#Kiki Strike my beloved

[citizen-zero]

Okay we all have film adaptations we wish never happened but pour one out for books that you desperately wish would get a film adaptation but you know there’s little to no chance they ever will

[vonlipvig]

Rating the flags of Suzerainverse, based not on any existing vexillological principles, but purely on vibes™

Agnolia: 3/10 this flag...makes me mad. i don't know why, it's not egregiously bad or anything, but there's just something about it that just grinds my fucking gears. like, i look at it and i'm instantly filled with the need to deny their sovereignty over helji island.

Anrakan Isles: 8/10 this one is soooo pretty, i love it a lot (and it's one of the flags that won the community flag contest, a very deserved win!). the green is so lovely, and i love the pop of red, really gorgeous. good amount of detail without going overboard, very lovely.

Arcasia: 6/10 of course arcasia has its stars and stripes. i don't know, it's definitely pretty, but i feel like it's a bit too tryhard. like, ok arcasia we fucking get it. but the color scheme is nice and it's certainly pleasant to look at, so i guess i'll allow it THIS TIME...

Derdia: 3/10 look, i respect the aesthetic, but it's not for me. i don't like too much black in a flag, and i don't like text in a flag, so you can see how we're off to a bad start here, but the symbol is really pretty so i will definitely give them that. the little sword is cute too, they really said warrior culture, huh.

Free Cities: 8/10 honestly? they kind of ate with this one, not gonna lie. it's not a simple flag by any means--i'm imagining the little kids going to school in the free cities crying trying to draw their flag--, but it's just really pretty. the green and yellow color combo looks so striking here, i love it (<-- remember this bit, it will be important later), and the symbol is absolutely gorgeous.

Kyrute: 100/10 OH KYRUTE STOP IT THEY'RE ALREADY DEAD this is so cunty (sorry, KUNTY). i love this one so much, it's simple, elegant, interesting to look at, unique, they really cracked the code with it. it fits kyrute so well, too. amazing job, sweetie, no notes.

Lespia: 7/10 i don't want to admit it, but it's rather pretty, you win this time lespia. again, not a big fan of text, but it's so small it doesn't even register as. the color scheme is very pleasant, i love the red flower and the abundance of yellow, even if it does look a bit too vatican-y. but this is fake europe, so who cares!

Morella: 2.5/10 oh alma saltana my queen (sorry, comrade), i love you girl but your country's flag...it's just a lot. i know i said the green/yellow combo was nice, but this green with that yellow? and then the stripes with the very kiki stars...i don't know, it's not my fave i have to say.

Pales: 7.5/10 respectfully? they also ate with this one, yup. the symbol? okay grand duchy of graphic design, slay! i think it's very pretty, very harmonious, the colors look good together, the logo is clear and definitely gives that royal vibe without being too over the top. i like it.

Qinal: 7/10 oh they really said let's get CREATIVE with this shit, and surprisingly i kind of dig it quite a bit. the colors are so original and somehow work together very well. the form? inspired, honestly. cool symbolism too, honestly pretty good work. i don't know how i feel about the dark stripe, but it's a cool damn flag.

Rizia: 6.5/10 our beloved kingdom, and a pretty solid flag to go with it! i'd say it channels its vibes very effectively. it's not my favorite color scheme, but cmon, they really said 'we want the 6 stars of st. wruhec, we want the crown, we want the bull, we want the shield with the leaves and all that royal shit', and it looks fucking good, so i'll support them.

Rumburg: 6/10 listen, before the rumburgian spies get my ass, it's not bad, ok? it's totally fine, it works, it just scares me somehow. i look at it and immediately think 'rumburg' but i also feel an acute sense of dread. it is so ominous.

Sordland: 1000000/10 BEST FUCKING FLAG IN THE WORLD BEST COUNTRY IN THE WORLD A MORGNA WES CORE VECTERN SIS DA BITCHESSSSS. bias aside, this flag is SO pretty i love it so much it's so gorgeous. the maroon with the yellow? OH it's lovely. the symbol is tasteful and fits perfectly. god bless sordland i love you so much.

United Contana: 6.5/10 simple, but it gets the point across, i'd say. pretty and effective, nothing more and definitely nothing less.

Valgland: 5.5/10 it's fine, i guess? it's an odd color combo (say i, whose flag has the same color combo), but the addition of the pop of red with the star is pretty striking AND significant, so i'll definitely give them that. why do you even add text like that, guys, cmon.

Wehlen: 7/10 ugh, you hate to see a bitch you despise thriving, i do like this flag. it just looks cool, they don't deserve to have a cool flag (well, no, smolak doesn't deserve it). i will say that it's a bit too much white space, but it still looks so cool.

Yarktralis: 10/10 I LOVE THIS ONE SO MUCH TOO (another of the flag contest winners! great job!). it fits them so well and it's so visually stunning and OH i just love it a lot. gorgeous to look at, absolutely stunning.

[justanotherfanfolks]

(This has been sitting in my drafts since- 2021?! Oh gosh. Yeah, I was planning on writing down my thoughts on Owl House Season 2 as the episodes aired, but I only managed to jot down random thoughts I wanted to get back to because I could not properly take my eyes off the screen to write things down. And I'm trying to clean out my drafts so as the Owl House in on the mind, please accept my scattered out of context thoughts about season 2A of the Owl House from 3 years ago. Forgot about this when 2B dropped)

You know what. I want to put my thoughts on the episode down. Spoiler warning.

Parallels right from the get go! Well that was unexpected. KING NO!! I am loving the intro, everytime I see it. Eda is just struggling. Eda cares. EDA CARES! Hooty, she was having a moment! Not sure how I would feel if I got that video. Oh yeah, no portal no data. RIP to Luz. I am just feeling bad for Eda. Oof, Lilith. Heh, Lilith is jealous of a teenager. Wait TEENAGER?! Awww, child! Wait, why is a literal child so high in the coven? I have questions. Also, I want to see that dynamic. Eda cares about Luz so much, I love it! I don't think Eda is ever letting that go. Is she just going to meme on the curse now? I love her BYEEEE! Wow Hooty and Lilith coexisting. I never knew I needed this.

Give this boy a cracker!

GG time? GG time, I am ready to meet this dude! 

Oh he's intense. Hold up bird? Is it because he wanted a cracker?

That BYEEEE! I'm sold I like him.

Wholesomeness! Eda and Luz moments my beloved.

Now? You showing us the Emperor and the portal NOW? I thought that would be a mid-season thing.

Oooo, I just met Amity's mom and I already hate her. I mean I already knew her parents sucked, but this is double justified. Also, I knew there was something up with that necklace.

GUS AND WILLOW! GUS AND WILLOW! MY BOY GREW!

That pie will be in my nightmares.

Triple justified.

HE MISSES THEM! I like Bump a bit more now.

Classic Luz.

Ma'am, are you trying to kill her!?

The twins!

Cloak! Cloak! Cloak!

SHE LIKES HER! OH MY GOSH SHE LIKES HER! LOOK AT THAT FACE! GO FOR IT LUZ GO FOR IT!

Oh hello Goldie! Goldie, what are you doing here?

Oop, those abominations are coming back.

I am also hyped for those glyph combos.

🎵King episode🎵

INVISIBILITY SPELL! I need more glyph combos!

Lore? Lore.

I KNEW HE WAS A CHILD!

SHES A MOM GUYS, SHES BEEN A MOM THE WHOLE TIME!

Mom has a mom?! Why am I surprised?

Wait is she an allegory for-

Lilith owl form omg!

Accept yourself. Love yourself

NO LILITH COME BACK! LILITH!

Gus time Gus time! You go my boy! I'm here for gus and illusion magic!

...SHE JUST KISSED HER! GOSH sorry king, I still think you're cool!

BUT SHE KISSED HER!

UNCLE! Wait, UNCLE! Like, biological or honorary? I have many questions.

Lil’ Rascal likes the Golden Guard. 

Hunter. I never had an idea for his name. I like it- wait is that why the episode is named “Hunting Palisman?” Owl Crew strikes again. KIKI, THEY WERE BONDING! Fight, fight, fight! I’m a sucker for fight scenes.

♬Belos is the worst.♬Nerdy room! Right on cue!

♬Raine Time!♬

Fanfic Girl!? I see you!

I cannot express how much I love Raine. Sorry Hunter, new favorite season 2 character.

RAINE NOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!! I need a moment. Can I be honest, folks I cried. I am now in genuine pain, why RAINE!? It should have been Darius!

Typewriter, I see I like it.

Demon lore, demon lore!

KING POWER LOOK AT MY BOY GO!

Wait, Raine and Eda were exes? I thought they were pining childhood friends! I have been bamboozled! Noo, Raine! Ah, this hurts. I have been poked in the wound left by Eda’s Requiem.

Eda trauma. Uh, who was that? 

Hooty, how did you make this?! You can do this so fast, but you can’t hold a pen I call hacks! Awww she likes it! Amity is adorable. Luz being relatable embarrassed teen. Yeah, most people would set that on fire if they had magic too, Luz. Poor Amity, she actually liked that. She probably thinks Luz is rejecting her, ACK MISUNDERSTANDINGS!

AHHHH, is this payback for that angst comment I made!?

...did I just watch Lumity become canon? OH MY GOSH-

Hooty, Hooty NO! SPIT THAT OUT SIR!

Eclipse Lake:

Prior to release: Everyone sure is excited for this one

Emperor Belos and the Door. He is always with it. Hunter! There’s my boy! And Lil’ Rascal! These two need to become a power duo, Hunter acting like a kid that watches their parent from around the corner. Wait, face reveal? NOW!? Oh he looks a lot like Hunter. Awww, Hunter is adorable in this scene! Belos seeming more like Philip everyday. Dude, why would you say that! Look at his face, that cut deep! Ah yes, stay safe for my evil plans for you, what a good uncle. No comfort, Uncle of the year, folks!

Okay, I need to reiterate how much I like Hunter! What a likable dork.

He seems so upset and genuinely confused about those voice comments. I like his voice.

Oh, so Luz did talk about him. I don’t she mentioned his name though, that might just be for her. A bad, but sad boy, yeah that about sums it up.

Is he okay? He doesn’t seem okay. Oh he’s losing it. Grave? Grave!? Why are these characters willing to die so quickly!? Eda and Hunter? This isn’t just bumming me out, this is concerning. Belos, what did you do!

Hunter, no. HUNTER NO!

Hunter seems so, what’s the word? Like a wild animal? He’s so panicked he’s fighting and struggling like this is a life or death situation, which he probably thinks it is. Belos, what did you do to him!?

Fluid. Fluid. Fluid. FLUID! Fluid fight scenes are my aesthetic.

Give. Me. His. Name.

So, I take it Amity doesn’t want to join the Emperor’s Coven anymore?

Okay, Golden Rule: If we open in the Emperor’s Palace or on any character associated with this coven, prepare for pain. I see I am still paying for that angst comment. 

Yesterday’s Lie is the midseason finale. Midseason finales for animated shows have a habit of slapping me across the face like Luz around unsuspecting sleeping people. 

“Think.” Think. Oh this will NOT end well. I predict right now, this episode will be worse than Eclipse Lake. That episode did a complete 180, it lured me into a false sense of security! 

I THOUGHT SHE WAS GONNA BE EVIL, SHES SO CUTE I LOVE HER!

