#colour acuity

[wotisla]

We take very long baths in my family because we're water soluble and it can be thermodynamically very expensive to extricate oneself from solution.

My father lost an older sister to the bath drain when he was young although he doesn't talk about it very much. When her parents (my grandparents) decided the bath had gone on too long and broke in there there was no sign of her except her two eyeballs rattling around in the bath tub.

I like to imagine that one day she reconstituted on a beach somewhere but she never came back for her eyes.

Anyway I need money for medical treatment so I'm selling them. £700 + shipping to wherever you are. They're in good condition + I'm told she had no glasses prescription and good colour acuity. [Please don't purchase these to consume as food! Even though I never met her she was my aunt and I don't want these to be eaten by a stranger]

[bassboosted-moon-chao]

You are a child of the stars. Shout what has been unsung.

[Lyrics — Rule #9: Child of the Stars by Fish in a Birdcage]

Happy [early] 15th Anniversary, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs! Wild film, but very dear to me! I only felt it was acceptable to point towards Flint's inexplicable connection to space... [cough cough CwaCoM:tVG and the unreleased title for CwaCoM3 cough cough the shooting star in the Baby Flint Awakening scene COUGH COUGH THE SPRAY-ON SHOES BEING GALACTIC PURPLE-BLACK]

I may have spent 6-7 hours on this drawing and it sent me insane.

[REBLOGS SUPER APPRECIATED OH MY GOD.]

[forcedhesitation]

using the sexy armour for its intended purpose

[canmom]

every single thing involving a computer is designed to put something into our senses. until a human looks at it, and interprets it, it is nothing. it isn't 'data'. it isn't 'ones and zeroes'. it's just some electrons and photons moving around, as is their wont.

but if we arrange those electrons just so, and let them do their thing, we can create a pattern that someone will experience as bits, registers, numbers, letters, instructions, algorithms, messages, financial transactions, videos, thoughts, worlds, etc etc.

the whole project of computer programming is corraling the electrons into situations where they will obey rules we have in our heads. electrons are surprisingly predictable, so this isn't a fool's errand. but every layer of the stack of abstractions is something we built: arranging one thing to produce a pattern we want to see. the chip arranged so the 'high and low voltages' fit our idea of 'bits' and 'logic gates'. the screen whose lights create a 'field of colour' for an organism that has this level of visual acuity, this frequency response in its cone cells, this capacity to see shapes and edges. these bits and logic organised into an 'algorithm' that takes 'data' that we think of as 'vertices' and 'triangles' and produces the appearance of 'perspective rendering', which approximates our concept of a '3D object', of even a 'virtual world'.

we have gotten so very very good at producing these patterns that it's easy to see them as something natural, and miss all the layers of orchestration behind even the simplest operation. computers are a game played between humans.

[libellule-ao3]

HC: Ominis Gaunt & his experience as a blind wizard

Picture Credits: @deathlysallows [link]

Hello,

I was talking to someone recently about Ominis' eyes, and it gave me the idea of publishing these HCs. 🙂

Please note that the ideas and interpretations presented in this post are my 'headcanon', some of which are mentioned/explored in my fanfictions. I respect and appreciate the different opinions and interpretations that others may have.

My intention is to share my thoughts, not impose them... I'd love to see yours btw. 😊💚

☆ Ominis’ eyes do not have pupils to let light enter his eye and reach the photoreceptors. As a result, he has no light perception and is totally blind. This lack of pupils, a phenomenon unique even among wizards, is the result of the marriage between his family's consanguinity and Dark Arts, which they practise shamelessly. (Quote: Ominis was born blind and no spell could reverse it)

☆ Besides this absence of pupils, his eyes are distinguished by their density of pale blue radial streaks, which start from the centre of the iris and radiate outwards, against a dark blue background. This pattern gives his eyes a fascinating, dynamic look. Ominis’ eyes are not opaque, milky or cloudy. These descriptors are so often associated with cataracts or glaucoma (i.e. Eye diseases Ominis does not have in my HC) that I avoid using them.

☆ Even when taking on the appearance of a sighted person thanks to the Polyjuice Potion or using Legilimency, Ominis remains unable to see, as his brain does not know how to interpret visual stimuli.

☆ If the Polyjuice Potion had worked, Ominis' parents wouldn't have hesitated to kidnap a child of the same age, sequestering him so that Ominis could take on his appearance, proceeding in the same way as Barty Crouch Jr did with Alastor Moody.

