#also you get the treat of seeing the return of my handwriting in the bonus panel lol

[bunitivity]

ot4 shenanigans🤭😘

Bonus panel:

[batlingsstuff]

|| DREAM SMP HEADCANON|| Ranboo with Dementia

✧─── ･ ｡ﾟ★: *.✦ .* :★. ───✧

AYYY WHAT'S UP GUYS it's me :) i'm sorry this took so long to make, school is fxcking me over

okay okay now onto the headcanon

this will be pure angst, so be ready boys ;)

also, this is completely platonic.

insp: Everywhere at the End of Time - The Caretaker

TW/CW // anxiety, death, panic attacks, hallucinations, dementia

✧─── ･ ｡ﾟ★: *.✦ .* :★. ───✧

┌────── ⋆⋅✦⋅⋆ ──────┐

GENDER NEUTRAL

└────── ⋆⋅✦⋅⋆ ──────┘

✦ - STAGE ONE

at first everything was normal, you two were best friends and did basically everything together

he ocassionally forgot little things, like where he left his pickaxe and other stuff

it was harder for him to concentrate so you always were there for him to help him with everythimg, even just little things

and he appreciates it so much

then the behaviour changes, like suddenly getting more angry and/or impatient

and being more cheerful than usual

then the anxiety, he was always scared and one time he had a really bad panic attack

you were absolutely concerned about him and decided to take care of him

you never left his side

he always talked about how scared he was

and ranted for hours

until he forgot about his problems

✦ - STAGE TWO

everything stayed like that for two years, then he started forgetting major things, like people's names

one day you two went to visit your friend, jack manifold

he couldn't remember his name or who he was

you noticed there was something wrong with him, and decided to take him to several hospitals and clinics

after several check-ups you got the results

he was diagnosed with dementia

you cried for hours while he was sitting next to you patting your back, constantly asking why you were crying

he would ask the same question several times, making you cry harder

you moved in with him to make sure he was taking his meds

"why am i taking these, (y/n)?"

'for your own sake'

one day you took him to a walk around snowchester and he looked disorientated, not knowing what was that place

✦ - STAGE THREE

everything was worse, so much worse

he lost his memory book because he misplaced it somewhere, but you don't know where

he had trouble with speaking and stumbled with his words most of the time

tubbo, his platonical husband, came to visit every now and then to check up on ranboo

but ranboo forgot who was him

"your husband? haha oh no, i don't rem...ember getting engaged, i'm sorry."

"why are you crying?"

tubbo stopped visiting after that

he often had problem differentiating colours

one day he was so depressed that he couldn't get out of the bed for two days

after that, he seemed to have trouble recognizing you

'ranboo, it's me, your best friend (y/n)! don't you remember me ranboo? please remember.'

"i... don't know who you are... i'm sorry. i don't even r...ecall having a b-best friend."

you couldn't stop crying

your best friend was slowly losing his memories, and you couldn't do anything about it

i guess it's over, isn't it?

✦ - STAGE FOUR

his memory problems got so much worse, he forgot that water could actually damage him

he was curious about the rain, so he got out one day when it was raining and put out his hand to reach the droplets

he hissed in pain when the water damaged his skin and stormed back inside

hopefully you treated his wounds quickly and told him that it was better if he stayed in bed for now

while he was in bed and you were trying to get some rest besides him, he allucinated about a whole ass wave drowning him and he started to scream, like if he was in pain

you woke up due to the screaming and tried to calm him down, hugging him tightly and shushing him

he calmed down after a few minutes, sobbing loudly and returning the hug

he was scared, he didn't want to die

he couldn't talk at this point, every noise that came out of his mouth was incomprehensible, he was unable to communicate with others normally

you couldn't understand him, he couldn't understand you

your friendship was falling apart with the time

but afterall, you were there for him.

and that warmed his heart, even if he wasn't aware of that.

✦ - STAGE FIVE

he stayed up late multiple times, just watching you sleep or looking at the window, not able to think about anything

he felt like he was disconnecting from reality, like if his soul was slowly leaving his body

everything was foggy in his mind as he started to forget who was he, what was his name and occupation, who were his friends

who were his friends? is a question that he often asked himself

he looked at you one more time while he repeated that question simultaneously

"they're my friend."

he repeated that sentence several times, like if he was reassuring himself so he wouldn't forget that you were his friend.

he wrapped his arms around you while you slept, pulling you in a gentle hug

"thank you."

why was he thanking you? he felt like you were doing something important for him

but he couldn't remember what it was.

and that frustrated him, so he started sobbing uncontrollably

but he managed to calm himself down thanks to the relaxing sound of your heartbeat

he felt like he was dying slowly, but he didn't care about that

he had a friend who cared about him, and that's what matters to him.

✦ - STAGE SIX

ranboo was worse than ever, he forgot how to eat food properly and the basic movements of the mouth to do so

so you had to help him by gently moving his jaw up and down so he could munch the food

deep down his heart, he was thankful.

he didn't understand what was happening to him or who you were, but he knew that you were his friend.

he would randomly start crying, but it wasn't out of sadness

they were tears of joy

he was thankful that you were his friend

as no one else came to visit anymore

so he spend up his last years snuggling with you, always trying to remind himself that you were special.

and he loved you dearly, platonically speaking

✦ - STAGE SEVEN

ranboo couldn't even get out of bed as he forgot how to use his legs properly, not being able to walk

so you brought him food to his bedroom and started talking with him everyday and you didn't care anymore if he didn't answer you

you knew he wasn't able to speak anymore

you even stopped caring about your life, like work and friends

you wanted to spend every single minute with ranboo so he wouldn't be alone in his last days of life.

the days passed by slowly and one day everything ended abruptly.

ranboo forgot how to breathe, his body reacted roughly to the lack of oxygen and started moving his hand uncontrollably

you were beside him scared and paralyzed, watching how the life drained slowly from him

after what seemed to be like a few minutes, he stopped moving

he gasped loudly as he remembered everything; his name, his friends, his origins, his house, his cats, his crown, his husband, l'manberg, his memory book, you.

after that, he whispered his last words:

"(y/n)?"

and boom, he was gone.

gone from this world, forever.

you shaked him in horror, screaming his name multiple times as you cried.

your best friend was gone, and you couldn't do anything about it

so i guess this is it, huh?

