.

⭐ ODO ⭐

Even Odo is perplexed about it, humanoids are so peculiar and weird,they never stop surprising him in so many ways, positive and negative, but hecan’t say they are not original.

Odo is always curious and interested in humanoid’s rituals andtraditions, even if sometimes he does not understand the sense of them.

Since Odo has never heard about tattoos before, you have to explain itto him and he also thinks it’s a form of torture, he actually looks moreperplexed and he is worried –even if he does not appear so worried-. Odo keepslistening to you, with his arms crossed, and his face concentrated, his eyesdon’t show any particular emotion, he’s still very serious and austere in hisways but he’s thinking how barbaric this practice is but you have chosen to doit, nobody forced you and so he does not worried a lot.

Then he starts reading more information about this practice and hediscovers things he didn’t imagine. It’s actually a very old tradition andpeople tattooed themselves for religious, cultural or war reasons. It’s morefascinating than he thought, he’s actually fascinated by ancient history andtraditions especially funeral rites and so he keeps reading books about it.

In particular, he didn’t know that some human criminals used tattoos asa “badge of membership” because only delinquents wore tattoos and so they couldbe recognized thanks to it. For example, the members of the Yakuza, the JapaneseMafia, or even other Asian countries used to tattoo their skin and it was alsothe symbol of their power. Odo finds it very interesting but he knows you havenot tattooed yourself for this reason, you are not a criminal but he could dosome cynical comment about it, just for joking even if he looks so serious whenhe jokes.

Since Odo is not a solid he can’t tattoo himself but he can imitate it,he can turn into every kind of thing. Odo can design on his solid body tattoos andsymbols. Maybe it can be a good exercise to improve his changeling skills.

You often give him advice about new drawings he can “tattoo” on hisskin/solid form and it’s a very funny game. Well, it’s not a game for himbecause he’s serious and he takes it as a training but you are always curious tosee his progress and forms.

One day, you suggest him to tattoo Quark’s face on his belly or back andOdo is so shocked that he does not speak with you for the rest of the day. Itwas such a weird comment and the idea of having Quark tattooed on his skindidn’t amaze Odo at all. Not a hilarious joke. Not at all.

⭐ JADZIA DAX ⭐

We can consider her stains as tattoos, even if she’s born with it but astranger can think she has tattooed herself. Even in an episode where Jadzia,Sisko and Julian had a time travel, she said to the humans of that period shehad Japanese Tattoos and so it’s plausible someone can trade her stains fortattoos.

Jadzia is an open mind, curious woman and so she finds this art veryfascinating. She also would tattoo herself but she already is and and her tattoos are original and so she doesnot need it. If she was a human, she would think about it and she would cover herbody with tattoos.

Jadzia truly loves your tattoos and she could even suggest some new onesyou can make, she’s very enthusiast and she jokes about how strong and brave youare because it’s very painful. You’re even tougher than a Klingon (Worf issnorting as a baby and he does not approve) but Jadzia is very enchanted.

Of course, she already knows about it, she’s a very cultured woman andshe will tell you about some of her old friends who had tattoos and otherstories about her past lives. Then you also can tell her the stories behind your tattoos, she wouldlove to listen and know about their meanings, the reason why you made them andyou chose the drawing you chose.

It would be very hilarious if you would tattoo her same stains on your skin pretending to be a Trill, really funny or maybe you could play to her a joke and you could really tattoo trill’s stains and say to her you wanted to become a trill. That’s amazing and then Jadizia would laugh all the week because of your joke. Well done!

⭐ KIRA NERYS ⭐

She didn’t know about this human’s habit and she thinks it’s weird butfascinating at the same time. Kira is not really an expert of art but shethinks it’s cool and you’re tough if you let your skin being stung by needles,she would never do something like this but you’re the owner of your body andshe can’t criticize your choice.

Kira really likes stories and she wants to know the meaning of yourtattoo, maybe you could also explain to her how it works, what’s the processand all these stuff.

I think she’s the kind of girl who would tattoo herself because she’svery curious about it and she wants to experiment it. Maybe it would take timebefore she decides it but she’s the kind of woman who likes challenge and thenshe could remove it in case she would regret it.

Kira loves observing and caressing your skin, she has always loved yourskin, every part of you, but now she would define you as a piece of art. The mostbeautiful gift the prophets could donate to her.

Maybe you could surprise her and make a tattoo in her honour. Maybe youand she could make a tattoo in common and so she would have no  excuse to refuse, it’s something veryromantic and she didn’t think you could have such an idea and she thinks you’rejoking but you’re so serious. Yes, maybe she has to do it.

[dreadlock-detective]

All of my 5th ed D&D characters together, by order of appearance: Adi the Paladin (Crimson Crow Campaign), Beatrice the Monk/Cleric, Cirilisa the Wizard, Dindelion the Sorceress, Elenor the Ranger/Wizard, and Adi the Cleric (Curse of Strahd Campaign) (yes that’s A B C D E, and then A again)

My characters tend to have rather large issues that would, if they were left on their own without their respective groups/getting caught up in the campaign, ensure they’d never actually succeed in their goals. As such I’ve really enjoyed distilling each of them down to a single word, an essence of what lays behind their entire psyches. And they’re all bad. Yes, even “Justice”, due to the circumstances~ Ramble about each of them after the cut~

Adi the Paladin (of the Crimson Crows) is a bit of a special case, the only one whose impediment to their success isn’t strictly speaking herself. The child of nobles who collected ancient artifacts, it is said one day they lost themselves to madness. Adi was taken in by her aunt and uncle who raised her the best she could, but as she grew they found she too was prone to bouts of madness and hysteria. One day, when the man they had hired to exercise whatever demons lay upon her mind was found upon the floor, the girl bloodying his face with her fists, she was deemed incurable and quietly shipped away to join a peace-keeping force of ex-criminals and other undesirables known as the Crimson Crows.

She always thought of herself as a hero - a warrior of good and bringer of justice. The problem lays in that she was, originally, a warlock/barbarian of a Great Old One (Nyarlathotep), which warped how she saw the world to fit how she saw herself. For example, if she killed someone, it’s because that person deserved to be killed - if not for the reasons she was attacking them, then for something else. A self proclaimed Hero of the People who’s powers came from something far more likely to destroy the world, manipulating her towards its goals.

She had a rather happy ending, though - some of the other PC’s betrayed her trust and managed to sever her connection to Nyarlathotep, afterward she became a Paladin and through the power of friendship (with a colony of Mind Flayers - its a weird story) she managed to become the hero she always thought she was, ending a war with minimal bloodshed and bringing down an ancient evil.

Beatrice the Monk/Cleric of Death The young Bea, in a desperate attempt to save her clan from a powerful and deceptive mage, ended up selling her soul to a litch, turning her into a pseudo-undead herself. As it turns out, her clan who hunted the undead as abominations and mislead by the mage didn’t take kindly to that story, and she joined the Crimson Crows instead of facing their wrath. Faced with the knowledge that she had become the thing she had sworn to destroy to save those that now cast her out, she lost hope that she could ever reclaim her soul and, even among her new family of misfits, feared they would abandon her as well.

Sadly, she never got an end to her story - she got switched out for Adi when the campaign Adi was originally in was abruptly abandoned. Later on her and her wizard friend (another PC who had left the game) who both were hunting that evil mage found themselves mind-controlled into helping him resurrect an ancient draco-litch. She was saved by Adi & co, but now was worse off than ever, having played a pivotal role in bringing back a terrible undead horror, no matter how unwillingly. If we ever play another campaign in that world, I’d love to give her a proper story.

Cirilisa the Wizard Oh precious Ciri, the littlest Drow~ When a rival house murdered her entire family she became a young murder hobo in the underdark, growing up sickly and frail. Eventually she attempted to get her revenge but only managed to steal and sell some artifact from the family, along with getting a massive scar across her midsection from a blast from the family’s matriarch. Somehow escaping to the surface, her unconscious body was found by scouts of the Crimson Crows, who brought her back to relative health and gave her a new home, where she eventually set herself on becoming a moderately accomplished wizard. Her loss in childhood had deadened her already drow heart, but living among the surface world she saw so many people with so many emotions. She didn’t understand them, but she secretly coveted what they had.

I had planned that she would start to fall in love with the first PC that went out of their way to protect or help her from a serious problem - a plan that was designed to end poorly. The three candidates were a loner dwarf who didn’t want anything to do with anyone else, a were-bear orc who was 100% gay, and a minotaur who was already in a committed relationship. But even though the feelings wouldn’t be returned, she would FEEL things and grow as a character... well...

I didn’t expect that character (the orc) to protect her from drow assassins who nearly managed to kill her... and then THE NEXT NIGHT sacrifice his soul to a revenant of a man he had killed to protect the party. Before Ciri even had a chance to start acknowledging or understanding what she was feeling the object of her affections was dead and buried along the roadside. Instead of love, she grew bitter and angry, desperate to find a way to save the orc’s soul, all without really knowing why. She died before she could - her heart ripped from her chest by a wraith of vampiric spirits in a climatic boss battle. But that group’s leader, a PC vampire named Walter, destroyed the wraith, took it’s title and powers as Blood Lord, and raised her as a vampire. She’s still a ball of piss and vinegar, but she’s in a way found herself in a new family, charging herself with constantly keeping the Blood Lord in check and making sure he never gets too full of himself.

Dindelion the Sorceress If you don’t know about Dindel you haven’t been following me long. A homeless vagabond who hides her natural born ability to heal others for fear it would be exploited, she’s internalized many negative things about herself and rarely trusts herself to make decisions that won’t end in disaster. Add in a mother that disappeared when she was young, a drunkard gambler of a father, and a city decades in decline full of poverty and abuse by those in power and she’s got more than a few trust issues for other folks as well. She also has absolutely no idea how a healthy relationship is supposed to work, and a head full of stories and romance that have absolutely not lined up with her experiences since the campaign started.

Her father, the only constant in her life and the other half of a fairly unhealthy co-dependent relationship, got taken away by essentially the mob for not paying debts and it’s up to her to find some way to pay it off. To her great luck, she ran in to the wandering soldier Vale who, apparently wanting to make up for past sins, agrees to take her along to join a new venture he heard about, leading to the campaign proper. She was actually specifically designed to have too many trust issues to actually get in a relationship with anyone, but between how Vale cares for her and how absolutely shitty she’s found the outside world to be, those issues have actually mutated into something new as their romance has grown. Its... not any healthier a mental state though. I’m excited to see where it goes!

Elenor the Ranger/Wizard Elena was once a promising apprentice wizard, learning the weave with 4 other students. Always feeling a step above the others and not content with how slowly their teacher was progressing them, she devised a plan to work with the others to impress their teacher - to show her they were ready for bigger things. They were going to summon a creature from the planes of hell! Specifically, a Lemure, a relatively harmless blob of a twisted soul. An impressive feat and without much risk from the creature being summoned. Definitely within the capability of someone as great as her.

As sharp chains lashed out from the summoning circle her left arm was torn away. A great beast emerged, tossing her across the room. As she looked up she saw her rival, a young man named Osvaldo, brandishing an axe, standing over her, and looking quite pleased with himself. And the axe came down.

She would come to in a crypt standing near a coffin bearing the family crest of Osvaldo. Her body stiff and her mind cloudy, she slowly realized she had not survived that night at all - she was now a reanimated corpse, but had somehow regained her sense of self. She also found the nearby townspeople did not care enough to distinguish between mindless undead and herself. Eventually she found the place she had once studied - destroyed, some time ago it seems, by that night’s events. Lost and adrift, the life she once knew was over, even her memories were fragmented, but she would forever remember the names of the four who had done this. Osvaldo had convinced them to change the ritual - to summon that creature, and to use it to kill her. She was certain of it. And that hatred kept her going as years of nothingness passed her by. One day she was hired by a tunnel elf, a professed seeker of knowledge, as a guide through the wilderness and though she could not stand him they soon encountered others, mostly strange folk - a tabaxi, a triton, and a snake-like dragonborn in particular - and she stuck around to entertain herself.

Little did she know they were about to be pulled into saving the world from consumption by a forgotten and terrible deity. She thinks their chances aren’t even worth mentioning, but still she cannot allow existence to end before she has wrought what vengeance she can on those that wronged her, and so she will fight with everything she has to keep the world going.

Adi the Cleric of Nyarlathotep As Adi of the Crimson Crows discovered as she worked with the mind flayers, she was not the only Adi. Not even close. Hers was a soul connected to a power outside of time and space and finds itself drawn into worlds over and over, each incarnation as much the same as they are different. Perhaps the Crawling Chaos did not want to repeat what had happened before, maybe it was just twisted curiosity, but this iteration of the girl was born through his direct influence, raised in a town he had visited and driven mad. She was his disciple, and she would spread his teachings across the land.