☆ Using a Pensieve does not negate his blindness either. He therefore perceives the memories consulted by this means in the same way as he perceives his everyday environment.

☆ Ominis has a well-developed sense of touch and smell, and his hearing is very acute. However, the acuity of these senses is not superhuman. He has only learnt to maximumly use his sensory compensatory means to make up for the visual deficit.

☆ During his childhood, his parents and siblings, who struggled for a long time to cure his blindness did not value his existence. As a result, Ominis tends to see himself as less valuable than a sighted person, despite what his Aunt Noctua says.

☆ Ominis has never let his blindness stop him from doing what he really wanted to do. On the other hand, as a good sneaky snake, he doesn’t mind using his blindness as an excuse not to do what he refuses to do or... to justify getting physically close to his heart’s desire. "I can’t work with my wand today, can you guide me to the Great Hall?" How can you say no to him when you know his wand [HC link] is so fickle?)

☆ When not using his echolocation spell, Ominis relies on his other senses to understand the world around him. As a result, surprise contacts can be disturbing for him as they abruptly disrupt his sensory perception. This generates anxiety, as he cannot anticipate the contact. But when this is done by people with whom he has no emotional bond, Ominis experiences it as an additional violation of his personal space, which can make him angry.

☆ Before she disappeared, his Aunt Noctua used to embroider hangings for him, which she would then hang in his bedroom. Ominis loved to run his fingertips over the raised patterns and different textures. Even without seeing them, Ominis could appreciate their creativity and aesthetics through touch. He still has a strong taste for embroidered fabrics from this period.

☆ Without concrete sensory experience of colours, his perception of colours remains a mental concept for him. At Hogwarts, he used to ask Sebastian if his clothes matched properly until he was familiar enough with fabrics to recognise them by touch.

☆ Before Ominis got his wand, he had to learn to organise his living space so that he could be as independent as possible. As a result, Ominis is very tidy and always puts his things away carefully so that he can find them more easily and navigate safely. Even in the most intimate moments, he folds and tidies his clothes before attending to his lover... firstly out of habit, and secondly because he finds it very exciting to play with their patience.

☆ For the Gaunt, the family’s image and reputation were of crucial importance. Having a blind child was a source of shame, as it could be interpreted as a weakness in their lineage or a sign of failure. When they gave up hope of curing him, they convinced themselves that a Gaunt could not be born deprived of sight without obtaining a compensatory magical ability, such as the gift of clairvoyance... Reality soon caught up with them.

☆ This umpteenth disappointment, combined with Ominis’s repeated refusal to adhere to supremacist ideals, or to practise dark arts, reinforced the hostility of Ominis’s parents towards him. As a result, the abuse escalated until the terrible episode recounted in the game (negative emotions + intolerance + misunderstanding + social pressure formed a detonating cocktail)

☆ His echolocation spell allows him to navigate independently, but it will never replace sight.

☆Capable of taking initiative, his wand has a will of its own that sometimes comes into conflict with Ominis. When this happens, it is very difficult for him to work with his wand and he may sometimes ask someone to guide him to where he wants to go. If he turns to you in this case, it’s a sign that he has a great deal of trust in you, something he doesn’t grant easily.

☆ The fact that people avoid certain words (see, or look for example) in his presence, or are embarrassed when he uses them himself, metaphorically or simply as a linguistic convention, amuses him and he doesn’t hesitate to play them up.

☆ If he’s not serving himself, he discreetly feels his plate to find out where the food is.

☆ Ominis is very concerned about his appearance because he wants to blend in with society to avoid attracting unwanted attention. Also, he feels more confident with having an impeccable appearance. His obsession: getting a stain on his clothes that he can’t detect. He used to ask Anne to check his outfit several times during the day.

☆ Although many classmates have asked him to touch their faces so that Ominis can “see” them, he has always flatly refused, as he finds it too intrusive. Sebastian and Anne are the only ones with whom he has allowed himself this familiarity... until his fiancée.

☆ Aloof and reserved by nature, Sebastian, Anne and his lover are the only people he accepts hugs from. These have enabled him to obtain information about their appearance, height, weight, hairstyle, morphology and much more...

☆ Wizards of their background were often evaluated on their elegance and their ability to fit into the society at the time. In addition to the classic upbringing of a member of the illustrious Gaunt family, Ominis’ parents insisted he acquire good social skills and impeccable manners, which was not always easy for Ominis.

