#My art has always tried to convey a sense of movement or story | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

purposelynana · 2 years ago

Text

What Did I Watch: #25

China we need male lead like this, not some morally good, full of bullshit like millions of male lead in the sea of Chinese dramas. We need bad guy to win. We need a lovable villain to win.

Didi never looked so good.

Cang Lan Jue is a 36-episode drama that has been aired on Iqiyi. The story itself is kinda your typical xianxia, except the fact that it has Dongfang Qingcang. Any other xianxia which doesn't have Dongfang Qingcang couldn't stand a chance. Dongfang Qingcang is everything that I could asked for from China. He's bad and he was proud of it. He didn't come as preachy as any other male lead character in a lot of xianxias. And it felt so great to finally, to finally, have some decent common sense on a fcking Chinese drama.

And Dylaaaaannnn is just awesome. After the horrendous Miss The Dragon, he deserved this role. I mean, I just know it from back then when he stared in Meteor Garden. He can act. Just give him a chance. Give him a good story. Give him a good director. He'll astonish you.

The ending. Oh god the ending is such a perfection. I could have asked more but then I don't wanna be consumed by greed. It's already as good as it is. I don't want to change anything. Hands down one of the best xianxia of all time.

I heard good things about The Eclipse and I started to watch it while making this post. After 3 episodes, I conclude that... okay this is my problem with GMMTV. They always know how to make an edgy story with high concept but the execution is just blah. I'm not talking about the script or the acting. Both First and Khao are such a good actors. The script is well it's early to tell whether it'll end up a garbage or gem.

For a story that contained theme within idealism, exerting rules, and acting as a mirror to our broken government, it was sound and look cheap as heck. I appreciate how the filmmakers tried to convey this message but certain scenes felt like a laughable. Especially the one scene where the students repeating (or chanting) their school rules. It was shot inside of a room with bunch of kids, medium close up Khaotung trying to make sense any of that. It felt constrained, limited and small. Okay it seemed cultish but the way it shot, it sent a message to me that the urgency of Khaotung's character to avenge his uncle is none. He didn't feel like he was alone or he himself against the world. I wish it was shot outside, using wide angle and adding a bunch of extras. For school that big, it was weird just to see not more than 20 kids hanging around school. And I know Bangkok is a small city but at least can you just figure it out a way to find a set which not used by 10 other BL dramas. God.

In addition, the post-production that they did seem hasty. Editing sometimes get a bit weird. Sound mixing definitely weirder than anything I've ever encountered. Lastly, whoever trying to kill me by putting background music in every scene. Don't you know, the art of silence? I felt like watching a music video instead of a series.

I want to love the series because well you know what they said, queer revolution is definitely happen at the very moment. Isn't that great to watch something that has been reflecting on our society? But it was full with metaphor in which there are so many explanatory post around Tumblr dedicated to discuss about this. It felt to me such an over-simplification to everything. There was no reason why the student revolution needs to happen on the first place. Except the fact that they hate to wear uniform. (Funny enough it's only 3 people protest). The bullying shown only after they protested. The movement shown only within those 3 people and obviously the main character, whoever Khaotung's character is. It felt like the movement wasn't touching any other characters. In some other time, it did resemble to a painting of French Revolution, Liberty Leading The People. You put it on the room, people may take a look at it, but I guess if you're not nationalist enough or need its content to be explained, you just stand there and do nothing about it. The Eclipse's s metaphors needs to be explained in order people to appreciate what it's trying to do. Well if you've got 1 hour and your audiences still didn't understand a shit, that's sucks.

It's not big enough. It's not bold enough. Unlike its predecessor Not Me, The Eclipse as this was written, has the potential but still not paying off. Maybe in later episodes, it will end up good. Because I want it to be the best version out there, not just half-heartedly series which design to be forgotten.

#cang lan jue #the eclipse #what did i watch

7 notes · View notes

anhed-nia · 4 years ago

Text

BLOGTOBER 10/7/2020

I missed THE GOLDEN GLOVE at Fantastic Fest last year. It was one of my only regrets of the whole experience, but it was basically mandatory since the available screenings were opposite the much-hyped PARASITE. As annoying as that sounds, it was actually a major compliment, since what could possibly serve as a consolation prize for the most hotly anticipated movie of the year? Needless to say, I heard great things, but I could never have imagined what it was actually like. I'm still wrapping my mind around it.

Between 1970 and 1975, an exceptionally depraved serial killer named Fritz Honka murdered at least four prostitutes in Hamburg's red light district. Today, we tend to think of the archetypal serial killer in terms of ironic contradictions: The public is attracted by Ted Bundy's dashing looks and suave manner, and John Wayne Gayce's dual careers as politician and party clown. Lacking anything so remarkable, we associate psychopathy with Norman Bates' boy-next-door charm, and repeat "It's always the quiet ones" with a smirk whenever a new Jeffrey Dahmer or Dennis Nilsen is exposed to the public. The popular conception of a bloodthirsty maniac is not the fairytale monster of yore, but a wolf in sheep's clothing, whose hygienic appearance and lifestyle belie his twisted desires. In our post-everything world, the ironic surprise has become the rule. In this light, THE GOLDEN GLOVE represents a refreshing return to naked truth.

To say that writer-director Fatih Akin's version of the Fritz Honka story is shocking, repulsive, and utterly degenerated would be a gross understatement. We first meet the killer frantically trying to dispose of a corpse in his filthy flat, wallpapered with porno pinups, strewn with broken toys, and virtually projecting smell lines off of the screen. One's sense of embodiment is oppressive, even claustrophobic, as the petite Honka tries and fails to collapse the full dead weight of a human corpse into a garbage bag, before giving up and dismembering it, with nearly equal difficulty. The scene is appalling, utterly debased, and yet nothing is as shocking as the killer's visage. When he finally turns to look into the camera, it's hard to believe he's even human: the rolling glass eye, the smashed and inflated nose, the tombstone teeth and cratered skin, are almost too extreme to bear. Actually, suffering from a touch of facial blindness, I had to stare intently at Honka's face for nearly half the movie before I could fully convince myself that I was, in fact, looking at an elaborate prosthetic operation used to transform 23 year old boy band candidate Jonas Dassler into the disfigured 35 year old serial murderer.

Though West Germany remained on a steady economic upturn beginning in the 1950s and throughout the 1970s, you wouldn't know it from THE GOLDEN GLOVE. If Honka's outsides match his insides, they are further matched by his stomping grounds in the Reeperbahn, a dirty, violent, booze-soaked repository for the dregs of humanity. Though its denizens may come from different walks of life, one thing is certain: Whoever winds up there, belongs there. Honka was the child of a communist and grew up in a concentration camp, yet he swills vodka side by side with an ex-SS officer, among other societal rejects, in a crumbling dive called The Golden Glove. The scene is an excellent source of hopeless prostitutes at the end of their career, who are Honka's prime victims, as he is too frightful-looking to ensnare an attractive young girl. These pitiful women all display a peculiarly hypnotic willingness to go along with Honka, no matter how sadistic he becomes; this seems to have less to do with money, which rarely comes up, and more to do with their shared awareness that for them, and for Honka too, it's been all over, for a long time.

Not to reduce someone’s performance to their physical appearance, but ???

To call Dassler's portrayal of Honka "sympathetic" would be a bridge too far, but it is undeniably compelling. He supports the startling impact of his facial prostheses with a performance of rare intensity, a full-body transformation into a person in so much pain that a normal life will never become an option. His physical vocabulary reminded me of the stage version of The Elephant Man, in which the lead actor wears no makeup, but conveys John Merrick's deformities using his body alone. Although there is an abundance of makeup in THE GOLDEN GLOVE, Dassler's silhouette and agonized movements would be recognizable from a mile away. In spite of his near-constant screaming rage, the actor manages to craft a rich and convincing persona. During a chapter in which Honka experiments with sobriety, we find a stunning image of him hunched in the corner of his ordinarily chaotic flat, now deathly still, his eyes gazing at nothing as cigarette smoke seeps from his pores, having no idea what to do with himself when he isn't in a rolling alcoholic rampage. The moment is brief but haunting in its contrast to the rest of the film, having everything to do with Dassler's quietly vibrating anxiety.

Performances are roundly excellent here, not that least of which are from Honka's victims. The cast of middle-aged actresses looking their most disastrous is hugely responsible for the film's impact. These are the kinds of performances people call "brave", which is a euphemism for making audiences uncomfortable with an uncompromising presentation of one's own self, unvarnished by any masturbatory solicitation. Among these women is Margarete Tiesel, herself no stranger to difficult cinema: She was the star of 2012's PARADISE: LOVE, a harrowing drama about a woman who copes with her midlife crisis by pursuing sex tourism in Kenya. Her brilliant, instinctive performance as one of Honka's only survivors--though she nearly meets a fate worse than death--makes her the leading lady of a movie that was never meant to have one.

So, what does all this unpleasantness add up to, you might be asking? It's hard to say. THE GOLDEN GLOVE is a film of enormous power, but it can be difficult to explain what the point of it is, in a world where most people feel that the purpose of art is to produce some form of pleasure. This is the challenge faced by difficult movies throughout history, like THE GOLDEN GLOVE's obvious ancestors, HENRY: PORTRAIT OF A SERIAL KILLER, MANIAC and THE TEXAS CHAIN SAW MASSACRE. Describing unremitting cruelty with relentless realism is not considered a worthy endeavor by many, even if there is real artistry in your execution; some people will even mistake you for advocating and enjoying violence and despair, as we live in a world where huge amount of movie and TV production is devoted to aspirational subjects. (The fact that people won't turn away from the Marvel Cinematic Universe movies, no matter how monotonous and condescending they become, should tell you something) How do you justify to such people, that you want to make or see work that portrays ugliness and evil with as much commitment as other movies seek to portray love, beauty, and family values? Why isn't it enough to say that these things exist, and their existence alone makes them worth contemplation?

A rare, perhaps exclusive “beautiful image” in THE GOLDEN GLOVE, from Fritz Honka’s absurd fantasies.

You may detect that I have attempted to have this frustrating conversation with many people, strangers, enemies, and friends I love and respect. I find that for some, it is simply too hard to divorce themselves from the pleasure principle. I don't say this to demean them; some hold the philosophy that art be reserved for beauty, and others have a more literary feeling that it's ok to show characters in grim circumstances, as long as the ultimate goal is to uplift the human spirit. Even I draw the line somewhere; I appreciate the punk rebellion of Troma movies as a cultural force, but I do not enjoy watching them, because I dislike what I perceive as contempt for the audience and the aestheticization of laziness--making something shitty more or less on purpose. A step or three up from that, you land in Todd Solondz territory, where you find materially gorgeous movies whose explicit statement is that our collective reverence for a quality called "humanity" is based on nothing. I like some of those movies, and sometimes I even like them when I don't like them, because I'm entranced by Solondz's technical proficiency...and maybe, deep down, I'm not completely convinced about "humanity", either. However, I don't fight very hard in arguments about him; I understand the objections. Still, I've been surprised by peers who I think of as bright and tasteful, who absolutely hated movies I thought were unassailable, like OLDBOY and WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN. In both cases, the ultimate objection was that they accuse humans of being pretentious and self-deceptive, aspiring to heroism or bemoaning their victimhood while wallowing in their own cowardice and perversity. Ok, I get it...but, not really. Why isn't it ever wholly acceptable to discuss, honestly, what we do not like about ourselves?

The beguiling thing about THE GOLDEN GLOVE is that, although it is instantly horrifying, is it also an impeccable production. The director can't help showing you crime scene photos during the ending credits, and I can't really blame him, when his crew worked so hard to bring us a vision of Fritz Honka's world that approaches virtual reality. But it isn't just slavishly realistic; it is vivid, immersive, an experience of total sensory overload. Not a square inch of this movie has been left to chance, and the product of all this graceful control is totally spellbinding. I started to think to myself that, when you've achieved this level of artifice, what really differentiates a movie like THE GOLDEN GLOVE from something like THE RED SHOES? I mean, aside from their obvious narrative differences. Both films plunge the viewer into a world that is complete beyond imagination, crafted with a rigor and sincerity that is rarely paralleled. And, I will dare to say, both films penetrate to the depths of the human soul. What Fatih Akin finds there is not the same as what Powell and Pressburger found, of course, but I don't think that makes it any less real. Akin's film is adapted from a novel by Heinz Strunk, and apparently, some critics have accused Akin of leaving behind the depth and nuance of the book, to focus instead on all that is gruesome about it. This may be true, on some level; I wouldn't know. For now, I can only insist that on watching THE GOLDEN GLOVE, for all its grotesquerie, I still got the message.

#blogtober #2020 #the golden glove #fatih akın #heinz stronk #jonas dassler #margarete tiesel #difficult cinema #horror #slasher #serial killer #period piece #adaptation #historical #biopic #fritz honka #i may have been watching a lot of powell and pressburger movies recently #sorry...

