#Millenium Square

[spitblaze]

Fun fact about Kabukicho. If you've spent time putzing around kamurocho in basically any yakuza game you already know how to navigate. Like it might take a minute but once you find Donki and Theater Square it's like OH i know EXACTLY where I am. They’re faithful as hell to the real layout with A Few Notable Exceptions

[orphancookie69]

8/2024: Disneyland Trip!!

I know I usually talk about Disney Dreamlight Valley feeling like my wannabe Disneyland experience, but I asked my mom to have her family friend sign me in for a day-for my birthday in June. Well, disregarding the month-its August and I get to go!

My family has been heavily into Disney. I used to go as a kid all the time, the family friend Cast Member would sign us in. My grandparents at one point had passes before DL decided to cater to the non-resident customers. After I got older, it was only a handful of times I have gotten back there-a wonderful date, pre-public opening for cast members, and now!

8/4:

I got dropped off by my partner, and I appreciated it. There are 2 drop offs: on Harbor and Downtown Disney. Quicker way to the park, even with security. I arrived first, the rest of my party took about a half hour to park and get there. One we got in, we tried for Big Thunder Mountain Railroad in Frontierland. It was broken down so we went to Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge.

I have been here before but last time I did not get to the rides. But man, just walking around-I feel like a teenager with dreams come true of being in the epic star wars movies I watched with my dad. World building, digital or real, can be very impressive. First ride was Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance. Honestly, new rides are impressive. Magnets instead of tracks. Also, I FOUND STORM TROOPERS! Then we went to Millenium Falcon: Smugglers Run. The ride itself was really good, the build up/walk to was a little meh.

A ride is built up first in your mind, then you prep for it as you walk and immerse yourself in the surroundings for what is safely up to 30 minute wait, and then you have the ride. Typically not nearly as long as the buildup but worth it when the previous steps are done right.

Also, someone proposed to their partner there and IT WAS THE CUTEST EVER. Like I have heard about that but to see it, man. We ran into the woman later and was like congrats babe your man has excellent taste!

Next we went to Star Tours: The Adventure Continues in Tomorrowland. This is funny to have done next as it was the classic star wars ride compared to the new one. But they made small changes to the ride to make it more like an airport as you are waiting. It was funny. Thunder Mountain was working again, man I don't remember the ride feeling that small-like the structure as you are waiting? Also, I swear you used to be able to put your stuff in a cubby across but oh well.

Food places, like good sit down places had weird varying times of opening. Stalls seemed like they should of been open earlier or more consistently but oh well. Earlier in the day we tried for haunted mansion and got in "virtual queue". We believe that they were halfway done with the Nightmare before christmas transition and that because of less waiting room-they did a group check in approach. Even for getting there early, we were group #120. And the ride broke down once during the day stopping the queue all together for a bit.

We did some shopping, man it was hot as hades out there. We did Pirates of the Carribean in New Orleans Square. Lots of changes happening there, Splash Mountain is being changed to Tiana's Bayou Adventure and Tiana's Place has taken over a nearby restaurant. Pirates was amazing. We went back to Thunder Mountain and it broke down while we were on it, not worried at all. We also did Indiana Jone's Adventure. Funny enough, my nephew into horror games thought it was too scary-kids today! Just before leaving-Haunted Mansion called us. It is so neat to see it mostly done for the upcoming season!

The ride itself looked amazing, as it usually does. It stopped twice, and honestly I was a little worried it seemed to be struggling more than it usually does. We had a park hopper ability, but we were all a bit tired and not much we wanted to go on. California Adventure has some cool things, but I preferred the drop ride when it was from The Twilight Zone, and the Incredicoaster is just California Screamin' with a face lift. Soaring over California is pretty cool too.

We had Lightning Passes for this trip, and while I have my own reservations about using that kind of thing-it helps to get the most of the experience. You could only book 2 rides at a time and not all rides were friendly for it. There's watches you could wear and interact with the park but the app does everything the watch does. We were there for about half a day? Pretty good haul for the time there.

Some change is good, some change is meh. The digital age is alive and well. We are considering getting annual passes when they become available again. Maybe even getting Magic Bands. There are still many places in Disneyland my nephew has not experienced that are on the list for next time.

[kumeko]

Prompt: 3houses questioning their initial feelings for one another. Could be Claude wondering if he has any 'right' to love Byleth while he's keeping secrets from everyone or maybe Byleth has that whole "he's a student and i'm the teacher" moment despite their ages being close.

A/N: For th3n0v1c3 for the @claudelethgifts exchange! I really wanted to do your first prompt but I haven’t played Hopes yet so…did this instead! Byleth really struck me as butterfly meme “Is this a feeling?” for the pre-skip part, and kinda falling for Claude later, while he was smitten from the start so…going with his pov for this one.

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4.

Byleth was beautiful.

Claude rested his chin on his hand as he idly stared out the window to where his teacher stood in the courtyard. Her messy dark blue hair ruffled in the wind as she awkwardly lifted a teacup, still unused to the tea culture of high nobility. From the few times they’d sat across each other in the garden, the tiny table keeping them close and personal, he’d seen intimately just how gingerly she’d hold the fine porcelain, as though afraid her calloused hand would break the handle.

It had been months since she’d started teaching, yet that hadn’t changed in the least. There was none of her confidence that she wore like a badge in battle. Her hand lowered now and though he couldn’t hear it, he could just picture the loud clack as she set her cup back on the table.

Claude hid a smile. He’d never say it aloud but it was endearing. Her hands held the power to change the course of battle, yet a single afternoon snack could completely undo her.

It was too bad he wasn’t sitting across from her now. While she never showed her embarrassment obviously, he had long learned to read her tells: the nervous clench of her hand, the squaring of her shoulders, the way her eyes would shift back and forth as though looking for an escape.

Perhaps beautiful wasn’t the right word. She was captivating.

“What?” From across the library table, Hilda looked up from where she was painting her nails a bright pink. She raised a brow and snorted derisively. “Don’t tell me you’re just realizing that?”

Claude started. He hadn’t meant to say that aloud. He hadn’t meant to do a lot of things these days, especially in the presence of Byleth—little by little, it felt like he was losing control over what he said, did, felt. It was worrying. It was exhilarating.

It was a secret he wasn’t ready to share just yet.

Forcing his eyes away from Byleth, he focused on his partner in mischief. Claude chuckled and shook his head. “Of course not.”

“Then? Why’d you point out the obvious?” Hilda asked, bemused. Her brush perched precariously between her fingers as she glanced at Byleth. As she fanned her still drying nails, she stated, “You’re not Sylvain.”

It would have been easier if he were. As it was, they were in the middle of Hanneman’s homework, a boring essay on crest history that he could finish without thinking and Hilda had charmed someone into starting for her. Idle musings on Byleth, true or not, had nothing to do with explaining how sub-crests came to be.

And for all of her laziness and free-spirited attitude, Hilda was not as dull as she pretended to be.

“Just…” Claude paused, searching for a reasonable explanation. Something that she would buy without pressing the matter too hard. “The Millenium Festival is around the corner. How many invitations do you think she’ll get?”

Hilda’s eyes lit up. This was a topic that was more up her alley, and she pushed her textbook away as she leaned over to peer out the window. “Good question. She is pretty. And popular.” She dipped her brush as she hummed. “And not just with Sylvain.”

“Right?” Claude grinned, hiding his relief. “The bigger question is who’ll she’ll accept.”