Chancla!

Ok what if I CRIED!? OWL HOUSE STOOOOOOOP!

(Wow. I sure had thoughts. Kind of want to rewatch it all again now)

[vanillabat99]

I made the absolute wonderful discovery that since I have Online Play for a little while, I can go on The Internet and receive Sanrio Items!!!! I just started trading on Nookazon this afternoon and I'm already down like 1mil bells and my storage is full of Sanrio Items. Still have more items to collect and money to spend!! I am not a materialistic person irl, but in Animal Crossing? I would give my entire savings of 4mil bells for some of these items.

Chronic Depression is Cured. Sanrio is my New Mental Illness.

[revenge-is-dead]

The Morbid Things About Time- a Vexleth fic

Time was a difficult topic within the De Rolo household. All of the children are quarter elves and Gwendolyn a beautiful ruby Tiefling. The life expectancy being, quite long. Something that had been plaguing Vex'ahlia’s mind more with each passing day. Seeing her beautiful husband grow older and having a more difficult time getting around. Years of tinkering and explosions caused his ears to become less keen. Pain striking his body as he moved due to the many chemicals that he has inhaled and the ones that have come into contact with his skin. Walking with a cane, taking potions and medicine to lessen the stabbing pain. To be there for his children, friends, wife and Whitestone. First it was the lights, the streets of Whitestone once it hits a certain time of day they flick on, a unique and pleasant green light illuminating the streets making sure no one was ever scared again walking alone.

He then proceeded to build the clocktower, a single but beautiful chime one half of the hour has passed, and at each other the stain glass opens to show a spinning metallic diorama, a dark figure holding a candle with a bear next to its side, as it moves, the figure shifting to a Raven and flying off. A song that captures the town as the hour hits every day. The song is programmed to change with each season, a lovely little touch requested from Keyleth. 

As his body proceeded to be less spry and creakier. She loved her Husband to the vast planes and back. But yet the isolating thought that once he passes, she will still live on for many, many years. Along with their children, most of them having a life expectancy of 150, Vex herself most likely living past 180 unless she does something foolish. But the thing is. Percy is a human, a regular old human, the life expectancy being a 100 at best but due to all that his body has suffered along with his mind. It’s sensible and realistic that it could be less. A frightening, and cold surrounding that kept her awake.

Now here she was, within the vast and brightly lit Whitestone Manor Library. Signing away mindlessly at documents that were way too formal for her sinking mind. On the Chaise longue she laid. Though the cushions did nothing for her, resting in this position for too long. Her back and neck were protesting from the lack of movement. She couldn’t really continue working even though she technically should really be getting this done. But yet she couldn’t, the poking and prodding of her worrying mind kept her from working properly. 

Getting up slowly from where she lay on the couch, stretching before walking quietly over the desk that was within the library. A beautiful, polished oak that had many drawers, a few hidden ones that Percy insisted on having in it. Pulling at one of the iron handles, grabbing out the enchanted scroll, along with a stunning raven's feather quill and some shimmer magenta ink. A deep breath, a closing of eyes before opening them and scribbling the note. Holding it in her hand is a quick spoken word of elvish before it burns up and disappears. 

“My beloved Kiki, I have been having some troubling feelings that I wish to discuss with you. I know you are very busy with being the voice of your people, but I believe you can help me during this time. Come at your soonest convenience, my love. - Vex, of Whitestone Manor”

Moving back to where she had left her papers, ink and quill and now cold tea. Collecting her papers, putting the ink and quill back at the desk, she grabs her cup of cold tea. Walking through the halls, dropping off her papers in her study before heading to the kitchen and dropping her cup off in the sink.

—

Only twenty minutes later, when Vex is back in the library. Waiting anxiously for the red headed half elf to make her way into the castle. The book was along the lines of the different flora, fauna, monsters and biomes within the area under the Whitestone rule. Most of the things talked about in the book she already knew from her time living here and going out into the woods with Trinket.

“Vexy? Where are you?” The familiar warm high voice of Keyleth rang out through the halls, her soft airy foot falls also being heard.

“In the library Darling!” She yelled to the younger female. Her face flushed with the talk that was soon to come, the embarrassment of all of her feelings bubbling up. Looking up briefly she sees her good friend before once again she takes a deep breath. Closing her book and setting it down. 

“I-I, saw your message. Are you okay? Did something happen? Are the kids okay?” Keyleth ran her hands through her fizzled hair. Surprisingly, her antler circlet was not on her head.

“Yes yes, the children are completely okay. Being lovingly little shits, probably chasing Trinket and Charlie around.” Key smiled at her, walking towards her, her eyes warm and looking over her form. “I am, okay. My thoughts are simply just all over the place and I cannot work.” She messed with the cover of the book. Looking down at her slim yet calloused hands. Scars all over her fingers from cuts, messing up with arrows and all the variety of battles they had faced. “Sit down darling” Keyleth sat down in front of her on the floor. Looking at Vex with her full attention, endearing really.

“We are both half elves” She started off slowly, picking at the worn cover’s edges trying to gather the words to speak. “We are granted a long-life span of one hundred and fifty, maybe even more if we take care of ourselves quite well. And with your powers you have even longer.” A pause, a look from Keyleth trying to piece together what Vex was trying to say. “The thing is. Percy is simply a human and from the abuse that his body has suffered. It's been on my mind of how little time I have with him left. I love him so dearly and he has been by my side for so long. I simply cannot go back to the days where it was just. Me.” Tears had welled up in her eyes while she had been speaking.

“Vex, oh my god.” The red-haired girl looked like she wanted to say more but she simply grabbed Vex’s hand and rubbed her thumb over the soft but scarred skin on the top of her hand. “Time is an uncomfortable uncontrollable thing. It moves so quickly and takes away. I do not want to diminish your feelings on this at all, I understand completely. Having our friends and companions who are humans, seeing them grow older is a hard thing to see. I wish in many ways with my powers to make it stop and breathe them more life.”

A bitter wet laugh comes from her mouth before she could even stop it. “But that's a whole new hell that no one should go through darling”

Keyleth simply nodded. “It's a selfish want and the idea of putting that magic onto someone without properly knowing the effects would be incredibly dangerous. It's unfortunately accepting the reality and trying to enjoy the time you have with the person you love while they are still here instead of looking at the morbid future.” The freckled girl had gotten up in the moment of silence between them. Sitting next to Vex never once letting go of her hand. “I am here for you; I share the feeling of completely love. You are not alone at all.”

Vex, crying softly now leaned into Keyleth. Enjoying the warmth as the other's arms wrapped around her comfortingly, grounding her to the moment. A kiss to her hair.

“Kiki, thank you. I appreciate you coming all of the way here to listen to me ramble”

“It's no problem at all. You know it will always be here for you. I will always drop everything to be by your side.” Looking up towards her friend, a sweet smile looks down on her. Leaning up her hand going to Keyleth’s cheek she kisses her. A soft chaste kiss of a ‘thank you’ and a responding ‘always’.

[vancilocs]

Pre annd love for colm and naomi, vastravia and qizare aaand dagon and jame?

thank u phone for lending my laptop ur mobile data

PRE

How did they first meet?

In a forest when Colm was just wandering around and Naomi happened to be wandering in the same area

Vastravia heard whispers of something.... weird in the area and went to investigate only to find a very confused kamos stuck in someone's basement

At work, introduced briefly when the two crews first met one another

What was their first impression of each other?

Fear at first but very soon they were more fascinated by another weirdo in the woods in the middle of the night

Vastravia had never seen anyone like Qizare, she was fascinated. Kiki was more confused and a little scared, but calmed down pretty quick

Completely professional, if Dagon's garish shirt didn't strike Jame as something

Did any of their friends or family want them to get together?

Naomi doesn't really have family or much friends, but she became very liked by the clan otherwise. Mahran was... suspicious of a weird girl wooing her weird son, but his happiness went ahead of that

Nobody had anything negative to say about it, it was odd but nothing wrong with it.

Kristján was happy for Dagon, yes he may have had his own divorce weighing him down and wouldn't be able to spend as much time with his best friend as before, but hey, he's happy, I'm happy.

Who felt romantic feelings first?

Naomi had had more romantic experience, Colm had issues with relationships in general

Vastravia, fell for the goop

Maybe Dagon, he's been married before, he's a bit more forward with these things

Did either of them try to resist their feelings?

Not really, they just took it really slow and got to know each other really well first

Naah

Not really but they also took it slow

If you had told one of them that the other would be their soulmate, what would they think?

Honestly? They'd believe it

No.

Yeah no

What would their lives be like if they had never met?

They'd be chilling in forests and doing their own things

Kiki would hopefully be still vibin in her homeland, enjoying dirt

Working most likely

LOVE

Who said “I love you” first?

Naomi, it's really hard for Colm to say it

Vastravia, to her own utter bafflement

Dagon by half-accident

What are their primary love languages?

Acts of service and limited physical touch

Physical touch, quality time, loving words

Quality time on their own terms, physical touch

Who uses cheesy pick-up lines?

Neither

Remy teaches them to Kiki

Neither

How often do they cuddle/engage in PDA?

If Colm doesn't need reassurance during the day, they usually lay down together at least at the end of the day

They keep it private but cuddles are frequent, Kiki can literally just wrap around Vastravia

They show no PDA but in private they do like to snuggle or lay down together and chill

Who initiates kisses?

Both can

Usually Kiki, she sneaks up on ya

Jame has to wait until Dagon is within reach, free game after that

Who’s the big and little spoon?

They switch based on which one wants to be held that time

Also switch, usually Vastravia is big spoon because she doesn't want to be entirely engulfed for the whole night. Gets sweaty. Also Kiki gets all melty when she falls asleep so it's nicer to be held than to hold

Dagon tends to be big spoon, he's way cuddlier anyways

What are their favorite things to do together?

Gardening and household chores, collecting herbs, alchemy, later on looking after the children

Snuggling, hanging out, watching TV and having some wine

Hanging out, cooking and eating dinner together, watching TV, snuggling

Who’s better at comforting the other?

Naomi is a bit better, she may not have had parent to grow up with but at least she wasn't fucked up in the head by her dad like Colm was (nor stabbed by him)

Vastravia doesn't need as much comfort as much as she needs someone to tell her to relax and help her with that, Kiki is great at that

Honestly, for the longest time if Dagon needed comfort he'd go to Kris. Nothing personal, just that Kris knows Dagon's baggage well and he just doesn't want to divulge all of it to someone else too. But later on he'll accept what comfort Jame can give too

Who’s more protective?

Both are somewhat, but Naomi more about Colm's mental state. He trusts her enough to let her wander around in the forest by herself during new moon, but she won't go if he seems anxious

Kiki more, looking after both Vastravia and their children. Travi has to look after the outer rim as well.

Neither really sees action, so there's not much reason to worry. I don't know about Jame's combat prowess, but Dagon doesn't really have any

Do they prefer verbal or physical affection?

Physical

Physical a bit more

Physical

What kind of nicknames do they call each other?

Cutesy but... still a little off. Like instead of sweetpea it'd be nightshade

Beloved, my love, darling, wife dearest, etc.

Rarely will Dagon use love or dear.

Who remembers the little things?

Naomi has a very good memory, Colm's brain is a little scrambled.