24 notes · View notes

art-ahw · 4 years ago

Text

Final Evaluation: Verdant/Barren

At first, the theme ‘verdant/barren’ jumped out to me because it seemed to be so different to the others, in that it could be applicable to pretty much everything. There was something that appealed to me about the contrast of something flourishing to something dying, or being unable to produce life. From my recent escapades in the landscape of Uganda, I had fresh imagery in my mind of illustrious landscapes and fertile land, and so it made sense for me to pick something with more of a nature base.

Pablo Picasso has been a massive inspiration in the way that I have incorporated bodies into my pieces- the way that he zeroes in on forms and exaggerates positions is something that I find to be intriguing, especially his piece entitled, ‘Guernica’, which depicts a scene of horror after the bombing of the town. It shows bodies entwined in agony, and helped me along the journey of realising that I wanted to focus on bodies and the way positions can evoke different emotions. Another artist that helped me with this same issue is Fede Bianchi, who inspired my mandalas which were the basis of my ideas moving forward, and a major development in the final outcomes. In terms of the style of painting, Jenny Saville was the definite influence for the final outcomes, with the priority zooming into bodies and faces contorted in different positions. I also tried to take the way that she uses colour and mark making into my own portraits.

One piece of wider world research that I did at the start of the project was that of the book ‘Heart of Darkness’, conveying a story of a man journeying into the depths of Africa, finding the heart of darkness in the colonialist attitudes of the western powers. I think that reading this book so early on really helped pave the way in my ideas and the eventual final concepts. This is where the forest scenes crawling with black bodies and slaves is introduced, and a scene that has stuck with me and will stick with me in life.

‘Black shapes crouched, lay, sat between trees, leaning against the trunks, clinging to the earth, half coming out, half effaced within the dim light, in all the attitudes of pain, abandonment , and despair. Examining the edge of the forest above and below, I was almost certain I could see movements- human forms gliding here and there.’

My project concept was based on my own experiences with the racist aftermath of white colonialism in Uganda, and I explored the way in which a place that is so bountiful and natural voluptuous can be so vile in energy and have something so barren at the core of its society. In all of my artwork, I tried to depict a clear journey from drawing and capturing abstract energies, to pinpointing physical and specific ideas. I expanded this as well to include the ideas of our own environment in the western world; what our comfort looks like in relation to and in correspondence to the suffering that it is built on.

I experimented with a lot of process such as photoshop, chemical manipulation and painting in this project, learning about how to communicate ideas in many different media. The most important thing that I came to realise in my work is that even though I love to learn new things and explore more of my artistic skills, reverting and playing with my strengths in things like painting can sometimes be the most beneficial thing to do. I think the reason for this is because when there is such an important topic that is so close to my heart and fragile to many people, I need to be able to communicate in a way that I know I can do reliably, and for me that is painting.

The mandalas were definitely a part of my art that I feel like I really excelled on, presenting the message and relaying the theme extremely well. I wanted to show the fertility of the land within a different fruit grown locally in Africa, and then drew bodies intertwining with the leaves and crop- the first development to my final outcomes. I also think that my GIFs were very successful and I would love to work with animation again.

My initial ideas were based on these mandalas and this paired with the different thoughts on comfort in the white community was paired in a collage making brainstorm, where I figured out the imagery that I wanted to use and the message that I wanted to see within my pieces. After this, I then started researching my artists and finding a way to paint realistically, but with an edge. I wanted to create a world in my painting that didn’t look like it was from earth, because deep in the ‘heart of darkness’, it really does feel like that. After having the idea of living room furniture as representation of comfort, I realised that I wanted to include this in my final piece. I had an idea to show an actual living room scene in the exhibition, but as COVID restricted us from doing so, I had to come up with other ideas. I came up with a mini version of that, turning my painting into a chair that you could physically sit on. I photographed a person with their head pressed against it as if they were sleeping, and this picture was so powerful that I wanted to paint it on the back of the other piece. Throughout this process I learnt a lot about myself, and what process works best for me. I realised that inspiration comes from the most unlikely things, and to always embrace it and be on the lookout.

Hypothetically, I would have painted many forest scenes, covering walls in this imagery until it felt like the viewer was in nature- but within the scenes, an uneasy sense as you realise that there are bodies in the background as well as the foreground. However, the concept that I ended up with is tamer, but I would either like to make a full cushion/sofa set, and I would place it in a missionary space/ centre so that unknowingly they would be sitting on it. I would use the fabric prints created as the cushion covers, and I wonder what the reaction to the images seen would be. My painting piece is different, but I think I would like it to be shown in a more central western location, as I want to bring this message into our world.

10 words to describe my final outcome:

Nature

Peace

Contortion

Slave

Naked

Bodies

Illustrative

Fruit

Uneasy

Pain

Soundtrack:

(Album) To Pimp a Butterfly- Kendrick Lamar- an album about blackness in America and the history of slavery, hip hop rap.

Coffee and TV- Blur- the song that depicts the feeling of being in comfort.

Strange Fruit- Billie Holliday- the song that inspired the final piece, haunting melodies and poetry. I would put this song on repeat in the background to create an immersive atmosphere. I spent a lot of time outside of college on this project, at most about 10 hours per week.

Theme:

Research:

https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2020/04/13/a-missionary-on-trial

Development:

Final Outcome:

My final paintings- both on the same canvas, one behind the other. I wanted to again bring across the message of what white comfort looks like, the rejuvenation of sleep and peace compared to the energies that brought it there. We forget that our places of happiness are built on the backs of pain and suffering- and the image of peace here is literally on the back of a picture of pain and suffering. Using techniques that I started to explore in my other paintings, I also sewed into this, almost as if the painting behind it is leeching into the former- I used browns and greens for this.

Drawing from my own experiences, I wanted to showcase the power that the white community truly has over the developing countries in our world, and the discomfort we should feel as people with privilege but always cease to address.

4 notes · View notes

fandom-collective-writers · 5 years ago

Text

Reader x Jihyun Kim {MysMes} - Letters to Heal a Broken Heart

Title: Letters to Heal a Broken Heart Fandom: Mystic Messenger Character: Jihyun Kim Genre: bittersweet? romance Warnings: spoilers for his good ending! Intended Gender Audience: Neutral Audience Word Count: 2040 words POV: second person Other comments: no smut but im proud of this! please note that everything with the push back is a letter! i think its pretty clear, but i wanted to make sure it’s understood <3 Written by: @mythiica Req:

Dear –

I’ll admit, it feels a bit strange writing a letter for you, but my therapist recommended it. He told me to explain my emotions with words, saying it would help me become more confident.

See, the reasoning behind it, at least from what I remember, is that there is no pressure to think quickly. Writing allows a flow, a sense of movement between the words before you pick which one you wish to use. Talking is different because it follows a completely contrasting rhythm. To keep a conversation going, you have to speak rather quickly so the person stays engaged in the topic.

It’s all really interesting, and my therapist has given me a book over the fundamentals of other practices like this. I read half of it on the plane to Japan.

To clarify, I’m writing this from my hotel room in Tokyo. I landed a few hours ago and the jet lag has yet to hit me, so I decided to take advantage of this time to write.

I think you’d like it here – the sakura are in full bloom and I have three days dedicated to photographing the sea of pinks as they ripple in the wind. Until now, I’ve only seen pictures of the famous parks, and I never thought that I would be able to witness them in person.

I didn’t think I’d

I never conside

Ah, I should mention, I’m not allowed to erase or cross out sentences I start. Another confidence booster? It’s a bit sillier, but it’s meant to force me to say what is on my mind, rather than letting it fester. I’ll try again:

During my years under Mint Eye, my vision was narrowed, and I had only one duty. However, I am learning to broaden my horizons and expand my mind to encompass everything. The urge to explore bubbles in my chest, waiting for the moment to come out. There are so many chances to do anything, and I’ve got all the time to do all of it.

I’ve also realized that I went over my word limit. I have to stick to 300 words or under. Confidence booster #3! Express yourself with less words. Take a guess of how many times I’ve opened the thesaurus, looking for better synonyms for words? At least seven times in the past five minutes. It’s crazy!

For now, I’ll sign this off and try better next time.

よりご多幸を祈って

Jihyun Kim

PS, I’m practicing my Japanese! That says best wishes… I think.

नमस्कार

Hello and greetings from India! I took a long nap on the plane, and forgot to write. Although I’m only passing through, I ate some delicious food (that I should really try to replicate for you). India is absolutely beautiful – from the sunrises to the bustling markets to the colorful fabrics hung at every corner. I’ll inhale the air and smell six things at once, albeit, not all of them are the best, but I embrace it nonetheless.

More about what I’ve been doing: funnily enough, my phone died on the bus ride, but I made a new friend named Sunmi, and she was kind enough to lend me her charging cable. Instead of ending the interaction there, we spoke for a few hours at least. I learned she was traveling with her friends on a photography excursion. She gave me all the information, and I’d like to look into it when I have wifi again.

You wouldn’t believe what they’ve seen! Last year they went to Antarctica through South America. She got to pet a penguin! Apparently the company also takes people to Greenland and New Zealand – some places I’ve been dreaming of visiting since I was a young boy.

I’ll use my last 100 words to mention that… I’ve gotten a bit homesick. I miss the RFA – well, the people from the RFA minus…

Don’t tell Jumin about the company though, he’ll insist on flying me around with his private jet. I want to experience for myself. Saeyoung is somehow messaging me when I don’t have service? I don’t… understand. Anyways, I also saw Zen landed a huge international role (someone had a magazine on the plane). Otherwise, I hope Jaehee and Yoosung are well. And Elizabeth the 3rd of course. Send them my wishes.

I didn’t forget about you though! The keychain you gave me reminds me of home every day. It might have lost an eye, but I found a button and stitched it on. And I also wanted to ask you–

Ah, I’m over again.

Next time.

Jihyun Kim

Iyi günler! I am in Turkey now and actually writing this on a boat. The sun is setting over the horizon, making the sky change colors with every passing minute. It’s breathtaking, but I wish you were here with me. The other passengers and I take turns standing at the front of the boat, and I sometimes linger, trying to take pictures.

Good news! My vision is getting better. I’ve been taking some Greek herbal remedies, and the seem to be helping. Either that, or they have a wonderful placebo effect. Has that ever happened to you? To think something is working, but you’re just imagining things?

I apologize, maybe that stirred bad memories for you.

Back to Turkey: I stepped out of my comfort zone and spent a night camping. Honestly? I was terrified of doing so, but now I want to do it every night. It is the perfect temperature for hiking, even though I am a bit sunburned.

So many people have been commenting on my hair. Good things mostly, and I started styling it with a bit of gel to keep it out of my eyes. It feels good to look people directly rather than through a curtain.

What are you up to? Hosting anymore parties? I imagine that you are keeping busy, as always of course. My therapist said it would be best to wait messaging you until I return home. I nearly called you a week ago, but I didn’t want to break my vow. It’s like lying to myself, and I know better than that now.

Still, it doesn’t stop me from dreaming.

Sending love,

I’m genuinely angry, but writing to you always calms me. Someone stole my bag – I luckily didn’t have much in it, but your keychain… can you make me a new one please? Now that I don’t have it, it’s almost like I’ve lost a part of you. It hurts a lot, but then I wonder if I am being silly. It’s just a keychain.

Otherwise, France is nice. I didn’t want to go to Paris, so instead I traveled through the countryside to visit a few wineries.

Yes, I did… drink a bit, but I wasn’t impaired when my bag was stolen!

You would laugh at me if I told you what happened, so I will save the story for another time. Before coming to France, I went through Germany and visited some of the most beautiful castles I’ve ever seen. They all looked like they could be straight from a fantasy movie set, and I was convinced one – Neuschwanstein Castle – actually was.

I’ve barely written anything despite so much happening.

I got a haircut (finally), because it was becoming a hassle to tie it back at night.

One evening, I fed some stray cats and they followed me home.

And a drunk (?) tried to play cards with me. But he didn’t have cards. He was dealing an imaginary deck.

Other stories will have to wait until I see you again, and I feel better now. It’s okay to be upset, but it won’t hinder my trip any more.

Je t'aime,

Jihyun

Alaska doesn’t have a night.

That’s not exactly true, but it’s basically true. The hotel has special curtains that block the light, and it is only dark for a few hours.

It has been many miles since I last wrote, but I was caught up in visiting show after event after party after exhibit through America. Their art has given me a new perspective on point of view and emotions, so I hope that the ten camera chips I’ve filled with photographs will be able to convey the same sense of awe.

I’ve also been mistaken for an idol? Like – multiple times. Interesting to say the least, maybe I’ll say yes to the next person that asks. What should my stage name be? I’ll spare you the embarrassment and not share my ideas. They are all very silly and no one would believe me if I told them my name was Cam Ra. Do you get it? It’s bad, I know.

I’ll be returning home soon, unless I get distracted or impulsive and go down to California and Hawaii before coming back. I want to – it doesn’t feel right to return just yet. But that doesn’t mean anything about you!

Really, I think about you and everyone else each day.

Have you met new people? We’ll exchange so many stories…

See you soon,

J K

You pace around, waiting for the last guest on the list to appear. The party started an hour ago, but he still has not arrived. Then again, it has been three months since anyone heard a whisper from V, and you start to lose hope. Swallowing hard, you remind yourself that V is having a wonderful time exploring the world and finding himself.