Hilda smirked, her sharp eyes locking with his. “Are you going to try?”

“Me?” Claude laughed. He’d mis-stepped, but this was an easy dodge. “I prefer to watch. You know I’m not one for the spotlight.”

And it was true, he wasn’t. The shadows suited him better, where he could plot and plan and prepare.

The shadows suited him but for some reason, his eyes kept getting drawn to Byleth’s light. Even now, as he chatted with Hilda, his body was still angled to his teacher, watching her from the corner of his eyes. A year ago, he hadn’t even known she existed, yet now he was all too aware of her every action.

Just when had that happened?

3.

Byleth was…strange.

Claude couldn’t think of a better word to describe her. It had been several months since she’d joined the academy, several months of battles, training sessions, and classes, yet he kept circling back to that one word: strange. Sure, she was strong. Confident. Oddly apathetic toward all the norms of society. Her strategizing and battle prowess was matched by no one.

She was also extremely weird. Claude had caught her talking to herself, when she thought no one was around. Her gaze focused on a small spot in front of her, her expression serious, as though she truly were debating with an invisible spirit, as though she really was listening to inaudible answer. Other times, the only discussions she’d have were ones of steel and metal, swords clashing swords. Byleth knew how to use most weapons as though they were extensions of her limbs, to talk with them as though they were her natural language.

She had an uncanny sense of danger, catching mugs before they fell, stopping arrows before they hit.

She stopped to pet every cat in the monastery, as though in a quest to corner every feline in the continent.

Every week, she picked a different activity to help out with, no rhyme nor reason behind her class schedule or her mentoring.

Her face seemed to be carved from granite at times—was she happy? Sad? Angry? Surprised? Who knew.

There was a class bet circling as they all tried to figure out their mysterious teacher. Lorenz thought it was due to her years as a mercenary. Lysithea guessed it was because of her travelling and experiences. Raphael thought she needed to eat more.

Claude wasn’t sure himself.

Her oddest trait, however, was her obsession with fishing. Even without the fishing contest, it wasn’t unusual to catch her at the docks, staring at the fish like hawk ready to swoop at its prey. Now that she had a good excuse to do so, Byleth had set up a stool and a small desk near her rod, ready to field all of her tutoring by the pond-side.

Claude couldn’t hold back his laughter as he sat down beside her. The papers on the table were already water-stained and Lysithea wasn’t going to be happy with the fishy smell. Gently, he teased, “Teach, you know the prize isn’t really all that impressive, right?”

Byleth shrugged, half of her attention on her rod, her hands tense by her side. “I’m not after the prize.”

“Could have fooled me.” Claude shook his head. The textbook in front of him was closed, a mere excuse to visit his beguiled professor. “Do you really like fishing that much?”

She adjusted the tension on her line. “Not really.”

A lie, or did she not realize it herself?

Jeralt hadn’t looked twice at the pond, so she couldn’t have got it from him. The other mercs hadn’t seemed partial to fish, but then again, Claude had met them for maybe a few minutes several months ago; his data wasn’t the strongest. Was it from her mom? A mysterious gene passed alongside her mysterious crest? Or something far stranger and more unusual?

“I haven’t seen fishermen fish like you do,” Claude paused as a stray thought hit him. “Did the ghost of a fisherman possess you?”

Byleth stared at him. “There are no—,” she passed, reconsidering her words. Her eyes slid past him, to his right. “I have not met any fishermen ghosts.”

“So, you’ve met others?” He couldn’t resist the obvious opening. If he were a better man, he’d feel bad about how easy it was to tease her.

“I…” Byleth worried her lip, her brow furrowing. She half-cocked her head, as though listening to someone. “I don’t think so.”

…what sort of answer was that? Claude stared at her, then glanced at his side. There was no one there. There was no one else here. Yet, the way she looked, her wording—just who or what had she met that made her unable to say no? “Then—”

Byleth sprang from her seat, mere seconds before her rod tugged, as though she had sensed the fish biting the lure. Her lips curved slightly, a rare almost-smile. “It’s here!”

It was silly yet Claude watched, transfixed, as she battled the fish as seriously as she did their enemies.

2.

Byleth was strong.

He had known that from the moment they’d met, her eyes ablaze as she swung her sword in the battlefield. No human could be that powerful.

He hadn’t realized just how strong she was until now, in the Battle of the Eagle and Lion. Byleth had taught their class for only a month so far, most of her time divided between studying his classmates’ quirks and learning from the other professors how to teach. They had spent the first week discovering the hard way that proficiency in battle wasn’t the same as proficiency in teaching.

All of the Golden Deer’s cohesion came from a few practice skirmishes, a handful of session they’d managed over the month. And even then…Claude grimaced as Leonie once again charged off on her own, too eager to prove herself. Sword raised, eyes sparking, the ginger-haired girl made a beeline for the Black Eagles. It didn’t help that Jeralt was nearby, leaving her even more raring for a fight than usual.

“Leonie! Don’t go too far!” Claude shouted.

It was too late. She was already out of earshot, disappearing into the nearby thicket. At least she had enough sense to hide herself.

Stomp. Stomp.

Not that it mattered when Raphael followed her, axe in hand.

Claude groaned, turning back to the rest of his classmates. At least they’d all stayed here, awaiting orders. He’d accounted for this. Mostly. As long as no one else went rogue, they’d be able to take advantage of their two…distractions.

He caught a glimpse of dark blue and turned. Then again, this wasn’t technically his battlefield. His plans meant nothing if Byleth wanted to do something else. “Hey, Teach.”

“You anticipated them,” Byleth stated, her electric blue eyes meeting his.

Had she assessed his skills already? Claude shrugged. “Hard not to. They do it every time.”

Her lips tugged slightly—a smile? —before her expression flattened once more. “You want me to go after Leonie.”

This he hadn’t anticipated. Claude stared at her, surprised. That was precisely what he’d hoped for. “Yes.”

“Then I’ll leave the rear command to you.” Byleth nodded before taking off.

Maybe it was her years with Jeralt, but after that, the battle flowed smoothly. As though she were reading his mind, Byleth darted from spot to spot before he could even open his mouth. Seamlessly, she slipped in and out of skirmishes with her students, supporting their fights, aiding those who needed a second wind.

There was no need to massage the course of battle to match his plans. No need for back-up ideas, careful suggestions, or gentle ego manipulation. All it took was a nod, a gesture, a single word, and Byleth turned his thoughts into reality.

1.

Byleth was a stranger.

Kinda. She was Jeralt’s daughter, she had saved his life, and she was a future teacher, so Claude supposed she was beginning to become an acquaintance. From the corner of his eye, he surreptitiously watched as his saviour walked next to him, her body tense as she curiously regarded their surroundings. Her head craned left and right as she peeked into rooms and studied the arching ceiling.

She hadn’t heard of the Knights of Serios, despite her father being a former member. When Rhea had asked him to guide her around, Byleth also seemed entirely unfamiliar with the archbishop that her father once served.

Even children in Almyra knew of the basics of Fódlan’s politics. Curious, Claude asked, “Jeralt never told you about Garreg Mach Monastery either?”

Byleth shook her head, twisting her body as she watched a guard pass by. “Are most schools like this?”

“No, this is a special one.” Just what had her father taught her then? Aside from the sword? “It’s one of the few neutral places in all of Fódlan.”

“Neutral…” Byleth frowned, as though uncertain of why that was important. She returned her focus to him. “No…I didn’t even know this place existed until now.”