✦ - AFTER RANBOO // BONUS

you hosted his funeral and everyone except dream was invited

everyone cried for him, they felt guilty as no one except you were there for him when he most needed it

tubbo was heartbroken, he was in denial and left the funeral early, probably gone to spend time with michael, his son

after that, everyone went home and you noticed that a strange book was lying in your house's entrance

you went to inspect what was it and noticed the book was dusty so you cleaned it to read what the title was

the title was 'DO NOT READ'', you recognized that book as ranboo's memory book

you gasped and stormed inside the house to read it

you sat on a couch and flipped the first page, reading carefully every single page and making sure you didn't skip anything

while you were reading, a small note was found in one of the pages and you started reading it, noticing that his handwriting was more messy than usual

it read: "Hello, if you're reading this then this is embarrassing. I wanted to write out my feelings in this small note because I was scared to talk out this with (Y/N). The thing is: I'm scared. I've been losing my memories and it's scary, I'm scared of forgetting who am I or who are my friends, I don't want to lose them. I know I promised Tubbo and Michael that I would protect them, but I'm not sure if I can keep that promise anymore. Tubbo if you're reading this, I'm sorry, for everything. Things seem to go downhill everytime I forget about things, even if they're just small things like forgetting where is my crown, and I'm scared that I will eventually forget who are my friends. I don't want to lose (Y/N), they're my best friend and I'm not ready to lose them yet. I know it sounds stupid but I just wanted to write about how I feel, goodbye forever Memory Book."

oh no, you were sobbing again.

"why didn't you tell me sooner, ranboo?"

"why?"

✧─── ･ ｡ﾟ★: *.✦ .* :★. ───✧

IT'S FINISHED, FINALLYYyyY Yy YY yes i love angst i love making people suffer

ANYWAYS thank you if you readed all of that shit, also big thanks to my friend moony for helping me with the grammar since i don't do english

moony if you're seeing this i love you /p

ANYWAYS THANK YOU ALL FOR THE SUPPORT!! I REALLY APPRECIATE IT!!!!!!

[keichanz]

Possession

Okay so I stayed up super late last night to try and get this out, but I couldn’t do it because i was so tired lol and now I’m kicking myself because I could have posted the first half of it because honestly the last five pages aren't even that relevant but eh whatever. 

This came out a lot longer than I anticipated, but only because I wanted to have the argument between Inuyasha and Izayoi resolved and that will be posted later today, but not as an official Spooktober prompt. It’ll be more like a bonus chapter. 

and once more, the prompt has nothing at all to do with anything spooky or Halloween related lmao oh well there's no rules saying that is has to XD

Spooktober Day 25: Possession

Izayoi stared at the festive and brightly decorated door of her locker, feeling oddly detached as she took in all the well wishes and brief, personal messages from her friends. As was a custom whenever someone in their tightly knit group of friends had a birthday, they always arrived early to decorate their locker with homemade cards, cut out stars, dollar store cheap decorations and silly little messages.

Rin’s was, of course, front and center, her handwriting big, bold, and loud, just like the girl herself was. Kohaku’s messy scrawl was just beneath hers, and she’d spotted a few other birthday wishes from people she knew of, but didn’t talk to that much, probably just sparing a second to write down a quick happy b-day as they passed by.

Seeing Kohaku’s had made her think that maybe someone else had taken the time to write something too, but upon realizing that his name was missing from all the rest, the disappointment had been swift and stinging.

Thinking on it now, however, Izayoi grudgingly admitted that it made sense; being two grades above her, Raiden was in a different part of the school where his own classes were located. She hadn’t seen him all day and didn’t know if he was even here today and if he was, certainly he had no reason to venture this far out of his way just to write a silly little message for a silly little girl with a not so little crush on her birthday.

And why would he, Izayoi thought bitterly, features twisting into a pout as she put in the combination and roughly yanked open her locker door. Probably wants nothing to do with me now, the girl with the crazy overprotective jerkface of a father. Not after Friday.

She knew it wasn’t the end of the world or anything. Plenty of fish in the sea and all that. She was young, blah blah blah.

Didn’t stop it from hurting, though.

Sighing, Izayoi carelessly tossed her bag on top of her texts and her eyes landed on the sleek device sitting quietly on the top shelf. She hesitated for a fleeting moment – it was lunch period so she was allowed to have it – then gave in and reached up to grab it. It was cool against her skin as she brought it down and her face was reflected in the dark, smooth glass of the screen.

Despite her current mood she had to smile a little. She’d found the cell phone in her backpack that morning when exchanging her books for first period and she’d been so surprised she’d nearly dropped it. The note taped to the box it was in had nearly made her cry on the spot, and thinking of it now Izayoi once more felt her throat tighten and her eyes to feel hot.

The note had simply said “Happy birthday, babygirl. Love, Mom and Dad” and it had been in her dad’s handwriting.

She still hadn’t spoken to him since their argument Friday. All weekend she’d actively avoided him and though it was clear her mom disapproved, she hadn’t stopped her either, and Izayoi was grateful. She was still angry, still hurt from what he’d said and done and she wasn’t ready to talk to him yet.

Surprisingly her mom wasn’t trying to play mediator like she usually did, and even more surprisingly, her dad hadn’t tried to approach and talk things over. He was giving her the space she wanted, respecting her silent wish to leave her be until she was ready.

The fact that he was letting her come to him made her feel a guilty, and that just made her feel even worse, and round and round the vicious cycle went.

God. Here it finally was, her thirteen birthday, making her an official teenager, and here she was, absolutely and completely miserable.

Izayoi closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and once she felt like she wasn’t about to break apart, she tucked the phone away in the back pocket of her jeans and swung the door to her locker closed.

“Hey, pretty puppy.”

The breath left her lungs in a deep, aggravated sigh and she grumbled, “Leave me alone, Daisuke. I’m in no mood to deal with you right now.” Or ever.

“C’mon,” he crooned and swiftly stepped in front of her when she moved to walk away. “You’re not still mad about what happened, are you? It was an accident.”

Izayoi snorted. “Maybe on your end,” she mumbled under her breath, not really caring if he heard her. Because breaking his nose had definitely not been an accident.

“Look, it’s your birthday, right? So lemme make it up to you. Let’s do something after school, my treat.” He grinned charmingly down at her, probably thinking it was actually going to be that easy.

“No thanks,” Izayoi said and moved to step around him. “Rin and the girls already promised to take me out and I’m doing something with my family afterward.”

Lies, but he didn’t need to know that. Or at least the first part was; she was pretty sure her parents wanted her home at some point so they could have a small celebration with family, cake, and ice cream and embarrass her by singing “happy birthday” horribly off key. And normally that would have appealed to her, but right now all it did was remind her of the plans she used to have today, and her chest ached.

“So they can come with us,” Daisuke said with a shrug, frowning when she went to step around him. Once more he intercepted her, using his longer legs to his advantage. “The more the merrier, right?”

Izayoi set her jaw and pegged him with a peeved glare.

“No,” she said firmly and again went to brush past him, their less than stimulating conversation over as far as she was concerned.

Daisuke darted a hand out and caught her arm, preventing her from leaving.

“Alright, I get it,” he said, ignoring her annoyed growl as she yanked at her arm. He held fast and continued with a smirk, “My pretty puppy’s playing hard to get. Fine, if you won’t go out with me tonight, then go with me to your parents’ Halloween party.”

He paused, and then frowned. “Wait, you can still go with me even though you live there, right—”

“I’m not your anything, Daisuke,” Izayoi hissed, ears pinned against her head and amber eyes snapping fire at him. “Let me go. Now.”

“We can meet somewhere and go together,” he said, completely ignoring her. “It’ll be like a real date.”

Amber eyes narrowed as she said through gritted teeth, “You want me to break your nose again?”