Through a series of misunderstandings she has found herself in the land of Ravenloft, under the watchful eyes of the vampire Strahd, and in this land she came upon a terrible, bewitched house. A house with paintings of the owners and of a woman bearing a striking resemblance to her. A house where the ghostly children said their littlest sister was named Adi. The child had died in infancy, sacrificed in some dark ritual by its father.

And down in the depths of that place Adi found it was the truth. And there, along the alter, sat a book bound in human skin that called to her. A book of rituals devoted to her god, the Faceless Father. And there, upon the alter, she left the corpse of one of those who had traveled with her, who had brought her there.

She isn’t certain why the Faceless Father has guided her to this land, but she will carry out his will or die trying, though all things considered, perhaps the world would be better off with her in the ground, the cult’s voice silenced

[techouspeaks]

Toon VS Toon: The Dragon Prince VS She-Ra and the Princesses of Power 2018

Both shows have a lot of promising diversity but which one does it better? 

Alright, so you’re probably wondering why I compare these two shows together? A side from being both hosted on Netflix and showing a lot of diverse characters and story elements, along with taking place in a magical universe where war is raging on and the fate of good solely relies on our heroes saving the day. There’s not too much they have in common.

Well the thing is that’s what I’m going to discuss, how they handle diversity and which one does it better.

Now if you hadn’t read my She-Ra review, I basically think the show is okay. The concept and how the characters are drawn are nicely done and I like Adora, Mermista and Bow. Some of the concepts are very interesting. I just feel it lacks a little bit, especially in animation and character development. I feel like the story and character development is way rushed including the relationships between the characters including our leading female lead Adora and her rival villain Catra. 

The Dragon Prince I recently started watching and it didn’t take me too long to get invested. I liked the settings, the animation is gorgeous and the characters are very likable, despite the dufus wimpy lead that even Hiccup from How to Train Your Dragon would call a dork. I kinda think that Callum was meant to be a copy of Hiccup a little bit. 

The one thing these two shows do have in common is diversity as I said. The characters are all diverse. You have lesbians or hints of lesbian relationship, you have people of different cultures and different skin tones all in this world and it’s not a huge thing, but which one does it better? Which show handles the diversity much better and respectfully.

Let’s look at She-Ra. We have a lot of female leads that have different body shapes and skin tones and all that. There’s even a hint that during a dance with Adora and Catra that there might be some closer feelings. However, this is barely hinted at. There’s no real actual gay relationships as of now. It could be because the series has yet to have a season 2 and Dragon Prince has two seasons already, but still it lacks a bit.

As stated before Bow and Sea Hawk are kinda gay stereotypes. They’re obviously not gay because Sea Hawk does flirt with Mermista and has this huge infatuation with her and Glimmer kinda has a thing for Bow so it’s undecided if Bow is actually gay or not, but it’s obvious they’re stereotypes. At least Sea Hawk is and Bow is sorta that but not as bad. He’s very competent as a character and besides liking pretty things and the whole “Best Friend Squad”, he does act like a natural person would, but yeah his overall is still pretty much a dated stereotype of “Let’s put this kind of character in it because social justice is in right now!” 

All the other characters I’ve said before in my review just feel like well archetypes. You have the lack of emotion, bored tough chick whom I do like and is my favorite character but lets face it, she’s an archetype. I’m not going to deny that even if I do like her. The sweet sensitive type, the geeky nerd that is totally into tech more than people so much so she’s extremely socially awkward. Aside from Glimmer, Adora, maybe Catra and sometimes Bow, most just feel like archetypes and with how the characters are design and how this show tries to be in your face with “We have diverse bodies and we have diverse this and that!”, it comes across almost deceitful with it’s premise. Especially any male character remotely masculine is one of the bad guys and that’s a bad thing. Feminism isn’t about hating or showing masculinity as a bad thing but something as equal to it or just as needed and that the role of masculine and feminine can be reversed around.

The Dragon Prince has it’s stereotypes too. Like I said, Callum is pretty much your wimpy hero that wants to find his place in the world. However, most of the characters are pretty much realistic. What I enjoy about this series is that it does show diversity but in the right way. Not only because there’s more diverse characters ranging from not only on the main list such as sexuality, breaking gender roles and races but also in other factors such as a character that is deaf and mute, a character that is blind and even at one point, Rayla was experiencing what it’s like to lose a limb, which that happens to people too. However, it’s how these characters are represented that makes this show stand out nicely.

All the diversity is treated naturally, like it’s been there for years and everyone accepts that people no matter what they are or who they are can do anything. They don’t feel like they’re just put there for the sake of pleasing the audience with “Hey we got this type of character in it! So you have to like the show!”. The characters just fit in the role. The king just happens to be black, the general just happens to be deaf, the pirate just happens to be blind, the queens are lesbian, which I don’t understand how they have a kid together in a world where technology isn’t established. I guess maybe some sort of  magic, maybe one of them is transgender but okay! It’s just well natural. It’s treated like a normal thing. 

The only bias thing here is just magic folk, more specifically the elves and creatures that are connected to magic vs humans.

Most of the characters in the Dragon Prince feel real, like they are people you will meet, including the villain somewhat. 

In fact, when you really think about it, the Dragon Prince does feel like an old 90s - early 00s show, because a lot of shows like Captain Planet, Avatar the Last Air Bender, Storm Hawks, among other kids action shows that did have diversity. The thing is we weren’t so into social justice stuff back then that maybe people just don’t realize it now. We had diversity in kids shows back then, with the exception of an open gay character, but I guess people just aren’t paying attention. 

What I say about this show being close to say Avatar or early shows is a good thing. It makes it feel less dated. Like you could watch this show years from now and not go “On this was from the mid to late 10s”. In fact, characters don’t even rely on slogans like some of the characters will say in She-Ra or talk like again “Best Friend Squad”. Okay, that’s not really a huge slogan but you get what you mean. 

Sometimes the Dragon Prince will get preachy like how Ezran will say all that is right about humans when Rayla does her human impression, but over all, it’s not in your face about the diversity. 

The only thing people may complain about is the lack of “diverse bodies” aka having a fat or “curvy” characters in it. I think there is only one character that I would say is on the chubby side and that’s one of the kings that Viren meets at the meeting, which I say, you’re talking about a show where most of the characters including the queens fight and know how to fight. Even if a fat or somewhat chubby or curvy character fights, they ‘re gonna lose most of that because that’s how your body burns calories. There’s a reason why if you want to lose pounds you exercise. It’s science and this show at least has some science to it’s lore! Well except, again I dunno how two queens make a baby but again, maybe one of them is trans and with no kind of surgery for that kind of thing, they still have all the male parts. Hey it’s still showing a lesbian relationship. The man becomes a woman so...that’s something! It’s showing a trans and lesbian relationship. Or maybe the girl is actually adopted, I dunno. It’s still treated as a normal thing and at least we actually do see the queens kiss so there’s something!

Another thing that kinda makes She-Ra 2018 a bit dated is the use of colors and animation. It uses the same kind of flash animation and colors that a lot of shows like Steven Universe and other cartoon network  and Disney channel shows tend to use. Not much of the animation makes it stand out or different from shows that use the same kind of style and pallets. That and there’s times where it’s clear the animation isn’t so good. The characters may not move as fluently as they need to move and some scenes look a bit incomplete.

Guys I know it’s hard to do animation but if a small team of animators making a youtube show, the Hazbin Hotel, can clean up on their animation and even without the clean up is still good, there’s no excuse. She-Ra’s animation crew work at Dreamworks, the same studio behind the How to Train Your Dragon series and Voltron! Shoot, the Dragon Prince isn’t even owned by a huge company and it still does better!

The Dragon Prince is set in a more mythological time period and the animation fits well into it. The use of lighting and colors as well as shading makes it feel like genuine. It still looks similar to shows say like Storm Hawks or other 3D action shows but it still has it’s own look and it’s a breath of fresh air to see a show have such beautiful colors and designs. The colors are can be light and pretty with shading to make it easier on your eyes as well as dark in grim when the scenes need to fit that tone.

So obviously, the Dragon Prince does win over She-Ra. If you disagree or think I’m a bit bias, okay. I grew up with wonderful animation such as Disney and Nickelodeon shows. I can’t help but like quality animated shows!

I also like to point out, though this isn’t a comparison, but since this is sort of my review of the show, I must say I really do like how smart the characters including the side characters are in the Dragon Prince. Most of the time in a story like this, the people will blindly follow the evil adviser, not realizing he did it, only to go against the villain at the end when the truth is found out. Here, that’s not the case. Even his own children start feeling odd about their father and most of the soldiers don’t like him nor want to do what he says. Many of the characters suspect Viren’s nature and even the kings and queens while at first want to go with Viren’s plan to group up for war, it’s only until the child queen (I sadly forgot her name) decides, even after the heartbreaking tale of how her parents died, feels that it’s pointless forcing her people to fight in a war where they are more likely to be killed, that the other royals follow beside her and go against the war. It’s done realistic. No one is just a plain idiot! People have their own thoughts and the series never fails to show how each individual feels.

In this day and age, we know that leaders are gonna have many followers and many enemies or people that don’t agree with them even under their reign. This makes sense and I like how this show handles that. Such a simple thing like that is what makes this show a breath of fresh air and why She-Ra doesn’t remotely hold a candle to it.

I may do a review of the show, a proper one and give it my full rating. So far, you I think highly of this show and as for She-Ra, I will continue to watch it as time goes on and when season 2 finally comes out, I’ll check it out. Maybe the later seasons will fix the problems I have or stay the same. It’s not a bad series but I’m gonna act like I don’t have problems with it. I’m not gonna pretend to like something more when the series that is obviously superior does better than it.

I will say this. How you relate to each one depends on you. Maybe you do find yourself relating to She-Ra’s characters and situations. If that’s true, more power to you. You may even say I’m wrong with how I explain things. I honestly, don’t care since most of the time I don’t read notes anyway but I’m not gonna tell you what to like or dislike. These are personal opinions. Nothing more, nothing less.

So that concludes that the Dragon Prince is the winner of Toon VS Toon Battle. Highly do recommend you check both series out as much as I think less of She-Ra, it’s good for at least one viewing so you can draw your own conclusions. Naturally, I highly recommend the Dragon Prince especially if you’re hugely into animated fantasy adventure series like Avatar the Last Air Bender, maybe Adventure Time, Storm Hawks and Legend of Korra.

I’m Tech! Seeya in the next review!

[alexteltevskiy]

Why I take photos

Hey everyone, how’s it going?

I’m back. Been taking a break from social media this past year. Recently moved to SoCal from Chicago and was busy settling in. Also, I took this time to step back and look at where I’ve been and where I want to go with my photography, as well as how I present it online.

I’ve got a lot of fun new content planned and will slowly start rolling it out. Meanwhile, to make up for my lack of updates, this post is chock-full of awesome photos and interesting thoughts on photography. Climb aboard and enjoy the ride!

Throughout this past year I continued taking photos, but I left social media entirely, feeling that it was becoming a bit too much. Too much of a time investment and mental drain, researching & following, using all those silly hash tags… Too much attention being eaten up by a constant bombardment with a never-ending flow of imagery. Too much bots, too much spam & too much noise. Too much “for the likes”. Too much stuff I couldn’t care to care about anymore. Instant gratification and desensitization were the new norm. Even the quality stuff didn’t matter anymore. I knew it was time to jump ship.

But I did miss the things that were actually good about it. There weren’t that many, but still… I knew that it was only a matter of time before I plugged back in again. And… here I am. Meanwhile, my sabbatical allowed me the luxury to think about my photography from the ground up, and think I did. In this post I’d like to share with you some of the fruits of all that thinking: I’d like to share with you the 10 reasons why I take photos.

1. Exploration & adventure

Photography allows me to explore new, unfamiliar places, as well as see the old and familiar places in new light, over and over again. Back in the olden days I used to call it a “Passport to adventure” (pardon the cheese). And I still feel that way.

Nothing else gets me out the door as quickly as a camera and a fresh new roll of film, and not much enriches a life more than travel.

2. Meeting people

Meeting new people is always fun. It’s a life-enriching experience and helps one feel connected to the greater world. It’s not always easy to connect with strangers on the street, but a camera usually helps break the ice in more ways than one.

Since many of my interests lie in old mechanical objects, having a vintage camera with me actually sparks a lot of conversations to happen entirely by themselves. And at the end of the day, 9 out of 10 people actually feel honored to be able to tell their story and have their picture taken.

3. Family and friends

I don’t need 691 snapshots of what we ate for breakfast every year. I need just a few quality photos that are engineered to stand the test of time and will always bring back the fondest of memories spent with my family and friends.