Maybe her father had wanted to keep the entire religious order a secret. “I take it you aren’t acquainted with the Church of Seiros either?”

“Seiros…” Byleth furrowed her brow, digging into her memories. Recognition flickered in her eyes, but she shook her head. “The name sounds familiar but the rest…”

Claude chuckled. Her responses were oddly refreshing. “Make sure you don’t say that to anyone else. Some might consider that blasphemy.”

“Oh.” Byleth took his throwaway joke seriously. She glanced at his arm. “All three of you are skilled fighters. Did you learn that here?”

How much had she assessed from that single battle? Then again, it didn’t take an expert to notice Dimitri’s strength or Edelgard’s prowess. Or his own skills, regardless of how far in the backline he’d hovered. “Well…we will. But what you saw was something we already knew. Most of the students here learn the basics before enrolling.”

“There are some flaws with your stances but…” Byleth worried her lip. “If all the students here are like you, there won’t be much for you to learn.”

Flaws with our stances? Now he really wanted to know what she’d observed. She’d used a sword that day—was that the only weapon she knew? “It’s not like the only thing we’re learning is how to fight.”

“Oh, really?” Byleth looked confused as she refrained from asking anything else.

And he had a sinking suspicion that if she had, her question would have been What else is there to learn?

That was the face of a woman who didn’t know what else a school was for. Yet, Lady Rhea had mentioned she was a future teacher. How? It felt like she needed to attend class more than he did.

“Claude—” Byleth paused. She frowned. “Is that fine?”

“What is?”

“Should I call you that?” Byleth asked. “Or am I supposed to use titles here? Jeralt always handled our deals with the nobles, so…”

Now she asked? It’d been an hour since they’d started the tour, weeks since they’d last met, and he was certain that Rhea had mentioned his status if Jeralt hadn’t informed her. Despite that, she hadn’t once asked changed her tone or behaviour toward him, acting the same as she had when they’d first met. While Garreg Mach claimed status didn’t matter, that was easier said in theory than in practice.

“Claude’s fine,” he answered with a grin.

Maybe he should get her to teach his class after all.

0.

The woman in the battlefield was unrestrained.

Whether it was in her actions, her words, her decisions, there was nothing tying her down. She ran across the field, her long hair flowing behind her as she darted from enemy to enemy. Prince or commoner, she didn’t seem to care who protected, how noble their blood or where their alliances lay.

For a moment, Claude paused, his arrow nocked on his bow.

She did not look like a woman weighed down by secrets.

She did not look like a woman chained to her past or weighed down by responsibilities.

She looked free and something in him tugged.

5.

Byleth was in front of him.

It had been months since she’d joined the school, months since they’d met and talked and defended each other’s backs. She knew his name and lineage. She knew the alliances and politics in the school. Yet, despite that, nothing about her had changed.

Byleth was still free. Still herself. Still unchanged. Her help was the same whether it was for her student or another’s, whether it was for a noble or a pauper.

It was easy to say. Harder to do.

And she did it every day.

“Claude?” Byleth cocked her head as she watched him approach. “Was there something you needed?”

Yes, but he didn’t know what. Ever since he’d seen her from the library window, he’s been unable to sit still, no longer content to be at a distance. No, maybe it had been long before that. Maybe it had been weeks or even months ago, when she’d changed from stranger to acquaintance to friend.

Things had been easier when he’d just thought of her as curiosity.

Now, tongue-tied and filled with an unfamiliar nervous energy, he didn’t know what to do, what to say. Only that his conversation with Hilda had haunted his thoughts—Byleth was beautiful.

There were many who wanted a dance with her tomorrow night.

He just hadn’t expected to be one in their number.

“Have you heard of the legend of the Goddess Tower?” Claude asked. He wondered what side of Byleth he’d see if he took her hand and led her across the dance floor. If he stood side by side with her, staring up at the Goddess Tower.

If he told her his real name, his real home, his real self.

“No.” Byleth shook her head.

He smiled. “Then, let me teach you for once, Teach.”

Claude wasn’t sure what this burgeoning emotion inside of him was, but he was determined to find out.

[souryogurt64]

Sarah!!! I am going to be in Chicago for like a day in a couple weeks (work trip). Realistically it’ll probably be like 9:30 pm to 3pm the next day. Staying kind of by millenium park (?) and would love to walk around as much as possible :-) do u have any recs for places to check out that might be a bit less touristy? This will b my first time in Chicago proper, very exciting ❣️

That's the loop lol, i dont spend a lot of time there but I'll try to help. This is 1.6 miles away but The Drifter is a speakeasy in the basement of a restaurant called The Green Door Tavern or something and they have burlesque/magic shows on the weekends and serve drinks on tarot cards. Penelope's Vegan Taqueria is also a really good restaurant in that area. Three Dots and a Dash is a very nice tiki bar but you need a reservation. There's also the pedway which is these tunnels under chicago and its basically like a huge old airport that hasnt been updated since 2007, its very strange down there and there's a lot of restaurants in there but mostly chains.

Everything in the loop is gonna be really expensive and probably busy, but thats the area where most museums and such are at if you're into that kind of thing. If you want to go to a diff neighborhood, logan square has a lot of thrift/vintage stores (area near Disco City), and boystown has a lot of bars/clubs as well as some fun shops. my favorite more divey places near that area in wrigley/lake view east are l&l tavern, delilahs nisei lounge. kokorokoko is in wicker park but its a very unique store. dryhop is also a nice restaurant, they have really good pizza and espresso martinis. lost never found is right across from wrigley field and for tourists but i love it, they have great gimmicky cocktails and a good happy hour.

liars club is in west depaul (???) and its an insane dive bar with like kiss action figures and naked women drawings and also this insane painting of a sperm tree.

Then obligatory catcade mention lol. Even if you are a FOB fan i would not waste your time with the pick me up, they moved locations and the food is also like bad now. chicago diner is also a good restaurant, i like their chicken sandwich. The Fall Out Boy apartment is on Roscoe street near the Village Discount (really good thrift store) and right across from the Village Tap. It's the green door that looks like it got kicked in and it's above a restaurant

I also like rotary sushi, arcade bars, and escape rooms but you can do that anywhere anytime lol

[mrsketchy]

What inspired your art style

I find it unique the way you draw shapes and line art!

-cracks knuckles-

The recipe for my particular flavour of art is quite obvious once you know the ingredients, please follow below:

I’m a 90’s kid first and foremost, YuGiOh was the first big inspiration.

You can spot Kazuki Takahashi’s solid black shading and white highlights on reflective surfaces are a staple in my current style.

Look at this beautiful Millenium Eye, don’t you just wanna lick it?

Another specific technique: fabric folds. I love how Takahashi uses solid wedges of black to carve out the wrinkles in fabric (or in some cases, solid white on a black fabric). No blending needed! I apply these shapes both in the lineart (with solid black) or the shadow layer (on multiply) without softening/blending on the edges.

Next up is Jamie Hewlett, most known for designing the Gorillaz characters. This heavily influenced my aesthetic away from pure anime/manga and into a wider culture of pop, punk and graffiti.

On the technical aspects, I started thickening my lines and squaring/rounding off my shapes to have a more blunt, chunky feel.

On the Character aesthetic side, it also made me realise that characters don’t need to be conventionally attractive to be appealing. Bad posture? Crooked teeth? Baggy eyes? Hewlett is 100% responsible for all my ocs slowly turning into gremlins and tumblr sexymen.