☆ For he had “automatic, stereotyped and repetitive” gestures (blindism). Swaying his body or turning his head, or repeatedly rubbing his eyes were very severely punished, as were the various postural disturbances inherent in his blindness (head in profile because that’s the ideal listening position, shuffling gait to keep his 2 feet anchored to the ground maintain his balance more easily etc...). As a result, Ominis has become very aware of himself and his body language.

☆ Always with the aim of meeting their standards, his parents imposed a strict education on him, ensuring that he was fully educated in the history of Magic, that of his ancestors, that of the great pureblood families, the evolution of the bonds governing them and the dark arts for which the Gaunt are so renowned.

☆ In Victorian times, professional prospects were rather limited for blind people, even in the wizarding world, and even with the best education. What’s more, the family safe at Gringotts was just a leaky basket, so Ominis’s parents forced him to play the piano hoping he would become skilled and renowned enough to bail them out. As a result, he plays the piano very well, but he is not a prodigy. This skill is the result of long efforts and painful constraints. All washed down with tears.

☆ At Hogwarts, potions classes are the hardest for Ominis to grasp. Too much simultaneous olfactory stimulation, a method of learning ill-suited to the blind as the recipe steps rely on the precise colouring of the brew.

☆ When he's not using his echolocation spell, Ominis hates it when people leave him after a conversation without telling him they're leaving.

☆ Braille appeared in England in 1861, and Ominis learned about this Muggle system of reading and writing from his Aunt Noctua, who was much more open to the Muggle world than the rest of the Gaunt family, who refused to hear about it. He learned it on his own, with the help of his aunt and the house-elf who provided him with reference books.

☆ When he has to use a knife for cooking or in potions class, Ominis demands a perfectly sharp blade that offers a more precise cut with less effort, reducing the risk of slippage and injury, unlike a dull knife, which is potentially more dangerous as it requires more force to cut, making control more difficult.

☆ He doesn’t cut his fingernails, he files them to make sure he doesn’t cut himself.

(These last 2 HC are from anecdotes heard about my paternal grandmother, whom I never knew and who became blind because of cataracts that were inoperable at the time because of certain medical history)

Masterlist

[itadore-you]

tenya iida x gn!reader w/c: 800 c/w: none, it's fluff! context: idk abt you guys but im shortsighted and cannot stand seeing everything in 4K ultra HD when I'm trying to focus on something. basically simp iida pays no attention to his surroundings when ur around.

Iida is always known to wear his glasses. Not to omit the obvious (he needs them to see), but he likes the visual acuity, the awareness of his surroundings at all times. Rarely ever does he remove those rectangular frames from his nose bridge, and if he does, the only reason for that would be sleeping, or when his trusty pair of glasses doesn’t survive another round of intense hero training. Unlike Bakugo who surreptitiously stows away his reading glasses from time to time, or choosing the more practical contact lenses that Yaoyorozu wears, Tenya sticks to his glasses like glue. It’s a rare sight, to spot him without them. 

About 2 minutes left before your estimated time of arrival - Tenya notes the position of the hands of the clock, before catching a flash of movement in his peripheral - he can already tell from the rhythm of your walk and those signature colours, that it’s you. As you step closer and closer to him, he’s resting the glasses atop his head. Maybe his short-sightedness is a blessing in disguise - the world then suddenly blurs into a cascade of colour, bringing you into focus as he stands to pull out a chair for you. Ever the gentleman. His eyes concentrate fully on you now, and since you’re up close, you’re all that he can see. 

But this time, when he’s with you, it’s a little bit different. He can’t quite find the words to describe it, but when he’s with you, it’s like the whole world stops. You’re the only focus of his attention. Even now, as he waits for you inside this quaint cafe, there seems to be a lag in the seconds counted on his wristwatch. Iida was early, of course, and he’s been anticipating your agreed time of rendezvous for the past 10 minutes and 34 seconds (not that he’s been counting). He checks the time on his watch again, then his phone, and triple checking with the clock on the opposite wall - perhaps he is just impatient, he decides, because it feels like it’s been an eternity waiting for you. Not your fault that he turned up so early.

In the meantime, Tenya tells himself that he’s ‘got to relax a little more’ since that’s what Midoriya advised him to do. It was odd coming from his friend, who used to shake like a leaf whenever anyone remotely showed interest in him. Nonetheless, Iida had determined on numerous occasions that Midoriya’s advice was to be taken seriously and he was willing to trust him anyway. Tenya finds himself crossing, then uncrossing, his ankles; Ruffling his hair a little… only to run his hands through it again, putting his hair back into place. People have told him before that he comes across as ‘uptight’, which Iida normally doesn’t question.