Daisuke blinked and frowned, however he did loosen his hold enough for her to jerk her arm free.

Glowering at him, her patience for his idiocy worn out, she snapped, “I’m not going with you to the party. I’m already going with somebody else.”

As soon as the words left her mouth Izayoi wanted to take them back. Oh, why did I say that? It’s not true. At least, not any more.

Aaaaaaand she wanted to cry again. Great.

Daisuke blinked and he proved that he was capable of feeling more than just arrogance as confusion crossed his features.

“Wait, you are? With who?”

Izayoi merely crossed her arms and looked away. She would have left already, but she knew he would just stop her again so there was no point.

Daisuke’s face darkened and he scowled a little, jealousy flashing in midnight eyes.

“Who the hell is it?” he demanded in a low, dangerous voice, not wanting to believe someone had gotten to his pretty puppy before he did. She was supposed to be with him, dammit!

Izayoi cut her eyes to his briefly and muttered, “None of your business.”

He growled and stepped forward. “Dammit, who—”

“She’s going with me, dickless,” a voice interrupted from behind her and as Daisuke whipped his head up to level a glare at the intruder, Izayoi fought against the urge to weep in relief because one, he had perfect timing, and two, he still wanted to go with her to the party. A part of her also wanted to laugh because he’d called Daisuke dickless, but that was easily suppressed.

Daisuke scoffed and with his attention on the other demon he didn’t notice Izayoi take a step back to put some distance between them.

“You can’t be serious,” the wolf said with a derisive snort and crossed his arms, lifting his chin haughtily as he stared down his nose at the dark-haired dog demon. “It’s you?”

Standing just a few feet away with his arms crossed and an unreadable look on his face, Raiden regarded Daisuke mutely for another minute before crossing the distance between them. With Izayoi’s back facing him he couldn’t see her face but he didn’t need to; her scent told him everything he needed to know.

He purposely positioned himself in front of her and crossed his arms again, unaffected by the snarl Daisuke was currently aiming at him.

“I’m completely serious,” Raiden finally answered and he heard Izayoi inhale sharply behind him. “I’m her date, she’s not available, so you can go now. I can take it from here.”

Then he actually smirked and Izayoi bit back a snicker.

Daisuke snorted again and mirrored the dog demon’s pose, crossing his arms and giving him a once over, his expression suggestion that he was not impressed.

“Please,” he scoffed. “Inuyasha Taisho would chew you up and spit you out barely breathing if a pathetic weakling like you ever came near his precious daughter.” Then he returned the smirk and added, “And you’d go running with your tail between your legs so you can lick your wounded ego.”

Raiden merely cocked a brow and drawled, “And yet, here I am.”

Izayoi slapped hand over her mouth to stifle her laugh.

That particular implication wiped the smirk right off of his face and Daisuke scared incredulously at him before narrowing his eyes in disbelief.

“You mean you actually faced off against her old man and came back in one piece?” he asked, the idea clearly ludicrous to him.

Raiden stared at him before slowly looking down at himself, as if to check that he was, indeed, all there.

“Seems like it,” he said and this time had to grin when Izayoi failed that time in smothering her laugh.

Daisuke scowled, not amused by his show of nonchalance and cockiness. He’d had enough of this wise guy and his holier than thou attitude and it was time to end this pointless conversation.

“Listen here, smartass—”

“No, you listen,” Raiden interrupted and Izayoi watched in fascination as his face twisted into scowl, something she’d never seen on him before. “I’ve seen the way you act toward her, like she’s some kind of possession, a thing to claim, and I’m sick of it. She’s not your ‘pretty puppy’ or your anything; she’s Izayoi, she’s cute, funny, smart, and she’s my date, so do both of us a favor and back off, Matsuno.  Your advances are clearly unwanted, and maybe you’re too dense to understand that, but I’m more than happy to demonstrate in a much more physical way if you continue to bother her. And by physical I mean my fist to your face, just in case you need that clarification.”

Daisuke surprisingly had nothing to say to that, his face flushed in anger, jaw clenched, and blue eyes swimming with all the loathing he had for the dog demon in front of him. Raiden was unmoved, staring steadily back at him, an unmovable object against an unstoppable force.

Gritting his teeth, the wolf shifted his gaze to the hanyou standing silently behind his advisory, seeking some kind of sing that the dog was wrong, but Izayoi wasn’t even looking at him. Her golden gaze was trained solely on the damned dog and he could have sworn there were goddamn hearts in her eyes.

He blinked and his shoulders slumped in defeat. Well. That was his answer, wasn’t it.

Straightening his back and turning his eyes back toward Raiden, Daisuke set his jaw, glared into eyes that were the weirdest freaking shade of blue-green he’d ever seen, then with a barely perceptible nod, he turned and wordlessly stalked away.

The second he rounded the corner and disappeared from sight, Raiden exhaled loudly and turned around to face the pretty silver-haired hanyou he was starting to develop some serious feelings for. Feelings that he maybe, sort of, wanted to explore, but first he had to get passed the fair lady’s guard and protector.

Easier said than done, as he’d found out first hand, but he was sure as hell going to try.

Realizing that he may have overstepped his boundaries a bit, Raiden grimaced and cautiously peeked at her face. He was met with the smiling countenance of said fair lady, her pretty golden eyes soft, and slowly he relaxed.

“Hi,” he said lamely. You know, like a dumbass.

Her smile widened. “Hi,” she breathed, eyes suspiciously bright. “Thank you. For saying all that. You didn’t have to, and...” she trailed off, shrugging and shifted her gaze to the side, her face flushed.

Raiden frowned. “I did have to,” he said firmly. “Otherwise I don’t think he would have ever left you alone. I’m sorry, I...probably shouldn’t have said some of it—”

“Did you mean it?” she asked him, voice serious, eyes searching his own.

He didn’t hesitate. “Yes.”

Her smile was bright and beautiful and, yep he was a goner. Shit.

“Then don’t be sorry. I’m not.”

His eyes widened.

...Oh.

Oh.

Ridiculously Raiden felt his face heat and he coughed into his hand, looking away briefly to regain his bearings.

“Jeez, woman, warn a guy,” he grumbled and was rewarded with her soft giggle. Sneaking a glance, he saw her looking away too, but she was still smiling with a soft blush on her cheeks, and oddly that helped to regain his scattered nerves and he sighed before reaching into his pack pocket to pull out his reason for seeking her out.

“I wanted to give you this,” he stated, holding it out and Izayoi blinked in surprise, her smile never fading as she reached out and took it. “I waited for you at the cafeteria but when you didn’t show, I got worried. Now I’m glad I went looking for you.”

Izayoi turned her smile on him. “Me, too,” she whispered, her gratitude obvious in her eyes and voice.

With a small grin Raiden watched her open the simple card he’d gotten her and had to admit, he was very satisfied with the way her flush deepened and her smile became positively radiant. It wasn’t much, but he’d thought of her when he saw them, and knew he had to get them.

The card read, “Happy birthday, buttercup. —Rai” and tucked inside was an artificial stem of golden buttercup blossoms.