I absolutely have to highlight how he draws hands, there’s an almost uncomfortable level of detail and realism that feels out of place on a cartoon character. The tendons, joints and wrinkles wouldn’t be out of place on a zombie, but all the gestures and poses feel very familiar. Like these are people I could have passed in my day by day.

That could just be me projecting - as someone who rarely looks people in the face, I tend to watch peoples hands the most; They give the lions share of body language and help humanize a character.

And now we have colour, which is a bit tricky since I still haven’t quite managed to figure out.

So instead I’ll point towards what I’m wanting to do more.

BrotherBaston: his use of bold shades, constrained colour palette and a light touch of gradients are something I aspire to use more.

There’s a level of clean, knowing when to embellish, and when to hold back on an artwork that I still struggle to balance. The ability to clearly visually communicate a character’s pose, design and intention.

This kind of precision and restraint is something I wish to learn, both in linework, colouring and character design.

Luckily for us he makes tutorials on youtube for anyone else wanting to check out his techniques!

And that's about it~ I've got a few honorable mentions to throw in at the end here: Banksy: Their bold stencils further influenced my use of solid shadows and strong shapes to build volume in an image, as well as being my introduction to graffiti

Mike Mignola: More amazing solid shadows and fantastic blocky shapes! I love the chonk.

Zdzisław Beksiński: Whenever I'm drawing more detailed body horror, this guy lives rent free in my head. A real chaotic layering of skeletal limbs twisting together into knots.

H.R. Giger: On the more erotic side of body horror spectrum, not much more needed to be said there

[thetriphibianmonster]

Godzilla Design Runway: Tristar/Millenium

Today I'm covering Godzilla's appearance from the first design to use CGI to the last film to use suitmation. Photos sourced from Wikizilla.

Chinzilla (1998) Ground zero for Raptorization, though his gangly proportions feel closer to a Xenomorph at times. Either way it doesn't suit Godzilla: what works at theropod size doesn't scale up well to a Daikaiju, and ToraGoji lacks the sturdy, pyramidal build that grounds the traditional suits. The design is also awkwardly front heavy, with the forward swept dorsal plates, broad shoulders, and lantern jaw.

Big Head Mode (1998) While giving Godzilla children is usually a way to develop his character, Emmerich seems more invested in aping the raptor scenes from Jurassic Park. As a result the Baby Godzillas are much more vilified than their predecessors, though their menacing features are undercut by their disproportionate, stick-figure builds.

DailyDose (1999-2000) A pretty radical reinvention of the King of the Monsters that still retains the spirit of the character. Channeling KingGoji, the first Millenium suit opts for a more reptilian visage, with its green skin, less upright pose, and crocodilian maw filled with jagged fangs. Its gigantic, crystalline dorsal plates are wholly original, rounding off a unique and iconic package, While it's not my preferred take on the King of the Monsters, I respect it immensely.

ThanksDoc (1999) Orga has one of the more unique builds among kaiju. Its hulking, brutish form is an ironic contrast to its pensive, cautious approach. It's a bit ungainly for my taste, but I can't deny it works in the context of a runaway mutation.

Godzilla Wants the Flamethrower (1999) We see very little of Orga's second phase before it is blown to smithereens. The mouth net is certainly unnerving and I like the rougher skin texture, though it's only a copy of MireGoji's. Ultimately it's more of teaser for further transformation than it is a complete design.

GojiMosuGhidoGoji (2001) The most villainous looking Godzilla design, GMK's squared off muzzle and empty gaze are instantly recognizable. While the more upright stance combined with the neck orientation gives this Godzilla rather poor posture, it helps enhance his menace though his distinct "skulking" silhouette.

Perpetual Perplexion (2002-2003) A solid synthesis of Miregoji's build with more traditional features. While KiryuGoji loses some of the originality of the first Millennium suit, its less fearsome face has unprecedented ability to emote. The amount of animatronics they crammed into that head is impressive: I think the Kiryu Duology may have been where Suitmation peaked at Toho.

Mechagodzilla Unit 03 (2002) While I've come to prefer the original's Tin Can charms, Kiryu was my favorite version for a long time. Instead of sleek futurism or whimsical retrofuturism, Kiryu grounds itself in the Real Robot genre with its detailed, plausible mechanical design. Appropriately resembling both a skeleton and a suit of armor, Kiryu's flexible, organic structure also deserves props for its functioning tail.

MFS-03Z Kai (2003) While its film isn't as good, I actually prefer Modified Kiryu's more streamlined, color-coordinated battle pack and railguns. That said, I miss the Absolute Zero Canon, and while the drill hand is fun, it feels a bit mechanically dubious for an otherwise grounded design.

Absolutely Zero Chill (2004) While the prior Millennium Suits retained surprising mobility given their bulk, the Final Godzilla suit is slimmed down for maximum flexibility and athleticism. Unlike some of its costars, FinalGoji still avoids an overtly humanoid build, instead evoking later Showa suits with extra muscle. It's demeanor is decidedly less Showa: with furrowed brow, piercing glare, and grimacing sneer, FinalGoji looks the most furious of any Godzilla. It's an eclectic mix of features, but impressive nonetheless.

The Relapse (2004) Somehow Minilla returned. While his most displeasing features have been smoothed over, he still resembles a Barney character more than anything Godzilla adjacent. Ultimately the worst version of Godzilla Junior is still more appealing than the best version of Minilla.

Jira Minus D (2004) Fairly embarrassing. While the CGI model's straightened dorsal fins alleviate some of ToraGoji's front-heaviness, this is still ultimately just a lower detail version of the worst Godzilla design.

[iantimony]

didn't poast last week so this is a two-week extravaganza post! con: got roped into DMing dnd pro: none of these fools have read mdzs so i can steal plots from there. hope the party is ready to be lead on a quest by a disembodied arm!

listening: oh shit SO many things. i will not be linking to all of them.

depeche mode: basically just their top songs on spotify, not any specific album. strong shoutout to 'shake the disease' and 'wrong' (which featured in my secret samol post!)

disturbed: ditto

franz ferdinand: albums 'hits to the head' and 'tonight'. throwbacks

phoenix: 'wolfgang amadeus phoenix' ditto throwback

inxs: 'x' DITTO throwback. doesn't hit the same as when i first listened to em years ago unfortunately

streetlight manifesto: album 'somewhere in the between'

boy and bear: 'harlequin dream'

sammy rae: 'let's throw a party', 'the good life', and their 'everybody wants to rule the world' cover

hozier: 'wasteland baby' and 'unreal unearth'

paramore: album 'this is why'

grizzly bear: 'veckatimiest' and 'painted ruins'

haken: their newest album 'fauna' because i'm thinking about whether or not to go to one of their shows in feb (leaning towards yes right now)

my SO's pinecore playlist

shosty symphony no 5 (<3)

and, finally, a lot of borodin symphony no. 1 in e flat and the last two movements of rimsky-korsakov golden cockerel because that's what the youth orchestra i'm volunteering with is playing right now haha

for podcasts, i've listened to the new counter/weight prequel eps! i'm so charmed to see these characters again. i still haven't finished millenium break holiday special because i lost my spot when a bunch of an episode played without sound by accident so i finally went and scrubbed back to the beginning of the episode (it's the second to last part) so by next week i will FINALLY be out of holiday special zone.