Now he chooses to wonder if you would describe him that way, if you would like it, and why you wouldn’t. Tenya is a logical man, who quickly resolves this sequence of thoughts by deciding that no matter what, he presented as his best self, and if you wouldn’t like that, well so be it. 

“Tenya! This place is beautiful. How did you even find it in the first place?” 

He smiles at you, eyes gone soft and gooey with affection. The first thing that he thinks is that you look breathtaking, as per usual, and the words slip from his thoughts, out of his mouth. His heart swells when you bashfully admit that you wanted to say he looked good first. Not only that, but he could swear on his life that your pupils dilated a little. Your words swim in his ears as he gazes at you, fully taken in by your beauty. It’s then that he remembers to answer your question, disclosing that it may have been a romantic suggestion given to him by one of your friends.

You find it funny when Iida tells you this, thinking about how he must have been at a total loss when trying to organise your date. He had insisted that he should be the one to plan it since you asked him out first. Looking at him now, you notice his glasses nested atop his midnight-coloured hair and the way that he has moved his stool slightly closer to yours. It’s cute, especially watching him squint whenever he looks into the distance after he’s been lowkey staring at you for too long. 

It’s maybe for the first time in a while, that Iida loses track completely of what’s going on around him. He doesn’t notice the time passing by, he barely even notices when someone almost spills their hot coffee on him as they walk past. There’s no other way for him to describe this lax feeling, other than the world being dipped underwater, but only you two are afloat.

[bluelocksource]

Yukimiya Kenyū’s trivia (source: twt & Egoist Bible 1 & 2).

"Move aside, I don't have time!"

☆ Character's colour: Red orange.

☆ Weapons:

Dribbling and gyro shoot. (EB1) Dribbling, gyro shot, instant vertical strike. (EB2)

☆ Nickname: ‘1on1 Strongest Prince’.

☆ Birthday: 28th April.

☆ Current age: 18 (3rd year of high school)

☆ Zodiac: Taurus.

☆ Birthplace: Miyazaki Prefecture.

☆ Family: Mother. Father. Himself.

☆ Current height: 184 cm.

☆ Dominant foot: Right foot.

☆ Visual acuity: Not good, need glasses.

☆ Blood type: O.

☆ Starts playing football: At age 7 (suggested by his mother).

☆ Personal 50M run record: 5.91 seconds.

☆ Team before joining BLUE LOCK: Soranin / Kūnin High School Soccer Club.

☆ Motto: "Give your all in a single moment."

☆ Favorite food: Blueberries. “They’re good for your eyes.”

☆ Disliked food: Garlic. “I feel like my vision is turning yellow.”

☆ Favorite animal: Penguins. "I think it’s fascinating how they waddle cutely on land but extremely fast when they swim."

☆ Favorite season: Spring. ”Because I like cherry blossoms.”

☆ Favorite football player: Edgar Davids.

☆ Favorite music: ‘Phoenix’ by SEKAI NO OWARI.

☆ Favorite manga: Oyasumi Punpun.

☆ Favorite movie: Evangelion “The older version. Asuka’s sky burial was excellent, wasn’t it?”

☆ Favorite TV show: FOOTxBRAIN (TV Tokyo).

☆ Favorite celebrity: Yo Yoshida. “There’s something pleasant about a cool woman.”

☆ Favorite brand: Oakley (goggle brand).

☆ Ideal type: Someone who smiles a lot and watches over him.

☆ Hobby: Modelling.

☆ Mushroom shoots vs Bamboo shoots: Mushroom. “Because of its cute shape.”

☆ What goes best with rice : Shirasu. "Pickled egg and green onion shirasu rice are delicious. Why don’t you try it?"

☆ What makes him happy: Warm support.

☆ What makes him upset: “Someone beat me in 1on1.”

☆ What he thinks his strength is: The most competitive person in the world, and strict with himself.

☆ What he thinks his weakness is: “I am too strict with myself and not interested in other people’s business.”

☆ Favorite/Best subject: Science, Japanese, P.E.

☆ Dislike/weak subject: Art. “Drawing makes my eyes tired.”

☆ What made him cry recently: “I won’t tell you. It’s embarrassing.”

☆ Usual sleeping time: 8 hours.

☆ What he usually ends up buying from convenience store: Hot eye mask. “To warm my eyes.”

☆ Place he washes first when taking a bath: His forehead hairlines.

☆ Fixation: With ephemeral things like cherry blossoms, sparklers, etc.