Usually Vastravia. Kiki knows everything about their children though

I think Jame. All that monster energy has melted down Dagon's concentration energy

[corvidamned]

romantic headcanons.

name: Kira Drake alias: Nevermore gender: Genderfluid, he / she / they  sexual orientation: Demisexual romantic orientation: Panromantic preferred pet names: Kiki, angel, love, darling, beloved, prince, princess. relationship status: Committed, verse dependent.  opinion on true love: It exists. Her parents had it. You can have more than one true love in a lifetime. Love is not one thing, kind and unconditional or wild and consuming. It must be both in order to grow and become something bigger than itself. opinion on love at first sight: Not a thing that should be encouraged, lest history repeat itself. Recognizing they’re of similar minds is a thing, or general attraction. But she needs a handful of moments to know.  how ‘romantic’ are they?: Very, a gentleman of habit in general. But in a relationship, very affectionate, doting, supportive in their career, prone to encourage adventures and reflection, devoted to giving her free time to spend between them. ideal physical traits: Nice hands, long or toned legs, striking eyes, nice hair, good bone structure, scarred or tattooed, compact muscle.  ideal personality traits: Intelligent, ambitious, intuitive, perceptive, morbid, hopeful, courageous.  unattractive physical traits: Unhygienic, no style.  unattractive personality traits: Liar, cowardly, needlessly cruel, bigoted. do they have a type?: Righteous, devilish, angelic, rich of poor origins, scavenger of rich origins, knight, neat little serial killer, mad scientist, lonely goddess. opinion of public affection: In her line of work, not the best idea to be broadcasting it, but she does anyway in small amounts be it a peck or holding hands or hugs. favourite canon official ships: @brokentoys ‘s Edward + Kira, @adrenalinesaint ‘s Jon + Kira, @damagedsmile‘s Joker + Kira, @masterofthespade‘s Lu + Kira, @the-bctman‘s Bruce + Kira.  favourite non-canon unofficial ships: my brain worms include diana + kira, harley + kira, darkseid + fury kira, john constantine + kira.  tagged by: @brokentoys​ tagging: you!

[kiki-wiccan]

Stanislav observed as Garridan set down the tea; his eyes narrowed. While he’d heard Kiki had made frequent ventures to the vampire’s house, he didn’t understand why the blond would go so far as to offer tea. Whatever happened, a simple refreshment couldn’t fix--only direct action could.

              The vampire king remained quiet, head turned to face the human at his side. Despite maintaining his cold exterior, beneath the skin he could feel every surge, every pull of emotion that brewed within the wiccan’s smaller body. 

          If money had been a problem, Stanislav would’ve been more than willing to offer. However, he knew that thinking of previous conversations and lingering over the things that had happened would have been redundant. Time continued on, and unfortunately for Kiki, it meant having to come to terms with the deaths of those whom she had loved with every fiber of her being. While Stanislav had never been close to his own family, after having ran away at the tender age of seventeen; he could feel the attachment Kiki held towards the women who’d nurtured her. 

             Closing his eyes, Stanislav knew that he wouldn’t understand how to tend to Kiki’s emotions with words. What words could soothe her in the first place? Perhaps this is why she had requested Garridan’s presence--the blond was far better at empathy.

             Though he could appreciate Kiki feeling guilty over her actions, a deep, though hidden part of Stanislav couldn’t bring himself to come close to understanding why she harbored such gnawing guilt over taking action. While the vampire king’s interactions with Elidi had been brief, it was more than enough to give him the impression that her mentor would be more than understanding to her circumstances--seeing as they were both witches, albeit Elidi was much more powerful--and Stanislav carefully reached his hand out, resting it on Kiki’s knee. He avoided engaging in too much direct contact for the time being, seeing as his human was in a volatile state.

         Noticing Garridan’s confusion, Stanislav knew immediately of the man Kiki addressed. Her professor. A familiar burning hatred brewed within the crevices of his mind, a rage he had managed to shut down damn near a century ago when he had simply resigned himself to being docile, at claiming control. Yet this burning desire to kill, one that he had abandoned; Stanislav didn’t seem to mind it all that much. Despite the fear stemming from the newfound desire to protect someone other than himself, Stanislav knew he was willing to drag out the skeletons in his closet if it meant ensuring that this man would never hurt her again.

               When Kiki finally broke down into sobs; Stanislav’s body became wracked with the overwhelming surge of emotions--grief, blame, doubt, harrowing guilt, all of it--and he carefully wrapped his arms around the wiccan’s body in an effort to provide her comfort in the only way he knew how. His grip was gentle, enough so that if Kiki felt overwhelmed, she could more than easily remove herself from his grasp.

Having Midnight in his lap, Garridan observed Kiki as she finally decided to speak. Already, the blond could imagine that if he were alive, his heart would’ve raced with anticipation.

          Immediately, Garridan noticed the use of past tense; and he instinctively covered his mouth. Having come to adore Kiki’s relatives--despite not having met them--it hurt. Had something happened? Avoiding his questions, Garridan listened; though his expression changed to one of a sympathy. 

             By the time Kiki got to mentioning the house fire, already Garridan could vividly recall the burnt bodies he had been asked to care for. Most of the time, such cases resulted in either cremation or closed-casket funerals; seeing that even the most capable morticians couldn’t properly tend to burnt flesh. The smell, too--one never forgot the smell of a burnt body. Crimson tears brimmed within the blond’s light hues. 

“You know that thing you said about burnt bodies?……you were right.

      Those words chilled the vampire to his very core. To keep himself from weeping, Garridan bit into his lower lip and withheld a sob. He thought back to how he had felt when his own mother had died, and in that regard Garridan could empathize with Kiki utterly so. Losing one’s mother was a difficult triumph, and even to this day the meek vampire mourned his mother’s passing. 

           His expression changed to one of confusion at the mention of an unknown individual, seeing as Garridan hadn’t yet learned of Kiki’s professor. He’d known about the town turning against his beloved friend, the persecution she had faced...

            When Kiki raised her voice, the blond stiffened. It wasn’t until Kiki had been reduced to sobs wherein the vampire look to Stanislav almost panickedly, but he knew that the vampire king was less than competent with words of comfort. Even though Garridan doubted his own capabilities, he looked to his weeping friend and opened his mouth to speak.

      “Kiki, ah...please, don’t say such things.” His voice was soft, wavering slightly with his apprehension. “I am so, so sorry. I...I know what it’s like to lose a mother, and I would never wish that grief on anyone.”

         His fingers sought the soft pelt of Midnight, a way for him to regain his train of thought. “Death is...not inherently evil, but I wouldn’t go so far as to say it is pleasant either. I can say with confidence that...that your mother and your grandmother are not suffering any longer. I...I’m sorry, Kiki. You did all you could--you really did, and...and people can be capable liars. It is not your fault that your mother lied. She...she was doing what any mother would.”

                 As Garridan spoke, images of his own mother flashed within his mind. Using his sleeve to wipe away the silent tears that had begun to fall down his face, he offered a sad smile. “Please, Kiki...you’re allowed to mourn. I offer my guest room to both you and Mister Dabrowski...say, would you perhaps like to ah--have a bath? I...I could draw warm water, and...and you could clean up. Perhaps it...perhaps it might help?”

As she was sobbing she felt Stans arms wrap around her and she immediately leaned into his touch, her body shaking. Resting her head against his chest as she allowed herself to finally break down. Despite all of the feelings swirling around inside of her, his arms provided a much needed sense of comfort. She tried her hardest not to make much noise as Garridan spoke up. She knew her and the soft spoken vampire both had a certain admiration and respect towards the dead. Now that she was faced with losing the two most important people in her life however she didn’t know how she felt. “T...they weren’t supposed to die though....they could’ve kept living! They were killed! Burned....” did she do all she could?

Despite Garridans kind words at the time the professors words rang louder. After all he was the puppeteer and she seemed to be the puppet. The cards played in his favor and he knew exactly what he was doing, it made her furious. She knew that the cops wouldn’t suspect or arrest him he was well known, respected, and loved in the community. As a bath was mentioned she couldn’t help but feel herself tense up. An image of her in the bath with a bottle of pills popped in her mind. The feeling of wanting death again striking her out of nowhere. Sniffling and rubbing at her eyes as she managed to calm her crying for the moment. “A....bath would be nice....” her voice was hoarse and she sounded tired in general.

[artificialqueens]

Exercise in folly 2.0 - Chapter 2.1 (Craquaria) - SamWhity

Title: Exercise in Folly 2.0

Summary: Monét looked at her with disbelief, before sighing: “Giovanni never saw the damn video. He dodged the whole thing like a pro because he was trying to be your friend”. “He’s my friend”. Cracker’s answer came without any hesitation, so natural and passionate that the other queen smiled softly. “Cracks…” Summary of the chapter: Maxwell tries again and receives an unexpected answer. Giovanni sulks and Kevin and Nicola are the best friends we all should wish for. Author’s note: Even though Aquaria and Jordan Stawecki seem to be friendly with eachother again, I decided to have them still un-reconciled for the time being. Everything you will read about this moment in time and the so-called drama should be furthermore considered purely fictional and nothing that is portrayed here has any legitimacy.

Chapter one

You keep me up at night To my messages, you do not reply You know I still like you the most The best of the best and the worst of the worst Well, you can never know The places that I go I still like you the most You’ll always be my favorite ghost

(Florence + The Machine, Big God)

Even though he deeply enjoyed touring with others queens, Maxwell Heller couldn’t help himself from sighing contently while putting down his luggage in the entrance of his apartment.

“Home sweet home”, he mumbled with a smile, before closing the door behind him.

“Coffee?”, Kathelyn asked while making her way to the kitchen.

“Of course”, the man answered, then he picked up one suitcase and started unpacking the gifts and fanarts he received on the road.

Just as he started reading a very long letter, his phone vibrated.

Monét X-Change, 2:34 pm: Got home safe?

Monét X-Change, 2:34 pm: We’re having dinner at mine, with Dustin and Yuhua. You coming?

Monét X-Change, 2:35 pm: I’ll ask Giovanni as well, but only the Lord knows what is up with that twink nowadays…

Monét X-Change, 2:35 pm: You coming, right?

Monét X-Change, 2:36 pm: Come on Cracks, answer already!

Maxwell chuckled, clearly amused by his friend’s lack of patience, before typing a short answer.

Miz Cracker, 2:37 pm: All right, all right. I’ll be there.

Monét X-Change, 2:38 pm: Perfect! Bring Kathelyn with you, it will be fun!

“What are you laughing at?”, his best friend asked, while handing him a mug full of steaming coffee.

“Kevin is being ridiculous as usual”, he explained, before taking a sip of the beverage and wincing in pain “Shit! That was really hot!”.

Kathelyn rolled her eyes, before going to her bedroom and starting to unpack.

“I’ll see a couple of friends tonight, don’t wait for me”, she said, while folding a shirt.

Maxwell nodded, then he added: “I’ll be at Kevin’s for dinner, don’t worry”.

The scoff he received as an answer was followed by a quick: “Well now I’m worried. Don’t get into any trouble, Mister”.

The look she received as an answer was enough to make her giggle.

“I love you too”, she conceded with a soft smile, then she closed the door behind her.

Kathelyn, 2:43 pm: I’m serious. We don’t have enough money to pay bail yet.