reading: finished rereading tgcf lol,,, in loving memory of square checkbox: apparently apple is switching to circle ones? hateful wikipedia page for kessler syndrome my friend @celestialtourguide sent me a dm to ask about a few of the characters in this manuscript and i was immediately charmed by it. it's so pretty, i loved the informational blurbs, just really cool stuff. it was already on waybackmachine but i've gone ahead and updated it.

watching: kurtis conner looksmaxxing. weird little subculture peek. rewatched sideways' why the music in cats 2019 is worse than you thought because my roommate was interested. this led us to the same channel's why avatar has the most ironic soundtrack of all time because roommate misread ironic as iconic and she really likes that movie. no accounting for taste, but aight. much more interesting than i thought it would be. that video then lead us to tony hinnigan's woodwind demos because hell fuckin yes. big-ass panpipes.

i've been keeping up on dunmeshi anime in little watch sessions with my SO, and also am working through kill la kill with him! i've seen it before but he has not so i'm really enjoying that.

playing: fallow.

making: i managed to finish my secret samol gift in time for reveal day!!! comics are fuckin hard dude!!!! i don't know if i'll be doing it again but it was a fun challenge. i decided to use a New App for some reason instead of procreate because procreate has not been hitting right and i wanted comic half tone brushes for this project. app is called sketchbook, it's an orange icon with a pencil on it. shrug! it's fine! i'll probably keep using it for a bit. started working on an english paper piecing project! soliciting tips for that because right now my method is: cut out hexagon using pattern piece i made to be 1/4 in larger all around than the template, gluestick template onto hexagon, baste edges down neatly, whip-stitch right sides together. remove template once all six sides have something attached. i'm sure there's a better way to streamline this process, i'll have to experiment. this will end up as a dice bag i think.

finally, pottery starts again this week! so next week will have some of that in here

eating: ah beans i did not do a good job keeping track of this. uh. made the ground pork & cabbage thing again because my roommate got SO much napa cabbage for making kimchi and we had a shitload left over. napa cabbage isn't as good as a more standard cabbage for this imo, standard cabbage tends to be a little sweeter i think once it's cooked in? idk. had some stage 5 mental illness moments last week trying to cook dinner on a very short time scale with lots of other shit to do, following a recipe because fucking of course my roommate wanted me to cook with a recipe that night. anyways.

misc: like said at the top, somehow i managed to sign up for Another Activity god damn it. so now every saturday evening i run dnd. tl;dr i'm in a group irl that meets biweekly, someone who i give a lift to for that was complaining in the car that their other online group's dm ragequit after his encounter wasn't well-balanced (skill issue) and before thinking about it i just was like oh well i could probably step in if you need! god damn ittttt lol i have missed dming so it should be fun. i vibe checked them for a session 0 last week and they seem chill and honestly shouldn't be too much work on my end, especially if i yoink plots from mdzs ha ha ha. other than that, all is basically well. i've settled back into a schedule, applied for some summer positions (!), and absolutely hate the amount of busy work in one of my two classes. yippee

[epicstuckyficrecs]

BOOKMARKS TO SELL

Hello! For Marvel Trumps Hate this year, I auctioned some homemade fabric bookmarks. I ended up having a lot of leftover bookmarks cause I had a minimum amount of fabric I had to purchase, so now I am selling my inventory!

TERMS AND CONDITIONS:

Price: 15$ CAN each, regular shipping from Canada included. If you buy more than one, I’ll do a bundle deal.

If you want shipping with tracking, you’ll have to pay for it. To give you an idea, Canada Post with tracking to the US is around 16$ and the EU around 40$.

Payment by PayPal only unless you live in Canada, in that case etransfer is possible.

Contact me by DM here if you’re interested in buying :)

Here’s what I have!

INVENTORY

SQUARE AVENGERS (5 left)

ROUND AVENGERS (5 left)

BLUE AVENGERS (4 left)

- with two ribbons

CAPTAIN MARVEL (4 left)

MILLENIUM FALCON (4 left)

- 1 turquoise

- 3 with two ribbons

BABY YODA

- 2 pink ribbon

- 1 neon ribbon

GREEN MANDALORIAN (4 left)

- 1 pink ribbon

- 2 neon ribbon

GREY MANDALORIAN (5 left)

- 3 pink ribbon

- 2 neon ribbon

[lesoreillesouvertes]

Mardi 6 mars : levée tôt grâce au décalage horaire, j'ai pu aller marcher dans le vent glacial presque jusque dans le lac. Et oui, les 20°C n'ont pas duré ! On est passé à 4°C et je ne regrette plus d'avoir rempli ma valise !

J'avais une obsession, aller voir le lac. J'ai marché tout droit jusqu'à ce qu'il n'y ai plus de béton en essayant de ne pas m'envoler. C'était bien plus long que ce que mon cerveau imaginait ^^ J'étais à la bonne distance pour commencer à observer la ville et voir l'ensemble de ses tours. Je suis vraiment curieuse d'en savoir plus sur l'architecture et l'histoire de la 2e plus grande ville des USA. Alors on peut trouver une mur d'escalade au milieu d'une patinoire, dans Millenium park, au coeur de la ville. Juste à coté, une salle de spectacle à ciel ouvert et le fameux Cloud, la cacahuète géante en métal sur laquelle se reflète la ville. Petite pointe de déception de ne pouvoir faire ma photo de touriste ! C'est ça les vacances l'hiver.

Au Chicago Cultural Center en ce moment, il y a l'exposition Freedom square : The Black Girlhood Altar qui rend hommage au filles et femmes noires disparues et assassinées. Un espace plein de couleurs et lumineux comme on imagine les vies de ces femmes. Aux fenêtres ou sur des terrasses, on peut voir des drapeaux Black Lives Matter et des drapeaux Palestinien.

[soupmode0]

What is your favourite map in Bomb Rush Cyberfunk? Whether your choice is based on aesthetic, level design, combo versatility, I would be interested! after beating the game and getting all the achievements, i've definitely found myself replaying pyramid island a lot more than the other maps, even though while playing through the story it didn't immediately appeal to me!

feel free to explain in the tags and reblog!

[gogetyrshovel]

hello i am visiting chicago for the first time in march and have no clue what to do do you have suggestions …

YES !!!

feel free to PM me with specifics if u want (neighborhood you're staying in, dietary restrictions, interests) so i can make better recs but here are some general must dos

Attractions:

The Art Institute of Chicago is beautiful, huge, and world class and so you will not see everything but they have an app-guided tour that will take you around to some of the most famous works in their collection

The Museum of Science and Industry is a childhood fave but the interactive exhibits still hold up tbh. You can look at anatomical slices of real human bodies and simulate a tornado!

The Shedd Aquarium is amazing but pretty $$ ($40!!) so would recommend if you're super interested but maybe save your money if it doesnt seem worth it to you.

Millenium Park is a must see--weather is kinda touch and go in March but if you get a warm/sunny day I recommend renting a Divvy bike and checking out the Lakefront Trail (side note: Lake Michigan is way bigger than u think it is)

Navy Pier is largely a tourist trap and nothing special I would skip it LOL 1

The Architecture Tours are also amazing and worth it !! Plus the views from the river are unmatched.

Neighborhoods to check out/Food to eat:

(I'm assuming you're staying in the loop but if not I can give you more suggestions based on where you're staying/what's accessible via transit)

Wicker Park/Logan Square

Cool bookstores, record stores, thrifting, good breakfast/brunch, coffee shops up the wazoo. Easily accessible via the blue line (more on transit later), one of my favorite meals ever is the Chicken Fried Chicken from Dove's Luncheonette.

