#Nations of the world retro

[freshthoughts2020]

[chelseajackarmy]

Zinedine Zidane playing for Juventus

[schlock-luster-video]

On July 25, 2000, The Thing From Another World was released theatrically in Argentina.

[disease]

"UNTITLED" // 2007 YOSHITOMO NARA 奈良 美智 [coloured pencil on coloured paper | 16 ½ x 11 5/8"]

With her short cropped hair, dark green dress and rebellious energy, the girl in Untitled (2007) emits the youthful defiance that has come to typify works by Yoshitomo Nara. [...]

"He is widely celebrated for his paintings and coloured pencil drawings of juvenile, cartoonish characters with large gazing eyes and endearing personalities. They inhabit imagined and insouciant paper worlds, brandish absurd objects and props—knives, sprouts, cigarettes, and electric guitars—and express a wide range of capricious, childlike emotion. Stern and somewhat sulky, our subject hovers in indeterminate space. She stands upon a Japanese flag with her small feet positioned perfectly over its crimson sun. Emblazoned around her miniature figure are the words ‘Up Yours!’, and, ‘All the Nations!’. As an advocate of peace, questions of nationhood, conflict and world politics weave through Nara’s art in such pithy phrases and symbols. Exhibited at the Centro de Arte Contemporáneo de Málaga—the first show of the artist’s work in Spain in 2007-2008—the present work was one of twenty coloured pencil drawings hung along the final wall of the gallery.

Born in 1959 in Japan’s rural Aomori Prefecture, Nara’s youth was marked by his country’s rapid post-war economic development and an influx of Western pop-culture, from Disney animation to punk and rock and roll. The artist expresses heartfelt nostalgia for the retro media—record-sleeves and comic books—that offered escapism from an otherwise solitary childhood. ‘Of course if you think back to the ’70s,’ he says, ‘information moved very differently. There was no Internet obviously and even the release date of albums in Japan could be delayed as much as six months … I would just sit there, listen to the music, look at the art on the cover and I think I really developed my imagination through that’ (N. Hegert, ‘Interview with Yoshitomo Nara,’ Artslant, 18 September 2010). This sensitivity to the worn, tactile quality of objects is triumphant in his art today and distinguishes him from the likes of Takashi Murakami and his Superflat movement. Untitled bears the enlivening traces of artist’s hand, present in the rough ‘outside-the-line’ scribbles that imply the girl’s messy hair. Bracketed with Nara’s unfiltered, handwritten text, the image feels distinctly personal, like a secret note exchanged between friends.

As early as his time at Aichi Prefectural University of Fine Arts in the 1980s, Nara began to draw onto envelopes, cardboard, and scraps of found paper. He continued these explorations at the prestigious Kunstakademie Düsseldorf where, under the tutorship of German Neo-Expressionist painter A. R. Penck, he was encouraged to work fluidly between painting and drawing. ‘I [loved] to draw every day and the scrawled sketches, never shown to anybody, started piling up’, Nara has said. ‘Like journal entries reflecting the events of each day, they sometimes intersected [with] memories from the past. My little everyday world became a trigger for the imagination, and I learned to develop and capture the imagery that arose’ (Y. Nara, ‘Nobody’s Fool’, in N. Miyamura and S. Suzuki (eds.), Yoshitomo Nara: The Complete Works, Volume 1: Paintings, Sculptures, Editions, Photographs 1984-2010, San Francisco 2011, p. 43). Mischievous, cute, and quietly ferocious, the present work attests to the enduring appeal of Nara’s little rebels." — via Christie's

[galoogamelady]

What’s Fallout like? Like I know I can google what kind of game it is but more than that what games would you compare it to? and is it more story-based or gameplay-based?

That's a difficult one to answer and I'm not sure I have the authority to do it lol

But I'll try!

The Fallout fandom is fairly complicated due to the IP being passed around and the lore/values of its storytelling being muddied over the years. That being said I think both old-school and new fans would still agree that the story is the most important element, as they're meant to be role playing games where you make decisions on often heavy matters (especially in the games of the original devs).

Fallout 1 and 2 are turn-based isometric rpg-s from the late 90s. If you like that type of gameplay, they're fantastic games and cult classics. They don't shy away from heavy themes.

Then the IP got sold to Bethesda and their version of Fallout is a FPS/TPS action experience, as seen in Fallout 3 and 4. The combat is fun but even the newest game is shit by shooter standards. If you played an Elder Scrolls game (like Skyrim), they're like that but set in a retro futuristic post apocalypse. A large slice of the fandom has only played these ones and skipped the original turn-based games.

Fallout New Vegas was made by the original team but using Bethesda's engine. Many fans would tell you that out of the modern titles, that's the one with the best writing.

Fallout 4 was a very popular title due to the scrap and build system. As you adventure, you can scavenge all sorts of trash and then build your own little settlements in the wasteland and populate them with settlers. Add mods to that, and the community really did some magic. It made people connect with the world of Fallout on a personal level.