Quality photography, where I put in the time and effort to make each shot count (ahem, film, not pointing fingers, ahem). It’s rewarding and it makes my relationships feel that much more special (sorry for the sentimental cheese).

4. Recording milestones

Speaking of family and friends, the moments that we cherish most are the ones that deserve their own dedicated photo shoot. Being a photographer transcends into being a historian and keeper of family history and even tradition.

“Production values” are high, trips are planned, adventures are had and lasting memories are made. Photos serve as testament to us and the big advancements in our lives - a big move, getting married, having children…

5. Fueling curiosity

To be curious is to be human. It’s what defines us as a race that’s able to advance and grow. There would be no fire, no wheel, no semiconductor and no landing on the moon and (gasp) no Instagram.

Taking photos for me is a continuation of that fine tradition of discovery. I see, I like, I take a photo. I obsess over the photo and object that lies herein. I learn more about it, wiki-ing about the design decisions on that olive green ’67 Cutlass or the impact of that historic Main St. movie theater on the town or how surfboards are shaped. Or why the moon is sometimes red. Or why Dingbats have such a funny name.

Photography helps me learn more about my world. Always a nice thing.

6. Imagination exercise

Every once in a while I’d take a photo and it would entertain my mind in many not-so-obvious ways. Could happen with a picture perfect landscape or a failed Holga long exposure. It would mysteriously linger in memory for a while, prompting repeat viewing. Often times the effect would be immediately after seeing the photo, other times it would surface years after the fact.

I would be drawn to the photo, get lost in it, imagine myself in it. All sorts of metaphorical thought would crawl into the picture, all sorts of things would form in the shadows and bubble up. Sometimes nostalgia would paint the skies a dull yellow and I’d feel warmth in my toes that I haven’t felt since 17. Sometimes at night, the skyline of Port of LA turns into Port Town from F-Zero and at midday, the sand dunes on the beach turn into a romanticized version of early 20th-century Arabia.

Humans are visual creatures, and photos have the power to play all sorts of tricks on the interplay between imagination, memory and all the 5 senses. Photos help me tie my mindscape together.

7. Giving back

It’s only natural to want to share with the world something that you truly, honestly love!

Photography is a craft that has lots to do with understanding fundamentals, repetition and learning from your mistakes. It also has lots to do with many other things that are not so immediately obvious due to the exceedingly esoteric nature of what makes or breaks a good photo. Not to mention that there’s a very complicated technical side to photography as well, film or digital...

The answers to all of these come with time and experience, and as always, with a little help from our friends. As such, it’s always a humbling and enjoyable experience when I can offer my friends a little help of my own, based on my personal experience and observations.

8. Experimentation and happenstance

Photography has always been about experimenting - seeing what works and what doesn’t. Every time I try something new I am faced with fresh and, dare I say, invigorating challenges.

Sometimes I learn something cool that I’d like to continue doing (redscale or Pen-o-ramas). Other times I find a format that completely changes the kinds of shots I’d do for long stretches of time (half frame or a 6x9). Or I would find a camera so unpredictable that I wouldn’t know how the shot will turn out at all (pinholes, Holgas, solarcams, old soviet cameras, etc).

In the world of film photography, there is absolutely no shortage of film, formats, cameras and techniques to try out. We have, after all, more than a hundred years of photographic legacy to fall back on and tinker with. It keeps things interesting and the perspective - fresh.

9. Getting lost in the moment

This is a big one, especially with film photography. A craft so diverse and expansive that condenses down to a singular moment when the shutter goes off. There’s so much to love, so many details to enjoy.

Starting with the obvious - not having to chimp or preview the photos and being limited by a scarce, diminishing resource (film) allows more time to bask in the surroundings and bond with the moment rather than just keep popping off the camera like a machine gun. Waiting for the moment (or setting up the shot), anticipating the scene, watching it all come together. It’s meditation.

The gear, so varied and spanning such a breadth of generations, each with its own intricacies, procedures and character. The mechanical, tangible nature of control manipulations. It’s all very tactile and ASMR-ish. Come on, all you Leica fans out there - tell me you don’t go through an elation every time that cloth goes sssssshwick, haha )

10. Feeling the passing of time

Photos are like a quality wine - they get better with age (I actually don’t know if that’s true, but that’s how the saying goes). A lot of photos we admire today were received completely different when they were first presented to the world. We look back at the photos from the 60’s, 70’s and go through a portal to that time. How people lived their lives, where they lived, what they drove, how they had fun. It’s all put through the context of history. Same goes for movies, music - any cultural item.

It’s important to understand that your photos, if you choose to keep them around for that long, will be viewed many decades down the line and will offer a glimpse into those times. Viewers from the future will look at the cars and marvel at how people got around in these dead-dinosaur-powered vehicles, or how everyone on the street was stuck staring down at tiny glass screens, or even the fact that the very photo they’re looking at is static, isn’t an immersive 3D experience and has limited resolution.

Things get especially interesting when the photographer himself is the subject of the photos...

11. Cars

Wait, didn’t I say it was 10 reasons? Well, there’s always room for cars! Awesome, timeless automotive examples, each with its own personality and style. As they say, there’s always room for cars...

Conclusion

Sorry if that was too wordy! A lot of reasons, huh? And everybody will have their own… That’s the beauty of this thing called photography - everyone makes it their own. Hopefully this post presented you with some interesting food for thought, or maybe inspiration for your next photo project. Thanks for reading, everyone.

Stay awesome!

[firebirdtransam68]

Trans Am And Camaro Meets Sonic The Hedgehog (Crossover Fic)

My first crossover fic that I will post feature my original characters, in which are two of my favorite cars, and at least one official character, Sonic The Hedgehog.

Let me know what you think of this prompt.  Constructive criticism is allowed, but please be respectful.

Here it goes:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Trans Am And Camaro Meets Sonic The Hedgehog" by FirebirdTransAm68

"Hey, cousin, what's up?" a 1982 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am asked his cousin, the 1982 Chevrolet Camaro.

The two cars were inside a four-car garage that was mostly used as an art studio, but there were also tools and equipment for vehicles, as well.  Trans Am was facing Camaro, who was playing an old arcade game from the mid-1980's.  The arcade console had two monitors, one on each side, so the two cars can view the monitor when one or the other was playing.

"Err!  This is so frustrating!" Camaro shouted out of exasperation, "I had just finished Level 7, but I couldn't make it up to Level 8, no matter how many ways I can complete the level!"

"How about I try something?" Trans Am offered.

"All right, sure.  Go ahead."

The monitor facing Trans Am switched so Trans Am could operate the console.  The game featured a blue and red Formula One racecar that was supposed to avoid as many obstacles as possible.  From the looks of it, Level 8 was an extremely difficult level, since the freeway was filled with walls, puddles, and towers that were blocking each lane.

"Okay, let's see if I try this..."

The racecar swerved quickly to the center-right part of the freeway where a ramp was located at.  The racecar then climbed up the ramp, and jumped up really high, and then landed on the lane that was now clearer.  A 16-bit fanfare appeared, different colored confetti popped up out of nowhere, and there was a giant blinking caption that read, 'Level Complete.'

"Wow!" Camaro said in pure awe, "how did you do that?!"

"Well, you see, Level 8 was full of obstacles that were blocking each lane, but if you pay close attention, there is a ramp that will allow you to go above obstacles.  The trick is to think fast, and swerve as quickly as possible, so you don't hit any obstacles," Trans Am explained.

"Oh, thank you very much, Trans Am!  I will remember that for the next level, then." Camaro was really thankful that he had a cousin that would always be here to help.

"Don't mention it, Camaro.  And good luck on Level 9," said Trans Am, "I will be heading off to I-6 and Phoenix Boulevard, again.  I am going to need some exercise so I can keep my gears up and running for the future."

"You do that, cuz," said Camaro.

"I will be right back afterwards.  See you!" Trans Am said as he backed up from the garage, and turned towards his destination, and then drove off.

"All right," Camaro said to himself, "on to Level 9..."

                                     ------------------ *^* -------------------

Trans Am dashed off right onto the freeway, so he could see the view.  It was mountainous, full of trees, bushes, and grass, as well as some barren spots.  The floor area was mostly grassy, and had trees and bushes scattered across certain areas; on the ground below the freeway was a river that was thirty feet wide, and made a path that became invisible from a vanishing point towards the mountains.  The sun wasn't yet setting, but it was getting close.

Suddenly, Trans Am screeched to a halt when he saw some obstacle in his way.  He was lucky no one else was in the freeway, otherwise, he would be responsible for a traffic jam.

The obstacle was short, but was the height of a 13-year-old human child (if not shorter), and had many rounded features; it was orange with some black features.  There were unusual looking extremities that were black in the center, but the shoulder and hand and foot areas were orange.  And its facial area was cyan blue, with two circles for eyes, and a grin that would make even Cheshire Cat unnerved.  The obstacle looked to be some kind of robot, since it looked humanlike, yet was not a human.

"Hey!" Trans Am shouted at the orange robot, "get out of my way!"

(You would think Trans Am would be smart enough to switch lanes...)

But the orange robot did not budge.  It just stayed in its place.

"Are you deaf or something?" Trans Am shouted again, "move out of my way, or I will run you over like I would a skunk in the middle of the road!"

The robot still stayed in its place, despite Trans Am's threats.

"Very well, then" Trans Am said with a trace of frustration in his voice, "I will make you move out of my way."

Trans Am revved up his engines, and moved very slowly towards the robot; he stopped for a half second before he revved up his engines, again.

Well, it certainly got the robot's attention, because after Trans Am moved towards it, its blue face turned a bright red, and started to advance at the black sports car.

Tiny machine guns popped out of the robot, and started shooting at Trans Am.

"Whoa!  What the-!" Trans Am was definitely taken by surprise.  He raced off to avoid the ammunition and started to spin in circles in hopes of distracting the robot, or at least throw off its concentration and balance so it would stop shooting; but to no avail.

He turned as fast as he could off the freeway, but the robot was chasing towards him.  Trans Am didn't know how to resolve this situation.

Suddenly, there was a thud, and the robot stopped chasing Trans Am; when he went to see behind him, the robot was starting to shoot off some sparks, and its face was switching between blue and red.  The robot even had some dents in a few areas.

Before Trans Am could see what really happened, there was a blue streak advancing towards the robot, and the robot was becoming even more damaged as the blue object made impact towards it.

After twenty seconds of the beatdown, the orange robot shut down, and fell apart with extra sparks flying off.  The blue object looked as if it was rubbing its hands together to get dust off of them.

"Well, that took care of that Egg Pawn," a young male voice was heard from the blue creature.

The humanoid creature looked to be as tall as the orange robot, but he looked organic; his head was a little bigger than his body, had ears that looked a little more like a cat's, and had long blue quills that curved down behind his head.  He had big eyes that meshed together to look like one eyeball, but there were two green irises present.  He had a peach-colored belly as well as long peach-colored arms that matched his muzzle, and was wearing white gloves, one on each hand.  He also had long blue legs, and was wearing red and white running shoes as well as white socks that stuck out of them.

The blue humanoid creature stopped rubbing himself off of dust, and diverted his attention to the black Trans Am.  Trans Am was confused and shocked, because he had never seen a creature like this before.  But the blue creature wasn't shocked; just curious, or at least seemed curious.  He walked towards the black car.

"Hmm, interesting," he said to himself, "it looks like not only did I destroy one of Eggman's badniks, but I also saved a car from getting shot down.  And he doesn't look like he was one of the badniks I ever come across."

Trans Am was having a hard time finding his words.

"W- wha- what are you saying?" Trans Am said in mild fear and huge confusion, "who's Eggman?  What is that thing that you just destroyed?!  Who are you?  What are you?  And how did you know I was sentient?!  No other humanoid knew I was sentient, except you!  So, how did you know?!"

The creature raised an eyeridge in confusion and mild concern, since the car was panicking.

"Whoa, calm down, buddy," he said with his palms up to the sides of his heads, "is that any way to say 'thank you?' I just saved your life, after all.  I am a friend."

"Friend?  I don't even know you!  Just tell me what is going on!"

"How about this: why don't you calm down and I can explain what happened?  I don't bite."  The creature seemed very happy and easy-going, and didn't even show a sign of fear.  He looked friendly.

Trans Am calmed down a little, since he figured the creature was no threat to him.

"All right, I do not see the problem with conversing with others who are not my kind, but just so happened to understand what I was saying," said Trans Am, "well, anyways, let's start with the introductions.  I am a Pontiac Firebird Trans Am, the first of the third generation.  But you can just call me Trans Am.  And you?"

The creature zipped in front of Trans Am, so he was facing him.  He grinned.

"I'm Sonic," he said, "Sonic The Hedgehog."