It was so simple, a little cheesy, and Izayoi absolutely adored it.

“I love it,” she said honestly, lifting her golden gaze to meet his own blue-green depths. “Thank you so much, Raiden. It...it means a lot.”

Raiden grinned and innocently turned his head, lifting a hand to not so subtly scratch his cheek as he rolled his eyes heavenward, waiting.

Izayoi immediately caught on and laughing, strangely not at all shy or embarrassed, she stepped in close and leaned up to brush a kiss across his cheek. When she leaned back he was as smug as can be with the biggest shit-eating grin on his face and once more she had to laugh. What a goober!

“Score,” he said proudly, taking the fake flower from her hand and carefully tucking it behind her ear.

The soft flesh flicked against his fingers and he had the insane urge to grab the appendage to see how soft it really was, but he refrained and dropped his hand, admiring the splash of golden color amidst the sterling silver of her hair.

When he flicked his gaze back to her face, he was amused to see that it had gone red again and her bright amber eyes were wide as she gazed at him. Her fingers brushed the delicate faux petals and her pleasure from the simple act was obvious in her brilliant smile.

Raiden was momentarily struck stupid but got ahold of himself quickly and stepped back to give her some space. He tried not to read too much into the flash of disappointment he saw on her face before it disappeared.

“So, uh,” he said, clearing his throat. “We’re still on, right? For the party I mean.” He gave an easy smile and shoved his hands into his pockets, his posture relaxed.

The happiest she’d been all day, Izayoi eagerly nodded, relieved that he still wanted to go with her.

“Definitely!” she answered and then suddenly remembered the phone in her back pocket and with a little sound of exclamation, Izayoi reached back to fish it out and proudly present it to him.

“And look!” she gushed, grinning as she woke up the screen. “Birthday present from my parents. I found it this morning in my bag, those sneaks.”

Raiden positively lit up and he took it from her, unlocking the screen and nodding in approval.

“Wicked,” he praised, going into her message app. “I’m sending myself a message so I can have your number.” He paused and glanced at her. “If...that’s okay—”

“Yes!” Izayoi immediately answered, then blushed at her enthusiasm and cleared her throat. “Um, yeah. That’s fine.” She smiled and tried to act cool.

He grinned, secretly pleased and shot himself a quick text with the peace sign emoji. He politely didn’t mention the heart eyes emoji next to his contact info as he handed the mobile back, trying not to smirk proudly.

Izayoi secured her new phone back into her pocket and beamed at him, clasping her hands behind her back.

“So we’re still going to the store after school, right? I’ve been browsing the website and I think I have a few ideas,” she stated, bounding a little on the balls of her feet in excitement. She suddenly couldn’t wait for Halloween!

The grimace that crossed Raiden’s face, however, was not encouraging and Izayoi blinked, her brow furrowing slightly. His next words had a ball of dread forming in her stomach and her ears wilted atop her head.

“Listen, buttercup,” he said, rubbing the back of his neck and looking to the side. “I don’t think that’d be such a good idea after...well. You know.” He shrugged and dared a peek at her face. Her completely dejected expression threw him for a loop and his eyes widened in horror.

“Oh,” she whispered, biting down on her lip and blinking rapidly to stave off the tears. She’d thought...did he change his mind? Did he not really...want to be with her...?

“Wait,” Raiden said suddenly, urgently, and his hands landed on her shoulders, prompting to her lift her wide-eyed gaze. “Hear me out, okay?”

Swallowing thickly, Izayoi nodded, desperately hoping she was wrong.

Squeezing her shoulders, Raiden began, “Rin told me about the blow out you had with your dad after I left Friday and I feel...well, I feel pretty damn horrible about it.”

Izayoi winced and looked to the side. With a wry smile, he continued, “It’s my fault you got into an argument, and I wouldn’t feel right whiling you away to look at costumes while you guys are at such odds with each other. I think you should go home and talk this out with him, buttercup. I don’t want to be the cause of a rift between you two. Family is important, and if we...well.”

He cleared his throat and flushed slightly. “If things...uh, go any further and your dad doesn’t trust me, I don’t want you to have to choose between them or me. Because it should always be them, buttercup. So before we go gallivanting off into the sunset”—he was rewarded with a watery giggle at that and he grinned—“I need you to make up with your old man so you can stop him from ‘chewing me up and spitting me out’ when I come face to face with him again. I sorta like all my limbs attached to my body, you know.”

Izayoi released another wispy laugh and wiped at her eyes, heaving a sigh. He was right. Of course he was right. And anyway it wasn’t like she didn’t want to make up with her dad. It had been eating at her all day and the phone was a burning reminder of it. She needed to stop being a baby and make things right. He’d already demonstrated that he wasn’t going to start anything, so it had to be her, didn’t it? Just like she wanted.

Izayoi released another wispy laugh and wiped at her eyes, heaving a sigh. He was right. Of course he was right. And anyway it wasn’t like she didn’t want to make up with her dad. It had been eating at her all day and the phone was a burning reminder of it. She needed to stop being a baby and make things right. He’d already demonstrated that he wasn’t going to start anything, so it had to be her, didn’t it? Just like she wanted.

Ugh. Easier said than done.

“Okay,” Izayoi agreed at length, nodding and offering a small but genuine smile. “I will. But...tomorrow, though?”

Golden eyes, like rich honey, pleaded with him and damn, how could he possibly say no to that?

Expression softening, Raiden grinned and couldn’t stop himself from gently tugging on a lock of sterling hair.

“Tomorrow,” he promised. “And I’m already looking forward to it.”

Izayoi’s smile was genuine, her eyes were soft, and her voice was fond as she replied, “Me too.”

Nodding in satisfaction, Raiden dropped his hand only to wrap his arm around her shoulders and steered her down the hallway. Izayoi blushed but leaned into him. Damn, she was cute.

“So,” he said conversationally as he lead her toward the cafeteria. He glanced down at her with a cheeky grin and asked, “Did you really break his nose?”

“Ohmigawd,” Izayoi groaned as she buried her face in her hands while Raiden, the brat, threw his head back and cackled gleefully.

[okuraiani]

Ikemen Revolution – Oliver Knight Route Part 4

Well, that was one hell of a chapter. The grammar nearly killed me, but it was also a great practice. I think I learned quite some things while translating it.

It’s slightly longer this time, because of the bonus story from the avatar challenge at the end.

PART 4 CHAPTER 1

—It has been 3 days since I became Oliver’s assistant.

[Alice] ”Good morning, Oliver.”

[Oliver] “You’re awfully early.”

[Alice] ”Of course, since there’s a lot to do today.”

This morning, when I came to the garage, I face some documents on a different table than Oliver who makes his inventions.

(Let’s see, first I will adjust Oliver’s schedule,) (Then I’ll put the quotes and bills in order...) (Alright. There are many things to do, but let’s efficiently do our best.)

When I am silently running with a pen over the documents...

[Oliver] ”The calculation is wrong.”

[Alice] “!”