The story in a nutshell: in an alternate timeline, survivors of a devastating nuclear war are trying to rebuild and make the irradiated wasteland of the United States liveable again but every group and faction has a different take on how society should be rebuilt. When the writing is done well, your choices have weight and it's impossible to be fair and please everyone. You get to discover a variety of different factors that lead to the Great War and you have to wager whether humanity is doomed to make the same mistakes all over again. Is there a way to avoid them? What kind of sacrifices does that require? Etc.

A lot of it is supposed to be a critical look at war, 50s Americana and the dangers of nationalism, rampant consumerism, xenophobia, etc.

Hope this helped a little! It's difficult to find two Fallout fans who are on the exact same opinion of all the games. I personally think, the fun part of the games is when you get to carve a little slice out of the wasteland for yourself and your community and the stimulating part is the overarching story and lore.

It's no wonder the original writers made The Outer Worlds too, which I don't consider a legendary game but the similarities are obvious in the themes.

[polish-art-tournament]

photography round 2 poll 1

[Painted house in Zalipie] 1976:

submitted description: muted colors photo of a village house with a thatched roof. the wooden outside walls are painted in polish folk designs. on the left, there is an older woman in colorful clothes with her back to the camera. on the right there is a flock of geese

propaganda: i like how barbey's photos of poland are mostly in shades of grey even though the colors are clearly there. the decor on the wall and the woman's clothes and the geese's beaks are colorful!!!!! but you can almost mistake this for a black and white photo. magic. very nice retro vibe

[Auschwitz, an elderly woman crying] 1981:

submitted description: a color photo of a gate and a few buildings in the nazi concentration camp auschwitz-birkenau. on the left an elderly woman is sitting on the ground and crying.

propaganda: was this woman one of the survivors? did she have family members who were murdered in auschwitz? in the background behind the gate younger people seem to be visiting the place as tourists, but for her this is a very personal tragedy.

about the author: Bruno Barbey was a french photographer who documented life in many poor or war-ridden areas of the world. There was an exhibition of his works earlier this year at the National Museum in Warsaw. his photos of 70s and 80s poland are a fascinating glance into the past, i really like how they show that even in (sometimes shocking) poverty there are moments of genuine joy and beauty. you can see more of them here and here

[avatar-the-dead-moon]

Avatar: New Omashu AU

Or Fallout: Avatar Extra Late

.... That was awful. Moving on-

Hello! I am Mod Faun and This blog is an archive for the Avatar/Fallout AU created by @charlesoberonn where Aang wakes up 200 years later, the world has been ruined by the victory of the Fire Nation in the 100 year war and was further ruined by the death of the Moon spirit and the Genocide of the Fire benders committed by the survivors of the Water tribes, Earth Kingdom, and the revolting spirits, spear headed by the Ocean Spirit. Aang wakes up to a ruined flooded world where only 2 elements really remain, a retro futurism vibe going on and actively roaming spirits.

Only Aang can heal this wounded world, but it will be difficult work, it always is.

This blog will be an archive to anyone's contributions and takes to this au. I'll be checking Charles blog, checking the tags that are listed

#avatar the dead moon

#avatar new omashu

#avatar fallout au

Though, if you want to make sure that I don't miss your contribution, always @ me

In the morning, I'll start making a master list that collects the major context and info for this au

[oranjeleeuw]

hows the pacific rim au going ???? its such a neat idea and i need ppl to draw concept art for it

DO I HAVE NEWS FOR YOU MY FRIEND

First of all, life happened and happened for good, I couldn't write much before but Now. NOW is the time.

I planned and plotted a lot during the whole year I first came up with the idea and I have a kind of strong base for the AU. I also have a brilliant beta by my side, my dear friend Frog (@faramircaptainofgender), so hopefully during this summer this idea will be shared with you all outside our little friend group.

I'll take this opportunity and shamelessly turn my answer into a main post for the AU.

 ╔════════════════╗

the title:

Human within the Machine

[brief synopsis]

The Nations of the world developed a simulation where future Jaeger pilots can practice for in-action cases. Max Verstappen outshines every other contestants in the history of drifting, there's only one problem - he's no team player.

Charles Leclerc is determined to stop the Kaijus and end their reign, once and for all. He lost his parents due to kaiju attacks, now he feels responsible not only to avenge their deaths, but to bring a brighter future to his brothers.

Jaeger engineering is living its golden age, there is money in it and many enthusiastic contestants who are not entirely aware of the horror that awaits them out at the ocean.

[disclaimer]

There’s no main plot (as in: I am not planning on detailed world-building neither to save the world from kaijus, I am smaller than that), the endgame is to get Max into an active combat where he drifts with Charles and they’re in the Il Predestinato (the legendary Jaeger that has been out of service for a decade, waiting for the right co-pilots). Everything before and in between are just themes I desire to explore within the possibilities of this AU.

 ╔════════════════╗

I have a playlist that helps me to stay inspired, songs are not in order yet though, but as I said earlier, chapters are meant to be kind-of standalone scenes, existing in their own moods and settings.

Each chapter will have its own chosen background music linked to them. I also added many symphonic songs just to get in the mood for some combat scenes.