"Well, it is nice to meet you, Sonic."

"Same," Sonic said, and chuckled slightly.

Trans Am was feeling comfortable talking to the humanoid hedgehog.

"Anyway, before we can explain, how about you jump in so we can go towards my home?  It is not too far away," offered Trans Am.

"Oh, that's quite all right.  I have these," Sonic said and lifted his feet, showing his running shoes, "some call me the 'Fastest Thing Alive' because of my speed."

Trans Am was intrigued.

"Wow.  Okay, how about we race to my home instead?  And the winner will enter my home, first?"

"On second thought," Sonic said, "I think I have had enough running for now, my feet are starting to get a little sore.  I don't see the problem getting a ride once in a while."

"All right, then," Trans Am said, and opened the driver door so Sonic could get in.  So, he did, and the door closed.

"Cool," Sonic said, as he looked at the interior.

"Thank you," Trans Am said.

Trans Am revved up his engines.  "Let's go!"

"Okay!"

They drove off from the freeway.

                                     ------------------ *^* -------------------

"So, let's see if I got this right: Dr. Ivo 'Eggman' Robotnik is a mad scientist who designs robots and plans to take over the world, so he can build his Eggman Empire.  (Sounds like a huge monopoly, there.)  And you came from some other part of the world with friends a bit like you, (maybe not by speed).  And you obtain golden rings to give your power a boost during the final blow, is that right?" asked Trans Am.

"That's right," said Sonic.

Trans Am just got out of the freeway, and was at his neighborhood where all the other cars were at.  There were plenty of buildings for cars to roam around and have space, as well as many green plants such as trees, shrubs, and grassy patches; there was even a small park for humans to bask into.  The neighborhood looked a lot greener than Sonic's description of the proposed Eggman Empire.  Sonic was intrigued by Trans Am's turf.

"Well, our best bet is to not let Dr. Eggman go towards any territory already occupied by people and cars.  Because who knows what will happen?"

Sonic nodded in agreement.

A gray Toyota Prius stopped in the middle of Trans Am's path, and Trans Am stopped to a soft halt.

"Hey, gaslighter," Prius said in a mocking tone of voice, "where do you think YOU'RE going?"

"None of your business, Prius," Trans Am said in a slight defensive manner, "and when are you going to stop bothering me about being a gas-fueled car?  Aren't cars like you supposed to be 'tolerant' of different cars with different fuel needs?"

"Oh really?  Who died and made YOU judge?  Huh?!" Prius was really getting on Trans Am's nerves.

Although he wanted the Earth to be green and free of pollutants, there was just something about electric cars like Prius that Sonic found quite deceiving.  And it really didn't help that a car was bullying his new friend, who was also a car, just with different fuel needs.

Sonic opened Trans Am's door and stepped out to face Prius.

"Hey, what's going on, here?" Sonic said with his gloved hands on his hips, and a confused frown on his face.  "Is that any way to treat my friends?"

Everything went quite for a few seconds.  Prius didn't say anything, until...

"AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!"

Prius quickly went into reverse, then turned around and dashed away.  Was it Sonic that made him scamper away?

Sonic turned towards Trans Am, and made a gesture that said "oh, well."

Trans Am chucked.  "Looks like you scared him away just by appearing in front of him.  I would be shocked too if I saw something I considered strange."

"Yeah," Sonic said.

They both laughed.

"Well, anyways, let me show you my home.  I have a cousin living here, as well."

Sonic was amazed that even cars had families.

"Okay," Sonic said, and got back in Trans Am, "let's go!"

Trans Am and Sonic went to the huge garage next to an even larger house.  The garage was many different shades of brown, with the exception of the roof and door, which were a metallic gray.  The door opened slowly, and Trans Am and Sonic got in.

"Hey, Camaro, I'm home," Trans Am said.

Camaro was still in his place, and was still playing the video game on the two-monitor arcade.

"Hey, Trans Am," the silvery-gray Camaro said, "guess what?  I had just completed Level 17 with hardly any difficulty, whatsoever!  I think I am getting really good at this game!"

"Well, good for you," Trans Am said.

Camaro paused the game and drove very slowly away from the arcade box, and stopped towards Trans Am nine feet away from each other.

"So, what's new?" asked Camaro, "how did cruising around the freeway go?"

"Very well, thank you very much," Trans Am said, "oh, and I brought a new friend with me, so we can have company for the evening.  Promise not to freak out?"

"Uh, okay," Camaro said.

"All right, Sonic.  You can come out, now."

Trans Am's door opened, and Sonic stepped out of the car.  He was facing towards Camaro, who was slightly lost for words.

"Camaro, this is Sonic The Hedgehog," Trans Am said, "he saved me from a robot that was attacking me on I-6.  Said it was a badnik designed by a mad scientist who wanted to destroy our planet for an empire."

Sonic advanced towards Camaro, and extended a hand.

"Nice to meet you," Sonic said, cheerfully.

"Uh, it's nice to meet you, too," Camaro said, and extended a robotic arm to shake hands.  They did so.

                                     ------------------ *^* -------------------

Ten minutes later, the two cars and one hedgehog were having plenty of fun conversing with each other.  And Camaro and Sonic were playing the racing game, but it was a multiplayer edition, with one player on each side of the two-monitor arcade box.  Sonic was getting a lot more points than Camaro was, and Camaro was rather amazed than disappointed or frustrated.

"Wow!  You are a really excellent player.  I am amazed by that!" Camaro said in awe and admiration.

"Thanks!" Sonic said, and winked.

Even Trans Am was pleased by Sonic's skill.

"Well, have fun, you too.  I am going to visit Tesla and stay in his garage for a bit," Trans Am said, and drove off.

"Okay, have fun, cuz!" Camaro called out.

Trans Am was about to turn to where the garage was until suddenly, he heard screams coming from many feet away.

"What is going on?" Trans Am said to himself.  He drove towards the location of the sound.

Much to his surprise, there was a blue 1968 Ford Mustang that was smashed flat (unfortunately, Mustang died), and above him was a huge machine that looked to be two stories tall, and had seven long metal leg-like appendages.  The machine was round at the top with a similar-looking face picture like the one on the orange robot from earlier, and on top of it was a man of some sort.  He was really round (he looked like he ate way too much food and then sucked on helium to inflate him a little bit), and was wearing a red and white suit of some sort; he was wearing white gloves just like Sonic; he was wearing some kind of goggles on top of his bald head.  He had a long, brown mustache that stood straight, and had a long nose that was slightly darker than his skin; he was also wearing glasses that covered his eyes completely.  He had a really wide grin, much like the orange robot and the machine he was operating.

"Ooooooh-hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo-hooo!" came out the man's laugh that sounded more goofy than menacing.  "I am Dr. Eggman, the most powerful and wonderful scientist in the world!  Surrender to the Eggman Empire, or you will suffer the consequences!"

"So, that's the mad scientist Sonic was talking about," Trans Am said himself, "I have got to call Sonic and Camaro to stop him."

He activated his commlink.

                                     ------------------ *^* -------------------

Camaro answered his commlink, "Hello?"

"Camaro, this is Trans Am.  Is Sonic with you?" a voice asked from the commlink.

"Yes, I'm here too," said Sonic.

"What's going on, cousin?  You sounded a little frantic, there," Camaro asked with a little concern in his tone of voice.

"Uh, I think- Dr. Eggman just arrived..." Trans Am drawled at the last part.

Both Sonic and Camaro were shocked by the response.

Sonic stood up with his hands on his hips, and gave off a wide grin.

"Then, let's stop this Egghead!" Sonic said with confidence in his voice.

Sonic dashed faster than the blue streak behind him could keep up, and Camaro followed quickly behind him out of the four-car garage.

                                     ------------------ *^* -------------------

Trans Am dashed back and forth while the front extremities of the giant machine were bashing the road to try and crush him.  But all it did was make craters on the road.

"Hold still, car!  I want to give you a really good pounding!" Eggman shouted.

"Like you can really do that!" Trans Am shouted back, although the mad scientist wouldn't be able to understand him.

Next to Eggman were two small robots, one taller yellow one, and one shorter gray one.

"Uh, Dr. Eggman, I think the car just spoke," the yellow robot said.

"Yeah, and it didn't sound very happy!" the gray robot piped up.

"Oh, stop that nonsense, you piles of scrapmetal!" Eggman said to the robots, (who are called Decoe and Bocoe) "You know that cars don't talk.  Not even this one!"

The machine advanced towards Trans Am, and before he could make a sudden move, one of the machine's extremities flung over Trans Am and he fell to his side, rendering him immobile.

"...ow..." he said, quietly and monotonously.

Eggman advanced towards the defeated Trans Am, and raised up an extremity to deliver the final blow.

"Ooooohh-hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo-hooo!  Prepare to be turned into scrapmetal!"

Trans Am thought it was the end for him, until…

"Not so fast!  Dr. Eggman!" a cocky voice said.  It was Sonic, and he was advancing towards the evil scientist.

"Sonic The Hedgehog!" Eggman was in complete surprise.  "Ooooh, I will not let you go off that easily, you little blue pest!  Prepare to meet your doom!!"

The fight was intense.  Eggman kept trying to swat away Sonic with the extremities, and Sonic kept performing spin dashes to leave dents and one tiny hole on the machine.

Sonic managed to land behind the doctor by standing on the edge of the machine.

"Yoo-hoo!" Sonic teased, and leapt out of the machine to continue fighting.  He was really getting on Eggman's nerves.

Sonic and Eggman kept on fighting until an extremity swatted Sonic, and he fell next to Trans Am.

"Sonic!  Are you all right?" Trans Am said.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Sonic said with a pained smile on his face.

(First Trans Am, now Sonic.  Dr. Eggman was a really tough opponent to defeat.)

"Sonic!  The time has come to meet your fate!  And once I have finally gotten rid of you, I will establish the Eggman Empire and change the world forever!"

Eggman started to raise an extremity to deliver the final blow for the blue hero.

"Sonic!" a voice shouted.

High up in the sky was a blue and yellow biplane with two beings riding it; one golden two-tailed fox kit who was operating the propeller plane, and one red echidna with white mittens who was standing on top of the plane's right wing.  The red being was holding something in one of his hands.

"Don't worry, Sonic," the fox kit said, "we are here!"

"Tails... Knuckles..." Sonic said, weakly.

"Who?" Trans Am asked.  Were those Sonic's friends?

"Sonic!  Catch!" the red echidna shouted, and dropped a golden ring to where Sonic was.

Sonic extended his arm, and caught the ring that fell down towards him.

"Got it!"

Sonic's hand glowed a golden color, and then he got up and performed a spin dash towards Eggman's machine, but not before he made a cocky smile.

Sonic's attacks were stronger than ever, because there were even more holes than dents being made on the machine.  The machine started shutting down and was collapsing.

"Nooooooooo!!" Eggman shouted, as his machine completely fell down.  Dr. Eggman was finally defeated.

Sonic struck a victory pose, and shouted, "all right!"

The blue and yellow plane landed, and Sonic's friends, Tails and Knuckles, ran beside him and struck poses along with him.

"This is the end of your tyranny, Eggman!  If you threaten any more turfs, again, we will defeat you once more!" Tails shouted.

"And we will never give up!" Knuckles shouted, and raised his fist in the air.

"Hey, that's my line!" Sonic said.  He looked like he was about to pout.

Out of the defeated machine, a hovercraft appeared with Eggman operating it, and his two servant robots followed him and climbed on top of the vehicle.

"Ooooh, I hate that hedgehog!  I will come back, Sonic, and next time, I won't go easy on you!"

He flew off with the two robots shouting "BYYYEEE!!!" and they completely disappeared into the sky with a twinkle that appeared where they vanished.

"Heh.  He won't be coming back for a long time," Sonic said and crossed his arms.

"Let's hope so," Knuckles said.

Camaro raced towards the area where a battle occurred, followed by a dark gray self-driving Tesla car, who was Camaro and Trans Am's friend.

"Wow!  That was amazing!" Camaro said in pure awe, "now the mad scientist will never bother us for now."

"Not on my watch will he be back soon," Tesla said.

Their attention was diverted to Trans Am, who was still on his side.  They were shocked.

"Trans Am!" Camaro shouted and raced towards the black car.

"Trans Am!  Are you all right?" Tesla said, and went beside him.

"Yes, I'm fine.  Just a scratch," Trans Am said, "can you help me back up?  I can't move if I am on my side."

"We will get a tow truck to help you up.  Do not worry, Trans Am, help is--"

But before Tesla could finish his sentence, Trans Am was suddenly lifted slightly from the ground, and then placed back on his four wheels.  Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles got Trans Am back on his wheels.  They knew this car needed help, and they did it the faster way.  So, there was no need for a tow truck.