Taking a handful of your dress, you turn and head through the doors to the main room. Jumin tries to pull Saeyoung away from Longcat, Yoosung explains his most recent surgeries to a group of nurses from his work place, and Jaehee receives many compliments for her majestic cake.

Everyone is happy and has moved on.

You hope V has too.

Maybe all the wishing and praying finally paid off, because you hear his familiar voice calling out behind you. It’s a long shot, but you turn around nonetheless, thinking it is a different guest.

Instead, you see Jihyun, wearing the most dazzling smile you’ve ever seen, running towards you. He’s carrying a folder filled with papers, but that doesn’t stop him from embracing you. He smells rugged, like his voyage has transformed him, but you rather like it.

“Jihyun!” You melt against his hug. “You’re.. Here… you’re here!”

Your squealing draws everyone’s attention, but he focuses on you and only you. “Of course I’m here. I missed you more than I can verbalize.”

His stance is open, welcoming, and confident, much different from two years ago. He is a different person now, brave and proud. Jihyun offers you the folder. It is strange to gift something in the middle of a party, but you accept it anyways, happy he has returned.

Jihyun’s heart races as he explains. “I wrote you letters every time I went somewhere new. These are just a few of them, really I have so many. But each shows something I’ve learned.” He takes a breath and laces his fingers with yours. “This is sudden, and I’m sure you will need time to think about it, but I’m trying something new: asking without being afraid. Over the past two years, I’ve… longed for you. Art has shown me the power of friendship, joy, perseverance, and most importantly, dedication. I want to dedicate my art to you, if you’ll stand by my side.”

You can’t find the words to express yourself because you are so awestruck. He truly has changed, but he has embraced himself and his life. Tears start to roll down your cheeks from the overwhelming surge of emotions. Jihyun brushes them away and presses his forehead to yours.

“I still have much to learn, but I want to do it all with you.”

“I’d like that a lot, Jihyun,” you whisper, captivated by his intense gaze.

“And I can finally say this without fear–”

You tip your head up, and Jihyun kisses you the next moment. His lips are chapped and the warmth radiating from his skin envelops you. He doesn’t need words to communicate it, because you understand perfectly what he is trying to say.

#mysmes #mystic messenger #mysmes v #mysmes jihyun #jihyun kim

102 notes · View notes

cryptofilm · 4 years ago

Text

Bolt from the Dark | Animated Short Film

vimeo

Bolt from the Dark | Animated Short Film by Prateek Mathur

The short film is available for crypto art collectors - NFT Rarible

Bolt From The Dark - Concept

The concept of this short film revolves around surrealistic art and fantasy. Surrealism is a movement that began in the 1920s and has been expressed in art, literature, and even politics. WWI had a profound effect on Europe, and many people believed that the conflict was a result of excessive rational thought and the materialistic values of the middle and upper classes. Artists of this belief were known as Dadaists, and they embraced chaos and the irrational. The Surrealism movement focused on these ideas of chaos and unconscious desires in an effort to dig deep into the unconscious mind, to find inspiration for political and artistic creativity.

The main character in the video is represented by a female body made out of dark wood. In place of a human head is a cube, with one out of the six sides connecting to the body. She is also holding two crystal eyes. The character does not represent a human form. She reacts to sound as conveyed by the movements of the cube and the way it lights up with the beat. Instead of her facial features – which he does not have – displaying emotions, her gesture translates her feelings. She holds her crystal eyes in her hands, and thus controls and manipulates her surroundings.

In contrast, an organic character is introduced. A “Wyvern”. The legendary bipedal, winged, dragon, usually depicted with a tail ending in the shape of a diamond or arrow, is a popular creature in European literature, video games, and modern fantasy. The Wyvern in heraldry and folklore, is rarely fire-breathing, unlike the four-legged dragon. It frequently features in modern fantasy fiction, though its first literary appearances may have been in medieval bestiaries.

In the video, the Wyvern’s poisonous breath is represented by fire, which can be equally as destructive. It also appeals to the sense of touch. The concept of the video originated from a desire to take the viewer on a journey of transformation, beginning in darkness and reaching for the light. However, it also serves as a metaphor for the recent events that have touched us all. Before the pandemic, we were living life without a care for the little things that seem so precious today. It has shown us how fragile our community is, and the subsequent chain reaction that will occur if one single aspect of our society falls. Unfortunately, given our innate habit to downplay more traumatic events, as life gets back to normal, we will most likely forget just how much the pandemic affected us personally, and we will eventually ignore the things which we learned. As human beings, we are motivated to see the bright side and do our best to forget the bad.

This story also demonstrates how people around us play an important role in changing who we are and vice versa. The healthiest option for anyone, is to be surrounded by people with rational thinking, who have the ability to consider the relevant variables of a situation and to access, organize, and analyze relevant information (e.g., facts, opinions, judgments, and data). This is not a skill one can just master. Unfortunately, any rational person can fall into the darkness, through mistakes and harmful influence. It is by definition what it means to be human. For example, at the peak of the Covid-19’s first wave, death and the ever-present threat of an unseen enemy pushed many people to find an escape. While some moved towards a more positive way of dealing with the issue, many fell prey to irrational thinking, tumbling deeper down the rabbit hole of conspiracy theories, thus wiping out the rational thought process of what is to be believed.

CONCEPT

The story begins with the character, emerging from the darkness and reaching a platform, from which she can observe her surroundings, seemingly filled with dragon eggs. The dragon egg symbolises a beginning. An empty mind searches, as it needs information, direction and knowledge so it may begin its journey. As the egg starts hatching, it now sits on the platform where the character was. A dark dragon tracks her and she is surrounded by others like her. This represents the pressure of our society and the need to be accepted. However, she continuously resists, attempting to escape the grip of darkness while the dragon follows her. She sees glimpses of light, and tries to look at the world from the point of view of the stars. Still the darkness inside her pulls her back. As peer pressure intensifies, she feels increasingly uncomfortable, but she is not alone burdened with this feeling. Many in the community feel the same. As the video progresses, she finds her strength to get out of the darkness. She can feel it in her heart, which is filled with energy to spare. Her heart is pumping, and the darkness slowly lifts. Still, she finds herself surrounded by three dragons. Afraid, in pain and exposed, she shares the pure energy in her heart, the light spreading to everything that surrounds her. Their heartbeats synchronise, and the character transforms into the brightest being there. This pivotal point of the story conveys a moment of change for the better. As bright ideas and joyful thoughts destroy the darkness, she is lifted up, finally free from the burdens of negativity. At the end however, the choice is hers as doubt can send her spiralling back down to the darkness once again.

TIMELINE

The idea of this video sparked in mid-April 2020. Back then, the concept was vague, with little detail. However, moving forward, the idea evolved into a more focused concept, filled with meaning. Using surrealism to express the idea was quite challenging. The concept at its core was always the same – a surrealistic character in a fantasy environment. In the very early stages, I initially had the character performing a contemporary dance, with disjointed movements. The dance would slowly evolve into ballet, with soft movements while the environment changed to brighter colours. While I abandoned this concept, the idea of a journey from a place of torment towards the light is still the main focus of the final video.

The inspiration for the character’s pose, presentation, and animation came from the amazing artist Donald Glover and his music video “Childish Gambino This Is America”, directed by Hiro Murai, a Japanese-born American filmmaker based in Los Angeles. Glover’s dance moves are a bit uncomfortable to watch, as it is mostly a distraction from the background violence in the overall concept. Dances tend to be associated with frivolity (lack of seriousness) and vapidity, despite the fact that dancing has always been a communicative art of great cultural significance, spreading joy through movement. On the contrary, Glover’s movements represent a lack of seriousness, liveliness, and animation.

In order to develop the character, I designed several 3d models from head to toes and took multiple references for the character’s dynamic pose. The end result which represents a strong female character is satisfying. As a non-organic rigger, I hired a freelancer to rig the character with the specifications I required for the dragon. Initially, the first end result of the character’s overall look did not match what I had in mind and had a significantly high rendering time of 6 hours per frame. Therefore, I went back to the drawing board and simplified the design with the help of another artist, thus separating the render into multiple stages.

Initially, the project was divided into 50 shots which were then filtered into 30 shots maximum. I began rendering the shots in-house in early November 2020, as most of the budget went into purchasing assets and hiring freelancers. The majority of the render finished in early March 2021, after four and a half months of rendering. Patience is a virtue, and I found the overall look matched my expectations. After a private review of the short film, I collated feedback and polished the shots further.

Finally, regarding the name of the character Astrape, it was taken from Greek mythology. Astrape is a girl’s name meaning “lightning”. The twin sisters Astrape and Bronte were goddesses representing lightning and thunder. They would carry Zeus’s thunderbolts. Thus derived the name “Bolt from the Dark”.

Short Film by Prateek Mathur now available at Rarible.

1 note · View note

louisa-magcd · 5 years ago

Text

Reflection

From last week tutorial, I gathered that I was being too scattered and kept on changing directions too many times. This very relevant observation was difficult to realise. I wasn’t happy with the <<progress>> of the work I had made, and lost track of where I was going and what I was doing.

This week I deeply reflected on what truly interested me and what I really wanted.

My work directed towards “form over content” wasn’t made intentionally; I took that direction because of my incapacity to find a “content” that I would feel truly invested or interested in. I felt insecure towards a more personal approach to my work as opposed to something more academic.

“What is the use of creating emotion-based work?”, was a recurrent question that came to my mind.

The constant switch between visual styles was also a struggle of mine as I was paradoxically trying to “please others”, in the sense that I wanted to create something that would be liked by a bigger audience.

I felt confused by the terms “position”, “practice” and “critical position”. Do I really need to define them this soon, is there even a need to define them? Is it wrong to be or feel lost?

Maybe the sense of loss or the loss of self could be a position?

I have always been quite precious with my work and value quality over quantity, and this entire project has been difficult for me so far as the whole point of it is to produce at a high volume (which I haven’t been successful with, at all).

The reason why last tutorial didn’t go well in my opinion (in terms of what I had done), is that I tried to change direction again, out of indecisiveness and my fear of making “meaningless work”. I tried to switch the direction towards something I thought would be more lighthearted but also something that would be more accepted.

I realised this week that I had to find a way to ground myself, and after writing my essay and doing research, I realised that I was clearly more interested in personal and intimate work.

I remember being particularly confused after reading “the death of the author” and it really made me question my own position: am I an author? Is authorship really dead? Is it really impossible to be an author at all?

These questions aside, I was also wondering if it was “wrong” to create around oneself, and if it was really an egotistical and selfish act.

So instead of thinking about how people would perceive me based on the work I produce (something that holds me back a lot), I started thinking about the artists I like and the art they make or made.

I have also been significantly drawn to my Moroccan and French heritage and how I could potentially implement elements of my heritage into my work in subtle ways, and maybe merge them together.

I have been researching around Moroccan female artists specifically.

One of them is Chaibia Talal, one of the most influential Moroccan artists of the 20th century. Her story is especially extraordinary and touching. She was born in 1929 in a small village and married at age 13; her husband died when she was 15 years old. As a young widow and mother, she had no choice but to work as a cleaner in order to sustain herself and her son. She was illiterate.

She began painting in 1963 after having a “prophetic” dream that encouraged her to start painting. Her son had a painting studio, and that is where the art curator Pierre Gaudibert discovered her art work for the first time.

Chaibia Talal was a self-taught artist and she was exhibited all around the world. Although her work wasn’t well received in her time, she is now considered as a pioneer figure of Modern Moroccan Art.

The reason why it is important for me to talk about this artist comes from a need to discover more other Moroccan female artists that I can look up to.

Her work is extremely colourful; she was influenced by the “COBRA” avant-garde European art movement, but also pulled a lot of her themes from moroccan culture, depicting moroccan women in traditional costumes. There is an evident play with figuration and abstraction, and the very consistent use of patterns is also an echo to moroccan culture and craft.

Pattern making and symbols are an inherent part of Moroccan culture, even before it was a country. The west part of North Africa was actually constituted of nomadic Berbers.

These nomadic group of people would worship different divinities and symbols would be used both as protection, directly on the skin in the form of tattoos, or on the fabric they made and wore. Clothing was especially important as it was an indication not only of social status, class and wealth but also an indication of the nomadic group they belonged to.

Symbols had associated meaning with different purposes.

Pattern making became even richer after Islamic influences arrived in North Africa. Indeed, it is prohibited in the religion to depict God or any divine figure to Man’s image. Subsequently, symbols and patterns were used to palliate to this. Calligraphy was, and still is, a highly valued form of art; Koranic texts would be embellished and treated as images as opposed to just writing.

Geometry and symmetry was seen as a high form of art as well; there is an element of repetition, interlacing shapes, texts, and symbols that is prevalent throughout Moroccan Art, and craft History.

Symbols have always interested me whether it be part of my heritage, or other new found interests, such as the occult. I have always been fascinated by how different meanings and interpretations can be pulled out of one image or symbol. How visuals can be transformed and used as a new form of language.