 ╔════════════════╗

[good to know]

Roles: In the case of HwtM we have active and passive characters in this story. Due to the fact that many scenes are set in drift-memories, where not everything is factual and we are in the mix of memories and feelings, some characters will only appear and speak through these moments. Therefore they fall into the passive category - they are the legends. I will talk about them in their own post but the gist of it is what I wrote above, they cannot speak for themselves so we will only see them through tilted lenses: idolised, villanised, or the mix of both.

Which also means another thing - everyone is an unreliable narrator.

Teams and Jaegers: Since this is the golden age of Jaeger engineering, we will have many-many Jaegers. So far I named only a few, but to stay true to the source material, I'm trying to make them just as cheesy yet compelling as the ones were in the movies. The constructor teams from real life are not so different from what they represent in HwtM, but I altered some of their names to fit more into the world (older names or older sounding names of some teams since the future that Pacific Rim has is basically our present. I was aiming for some retro-vibe).

Here, they are different detachments under the Pan Pacific Defense Corps, in the Jaeger Academy division. I’m planning on working with Merc, Ferrari, McLaren, Williams and of course Redbull.

Mercedes is called Benz

Ferrari is called Alfa Romeo

Red Bull is Toro Rosso

The other two stay under the same name.

Ships to look out for: it is a Lestappen-centered story (if I am really honest with you, it’s Max-centered first of all) but on the side-lines we will look into some depths of Carlando, Galex and Maxiel in…some way. Please-please keep in mind, that these won’t be fully developed romantic relationships in the fic, I’m reporting from the minds and souls of these boys, objectively perceived scenes between them will be rare and much more comrade-like.

 ╔════════════════╗

That is all I planned to share for starters. Feel free to ask about the process or anything really, that is related to this project, it’s my beloved child and can’t wait to share it all with others!

[elbiotipo]

Even though I'm a bit guilty of it myself with my own space opera setting (it's supposed to have a retro aesthetic), it's surprising how science fiction has been so permeated by cynicism and what I can best define as "End of History" thinking that the only thing pop sci fi seems able to imagine is "the future will be the same as today (or even worse), but there will be Cool Laser Guns"

(lately even the lasers have been replaced by regular bullets)

What I mean is that much like it's easier to imagine the end of the world than the end of capitalism, it's easier to imagine our current capitalist system extending indefinitely but now In Space rather than imagine societal changes. Like, this it guys? We're gonna have to pay rent and fight pointless wars and be ruled by corporate suits forever? are we actually gonna have fucking CEOs as we explore the galaxy?

This is it? You can't imagine a better world than this?

Even when sci-fi authors talk about realism, it's usually about how to make ships pound each other harder with missiles, not how about society will evolve in the future, what changes might technology bring to society (the whole point of science fiction in my opinion). It's just Today, But With Lasers. We will still have corporations, nation-states, cops, war, the same society we have now. But Now With Lasers.

anyways, for a good start, read Banks and LeGuin, but there are others, lots more, who dare to imagine what actual futures might look like, they just aren't as well known

[lintwriting]

i think i really love how visceral the politics of signalis is. not just in the in-your-face propaganda aspects. but like, the way it dooms the narrative.

the whole plot of signalis is based around two entirely disconnected settings -- the Penrose ship and the Sierpinski prison. They are so disconnected from each other across time and space that you spend the whole first half of the game disoriented by the whiplash these two locations give you.

and personally? I stayed confused until I realized what connected them:

they're the two branching paths of Ariane's future.

after her military service, she gets a state letter informing her that if she's not accepted into the Penrose program, she'll be sent to Sierpinski, a "re-education" camp that's actually just a prison mine.

And, to her luck, she "somehow did end up joining the Nation's Penrose Program, the same one on the posters she had seen years prior."

I love and hate the way the wiki frames it, because yes the Penrose space expedition program seemed preferable to the prison camp.Yes, she had seen posters of it and glamorized it as a new start for her. After all, she was an art-obsessed outsider in a world where people molded into being unfeeling machines, where art is frivolous and degenerate except for how it serves as propaganda. Why not dream of a new planet?

But it's all a lie. The Penrose program sounds too good to be true for Ariane-- how can this under-qualified, ostracized freak get accepted into such a prestigious program? -- because it IS too good to be true.

The truth of the program is that it's a glorified propaganda tool, and a useful way to get rid of political enemies. Just send them off into space and tell them it's for the good of the empire, to find new planets to colonize. Then, after 7.74 years of loyal service to the program, tell them:

If you have not found a suitable world for landing by this point, accept that you will not. Find solace in the thought that others might be successful where you failed.

Remenber, you will die having served your Nation by partaking in a glorious demonstration of our power. --- End of decrypted transmission ---

As you are probably aware, your ship's spare parts and rations will soon be depleted.

Penrose is ostensibly about founding new colonies on different planets, but the reality is that these vessels seem to have very little planning put into them, like throwing darts at the wall and hoping one of them will stick. Some people wonder about the efficacy of wasting ships of supplies for this seemingly useless endeavor, but they're missing the point and buying into the propaganda.