"Thank you very much," Trans Am said.

"Don't mention it," Tails said.

Sonic walked towards Trans Am, Camaro, and Tesla, and faced towards Tails and Knuckles.

"This is my new friend, Trans Am; I met him while I was fighting one of Eggman's badniks.  And this is his cousin, Camaro, and his friend, uh..."

"Tesla," the self-driving car said.

"Right.  Tesla," Sonic said and turned to face the three cars, "these are my buddies, Miles Prower (but please call him Tails), and Knuckles The Echidna."

While Tails and Knuckles were taking turns greeting Trans Am and Camaro, Sonic greeted Tesla, since he never met him before.  Tesla extended a robotic hand, and Sonic took it.  They shook hands.

"It is really nice to meet you, Sonic," Tesla said, "I'm sorry we never got the chance to meet each other sooner."

"No problem," Sonic said and winked.

The cars and Sonic and his friends spent a few minutes talking to each other, until the organics decided it was time for them go home.

"Well, it's time for us to leave.  We had fun today," Sonic said, as Tails and Knuckles already got on the biplane, called the Tornado.

"Will we get to see each other again?" Camaro asked.

"Of course!" Sonic said and gave a thumbs up.

Sonic went to the Tornado and got on top of its left wing.

"We will always remember you.  And remember, never give up!" Sonic said, and the Tornado took off.

"Goodbye!" Trans Am, Camaro, and Tesla said, simultaneously.

Sonic and his friends flew off towards the sky, and disappeared.

"I wish they would have stayed a little longer," Camaro said with a hint of disappointment in his voice.

"Do not worry, Camaro.  They won't be gone forever," Tesla said.

"And Sonic said he and his friends will always remember us, as well.  So, we will never be forgotten," Trans Am said.

Suddenly, they realized it got dark.

"Well, I have to get back home.  I do not want my owner to worry about me thinking I was stolen.  Goodnight, Trans Am and Camaro," Tesla said.

"Goodnight, Tesla," Trans Am and Camaro said.

Tesla drove off.

"Let's go back to the garage, Camaro," Trans Am said and started to drive off.

"All right," Camaro said, and followed him.

"I wonder if Sonic and his friends are not too far away?" Camaro asked.  "It wouldn't be too hard to visit them if we could."

"I'm sure we would," Trans Am said.

Up in the night sky, a golden shooting star dashed off into the horizon.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

All characters except for my car characters belong to SEGA (Sonic X belongs to TMS Entertainment) and Sonic Team.

[houseofvans]

ART SCHOOL | TEDDY KELLY | VANS US OPEN OF SURFING 2017

We’re stoked to announce artist Teddy Kelly as our fourth muralist at this year’s 2017 Vans US Open of Surfing along with Lauren Asta, Andrew Pommier, and Jack Graydon!  Originally from Mazatlan Sinaloa, Teddy left Mexico City and came to the US to pursue an art career, bringing his artistic talent and unique vision to a new audience. His style is graphic and fluid–from line driven graphic character work to more abstract color gradients–and his work is ever-present, having been on everything from skateboards, apparel to large scale walls. We’re so excited to chat with Teddy and find out about how he started in art, what the art scene and finally what event he is most looking forward to at this year’s Vans US Open of Surfing! 

Photographs courtesy of the artist

Introduce yourself  Hi My Name is Teddy Kelly and your watching the biggest looser!

What’s your art background like? Self taught or art schooled?   I was self thought I did some school years never nothing of serious art only general education and some classes at SD city college design program which was a turning point in my life and the major reason why I'm  here today.

What’s the best thing you learned in art school or what’s the best thing you learned while teaching yourself? No a lot of art school for me. I've been learning from others and usually wisdom comes from the most random people lol people that aren't even trying to teach me.. I take the best out of other whatever applies to me and put it to practice not just art wise but in life. There's only a handful of real humble people or artist that will actually share they joy of having the opportunity to do this for a living and actually share things hoping that that knowledge transcend and then there's creatures full of Ignorance and ego's.  Beware. lol

This is your first year participating as an artist painting inside the bowl at the Vans US Open of Surfing!  What are some of your top 5 things you're sure to bring along?   Yes my first thanks for that to you guys!  My surfboard , skateboard, xtra brushes, caps, and myself.

Tell us about how you started out painting murals? What was the first mural you can remember doing? What was the last mural?   I was In Madrid Spain at Arco Festival assisting Charles Glaubitz as part of the Mexico pavilion crew, Charles was a friend and mentor and asked me if I wanted to come paint and I've been painting since then.

How do you approach a mural project and painting large scale work? What about this particular part of the process do you enjoy the most?  What do you do with mistakes if you make any? Well in reality everything happens on it's own each mural is different and walls surfaces act differently so that might be the most difficult part making sure everything is gonna go smooth. As far as the art/composition and tracing into the wall is not as hard once you know what u gonna do it's a done deal you just go to town small or big is the same to me is all therapy. Mistakes are cool. all depends how you deal with them.

Not only are you active in the art scene in US but you’ve also worked to create shows and bring art to Mexico / Mexico City.  Can you tell us about the art scene in Mexico!  How’s it similar and diff to the scene here? Actually I wasn't as familiar to the art scene down there, I started here in the U.S. so there wasn't really anything like a scene at that time I left, Mexico City has a lot of talent as is a bigger city but I wasn't connected to that area plus I grew up in Mazatlan Sinaloa which is considered very much influenced by the Northern culture. I did was on a big show with a bunch of  International art scene Icons and skate art legends in which I was fortunate enough to be invited too early in my career but even then things where kinda not so know as they are now.

Once the internet hit our country a lot more people was popping up and a lot more where expose to this sub cultures that carryout art like skateboarding and surfing in my case. We have such rich culture and talents but is harder to make a living back there, I came here not even knowing I will be doing this so coming for money and art wasn't my initial reason more than I was able to come and go due to my dual citizenship  and school was supposed to be better at a college Leven and cheaper that private school in Mexico.  Most recently we went and participated on that Mural Festival at Ecatepec Mexico at Edo. of Mexico great experience thankful for the opportunity.

Favorite Vans? And how would you describe your personal style?     Classics,  sk8-Hi and Old Skools I used them all I have them all I love them all.

Personal words to live by? Live by Sea Die by Sea

What event at this year’s Vans US Open of Surfing are you most looking forward to checking out?  Skate and poly gonna be surfing early in the am my self before the contest starts not really a contest surfer guy.

For folks who wanna follow in your path, what advice would you give them?  Work hard, Visualize urself wherever you want to be and once ur there work harder to maintain it and never quit. Also make sure you enjoy what ur doing and don't worry about what u see out there or what other peoples are doing handle the business with respect and to others and humble urself as you become more successful and not the other way around. shit will come to you.

What do you have planned for the rest of 2017? Nowadays I'm learning to enjoy the fruits of life starting with my Family, I'm a dad and so being with my daughter and wife we have an amazing life, we just back at the beach at trestles from LA I'm back to surfing and exercising lot more and staying busy in and outside art, lost of beach, surf, good food, good times and just enjoying the journey couldn't ask for more. Couple new collabs, murals an shows coming up. Jah bless!

Follow Teddy Kelly Website |  www.teddykelly.com Instagram | @teddykelly Tumblr | @teddykelly

[geekgirlnavigatingtheworld]

I expect spectacle when I see a Luc Besson movie. My eyes will be exhausted from trying to track a thousand and one things at any given moment, and my brain registers a plot and story are in there somewhere, but, quite frankly, I’m in so much visual ferret shock, the first viewing of the movie is pretty much a giant exercise in saying “OOOO! Lookitdat!”. I don’t just accept this, I go gratefully along for the ride.

“Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets” is based on a series of French graphic novels. I know, I know, being Madam Obvious, there, but, just in case someone reading this doesn’t know, there it is.  This movie is essentially about Valerian and his partner Laureline trying to save Station Alpha, a giant conglomerate of space stations created by thousands of different species (including humans) which has been released to float through space to avoid crashing it into the Earth. A mysterious zone of contamination has cropped up in the middle of Alpha Station. Nobody seems to know what caused it or why, and the Commander of Alpha Station is determined to stop it. Valerian and Laureline are the best agents the government has to offer, so, naturally, they’re called in.

Visually, the movie is stunning. World building is done through progressively more fantastic images, piling on sensory input to provide the eyes with a bountiful feast. The costuming and set designs, as well as the animation are done gorgeously. From a purely aesthetic standpoint, I have no complaints.

Story-wise, however, well, let’s start with it. If the plot seems a bit simplistic, that’s because it is. I understand there are different types of stories with different driving mechanisms. Valerian is written as though it’s intended to be character-driven, however, it’s clear from the outset the setting is the driving force, which is emphasized and reinforced through the scenery. This one suffers from poor and inconsistent writing which would only be acceptable in the framework of a parody.

The characters aren’t really anything new here. Valerian is an overconfident cad, Laureline is a verbally and physically abusive woman who seems to mistake bitchiness for toughness and strength, Clive Owen’s character is-exactly what you peg him for the moment he steps on screen and, in the climactic reveal, ends up elevating his two-dimensionality to glossy standee levels. It’s all predictable. Really predictable. I knew what was going to happen as soon as all our principal players were introduced, which I found both sad and frustrating. I’m also going to more than quibble with a character set up like Valerian’s, where, one minute, he’s got to be chewed out by everyone on the mission with him for not reading his memo, then in a pivotal scene claiming he’s a soldier who’s all about the rules and going by the book. What. the. actual. fuck? No. No. Character development (which there’s zero in this movie) requires character consistency. A truly dedicated by the book soldier would have read that memo so many times he had it memorized, not obstinately, willfully stayed clueless so as to endanger everyone else on the mission with him.

Canonically, Valerian’s pretty much a dick. Besson didn’t mess with that character description much at all. However, with a character like Valerian, he needs to be played by an actor who has the charisma and screen presence to pull it off. Dane DeHaan was not the guy to do it. He just couldn’t pull off the necessary swagger, and instead of seeming laid-back, he comes off as sedated. I’m still not sure if he as an actor was confused or phoning it in.

When it comes to Laureline, I don’t think Cara Delevigne was miscast. I think she got bad direction. Laureline is intended to be the capable one who gets things done. She’s supposed be tough and feisty. She can GET mean, but I was never under the impression Laureline was practically as bad as everyone she’s attempting to save the world from. In the opening scene, which is supposed to be one of those fighting as foreplay kind of scenes, there’s a total lack of chemistry between DeHaan and Delevigne, to the point that, rather than flirty or playful (trust me, there is an arctic desert of playfulness going on there), it’s really uncomfortable and awkward. These two actors are wrestling for superiority and beating the shit out of each other while trying to normalize it in a context of “playing hard to get” and jockeying for dominance. There’s no sexiness. None. Zip. Zero. Zilch. I will forever point to this as a scene of “No. Just, no.”

Laureline charges through the movie beating people up and shooting things while either screaming or barking at people. She’s supposed to be intimidating. I found her mostly psychopathic. I wanted to see her have more facets than “Generic Kick-Ass Unattainable Soldier Girl”. I wanted her to use some diplomacy and some eloquence to solve some problems, instead of violence, especially given Station Alpha’s intent (which is stated several times, explicitly with the EXACT SAME PHRASE EVERY TIME) to be a place where all species come together to share knowledge and intelligence. It’s really not the kind of place where violence first seems like an acceptable or effective policy. But, you know, as a woman and a feminist, I’m supposed to be totally satisfied with Laureline showing a tiny bit of tenderness when she’s designated the caregiver of an alien creature, which, of course, she knows exactly how to nurture back to health. Dammit. She’s a Mommy to an alien pet. Did I mention this happens when it’s established she’s the only woman in a room full of dudes? No? Well it does. Three more dammits in a slumped formation, let me tell you.

So, in addition to writing issues, we also have two massively unlikeable characters we’re supposed to somehow develop empathy for and root for to ultimately get together. They’re set up as so laughably toxic I can’t hold out any hope for their relationship to survive. 

Clive Owen shows up to chew through scenery and snarl, which he does pretty well, especially given what he had to work with. At least he had a couple of different emotions I could find believable. 

And yet...I still don’t feel as though my ticket was a waste of money.

Rutger Hauer made a return to the big screen in a blink and you might miss it role, but I’m still very happy to see him. He does cranky old bastard well and it’s fun to see him play it.

Herbie Hancock shows up as the Defence Minister. I didn’t  know he acted, but he did and he was easily one of my favorite parts of this film. He had an air of wise gravity and common sense “Valerian” desperately needed. Yes, I admit it, every time he came on screen, I thought to myself “Oh, thank god, there is an adult running things here after all!”