Oliver, his face suddenly sneaked a look from behind, reaches his hand out over my shoulder. Taking the pen from my hand, he fluently writes down a calculation on the invoice.

(It’s the first time I see it, but Oliver’s handwriting is very adultlike.)

[Oliver] “Try checking it.”

[Alice] “Ye-Yes.”

My gaze drops to the formula written in quirky handwriting.

(Oh, so the first numeral is different.)

[Oliver] ”You’re an idiot if you can’t even do such a thing.”

[Alice] ”Sorry... I’ll be careful.”

(But, Oliver is also amazing for realizing that it’s wrong with only a glance…)

Working as Oliver’s assistant, I noticed various things in the past few days. About how Oliver is a child, but so self-reliant that it would put adults to shame. And that, although he is smart, he is like a cheeky and insulting machine towards everyone and sometimes angers his customers. But also that, when he works on an invention or a strange hat, his eyes shine with a liveliness appropriate for his age.

(And, as one more thing, that when he is in a good mood…)

[Oliver] ”London bridge is broken down...”

(Like this, he hums “London bridge is broken down”.)

Today as well, while Oliver is working, he is humming that song.

(He really has been in a good mood recently.)

Taking a break between work, my cheeks loosened into a delighted smile as I listened to his singing voice, when...

[Blanc] “Oh my, are you getting along well today as well?”

The door the to garage opening, Blanc entered the room.

[Oliver] “What’s with that greeting?”

[Alice] ”Hello Blanc. As you can see, we are getting along.”

[Oliver] ”Who is? I don’t remember befriending you.”

PART 4 CHAPTER 2

[Oliver] ”Who is? I don’t remember befriending you.”

Oliver’s answer was cold as usual.

[Alice] “Is that so? I thought our conversations have increased, compared to the beginning, though.”

[Oliver] “The opportunity for business-related conversations is the only thing that increased.”

(Really, you don’t have to admit it so stubbornly!)

I was being a bit annoyed, when Blanc, his shoulders shaking, burst into laughter.

[Blanc] “Alice, Oliver isn’t being honest.” “I was a little worried if he’d make up this or that reason to kick you out, Alice.” “But somehow it seems that was a needless fear.”

[Oliver] “That’s not a needless fear. Since I still haven’t fully accepted her.”

(But since I’m not being kicked out, he acknowledges me a little, I guess?)

Without regard for the still laughing Blanc, crossing his arms Oliver looks up to me.

[Oliver] ”Well... If I had to name only one thing I admire about her, then it is that she is unexpectedly impudent.”

[Alice] “What about me is, huh? What?”

[Oliver] “I had thought that you’d come to dislike working under a child in about one day.” “I guess since you are so obtuse, you’ll last unexpectedly long.”

(Seriously, why is he...)

[Alice] “There’s no way I dislike it since I probably wouldn’t keep coming back here then.”

[Oliver] “Why are you declaring that?”

[Alice] ”At first, I thought that the things you make are nothing but weird.” “But the more I listened I realized that you go along with what all of your customers want.” “And everyone who received your inventions makes such a happy face...” “Even if you are a child, I know there are lots of sides to you that can be respected.”

[Oliver] “... ...”

[Alice] ”Aside from your sharp tongue, that is.”

[Oliver] “That’s one word too much, idiot.”

Even while swearing Oliver’s facial expression looked somewhat satisfied.

(Well, but as I'm his assistant, he’s still only impressed to that extent.)

A: “I have a pretty good eye for things, huh?” B: “I’ll work even more.” C: “I’ll make you take another look for sure.”

[Alice] “I’ll work much harder and make you take another look for sure!”

[Oliver] “That’s not a bad plan for a little girl, but first you should reduce your mistakes.”

(He’s merciless!)

[Blanc] “Ha ha, I see.” “If you’re getting along so well then it’s more than enough.”

[Oliver] ”Getting just the right rebuttal is getting difficult.” “So? What does the perverted rabbit need?” “There’s no way you only came over to see the situation.”

A meaningful smile spread on Blanc’s face at Oliver’s question.

[Blanc] “Ha ha, what do you think I came here for?”

PART 4 CHAPTER 3

[Blanc] “Ha ha, what do you think I came here for?”

[Oliver] ”I asked because I don’t know, you know?”

[Blanc] “Even though I wanted to have a little quiz with you...”

Blanc, who shrugged his shoulders, gently offered us a handbag made out of paper—

[Blanc] “Since I bought a souvenir, let’s have some tea.”

—at the same time. In the office of the Red Barracks, an ominous atmosphere hung in the air.

[Edgar] ”According to investigations of these past few days, it turns out that Alice goes in and out of the White Rabbit’s house.”

[Lancelot] “Oh? Why is she at the White Rabbit’s house again?”

[Edgar] “In that house lives one more person, a child inventor. It looks like she became his assistant.” “It seems black soldiers are accompanying her when she comes and goes, but there is no guard during the day.”

[Lancelot] ”They are still surprisingly underestimating things.“

[Edgar] ”If it is now, there also the possibility to bring Alice to our army. Would that please you?”

After a slight silence, Lancelot opened his mouth.

[Lancelot] ”—Edgar, don’t stir up too much trouble.”

[Edgar] “Then I will do it in secret.”

[Lancelot] “Do that.”

[Edgar] ”The arrangement is already finished.” “To bring a favorable report back to our king, I will take the appropriate steps.”

Edgar leaves with an audacious smile. When he closes the door with a bang, Lancelot languidly turned backward.

[Lancelot] “This is fine, right? Dalim.”

The moment he spoke to the empty space, a light spread out as if tearing the air...

[Dalim] “Yes, it’s perfect. A human from the Land of Reason is one of the things Lord Amon wishes for, after all.”

PART 4 CHAPTER 4

[Dalim] “Yes, it’s perfect. A human from the Land of Reason is one of the things Lord Amon wishes for, after all.” “Inform me again when you’ve got Alice in your hands.”

[Lancelot] ”Dalim, you haven’t forgotten, have you?” “Even if we catch Alice, I will use her effectively in my army for a while.”

[Dalim] “The talk about using her ability to invalidate magic in battle? I know that.”

Speaking those indifferent words, a smile appears on his face.

[Dalim] “Leave persuading Lord Amon to me. If it’s only a little, I think he also should be able to ‘wait’, right?” “However, be aware that it’s only ‘a little’.”

[Lancelot] ”...I understand.”

[Dalim] “Later, then. I’m counting on that Jack of yours.”

The robed man called Dalim is leaving together with the magical light...

[Lancelot] “... ...”

In the silence, Lancelot firmly clenched his fist.

[Alice] ”Blanc’s souvenir was really delicious.”

After the tea was finished, Blanc returned to work and I and Oliver were each enjoying our respective lingering taste.

[Alice] “It’s the first time I ate a pie with so many cherries.” “Thanks to that I feel like I can work even harder!”

[Oliver] ”Yeah, with only that stored in your stomach, you’ll surely move right ahead.” “How could you stuff so much inside...”

[Alice] ”Did I ate that much for you to be so surprised?”