The truth is that Ariane was just a pawn for their political power play, quite literally a demonstration of their power, like a horrifying version of The Tallest sending Invader Zim on a useless quest to conquer Earth to keep him out of their hair, like Ozai banishing Zuko off to chase a hundred year old myth. And it cost Ariane her future.

And like, that means no matter what, Ariane never had a future. Penrose is death by space, and Sierpinski is death by mines. She never had a choice, only the illusion of one, because she was doomed by the political reality of living in under an authoritarian state that would never value her.

And like, it's so impossible to ignore the similarities of this to the Cultural Revolution in China. I think the retro aesthetic of the nation references that, along with the Chinese characters littering all the walls.

Ariane's story reminds me a lot of Ye Wenjie's story from the 3 Body Problem, as a similarly powerful woman who also dooms the whole world because of the ANGUISH of the Cultural Revolution destroying her future.

Except, unlike Ye Wenjie, we're not going to get a bunch of assholes calling her an Eve, doomer of mankind. Instead, the story actually succeeds at portraying Ariane as a tragedy doomed by the narrative.

[youremyheaven]

Vedic Astrology Observations

Uttarashada natives often have very mongoose like features (esp face shape) since mongoose is its yoni animal. Often times these natives have a very small head.

Jessica Parker Kennedy is an Uttarashada Moon

Jennie is UA sun & Jane Levy is UA moon. Notice how they both have a similar eye shape and tapered chin.

2. Punarvasu girlies have such doll like faces. Punarvasu is considered the most feminine nakshatra and I think that impacts the physiognomy of its natives, giving them very cute, dainty, hyper feminine features.

Isabella Moner & Billie Lourd are both Punarvasu sun

Both Karina & Miranda Kerr are Punarvasu moon

3. Hasta Moon women are celebrated for their femininity in the world of entertainment. Since Hasta is ruled by the Moon, these natives are endowed with pleasant demeanour and natural vibrancy.

Dita Von Teese, who is known for emulating a hyper feminine 1930s starlet glamour, has Hasta sun & mercury (her moon is in another feminine nak of Mrigashira while her Ketu resides in yet another feminine nak of Punarvasu)

Bae Suzy, who is known as "First Love of the Nation" in South Korea, because her youthfulness and innocence reminds people of their "first love" has Hasta sun.

A lot of Bollywood actresses have big 3 Hasta placements, Katrina Kaif, Kriti Sanon, Tamanna Bhatia and Tara Sutaria are all Hasta moon.

(I'll probably make a separate post about this but these women fit North Indian beauty standards and Moon dominant women are always considered the North Indian ideal)

(Notice how all of them have slightly thin long noses and big-ish foreheads and an elongated eye shape?)

Anne Hathaway, Emma Stone, Ariana Grande, Kate Winslet, Karlie Kloss, Anya Chalotra, Lili Reinhart, Kristen Bell, Isabelle Adjani are all Hasta moons and most of them are known for their grace and elegance, while others are known for their girl next door persona.

4. Uttarashada & Purvashada natives are drawn to grandness, luxury and big gestures. In music, I've noticed how many musicians who make music that synthesizes and integrates many diverse sounds, genres and perhaps cultural influences often have Uttarashada placements.

Ryuichi Sakamoto, who often mixed electronic music with African, Chinese, Indian (and many others) music and was known for his "East Meets West" style had Uttarashada sun.

Daft Punk, the French electronic music duo is also known for mixing funk, synth pop, techno, disco and other genres with electronic music. The duo consists of Thomas Bangalter, who has Purvashada Sun, Uttaradhada Mercury & Venus, and Guy Manuel de Homem Christo has Uttarashada Venus.

Cher, who was also known for working across genres has Purvashada moon.

Damon Albarn, who created the virtual band Gorillaz has Uttarashada moon.

Bjork who is known for her unique music has Purvashada Venus

5. A lot of musicians who have a robotic/virtual reality/futuristic concept often have Uttara bhadrapada, Punarvasu and Revati placements.

Guy from Daft Punk is UBP rising with Punarvasu saturn.

Damon Albarn who created the virtual band Gorillaz has UBP sun, Revati saturn amatyakaraka.

Grimes, known for her aliencore, cyberpunk sound/aesthetic has UBP sun

6. Punarvasu natives often make very airy,soft, gentle, "glam" music. They're often very synth heavy and very inspired by 80s esque retro pop. Kali Uchis who has Punarvasu sun, Dua Lipa, Chaka Khan and Mariah Carey who have Punarvasu moon are good examples.

(Notice how even these pictures radiate a very similar glittery, retro glam aesthetic)

[retro-friki]

TOP 5 Favorite Gundam

Honorable mention:

Gundam Mk II (A.E.U.G. Colors)

I really like the color scheme and the elements of its design that makes it look more bulky and solid. Personally I think that it’s a great improvement over it’s predecessor the RX-78-2. It also happens to have some of the best pilots (Kamille, Emma and Elle).