Ethan Hawke’s turn as a sleazy space pimp was inspired and hilarious. He gave himself over to the part with complete, gleeful abandon and it showed in every second of screentime. He was having fun and, honesty, I needed to see someone in the movie looking like they were having fun being in it.

Rhianna also did a great job as Bubble. I’m not sure if this was her movie debut, but she was also great fun to watch. She definitely seemed to be having fun there, too. I was impressed with the impact she gave her character’s relatively small part. She was memorable in all the best ways.

I do like that Luc Besson is a Big Picture kind of thinker. It shows in his movies. He sees the forest and he’s so very excited to show you the entire thing, he sometimes forgets why a single tree might gain importance. He gives his audience credit for being able to follow him when he makes time and logic jumps, and he’s obviously not afraid to try new things. As a filmgoer, I find when I watch his movies, he gives me so much to look at, I see different trees and follow a different path every time. I can appreciate his style and his enthusiasm.

I had a discussion with a friend just yesterday. We were talking reviews of “Valerian” and, of all things, Michael Bay. I don’t like Michael Bay and my friend had to ask, “But why? What’s different about a Michael Bay spectacle versus a Luc Besson one?” 

Admittedly, when I watch a movie, it’s a visceral, emotional experience for me. I watch first, as a rapt starry-eyed little sprocket. Then, I turn around and analyze the hell out of it. My friend was asking me to articulate a difference I hadn’t actually tried to verbalize before.My answer surprised me.

I don’t like Michael Bay movies because he condescends to his audience. His disdain for the public he can so easily shill for their money drips out of his movies more and more obviously with each new sequel. It’s so obvious in the trailers they string together I don’t even have to bother with the movies anymore. He doesn’t care about the franchise. He doesn’t care about the fans. His movies have a rote list of checkboxes and standard-issue explosions, car chases, and female body exploitation scenes in order to distract from the lack of plot and character development. He does his best to shiny thing away the plot holes and inconsistencies.

I’ve never felt as though Besson was throwing cheap tricks at me to keep my butt in a seat and make his box office. Instead, his movies, at least his true spectacle movies feel like someone who opened up a toy box and is trying to show his new friends every wonderful thing he just discovered and convince you to come and play, too. He’s tripping on the thrill of his own imagination and doing his absolute best to bring everyone else along on the ride with him.

So, yes, I loved the eye candy. The alien designs, especially for the inhabitants of Mul (which should have umlauts, but I don’t see how to add them in Tumblr) are very striking. The glimpses of the worlds within Alpha are interesting and intriguing. I found myself wanting to watch this movie again for inspiration for stories I want to tell because it’s so full of sheer concept. 

“Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets” is a beautiful romp in a Luc Besson sandbox. It comes with some frustrations attached, but I’m glad I saw it.

[kuwaiti-kid]

The 19 Most Addicting Games and Video Game Series of All Time

Whether you re looking for a fully immersive experience or something to simply pass the time on your lunch break, we have compiled a mix of the 19 most addicting games to keep you entertained.

Gaming has become both a social and personal staple in many of our lives. Ranging from Console to PC, Portable to Stationary, gaming comes in shapes and sizes. Some may even say they base their schedules on them so that these storylines and gameplay can be fully immersive. It can be both an escape from reality, as well as a way to connect with others.

Make sure to pack a snack and grab your most comfortable chair before diving into this list, as we have compiled the Top 19 most addicting games for you to explore!

The 19 Most Addicting Video Games of All Time

Zelda – Ocarina of Time

The very first Zelda game was released in February of 1986. However, the most gripping game to date has been Zelda: Ocarina of Time, which was released in 1998.

Follow Link on a quest through time in the fantasy land of Hyrule as you battle many different monsters and make friends along the way, including Princess Zelda, on a quest to defeat the evil King Ganondorf.

If you have not taken your turn smashing pots and opening chests, yet I highly suggest you grab your sword and give this game a whirl.

007 Goldeneye

If you have always wanted to be an international spy completing missions for a secret agency, now is your chance!

Pull out the N64 and follow James Bond through this first-person shooter that includes single-player missions, multiple stealth elements, and even a multiplayer deathmatch mode.

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

Known for its open-world free-roaming concept and action role-playing, Skyrim had many of us immersed in the storyline and endless side quests for days on end. The world of Skyrim consists of dungeons, cities, towns, fortresses, villages, and of course, dragons!

With its medieval designs and landscapes, you will feel as if you traveled to another time with magic and endless possibilities.

Kingdom Hearts Series

Combining both the magical world of Disney, and the captivating storylines of Final Fantasy, the Kingdom Hearts series has captured the hearts of many.

Kingdom Hearts can be played on both mobile and Nintendo DS as well as stationary consoles such as PlayStation or Xbox. Experience Sora’s story as he journeys to defeat the heartless, along with his best friends Mickey and Goofy.

Borderlands

Open world mayhem, an abundance of humor, and amazing cell-shading artwork await in the expansive and crazy world of Borderlands.

This game combines a first-person shooter with action RPG in a futuristic apocalyptic setting with colorful characters and chaos.

World of Tanks

If you enjoy massive multi-player online games that focus on player vs. player combat, then World of Tanks is definitely a must-play to add to your list.

In World of Tanks, you take control of a customizable mid-20th-century combat vehicle to engage in multiple different forms of battle. Strategy and fun are vital for this game!

Play World of Tanks Online for Free

World of Warships

Much like World of Tanks, World of Warships brings your battle to the open seas. Players can battle at random or play cooperative battles against bots and other players.

The game features combat missions, challenges, campaigns, and ranked battles.

Play World of Warships online for Free 

Animal Crossing: New Horizons

This game has quickly become a top-rated, feel-good game for all ages. In Animal Crossing, you get to create your own unique island, pick fruit, go fishing, craft multiple items, and make friends with adorable animal villagers.

The main point of this game? Simply to enjoy, create, and have fun!

World of Warcraft

World of Warcraft (WoW for short) is one of the largest, if not the most extensive online multiplayer games in existence.

So, what will it be for you, Alliance or Horde? WoW consists of multiple expansions, classes, dungeons, raids, and factions that dictate the direction of your game. For a fully immersive fantasy experience that will last for weeks on end, give WoW a go!

Overwatch

This colorful game is a team-based multiplayer first-person shooter with over 30 heroes to choose from. Players can customize their heroes by gaining cosmetic rewards such as character skins and victory poses.

Overwatch is a fantastic game to play along with many of your friends as you split into two teams of six and battle for victory.

Minecraft

If you haven’t heard of Minecraft, where have you been?

This game puts players in a randomly generated intentionally pixelated world where you can create your own structures and contraptions.

You can discover and acquire resources as well as use mods to create new gameplay. Minecraft is both an entertaining and relaxing with a plethora of different options to keep you entertained.

League of Legends

Do you main Mid? Jungle? Who is your favorite Champion?

These are all questions you will receive in regards to the exceedingly popular multiplayer online battler arena game known as League of Legends. This game requires both strategy and teamwork as you work together to battle the opposing team using one of multiple different Champions.

Each Champion has its own set of special skills and abilities, as well as creative and artistic skins that can be used to customize the game.

If you enjoy games like Overwatch, then League is definitely a must-try.

PlayerUnkown’s Battlegrounds (PUBG)

In a game of battle royale, hundreds of players will fight player versus player in a “last man standing” deathmatch.

The game begins with players parachuting onto one of four maps, where they will then start to hunt for items to equip themselves for the oncoming battle with other players. PUBG is an adrenaline rush you will not want to miss.

Diablo

This action RPG has more of a hack-and-slash element to it as you barrel through dungeons and attack hordes of enemies that are standing in your path.

As you progress, you obtain more potent items and armor to develop your character of choice to progress in the storyline. With multiple options of different levels of difficulty, Diablo will keep you both entertained and challenged.

The Sims

This highly addicting game puts you in full control as you create towns, homes, and people to your liking. The Sims is a strategic life-simulation game where everything from someone’s job selection to dinner selection is under your control.

You can also control the Sims skill development, such as exercise, reading, creativity, and logic, by adding activities to Sims' daily schedule. How you prioritize will determine your success in this game!

Call of Duty

COD is a first-person shooter that puts you in control of an infantry soldier during multiple different World War scenarios. Due to the popularity of the initial Call of Duty game that was released in 2003, numerous spin-offs and sequels have been created.

With a mix of historical elements, amazing graphics, and multiple campaigns, the Call of Duty franchise is one worthy of being in your console.

The Witcher Series

Toss a coin to the creators of this action RPG series! Created from the Polish novels by Andrzej Sapkowski, The Wither game series has captivated audiences with its gameplay, storyline, and unique characters.

Experience the world through Geralt, a witty humored Witcher, while saving the world from unique and terrifying creatures. This storyline will keep you on the edge of your gaming chair from start to finish.

TMNT on NES

If you haven’t tried your hand at an addicting vintage game, now is your chance! The Ninja Turtles are on a mission to retrieve the Life Transformer Gun from Shredder, a device that could restore their sensei Splinter to his human form.

So pull out the NES system and pop in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles single-player action game to experience side-scrolling levels as they travel to doors, maintenance holes, or other entrances to achieve their mission!

Fallout

Last but not least, is a post-nuclear RPG in an open-world turn-based role-playing system. Fallouts storyline centers around the aftermath of this changed world as you explore this new reality full of mutated monsters, unique weapons, and permanently altered colonies.

Throw on your vault suit and slap on a Pip-boy to experience multiple hours of unique gameplay that will make you want to rename your family pet Dogmeat.

If you love the post-apocalyptic setting of fallout, you will enjoy Crossout. Read our full review of Crossout here, or play Crossout for free online. 

The Bottom Line

We hope you enjoy our list of the most addicting games; we tried to cover everything from old skool favorites to new releases. With nearly six decades of video games to choose from, whittling the list down to just 19 was a herculean task.

If you are looking to discover new games check out our list of free games on Steam, the best free MMORPGs, and our guide to playing free games online.

The post The 19 Most Addicting Games and Video Game Series of All Time appeared first on Your Money Geek.

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[alifeleadsimply]

How to keep yourself sane during lockdown, with kids - 11 tips

How to get through this lockdown

And still have your mother-child relationship, and your sanity, intact

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Today marks day 20 of our national lockdown. Tomorrow was the day that we would have been set free, but thanks to a lockdown extension our parole date have now been postponed to the end of April. And I am not getting my hopes up too high - at this stage, I will much rather stay inside for another few weeks than stand the chance of being part of the reason that it spreads again. Plus, my anxiety is already through the roof just thinking of releasing my kids into the world again (not because I am scared of what they will do to the world after almost 40 days in the house - mind you that is a consideration - but more because WHAT IF THEY GET IT). 20 days without any outside interaction, no physical touch except for the people locked up with me. No outings (except for garbage day! Yeah!). And no one except myself to keep me sane.

How have you been faring? Coping? Not coping? Kids coping? Obviously, they have questions, and their insecurities not only feeds off of ours but also feeds ours. Vicious circle. I have tried my best to stay grounded and level-headed and would love to share with you my best tips. Hopefully, this can help you navigate the last stretch of this stormy journey!

My top tips for staying sane if you are in lockdown with your kids:

Create a creature or something that can be blamed

For us, it is a combination of the fairies and a ninja. If the kids ask where are the 10 easter eggs that they had left after eating the rest of the box - don’t know, maybe the fairies took them? Where is the toy that they have been fighting over for the past 4 days? The ninja took it. Who ate the last ice cream? Fairies. Who drank the last bottle of red wine? Nin… oh no wait, that was me. But the ninja made me do it.

Give in to screen time

I know Netflix is not a baby sitter, but do you know that out of the 24 hours we have, kids roughly sleep 10 of them? So if you have a better idea to keep them busy for another 2 of those 14 awake hours, please share. By 10h in the mornings, we have already done their worksheets (read Homeschool), painted, made breakfast, did an activity (I plan 2 a day) and had free-play time. We have been at it since 6h. So by 10h, I am ready to hire babysitter Netflix so that I can have an hour or who of constructive adult time (translation: 1 cup of hot coffee). The same happens at 7h in the evenings.

Change your morning or evening routine

I usually get up at 4h15. That gives me 2 hours of work time before the kids get up. Flash-forward to post-outbreak lockdown. The kids are out of their routines, we have not had enough motivation or time to settle into new ones (not positive ones in any way, do not be fooled by Instagram!) and so the kids are going to bed later than usual, but strangely enough not sleeping in later in the mornings. That means I get adult-alone time later in the evenings, so my own bedtime has now moved up with 1 or three hours. To stop the carnage that will ensue if I have to get up at 4h15 after going to bed at 00h, I have switched off my alarm and now rely on my two beautiful blessings to wake me in the mornings. Usually with demands for milo, sometimes sweetly.