☆ Number of chocolates received from previous Valentine: “I didn’t count. I only ate the ones that arrived at my agency, there’s lots of them.”

☆ At what age he experiences first love: At age 10. “With my friend’s 16-year-old sister.”

☆ The first time he got confessed to: “My friend’s older sister kissed me on the forehead. Got embarrassed and ran away.”

☆ What will he do if received 100 million yen: “I don't know. I’m not interested in money.”

☆ At what age he stops receiving presents from Santa: At age 12. “Santa seems to be excluding the middle school students.”

☆ What was his last wish from Santa: Running glasses.

☆ How he spent his holiday: Reading. “I like learning about the lives of famous people.”

☆ What will he do during his last day on Earth: “Thanking my parents for bringing me into this world.”

☆ Favorite historical figure: "Minamoto no Yoshitsune. He lived with glory and tragedy, a fighter."

☆ If he hadn't encountered soccer, what will he be doing:  "That’s impossible. God will definitely make me meet soccer."

☆ If he could only take one thing to a deserted island, what would it be: Glasses. "I can't see anything without them!"

☆ If he had a time machine, would he go to the past or the future: The future. "I want to know if medicine will be able to cure any disease."

Last updated: 1/11/2024

note: i want to apologize in advance for any mistake made in the translation!

[mugiwara-rosewolf]

Hello, I just discovered your blog via one of your writings, I really love your style ♥

I confess that I never think of sabo with a blind eye. It seems to me that in the anime he has his two eyes.

I thought of an idea: how would Sabo react who, because of the flames, lost an eye to a blind reader. Poor thing, she can't see the beauty of Sabo 😢. The reader is female, with remance. Sabo would be insecure about his scar but would try to get over it so at least the reader can know what he looks like when she touches him.

Have a nice day ♥

Hello! I’m so glad to hear that you’ve enjoyed my writings! Though, I have to be honest, a lot of my headcanons about Sabo’s injuries come from binging @theprodigypenguin ‘s works on AO3 when I first joined the fandom. If you’re looking for deep diving fics about Sabo’s character, I’d highly recommend them!

That said, I absolutely adore this prompt and would love to give it a shot. —Hope You Enjoy!

Love is Blind

Sabo x F!Reader

Note: Reader has color vision & acuity to see shapes, so they are technically classified as having “low vision” as opposed to “total blindness” (aka no light perception)

"Alright, the mission is simple," Koala reminded him. "Infiltrate the engagement, gain entrance to the host nobleman's office, swipe the records and get out. We need to be outta sight by dawn, alright?"

"Ah~ good ole breaking and entering," Sabo grinned. “Just like old times.”

"No, no breaking-" the woman spy snagged his cheek before he could stop her. "Hack was clear about our orders. That means no making trouble for the boss, you understand?"

"Okay, okay, ow-ow!" Sabo swatted her hand away, even knowing that scarred flesh wouldn't bruise. "That was one time, alright? I know what I'm doing."

"Do you?"

She didn't need to be on his good side for Sabo to know the look she was giving him. That droll side-eye and incredulous brow she had, like he was a child who’d spilled food down his front. Making messes that she always had to clean up. Or so she said. Sabo shook his head with a hand on his chest. "Come now, don’t you trust your own partner in crime?"

"I don't know, should I?"

"...touché.”

***

The light of her father's chandeliers hung above them, casting the space into a twilight glow. Silhouettes like over-large dust mites blurred slowly in circles as the orchestra strung together one waltz after another. Perhaps it'd be a crime to say - but Y/N would rather be out in the pitch dark of the garden than be a withering wallflower in this ballroom.

She knows it's a ballroom because the piano echoes in her ears, low notes reverberating in her chest just as much as if she were leaning against the instrument herself. The cellos of the string section strike a similar chord into the vibrating floors beneath her slippers. A lifetime of thin-soled shoes helped distinguish warm wood panels from the cold, slippery marble her mother loved to decorate the entryway and balconies. All those outward-facing places where their wealth-sighted guests could gawk and admire their purported majesty.

Occasionally, a confection of colour would flash past, jerking her back from her reverie. Coarse crinoline would rub between her fingers. A passing maid would scold her with a tap on the shoulder. The universal whisper of 'stop fidgeting' or 'stop staring' always caught her ear.

Y/N ran a tongue over her teeth. As if the voices in this cavernous space weren't living for the pageantry of being seen and gawked at in one way or another. All this fuss over mounds of crinkly fabric and gnarly colognes. What did they care if her sightless gaze was -There are only so many times one can pretend to scan the room between one feels like they're adrift at sea in a dense fog. It was hard not to get seasick at the feeling.