5. Tequila Gundam

As a Mexican, I suspect that I’ll lose my nationality if I said that I didn’t like the Tequila Gundam, XD. (And frankly it’s silly to complain about the stereotypes when G Gundam’s basically “National stereotypes: The anime”).

Love the colors for this mobile suit, the Tequila Gundam doesn’t need to be strident to impress. My favorite elements are the shoulder and arm spikes and the mustache, of course. I think that they went overboard with the sombrero but it doesn’t look that bad either. Realistically speaking a Mobile Suit from Neo-Mexico would include Aztec and/or Mayan elements, but as far as a Japanese interpretation of Mexico goes, this one’s pretty decent, flattering, even.

Also, why haven’t we gotten the HG Tequila Gundam kit yet?

4. Nu Gundam

It’s huge, it’s elegant and it has funnels in the shape of a single wing that makes it look truly iconic. What else do you want? It’s design uses both elements from previous Gundams as well as new additions, which turns it into a great representation of Amuro’s evolution as he goes to his ultimate battle.

Also it carried Char as a basketball and that's always good on my list.

3. Turn A Gundam

I’ve only watched a few episodes of the titular series, however I really love this guy. His design is absolutely unique and it makes him stand out from other Gundams. Love the mustache, but also, who doesn’t love the mustache?

The preponderance of curved lines on his structure gives the Turn A a very sophisticated and retro-futuristic look that’s very pleasing to the eye, and even if it’s supposed to be an artifact from a lost era, his aesthetic doesn’t look out of place in the Turn of the Century world of the series. I just think he’s neat.

2. G-Self

Look at him! He’s just sooo cute!! Big eyes! Round features! He’s definitely friend-shaped!

(I don’t care that this is a weapon of mass destruction, he made me very happy).

The G-Self almost looks like a toy, and don’t you find it very suspicious? It also has multiple backpacks that are only used once and some of them are extremely bulky and unpractical. With the exception of the perfect pack, they don’t affect the plot at all. However, you can get their model kit versions of these packs as p-bandai exclusives. I wonder what was Tomino trying to tell us with all this…well, it’s a mystery just as G-Reco’s plot, I guess.

Gundam Aerial

She happens to be my first Gundam + first model kit, so there’s that. Aerial also has a unique design that combines both curved and sharp elements, it gives her a nice contrast. The shade of blue in her chest armor and gund-bits is very eye-pleasing and it makes a good contrast with the red permet lights. It’s a very elegant and dynamic design. And the similarities with the G-Self make her pretty cute.

But she can also look scary, she has the range!

[qmakobin]

.·:*¨ ¨*:·. Beyond the Finish Line .·:*¨ ¨*:·.

A/N: hi! This is Eribin. I am not a real writer, doing this as my past time. English is not my first language so bear with my English. There’s a lot of grammatical and typographical errors. This is just a fiction from my delusions 😆 AND FINALLY! I was able to write a story about Makoto. Every time i try to make one, i end up simping over him

words: 1.1k words

Summary: Eri supports her boyfriend, racing champion Makoto Hasegawa, despite doubts from her friend Joan about their relationship.

CAST:

MAKOTO HASEGAWA

ERI

●～●～●～●～●～●～●～●～●～●～●～●～●～●～

Eri's heart raced as she leaned against the barricade, her gaze locked on the lineup of sleek cars at the starting line of the Speedway Nationals. Among the thunderous engines and the neon lights reflecting off the hoods , her eyes locked on one car—modified retro black sports car complemented by deep blue accents on the front bumper and lower trims. Makoto Hasegawa wasn’t just the reigning champion of the circuit. To the racing world, he was a living legend.

To Eri, he was her boyfriend. 'my sweet boyfriend' she thought to herself trying not to grin.

Not that anyone believed her.

“Are you still claiming Makoto is your boyfriend?” Joan, her best friend slash perennial skeptic, smirked as she nudged Eri's shoulder.

Eri scowled. “He is! He’s just… private about it.”

“Sure. Let’s see if Mr. Hasegawa even looks your way before the race starts” Joan teased.

Eri crossed her arms, her cheeks warming. It wasn’t like Joan was wrong—Makoto hated public displays of affection. Between the press and his fangirls, he preferred to keep their relationship out of the spotlight. Eri understood that. Most of the time.

But as the engines roared to life, drowning out the cheers of the crowd, she couldn’t help but wish he’d do something—a glance, a wave, anything—to show he saw her.

Makoto’s car idled on the track, its engine purring like a caged predator. His confidence, steady and cocky, was palpable even from the stands. When the flag dropped, the cars lunged forward, a blur of color and motion.

Eri's breath caught as Makoto wove his way through the pack with precision, slipping past opponents in pulling moves that made the crowd gasp. By the final lap, he was neck-and-neck with the other opponent. Then, in a breathtaking move on the inside lane, he surged ahead, crossing the finish line just inches ahead.

The stadium erupted in cheers. Eri's voice joined the chorus, her throat sore from screaming his name. But Makoto didn’t look her way. He climbed out of his car, greeted by a mob of reporters and fans, and disappeared into the chaos.