Kathelyn, 2:43 pm: Can you imagine? Okay, Kathelyn, time for slob.

Kathelyn, 2:44 pm: You have to admit that it was pretty funny.

Kathelyn, 2:44 pm: Right?

Kathelyn, 2:44 pm: RIGHT?!

Maxwell, 2:45 pm: I was waiting for you to finish your little piece…

Kathelyn, 2:45 pm: Don’t be so salty… :P

Maxwell, 2:46 pm: I will call in intervention, if you don’t stop

Maxwell, 2:47 pm: I’ve warned you

Kathelyn, 2:47 pm: You’re no fun…

After a couple of minutes, Maxwell’s phone vibrated once again, making him snort.

Kathelyn, 2:52 pm: You have to admit it. It’s time for slob was HILARIOUS.

***

Nicola, 2:43 pm: I just received the upteenth video of “Viva Las Vegas”. Please send help.

Giovanni Palandrani, barely awake but already in a weird mood, chuckled at his phone. With a little smile on his lips, he typed an answer.

Giovanni, 2:44 pm: Oh, poor you. Do you want me to send you “New York, New York”, just to switch it up a little bit?

The answer he got made him giggle stupidly.

Nicola, 2:45 pm: Do not even dare, kid! Otherwise I will personally ask Gaga to strike you from her beloved list of the most loyal fans!

Nicola, 2:45 pm: Where has the respect for the elders gone?

Nicola, 2:46 pm: Not that I’m old.

Nicola, 2:46 pm: Because I am certainly not old, understood?

Giovanni’s smile grew bigger. He quickly replied, before making his way to the balcony of the hotel room.

Giovanni, 2:47 pm: I would never imply you are old. I will just state that Shaquida was still going to daycare, while you were already driving one of those ugly tanks you like so much.

Giovanni, 2:48 pm: To quote Bob the Drag Queen, Nicola Formichetti is so old, he would probably die the moment he decided to act his age.

He did not receive any kind of answer for a couple of minutes and the lack of response made him worry he took it too far. Why was he always taking it too far?

“Goddamn it, Giovanni”, he murmured, before typing quickly.

Giovanni, 2:51 pm: It was totally inappropriate, I am so sorry! I should have just shut up.

Giovanni, 2:51 pm: Sorry, I am just in a weird mood. I am so so sorry…

Giovanni, 2:52 pm: I understand if you’re mad now but please know I really did not mean it in a disrespectful way.

The answer he got made him snort his water and sigh with relief at the same time.

Nicola, 2:54 pm: RELAX, I was just busy. I know how to roll with the punches kid… ;)

“You bastard”, he whispered, before answering.

Giovanni, 2:55 pm: Busy recording yourself playing the piano? Charming… :P

Nicola, 2:55 pm: Can we please go back to the apology? I liked you way better when you were sincerely apologizing…

Giovanni started laughing, before realising someone knocked at his hotel door.

“It’s open”, he said.

One of the hotel’s butlers was standing in front of the door, looking at him composedly, his hands hidden behind his back.

“The car will be here in less than forty minutes, sir”, he announced, before handing him a bouquet of flowers and adding: “Someone left this for you at the counter, today”.

The young man thanked him, before closing the door behind him and starting to gather his suitcases. He could do it even without Jordan, he thought to himself.

He put the bouquet on top of his carry-on, before picking the card and reading it out loud.

“To Aquaria. Thanks for the most amazing show I could possibly wish for. You are one of the best performers I had the pleasure to witness and I can’t wait to see you again, slaying on stage. Xoxo”

The boy smiled, before taking a picture of the sweet gift and uploading it to his Instastories with the caption “Blessed” and a smiling kitty.

In that exact moment, his phone vibrated again.

Monét X-Change, 3:04 pm: We’re having dinner at mine today! You’re in right?

He smiled, excited at the idea of seeing Kevin, before realizing he could not possibly make it to New York on time and sighing.

Aquaria, 3:04 pm: I wish! I’ll be back later tonight :(

Aquaria, 3:05 pm: You can feed me leftovers for brunch tomorrow, if you’re free. :D

Monét X-Change 3:05 pm: Lunch at mine and it’s a date. ;)

Aquaria, 3:06 pm: Now that took a turn…

Monét X-Change, 3:06 pm: You bitch!!!

Monét X-Change, 3:06 pm: You only wish…

A quick glance at his watch made him realize his ride would have arrived in a couple of minutes. He put his bags on the trolley he got from the reception and made his way to the elevator.

“You can make it, see?”, he murmured to himself, trying to avoid thinking about the whole drama around Jordan and his sudden interest in Los Angeles.

Once in the elevator, he found another text.

Miz Cracker, 3:12 pm: Are you coming to Monét’s?

He quickly left the message on read, before going back to the other one and trying to come up with a silly if not funny answer.

Aquaria, 3:12 pm: Last time I checked, I already gave to charity. Like a ton. Maybe next year you’ll be luckier ;)

“Weak”, he murmured to himself, before exiting the elevator and waiting for the car in the lobby of the hotel.

His phone vibrated again.

Miz Cracker, 3:14 pm: Are you purposefully ignoring me?

Miz Cracker, 3:14 pm: If you do not feel like talking it’s fine, just stop leaving me on read.

Miz Cracker, 3:15 pm: For real, Giovanni.

With a sigh, Giovanni locked the screen and saw the car approaching. He exited the building, put his sunglasses on and smiled at the driver, who then proceeded to load the suitcases in the trunk. He sat in the back-seat and put on his headphones, trying to come up with an answer for Cracker as well. Nothing. His phone vibrated once again.

Monét X-Change, 3:22 pm: You little sly bitch…

Monét X-Change, 3:22 pm: Have you talked to Cracks, btw?

Monét X-Change, 3:23 pm: And don’t you even dare to play dumb. You know better.

“Shit”, Giovanni murmured, before biting his lower lip and typing a couple of words.

Aquaria, 3:24 pm: I don’t know what to say.

Monét X-Change, 3:25 pm: Kid… just tell him how you felt while watching that video.

Aquaria, 3:25 pm: It’s not that.

Aquaria, 3:25 pm: It’s a lot more than that and I do not know how to react. And fucking everything around me is crumbling…

Monét X-Change, 3:26 pm: I heard about Jordan. I’m sorry, baby.

Aquaria, 3:26 pm: Can we please not talk about it now? I don’t really feel like crying in a taxi…

Monét X-Change, 3:27 pm: Of course, baby. Of course. I will see you tomorrow okay? Come at around one and we’ll have a kiki.

Aquaria, 3:27 pm: Thank you, Kevin. :*

“We’re here”, the driver pulled over, before exiting and starting to look for a cart to put Giovanni’s luggage on.

The young man exited the car as well, then took his bag and thanked the driver with a polite smile.

“Keep the change”, he said, while handing him some cash.

He quickly entered the airport and deposited his suitcases, before heading to the lounge and helping himself with a glass of juice.With a sigh, he took his phone out of his bag and tried to come up with a reply for Maxwell.

Nothing. Again.

The screen lit up for a quick second.

Nicola, 3:51 pm: Already at the airport? How are you feeling?

He bit his lower lip, before answering.

Giovanni, 3:52 pm: Honestly? I don’t know… I have so many things on my mind and I can’t stop thinking about other things and all this thinking is making me crazy.

“Way to go, Giovanni. You really have a way with words”, he sneered, after reading the message once again.

Nicola, 3:52 pm: Care to untuck? (See what I did there?)

Giovanni smiled at the attempt at making him laugh, before typing further.

Aquaria, 3:53 pm: I do not know where to begin, honestly… there is so much going on and I have so little control over how things are going…

Nicola, 3:54 pm: I will take an educated guess and say it has little to do with the lack of creativity in your current work, right?

Nicola, 3:54 pm: And before you start, your work is still fucking incredible.

Nicola, 3:55 pm: But I’ve known you long enough, kid…

The young man sighed, before answering.

Giovanni, 3:56 pm: I am in a weird place, right now. After all this drama about Jordan and people assuming I treated him like a fucking slave, I had to sit and watch that video. And it stung more than I could ever predict.

Giovanni quickly realized he was close to tears and decided to put his sunglasses back on, just to prevent a scene.

The other man’s answer was concise.

Nicola, 3:58 pm: Tell him

Nicola, 3:58 pm: Tell him that it hurt and maybe you can sort this shit out

Giovanni, 3:59 pm: Maybe

Nicola, 4:00 pm: Listen, I’ll be in NYC tomorrow afternoon. Sushi at mine?

Giovanni smiled: the care that man had for him was something he was incredibly grateful for, even if he could not quite figure out why the older one was caring so much. He quickly typed an answer.

Giovanni, 4:01 pm: I could use some sushi for dinner tomorrow, actually

Nicola, 4:01 pm: Then it’s a date! Let’s say at 9 PM?

Giovanni, 4:02 pm: That sounds perfect. I’ll see you tomorrow.

Nicola, 4:03 pm: See you tomorrow, kid. Be safe xoxo

When his flight was announced, the young man got up quickly and made his way towards the gate. Once seated, he closed his eyes and slowly fell asleep.

***

“Guess who’s back in da house!”.

Kevin welcomed him with a solid hug and a warm smile. Maxwell entered the apartment, hung is coat and made his way to the kitchen, where Yuhua and Dustin were chatting sipping on some cheap wine.

“Hi guys”, he smiled and took a couple of steps forward to hug the both of them.

Yuhua hugged him back, with a big smile.

“How have you been, girl?”, the queen asked, before making space for Dustin to hug him too.

Max hugged the friend back, before answering: “Good. Busy but I can’t complain”.

They quickly sat at the table, waiting for the food to be delivered.

“Has someone heard from Giovanni?”, Dustin asked, while sipping on his glass of wine.

Kevin raised his glass, nodding.

“I did. He’s not home until later tonight”, he explained, then he added: “I will meet with him tomorrow, to see how he’s doing and stuff”.

Yuhua raised an eyebrow.

“Stuff?”.

In that exact moment, Maxwell chocked on his glass of soda and started coughing, causing Dustin to laugh manically.

“You bitch!”, Kevin laughed, patting his best friend on the back in order to prevent him from choking any further, “I want to see how he’s doing, what he’s up to and this kind of things. I also have yet to give him my Christmas present”, he said with a proud smile.

The sound of the doorbell interrupted the conversation and the host stood up to go take the food and pay.

“I’ll be right back, ladies”.

After a couple of minutes, they were sitting in front of a plethora of boxes and paper bags full of Thai food.

“You really went all out”, Yuhua looked at the food with disbelief, before adding: “Are you sure you don’t need anything from us?”.

Kevin pinched his friend, before opening a container and smiling at the sight of the steaming hot curry inside it.

“I just thought it would be nice to spend time all together again”, he said before pausing and adding: “Well, without Giovanni… but you know what I mean”.

The others nodded, before starting to eat.

***

Finally in his apartment, Giovanni left the suitcases in the hallway and sighed.

“Home sweet home”, he murmured, before switching the light on and deciding he might as well turn the heating on and warm up the rooms a little bit.

His phone vibrated, making him jump.

Jordan, 00:17 am: In February I will be gone.

Jordan, 00:17 am: Just letting you know.