Chinatown

The Chinese American Museum is pretty interesting if you're into history, but the biggest draw of Chinatown is the food. Chiu Quon Bakery has delicious pork buns and egg tarts that are ridiculously affordable, Hing Kee's soup dumplings are top tier. Go4Food is another local favorite and I recommend Happy Lamb if you're looking for hot pot.

Lincoln Park

Lincoln Park Zoo is free!! Check out the lily ponds and the Lincoln Park Conservatory. The coffee and baked goods at Verzenay are a little $$ but totally worth it.

Andersonville:

My biggest pet peeve is when people tell queer tourists to go to Boystown just cuz they have the gay bars and rainbow sidewalks. Andersonville doesn't have as many lesbians as it used to, but the vibes are a lot more inclusive and it feels way less yuppie gay white guy in my humble lesbian opinion. Lots of cute boutiques and good food. Kopi Cafe is unique and has really great vegetarian/pescatarian sandwiches and snacks. Not too far from Little Vietnam either, get a big bowl of pho or a banh mi at Pho 888.

Getting around:

I will wax poetic about the CTA, but it can definitely be intimidating if you're not familiar with it! You can get the Ventra app on your phone and tap it at the turnstiles/on buses --any chip card will work too. The best bang for your buck is to get a 3-day pass or a 5-day pass depending on how long you'll be here, because those give you unlimited rides and you'll probably be doing a lot of running around. The L (for elevated trains) is generally faster than the buses and are named by color (e.g. the red line, blue line, green line etc). Buses are numbered and sometimes have letters too. Google Maps' transit directions are usually solid but estimated arrival times are more accurate on the Ventra app itself.

[thundergirl007]

Busted performing Thunderbirds Are Go at Millenium Square in Leeds last night (11/7/24)

Goddamn it was such a good show!!

[asrisgratitudejournal]

Menulis

Waow sudah lama sekali saya nggak update karena kehidupan sangat dinamis.

Mau rekap dan bersyukur dulu saja kepada Allah SWT karena diberi kesibukan yang sungguh membuat pusing dan stres, tapi minimal jadi nggak galau apa itu makna kehidupan kalau lagi galau banget gini:

Weekend kemarin Sabtu nggak ngapa-ngapain beres kelas SMA16. Kayanya lanjut nonton apa ya? Lupa juga. Karaokean DAY6 apa yah. Terus jalan ke center sorean ba’da Ashar buat beli saos ABC, kelengkeng, ke Waterstones beli giftcard Kak Kaca, beli kopi dan sabun, dan ditutup dengan jajan YiFang.

Minggu setelah kelas 16 ada call sama angkatan GEA 11! Bahas UKT mahal banget, belajar banyak sih tentang… well, mostly pertanyaan yang keluar tapi betulan jadi banyak banget pertanyaan yang muncul (yang bisa dicari jawabannya) seperti:

kenapa kita ganti sistem jadi UKT dari yang dulu pas jaman kita kuliah uang pangkal aja di depan terus semesteran Rp 5 juta/semester

kenapa LPDP gaada buat S1, cuma buat S2 dan S3 doang

apakah sistem loan untuk kuliah seperti di UK dan US itu adalah yang paling bagus

gimana Jerman dan Perancis bisa ngegratisin SPP kuliah S1 atau minimal murah banget lah ya, jawabannya ternyata adalah tax money.

Kami semua (yang dateng 4-5 orang dari 87 orang, wow gaada 5% bahkan) gaada yang tahu jawabannya karena bukan expertise kita, but that’s what discussion are for kan. Tetap sangat senang karena sudah menyempatkan diri untuk hadir.

Di awal-awal sebelum mulai diskusi juga Adis sempat nanyain si Repsol udah produce natural hydrogen, jadi sempat membuatku baca lagi artikel-artikel natural hydrogen itu occurrence-nya gimana.

Habis dari diskusi, ke ulang tahun Kak Kaca, untungnya tetangga, masih sama-sama di Castle Mill kami. I had so much fun bertemu Rashid, Najlaa, makan nasi kuning juga. My heart was full lah pokoknya. Dari situ ke city, ketemu Deva bentar, terus lanjut jjs (jalan-jalan sore) ke Christchurch Meadow. Dilanjut ngopi (decaf) dan makan cake sambil baca di Endorphin. Ku tertarik banget sama koleksi-nya Endorphin kemarin baca salah satu bukunya studentnya Hawkings tapi sangat pusing dan gangerti akhirnya ku berhenti setelah chapter 1.Habis itu pulang! Di rumah dilanjut meeting prep untuk acara buka bersama nanti tanggal 23 Maret.

3. The whole week before: Jumat ke Royal Holloway! Sangat senang juga karena sangat produktif. Diskusi banyak sama Alex dan berhasil pinjam InfraRed Thermometer! Ku juga berhasil nge-vacuum seal 11 tubes, WHICH WERE A LOT, tapi karena skill-nya sudah ke-build dan confidence-nya juga sudah ada, itu semua selesai dalam 2 jam saja including packing.

4. Kamis di lab sampai malem karena nyiapin sampel: dari nyuci carius tubes, ngeringin tubes, masukin sample ke tubes, packing. Mayan efektif sih dan CAPEK.

5. Senin-Rabu lupa ngapain aja tapi kayanya nyiapin buat sealing di Jumat juga. Dan juga ngerjain manuscript gak ya(?) Lupa-lupa inget. Ku gak sabar menyelesaikan semua 24hour opening supaya bisa langsung fokus nulis ke manuscript ke 2.

Oh inget deng dikit! Senin-nya tuh aku mulai kerja baru sore karena paginya ngopi dulu sama Deva di Westgate wkwkw, terus dilanjut lunch makan Ji sama Mbak Shofi (dia mau apply PhD), Iris, dan Mbak Jessica. Seru banget ngobrolnya.

6. Minggu kemarinnya lagi: Sabtu ke London! Ulang tahunnya Shivanky. Kukasih dia hadiah giftcard Waterstones juga (wkwkw sangat tidak creative ya Noni ini). Ku beli di Waterstones yang depan Trafalgar Square. Ku senang banget ketemu sama teman-temannya Shiv (yang adalah super smart ambitious typical Oxford graduates lah ya) dan kami ngomongin banyak hal. We talked in Tate Modern, took some nice pictures over the Millenium Bridge, then lanjut makan Jollibee di Leicester Square. Itu Jollibee perdana aku HUHU SANGAT ENAK.

7. Hari Minggu-nya nggak ngapa-ngapain cuma siang getting susu di Sainsbury’s Jericho. Terus malamnya formal dinner KE-TIGA DI MINGGU ITU! Di Exeter sama Deva dan Aji. Sangat seru juga sih karena pertama kali mengajak Deva formal’s and we did talk about a lot of things.

8. Week yang sebelum itu ngapain yah. OH. LAGI DEMOTIVATED BANGET KERJA. Itu tuh habis dapet kiriman comments dari Alex dan tinggal kurapikan aja sebetulnya. Jumatnya ngerjain Lumex kayanya sama Joost, terus lanjut lunch Comptoir Libanais sama Bu Yani. Kamisnya, pagi, aku ke Nizami Ganjavi buat cari-cari buku belajar baca Korea, terus siangnya lanjut ke Westgate Library (LANJUT BELAJAR BAHASA KOREA), dan lanjut ngobrol di G&D depan Christchurch sama Hanif. Habis itu ada formal dinner Graduate High Table. Ku ga banyak ngobrol sama siapa-siapa, mostly Mas Felix aja di samping. Rabu di RUMAH SEHARIAN. Selasa WFH juga cuma sorean ke Lung Wah Cong beliin Deva kecap ABC dan ke Black Sheep. Senin juga WFH dan sorean ke Cohen Quad lanjut ke Exeter buat formal Subject Family Dinner. FIUH.