There is also a very superficial reason to this as well. There is something about looking at an accumulation of symbols on one images that is, to me, pleasing to the eye. Even if I can’t necessarily fully comprehend the artist’s intention behind every details of their work, I naturally associate a meaning to it based on my own experience and subjectivity.

A good example of this would be Hieronymus Bosch’s “The Garden of Earthly Delights”.

I am aware of its religious ties, and there are extended interpretations made of this triptych oil painting. Yet, I much prefer look at it and create my own narratives out of the images and symbols I can observe from it. I enjoy the fact that there are a multitude of narratives enfolding on one big image.

In tarot as well, each card is illustrated with specific visuals that aid in the interpretation of its messages. The cards, put side by side, form a narrative that is enriched by a diversity of symbols.

Folklore too, have consistently used symbols and metaphorical analogies to express a deeper meaning.

The French fabulist Jean de la Fontaine is well known for using animals, insects and plants to convey more sensitive messages, at a time where criticising the King and his court was a real offence and a punishable crime.

After listing down all of the things that I loved, I realised that they weren’t so impossible to connect. At a first glance, they seemed impossible to link, but they all share a similarity: they all use symbols and images to attach personal meanings to them or convey certain messages or narratives.

In conclusion, I would like to develop my own “Visual Dictionary/Library”, or at least start this process.

Through this project, my aim refocused on its intended purpose, which was the expression of self through a diverse set of symbols and images.

By doing so, I go back to my very early iterations from Elaborate, where my work was more emotion-based; I intend on keeping the idea of self-reflection through making and researching, in order to develop my own visual language.

#reflections magcd

10 notes · View notes

sichengrk · 4 years ago

Text

TEN X SICHENG : LOVELY ( BILLIE EILISH, KHALID ) ORIGINAL CHOREO • video uploaded to ten’s youtube channel • ... need a place to hide, but i can't find one near wanna feel alive, outside i can fight my fear ...

it was normal for sicheng at this point, being alone. or, more accurately speaking, feeling alone. he could be sitting on the sofa with ten only several inches away and still occasionally feel the nagging emptiness in his chest. it was like a black hole, sucking up every sound and sight occurring around him and leaving him feeling blank. the feeling isn’t anything that he would share with anyone, not even the best friend he’s ever had, who is likely ready and willing to hold him in his arms anytime sicheng could possibly express that he needed it. he much rather preferred to pretend that he didn’t, staring at the tv screen and laughing whenever he would hear ten doing so. he’d find his way back to reality and allow for the color to flood back into the picture in front of him whenever he was spoken to, a smile forming on his face and eyes studying pretty features as he attempted replaying the sounds in his mind to process what was said to him.

it happened more often than he would like to admit. that being said, he wouldn’t like to admit that it happened at all. maybe it was stupid of him to carry the weight of his heavy world around on his own two shoulders without any help, but it felt like his only option right now. he wanted to be the person who could take ten’s heaviness away and ensure that his back is never strained under the pressures of his own life, not share sicheng’s dumb and irrelevant burdens. he wanted to protect him, regardless of whether or not he needed it. he wanted nothing more than to see him happy and safe...

after all, ten was a work of art. not only was he visually one of the most beautiful human beings sicheng ever laid eyes on, features indicating that he was surely crafted carefully by the hands of whatever god is in charge of mankind’s creation, but he was also talented beyond compare. or at least, sicheng didn’t believe that it could be compared... he’s admired him as a dancer since long before they ever met, and even now he sometimes feels like his entire situation is surreal. maybe this is some long, drawn-out fever dream that he doesn’t hope he’ll wake up from.

because of all of the fondness and admiration that sicheng feels for ten, he is taken slightly by surprise one evening when they’re sharing dinner and ten expresses his desire to create a very deep and emotional choreography... and he wants sicheng to be a part of it. what’s more moving is his claim that sicheng is the only one he felt comfortable sharing it with. despite the fact that ten was the only close friend that sicheng had, he knew that wasn’t the case for ten. he was aware that he had multiple people that he was close with, a lot of them he’s known for a lot longer than he’s known sicheng, so it was shocking to say the least. however, it also filled him with pride and a sense of happiness that he hadn’t felt in a while. “that... sounds incredible... and important. i’d be honored. i’ll work hard so that it can turn out as powerful as you envision... i promise.” and he would never break a promise.

that night when he is trying to sleep, his thoughts begin to run wild. before closing his eyes, he puts in headphones and listens to the song on repeat with his eyes closed while he tries coming up with thoughts and ideas that he can bring up when they decide to meet and work on it for the first time. with everything that he’s been feeling, he thinks it will be simple. the song resonates with him and he feels confident that he will be able to display some of his recent emotions in the dance. telling stories with dancing is something that sicheng was familiar with. the way that he was taught to move was graceful and fluid, using his facial expressions and acting to help convey everything that he wanted the viewers see. although he wasn’t great at all of the idol group covers that he worked so hard on, he couldn’t help but think that this would be more tailored to his skill set and capabilities. it made him feel extremely excited that ten wanted to do something more than just dancing to a beat.

it’s peaceful in the dance studio after hours. though, maybe it’s just a regular four walls surrounding him and it’s his company that makes him feel so comfortable. along with that comfort, he also finds himself feeling very elevated, and perhaps anxious, too. creating choreography was never something that he had the confidence to do, even if he did maintain an interest in it. perhaps he would be better off it he did it more often given the dancing he’s been trying to recreate lately makes him feel less talented than those around him. ten was able to move in ways that sicheng knew he would never be able to. it was like he was dancing in a second language, and there were specific movements and actions that he’d never be able to perfect. he didn’t want to judge himself too harshly after being trained to dance in an entirely different style for years, but it wasn’t easy constantly reminding himself of that.

ten is a lot more organized than sicheng is with this, and it’s rather inspiring. just watching the way he explains all of his ideas and shows sicheng what he’s already come up with leaves sicheng in awe. it makes him want to go home and start writing down his own ideas, because the passion that ten brings to their late night meetings causes sicheng to feel as though he’s being drawn in even more. not only that, however, it also makes him feel closer to ten. he’s witnessing parts of his mind and getting a peek at his innermost thoughts and emotions. even what he isn’t being told, he’s being shown. while it’s difficult to keep a smile at times, he finds it all so beautiful. it’s also beautiful the way that ten listens to sicheng’s suggests and occasionally scraps his own ideas so that sicheng’s can be incorporated. he feels valued and like this is a genuine team effort... it’s not a feeling he’s ever experienced before and it’s nice. sometimes, he thinks that he would be okay if this process went on forever.

spending hours upon hours dancing, discussing, perfecting, and being with ten in general makes sicheng feel like he has a purpose for the time. he’s actually creating and working towards a goal which isn’t something that he could’ve claimed for a while. it was bittersweet knowing it wouldn’t last. because of that, the closer they got to the finished product, the more bitter it became.

eventually, everything regarding the choreography had fallen into place. or... rather it had been carefully constructed by ten and sicheng through tireless hardwork and effort, but either way, it was complete. ten even rented a space for their set and it felt very... expensive. that’s something that sicheng had been getting more accustomed to during his months with ten. he was lucky, really, that they had the means to make an actual masterpiece (or at least, he thought it was one). he felt proud of them— they made a great team, he was absolutely sure of that.

the set is symbolic of the story that they want told and whenever they aren’t recording themselves performing it from a certain angle, he finds himself staring in wonder while he catches his breath. sometimes, his gaze ends up lingering on ten instead, and he can’t tell if he feels like the air has been sucked from his lungs because of the dancing, or because of the way he glows wearing white in this particular lighting. he always thinks that he catches himself before it’s too late, redirecting his stare so that it returns to the set.

when they reach the end of the dance for the nth time, sicheng initially thinks his mind is playing tricks on him when ten seems to step closer than he normally would. he doesn’t falter, however, and deeply looks into the older’s eyes as he normally would, expecting for things to play out the way they have rehearsed hundreds of times. the beating of his heart quickens and he feels his breath get caught in his throat as he places his hand on the back of ten’s neck, carefully trailing it up to softly hold the back of his head. he does gently urge him forward, but he is almost sure that ten is still going to rest his head on his shoulder just like he did every other time. he was reading too much into the situation, whatever he might’ve thought was going to happen isn’t. he’s kidding himself... or... maybe not.

an extremely soft, barely fathomable gasp slips past sicheng’s lips as he feels ten’s hand rest against his chest. he doesn’t even have time to feel embarrassed by the fact that ten can definitely feel how fast his heart is beating before the gap is closed and ten’s mouth is carefully moving against his own. naturally, his eyes close and his hand resting against ten’s head pulls him even closer. if he had ever imagined this happening, he would have assumed that his mind would be moving at a thousand miles an hour, yet it was totally silent. he had no thoughts to guide him nor discourage him... perhaps that was for the best.

one thing he knew for certain is that this wasn’t going to make it into the final video.

#; solo.#tenrk #; tencheng lovely.#wc: 1642 #tw: depression #??#maybe?

2 notes · View notes

marshmallowgoop · 5 years ago

Photo

Doing yearly writing reviews isn’t really a thing. But once you start doing ‘em, it doesn’t feel right to stop, you know?

Seeing progress in other arts is of course a lot easier than seeing progress in writing, but I think there is some forward movement for me, especially when I also consider my compilations from 2017 and 2018.

In regards to 2019, I’ve selected various kinds of writing for this post: analytical essays, opinion pieces, news articles, creative fiction, and maybe some works that can’t be categorized so easily, too. It was a very difficult year on many fronts; I dealt with job struggles, financial insecurity, destroyed relationships, medical hardships, seemingly endless cyberstalking and online harassment.

But there were good things, too. New friendships. New passions. New outlooks. I feel like I’ve learned and grown a lot more in these past couple of months than I have in a long, long time.

The end of 2019 is more than just the end of one year. It’s also the end of a decade. But I think the best advice I’ve received all decade comes from this year:

✄ Sometimes, you have to say yes to saying no.

✄ If you can’t do something well, do something poorly!

✄ The best option may be to simply not engage.

✄ You don’t have to apologize for disappointing others.

✄ Your worth isn’t measured by how much you “accomplish.”

✄ You have rights: the right to have your needs and wants respected, the right to make mistakes, the right to determine your own priorities, the right to not be responsible for the actions or problems of others, the right to express yourself, the right to be human. It’s not selfish or narcissistic to stand up for your rights.

And, since it is the end of the decade and all, here’s also a comparison between one nerdy fandom essay from August 2010 and another from August 2019:

2010 (with added spaces because yes, this really was just a huge block of text originally):

Also, in my own opinion, nobody really gave a damn for Xion all that much save for Roxas. I mean, yeah, Axel cared a little, but in the end, he got totally mad at her, got mad any time she was mentioned, got mad whenever Roxas worried about her, got mad when she showed up at the clock tower. She was his friend, yeah, and he didn’t want her to go, but in the end, he would have chosen Roxas above her anytime.

The other “mean villains” didn’t really care. Luxord didn’t care, Demyx didn’t care, Xaldin got exasperated once at her, but overall didn’t care, Xigbar didn’t care, Xemnas outright said he didn’t care, Saix was rather cruel to her, but really, in the end, he didn’t give a damn for her. The others weren’t around long enough to have an impression on her. I think even Riku didn’t really care all that much for her, in all honesty. He just wanted his best friend back.

Also, you have to keep in mind that we played the game through Roxas’ perspective, and it’s in my personal belief that he fell in love with Xion. And if you’re in love with someone, when she gets into a coma, or goes missing, or ignores you, you’re gonna be upset, and talk about it. So Roxas did.

But you know, he doesn’t actually do a lot of it until the end of the game. Before that, it’s all about the THREE of them. He loves his friends (even if he doesn’t know it), and he wants them to be together forever, but when Xion goes missing or whatnot and they can’t ALL have ice cream together, he gets upset.

2019:

I’ve written more on the subject here, but to keep it short, Ryuko only tries to take Nui’s life when she’s convinced herself that she’s a monster, and her development is less about her becoming less okay with killing people and more about how she won’t let her anger and rage control her. What makes Ryuko’s attitude so different in the end isn’t that she’s reconsidered her thoughts on murder but that she’s composed. Come episode 22, Ryuko ain’t saying that she’s gonna kill anyone to sound tough or to intimidate. She keeps her cool even against her worst enemies.

But that’s just what I think! Maybe I’ve interpreted the character all wrong. But Ryuko’s freak-out after she goes berserk and hurts others in episode 12, her devotion to defending even people she’s just met… I just struggle to see her as someone who’s actually a-okay with killing. The fact that Ryuko’s perfect fantasy in episode 20 depicts her as a sweet girl without any of the violent tendencies that she has in reality also points this way; not to mention, Ryuko outright admits that her picking fights and causing trouble are bad things when remarking on her childhood in episode 8.

And Ryuko? She doesn’t want to be bad. All the poor girl’s ever wanted is love, and I can’t imagine she’d ever think that getting angry and killing people would get her a lot of that.

Progress may be slow, but it does happen.

At least, I think so.