The young man bit his lower lip, before typing a quick answer.

Giovanni, 00:18 am: Thank you for letting me know.

He put his phone back in his pocket, then he went to his room and opened a drawer, taking out a small plastic bag. He rolled himself a joint and went to smoke it on the balcony, trying to clear his head.

“Shit”, he murmured, before closing his eyes and sighing.

He did not know what to do, let alone how to react to Jordan’s antics any more. After the whole fiasco in London, he had absolutely no idea how to go further without ruining their friendship. When the management stepped in, he had no other options than to fire him and the expression in his eyes was one of defiance and cockiness he had never seen before.

“As if you would survive a day without me”, Jordan sneered, before collecting his jacket and leaving the room.

Giovanni took his phone out of his jacket, hoping Nicola would be awake and willing to listen to him vent.

Aquaria, 00:23 am: I am currently sitting on the staircase outside and all I can think about is how many friendships I’ve fucked up. It’s making me slowly insane and paranoid and so unsure of myself it is almost disgusting. I don’t recognise this part of me and it scares me, I don’t know how to react to Maxwell’s messages or to Jordan’s rage and it is making me go crazy.

He sent the message without checking the name of the receiver. Needless to say, just because karma and faith every once in a while love to play tricks on people, he sent it to Maxwell instead without realizing the mistake he made.

He locked the screen, finished his joint and headed to the bathroom to have a shower, blissfully unaware of what just happened.

***

Maxwell’s phone vibrated, making the man jump slightly.

“Everything allright, Cracks?”, Kevin asked, before looking at him quizzically.

The other man nodded.

“It’s just my phone, Kathelyn must have gotten home or something”, he replied, before taking his phone out of his pocket.

The message he got was definitely not from Kathelyn.

Aquaria, 00:23 am: I am currently sitting on the staircase outside and all I can think about is how many friendships I’ve fucked up. It’s making me slowly insane and paranoid and so unsure of myself it is almost disgusting. I don’t recognise this part of me and it scares me, I don’t know how to react to Maxwell’s messages or to Jordan’s rage and it is making me go crazy.

Needless to say, the man barely managed to whisper a confused: “What…?”, before signalling to his best friend to join him on the balcony.

Once the door behind them was closed, much to Yuhua and Dustin’s disappointment, the younger man was presented with the other one’s phone.

“What is happening, Max?”, he then asked.

“Read it”, Maxwell said, sighing.

Kevin read everything twice, before looking at his friend with concern in his eyes.

“I reckon it wasn’t for me either”, he then commented, trying to lighten up the mood and failing miserably at it.

Max sat on the floor, before closing his eyes and murmuring: “What should I do?”.

The other one shrugged, before joining him on the floor and giving him his phone back.

“Well, now at least you know he’s not mad or something…”, he murmured, trying to sound comforting, “I’ll see him tomorrow and maybe I can try…”.

“No, I don’t think it’s a good idea”, the other one interrupted him, “I don’t want him to feel trapped or some shit”.

Kevin nodded.

“Yeah, it makes sense”, he mumbled, before getting up: “Let’s go and see what the others are doing. I will keep you posted tomorrow, okay?”.

Maxwell nodded, then he got up as well and squeezed his friend’s hand.

“Thank you”.

[fairytales-magic]

The gift that is LONG overdue! For the magnanimously patient @kiooart!! You asked for Mitsukiki (i chose romantic instead of platonic cause why not?) as well as a battle scene, so here it is! I hope you enjoy!! :D