Figure out how to video call

Yes, I know you will probably need video calling for your work. But you will also need it so that, even just for a few minutes, you can have someone else entertain your kids. Have them video call their grandparents, aunts and uncles, cousins, neighbours, teachers, heck anyone you have a number for who can give you a few minutes’ relief. There are even services (paid of course, but gran might not mind doing it for free) where someone reads to your kids. If video calling won’t work, then Youtube should be your new best friend. (just remember - safety first. Always make sure you know what they are watching on Youtube)

Be lenient

Understand that this is a trying time for your kids, and that they might not be able to really understand what is going on. They hear scary things like death-toll and critical on a daily, and without the context, this is even scarier. My 5 year old asked me the other day when will it be our turn to get the virus, like it is a book that you pass on to the next available person. Try to be lenient with them as much as possible, you know without actively encouraging them to be brats. Give them that extra treat every now and then, allow that outburst, and reprimand in a gentler way. Maybe the ninja will then be more lenient with you and that last bottle of wine…

Keep your body moving

I am not encouraging you to jump on the Instagram fitness bandwagon. I am encouraging you to play together with your kids. Teach them to skip, to jump rope, swim, to ride a bike. Play Simon says and bake mud cakes and jump on one leg. Do everything with them. After spending the afternoon as a frog, I can barely walk, but the joy they had on their faces (not to mention the joy I am providing now, practically crawling around) was priceless. And I got to move my body without any formal exercise routine.

Have at least one balanced meal a day

Pick one meal, and make it good. Pack as much goodness into that meal as you possibly can, and relax around the rest. I know sugar interferes with our immune system, and under normal circumstances, my kids are not allowed to touch the stuff, but this is extraordinary times. I am not saying allow them to finish a bag of chips every day, just that there is nothing wrong with having waffles for breakfast and pizza for dinner. Especially if they are home-made! So let go a bit and allow them to guide you.

Drink!

Water. I mean drink water. And tea. And coffee. Keep hydrated and check that your kids are hydrated as well. Nothing interferes with normal processes such as thirst, so keep them reminding them (and yourself) to drink.

Dress up

Now is the time to tap into your childhood dreams of being a princess or a warrior or whatever you dreamt of. Dress up, then have a playdate with the other characters in your house. Give in and allow your imagination to run free - you will be surprised how good it feels, and how energised you will be afterward.

Homeschool

This is the one thing I have dreaded. I do not have the patience nor the aptitude to teach my kids anything more than good manners and grit. Luckily my kids are 3 and 5 years old, so the expectations were pretty low (I hope, unless I missed that memo). Did you know that the best way for kids to learn is through free play? Where you give them an activity or toy and then give them gentle nudges that allows them to design their own game. I encourage my kids to keep themselves busy ALL THE TIME. So maybe I am not that bad at homeschooling :)

Accomplish tiny things

Last week we focussed on saying vanilla. It still comes out as vamilla. But we have 3 more weeks to go! Set small goals, so that you have the potential of accomplishing LOTS of goals, sometimes even daily. Singing “twinkle twinkle little stars” correctly, so the kids know how long to wash their hands for. How to correctly refer to the virus (no, not as THE VIRUS, it has a name you know). How to use your inside voice, even when outside. Little things that can make the worlds’ difference.

If you are struggling to find the good to focus on, now is the time to start a gratitude practice! Don’t know where to start? Start with my journal prompts, get them here

"We didn't know we were making memories, we thought we were only having fun"

More than anything else, I want to encourage you to find the light in these times. Yes, they are trying, yes they are not ideal, yes you feel as if you are going off of your rocker. But there are also so many good things. I was with my eldest when she lost her first 2 baby teeth. I have experienced firsthand how much my 3-year-old has changed over the past 4 weeks. They have taught me songs, I have watched movies never before seen, we have tried new recipes. So many things that I never would have had if this had not happened.

Want something constructive to do with this time? Declutter your home! Get my handy how-to guide here

I am stressed and anxious, the uncertainty is eating me alive. I am worried about the life that we will have to live in order to keep these two safe. But I am also so grateful and feel so blessed that I get to spend this time with them. That I get to keep them safe, see them grow, and help them adapt. It just goes to show that when you search for the silver lining, the dark cloud will start to fade.

Stay safe!

See you soon

xxx

[muggle-writes]

Dear Creator (PurimGifts 2020)

Hello designated gift giver. This year, @copperscales​​ and I have signed up as a unit for gift giving and receiving. Robin and I have been great friends ever since we bonded over our shared taste in media over 15 years ago, and we continue to have very similar tastes, so whatever gift you make from our requested fandoms is very very likely to be a perfect gift for us both.

The only thing we have different tastes in is jewish content: Muggle is jewish and loves it all. Robin isn’t jewish, and has some knowledge, and is interested in jewish content, but may need more explanation of traditions for things as “obscure” as even sukkot. If you can, with plot-relevant jewish content, try to include an audience-stand-in goyische character to hear an explanation or overview.

Our DNWs: No rape/noncon/dubcon. No misogynistic or queerphobic slurs. (minimal misogyny/queerphobia in general please) If relationships are unhealthy, let the characters admit it, at least in the privacy of their own minds (ie don’t glorify it as “good romance”). Minimize gratuitous violence, and if it must happen, focus more on character reactions than descriptions of gore. No Undertale genocide run.

Anyway, it’s always fun to have some slightly more specific prompts to work from. Here’s some ideas of things we’d enjoy for each of the requested fandoms. (below the cut because Long)

Queer rep, in any form, in any fandom is great. Especially aro and ace rep, since we’re both within those categories, but cute romance is also generally acceptable, especially femslash. Or characters being explicitly bi, or trans girls living their lives with minimal bigotry, or healthy polyamory (especially if it’s a web of pairwise relationships rather than poly-fi like an OT6)... (trans boys probably won’t qualify unless they’re jewish, but we’d be happy to see them too) Really just all queer rep is good.

Outsider perspectives are another thing we both love (characters that don’t know everything the canon protagonists know drawing close-but-not-quite conclusions is excellent comedy potential)

Harry Potter content is always a winner, especially if you explore characters like Hermione, Luna, or Ginny. Show us their friendships, with each other, or with other girls, or Ginny’s relationship with her brothers. Luna/Ginny is an adorable ship too. (Prefer original series fic over Fantastic Beasts or Cursed Child fic). JKR is a terf, but Hogwarts is trans-affirming. Queer rep is especially good in this fandom.

Animorphs: the series that started our friendship <3. We would love to see queer content depicting the original six animorphs (do Tobias or Marco have a crush on Jake, for example? Pan Rachel? Is one of them trans? We’d love to see it). AUs in which Tom gets free, or Marco’s mom gets free sooner, are also good. Alternately, we’d love to see explorations of alien culture. Since the Berensons are jewish, Muggle would love to see Jake thinking Tom’s name during Mi Sheberach (on the rare occasions they actually go to services), knowing he can’t say it aloud. If you can slip that into a fic with some of our shared interests, Muggle would be thrilled.

For Dragonriders of Pern, we primarily love the setting. Canon characters are fine, but OCs are also great. Some ideas: Sorka’s children trying to live up to her legacy. The generation that sees the fading use of old tech and the rise of traditional artisans. Muggle is considering writing a fic about a trans girl impressing gold as a gender affirming experience, but if you also write something in that vein, we’ll be thrilled: two cakes are better than one. Or include jewish characters and an exploration of how the traditions have adapted to a new planet: are the holidays aligned with the seasons the same way they are on earth or are they trying to maintain an earth-centric historic hebrew calendar? if it’s adapted for the new planet, which moon is full for Sukkot and other mid-month holidays? Also we just love worldbuilding in general. Please ignore Anne’s weird restrictions on which dragons impress which human based on sexuality. There could totally be a lesbian queenrider, ace dragonriders at all, a straight male greenrider.... (and dragons mating with each other just means their riders are the horniest people in the room not that their riders automatically pair up with each other, please and thank you.)

Undertale: anything goes but please depict neutral/pacifist runs. Alphys/Undyne as a ship (or their friendship pre-canon) is always a good option. Jewish Frisk and/or Chara is wonderful too.

AtLA: We’d love to see Katara without a focus on Aang. Perhaps a focus on Katara’s relationship with her mother? Other good characters are Toph (fave) and Mai and Ty Lee

LoK: Korrasami is such a cute pairing

Belgariad/Mallorean and prequels: Polgara, especially fluff depicting her relationship with her mother (Poledra) or her sister (Beldaran)

MCU: Jewish Bucky and/or Steve. (Steve as a golem?) We prefer fic in the style of 2012 MCU fandom (in which Age of Ultron and Civil War hadn’t happened yet, and the team just lives together in Avengers Tower and goes on wacky day-saving adventures, but feel free to include newer characters because canon compliant isn’t something we care about). Shuri being a wonderful little sister, and a badass person in general is also great content.

ItSV: show us the history between May and Liv. Or Rio being maternal towards the new Spider Man even if she doesn’t know exactly why (alternately, Rio recognizing him immediately because she recognizes the way he carries himself, and the way he talks when he’s trying to sound older than he is. She calls it a mother’s instincts). Or, since the Peters are all jewish (at least Peter B but presumably all of them) and there’s no reason the Davis-Morales family can’t also be jewish, give us post reveal holiday celebrations with Miles’ family and RIPeter’s Aunt May.

Good Omens: Depictions of the ineffable husbands as jewish. Genderfluid or femme-presenting Crowley. Jewish Newt Pulsifer. Agnes Nutter doing things besides writing her books, especially other modern anachronistic things as well as jogging for exercise.

WTNV: We would love to see Cecil introducing Carlos to jewish holidays, and general canon-typical weirdness. Feel free to include things from the books but we have no particular familiarity with them.

Star Wars: Original Trilogy era Leia (pre, mid, or post canon are all good). Or write something Shmi Skywalker-centric. Or Jewish Organa-Solo family content

Lilo and Stitch: Sisterly fluff is very good in this fandom too (and all fandoms with sisters). Feel free to bring in other Experiments from the tv series.

Old Kingdom: Sabriel & Lirael mentorship?  Worldbuilding is also great for this series. Feel free to explore the history of the Old Kingdom. What did the border look like before the Wall was built? What sorts of nasty creatures explored near or across the border at the time. What was the final straw that led to the Wall being built?

Firefly/Serenity: Give us content of the girls. Examples: Inara & Kaylee friendship or mentorship, Kaylee & River friendship, any of them on their own. Optionally also jewish. What does shabbat look like in space? Maybe show us one of the rare things that River struggles with.

Again, these are all just suggestions (besides the DNWs). We’re looking forward to seeing what you create! Thanks in advance!

[gessvhowarth]