“See? He doesn’t even know you exist,” Joan said, her tone half-mocking, half-sympathetic. 'Tsk. I don't why I am friends with her.' she thought to herself.

“Shut up, Joan” Eri muttered, though her heart sank.

---

An hour later, Eri wandered into the pit area, dodging mechanics and crew members as they swarmed around Makoto's car. She hesitated at the edge of the commotion, unsure if she should approach him. He seemed busy talking to some crew.

“Babe.”

She turned around to find Makoto leaning casually against a workbench, his racing suit unzipped halfway, revealing a black T-shirt underneath. His bleached blonde hair styled in a textured, messy way, giving off a confident, edgy vibe that fits the racing persona. And a smudge of grease streaked his cheek, but his playful smirk was intact plus his deep dimples in his cheeks which it adds more cuteness. Ugh! Unfair

"hey!” she said, trying to sound calm, though the butterflies in her stomach had other plans.

"Enjoy the race?” he asked, stepping closer. That playful smirk firmly in place

“You were amazing,” she said. “That inside turn on the last lap? Ugh! Insane.”

“I had to give my biggest fan a good show” he teased, his voice low and warm.

Eri rolled her eyes, though her lips twitched into a smile. "You didn’t even look at me once out there. Joan thinks I just made stories about us”

Makoto chuckled, reaching out to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. “Joan sounds annoying.” He looked at her eyes. Her eyes—steady and defiant as always—held that same spark they did on the track, a quiet fire that never wavered. Makoto couldn’t help but smirk, she always had this effect on him.

“She is.” she added, but her cheeks warmed at the soft touch

"well.." he said, his smirk turning into a full grin, “maybe I should give her a reason to stop doubting.”

Before she could ask what he meant, Makoto leaned in and kissed her.. a kiss that was slow, deliberate, and sent her heart racing faster than any car on the track. It was a kind of kiss that made everyone round then disappear.. it was magical. It's only Makoto and her.

When they broke apart, Eri was aware of the stunned silence around them. She turned to see half the pit crew staring in disbelief and Joan staring with wide eyes

“Makoto Hasegawa has a girlfriend?” someone whispered.

Some said "oh! This is a great scoop!"

"We didn't know, I thought he was single"

Makoto wrapped an arm around Eri's waist, his grin never wavering. “Yeah, and she’s my biggest fan. Got a problem with that?”

Eri laughed, burying her face in his chest as the pit erupted into cheers and whistles. Joan, for once, was utterly speechless.

“Feel better?” Makoto murmured into her ear.

“Much,” Eri said, her smile widening.

And just like that, Makoto let his hand fall away, shoving his right hand into his jacket pocket with a small chuckle while his left hand holding Eri's hand. He looked away, but the hint of a smile remained on his lips. (A/N: Pota kinikilig si Makoto asdfghjkll!!)

As they walked away hand-in-hand, Eri realized one thing: life with Makoto might be a whirlwind, but it was the ride of a lifetime—and she was all in.

--------- THE END. THANK YOU SM FOR READING ❤️

[loreseekergaia]

Warhammer 2024 - My list of favourites this year

My yearly tradition of favourite minis is once again back, and this time, I decided to post it on my lore-based side blog. Fits better to archive.

10. - Knights of The Realm on Foot

We started out this year with the return of the Old World, together with the first minis released for Bretonnia and the Tomb Kings.

Bretonnia is a nation of nobles and champions, and their armies consist of mighty regiments of mounted knights charging into battle. Starting out as young Knights Errant, when they eventually prove their worth in combat, they become Knights of the Realm. These Noblemen and women form the bulk of a Bretonnian army.

Foot Knights are those knights who fight unmounted (duh...), and most nobles kind of dislike being relegated to infantry duty. However, Foot Knights are some of the strongest infantry Bretonnia can muster, and in some situations necessary to field. The Dukedom of Montfort for example lies within the Grey Mountains, and its steep terrain heavily limits the use of mounted warriors.

While probably not the most interesting release out of the new Old World minis, I still like these a lot. They show such overt detail and personality, and you can see the love put into their sculpts.

The Old World released with quite a light amount of new kits, which was quite disappointing for me. However, I do believe that the foot knights are a glimpse of things to come. That they are a peek at a future that includes updated kits for all of the Old World factions.

9. - The Zharr Nagrund Ziggurats

After more than a decade, we finally see the return of the Chaos Dwarfs in Warhammer. And what a lovely return to form it is.

Within the setting of Blood Bowl, the Chaos Dwarfs were originally forbidden by the NAF to partake in the official tournaments. Instead, the the Chaos Dwarfs played Blood Bowl within their infernal homeland; The Darklands. Eventually though, the NAF collapsed and the many teams of the Dawi Zharr quickly wrestled their way into the leagues and Blood Bowl seasons.

Chaos Dwarfs themselves care more for the martial aspect of the game than the actual sport itself, but this is balanced by the inclusion of Hobgoblin Lineman. While the Hobgoblins carry around the ball, the Chaos Dwarfs do all the tackling.