[Oliver] ”So much that I wondered if your stomach is connected to a different dimension.”

(That much? Sure, it was too good to be true, so I feel like I ate a bit too much, but…)

[Oliver] ”I’m so surprised that it goes beyond respect.”

Oliver’s gentle look, as if looking at a child, somewhat deeply pierces my heart.

(I’m... gradually getting embarrassed.)

When I try to escape from that strange gaze and hurriedly stand up from my chair — the doorbell rang.

[Alice] ”Maybe it’s a customer.”

[Oliver] ”There shouldn’t be any appointments for this time.”

(I wonder who it is? Perhaps a new request?)

When I opened the front door, the person who stood there was...

[Black soldier] “I’m here to pick you up, Alice.”

[Alice] ”...Hmm?”

I blink at the sudden meeting with the black soldier.

[Alice] ”Is it already time?”

(It’s a bit earlier than usual...)

[Black soldier] “Because our Jack has called for you, Alice.”

[Alice] ”Luka did?”

(I wonder what happened?)

[Alice] ”I understand. I’ll get ready immediately.” “Oliver, I’m sorry but is it okay if I go home for today?”

[Oliver] “... ...”

(...Oliver?)

Oliver, who approached at a brisk pace, stood tiptoe and looked up at the black soldier.

[Oliver] “I’ve never seen you before.”

[Black soldier] “...Oh, that’s, it’s my first time coming here.”

[Oliver] “You give off a much too refined feeling for a black soldier.”

After a short silence, Oliver turned to me.

[Oliver] “Well, whatever. Don’t be late tomorrow, goofball.”

[Alice] ”I won’t. Well then, good kids go to bed at 9 o’clock, okay?”

[Oliver] “Don’t treat me like a brat.”

Sent off by Oliver, who grumpily contorts his cute face, I left the garage with the black soldier.

[Oliver] “... ...”

PART 4 CHAPTER 5

(Huh...?)

After leaving the garage and walking with the soldier for a while, I noticed that the view was different than usual.

[Alice] ”Uhm... isn’t this path different from normal?”

[Black soldier] “Please rest assured. This is a shortcut.”

(Is that how it is...?)

While holding on to a strange feeling —

[Alice] ”This is…!”

(The Red Territory!?)

The soldier holds his hand out to me who stopped in front of the long stretched bridge.

[Black soldier] “Now come, it’s only a little more until we reach the barracks.”

[Alice] “Wait! If we cross this bridge, we’ll be in Red Territory…”

[Black soldier] ”That’s fine. Because the place Alice will return to is our Red Barracks.”

(Our? ...This person isn’t someone from the Black Army!) (...I have to run away.)

As I try to hurriedly return the way I came, a man’s shadow is standing in front of me.

[???] “Where are you going, Alice?”

[Alice] ”You are...”

[???] “Don’t move even one step without my permission. Otherwise, I can’t tell what will happen to that thin wrist of yours.”

-FLASHBACK

[???] “Jonah, if you grab her too hard, you’ll frighten her.”

-FLASHBACK END

[Edgar] “I am called Edgar.” “Please call my Edgar without reservations.”

Even if his cheerful smile is gentle, the chills don’t stop.

[Edgar] “It’s already late. Wouldn’t it be a kind of hard to return to the Black Barracks from here?” “If you don’t mind, then our army will treat you as a guest.”

(For Edgar to be here with that sort of timing is...)

Suppressing the daunting feelings, I glare at him with all I got.

[Alice] ”I refuse! The one who ordered that soldier to take me here in the first place was you, wasn’t it?”

[Edgar] “Oh dear, I’ve been found out?”

[Alice] “It’s obvious! Since I have no intention to follow you anywhere.”

[Edgar] “Is that so? ...But I also don’t want to act rough.” “Please, won’t you come along?”

To Edgar, who puts his hand into his pocket, I instantly stand on guard.

(Don’t tell me it’s handcuffs again? Or worse, a handgun... !?)

However... what came to light were glaringly colored jelly beans.

[Edgar] “Here, I will give you some delicious sweets.”

[Alice] “I— I’m not a child...”

[Edgar] “That’s too bad. Even though they are really delicious.”

(There’s no tense atmosphere, but...if it continues like this, I will probably be taken back to the Red Barracks.) (I have to run away somehow…!)

When I obtain some distance by gradually stepping back, the red soldier stretches out his hand.

[Red soldier] ”It’s no use running away!”

(No!)

The moment he almost grabbed my arm, my back bumped into something —

[???] “Even if it’s not a child, there’s no person you can catch with such extremely strange sweets, you know?”

(Huh…?)

BONUS STORY (PREMIUM)

[Red soldier] ”It’s no use running away!”

(No!)

The moment he almost grabbed my arm, my back bumped into something —

[???] “Even if it’s not a child, there’s no person you can catch with such extremely strange sweets, you know?”

(Huh...?)

When I look back, a gentleman wearing a silk hat stood there.

(This person is —)

[???] “Shut up and run, you idiot. Do you want to get caught by those guys from earlier again?”

(He’s the person who saved me that night!)

[Hatter] “If you want to seduce a woman, you should come back with more delicious sweets.”

[Edgar] ”Those are quite delicious compared to their appearance, though?” “But oh well, they may not be accepted by women.”

Staring at Edgar, who returns the bag of jelly beans back to his pocket, the Hatter casually hides me behind his back.

(Is he trying to help me?)

[Hatter] ”If she isn’t tempted with confectionery, did you plan to forcibly kidnap her?”

[Edgar] ”Please don’t say things that would harm my reputation. It’s not abduction but persuasion.”

[Hatter] ”Both of them are similar to each other, you know?”

Each time they exchange words, the Hatters gaze gets sharper.

(Wha— What a terrible tension…)

When I draw a breath in the tensed up atmosphere—

[Hatter] “Alice, keep calm.”

[Alice] ”Huh? Oh!?”

Suddenly, my body is floating off the ground and the Hatter carried me on his shoulder.

[Alice] “Hatter!?”

[Hatter] “Don’t make such noise beside my ear, or do you want to be dropped?”

The Hatter moves my body slightly left and right, shaking my field of vision.

[Alice] ”Sto— Stop it... please, absolutely don’t drop me!”

(But this is as if I’m treated like luggage!)

[Edgar] ”My goodness, this makes you look like a kidnapper.”

Edgar giggles but his eyes aren’t smiling.

[Hatter] “This isn’t abduction but guidance. That girl is my companion after all.” “Isn’t that right, Alice?”

[Alice] “...that’s right! It’s right, but I have a complaint about this way of carrying me!”

[Hatter] “I’m helping you out, so don’t complain.”

(Uwah!)

I tightly cling to the Hatter who shakes my body much more than before.

[Hatter] ”This is fine.”

(He is certainly saving me here, but he is a bit mean!)

Still, with his flawless face coming closer to me and our bodies in even closer contact, I can’t calm down.

(What should I do? I’ve been nervous in a different sense since a while ago...)