Things To Do Today In London: Tuesday 31 January 2017

A fine dining restaurant pops up in Islington's Union Chapel. What we're reading The Pengest Munch is back. The corner of London that consists almost entirely of garden centres. The New York Times visits Sadiq Khan's London. Tate Modern's getting a 'once in a lifetime' Picasso exhibition. Things to do SEEDS AND SENSORS: Join the creators of the Connected Seeds Library at the launch of this new exhibition. A day of food, film and workshops gives you a chance to network with experienced and novice growers and learn about community growing seed spaces and more. Rich Mix, free, book ahead, 10am-6.30pm [exhibition runs until 12 February] MOTHER NATURE: Join Professor Steve Jones of UCL for a discussion of the way in which creatures manipulate their fellows, partners and enemies to gain advantages for themselves. Museum of London, free, just turn up, 6pm-7pm A NIGHT WITH FREUD: Spend an evening at The Freud Museum in Hampstead, a building which was once home to psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud. Enjoy wine as you view the museum after hours, listen to an introductory tour by the curator and learn more about the museum's collection. The Freud Museum, £25, book ahead, 6.30pm-9.30pm FLORENCE NIGHTINGALE: Discover the life of reluctant celebrity Florence Nightingale. Though she hated having her portrait taken, it was through this that she gained her iconic status in Victorian England. Join Florence Nightingale Museum director Natasha McEnroe as she examines the life of Nightingale through a selection of images. The Old Operating Theatre, £8/£6, book ahead, 7pm-8.30pm POETRY: Explore the themes of patriotism, friendship, class and the environment with Templar Poetry Live: The Penguin Diaries. Telling the haunting story of the British Antarctic Expedition, The Penguin Diaries include a sonnet for each member of the expedition. Keats House, free, book ahead 7pm-8.30pm HEADS & BODIES: Be a kid a again with Heads and Bodies. Draw a head, pass it on and wait for the hilarious results. Prizes and goodies will be given out for the best drawings. Queen of Hoxton, free, just turn up, 7pm-8.30pm There will be a panel discussion at the British Library on Power, Territory and Borders POETRY, TERRITORY AND BORDERS: The world has been divided into territories, with many arbitrary borders drawn on the global map. Discuss how these divisions continue to be at the root of nationhood and identity, power and conflict. British Library, £12/£8, book ahead, 7pm-8.30pm UNION CHAPEL DINNER: For one night only, you can dine inside Islington's beautiful Union Chapel. The pop-up fine dining restaurant is raising money to repair the chapel's clock. The menu is a Persian-inspired mezze, with vegetarian option available, and a glass of prosecco with every ticket.  £35, book ahead, 7pm DOCTOR FAUSTUS: Join Doctor Faustus as he seeks to move beyond religion, law and science and makes a deal with the Devil himself; for 24 years of knowledge in exchange for his soul. The Tower Theatre, £12/£11, book ahead, 7.30pm NEW WRITING: Flinn McManus and Matthew Gardner present an evening of extracts and short stories from up and coming performers and playwrights. Expect relevant and honest playwriting to shock and thrill audiences. Hackney Picturehouse, £10, book ahead, 7.30pm SOHO COMEDY: Join funny lady Shappi Khorsandi as she celebrates the 40th anniversary of her arrival in Britain. 'Oh My Country' From Morris Dancing to Morrisey features whip-crack jokes, razor sharp wit and endless charm. Soho Theatre, £12/£10, book ahead, 9.30pm [until 11 February] RE-IMAGINATION: At the London Transport Museum's Poster Parade: Re-imagining historical posters, old posters and memorable designs are cleverly modified for contemporary audiences. London Transport Museum, £16/£13.50, book ahead, until 27 April Stage review: Cirque Du Soleil Is Beautiful But Lacks Thrills The latest slice of epic big top action from this world-conquering circus brand has beautiful imagery and choreography but lacks genuine heart-in-the-mouth action. Cirque du Soleil - Amaluña, Royal Albert Hall, Kensington Gore, Kensington, SW7 2AP. Tickets from £20. Until 26 February. ★★★☆☆ Franco Milazzo Art review: I am the law Judge Dredd may be best know but other characters from the 2000AD stable include Halo Jones. © REBELLION A/S, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Dredd artwork by Ron Smith, Halo Jones by Ian Gibson. I AM THE LAW: 2000AD comics is best known for its creation Judge Dredd. But it did so much more and its wide range of characters is the focus of this exhibition, full of fantastic illustrations and plenty of information. It’s great for comic book fans, though we’re not sure if it will convert the uninitiated. Future Shock: 40,000 years of 2000AD at The Cartoon Museum, 35 Little Russell Street, WC1A 2HH. £7, until 23 April ★★★☆☆ [Tuesday-Sunday] Good cause of the day ZOO STAMPEDE: Sign up for the ZSL London Zoo Stampede and raise money to help conserve and protect some of the world's most wonderful and rare species. The event is a 5km or 10km run through the zoo in Regent's Park. Don't worry — you've still got a couple of months to train. £34, book ahead, 26 March 2017 Funzing Fun things to do with our friends and sponsor Funzing. London Talks @ Night || The Science of Psychedelics Scientific research is resuming on how psychedelics affect the weirder aspects of human consciousness. This talk from Dr David Luke engages in current study into pyschedelics and their historical use in shamanic rituals. Be prepared, you might leave with more questions than answers. Get tickets LDN Talks @ Night || Neuroscience of Powerful Habits Every January you do the same thing. You make a New Year's resolution to lose weight, be thriftier, quit smoking or possibly even to start exercising. Yet how many of us find ourselves in the exact spot we started in once the month is up? This talk by Dr Gabija Toleikyte, explains why the brain resists changing habits of a lifetime. She'll also explain how to create long lasting change, by working with your brain rather than against it. Get tickets BucketList Talks - How to follow your dreams Hear crazy true stories from the people who've probably done everything on your bucket list. Be inspired by tales of marathon running, exploring the Arctic at 16 and driving to Mongolia. Get tickets

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Coloring Products For Kids

In a child's ages, parents do each possible attempt to create the child bloom in real method. Coloring pages is a commonly used practice by parents at home or teachers in school to impart understanding of the alphabets, animal, monuments, fruits, vegetables, amounts etc.. Kids love coloring activities and they can even learn a whole lot through fun activities & colour. Colors are fascinating and attract kids that's the reason the environment of preschool sessions or play schools includes colors to produce the toddlers or kids cherish and contented. Research shows that the kid in ancient age learns so the knowledge ought to be impeccable that needs to be imparted to children.

Which are the most popular coloring pages for kids?

Utilizing colors could be a superb way to inculcate the nature, trees, water bodies, along with other surroundings. By make use of nature you are able to introduce your own kids and colors, children learn through fun activities. It is also possible to organize a visit to the nearest zoo, to make your ones comprehend the creature. Earth coloring worksheets or pages or action books could be the alternative for preschool teachers and parents. Alphabets drawing worksheets drawing worksheets, Food drawing worksheets and many more are available online in printable coloring pages format.

Entertaining activity-how to draw action

Draw pictures of alphabets, animals, cartoons, numbers, leaves, etc. is one other way to impart understanding in a kid of various living or non living things in the world. It invokes the creativity within a child; make use of paper and vibrant colours to start such drawing activities with your children and make certain to occupy an outdoor location such as gardens, roofs, or patio etc..

Good Parenting at Coloring Book for Kids preschool point

A parenting that is good should think about the understanding about child's preschool period. Based on studies period of child's life span is very important to communicate consciousness. In every country, children often start school when they are just 3 years old and invest in their school's kindergarten or school section before they begin Year 1 - tier - in the age of five or six. When it comes to learning, parents can help with number awareness - as understanding the value and place of numbers, being able to recite from one to 10 is not the same. Talk to your kid about quantities, for example, five is larger than two. Focus on counting; board games and playing dominoes, like Snakes and Ladders, will instruct children how to count while making it fun.

While teaching them the Word of God at the exact same time, searching for a means to keep your child occupied? Christian coloring pages for children are a great tool you can use to do exactly that. As your children colour pictures of characters or Bible stories, it will help reinforce their knowledge of the Bible and of God.

The easiest way to get a good deal of pages for your children to color would be to print out them online. There are loads. Just look for "Christian coloring pages" or "Biblical coloring pages" on your favourite search engine, and you will come across a lot of results.

There are so many unique pictures available that you may have better success using particular terms like "Jesus healing the blind man coloring page" or "Tower of Babel coloring page," as illustrations. This is even a Sunday School lesson at church or a great idea if you're searching to compliment. In a picture that reflects the Bible story you're teaching them, you can let your children colour in these scenarios. After they are done coloring, their picture can be taped by them in their own bedroom, which will enable them remember that specific Bible story.

Alternatively, you could use coloring pages that you give to your child while he or she does something great, such as states thank you, gives a glow, or aids out before being requested. Does it benefit them by giving them an activity they'll enjoy doing, but it also demonstrates to them that it is great to do things that please the Lord.

Websites are not the only place you can get coloring pages. You can find activity books and coloring pages in your In or local bookstore some arts and crafts stores. Because it enables them to observe the arrangement of events, giving your kid a book of Bible stories is great.

Christian bookstores usually also have reproducible coloring books or individual pages from which you can create copies so that precisely the same story picture can be colored in by more than 1 child. This is particularly useful when you want to present to color while the lesson is being taught by you.

Coloring is such a great action that most children love. It gives them chance coordination of hands, as well as a host of other matters. Having coloring books for your kid could be one of the things that you could have. If you are going to get a coloring book for your child, here are some of the Things You Want to consider:

1. Theme - coloring books have types of themes. It might be based like those of even others, creatures, vehicles, or Disney characters. When you're selecting this kind of books for the child, keep in mind that it's a way they could express their imagination rather than by expressing their feelings. So, 1 way you may make him feel brand new, is by simply choosing the one which is appropriate for taste.

2. Complexity - only know your child's degree when it's all about coloring. Coloring books give coloring that is big spaces which make it easier for kids. Their degree of abilities for coloring will surely increase after the kid gets older and also the difficulty about the book. So, if you would like your child select. Don't frustrate them about getting books with one or small images with tons of written instructions.

Coloring books are all of the buzz of late. It's apparent that it revolves round crayons or pencils and coloring pages. But, it is simply coloring? How do something like staying inside the lines be a benefit to me personally?

I was raised during the time of doodle art - ? You have a bunch of markers and elaborate line drawings on numerous themes. I would spend hours coloring these in! Little did I know then that coloring pages were a benefit to my well-being.

Well they were and still are now for people of all ages.

People are creating the adult coloring books bestsellers on Amazon! At the time of this writing, eight of the top twenty books on the bestsellers list, are coloring books for adults. There has to be something behind this increase in interest.

Coloring books' topics are intricate and based more about images, not your childhood counterparts which comprised farm animals heroes, and bunnies. You'd expect to see psychedelic patterns reminiscent of art type pages patterns, dream images including mermaids, dragons, goddesses and angels, and ancient designs of spiritual and religious character.

The fascination, and how do they help you?

The action of applying colored media to complex line drawings is an advantage to comfort and anxiety reduction. You are in a position to place the world aside for the moment and focus on the craft of coloring.

Studies have demonstrates that stress levels dropped. They did note that doodling had no impact on stress. The focus on coloring and shifting the brain allows that blocking of anxiety at the present time. Coloring doesn't have a demand for thought processes and you are able to acquire within your self, isolated from commotion anxiety, and distractions such as listening to music.

The insistent, low-stress, and "no brainer" act of colour lends itself to comfort. The calming effects not only helps to reduce stress levels, but can help to bring you back.

The wonderful part is that anyone can get it done will no skill setup required! Grab a crayon and you are ready to go. You may make it even more enjoyable and have grandkids color or your children with you. Depending upon the age of the ones They could possibly be interested in the coloring books, others still needing to colour flower arrangement that is pretty, astronaut, or a cow.

This suddenly passed my thoughts: When did sport really begin while we were searching though the bookstore shelves looking for skateboarding books for children? From my readings, it began with boards made from timber as the very first of its type, in the 1950s. When browsing was at its peak skateboarding made its way from the market. Hence skateboarders were surfers. And the rest is history, so they say.

However, skateboarding is more than a game or Simply an activity, since it boasts of Advantages to adults and children alike, including the following:

1. It may be considered as an alternative exercise for children who find exercise boring. Truth is, your adrenaline is kicking up high and when you're on board, you won't even recognize the time spent performing the action. Just like a traditional exercise, this is a fantastic way to fight with obesity and diabetes which are now starting to hit on children due to absence of bodily exertion.

2. It can be a means to satisfy new friends and build relationships. Because a great deal of children nowadays are pretty much into it, it's more fun if you share the sport with other children on the block. You may share tips and tricks on how to improve your abilities.

3. It teaches your child the value of patience, discipline, attention, balance, and sportsmanship. You'll have to learn the fundamentals and exercise a whole lot since to learn the art of skateboarding instructs your kid important values that are essential in achievement against the challenges of life.

4. According to studies, it aids in balancing some states instead of simply taking medications for it. Skateboarding teaches kids to concentrate or focus as we have mentioned.

5. It's among the pleasures that are least expensive since all you have to do is purchase a skateboard. Skateboard isn't as costly as one thinks. Prices depend on caliber and size of the board. Your kid does not have to go far to enjoy the sport. Children can play around your neighborhood.

But what if your child isn't a sport? Easy. Publish the game to them by buying fun and friendly skateboarding books. Okay, I know what you are thinking: What if your kids are not book fanatics too? Fact is, your kid doesn't have to enjoy the book as well to be a bookworm. These book authors understand that kids have short attention span, so they have made it certain that the publication is for the young ones.

Coloring pages are a easy and simple way to keep kids entertained and content while they are learning. The internet is the best medium for locating and generating products . Coloring pages are now available in electronic form e.g. pdf documents. Just find order the solution and print the webpages out. It's the use of this internet - simple and affordable.

The option is to purchase books in a store or order the coloring book on the web. If you order the publication online, it may take ages to receive it. You have to wait for the product. It is received by you within minutes of purchase, if you purchase a coloring product in digital form. After your payment is made, an email is sent to you and contains your buy.

Digital coloring pages are much more affordable than coloring books that are expensive. Whereas conventional products only allow each page to be colored, you can print pages over and over again. You can decide what pages to print. There are pages children will like and pages that they will not wish to colour. Digital coloring books give you the choice of which pages to print and volume of webpages.

There is less wasted paper, and that means you are doing your bit for the environment if you are printing pages you want. You don't have to store coloring books. All of the books are saved on your computer or storage device such as a DVD. The internet has made things easier for us, which is one example of this.