Image Texts

January 2019

And personally? I find that sweetness just absolutely, utterly charming. When I understood what the rap was trying to communicate, I couldn’t imagine listening to the song without it. Heck, even before I understood, I found the “without rap” edits empty and barren. No matter how “silly” the lyrics might come off, the unabashed cheese is fantastic. The rap section that I was once “meh” about legitimately became my favorite part of the song.

Plus, I really can’t stress enough how sad the song is when it’s purely Ryuko. The official [nZk] remix replaces Senketsu’s rap with a reprise of Ryuko’s first verse, which recounts how she and Senketsu met. And it’s tragic! She says, “But I’m all alone,” and she is. Senketsu isn’t singing with her, no matter her claim that she can hear his voice. Considering what happens to Senketsu in the end, his absence in the song hits even harder.

Full post: https://marshmallowgoop.tumblr.com/post/182361051017/oomoj-marshmallowgoop-the-rap-is-good

February 2019

The focus then shifts away from Ragyo, but Kill la Kill ain’t at all done with building the audience up yet. As the scene moves to the following day, viewers are met with quick, close-up shots of Uzu’s note to Ryuko, timed right to the beat of “Blumenkranz.” Uzu wants to duel, and we soon get to see his full request in an engaging low-angle shot where Ryuko looks up to this sign looming over her. The weight and gravity of the situation is effectively conveyed: the smooth transition from Ragyo to here, as well as the music and shot composition, let us know in no indirect terms that this fight isn’t something to be brushed off. Uzu’s duel is a big deal, and it’s very much connected to Ragyo’s expansive empire.

And the tension just keeps growing. Ryuko’s reaction to Uzu’s note is presented with a dramatic canted, high-angle shot. The camera—which is just slightly tilted—peers down at both Ryuko and the sign, communicating a sense of danger and unease. Viewers already know that the upcoming battle is important, but here, we also understand that it’s not going to be easy.

Full post: https://marshmallowgoop.tumblr.com/post/182841724817/all-the-discussion-around-episode-6-of-kill-la

March 2019

Kill la Kill the Game: IF is currently being featured at the 2019 Game Developers Conference that runs until March 22nd in San Francisco, and a flurry of new gameplay videos are now available for viewing. Notably, these videos feature full English subtitles for the character dialogue for the first time since EVO 2018 last year and never-before-seen stages, such as what seems to be the Fiber Castle in the Kiryuin Manor.

Full post: https://marshmallowgoop.tumblr.com/post/183766224117/kill-la-kill-the-game-if-gameplay-footage-from

April 2019

I mean, Kill la Kill ended over five years ago now. There’s been fairly minimal new content ever since—an OVA in September of 2014, a few pieces of merchandise here and there, a small crossover with Grand Summoners last year. And then, not even 11 months ago, out of seemingly nowhere, there was confirmation for a full-blown Kill la Kill video game. That we now know will be released in just 14 weeks!

Lots of jokes were made about the announcement for a game so many years after the series finale, but, like, seriously, as a longtime Kill la Kill fan, it’s hard to wrap my head around. Ever since the show ended, I’ve dedicated over half a million words to writing about it, spent tens of thousands of yen on books and Blu-rays and CDs, devoted nearly 60 GB to my own GIFs and edits. I’ve loved this thing to death. I’ve always found more and more that I want to write and create from this series, but I never really imagined nor expected that we’d ever get much more official content from the original creators themselves. And now we are getting so much more, and???

Full post: https://marshmallowgoop.tumblr.com/post/184228103137/kill-la-kill-the-game-if-releases-on-july-25th-in

May 2019

Kiznaiver: Oh, I was so excited to love this show! I was lucky enough to see an advanced screening of the first two episodes, and I was totally hooked. It was drop-dead gorgeous—and probably the prettiest series Trigger has ever put out—and I was very intrigued by the plot and characters. I remember just coming back to my hotel room at like 3:00 am after the premiere, utterly filled with excitement. I mean, Kiznaiver was directed by Hiroshi Kobayashi, the episode director behind the two episodes that got me hooked on Kill la Kill (episodes 5 and 18)!

But… my excitement quickly died. The story tried to develop way too many characters in way too little time, and I never enjoyed the romantic pairing of Katsuhira and Noriko, finding it shallow, undeveloped, and nonsensical (in a bad way), which… kind of ruins a lot of the series when that’s arguably the heart of the whole thing.

Kiznaiver is still super, super pretty, though. That last episode’s animation got me shook.

Full post: https://marshmallowgoop.tumblr.com/post/184700944732/so-have-you-watched-the-other-stuff-studio-trigger

June 2019

I do recognize that many, many matters do not warrant conversation. I do recognize that the phrase “I’m just trying to have a conversation” can be—and has been—utilized as a means of directing criticism away from inflammatory, unacceptable, inhumane remarks. I in no way feel that hateful, discriminatory comments should be promoted.

Simultaneously, however, “conversation” should not automatically be a dirty word in the field of analyzing and seriously engaging with fiction, and thoughtful reactions should be supported and striven for. Nothing in fiction is ever black and white. There are so many nuances and complexities to the storybook realities of our media. I want commentators and critics of fiction to be passionate about listening, considering, and rethinking those nuances and complexities. Isn’t that why we do this work at all? To share our own point of view and open ourselves up to others?

Full post: https://marshmallowgoop.tumblr.com/post/185289615202/we-need-to-change-the-way-we-seriously-discuss

July 2019

Initially, I was really bummed by this lack of development. But as I thought about things more, I… didn’t mind so much. If this dream or universe or whatever is something that Satsuki “experiences” before the events of the anime, of course she won’t grow as a character here. Maybe this game is kind of the Kill la Kill prequel I’ve been begging for for over half a decade.

And as much as I didn’t get anything, I thought the ending bits between Ryuko and Satsuki were so good.

Like, I suppose Ryuko’s absorbing the Life Fibers or something?? But wow, pretty.

And the part where they talk before Satsuki disappears? That’s my kinda anime bullshit. It’s the kinda anime bullshit I wanted from the OVA between Ryuko and Senketsu.

Full post: https://marshmallowgoop.tumblr.com/post/186648065467/goop-plays-kill-la-kill-the-game-if-satsuki

August 2019

That book, Log. 2, is a fan doujin from Kotaro Nakamori, who worked as an animator and animation director in Kill la Kill. There’s a bunch of assorted fanart in there, and I wouldn’t be at all surprised if Nakamori is a fan of Urusei Yatsura and wanted to make a little crossover between that series and Kill la Kill.

Personally, though, as someone not too familiar with Urusei Yatsura, I kinda just saw the image as oni-Satsuki (with oni being demon/ogre-like creatures in Japanese folklore). Oni are traditionally depicted wearing tiger skin loincloths, and Lum herself is definitely basically a space oni. So, I saw the cover and got super excited about oni-Satsuki because I love oni a lot, haha.

Fun fact: character designer Sushio has also drawn Kill la Kill characters as oni for setsubun, a celebration that’s held on the last day of winter (February 3rd). During setsubun, you might see folks dressed up like oni—who get beans thrown at them in an effort to bring in good luck and chase naughty demons away.

Full post: https://marshmallowgoop.tumblr.com/post/187228888187/do-i-see-satsuki-wearing-lums-outfit-in-your-last

September 2019

Though I don’t see it much anymore, I remember lots of comparisons between Ragyo and the villains of Saturday morning cartoons back in the day. She was described as a generic, two-dimensional “evilz for the sake of evilz” baddie and criticized for her simplicity.

And though I did admittedly agree to an extent—I craved a lot more depth and insight, particularly in regards to her haunting line about “still having something of a human heart” whilst brutally attacking her own daughter in the final episode—I also found Ragyo to be a remarkably compelling, powerful, and horrifying villain even without tons of backstory and explanation. Perhaps my write-up on her first scene in episode 6 best details why; this woman has such a presence, and the visual language of the series amplifies that presence spectacularly. Ragyo’s intimidating and scary without the audience even needing to know anything about her.

And… I’d say that’s a good villain. That’s exactly what a villain should do.

Full post: https://marshmallowgoop.tumblr.com/post/187987858537/on-ragyo-kiryuin

October 2019

And, though there are no visuals, so I can’t be sure if it’s an “Ocean of Light” or not, the fourth Drama CD also has the same kinda deal happening. In the CD—which takes place immediately after Ryuko learns the truth of her origins—Ryuko’s pain manifests as an explosion of light that knocks both her and Senketsu unconscious and pushes Senketsu away from her. The sound effect here is familiar, and I’m personally convinced that this is another “Ocean of Light” moment.

Which brings me to the “light” part of the terminology. Light is often associated with good, yes, but light is also associated with heat, and heat is associated with pain. In the Drama CD, Ryuko’s light is so hot that Nui even remarks that Senketsu “almost burned” from it, and when Mako embraces Ryuko after swimming through her “Ocean of Light” in episode 12, Ryuko’s touch scorches Mako’s skin.

I’ve already written an essay on the symbolic and narrative use of fire, warmth, and heat in Kill la Kill (that you should totally read because it’s actually maybe Kinda Good, Maybe), and relating to that, I see the “Ocean of Light” as a physical representation of Ryuko’s fiery spirit. That fire can be used for good, and that fire can also be painful, but no matter what, that fire is a part of Ryuko.

Full post: https://marshmallowgoop.tumblr.com/post/188247077227/i-always-wanted-some-explanation-you-are-smart

November 2019

She looks around her cottage. Her eyes find the walls and the furnishings. Her eyes find the scratched floors and stained wood. She does not voice it to the once-emperor, but she had never been able to remove the stains from the attack. Her son's blood has painted the brown wood red. It is a reminder of what she cannot remember. It is a reminder of the past she has forgotten.

“This home feels so desperately lonely,” she admits. “I do not know who is missing. But it is not complete.”

The man is quiet. He did not expect to find himself feeling sympathy for the woman's plight. Perhaps she is a fool, to have given her heart to a demon. But kindness ought not be punished, he thinks. Or has he grown so cold that he believes it should be?

December 2019

🏀 Michiru and Shirou’s relationship may be the focus, but Nakashima emphasizes that Michiru’s relationship with Nazuna is also involved in the story in a big way.

🏀 Nakashima stresses the importance of depicting teen girls realistically. Two women screenwriters are on board: Kimiko Ueno and Nanami Higuchi. Both wrote for Little Witch Academia. Ueno also wrote for Space Patrol Luluco, and Higuchi was behind the production reports in Trigger Magazine (and, interestingly, wrote the script for the anime adaptation of BEASTARS).

🏀In regards to Michiru and Nazuna’s relationship, producer Naoko Tsutsumi (also an animation producer for Kiznaiver and Little Witch Academia) provides input as well. Nakashima says that they greatly value and take to heart the opinions of the women creators.

Full post: https://marshmallowgoop.tumblr.com/post/189928986922/otomedia-winter-2020-bna-brand-new-animal

#shut up goop #goop makes a (kinda) personal post #ramblings #writing #on to 2020!#right before the new year in my time zone as per usual lol #image texts under the cut #kill la kill #kingdom hearts #brand new animal #kiznaiver

14 notes · View notes

is6621 · 5 years ago

Text

Experience the Aftermath of Climate Change By: Emily Jennings

This past week, we learned about the trend of slacktivism. Our culture is experiencing an incline in political, social, and environmental participation online, but often our virtual conversations and content lead to little change in reality. I wanted to understand how technology can push passive users to active advocates. After hearing about non-profits using virtual reality (VR) at fundraisers, I explored the possibility of VR evoking long term change, specifically in terms of the climate change movement. I believe that VR can increase environmental consciousness and ultimately push viewers to make everyday decisions that will stimulate real change.

Why VR and Climate Change?

Climate Change has always seemed like a pressing issue. For almost four decades, major world leaders have tried working together to cut greenhouse gas emissions through different agreements. We have heard scientists recommend a sustainable amount of carbon production and predict the fallout if such recommendations are exceeded. Without fail, output has continued at a pace that accommodates consumer demands rather than environmental capacity. Most recently, experts have announced that our planet has entered into a state of “climate emergency”. Due to the fact that many of us have yet to experience the grave consequences of the climate crisis, many believe that this state of emergency is not that bad. Even though we can watch videos of the ice caps melting or read the list of extinct species, it is different to actually live within the aftermath. I think this is where the opportunity for VR arises. VR can effectively illustrate why climate experts are so concerned.

Case Study: Venice

This past summer, the Venice Biennale held an exhibition on sustainability. Among the many works of art, Rising, an art installation created by Marina Abramović, made a profound impact on viewers. The project uses VR in order to convey a sense of urgency with rising sea levels. In the simulation, audience members are placed in an empty warehouse. They look out to see an avatar of the artist. Suddenly water begins to quickly invade and fill the structure. The audience experiences the feeling of submersion while listening to the avatar scream for help. In a later scene, the audience is taken to the open sea. Standing in isolation on a raft, viewers can look out to see melting ice caps and thunderstorms. Abramović was able to depict a narrative of how climate change can infiltrate our everyday lives. The feelings and sensations that Abramović was able to create through VR are unforgettable.