A hand on her shoulder. A warm, nimble-fingered phantom that lingered only milliseconds before-

"Excuse me, miss?"

Y/N turned to the sound of the voice. Following a rail-thin line of bruising shadows until a shock of pale…everything halted her gaze. Is that the face? Gods, I hope that’s the face and not some obnoxious- “Yes? Can I help you?”

“Ah, pardon,” the -presumably male- voice said, retracting his hand as if he’d touched a hot iron. Something inside her wilted. “This’ll sound strange but,” cloth shuffled, somewhere around the joint between pale and dark. “Could you direct me to the nearest restroom?”

“The restroom?”

“Yea.”

“The men’s…restroom.”

“Yes.”

“Well you were right about sounding strange,” Y/N quipped. Resolute and unbothered, Y/N rose from her seat and offered an arm towards the figure. “It’ll be easier if we walk there.”

“If we…walk?”

“Yes, then I can guide you.”

“But can’t you just-"

“No, I’m afraid I’m quite terrible at giving directions,” at least in the way others understand them. Y/N jerked her elbow out for emphasis. “Well? Is your bladder about to burst, or what?”

If her mother was in earshot, she’d surely earned herself a smack upside the head. But in the midst of a public soirée, no one could do a thing. To her surprise, the stranger didn’t choke in shock or stammer in flustered offence.

Instead, the man…laughed. He bloody snorted. The sound was muffled, as if he too were hiding behind a cupped hand. But the sound was unmistakable. Laughter was so rare here….

“Pfft! You are certainly more brazen than I was expecting,” the man said.

“Oh? And does that trouble you, sir?”

Before Y/N could find another taunt on her lips, a velvet sleeve slid past her own. Hooking elbows to elbows like the links of fine jewellery. All words dried up. She could feel his breath lean close to her ear.

“-not in the slightest.”

Her stomach swooped. She quickly cleared her throat and set her chin towards the nearest black hole in the wall. “Very well then, this way.”

***

All things considered, Sabo was feeling rather proud of himself. He had successfully infiltrated the event undetected. He'd found a viable excuse to escape the main throng and was now on his way to objective number two: find Mister What's-His-Face's office.

Only one obstacle stood between him and his next steps: the stowaway accomplice. Witty, direct and beautifully dressed, the woman marched down the halls of this obnoxiously coloured palace as if she owned it. Even then, he wasn't sure what possessed him to approach a party guest for an excuse instead of just wandering off on his own, as was his usual. But then again, Koala had already chewed him out for his last solo fiasco, so maybe it was a subconscious abundance of caution. Her grip was almost worse than his.

However, what he found most perplexing about the new variable in his plans - was that she still wouldn't look him in the eyes. Even when they first met, she resolutely stared at the crown of his head as she spoke, unblinking. Their entire trek had been deathly silent, save for the tread of slippers and boots on hard wooden floors. Then again, given how he could only see one side of her face at any given time...maybe there was a reason she refused to meet his gaze directly.

"Tell me something, miss," he decided on a whim.

"Something important, I assume?"

"Oh no, a trivial curiosity, I assure you."

"Then why bother with it in the first place?"

"For the fun of it," he shrugged. "And because I'm curious."

A heavy sigh. The first time he's seen the noblewoman close her eyes for an extended period of time. "Very well then, ask away."

"-Is there a reason you won't look me in the eye?" Her strides stalled. Both of them came to a stop in the middle of the hall. In front of a glorious painting, Sabo couldn't bring himself to attend. She didn't say anything at first. He offered a sympathetic if self-deprecating laugh for her benefit. "I'm not that atrocious to look at, am I?"

She tilted her head slightly. Turning her e/c gaze to some spot over his shoulder. "No. I wouldn't know. I can't tell what you look like."

"You-" That's when it clicked. The unblinking gaze, the thousand-yard star, the way she tilted her head at certain sounds, how careful her steps were amongst the ballroom crowds. "You're, bli-" His laughter caught him by such surprise he nearly choked.

"Yes, I - I beg your pardon?!"

The irony wracked his body so hard he couldn't stop. Shoulders shaking, stomach seizing, he just couldn't stop laughing: "Oh my-!" His scarred face hurt from the pinch of smiling so much. He wiped a stinging tear from his eye. "I just - it really is the blind leading the blind, isn't it?"

Her offended furrow fell slack. "I...beg your pardon?"

"I'm guessing you still have light perception, then. Eh?"