Blood Bowl saw the inclusion of the Gnome Team and the Chaos Dwarfs this year, and while the Gnomes are probably the better sculpts out of the two, I have been waiting for this team since the release of the new Blood Bowl edition. Even so, they still deliverd with the new team. Both the Chaos Dwarf and Hobgoblins were given a splendid new design, that updates their retro aesthetics, while keeping it distinct and true to the classic look. I do hope that this is a sneak peek at what is to come for the followers of Hashut in the future.

8. - Astorath the Grim

My pick for Space Marine of the year goes to a Blood Angel this team; Astorath the Grim

Astorath is the headsman of the Blood Angels chapter. Known as the Redeemer of the Lost; he is tasked with the discovery and eventual execution of those affliced by the Black Rage. This psychic condition turns a Blood Angel Space Marine into a traumatized raging monster, who loses their grasp on reality and is cursed to see their Primarchs final moments through a first-person lense.

Astorath has a keen sense on spotting the Black Rage and oftentimes is the first to arrive before the affliction is even visible on a marine. He is eventually the one who will give these Astartes their final rights before executing them out of mercy. Not only does he perform this duty within the Blood Angels Chapter, but any Succession Chapter that bears their lineage.

While the new Blood Angels revamp came with a lot of stinkers, I must say that a few did gain a favourable upgrade. Astorath came out way better than expected. His pose is way more dynamic and his armour is lovingly designed. I especially like what seems to be a personal white death-mask he wears. He truly looks like a Blood Angels worst nightmare come to life.

7. - Adsecularis Tech Thralls

The Horus Heresy also had a strong year, with the revamped release of the Mechanicum. This includes a revamped sculpt of the Tech-thralls.

When a citizen of a Mechanicum Forge World is accused of criminal activity or sub-standard work, one potential punishment they get is to be forcefully turned into a "Tech-Thrall" or Adsecularis. These cyborg slaves have lost any form of free-will and have been relegated to a position with less rights than a servitor.

Tech-thralls keep their consciousness and memories, yet are under the complete control of a tech-priest’s or Magos’ will. When the need arises for a cheap labour force or a meat shield to protect, they are press ganged into service, and their actions controlled through a cranial implant. They are the most expendable troops that a Mechanicum force can send, and those killed are repurposed for spare parts.

The Adsecularis are a fun depiction of the utter horror that is the Imperium, and I'm glad that they return in plastic as a proper kit. The design of this new iteration is overall great; making them look like shambling undead. I do regret that the kit only seemingly comes with las-locks, and that it is missing the other options that they originally got. I see great conversion potential with them, and I would instantly paint them First-Edition bronze if I got my hands on them.

6. - Ungrim Ironfist

Dwarfs surprisingly were given a few new sculpts this year as they gained some stellar new Dwarf Lord miniatures. One of which was the Slayer King himself.

Ungrim Ironfist is the Slayer King of Karak Kadrin. As the name would hint, he is a slayer; someone bound in oath to seek death in combat to attone for their own misdeeds or shortcomings. Ungrim has inherited his Oath as a slayer from his ancestors, and has to balance his duties as a king together with his oath to die in battle. A difficult task.

Ungrim would eventually fulfill both of his oaths during the End Times. After his defeat during the final siege of Karak Kadrin, he became an incarnate of the Magical Wind of Fire. He would come to the aid of Averheim, the last standing city of the Empire, and perish in fiery glory as a last ditch effort to prevent it from falling.

What makes this miniature stand out to me as opposed to the new Dwarf Lord is the design philosophy behind it. it showcases that the developers and artists really want to differentiate the minis of the Old World from their Fantasy Battle counterpart. This is a young King Ungrim, not his older self 200 years later. I hope this will be a trend to continue in the Old World. I would love to see fan favourites return to the setting in their younger form (if alive at that point).

5. - Skaven Stormvermin

2024 saw the dawn of a new edition for AoS. One that sounded its crescendo with the Vermindoom. The Stormvermin were my favourites to descend from Blight City this year.

Lent as mercenary troops by the Clans Verminus, Stormvermin form the elite soldiers of a Skaven warhost. From the moment of their birth, these Skaven are marked as vicious and cruel warriors; usually having killed their brethren in their childhood dens as whelps.

Stormvermin actually pose a significant threat to a combatant. They are bigger and stronger than the average Clanrat, and clad in thick spikey armour that covers them head to toe. They are often deployed as garrison forces or as bodyguards to high ranking Skaven, which includes the magical Grey Seers.

While I miss the Sword & Shield option on this unit, the overall redesign of the Stormvermin has been my favourite in this edition. They indeed look way more threatening and beefier than their older counterparts. The Skaven update included some major overhauls in quality and awesome new kits. The sheer attention to detail on the Clanrats alone is testament to that. The Stormvermin however take the cake for me this year.

4. - Ork Wrecka Crew

The Orks coming in clutch at the end of the year, and boy howdy is it a good kit.