It’s also up on AO3!

~~~~~~~~~~ 

Love Is A Battlefield

“A wedding in the midst of battle.” He told them. “Not completely uncommon, but definitely not something often heard of. When all hope seemed lost some soldier’s final wish would be to marry his beloved.”

She was not so easily convinced. “How can a marriage take place during battle? Wouldn’t their ladies be waiting for them back home?”

‘Not if they fought alongside them.’ He explained, poking at the fire with a stick. “According to soldiers, going to battle with their loved one is what made battlefield weddings so uncommon. Some recall seeing both couples captured and, before being dealt the final blow, they would request to be joined together in matrimony.”

Their group was silent, pondering over his words.

“Buuuut of course that’s just an old war soldier’s tale. Who’s to say if it’s true or not….”

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

Kiki gripped the hilt of her sword tightly, pivoting her left foot and swinging her blade to block her opponents strike. One hard shove, a quick slice followed by another, and he was down. A steady fall of rain had began, quickly soaking through her short cloak to her skin. Arms and legs aching, chest heaving, hair undone long ago, Kiki gazed through her bangs to check her surroundings within the courtyard. She caught sight of Zen not far off fighting his own opponent, Obi near his side, fists raised and eyes focused as he took on one after another, vaulting over a half formed wall like he was part monkey. Alongside she found Kai and Shiira—guards of the Poet’s Gate—back to back with swords drawn as they held their own keeping soldiers from overwhelming their prince.

Ex-nobles with a grudge against His Majesty Izana for stripping them of their rank had rallied, whispering false stories to others like them in want of power, encouraging to take part in going to war against the crown. Were it not for the messages sent from Tanbarun with growing concerns over scout reports, things would surely be far worse than they already were. Soldiers on either side fell one by one as they continued to fight, the soil of Clarines stained red with their blood.

It was a very grim sight indeed.

As much as she hoped for a triumphant outcome, Kiki was not so naive as to be certain they would obtain victory. The entire west entrance had been captured by the enemy, forcing Clarines’ soldiers to hold their stance upon the outer east section of Wistal Castle. Numbers on each side were rapidly falling, neither managing to grasp the upper hand for long.

And while she hated to admit it, that fact alone terrified her. Taking up arms once more Kiki fought through the fatigue that tugged at her every limb, working her way back to Zen. The thought of her life ending now appealed to her about as much as it did the next person. She had so much more she wished to do, to protect, to be with.

To think she may no longer have that chance…

A sudden idea came to mind. Something Obi had once mentioned before that at the time sounded utterly ridiculous, but right now might serve as her only chance. Quickly scanning the area once more Kiki found him fighting not half a length from her, cutting down his nearest opponent, wiping the precipitation from his brow. Apparently unaware of the foe approaching from behind she rushed to guard Mitsuhide’s back, striking down the soldier with ease before turning to face him.

“Mitsuhide,” Kiki grasped her partner in a firm forearm grip, “will you marry me?”     

“What?!?” Zen and Obi yelled incredulously, both stumbling fending off opponents from surprise. Of all the things for her to talk of in the heat of battle, that was…not what they expected. Perhaps the fatigue was starting to get to her…

Mitsuhide’s face was the only thing which topped the others shock. He couldn’t have looked more dumbfounded by her words then if she’d just announced King Izana had been turned into a toad.

“I’m really not sure now’s the best time!” was all he could think to reply before the next soldier came at him, metal clashing upon metal.

Never, in the entire kingdom of Clarines, would Mitsuhide have dreamt Kiki of all people would be bringing the topic of marriage up in the middle of battle. And in regards to him no less!

“Now may be our only time.” Raising her sword, Kiki fought vigorously beside Mitsuhide until they had a moments pause, then turned to face him once more. “I love you.”  

A phase said so simply, yet with such affection he beheld in her eyes. Such love.

“I’ve made my choice. What’s yours?”

Mitsuhide gazed hard into his partners deep violet eyes. Her intense stare never wavered. She was dead serious. He felt his heart racing for a whole new reason, and it wasn’t due to adrenaline.

“Zen!” Mitsuhide called, the two aids to the second Prince squinted through the rain towards where he stood atop a short wall fighting. “Marry us!”

“I’m a little busy at the moment!” Zen yelled in exasperation, plunging his sword through the man’s center and withdrawing it quickly as another immediately came after.  

“Zen! Now!”

The only command that had ever been made by either of them. And done in perfect unison no less. Zen let out a growl of frustration. “Fine!” Bloodied sword in hand the second prince began.

“Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today in the presence of our Lord to join these two in holy matrimony!”

“Well this is happening. I’ll take this moment to reserve the right as ‘Best Man’ then.” Obi inserted himself into the mix, striking down three on-coming men with his shuriken.  

Not missing a beat whilst fighting separate opponents, Mitsuhide and Kiki reached out to clasp together their hands not holding a weapon.

Mitsuhide began first. “Kiki Serian, will you take me to be to be your husband? To have and to hold, in sickness and in health?” A parry, strike, then looked back at her. “To protect our Prince and stay by my side, as not just my partner but also my wife, for long as we both shall live?”

Spinning her under his arm, the two looked as though to be half dancing while fighting. A spin, trade places, slash, stab, duck and block. Their movements were fluid, perfectly timed, as though their minds were one. And at no point did they break hold of each other.

Kiki didn’t miss a beat. “I do.”

“Great!” Mitsuhide couldn’t help but grin, the small smile she sent making his heart take off in flight.

Kiki wiped her wet bangs away from clouding her vision. “And will you, Mitsuhide Louen, take me to be to be your wife? To have and to hold, in sickness and in health?” Blocking an oncoming sword with her own, Mitsuhide took the moment to thrust his blade into the man’s center. “Health being the less likely.”

Mitsuhide then wrapped his arm round her waist. Secure in his embrace, Kiki lifted both feet off the ground and with a sharp kick to the chest, sent the enemy hurling backwards.

“To protect our Prince and stay by my side, as not just my partner but also my husband, for long as we both shall live?”

His voice was deep, eyes steady with his answer. “I do.”

“Great.” Kiki smiled at him amiss the war-torn setting.

It was funny. They were to be married in the middle of battle, and yet Mitsuhide felt oddly comfortable with it all. Was he insane? Mayhaps so, but right there and then he felt just as she did. If they were to die then it would be joined as man and wife. Marrying his closest friend and confident. Marrying her greatest support and partner. It was oddly fitting in a way.

Their vows now complete His Highness Zen continued. “You have pledged yourselves to one another. May you never forge–i’m trying to conduct a ceremony here you swine!” Zen barked as a soldier made a swipe for his ankles, jumping to avoid the hit. A swift kick to the face and he was down.

“–the promises made this day.” Zen completed. “I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss—“

Zen paused to engage two oncoming men. Mitsuhide stepped wide and lunged at his attacker. Kiki moved a moment after and balanced on her partners bent knee with her own, hand on shoulder, body horizontally stretched to stab her opponent. Feeling Mitsuhide’s arm catch round her waist, Kiki turned to take his collar in her hands, both leaning in towards one another.

Right as she felt his breath brush across her lips yet another enemy came at them, driving the newlyweds to part.

“You may kiss—“ His Highness tried again but his attention was once more forced to focus elsewhere. Sensing movement behind her Kiki quickly struck down her opponent, continuing to turn sharply and swing her sword downward, only to clash against Mitsuhide’s as he turned the exact same moment. The two froze, both breathing heavily and staring at one another, finally a small gap in the endless fighting.  

“Just kiss!” Zen declared exasperatedly.

That was all the encouragement they needed. Taking his sword arm by the wrist Kiki pulled her partner close, his arms winding round her waist and back. They leaned in as one, lips parting in anticipation. Kiki let her eyes slide shut just as they were to make contact…

“Will you stop that! This has gone far enough!!”

Sharp words cut through the warzone’s illusion, bring four companions sitting round a crackling fire into reality.

A strikingly red-faced Mitsuhide glared daggers at Obi, who was taking great pleasure in his friend’s flustered composure.

“What do you mean Mister? It was just about to get good.” Obi grinned mischievously, not at all disheartened at his story being cut short.

“It’s pure nonsense and you know it!” Pointing his stick at the raven-haired attendant, the second prince’s advisor looked to be contemplating on whether or not stabbing him was worth the risk. Friendship be damned.

“I’d have to agree. Either one of us distracting Zen in the middle of battle for a wedding is just ridiculous.”

“That was your problem Kiki?!?”

Zen for his part gave an indifferent shrug, fixing up his bed for a night under the stars. “While i have no problem with a wedding should you choose to, i’d appreciate it being done properly and preferably not when we’re all in danger of dying.”

“We’re not–i’ve never even thoug—i jus–” Mitsuhide let out groan of defeat.

“Ya know Mister, they say the harder one tries to deny it the more true it actually is.”

“Obi!”

The second prince couldn’t help but lightly laugh, setting in for the night.  “Ok ok that’s enough storytelling for one night. Get some rest, all of you. We ride for Wistal castle at first light.”

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

Some time later the soft snap of a twig had Mitsuhide opening his eyes. Not that he had been asleep. No matter how long he tossed and turned, sleep was an elusive being. Rolling over to find his partner’s bed empty, Mitsuhide caught sight of her silhouette a ways off leaning against a tree, her attention on the glittering sky.

“Can’t sleep?” Mitsuhide joined her side, also gazing upward.

“Not yet.” “Mmm. Thinking about what Obi said earlier?”

The corners of Kiki’s mouth tugged up ever so slightly. “Not quite. But i’m guessing that’s all you’ve thought about.”

“I’ve been found out.” Mitsuhide was only mildly surprised she’d guessed what was on his mind. She always seems to gage what i’m thinking. Can even interpret emotions i have trouble putting to words. Perhaps she’s secretly telepathic.

“I’m no mind reader.”

His head whipped back to stare at Kiki. Wait what?! Now she’s inside my head??

Kiki turned to face her partner, her eyes boring into his own, that ghost of a smile still on her lips. “You’re just too easy to read Mitsuhide. Like an open book.”

Oh.

“Yeeeeeah, so i’ve been told.” He nervously rubbed the back of his neck, catching the shine of a shooting star as it raced across the black sky before disappearing as quickly as it came. Mitsuhide felt a strange sense of calmness in the familiar diamonds twinkling mysteriously. For some reason it reminded him of the mischievous glint in a certain golden-eyed friend. Thinking back on his earlier shenanigans round the fire, Mitsuhide couldn’t help letting out a chuckle, shaking his head fondly. “I just can’t help it. I almost can’t believe the crazy stories Obi manages to spin sometimes. Almost.”

“I don’t know. I didn’t think he was that far off on some parts.” Kiki made a show of brushing off her clothes, her monotone voice cool and composed as always.

Mitsuhide tilted his head in curiosity, his eyes still fixated heavenward. “Really?” 

She gave a nod, turning her back towards him once more. “Mmm. I rather liked the idea of us getting married.”  

With that Kiki walked off, leaving a crimson-faced Mitsuhide stammering after her retreating form.   

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

A/N: Obi you sneaky storyteller you. :P (hope that wasn’t too sudden of an end!) Please note this was completely, totally, and utterly inspired by Will and Elizabeth’s scene in Pirates of the Caribbean 3, with my own twist at the end.

But can you imagine if that HAD happened? After they’d won, the full extent of what just happened would finally hit Mitsuhide. Sort of a “Oh my gosh i married Kiki.” We’ve seen how flustered he got just sharing the same room as Kiki, can you imagine the scene with him sharing the same bed? ;D

Thanks for reading, i hope you enjoyed!!

[hoziersmoon]

🧑 🍄 💡 📒 the last one's a joke because i know the answer is yes but i told you i'd bother you till i got to read it and i was not lying <3

hi beloved!! 💘

🧑 favorite character to write?

this will come as a surprise to NO ONE but i love love love writing yusuf with all my heart. what i love even more than that is writing from the perspective of a character who loves yusuf as much as i do because i get to pour all my affection for his character into my writing <3

🍄how do you get yourself in the mood to write?

i wish i could say i have a routine for this but honestly sometimes i just have to wait for the muse to strike. one of the most cliche places this happens is in the shower and i have definitely gotten out of the shower and grabbed my phone to quickly write down a line/idea in my notes before i forget it.

💡what inspires your fic ideas?

OH! okay usually i have like (1) scenario that i want to put the characters in, and then i start working around that. i know i’ve told you this, but the multiverse au spawned from me wanting to write a younger yusuf flirting with a thousand-year-old nicky, and i kinda built everything else after that!!

📒any fics planned?

ajslkjdslkjdssdkjl <3 YOU KNOW I DO!!!! okay for anyone who read the multiverse au and is patiently waiting, i AM currently writing a fic about the divorced joe&nicky from chapter 3. have a snippet under the cut:

The next day, they pack a bag at Nicky’s apartment and grab Amira’s things, then bring it all over to Joe’s place. As they all step inside together, Joe realizes that Nicky’s never actually spent much time here beyond dropping Amira off. It’s slightly disorienting to see him moving around a space that Joe got specifically to put space between himself and Nicky.

Amira has no such reservations. She’s thrilled to have both of her parents in one place, and Joe winces thinking about the inevitable tears that will come at the end of the week when Nicky goes back to his own apartment.

That’s a problem for future-Joe, though. For now, he watches Amira give Nicky the grand tour of his tiny apartment, dragging Nicky by the hand, her voice climbing with excitement, “And this one’s my room, Papa! Look, Baba painted Kiki and Jiji on the wall for me.”

Nicky smiles down at her fondly, tucking one of her curls behind her ear. “Very nice, tesoro.”

“And there’s my witch hat on the bookshelf!” She points at it, demanding politely, “Lift me up so I can get it, per piacere.”