9. Weekend sebelumnya lagi: Sabtu jalan jauh ke Cowley setelah random di Westgate dan Sasi’s. Minggunya pengajian ku ngisi tausiyah tapi payah karena kurang prep but it is okay.

UDAH DEH. Balik lagi ke post terakhir yang gabisa kerja ituu. WOWWW. Itu literally di atas adalah rekapan selama 3 minggu. Sangat banyak hal yang terjadi sesungguhnya. AND I MET SO MANY PEOPLE??? Harus disyukuri dan SEMANGAT NONI sedikit lagi perjalanannya!!! Fighting!

19:27 04/03/2024 office room dept

[sinag789tala]

"Now, just a moment---! Your..." And the door is already slammed at your face. "....name."

Great. So you are serving a master without a name. Great.

Traces of the energy spent summoning you still linger as fragments of the woman's nervous energy buzz in the air. You are a demon, you can Feel discomfort when it's around --- and you aren't particularly powerful or special enough to truly flesh it out, so to Feel it this well means that your Master feels it even worse.

You shudder. You chalk it up to the leftover energy of the Summoning Circle.

Beneath you, the child coos. In the past, you would have wrinkled your nose in disdain. You aren't particularly powerful, or special, and that's why you get stuck doing measly jobs like these. You aren't particularly powerful, or special, but damn it, you're a demon, and these summoners need to learn to put some decorum in their assignments!

But the millenium spent sitting idly by, waiting for the next wannabe-villain sap to say your name yet never being called, has certainly tempered some of that irritation. You are...well, not un-glad to be remembered.

Then the child begins to wail, and you feel that derision coming back. There is something you can smell, taste, a sensation beginning to spread, you can Feel the hint of it on your tongue. Boredom, its stench beginning to lace the atmosphere.

You think that you should probably pick it up.

You're not quite sure how to handle this thing. You think that it's probably safe to lift it from the foot, and you definitely try---but the nasty little creature's head is huge and heavy and does not know how to balance itself whatsoever---so in a panic, you stumble, and it nearly falls. Its' rump lands squarely on your hands, secure. It ceases wailing and begins to laugh. You breathe a sigh of relief. Good.

It seems to agree, clapping its hands and gurgling spit. Or maybe it just liked the adrenaline. It is human, after all.

Thankfully for you, the tunic wrapped around its' backside is not soft nor squelching, so really, you suppose that all you need to do for now is keep it appeased. Simple enough.

You take a step out of the summoning circle, toddler in tow, and take a seat. The seat suddenly crunches down beneath you, wobbling its' legs dangerously, the jerking movement catching you off-guard. A surprised hiss bubbles out of you, when you take a good look around the place.

It seems that the disrepair does not stop at the chair.

The entire lair looks shabby and neglected---no, that's not right. It is clean and organized, but old, decaying. The one chair she has matches its' table, paint chipping off, its' four stable legs down to three and a peg. You look at the walls, cracks, a dent shaped so strangely like a fist at about five feet tall or so --- and far below it, the remnants of pigment (a distant tongue reminds you, craie). If you look closer, you can see that it is smeared as though someone had tried (and failed) at furiously trying to clean it off.

You look at what you assume to be its' culprit, and it is making bubbles of saliva in your hand.

The lair is neat. Orderly.

But another word you are thinking, a word you are thinking very hard, is empty.

The lair is empty.

Your Master is a master of little possession, but you don't think that it is a choice.

Well. You aren't particularly powerful, or special, but you set the squirming mass of your Master's tyke-spawn on the rickety table, and you begin to work.

An hour into your carpentry --- you can hear the taunts of the other demons again, about the irony of that phrase, a demon, carpentry! --- when the familiar Feel of Boredom starts to hum, and you let out a deeply annoyed sigh.

"What is it now, you insatiable little pest?" You murmur, as it fusses from the table. It starts to move, writhing little thing, like a little maggot, then it gets up --- it stands.

Now, you are a demon, a being unaffected by the human constraint of time or millennia, and you are very acquainted with the idea of standing, you've been doing it yourself for ages. And frankly, you don't see what the fuss is about, these humans, but you at the very least know that there is a Fuss about it. For some reason, it is important to the human race that babies learn to stand.

So, "Oh," you say eloquently. Very eloquently.

It even begins to walk.

Oh.

And your traitorous, abhorable, demonic senses, warp into something eerily similar to a feeling of delight --- feh! You are a demon! This human matter has absolutely no effect on you, of all things.

So, you remember yourself, you realize that the maggot is learning how to walk, and its' very first steps are on the shaky foundation of a rotting, rickety table.

"Oh."

Before the entire table gives, you pluck the baby into your arms, and then all the wood collapses (quite comically, too) into rubble and dust.

Your eyes twitch. Well. You did start it.

Beneath you, the little worm cackles at the havoc it has heralded. You think that it has a bright future in Overlord-ing.

(And you furiously ignore the fondness that is beginning to take you.)

To avoid any more incidents, you allow the child to walk wildly on the floor until it is hopefully exhausted, and you feel less like a demon, but more like a timid animal waiting out a rabid beast, and you want to kick yourself for how pathetic you are.

"Could you please just be still for one moment."

You're trying your hardest not to harness anymore occult than necessary for this woodworking project, because Hell would know, and it would be very pathetic on your report, but your patience is wearing thin, just as this toddler is getting increasingly bored.

It does not show even a sign that it heard you, and as young things often do, it runs around doing what it wants, governed by no one.

If not for the report that's being drafted for you on this very moment, you would turn this child into an actual maggot. Only Pledged Demons with Permanent Masters do not need to have reports, and of course, you do not want to be tied down to any Master.

Not even this one, though...she could use the help.

What are you thinking? You're a demon. You don't care.

Grumbling, you turn back to your work. Humans...and their moving about. The toddler squirms.

You would think that a freakish toddler attaining the capacity to walk on its own would be a stressful development for any parent but no, this weird species looks forward to the event and even celebrates it. You cannot for the damn life of you understand why ---

--- and for the 5th time, this chair that you've been working upon for 3 hours, completely crumbles.

You are so beside yourself with frustration that you do not realize the Boredom in the air dissipating --- you do not realize the tyke toddles to you, on its two newly discovered feet, holding a wrench in its hand, reaching out to you with a toothless smile.

You stare at it for a long while,

When it turns its head to the side with a puzzled stare and shakes it for you, as if to say, what are you looking at? It's right here, take it!

Begrudgingly, (that's what you are choosing to call this feeling blooming Rooting in your chest because you are a Demon, though not particularly powerful or special) you take the wrench, and you get back to work.

The wrench does wonders to your efficiency. Modern technology is beyond you.

You are getting better at this, so much better in fact, that you don't even realize that you've not only finished the chair, but you're on your way to finish the table too.

The toddler is reaching random tools at you, fishing out materials from the toolbox senselessly, laying them all down at your side in no discernible order, but once you figure out how all of them are used, it makes the job so much easier.