A wrecka Crew is a mishmash of two different types of Ork Mobs; Tankbustaz and Breaka Boyz. Both of these mobs share a certain niche within Ork kultur, namely that of a "Tank Hunter". Usually, these two groups butt heads against each other, as they see each other as rivals. However, a good Boss can refrain them from slitting each other’s throats; redirecting their wanton destruction towards enemy fortifications and armoured vehicles.

Tankbustaz are Orks who love the thrill of hunting armoured vehicles and other warmachines, and are equipped with higly volatile rocket launchers to do so. Breaka Boyz are the close-combat-focused side of the "Tank Hunter coin". These Orks wield crude smash hammers or explosive tank hammers to break through opponents' armour.

I originally wasn't really impressed by the Wrecka Crew. I liked the idea of an updated Tankbusta kit, but this unit lost some of the charm that kit had. This kit feel too “naked”.

However, now being able to look at the full ki and sprue made me fall in love with them again. The Wrecka Crew comes with a great deal of costumization options, similar to the kommando Kill Team. The Tankbustaz look cool and would probably proxy well as Burna Boyz, but the Breaka Boyz have some fun options that basically allow them to be a light-armoured version of a Meganob. I'm glad to be wrong about a redesign this time, especially after some of the duds we saw coming from GW this year.

3. - Hermiatus, the Second Son

This year, the Genestealer Cults finally gained some love within the game of Necromunda as they arose from Hive Secundus in the form of the Malstrain.

Hermiatus was a Magos of the Adeptus Mechanicus who wanted to find a cure for the Genestealer infection. To do this, he experimented on a Genestealer Patriarch, and after trying to connect his mind with the creatures brain, he got possessed and released the genestealer infection on the planet of Necromunda.

The model we see here is not Hermiatus himself. The Magos eventually fled Necromunda and was hunted down by a Space Marine strike team (which you can play in the old Space Crusade board game). This is the Hermaphage Magos, a genetic copy of Hermiatus created by the Genestealer Patriarch so that it can continue the Magos' Work.

I believe this might be the best Tech Priest that the design team has ever made, and it looks utterly creepy and demented. It once again showcases that Necromunda has some of the best ideas that the setting has to offer.

2. - Grand Justice Gormayne

I swear; if the Flesh Eater Courts had come out in december last year, I would've instantly put this man on the list.

Gormayne is the highest form of authority that the Flesh Eater Courts have within their "judicial" system. Answering only to Ushoran himself, he is the one that judges those who transgress the laws of New Summercourt in the Realm of Ghyran.

Unlike the rest of the Flesh Eater Courts, Gormayne can break from the delusion that plagues his people, and this of course has caused him great distress and anxiety. He tries to hide this from the other Abhorrents, but Ushoran secretly is aware of his predicament, and has taken an interest into its potential implications.

The Flesh Eater Courts released right at the start of 2024, and while there were so many good new models released (including Ushoran), this one was the one that caught my eye. Gormayne is in my opinion one of the best representations of the entire faction. The intestines on his head being tangled up into a judge's wig is pure brilliance. It is such a simple idea, but it works so well.

1. - Zikkit's Tunnelpack

Warhammer Underworlds saw the reveal of a new edition. Four Warbands that each proved that the smaller games of the setting gain much more creative love than the mainline game. Zikkit and his pack stood out to me and I consider them the best miniature kit of this year.

Zikkit Rockgnaw and his underlings are one of a myriad Skaven groups trying to take control over the vast Realmstone deposits of the city of Embergard. He however realised something sly; if he can collapse the mines while his rivals are scuttling for Realmstone, he could come out on top and get away with the spoils.

The Tunnelpack is a varied group of Skaven from the Clans Skryre. Zikkit is a Warlock Engineer; a technomancer who mixes arcane sorceries with warp-fueled science. He is accompanied by his right-hand-man and potential rival Rittak, who goes into battle inside of his self-crafted "Kill-Wheel". Two other Skaven make up this Tunnelpack. Krittatok has strong senses that help him find Realmstone much more easily. Finally, Nitch is a timid creature, yet enthousiastic when it comes to explosives, which he lovingly straps to his "Blast-Vermin" companions.

I love the aesthetic of the Warlock Engineers and the gas-masked globadiers. It is such an awesome design and one that differentiates the Skaven from the other armies so well. I hope that we might get a generic infantry unit from the Clans Skryre, with nothing but gun-toting gas-masked Skaven running like maniacs.

______

I must say, while it was a strong year for Games Workshop, it also felt quite light in releases opposed to previous. It might just be that 40k had a slow release schedule, while I also believe that the light releases for the Old World might have given that impression.

Still, a lot of stuff for Necromunda and AoS made this year great for those games, and we still have a lot to go next year; Eldar, Krieg, and Goblins are getting some much deserved love. And more interestingly than that, I'm hearing from the grapevine that we might see more for Corsairs and maybe even Eldar Exodites.

So let's toast to next year and remember to stay kind to eachother within the hobby and to keep each other safe and content while we overthink miniatures and cool lore.

Happy Holidays everyone!