“‘Mira,” Joe admonishes, even as Nicky lifts her up without a second thought, “Papa just got out of the hospital. Let’s give him some time to feel better, yes, habibti?”

“I’m fine, Joe, really.” Nicky places the witch hat over Amira’s curls, adjusting it so she can see. “It was just a one-off thing, I’m sure.”

“You told me you don’t remember anything that happened after I turned up at your place last night.”

Nicky’s odd behaviour from the night before makes less and less sense, the more that he thinks about it. He has a visceral sense-memory of Nicky’s broad familiar hand cupping his cheek, their faces so close that Joe could feel his breath puffing across Joe’s lips.

His voice low, firm: ‘I will always worry about you, and I will always take care of you.’

Joe had remembered at that moment what it had felt like to fall in love with Nicky for the first time. The way he’d been so enamoured by the way Nicky would just say things like that: sincerely, unselfconsciously, factually. The way he’d focus all that kind, loving attention on Joe, how heady that was.

What had gotten to Joe the most last night was that look in Nicky’s eyes: unguarded, open, eyes shining with unfettered love. A look that Joe hadn’t seen on him in a year— maybe longer than that.

Just for a second, he’d forgotten that Nicky wasn’t his anymore, that he wasn’t Nicky’s. It had hurt all the more then, when he’d remembered.

It hurts now.

Nicky’s voice breaks through the fog of Joe’s thoughts, “I really think I was just sleepwalking. I was napping on the couch when you got there. Did I do anything odd?”

Joe looks at him for a moment. Whatever had caused Nicky’s sudden affection last night is long gone. His eyes are as guarded as they’ve ever been this past year since they separated.

“No. Nothing weird.” Joe shakes his head, tries to smile. “You’re still taking the bed, though. I’ll take the couch.”

Amira has found her way up onto Nicky’s shoulders, waving her plastic wand over Nicky’s head, muttering rhyming incantations under her breath. Nicky holds her steady by the ankles, “Fine,” he tells Joe, “but only for tonight. We’ll switch off.”

“Fine.” Joe agrees.

Maybe if he says it enough, it will be.

[the-caro-can]

The wind was blowing. Lightning strikes around the mountain, while rain poured down soaking the ground. Thunder came down in great crashing sounds and Caro was alone.

She was on her balcony, wings spread to stretch them out after a long day mining when something caught her eye. A carrier pigeon, with a note tied to them swooped down to perch on the fence in front of Caro. She quickly unties the letter, and broke off a piece of bread for the bird, before shooing off the pigeon into the night.

She unfurled the letter after going inside, and read the (strangely lengthy) letter. It read as follows:

Greetings,

In your short, 13-year long life, I’m sure you’ve never heard of me before. Unless you’ve been withholding information from your government, your home, your hospice, you should not know anything about me, my name (which is Falcier, by the way), my title, or my occupation in the New Manburg government, talk to you later on that.

But I digress. Let’s get straight to the point; you are most likely wondering why our beloved government has not arranged to send more citizens to support your colony. The thing is, the lands of the recently discovered ‘Nova Inferna’, are oddly, a politically contentious talking point, in New Manburg, even among the socially malleable Esempi bohemians, as per what we’ve heard from a few travelling merchants allowed in our walls. And… other, more discreet sources. Ergo, it’s somewhat of a delicate matter, the matter of sending citizens to and from the colony, that is.

But you may be asking, how did we even manage to send you to the colony, if the proceedings of the such are a delicate matter? The thing is, if there’s one thing that our governments agree upon, putting aside our petty differences, it would be sending you to the colony, and putting you in charge. Why? Because we trust you, I trust you (even if I don’t really think someone as young as you should be in such a powerful government-position, but that’s neither here nor there), and above all else, the very citizens of New Manburg trust you, in such a powerful role, despite your age. And that’s not just because your late father was, once, the very leader of our spectacular government. The masses recognize good character when they see it, and even the grubby, hook-nosed politicians find themselves agreeing with their citizens. They trust you so much, that they think that you, as the sole, and only, ruler of our Nova Inferna colony, can lead said colony victoriously, in our troubled times.

She sighs, now at least she knows why no-one is here yet. She looks farther down the letter, more political pleasantries that she doesn’t really care about, however one paragraph catches her eyes.

I'd advise you not to associate with those Badlanders, they have a general aura of malice and fear, and are, as a matter of thumb, generally two-faced and prone to betrayal. They only put up a facade of friendliness, and intelligence, to those not associated with their abhorrent desire for conflict, as to not immediately give of alarming indicators of blood-streaked, as it were, red flags, to the outside world.

———

Caro frowned. This.. doesn’t seem like the badlands she interacted with, what with Li seemingly more of a chaotic gremlin like Kiki instead of part of some conflict-crazed country. She shakes her head, she’ll keep this letter in mind. She climbs down the ladder to place in in her enderchest, carefully placing it in before closing it shut.

[caveartfair]

How Takashi Murakami Got His Start as an Artist

In the second installment of a new series, we continue to shine a light on the tumultuous early days of artists who have since become household names.

Takashi Murakami, 57, may now be an international art star and a cultural icon, but he was once a disgruntled student, bored with his conservative schooling and dreaming of better things. Indeed, when he was just starting out, Murakami claimed no special status as an artist. “I was never particularly talented at drawing or painting,” he said; hard work, practice, and determination would sharpen those skills.

He had his first solo show in 1989, at Tokyo’s Ginza Surugadai Gallery, and began traveling from his native Japan to New York City around that time. Murakami always thought of New York as one of the art world’s vital centers, and he was willing to struggle in order to absorb what it had to offer. He recalled once renting a studio on Lorimer Street in Brooklyn for a mere $80 a month (“uncertain whether I would have anything to eat the next day,” he added). In 1994, he landed a residency in the prestigious PS1 International Studio Program.

These early experiences helped shape Murakami’s unique artistic vision. The hyperconfident artist would eventually become a global brand, his manga-inspired creations taking over the world—one wild sculpture and painting at a time.

“At the studio I rented for $80 a month on Lorimer Street in Brooklyn, uncertain whether I would have anything to eat the next day.” ©︎ Takashi Murakami/Kaikai Kiki Co., Ltd. All Rights Reserved. Courtesy of Gagosian.

Murakami may be beloved for his bright flower-headed figures and frenetic wild-eyed figures, but some of his most pivotal works have a deeply subversive edge. Hiropon (1997), for instance, is a sculpture of a blue-haired woman whose comically oversized breasts unleash a torrent of milk. “I thought that the bizarreness of sexuality manifested in the Japanese otaku culture was unprecedented elsewhere, creating brand-new rules for designing human forms,” Murakami explained. “My intention was to merge that form with the rules of contemporary art.” This unexpected blending of influences and inspirations would continue to be a hallmark of Murakami’s practice, leading to a broader movement that he dubbed “Superflat.”

Takashi Murakami, Hiropon, 1997. ©︎ 1997 Takashi Murakami/Kaikai Kiki Co., Ltd. All Rights Reserved. Courtesy of Gagosian.

Takashi Murakami, Field of Flowers, 2019. ©︎ Takashi Murakami/Kaikai Kiki Co., Ltd. All Rights Reserved. Courtesy of Gagosian.

One of the artist’s canniest moves has been to remain both popular and critically acclaimed. Murakami has shown his work everywhere from the Palace of Versailles to blue-chip galleries, while also undertaking collaborations with brands like Louis Vuitton and red-hot fashion designers like Virgil Abloh. He has directed a feature film (2013’s Jellyfish Eyes), expanded his motifs into a line of collectible merch, created a sculpture with pop star Pharrell, and dabbled as a music-video director. Murakami’s fine art is represented by powerhouse galleries Perrotin and Gagosian, and the latter is currently showing his new works at its Beverly Hills location through April 13th. Much like Damien Hirst, Murakami has also taken business into his own hands, founding the Tokyo-based art production company and gallery Kaikai Kiki to promote both his work and that of his peers and acolytes.

Installation view of Takashi Murakami, “GYATEI²,” at Gagosian, Beverly Hills, 2019. ©︎ 2019 Takashi Murakami/Kaikai Kiki Co., Ltd. All Rights Reserved. Photo by Josh White. Courtesy of Gagosian.

Installation view of Takashi Murakami, “GYATEI²,” at Gagosian, Beverly Hills, 2019. ©︎ 2019 Takashi Murakami/Kaikai Kiki Co., Ltd. All Rights Reserved. Photo by Josh White. Courtesy of Gagosian.

Yet before feverish fans queued around the block to see Murakami and his otherworldly creations, he was much like any other smart young artist laboring in obscurity: driven, curious, and always willing to take risks.

How did you become interested in art?

©︎ Takashi Murakami/Kaikai Kiki Co., Ltd. All Rights Reserved. Courtesy of Gagosian.

During my art university years, I think I was running around trying things out in order to understand who I was. First, I wanted to be an animator. I made a few short animation films of my hand-drawn illustrations on 8mm film, hoping to become a filmmaker. I had such enthusiasm that I even invited Hayao Miyazaki, the genius of animation, to give a talk at the university’s festival. I also watched George Lucas’s behind-the-scenes video on The Empire Strikes Back and fantasized about his special-effects studio, ILM. When Michael Jackson’s music-video masterpiece for Thriller, by John Landis, was released, I bought the imported video for Y15,000 (about $162 in today’s currency), and watched it over and over at my friend’s house, and giddily made an imitation film on 8mm.

While I loved to draw, I wasn’t talented, so I needed to first train myself to draw realistic pictures.

When graduation neared, however, I started to doubt I would be able to support myself in this way. Since I trained to paint, I thought I’d give painting another try, and started on my graduation project in earnest. I belonged to the drab Nihonga (Japanese painting) course in the painting department and spent my days in frustration, laying crushed mineral pigments on Japanese washi paper.

Nihonga was not a genre where potential talent could blossom. Content-wise, the paintings were inferior imitations of Impressionist works. It was all politics, with a few artists, cherry-picked by galleries and award organizations, constantly vying for power; getting tangled in such politics, young artists had no room to exercise their talents. It was an environment far removed from art, but during the height of Japan’s bubble economy, its market moved similar kinds of money as the contemporary art world today.

Takashi Murakami, 727, 1996. ©︎ 1996 Takashi Murakami/Kaikai Kiki Co., Ltd. All Rights Reserved. Courtesy of Gagosian.

Then, one day, I saw a major solo exhibition by Shinro Ohtake, a contemporary artist greatly influenced by Neo-Expressionism, in downtown Tokyo. I was blown away. I quit Nihonga and became committed to contemporary art. At the time, there wasn’t a market for contemporary art in Japan, and if you were to choose it as your path, you had to be prepared to accept poverty. Yet it attracted me because its landscape looked liberating��free of politics, factions, and frictions.

Were there any specific artworks or artists that were particularly influential?

The behind-the-scenes video for Star Wars; a book explaining Hayao Miyazaki’s animation production; Katsuhiro Otomo’s manga Domu: A Child’s Dream (1980–81); Shinro Ohtake’s 1987 solo show at Sagacho Exhibit Space; German artist Horst Janssen’s prints and drawings; and all the works I saw at SoHo galleries when I first visited New York, as well as the 1988 Anselm Kiefer show at MoMA.

Tell me about an early successful attempt at artmaking.

Mammoth sculpture by Murakami and classmates pictured during a parade in the early 1980s. ©︎ Takashi Murakami/Kaikai Kiki Co., Ltd. All Rights Reserved. Courtesy of Gagosian.

As a university freshman, I made a huge model mammoth, about 5 meters tall, for a festival parade float. All 25 students in the Nihonga course were supposed to make it together, but only 6 of us actually participated. In the end, it was just me and a reticent, geeky guy pulling an all-nighter to get it done. But we made it in time for the parade, and it won the competition.

When you were starting out, did it seem feasible to make a living solely as an artist?

The question was what a Japanese artist must do to survive in New York, and since no handbook was available on the topic, I arrived at my own answer through observations: I thought perhaps by plugging my personal, mundane experiences into the rules of art in New York, I might arrive at artistic expressions with some originality.

“At PPOW Gallery, assisting the artist group TODT.” ©︎ Takashi Murakami/Kaikai Kiki Co., Ltd. All Rights Reserved. Courtesy of Gagosian.

As for business savvy, I was determined to support myself with art when I took the entrance examination for university. It wasn’t that I held a vision for success; I was just determined to acquire the skills needed to support myself, one way or another.

I was never particularly talented at drawing or painting. I can say this because there’s always a kid in class who’s really good at drawing or painting, and their works would draw classmates’ admiration, but I haven’t had such an experience. That is, at no point was I made to feel I had artistic talent. I concluded that while I loved to draw, I wasn’t talented, so I needed to first train myself to draw realistic pictures.

What sort of other jobs in Japan did you have while you were making a name for yourself?

I worked for nine years as an instructor at a prep school for the art university entrance exam, and four years as an arts-and-crafts instructor in kindergarten. [I was also] an illustrator, a concept designer for a restaurant, and an event coordinator.

Were there people early on who didn’t understand your work, or who actually disliked it?

When I submitted a large painting with a manga-like motif for a gallery exhibition [at SCAI The Bathhouse in 1994], a friend of mine who had walked me through the basics of contemporary art told me he was finished with me, saying: “Murakami! You asked me to teach you about contemporary art, so I took pains to carefully guide you through. Yet what is that cartoonish painting? You make a mockery of the history of painting!” But I didn’t understand why he was so upset.

Takashi Murakami, ZuZaZaZaZaZa, 1994. ©︎ Takashi Murakami/Kaikai Kiki Co., Ltd. All Rights Reserved. Courtesy of Gagosian.

There had been no precedent of art that focused so blatantly on post-war Japanese culture, so while I didn’t think it was radical, I thought perhaps it had originality.

You started coming to New York in the late 1980s and ’90s. Were you pleased by what you found? What did you learn?