There is a note for each tool in the box, in curls of characters your ancient eyes are not made to understand, but the sentiment of each guides you --- another ability you have not felt yourself use in a long time. The letters have some similarities, the taller letters look Latin, those parts you know, but the rest, you are simply relying on feeling.

And what a strange feeling.

All these notes seem tired, but meticulous, dedicated, and they are so evident of your Master's worksmanship that you can't help but. Well. Appreciate her, you suppose. Without these notes, you would be senseless, with only an infant's gurgles to go by as you do your job.

The little maggot burbles something, while dancing along with what you know now to be something called a screwdriver, waving it in the air while singing a song.

It does not grate on you as you think it should. But you currently don't have the mind to be bothered, because you find yourself humming along to it too.

The toddler is reaching for something on the top of a weary drawer, and it is causing such a ruckus that the noise distracts you from completing your task. You can feel yourself snapping at it, some curse or hex rising up your throat like a flame ---

Then whatever it was reaching for topples, and breaks.

You are about to scold the little maggot, when you actually take a good look at the picture.

It is your Master, the tyke, and a man. She stands at what you assume is maybe five-or-so feet tall (you cannot help the way that your eyes flicker to the dent in the wall from earlier), and the man stands at her side so close that their arms are pressed together, despite the distant expression on his face.

His hand, you can see, is reaching for her face, but her frame is trying to pull back, and you notice a hidden bruise on her jaw under her scarf.

But the worst part, you think, as wrath (your least favorite vice) simmers --- boils --- beneath your scales, is that they are smiling for the picture.

The toddler stands up, as it has just learned, and promptly stomps on the man's face. It lets out a satisfied squeal with what it has done, and for a moment, the rage in you is quelled.

Strangely, it's as though the glass of the frame shattered on the ground did not allow itself to break through the child's skin. You are surprised, because you have never known the occult to prevent harm. And what surprises you even more is that you are not displeased by it.

You will say that you had nothing to do with it, if anyone asked, because you may not be particularly powerful, or special, but you are a good liar.

You finish the table; you start the walls. The chipped paint makes way for a new, deep hue, not quite red because maybe that's too on the nose and you remember that your Master is a human after all --- no, instead you choose a warm purple, and dark like wine.

...maybe it's still over the top. Very royal, compared to the Master you saw before. But you think that it's...

...not...un-nice.

The maggot wiggles in approval, streaked in the paint, flailing the brush around. You do not groan about having to clean up another mess because Strangely It Seems That No Mess Can Be Made. No smears of pigment that not even the most painstaking brush can erase. No more cracks or dents on the walls. No messes, not while you are around.

(And...if you start to use your occult stamina to give this newly-fixed lair a bit of a flourish...who's to say you aren't just defacing property?

Though, the toddler doesn't seem to think that the...vandalism is too bad. It's quite tasteful, actually. They like the decor.)

And by the end of the day, the tyke is clothed, fed, still clean, and appeased. And the lair is refurbished, redecorated, and repaired. The messes made always get cleaned up eventually.

"So, maggot," you are smirking...no, grinning to yourself, allowing that pride to swell in you, allowing the vice to swallow you whole. You think, you want to be so proud that it is sickening. "How do we feel about the new lair?"

It babbles. You take this as approval, as per usual.

"Excellent. All that is left for me to do now, is to see how the Master takes it---" Then the pungent, intense taste of nervousness begins to ambush all your senses, Satan below, this taste does not come easy to a demon like you, and you Feel the immense stress of your master is pressing into every bone beneath your flesh.

She opens the door slowly, and the worm in your arms begins to giggle, unable to notice the change in the atmosphere.

But in fairness, the master is good at hiding this feeling well, you don't even see it in her eyes.

"See how I take what?" She asks, eyes still downcast as she yanks the key out of her doorknob---then she Sees.

Though the nervousness in the room fades, it turns into something you have no name for --- and in a way, it is as if you soaked up all of the anxiety yourself.

"...so, Master..." Your mouth dries, as her face turns unreadable. "How do you like the lair---"

She throws herself at you, pulling you into a tight embrace. She sniffs, and the toddler, pressed against her chest, cheers.

She smiles, her eyes are warm, as she looks around her home anew.

"Purple," She grins. "That's my favorite color."

Something blooms in your chest and you let it.

She sees the newest additions separate from the table and the chair and the walls, some padding alongside a nice furnish (flair, every abode needs flair), a few shelves lined with books (because any Master should have a few of the dark tomes), new sets of utensils and platter (and cutlery! Any dark artist should have cutlery), but the one you can see her eye the most, a nice armchair (for all Masters must have thrones), dark oak with curling legs.

She takes a seat, the chair does not crunch nor wobble, but it shifts under her, like an embrace. She sinks in it, and her eyes close as you See her, for the first time, at rest.

She peeks, one eye opening slightly, with a tired smile on her face.

"Thank you," she says, stretching out her arm for her child.

You decide to put them down, let them walk to their mother themself.

Her eyes well with proud tears, and she looks at you with adoration in her eyes,

"Maggie! You clever little girl," she exclaims;

Delight pooling within you --- devotee to your harbringer, there is something new you are tasting, stronger than discomfort and nervous and anxious ---

You find the name as you reach within the crevice that feels it.

Love.

"Master," you begin, the words spilling out of your tongue as you hunger. This is a new, different feeling, this is an entity that your occult belongs with, scales and bone that need, need, need.

"I am the Badaqeth, Demon of Recreation and Rebirth, and from ashes and shadows I weave the foundations of new things," Your tongue has shifted into sounds she can recognize, it has been so long since you have said your name.

"Is there a name to the subject of my reverence?"

The statement is new on your lips.

You are not particularly powerful, or special, but the Demon's Pledge is binding, and you will serve her and her kin forever, be unbound from the constraints of Hell and its' contracts, be tied to the woman who makes you feel you---Recreation, Rebirth, Repair.

She is looking at the toddler in her arms, Maggie reaches out for you, arms open, open, open ---

"Ameli," she answers, and meets your eyes. "My name is Ameli."

You’re a demon. One day, you’re summoned into a living room, and an exhausted woman quickly rambles about needing to get to work and being unable to find a sitter before flying out the door. Now, you stand in your summoning circle, a toddler staring wide eyed at you.

[momi73]

Lease or Buy Spaces in Nyati Millenium by FloorTap

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[thebreakfastgenie]

What is your favourite opening to a Billy Joel song?

Specifically my faves include the first 20 seconds of I Go To Extremes (even more specifically the 2000 Years Millenium Concert Live At Madison Square Gardens), the hammering piano at the start of Everybody Loves You Now, and finally whatever the heck was happening at the start of Downeaster Alexa!

There is only one answer and it's the most basic answer of all but a classic is a classic for a reason: the glass shattering sound effect at the beginning of You May Be Right. He threw that rock! Also at the Grammys I didn't know he was coming back to close the show so I was looking away and then I heard that sound and RUSHED back.

I feel like Prelude/Angry Young Man is also such a basic answer but...... there's a reason he opened concerts with it for so many years. I really like the piano at the beginning of Summer, Highland Falls, too. And the piano at the beginning of Falling of the Rain. And Laura.

Now if you're talking specific live versions.... I need to think about that. There are a lot of cool ways they go into songs live and I have a hard time keeping track of them all.

Yours are GREAT choices. I Go to Extremes is so overlooked tbh!!

Also if you haven't seen it there's a video of the full Millennium Concert on YouTube and it's great.