A quick heartbeat sounds in the back of my chest and I hastily pull myself together.

[Hatter] ”Red Jack, this situation is over.” “If you truly want to kidnap this idiot, next time, pick a much less refined soldier to pick her up.”

[Alice] ��What?”

[Hatter] ”A red soldier is far too polished to impersonate a black soldier.”

(Why does the Hatter know about that?)

[Edgar] ”Thanks for your useful opinion. Tonight truly is my loss.” “Please send her to the Black Barracks. There’s no way I can turn my sword against a civilian, right?”

[Hatter] “You don’t have to tell me. ...Let’s go.”

[Edgar] ”Let’s meet again in the near future, Alice.”

[Alice] ”N—No, thank you!”

[Edgar] “Ha ha. What a nice answer.”

Waving his hand, Edgar sees us off. However, the smile disappeared from his expression.

[Hatter] ”—They are not coming after us. If we made it this far, we’re probably alright.”

The Hatter, who stopped to look back, lowers me to the ground.

(We’ve managed to escape…)

[Alice ”Uhm, thank you so much for saving me!”

When I hurriedly thank him, the Hatter heaves a great sigh.

[Hatter] “Seriously. Why are you always getting into trouble once the night comes?”

[Alice] ”I also don’t want to get into trouble, though...” “I’d rather say that trouble comes to find me...”

[Hatter] “Then kick it back!”

(Such an unreasonable thing...) (But... this person did save me twice.)

I stare at the Hatter’s face being dimly lit by the streetlights.

(He really does resemble Oliver, after all. Or rather, they look totally alike.)

[Hatter] ”What’s with staring at people faces?”

[Alice] ”Sorry... Uhm, if you don’t mind, can you tell me your name?”

[Hatter] “I refuse.”

[Alice] ”What…”

[Hatter] ”Boasting personal information isn’t a hobby of mine.” “Moreover, you should already know who I am, stupid girl.”

(What does he mean…?)

[Alice] “Oh, are you maybe...” “A relative of Oliver’s...?”

[Hatter] ”...Well, you can say that.”

[Alice] ”I knew it!”

(They are so similar.)

When I nod approvingly, the Hatter laughed out.

[Hatter] “You are indeed a simpleton.”

[Alice] ”Eh... Why are you saying that!?”

[Hatter] ”That was a compliment just now. A fool can’t be saved, but a simpleton should be easy to handle.”

[Alice] ”That is no compliment!”

(Even his abusive language is exactly like Oliver’s!) (...Once Oliver grows up, I wonder if he will become such a fine man.) (He has a sharp tongue, but he saves me when I’m in trouble. He’s a splendid gentleman.)

[Hatter] “Let��s go. I’ll send you to the barracks.”

With rough, long fingers, he gently takes hold of my hand.

[Alice] ”Uhm… Your hand...”

[Hatter] “It’ll be troublesome if you get lost.”

(Getting lost... Even though this is a straight path...) (But...)

With the warmth transmitted from his fingertips, my feelings are slowly calming down.

[Alice] ”Thank you very much.”

[Hatter] “This is simply a loan. I’ll have you repay me someday.”

[Alice] ”If there is anything I can do, I will do it!”

When I put some force into the fingertips of our connected hands,

[Hatter] “You said it, little girl.”

[Alice] “... ...”

When an unexpectedly soft smile is directed at me, I can’t tear my eyes away from the Hatter.

(So this person can smile like that.) (Somehow, the back of my chest is feeling ticklish.)

In the silence of the night, there was no indication that my heartbeat, that secretly bounced in my chest, would calm down for a while.

[anakin022]

M y most wanted film of 2012 was Prometheus by Ridley Scott. Despite all its mind-boggling flaws, I still enjoyed the hell out of this movie. A thing that initially couldn’t be said about Marc Streitenfeld’s score though. While it’s still very effective and on certain tracks actually really good, it definitely fell behind the previous four scores of the Alien saga (yes, even Resurrection).

Having said that, it kinda grew on me over time and I really appreciate the score now for being able to set the mood. Its atmospheric and unsettling sounds deserve recognition and what better way than to create a bunch of nice custom covers for it. 61 in fact (in words: sixty-one!). I never planned it to grow this big, but over the last three years things got slightly out of control…

#1: Prometheus (Original)

#2: Prometheus (Remake)

#3: Prometheus (Remake)

My first objective was to remake the official cover (#1), because I never liked it that much. In my opinion it was too bright and colourful for such a dark kind of music. In my attempt I tried to keep everything in the shade (#2, #3), similar to the original soundtrack artwork for Alien. I made it as black as possible, while still maintaining the iconic image of the Engineer’s head. This was also the first cover, where I let myself loose completely and tried out countless alternations, because why not.

#4: Prometheus (Custom)

#5: Prometheus (Custom)

#6: Prometheus (Custom)

#7: Prometheus (Custom)

#8: Prometheus (Custom)

I waited for over a year after the theatrical release to start with this custom covers series, as new fan-artwork was continuously sprouting around the web. Also, I didn’t have this compulsive desire to be relevant and release custom covers as close as possible to a new soundtrack release date (a real absurdity!).

No, instead I worked on Prometheus on and off quite arbitrarily – at my own pace and mood. A luxury endeavor, for sure. It had sort of evolved into my go-to-place whenever I felt the need for creative refreshment. And I think it shows, for this might be my vastest collection of custom covers for a single soundtrack album yet.

#9: Prometheus (Custom)

#10: Prometheus (Custom)

#11: Prometheus (Custom)

#12: Prometheus (Custom)

#13: Prometheus (Custom)

#14: Prometheus (Custom)

#15: Prometheus (Custom)

One of the new ideas for this series was the concept of a CD/Vinyl bundle with two matching artworks (#9, #12). I’ve made a similar set for Star Trek Beyond in June of last year, but these Prometheus covers were conceived and designed a long time before that.

I went with two slightly different angles of the same scene, the infamous “Prometheus School of Running Away From Things” from the climax ending of the film. Even though this scene is one of the most dumbest in the whole film (which is quite an achievement), it looks really fantastic on paper. The details are gorgeous and colours eerily beautiful, especially on the widened Vinyl version.

I like to imagine that both editions come with one half of a special download-key which, once combined, gives access to additional bonus content from the web. Maybe I should work in marketing. Or maybe not.

The CD version also got an alternate, less spoilery design as well (#14, #15), using an ultra wide shot of the three main characters with the eponymous spaceship in the background. I’ve mirrored the image to make it wrap around the spine and employed two different font types. For once the feathery “Aviano Sans” and also the bulky “USN Stencil“, both of which were featured in the official promotion material as well.

Prometheus probably’s got to be one of the most stunningly beautiful science fiction films in years and it was a real treat to work with all the official material. One of the highlights in the film definitely was the orrery scene. That’s why I’m presenting four different versions to you today.

In addition to a regular design (#16) I came up with a new entry to my ongoing series of the so-called Limited Signature Edition (#17). Unfortunately this time I had to fake the composer’s signature, please don’t tell authorities. The vintage Movie Score Recording design (#18) was made by my friend Helix who has already blessed this blog in the past with contributions for Nightcrawler or It Follows, to name only a few.