I believed that at the time, contemporary art was being produced in London, Los Angeles, and especially New York, the center within the center, so the shows happening at that time were really current. When I lived in Japan—when there was no internet—the information about “now” was imported a couple of months after the fact.

“At the opening of my solo show at Gavin Brown’s Enterprise in SoHo.” ©︎ Takashi Murakami/Kaikai Kiki Co., Ltd. All Rights Reserved. Courtesy of Gagosian.

I was extremely inspired by Bob Flanagan & Sheree Rose’s 1994 show at the New Museum, then located in SoHo. Receiving a daily injection since before he could walk or talk, Flanagan had developed a needle fetish; his installations showcased the resulting perverse S&M sexuality as art. Seeing this, I learned, “Ah! Anything goes! It’s not the superficial beauty that’s important, but things like individual history and private shame!”

Who have been some of your mentors?

The people I hold as masters in my mind are the animator Yoshinori Kanada; the animation director Hayao Miyazaki; the manga author Katsuhiro Otomo; and the director George Lucas. My real-life mentor is the professor Nobuo Tsuji, the Japanese art historian. From him, I have been learning, among other things, about artists’ raison d’être throughout history.

At what point was “Mr. DOB”—the character who is often seen as an alter ego for yourself—born?

“A photo from an open studio at the Clocktower Studio in Tribeca during the PS1 International Studio Program.” ©︎ Takashi Murakami/Kaikai Kiki Co., Ltd. All Rights Reserved. Courtesy of Gagosian.

Takashi Murakami, Mr. DOB, 2019. ©︎ 2019 Takashi Murakami/Kaikai Kiki Co., Ltd. All Rights Reserved. Courtesy of Gagosian.

Mr. DOB was born when my old friend, a 19-year-old aspiring designer at the time, bought his Apple computer. I had never studied design, but I really wanted to realize a mechanical line that couldn’t be reproduced by hand. When I was despairing, my friend told me that such lines could be achieved through Bézier curves in a software called Illustrator. So I camped out at my friend’s place for a week and sat behind him at the computer, telling him what to do like a backseat driver until we created Mr. DOB.

Takashi Murakami, And then, and then and then and then and then, 1996. ©︎ 1996 Takashi Murakami/Kaikai Kiki Co., Ltd. All Rights Reserved. Courtesy of Gagosian.

Takashi Murakami x ComplexCon Mr. Dob (Original), 2016. Takashi Murakami Black Book Gallery

And then and then and then and then and then (Aqua Blue), 1999. Takashi Murakami Gagosian

ME AND THE MR. DOBS, 2013. Takashi Murakami DTR Modern Galleries

And Then... (red), 2013. Takashi Murakami DTR Modern Galleries

Back then, each action took time to compute, so while we awaited computations, we would discuss our future dreams. My young friend spoke of freely creating images and movies with his Mac and becoming an unburdened creator of expressions. I was dreaming of moving to New York. Both of us have realized the dreams we talked about back then.

You’ve since built an entire company, a brand, for your work. What gave you the confidence and the healthy ego required to make such an ambitious decision?

Takashi Murakami, In 2019, a Sentimental Memory of POM and Me, 2019. ©︎ 2019 Takashi Murakami/Kaikai Kiki Co., Ltd. All Rights Reserved. Courtesy of Gagosian.

Takashi Murakami, Kaikai Kiki News, 2002. ©︎ 2002 Takashi Murakami/Kaikai Kiki Co., Ltd. All Rights Reserved. Courtesy of Gagosian.

The self I discovered during my high-school years was someone who was extremely weak academically, not interested in studying, someone who did not want to be a “salaryman,” and who loved anime and manga. Frankly, I built my company because I couldn’t find any other way to function. The path I chose has been a lot of work, but this was the only way for me to survive.

Fast-forwarding to today: You have a major exhibition at Gagosian in Los Angeles. It includes a massive, fish-themed painting, Qinghau (2019), which took you over a decade to realize. Can you tell me a little about it?

If I may say so myself, this piece is exquisitely done. How can I put it—it’s been my goal as an artist to make my mind completely blank and paint as though in a daze, wandering randomly around the canvas, and this is a piece that I managed to complete in such a way. I feel very proud of this work.

Takashi Murakami, Qinghua (detail), 2019. ©︎ 2019 Takashi Murakami/Kaikai Kiki Co., Ltd. All Rights Reserved. Photo by Josh White. Courtesy of Gagosian.

When I had first met Larry Gagosian at his uptown space in New York to discuss being represented by the gallery, I tried to promote myself by showing him an idea for this painting and telling him that I intended to make a large painting with this as the subject. Larry really liked the idea. I did come to be represented by Gagosian, but I wasn’t able to realize the fish painting for a long time.

Takashi Murakami, Picture of a Title “I Spin,” 1986. ©︎ Takashi Murakami/Kaikai Kiki Co., Ltd. All Rights Reserved. Courtesy of Gagosian.

Before I became a contemporary artist, I used to almost exclusively paint fish—especially freshwater fish. I recall often going to a river with my father to fish and seeing what looked like professional fishermen catching grass carp and fish namedHypophthalmichthys molitrix (silver carp) or Hypophthalmichthys nobilis (bighead carp), brought in from China, that were more than a meter long. I was astonished. Neither my father nor I ever managed to catch big fish, and we brought small fish or shrimp home to release in our backyard pond. Rather than staying a faint memory, it seems that my awe of huge fish remained vividly in my mind.

Takashi Murakami with charcters from his film Jellyfish Eyes at the IFC Center, New York, 2015. Courtesy of Janus Films and Gagosian.

If you could go back in time and offer some advice to your younger self, what would it be?

Perhaps to have more fun.

from Artsy News

[benjaminba1bcontextsandconcepts]

Research for narrative analysis

here are some of my notes for the essay:

Question: Analyse your chosen narrative with close reference to the Hero’s Journey or another appropriate story template.

·        N.B. You may write about the film’s failure to fit a conventional structure.

 What happens in Kiki’s delivery service?

·        Kiki turns 13 and a full moon she decides to leave home tonight

·        She packs her bags mum is worried and brings Jiji

·        Her mum gives her, her own broom and tells her she can’t take the one she made as its too small

·        Kiki leaves with a vague plan on where she is going

·        On the way down she is greeted with another witch ( a fortune teller) who asks Kiki what’s her talent realises she doesn’t know yet and  the witch dives down avoiding the storm

·        Kiki quickly finds cover in a train

·        She is woken up by cows in a ball of hey

·        She takes flight into the city where the civilians are amazed by seeing a witch for the first time.

·        She loses control and flies manically across the city where she is stopped by a police officer

·        The police officer threatens to tell her parents when tombo distracts the police officer and kiki runs away

·        Tombo catches up to kiki and asks her about her flying powers, kiki doesn’t respond as she finds it rude that he didn’t introduce himself by name first

·        As she walks down town she finds osono trying to give back a left behind dummy to a customer. Kiki offers to fly it down to the customer

·        The customer hands a thank you note to kiki to deliver back to osono so she does

·        Osono invites kiki for a cup of tea and introduces herself

·        She gives her a room to stay in

·        Kiki decides to create a delivery service but needs a phone so she works part time for osono to use their phone

·        Her first customer wants to deliver a toy cat that looks like jiji in a bird cage to a child

·        She takes the bird cage a sets of flying high to avoid traffic

·        A gust of wind hits some birds and then gets attacked by crows as she hits a tree near some crow eggs kiki she drobs the cat in the middle of the forest and decides to put jiji in the cage to buy her some time

·        After she delivered jiji she goes looking for the toy and finds it at ursela house

·        Kiki finds that the toy is broken and ursala says she can fix it if she cleans around the house once finished she takes off to save jiji

·        Jiji escapes thanks to a dog helping him escape and brings back to toy cat

·        Kiki helps put some more at the bakery and takes orders tombo walks in and buys a cake then invites her to a flight party and kiki is excited

·        She then gets a delivery request and sets off to the house

·        Two old ladies haven’t finished making a pie and their oven breaks so kiki helps them by using the old oven and in the mean time helps around the house. She realises she is running late to the party and sets of to deliver the baked pie in the pooring rain to a snooby girl who doesn’t apprietiate the pie

·        She goes home but it is too late and falls into bed upset and now sick

·        She wakes up ill orsono helps kiki giving her the day off and makes her feel better

·        She realises jiji isn’t speaking and she cannot fly her powers are gone so she devotes her attention to the bakery and postpones her delivery service

·        Orsono tells kiki she has a special deliver she would like kiki to deliver in person

·        Kiki delivers it on foot to find out its for tombo

·        Tombo shows her his flying bike and they ride together and crash

·        Kiki laughs and they talk

·        Tombo’s friends invite him to the blimp one of them being the snoby girl and tombo invites kiki

·        Kiki refuses and walks away tombo is confused but goes anyway

·        Kiki goes home and is invited by Ursula to go with her and stay with her for abit

·        She paints kiki and tells her that sometimes she cant paint because she needs a reason to paint just as kiki needs a reason to fly

·        As kiki returns the old laddies ask her to deliver a cake to herself as a thank you for the help

·        She finds tombo holding onto the blimp in danger on tv so kiki sets of to save him

·        She borrows a sweeper broom from an old man and learns to fly again

·        Her motivation was to save tombo and she took off and saved him

·        The end

 I have decided to use voglers version of the hero’s journey as I feel that it is more generalisable then Campbells.

Vogler

Departure/Separation

Act 1

 1.       Tests, Allies, Enemies

·         “The audience’s first impressions of the Special World should strike a  sharp contrast with the Ordinary World.

·         The most important function of this period of adjustment to the  Special world is … to test the hero, putting her through a series of trials  and challenges that are meant to prepare her for greater ordeals ahead.” Pg.  136

·         “The Tests at the beginning of Act Two are often difficult obstacles,  but they don’t have the maximum life-and-death quality of later events.”

·         “If the adenture were a college learning experience, Act One would be  a series of entrance exams, and the Test stage of Act Two would be a series  of pop quizzes, meant to sharpen the hero’s skill in specific areas and  prepare her for the more rigorous midterm and final exams coming up.” Pg.136

·         “The Tests may be a continuation of the Mentor’s training. Many  Mentors accompany their heroes this far into the adventure, coaching them for  the big rounds ahead.” Pg. 136

·         “The Tests may also be built into the architecture or landscape of the  Special World. This world is usually dominated by a villain or Shadow who is  careful to surround his world with traps, barricades, and checkpoints.”

·         Sidekicks: “…pairings of hero and sidekick can be found throughout  myth and literature…. These close Allies of the hero may provide comic relief  as well as assistance.”

·         “Comical sidekicks … may freely cross the boundaries between Mentor  and Trickster, sometimes aiding the hero and acting as his conscience,  sometimes goofing up or causing mischief.”

·         “The Testing stage may also provide the opportunity for the forging of  a team.”

·         Enemies: “The hero’s appearance in the Special World may tip the  Shadow to his arrival and trigger a chain of threatening events.” Pg. 138

·         “A special type of Enemy is the rival… [who] is not out to kill the  hero, but is just trying to defeat him in a the competition.”

·         “The watering hole is a natural congregating place and a good spot to  observe and get information.” Pg. 140

·         This goes throughout the film as she meets  new allies such as the old ladies and enemies (kinda) the snobby Girl

 2.       Approach to the Inmost Cave

·         “It’s time to make final preparations for the central ordeal of the  adventure.”

·         “As heroes near the gates of a citadel deep within the Special World,  they may take time to make plans, do reconnaissance on the enemy, reorganize  or thin out the group, fortify and arm themselves, and have a last laugh and  a final cigarette before going over the top into no-man’s-land. Pg. 144

·         Last laugh, a joyful time (calm b4 storm)

·         Courtship

·         Beware illusions

·         Threshold Guardian

·         Another Special World

·         Shamanic territory

·         Higher stakes

·         Team pep-talk, ass-whupp

·         Disguise

·         NO EXIT

Between the  Foreshadowing of the blimp and the climax kiki goes to the mentor Ursulas  house and learns she needs motivation to get her powers back her threshold  guardian is her worry that she will never get her powers back but she  overcomes this fear thanks to ursula

 3.       Ordeal

· ��       Death and Rebirth

·         Crisis not climax

·         Points of tension

·         The mid-point (can also be delayed crisis, but my novel is mid)

·         Witness to sacrifice or death needed

·         Facing the shadow

·         Walk through story in Shadow’s skin

·         Sacred Marriage

·         Negative anima or animus

·         Facing the greatest fear

·         Standing up to a parent

·         Death of the ego

Kiki finds  tombo hanging on for dear life on the out of control blimp due to winds fore  shadowed earlier in the film with the crows

 4.       Reward

·         Celebration

·         Campfire scenes to retell the tale

·         Love scenes

·         Seizing the sword, taking possession

·         Holy Grail (the elixir that heals all)

·         New perceptions, see through deception

·         Clairvoyance

·         Self-realization

·         Epiphany

Kiki is able  summon her powers in desperation using an old guys broom although not  particularly a celebration but more in correlation with seizing the sword

 Act 3

 5.       The Road Back

·         Another threshold

·         Finnish your opponent

·         Chase scenes

·         Magic flight – sacrifice of beloved/sacred objects

·         Setbacks require resolve to finish journey

Kiki rescues  tombo

www.learning2grow.org/2014/10/23/plot-structure-joseph-campbell-vs-chistopher-vogler/

•        Macklin, A. C. (2017) Kishōtenketsu: Japanese 4-Act Structure. Available at: https://everwalker.wordpress.com/2017/11/03/kishotenketsu-japanese-4-act-structure/

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0097814/?ref_=nv_sr_1

I have also looked at the book ‘Studio Ghibli the films of Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata’ by Colin Odell and Michelle Le Blanc.

Where it goes over common themes within each of the Ghibli films and their inspirations. I helps to give a good understanding on how the films came about and why they were made the way they were.