This is Climate Change

The cost of traditional VR headsets limits the amount of people who can experience virtual climate change. Fortunately though, some directors are tailoring their content so that everyone can witness VR via their smartphone. Most recently, the series This is Climate Change was released on a smartphone application. This series is divided into four parts: “Melting Ice”, “Fire”, “Feast”, and “Famine”. One reviewer commented on the video entitled “Fire”, stating, “I felt heat rise from my pores as I was virtually engulfed in flames that went on to rage across forested terrain. I tried to turn away from the “heat” only to witness firefighters clearing brush from dangerous ridges…” I find it very interesting that even when the viewer wanted to look away from the flames she was introduced to a new subject. So often with the posts that we share, our opinions are limited to one perspective. VR gives us a 360° view to the issue at hand. It is also remarkable that the commentator was still captivated by the film even though she didn’t have the headset. This gives me hope that VR material is still effective even when it is seen on a smartphone.

Future of VR and the Future of our Planet

After researching the collaboration of VR and the climate change movement, I have no doubt that VR can be used as a tool for behavioral change. VR does not assert blame for the climate disaster, rather illustrates the reality of our situation. It appears that VR could bridge the disconnect between climate research and human behavior.

Sources:

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2019/11/05/climate-change-11-000-world-scientists-declare-climate-emergency/4168388002/

https://www.sierraclub.org/sierra/virtual-reality-secret-sauce-for-climate-action

https://sealevel.nasa.gov/news/106/scientific-reality-goes-virtual

https://qz.com/quartzy/1618684/at-venice-biennale-artists-use-vr-to-drive-home-climate-crisis/

6 notes · View notes

holocron-inthe-restrictedsection · 5 years ago

Note

Okay it's a lot but: 1, 2, 11, 12, 13, and 19 for Lethaa and Naras? (Feel free to substitute/add any questions you'd like to answer!) 🌺💕

Yesssssss I was so excited to get this! Thanks, Mercedes! 💛

So, this got reeaaaally long and rambly. My bad. I just have a lot of thoughts about these two, and I’m excited to share. Click “keep reading” to see my response!

(also, sorry if it formats weirdly - I copy-pasted from a word doc, and tumblr mobile doesn’t like that for some reason)

Ask me questions about creating my OCs!

1. What was the first element of your OC that you remember considering (name, appearance, backstory, etc.)?

For Lethaa, it was her name and position. For Naras, it was the descriptor “the Togruta senator’s wife”

They popped into my head at about the same time. I created them to be throwaway characters in a short story I wrote called “Shall We Dance” (I may someday go back to it and add a few chapters. No promises). There was some dialogue between Anakin and Obi-Wan about different controversial viewpoints in the Senate, and I just needed a senator or two to mention in passing. –

“But these are some of the most outspoken public figures in the Republic. Take Senator Lethaa Daal.” [Obi-Wan] flashed a smile in the direction of the Togruta senator and her wife as they passed. The women returned the smile and made their way arm-in-arm into the grand hall. “She has been very scornful regarding the Senate’s tendency to dedicate resources to systems that are strategic to military movements, as opposed to who needs it most.”

It might have ended there, but I received feedback from a few different readers saying how they appreciated the mention of Senator Daal’s wife. There seemed to be an interest, so I sat on the idea of them for a while.

2. Did you design them with any other characters/OCs from their universe in mind?

Since Lethaa was fully fleshed out first, I made Naras with Lethaa in mind. I knew I wanted her to have her own objectives and life – she couldn’t continue to just be “Lethaa’s wife”. So I tried to give her a profession that was critical in its own way, which is why I went with healing, so that their “importance” (for lack of a better word) was equal to each other.

I guess Lethaa was partially created in response the frustrating politics of the galactic senators. They all make their alliances, play the game to get the upper hand, all while gaining very little ground. I wanted to make a character that found the subtly of politics maddening, and wasn’t afraid to get in someone’s face and tell them exactly why their policies or views were dumb or harmful. I wanted to make someone who could be aggressive without calling into question their moral alignment.

And while it’s not a character, I really really wanted to design or add to a culture that doesn’t get explored much in the Star Wars universe. I took what elements I could find about Togruta culture from Wookipedia, but it was rather lacking, so I made up the rest. I already loved Togruta designs, and wanted characters that could interact within their own culture.

3. How did you choose their name? (Added this because it was Relevant)

If my memory is right, Lethaa Daal’s name came from combining a few names I found on the Togruta name generator (which I HIGHLY recommend btw). I decided to keep it after I finished her design because the first name reminded me of “lethal”, and by that point I knew that was a good descriptor of her. ‘Daal’ came about because I tend to put way too many A’s in my togruta names, and I was for some reason thinking about Roald Dahl at that time, but I also found that I liked how it could be mispronounced as “doll”. I was highly amused by the idea of a “lethal doll” – woe unto anyone who looked at Lethaa and only acknowledged her for her beauty.

Naras Tyn came about because lots of my female ocs tend to have names that end in A or E (IE/I/Y, etc), and I didn’t want to do it again. I wanted a short last name, and I just liked how “Tyn” sounded – it was concise and melodic. ‘Naras’ I think also came from the name generator. I remember being bummed when I realized it sounded so similar to Barriss and Maris (already existing characters), but by that time I was attached. Her first name just sounds calming, and it just sounded right imagining Lethaa calling for her.

11. Did you know what the OC’s sexuality would be at the time of their creation?

Heck yes I did. There really wasn’t any hesitation. The thought process went: Senator –> Togruta Senator –> female Togruta Senator –> has a spouse –> a wife, cuz why not. And that was that.

12. What have you found to be most difficult about creating art for your OC (any form of art: writing, drawing, edits, etc.)?

Everything.

Lol, jk. I mean, as much fun as I have with all the colors and markings of the two, my own drawing ability is kinda limited in terms of body positions. So some things I’d love to draw (Lethaa vs. the rancor, Naras on a medical mercy mission during the Clone Wars, etc.) are taking a long time for me to sketch out. It can be frustrating, but it’s a work in progress.

And writing is hard too. The story ideas in my head play out as nice little movies. Getting it all down on paper while conveying emotion without overloading, describing setting, and making it engaging – that’s all trickier.

But overall, the most difficult thing is trying to figure out what exactly I’m going to do! I have other OCs I want content for, and canon characters I want to explore – and then I have to decide between drawing and writing. There’s not enough hours in the day for me to draw and write everything I want, so I have to pick and choose.

13. How far past the canon events that take place in their world have you extended their story, if at all?

Still a work in progress. I jump from one event to the next without writing it in chronological order. I’ve started their story before the start of the Clone Wars, sometime between episodes I and II. Might write some earlier snippets about their childhoods (though they didn’t meet until they were adults).

I’ve got some ideas for what they do during the Empire era (some of which was influenced by one of the Star Wars D&D games I play), but I haven’t written any of that out yet. I do know they live to see the fall of the Empire, and the emergence of the New Republic. They pass away peacefully of old age on Shili.

19. What is your favorite fact a fun fact about your OC?

I had to change this from “favorite” to “fun” because I like everything about them and I’m still developing them. So I thought I might drop a little trivia that I haven’t managed to work into any stories or art yet.

Lethaa was on a hunting trip with her father – Barin – and a few others in her twenties. After her cousin killed their prey, Barin asked her to prepare the meat for dinner. She did her best with it but waaaaaaay overcooked it, and when Barin asked about it, she said, “I… never actually learned how to cook meat.”

Bewildered, Barin said, “But we’ve been on dozens of hunting trips! How could I have never taught you??”

And Lethaa’s just like, “I was the one to kill the prey on most of those trips.”

And Barin and the others can’t help but laugh, because according to tradition, the one who kills the prey while hunting in a group is served the first piece, but never is the one to prepare it. So it makes complete sense that she never had to cook it, because she was always served the first dish. Her cousin actually liked his meat overdone, though, so he was perfectly fine with his meal.

Also, I just came up with this so I have no idea of the context, but there is a 100% chance that there was an instance or two where Lethaa – tall Amazonian though she is – couldn’t reach something. Unable to climb to retrieve it and without a stepstool, muttering darkly, she would disconnected her prosthetic arm and used it as an extender to pull it towards her.

Naras can fall asleep anywhere. Even before she became a physician/healer, she had the uncanny ability to close her eyes and be asleep within minutes. Lying down, standing while braced against something, sitting, lounging between skyfaring silks (she’d gotten bored waiting for her Gatalentian friend to come back from the holocall he’d had to take). No nap is too short – she wakes feeling rested even if it’s only been five minutes. She wakes easily, fully alert.

Naras sings and hums to her plants and patients. It’s not uncommon to walk into her clinic and hear her singing a folk song or a current hit. She definitely encourages sing-alongs anytime nervous children are brought in, and at night broadcasts spiritual songs important to Togruta culture over the PA system – at a very quiet volume, of course. Naras has a garden at home – a singfruit tree surrounded by flowers and bushes, some of which are not native to Shili – and the plants routinely get hummed and sung at as she tends to them. Lethaa loves waking up in the morning to hear her wife’s singing voice drifting in from an open window.

Thank you again so much for the ask!! This was a lot of fun!Also, I really do appreciate your interest in my OCs (especially these two). It means a lot to me 🌺🌷

4 notes · View notes

bffhreprise · 6 years ago

Text

Entry 270

“Would sitting this one out be horrible?” asked Shaurya, looking nervous.

The yacht had started taking us to Freeport before I was even up. We were supposed to do this ATV tour today. Luckily, I was awake in time for breakfast, because I doubted we’d have much time for food on the ATVs.

James quickly said, “Of course not.”

But at the same time, Marlin asserted “Yes. Completely.”

“I’ve ridden on ATVs before. They’re simply not my thing.” insisted Shaurya, looking even more worried.

“Have you ridden ATVs on a tour in the Bahamas before though? Mila tells me we’re going to have some great stuff to see.” argued Jarod, with his enormous grin. The man had proven even more impressive in person. All of them had.

“Well, no…” muttered Shaurya.

“Ha!” exclaimed Marlin, pointing her fork at him. “You know you’d rather be part of the story than the one simply hearing it.”

“Yeah, man. This is going to be great!” insisted Brandon around a mouthful of his food.

Jesse placed a hand on Shaurya’s shoulder as she said, “If you have a terrible time, I’ll pitch in toward that new armor you wanted.”

Shaurya looked at her, seeming surprised. His decision had been made. With a sigh, he conceded “Fine, I’ll go.”

“Yes! This’ll be awesome. The guild’s going to be so jealous when we tell them about this.” I stated encouragingly.

“They’re already jealous. Are you sure you’ll live through them getting even more jealous?” teased Brandon, every bit as goofy as I had imagined him.

“Bring it!” I told him, smiling back and pointing at him.

As we rushed to open our laptops, James said, “No time, guys. We’re almost to the island, and the limo will be waiting for us.”

“Come on… beating him will take under a minute.” I argued, knowing I was boasting. As goofy as Brandon was, his skill on Elf Hottie was admirable.

“Ha! Elf Hottie would take Sinister and his buddies out in one swing.” retorted Brandon.

He honestly could if we were idiots and charged him as a group. Thankfully, we weren’t. I had seen Brandon’s real life-skill at the paintball games. He had martial arts training and a mentality which conveyed well into Ancient Tribes of Earth. The best way to defeat him was to try making him frustrated enough to slip, but surviving long enough could be tricky.

Interrupting us, Lake said, “I’ve been wondering… who was that model you got to play your character when you guys did that convention?”

Brandon choked mid-swallow, coughing up his drink.

“Why? You interested?” asked Jarod, smiling suggestively at her.

“Maybe.” she replied coyly.

“I’m sure Mila has her contact information, but there’s probably a great number of legal restrictions against us releasing it, given that my company was technically being employed by Aaliyah’s at the time.” explained James, perfectly business-like.

James was tougher than I expected to read, but he seemed like the embodiment of authority. Despite being older than him, I often found myself moving around him before I realized it. No one in our guild, save for the Generals, ever challenged him to a duel or openly argued with his decisions. Seeing him in person helped me understand why.

In paintball, James moved as if he followed a script of the enemy’s movements, always placing himself precisely where he needed to be for an easy kill. As friendly as he was on the yacht, he also was a bit unapproachable, like someone too perfect to be real. How was anyone supposed to react to that?

“Laws take the fun out of everything.” complained Lake with a sigh.

Aaliyah looked ready to cry as she said, “But... but… but…”

Mila quickly told her “Don’t worry, mother. I always read every line.”

“Did you know Aaliyah’s an attorney?” questioned James, smiling at us.

“No way!” exclaimed Jesse, looking shocked.

“Really?” asked Marlin dubiously.

Aaliyah nodded without losing her pout… until she suddenly jumped up, exclaiming “We’re here!!!”

That tiny girl was as hard to read as James. She had been equally lethal and probably more vicious in paintball, using her size to confuse her enemies as she popped out to shoot them. She was also far more acrobatic than I would have expected from someone her size. Everyone who knew of her knew she was a genius. Her game by itself had been plenty of proof, but creating a fully aware, seemingly emotional A.I. was on an even grander level. Then she had engineering prowess to keep up with Jarod, who was easily a genius himself.