#16: Prometheus (Custom)

#17: Prometheus (Custom)

#18: Prometheus (Custom)

#19: Prometheus (Custom)

#20: Prometheus (Custom)

#21: Prometheus (Custom)

Of course I came up with a special Vinyl Edition (#19 to #21) of my own as well. A vast and really comprehensive library of source material allowed me to dream up numerous distinctive versions of the soundtrack album. So in addition to my earlier introduced vinyl artwork (#9) which was more like one part of a two-part-set, this version here is meant to be the proper stand-alone release.

For comparison with my vinyl sleeve design, below you can get a glance at Mondo’s 2016 vinyl release. The artwork was created by Kilian Eng, who delivered a similar design for Aliens the year before and also Alien this year.

#22: Prometheus (Original)

#23: Prometheus (Original)

#24: Prometheus (Original)

I’d like to switch back again for a moment from vinyl to compact disc, because I’m really delighted to be able to show off my favourite Prometheus artwork from this whole collection.

The following digipack design was only made possible with the help of two very specific source images. An atmospheric promotion image of the engineer’s head (#25) – rich in detail, yet surprisingly simple in composition – and a very special work-in-progress version of the same image (#26). By looking at those two I realized that they would perfectly work as an inner and outer sleeve design. And so another concept was born and it’s safe to say that this particular cover took the longest time of all – primarily due to my meticulous perfectionism.

#25: Prometheus (Custom)

#26: Prometheus (Custom)

#27: Prometheus (Custom)

I came up with the idea of a digipack with a clear plastic slipcase and I was keen on marrying the individual covers into an animated mockup to visualize my idea. It’s safe to say that this was quite an endeavour.

First I had to create each and every frame by hand. Which means to select the Photoshop layers, move them by a few pixels and save it all as a new file. Multiply that 339 times and you’re nearly there. With those individual frames at hand I began to animate, again manually. Using this animated GIF as a reference I adjusted each frame length individually to create a smooth and flowing animation. It turned out that I had to delete a good deal of frames again, especially in the faster middle section of the animation. So I ended up using only 163 of those 339 frames, which I’ve painstakingly made one by one (just to stress it out once again…).

The final GIF weighted in about 755 MB which I was able to cut down to 161 MB. But still far too much for an animated GIF, so I finally saved it as the 31 MB video above. At least the image quality is much better than those 256 colours that are available in the GIF format, so it’s okay that way I guess. All in all you’re looking at 3,32 GB – or roughly calculated six weeks – of work. You’re welcome!

The little gallery below represents all custom covers for this series that didn’t fit elsewhere in this blog entry.

#28: Prometheus (Custom)

#29: Prometheus (Custom)

#30: Prometheus (Custom)

#31: Prometheus (Custom)

#32: Prometheus (Custom)

#33: Prometheus (Custom)

#34: Prometheus (Custom)

#35: Prometheus (Custom)

#36: Prometheus (Custom)

#37: Prometheus (Custom)

I’ve used the most varied selection of source images here. For instance, #28, #29, #32 and #33 were all based on fan-art found on the now defunct Prometheus Forum, a real melting pot for unique findings of all kinds. Pages upon pages of discussions, theories and creative works.

Cover #30 is another contribution from my friend Helix and #31 is an unofficial movie poster from L.A. graphic designer Midnight Marauder, shamelessly turned into a square soundtrack cover by myself.

Others again were based on the remaining official material that was left untouched in my huge collection of work files (#34, #36), accumulated from the most unusual places. I also worked some time on an alternate version of the promo sampler, using my own handwriting. But it didn’t look cool enough.

My final addition to this entry is the one I’m definitely the most proud of. And beside cover #25 it’s also the most expensive effort I’ve ever taken for a custom covers collection so far.What you

Back then when I bought the Prometheus 4-Disc Collector’s Edition, it came with a plethora of bonus material including the massive 220 minutes documentation The Furious Gods, probably the most insightful and entertaining making-of I have ever seen. But the Blu-ray also contained another neat little feature that played a crucial role in this custom covers series: a bonus gallery with countless of rejected and alternate movie posters.

I’m a total buff for posters so when I found that gallery I immediately started looking for a way to export all those images – which was easier said than done. Blu-ray discs are DRM-protected, I couldn’t just pop the disc into my computer and locate the files in the file directory. No, this time I had to go to greater lenghts.

First I went to my local electronics retailer and bought an external Blu-ray burner. With the help of a special software I was able to crack the copy protection and rip the disc onto my computer. Only within this newly generated image file I was able to browse through the directories and extract the untouched images. I returned the burner afterwards using a flimsy excuse and was finally sitting on 109 original and uncompressed bitmap images. What a glorious time to get busy…

What you see below are the results of weeks or maybe even months of labor, trying to come up with the most diverse and unusual collection of custom covers I was capable of. I’ve added trivia info to each image description, so make sure to open up the gallery and click your way through all 38 artworks. Again… you’re welcome!

#38: Prometheus (Custom)

#39: Prometheus (Custom)

#40: Prometheus (Custom)

#41: Prometheus (Custom)

#42: Prometheus (Custom)

#43: Prometheus (Custom)

#44: Prometheus (Custom)

#45: Prometheus (Custom)

#46: Prometheus (Custom)

#47: Prometheus (Custom)

#48: Prometheus (Custom)

#49: Prometheus (Custom)

#50: Prometheus (Custom)

#51: Prometheus (Custom)

#52: Prometheus (Custom)

#53: Prometheus (Custom)

#54: Prometheus (Custom)

#55: Prometheus (Custom)

#56: Prometheus (Custom)

#57: Prometheus (Custom)

#58: Prometheus (Custom)

#59: Prometheus (Custom)

#60: Prometheus (Custom)

#61: Prometheus (Custom)

#62: Prometheus (Custom)

#63: Prometheus (Custom)

#64: Prometheus (Custom)

#65: Prometheus (Custom)

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#75: Prometheus (Custom)

This site has become more than just a resource for alternate album art and Prometheus is literally the biggest evidence for that. What person in their right mind would need sixty-one different front covers for a single soundtrack? No-one! I am confident that the vast majority of soundtrack listeners are completely indifferent to custom covers at all. It is an absolute niche market.

Yes there are people who like to have custom covers in their digital music library. And even some crazy individuals who use different covers for each single track (*cough*). But guess what, the original soundtrack album only got twenty-five tracks. Heck, even the complete score has no more than fifty-four tracks. So why do this then? What’s the purpose?

Well, I tell you: I do it just for myself. I’m probably the most frequent visitor on this site and I’m fairly sure that no-one cares as much about this useless shit as I do. This is me trying to give my digital alter ego a meaning. Trying to create something that lasts. To make a difference.

“Prometheus” by Marc Streitenfeld M y most wanted film of 2012 was Prometheus by Ridley Scott. Despite all its mind-boggling flaws, I still enjoyed the hell out of this movie.