"You are being awfully casual about this."

"Well, why not?" Sabo shrugged. "I'm completely blind in one eye, figure as long as we're talking here, we may as well speak plainly about it."

"Hmph," Something like a twitch of a smile tugged at her cheek. "Well, now who's the brazen one?"

Sabo chuckled. Hiding his smile behind one hand, he leaned into the warmth of her arm and whispered: "I don't see why we both can't be bold, do you?"

The lady's own smile turned coy. "You're not really a gentleman, are you?"

"Not exclusively," he admitted with a grin. "Why? Do I make a bad impression?"

"The absolute worst," she said with a breathy laugh. "Our chain of islands is too small for me not to know the voices of most noblemen - and yet I've never heard anyone quite like you."

"And I you, my lady."

"You weren't really aiming for the restroom, were you?"

"Not really," Sabo shrugged. "Just needed an excuse to escape the crowds."

The woman chuckled. "You and I both, good sir."

"Sabo."

"What?"

"Sabo. That's what my friends call me."

Her smile grew, the cutest blush streaking across her cheeks. "Then I suppose you can call me Y/N, so long as we're among good company."

"Oh, you're in great company," Sabo assured, squeezing her arm against his side. "Now that we're free, we can go anywhere we want."

"Free..." her echoing whisper was like a spring breeze to his ears. "There's nothing more I've ever wanted to be."

Sabo grinned. Unwinding their arms just enough to dare and weave his hand with hers. "Then today's your lucky day, Y/N. Follow me?"

"Lead the way - Sabo."

[hachidori358]

Sometimes when I look at a picture it can take me awhile to figure out what I’m looking at. Occasionally I can’t figure it out and have to read a description to understand what it is. I don’t think it’s a visual acuity problem because once I know what I’m looking at I can see it (although I do have visual acuity problems). But sometimes images, especially if I have no context, are just a meaningless jumble of shapes and colours. Is that a thing? Is there a name for this?

[insightfuleyes45]

What to Expect During Your First Visit to the Optometrist: A Guide for New Patients

Introduction Regular eye exams are essential for maintaining good vision and overall eye health. However, your first trip to the optometrist can feel unfamiliar and even a bit nerve-wracking. Knowing what to expect can help ease those nerves and help you feel prepared. This guide will walk you through the typical process of a comprehensive eye exam—from pre-appointment preparations to the tests you will encounter during your visit, making sure you know what to expect at each step of the way.

What to Expect: From Start to Finish

Before Your Appointment A little prep goes a long way. Here are a few things you can do to ensure your appointment runs smoothly:

Gather any relevant medical history and a list of current medications.

Bring along your existing glasses or contact lenses.

Prepare a list of any specific vision concerns or symptoms.

During the Examination Your eye exam will follow a set sequence of steps to make sure your vision and eye health are thoroughly evaluated:

Patient History: The appointment starts with a discussion about your medical history, current medications, and any vision issues you are currently experiencing. This initial conversation helps your optometrist tailor the exam to your specific needs [1].

Preliminary Tests: You will begin with a few preliminary assessments, which may include checking depth perception, colour vision, and peripheral (side) vision. These quick tests provide valuable insights into various aspects of your vision [2].

Visual Acuity Test: This familiar test involves reading letters from a chart to measure both your distance and near vision. It is a fundamental step to determine how clearly you see at various ranges [1].

Refraction: Using a device called a phoropter or an autorefractor, your optometrist will determine your exact lens prescription, ensuring you have the correct vision correction [2].

Eye Health Evaluation: This part involves using a slit lamp, a special microscope that allows your optometrist to examine the structures of your eye in detail. To get a clearer view of your retina, they may also dilate your pupils with eye drops [1][3].

Tonometry: A test for measuring eye pressure, tonometry is a critical screening tool for glaucoma. There are several methods for this, including the “puff-of-air” test, which is quick and painless [3].

Additional Tests: Based on your age, vision needs, and potential risk factors, your optometrist might suggest other specialized tests to further evaluate your eye health [2].

After the Exam

Once the examination is complete, your optometrist will discuss their findings and may provide a treatment plan, if needed. This can include new prescriptions, advice on eye care, or suggestions for follow-up appointments. Your optometrist will also take the time to answer any questions you may have [1].

Conclusion Your first visit to the optometrist may include a variety of tests aimed at assessing both your vision and your eye health. Knowing what to expect can make the experience more comfortable, helping you approach the appointment with confidence and preparing you to have a meaningful conversation about your eye care.