The strategies Jarod implemented in game were so far beyond most of the other Generals that we felt invincible with him as our leader. He seemed to know our personalities and capabilities well enough to predict how we’d react in battles against opposing groups from nothing more than my reports on them. I tried to be detailed, but I never got nearly as much out of what I saw as he did.

“You have time to finish eating if you hurry. I’ll take care of cleaning up while you’re out.” explained Mila.

“You’re not coming with us? I was looking forward to seeing what an android can do with an ATV.” I complained.

Mila’s limitations were a complete mystery to me. When we met, I had thought of her as an extremely capable maid, given her outfit and ability to stay on top of everything. Finding out that she was synthetic had blown my mind.

“Put you to shame.” teased Marlin.

“Well, yeah!” I agreed. Given who designed her body, I expected her to have superhuman capabilities.

Excited banter continued as I crammed food in my mouth. The food on this trip had been exceedingly delicious at every meal, so letting anything go to waste would be heartbreaking. I barely finished before we set off for the limo.

“David, I presume.” stated James as he shook the driver’s hand.

“Yes, sir. A pleasure to meet you, Mr. Somerset.” he replied.

“How did you know his name?” questioned Jesse.

“I read his mind.” replied James with a smile.

For a second, I believed him.

“Come on, come on. Are you really surprised the man paying for everything would know the name of the driver he picked?” asked Jarod, breaking the spell.

James laughed and winked before stepping inside. He was such a tall, broad-shouldered guy that most things seemed too small in comparison.

“Ooooh.” replied Jesse as she came to her senses.

I couldn’t blame her. I had started trusting James completely within minutes of meeting him in person, which was very strange for me, but not trusting James was like earnestly arguing that the sun wouldn’t rise.

A short drive from the dock left us at the ATV place. There was a bit of confusion when Aaliyah presented her strange, black ID, but she was treated like royalty afterward. We all had to go through a basic training course to test our skills and help those who lacked them. Fortunately for us, we all had some skills. There was a modified ATV waiting for Aaliyah, which I assumed had been designed specifically for her. The bigger question was how it got here without the people running the establishment knowing.

“Excuse us, but you’re obviously in our way!” exclaimed twins in unison from behind Jarod. They were very pretty and obviously at least part Asian.

Acting completely unsurprised, Jarod turned around and said, “Heya, girls. Aren’t you supposed to be off on a bachelorette party, instead of bugging your fiancé?”

“We have a tour scheduled for this morning.” insisted one of them.

The other leaned against him as she said, “You wouldn’t want to interrupt our fun, would you?” She looked up at him with such an innocent appearance that arguing with her would be akin to kicking a puppy.

“You must be Ai.” guessed Marlin, speaking to the one leaning against Jarod. “I’m Marlin. I don’t know whether to congratulate you on pinning Jarod down or warn you about what you’re getting into… He seems like a handful in game.”

“Pleasure to meet you. He’s hopeless, but I’ll try to bring him around.” replied Ai.

“You two really are identical, aren’t you.” commented Jesse as she approached them.

“Not quite.” argued Mila, coming up from the side and causing Jesse to jump.

“Whoa. I thought you were back on the yacht!” I exclaimed, feeling almost as surprised. “Couldn’t stay behind?”

“I am on the yacht. This is my second body.” she explained with a small smile.

“Second body!?” exclaimed the twins. “Jarod!”

“How could you make a second one without telling us?” asked Ai.

Poking Mila in the chest, Mai asked “How could you be at Jarod’s bachelor party without telling us?”

“I helped too!” exclaimed Aaliyah, smiling adorably up at them.

“This is so odd.” insisted Lake. “But really incredible!”

A beautiful girl with multi-colored hair hugged Lake from behind and said, “Isn’t she!?”

Lake looked uncomfortable before turning to see who was hugging her. Then she smiled.

The girl released Lake and held out a hand, saying, “Oh. Sorry. I’m Emma. You’d know me as Toxicodendron Radicans.”

“Toxi!? That’s you!?” exclaimed Lake, quickly grabbing Emma’s hand in both of her own.

“Third Mila incoming?” I suggested, noticing one in different clothing walking our way. The possibilities for an A.I. controlling multiple bodies were endless.

“No. That’s my girlfriend, Alma, whom you know as Eseld.” stated James with an amused tone.

“Just look for the smile.” suggested Aaliyah. “Mila has one. Alma likes to look like this.” Aaliyah’s face went completely expressionless in an instant.

I wasn’t put off by finding out that this was the girlfriend. There were two more beauties behind her. One had skin and hair as white as snow, which seemed completely out of place in the Bahamas. She was considerably taller than the other two, but that really wouldn’t take much. The second one had the most voluminous blonde hair I had ever seen in person, partially hanging over one eye. There were sporadic dyed strands visible as they got closer. She seemed nervous, as if she wanted to duck farther into her yellow, cat-like hoodie, which I couldn’t understand wearing in this heat. I took a moment to realize she was wearing contacts, making her eyes seem slightly red and the pupils look cat-like.

“A pleasure to met you all in person.” stated Alma after she reached us. Pointing to the ivory, she said, “This is Calamity, who we call Portentia in person.” Then she motioned to the other cat-lover, saying, “This is Raine, who you likely know as Nekopawpaw, our guild’s most renowned crafter.”

I should have guessed. Anyone who would use the name “Nekopawpaw” had to love cats, not to mention that her game character was a cat-girl. She had seemed shy in the game, but I had trouble picturing this girl working as a best friend for hire at James’ company. Did she do something else there?

“If everyone’s ready then, shall we depart?” asked Mario, our guide.

“No training course for them?” asked Alec, looking surprised.

“Oh, they went through the course earlier. They’re good.” replied Mario with a reassuring nod.

Without any argument, all of us hopped on our ATVs and set off, racing along the roads and trails. The scenery was breathtaking, but so were the girls. I had a new picture of James’ company, feeling they could all be extraordinarily talented models, which would help explain how such a strange company stayed afloat. Ties with the Intergalactic House of Awesome Sauce and Global Princess Entertainment surely helped as well.

The guide was great, cracking jokes as he told us about different areas of the island. Emma had beef with the exclusion of plants in his speeches, pointing out rare specimens she had noticed, which only made my picture of the company seem even more accurate. Jarod informed me that Emma has a degree in Botany, despite only being nineteen. Everyone seemed to have fun throughout the trip, even Shaurya, who was taking tons of pictures throughout our journey.

When the other group went their own way, I was a little disappointed. I knew several of us had considered asking Raine about bumping us up on her list of commissions for Ancient Tribes of Earth, and getting to know the other Generals better in person would’ve been nice. Still, I couldn’t complain. Meeting them at all gave us bragging rights.

After eating on the yacht and doing a bit of gaming, we set out for private tours of various forts. Jarod’s enthusiasm for them surpassed the rest of us combined, but I always knew he was a nerd, though I never had considered this nerd could probably beat me up in real life. Aaliyah only fueled his enthusiasm by claiming there were hidden rooms in certain spots. Unfortunately, the tour guides wouldn’t let us verify any of them.

We finished our day with a walking tour of restaurants and rum, which surprisingly included a chocolatier who made some chocolates with rum. The entire group was careful to keep Aaliyah away from the alcoholic food, which was trickier than some might expect. I wouldn’t have thought the little prodigy would’ve been interested in sampling anything, but she apparently was. By the end, I was exhausted, but happy that my day had been so wonderful.

#Best Friend For Hire Reprise #Best #Friend #For #Hire #Reprise #Jovial Times #Jovial #Times #Fantasy #Fiction #Story

2 notes · View notes

fylauraharrier · 6 years ago

Link

What’s most striking about Laura Harrier when she stands to shake my hand in Soho House, on Manhattan’s Lower East Side, is her delicacy. She’s slender as a tulip, in high-waisted baggy jeans and a black silk camisole. Her make-up and jewellery are barely-there — gossamer golden threads around her neck and fingers. What makes her gentle vibe all the more remarkable is that, just the night before, I was sitting in a dark screening room spellbound by her fierce, gripping performance in BlacKkKlansman. Directed by Spike Lee and co-starring Adam Driver and John David Washington (Denzel’s son), it’s based on the true story of two cops infiltrating the Ku Klux Klan in the 1970s. Harrier, 28, plays Patrice, a student leader in the Black Power movement and a force for political awakening for the other characters. Patrice’s look is anything but demure, with her halo-like afro and leather jackets. In particular, Harrier says of the afro wig she wears throughout, it made her hold herself differently: “I felt royal.” She pauses a beat and laughs: “It hit doorways. Sometimes it got skewed.”

She was on holiday in Greece with friends last year, lying on a beach on a “random Tuesday”, glass of rosé in hand, when an unfamiliar number popped up on her phone. She answered. “‘Laura, this is Spike Lee. Vacation’s over. See you in New York on Thursday,’” she says, doing a not completely terrible impersonation of the director. She scrambled off the island and met Lee for an unorthodox audition that included sitting in on his film-making class at New York University, participating in the class discussion, and making a nearly hour-long video. “At one point I got really mad at him and I walked out of the room and slammed the door. I came back expecting him to be, like, ‘And, scene.’ But no. He was still going. I was, like, ‘We’re still acting. OK, cool. When will this end?’ ” She was offered the role the next day and, without reading a script or even knowing much about her character, Harrier jumped at the opportunity, thinking, “I’ll do whatever, it’s Spike!”

The film won the Grand Prix award at Cannes in May, and Harrier and her castmates were given a six-minute standing ovation after the screening. As if a meaty role in the latest Spike Lee film wasn’t a cool enough credential, Harrier has also scooped up contracts with Bulgari and Louis Vuitton, for which she is a brand ambassador. She met Vuitton’s creative director, Nicolas Ghesquière, after a catwalk show a year and a half ago and they “hit it off and clicked”. He featured her in his SS18 campaign, wearing a futuristic take on an 18th-century-style brocade jacket. For Cannes, Ghesquière made her a peach dream of a gown. “It was so beautiful,” she swoons. “I cried when I tried it on for the first time, like it was my wedding dress.”

Harrier spent her formative years in what is perhaps America’s quintessential picket-fence suburb: Evanston, Illinois, the area where John Hughes set Sixteen Candles and his other romcoms about middle-class (and mostly white) teenage angst. Harrier’s father works in insurance and her mother is a speech therapist. Her mother is white — a fact that she says people often find “weird” now, but was a non-issue growing up. “My parents never talked about it,” she says, as she tucks into a veggie burger and fries. “There were no big heart-to-hearts.”

To prepare for her role in BlacKkKlansman, Harrier met Kathleen Cleaver, one of the most famous female leaders of the Black Panther Party, and spent time talking to her own father, whose ancestors were slaves, about the racism he faced growing up on Chicago’s South Side and then going to a boarding school in Michigan where he was the only black student. The movement, he told her, taught him to celebrate and embrace his blackness — a message Harrier finds as relevant to her now as it was to her father back then.

“I’m not surprised that racism still exists in our country,” she sighs. “I think people were comfortable during the Obama years and these things were kind of suppressed, and now everyone who has hateful views has the encouragement to make them known. But also it’s [about] trying to be hopeful and not feel like we’re all in despair.”

Harrier is vocal about activism on her Instagram feed, regularly posting in support of trans rights, anti-gun rallies and gender equality. We are meeting during Donald Trump’s visit to London. “The blimp was hilarious,” she says of the inflatable balloon depicting the president in a nappy.

There is, also, the glamorous stream of fancy coiffures and modelling shots across her social media that she admits is part of her job. “My Instagram isn’t me, it’s a very curated version of things,” she says. “I don’t post myself with zits and cramps and rolling out of bed.” She applauds friends who are more open, but is wary herself. “I think people use it to stalk people,” she says. And she’s tired of the sexual harassment that all women face “across the board” online: “It makes me mad. It’s so gross. I’m, like, ‘I don’t want to see your dick pic.’ ” Though the It girls she poses with — Zendaya, Bella Hadid, Sophie Turner — are her real friends, social media can never convey her real life, she says, which mostly involves being “really f****** busy, honestly”.

She recently moved from New York to Los Angeles, “for work and to escape the winter and some life stuff”, but says she has barely been home. Life stuff? “Just personal bullshit,” she says, waving her hand. A boy? “Yeah,” she admits, with a rueful laugh. “I don’t want to talk about that. Sorry.”

Harrier had been living in Manhattan since leaving home to study art history at NYU. She dropped out to model and eventually enrolled in a two-year acting programme. Success came swiftly: before she had even graduated, she was cast by the 12 Years a Slave director, Steve McQueen, in a pilot for HBO (sadly, the show was never picked up). The career-making role of Peter Parker’s high-school sweetheart in Spider-man Homecoming quickly followed.

The fantasy aspect of fashion has always interested Harrier, even before she began, as she puts it, professionally “playing make-believe”. In fact, she was voted best dressed in high school — although she’s not willing to vouch for her teenage sense of style. “I remember wearing a lot of boots — like, high boots,” she says, pointing to a spot above her knee, “which is such a weird, awful trend.” Her style icons at the time were the women of 1990s black sitcoms: Hilary in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, and Denise, played by Lisa Bonet, on The Cosby Show. “Those were the people on TV that looked like me, so it was what I identified with. Also they were beautiful and looked really cool,” she says.

Back to BlacKkKlansman. She has no fear about what the reaction to the film might be among white supremacists and fans of Trump, for whom the movie has a pointed message in its coda. “I hope [there’s blowback],” she says, “because that means they saw it and are paying attention. It starts a dialogue. Spike is really taking on Trump.”

However, BlacKkKlansman isn’t just an American story, she says. She’s spent the past few years travelling around Europe and Asia and sees the issues of racism and xenophobia as universal. “How do people treat Muslims? How do people treat immigrants? It’s not just about black and white. We’re seeing the rise of right-wing movements around the world,” she says. “So I think and I hope that people all over the world will see it and identify with it. This is everywhere.”

BlacKkKlansman is out on August 24

#laura harrier #article #spideycentral #she's so wise #also no questions about the boy she's talking about in the end #if you don't want to sign in on the website #the interview is also under the cut now

79 notes · View notes

hetaliaindie · 6 years ago

Text

Going down memory lane

Just a little photo post.

June 9th 2017

I come back after more than a year, ready to try this out again.

I love how I'm always straight with ya guys in the tags yeesh.

July 4th 2017

The start of my first proper event, the Gandharva Event! (Though I've revised his design greatly ever since- there's no trace of Shiv in this anymore!!)

July 24th 2017

My first interaction with @grandparomeaskblog !!! When will I stop drawing your son in compromising situations-

August 28 2018

The very very first glimpse of Mr. G!

Also August 28

The day I started lowkey introducing the world to Shiv's 2500 year old crush.

September 1 2017

Young Shiv art!

September 9 2017

The most cursed artwork in this entire blog, thanks to aforementioned Grandpa Rome and Mr. Camel ( @de-beste-persian-empire)

September 16 2017

I think, this is the first sridevi we got on this blog. No introduction, nothing.

Same day and we have Sridevi being as demanding of sweets as she always is, and our lovely Aarya! @ask-ladylotus. The world deserves more india wamen.

September 21 2017

One of my favourite answers to date: Jugaad

September 24 2017

Gosh I don't like the art here at all, but here's the start of the lotus/god angst.

Same Day

The cutest darn Shiv ever. I hope I've kept this side of him alive.

Same Day

I think this is interesting because it seems that I was really fond of a more metaphorical approach to some questions and I'm still like that today: Jealousy

Same Day: Start of the God (dream) Event

September 30 2017

Yeah that's really what they looked like then.

October 5 2017

This may have happened nearly 2000 years ago but I do keep referencing it so here, boys and their issues.

October 24 2017

Same story, more details

October 26 2017

This is truly one of the most beautiful works I've made, and this is when I start getting very fond of this kind of storylike narrative, bright colours and literal metaphors.

November 3 2017

Jerks.

November 5 2017

Mr and Mrs. did have their casual pretend intimacy. Now she's alone but Mr. Gold has Zar. I hope we see her grow now that her fake love partner's dead and reborn.

December 19 2017

This is about when I fell in love with both of them tbh. Btw the baby was carefully delivered to an orphanage and quickly adopted by one of Mr. G's workers.

December 28 2017

The start of a legend. The Highschool AU. Would you believe me if I told you that Gypty and I still work on it casually or see various futures spawned from it?

January 15 2018 (Welcome to 2018 my good folks, we made it)

This isn't important content but artwise, It's when I really started pushing for dynamic stylistic choices for my art.

January 16 2018

You really really see it here, and also I start indulging more in patterns to brighten up the simplicity of everyday life. I'd also say this is where the general body differences are most exaggerated between them all (even with sridevi as a child).

January 22 2018

A comment on Arthur Kirkland.

January 23 2018

A memory of the Sack of Delhi. It may strain your eyes (unfortunately I can't say that was on purpose), but it's a tribute to a nation who's heart has been stamped on by circumstances that no one can predict, yet its spark still lights. From an art standpoint, I was very proud of the expression I felt I conveyed well in this panel.

January 28 2018

Listen the amount of research I put into giving you a culturally intriguing gag response-

February 2 2019

Mrs. Gold, I definitely improved a lot with colour usage here.

February 1 2018

This is where I have truly tried too hard on colours but I'm really warming up to it. (Oh nu is my icon that old- i'll get a new one soon I promise)

Please just take a moment, if you're someone who is an artist and is on a journey, to compare this piece with some of the earlier ones in this post. This improvement wasn't completely random. It started with looking for stylistic changes in the way I drew- in my case, really exaggerating the flowiness of my strokes and sharp points (messing around with a grittier brush, helped me a lot too, if you're someone who sticks with soft brushes or mechanical pencils, I couldn't recommend trying to use a textured brush or irl charcoal to get a grasp on the type of mood you want to evoke). At some stage it became a love story with color too, but colour takes time and lots of adjustment, which is why you won't see much of it in my blog.

March 5 2018

This is where I really start pushing the exaggeration on Mr. G, but only to get a feel for him. He evolved from a chunky nosed, physically imposing figure with a laughable quantity of gold, to something more desperate and dependant on money, something lean and mean with a nose that could poke an eye out. And here, most prominent is the shape of his lips, which had grown more prominent than before and very good for emphasizing his frown (and hell to work with when trying for his dimpled smile).

March 11 2018

I drew this for an rp starter since words couldn't describe what was in my head. I think it's a fine example of my adoration for patterns- but not just patterns, the idea of luxury beyond compare. It's prominent in my blog but only because I have the brain of a magpie and am constantly like ‘ooo shiny’. But really, I drew what I liked, so I improved. Find something you like drawing if you haven't yet. It can be skulls, it can be leaves, feathers, find your motifs and everything will honestly follow along.

May 17 2018

Post exam-hiatus, I am back with the gang, my art style is a bit rusty but boy have I got intimately involved with colours.

May 22 2018

I can't get colours out of my head, I'm thinking about them day and night, I need to create, I need to and so I do. (In all honesty I am certain that something greatly inspired me to do this but I cannot recall what).

June 12 2018

The Kill Cindy 2k18 movement is born. I can finally show you the Mr. G I have been hiding from you all.

July 1 2018

Something I can point out now is that while I think my colours work (honestly i was making use of patterns to distract you all at this stage- before I returned from my hiatus, I'd been rejected in an interview for an animation course and the key point my interviewer made was that my sense of colour was jarring, so I really was sensitive over it but seeking out improvement), what I would change is that adding a clear light source and allowing an atmosphere (by adjusting the main figures’ hues slightly to match the background) to emerge in my art would make it a lot better. And I start to grasp at this knowledge.

August 19 2018

The start of the bodyswap event, I swear I'll get back to it. I just want to use it as a stepping stone to get some meaningful character development out of it, thus it's ongoing.

See here, this is where I just stop caring about skin and character colour as something that should more or less be constant. Now it's vibrant and blinding for no other reason than I want to make you feel (granted, I did that too much here and it makes things hard to understand much less appreciate).

September 8 2018

Here I'm really just feeling the colours, Shiv's home is easy- everything is luxurious but at once welcoming (or at the very least, pampering), Sridevi's home on the other hand was shown to be neater and almost less personal, there isn't much immersion allowed in her place but in Shiv's..oh man.

November 2018

As you can see, activity has been dwindling what with rigorous college days and having moved to a new city. It should pick up eventually, but let me close this off with some new art.

Do I have something to say about this piece? Yes, I do! The point of view is Shiv's, thus the warm colours and the way he blends into the background. The main figure here is not himself or his 2nd player, but the vibrant peacocks, that exist in a shade of blue too vibrant to be real. In between the two sentient figures, is our young Mr. Gold, clearly he has the favour of these birds but he doesn't seem very affected by them- unlike the jealous Shiv. He's the dullest colour present and he wears the blandest clothing, the matters of peacocks (be they blue or orange) do not apply to him and he is at once alienated.

Today, November 14th 2018

So after everything, here we are. Is this what all my art was moving towards? No it isn't, it's really just me playing around with photoshop brushes, but the mood of this image is something I feel that I've conveyed with integrity. That's what I want to keep striving for. Thank you all for staying with this blog as long as you have, thank you to all my newer followers, I've linked most of these points to their original posts, I hope that Tumblr does not break them. Love you all!

#mun post #long post #some of the posts include triggering content such as #tw marital abuse #tw insects #and that's basically it #aph india

9 notes · View notes

halovian · 3 years ago

Note

good afternoon morax! its always good to take all the time you want with online correspondence, being present in your own physical life is a real treasure :)! i hope youve been having a good time too! AND i saw you beat elden ring, congrats!!! do you have any plans to go back on NG+, or is it on to other pastures? :3c

as for other games, those are all very good choices :D i tend to skew towards 2d retro games for a few reasons (easier to emulate on low-end hardware, lack of an extra dimension often allows more Density in world/area design, and pixel spritework is really fun to study irt character/game design; it condenses the details down to only the essentials, but still manages to convey so much!) but every title you mentioned has a sleek focus and a really clearly rendered setting/tone/purpose that are super fun to explore! plus that third dimension does give the ability to express a true sense of scale and movement, and details that you can really sink your teeth into!

and! well! i like quite a lot of games for different reasons ^-^ my favorite Genre is probably jrpgs, specifically turn-based jrpgs (eg. octopath, chrono trigger, persona) and anything with a monster collecting or raising element (pkmn, digimon), but action-rpgs are fun too (monster hunter!!, xenoblade, kh, tales of) and 2d action platformers are also pretty diverse (kirby, hollow knight, cave story!!) and then multiplayer games that you can play forever are always fun to fall back on (stardew, splatoon)! out of those id probably consider cave story, pkmn, monhun, hk, and xbc my favorites! i have a lot to say about all of them! and i do enjoy a good creature :3

i really like elder scrolls as well, but i havent had the chance to play in years! fallout is in the same boat but it stuck less due to fantasy/low-tech/magic settings drawing me in a little more due to their abstraction; persona is very fun but ive only ever had the chance to finish one game :'D ; and as for nier and genshin: ive always been really interested in nier but ive never had the chance to play it! maybe ill go put a playthrough on and work through the drakengard series; but genshin i actually know. ALMOST nothing about! i understand you have a certain connection to the world and i wont pry so publically, of course while offering so little information about myself, but, perhaps in sole relation to the game as media, what are some of your favorite aspects of it?

Good evening dear anon ♥️

And I very much agree! I try my best to keep myself offline as much as I can these days as I am treasuring a few final days with friends - And I think it very important to do so without a phone in hand, as cheesy as that may sound haha. But yes, I have been having a good time ♥️ I hope you've been well, too. :)

Going to put the rest of my answer under a readmore since I got rambling, so preemptive apologies for that, haha.

And I quite did! Thank you so much! I actually put myself on a deadline because I got audibly frustrated playing the final stretch (open apology to my bestie who suffered through it with me in a call), so I wanted it done before this Monday as my neighbour would return from vacation that day and I did not wish to disturb her too much, haha... So I managed Saturday ^_^ And I am indeed planning to go for NG+! I have many builds I would like to try out, so I'll be busy with that for a while yet. ^_^

And ah, I do wholeheartedly agree with that! I do enjoy pixelated 2D games, and I have tried getting into pixel art myself because of them, haha. So yes, I do adore a well-designed 2D game as some developers can do some magnificent things with the restrictions 2D brings ♥️

And if you ever wish to ramble about your favourites, I am more than willing to listen! All of those games you mentioned are all either games I have enjoyed myself (tales of, Stardew, KH and Hollow Knight of course) or are games I have definitely wondered about (I still need to pick up Monster Hunter at some point...) so I would adore to hear anything you have to say about it. :]

And yes, I agree about Fallout - Usually I am also a big fan of high magic/fantasy settings (I deeply dislike sci-fi, in fact, haha) but I... Also have a hyperfixation on anything post-apocalyptic so i got sucked in T_T And I am very curious which Persona game it is that you finished! I definitely have some... Opinions on each of them LOL.

Ah, you should! Though I must say I do recommend Nier: Automata above all - It was the first Nier game I played, and it still hasn't left my mind ever since I did, so it is definitely something I can recommend. Drakengard I actually have not been able to get into myself - So if you do end up watching it, let me know! Maybe I'll finally push myself to go finish that, too, haha.

And aha, I do have some connection to Genshin, yes - It is a mixture of a deep belief in reincarnation and system nonsense, and that is all I will say for now, but you're always free to inquire about it. :)

As for the aspects I enjoy - Outside of my connection, I've always been a sucker for stories with pantheons of gods, so that was the first thing that pulled me towards it! Then I came to realise that Genshin had more story and character develo0ment than I thought it would (I had seen it advertised as a gacha game, and I think we all know how that usually pans out) so I was extremely pleasantly surprised. And then I got friends that played it too, and played it with me, and it just became an excellent way to bond and spend time together, so now I play it mostly to play with friends. :)

Also this message got absurdly long so I apologise to you and anyone with the misfortune to read this, but I am definitely enjoying this conversation so thank you still ♥️ I hope you have a good day, anon!

0 notes