References

1. WebMD. "Visiting Your Eye Doctor."

2. American Optometric Association. "Comprehensive eye exams."

3. Healthdirect Australia. "Eye tests - types of test, costs."

4. WebMD. "What to Expect in a Checkup Eye Exam: Adults."

5. Kraffe Eye Institute. "Do's and Don'ts Before Eye Exam: How to Prepare for an Eye Exam."

[blackswaneuroparedux]

“Muse” est un mot qui me fait rigoler, parce que personne ne sait ce qu’il signifie. C’est l’influence d’une attitude, je suppose, mais le mot est complètement faux, il ne semble pas faire partie de la vie réelle. Alors que, bien au contraire, mon influence sur Yves relève entièrement de la vie réelle, l’amie qui travaille avec lui et qui, de temps en temps, lui dit: “Ne sois pas aussi bête, Yves.”

- LouLou de la Falaise

Loulou de la Falaise was model, designer, and more well known as Yves Saint Laurent’s long-running muse for his fashion designs.

Cecil Beaton famously said she was the only English woman he knew who could be “really chic in really hideous clothes” - de la Falaise was part of high society. But she was also always a hard worker that became a fashion icon. She became the quintessential Rive Gauche haute bohémienne.

Born on 4 May 1948 in England, Louise Vava Lucia Henriette de la Falaise had an Irish mother, Maxime Birley, Elsa Schiaparelli's favourite model, and a French father, Alain de la Falaise. She was the granddaughter of the artist Oswald Birley, official painter to the Royal Court. From the age of 7, Loulou de La Falaise studied at a boarding school in England, then in Switzerland. She spent her teenage years in London, then the capital of pop culture, and then became a fashion editor before following her mother to New York in the 1960s. She then posed for fashion photos and designed prints for Halston. In New York she was firm friends with Andy Warhol and immersed herself in the fashion scene there.

She didn’t have much luck in relationships. She was first married at 18 years old to an Irish aristocrat, Desmond Fitzgerald, from whom she soon separated. In 1977, Loulou de la Falaise married Thadée Klossowski de Rola, son of the painter Balthus, a marriage organised by Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé on a small island in the Bois de Boulogne. She has a daughter, Anna, born in 1986, of whom Yves Saint Laurent was godfather.

Yves Saint Laurent once said of his muse, “Loulou de la Falaise's real talent, apart from her undeniable professional qualities, was her charm. She had the strange power of the gift of lightness, mixed with an irreproachable acuity of her look on fashion. Intuitive, innate, unique.” Loulou de la Falaise met him in 1968, at a tea party given by his stylist friend, Fernando Sanchez. She joined Yves Saint Laurent in 1972 at the designer's request and quickly became one of his closest collaborators. Loulou de La Falaise, who had a passion for colour and a gift for eccentricity, remained at his side for 30 years, creating jewellery and hats for the haute couture house.

While many consider her Yves’s ‘muse’, she was much more than that, and became head designer for accessories. She was literally his taste check, someone he could depend on to brainstorm concepts with, finalise colour  selections. She said once, "Accessories have an important role in our stressful lives. If you go out to dinner and you don't have time to go home and change, you can take off your jacket and put on a piece of jewellery," She loved rare woods and brightly coloured stones, giant enamel flowers and had hearts fashioned from rock crystal, her lucky material. "The important thing is to invent yourself," she used to say.

After Yves Saint Laurent’s death in 2002, Loulou de la Falaise launched her own brand and collaborated with different groups by creating jewellery lines. In 2011, she created a line of jewellery exclusively for the Majorelle garden boutique in Marrakech, the garden that also housed Yves Saint Laurent's ashes. Loulou de la Falaise passed away 2011.

Photo: Loulou de la Falaise and Yves Saint Laurent at a party, 1978.

[late-to-the-fandom]

Chapter 5: [De]vices and Vows

In which an unpleasant discovery by Renathal prompts a fight with the Maw Walker and an unexpected confession. Read on Ao3 here.

It was a testament to just how badly Renathal wanted the Maw Walker to stay with him that he was willing to back-burner Denathrius' fateful phone call completely and make a second trip to her squalid building on the outskirts of the lightless, lawless Maw. Worn and weary, running on fumes, but now brimming with a restless anxiety that craved the relief of concrete action, he drove there straight from the hospital, parking in the same inauspicious alley from which he had collected the Maw Walker on the evening of their first date. He kept his eyes steadfastly forward (except to shoot the fire escape a sidelong glare), tightening his wrinkled suit jacket around himself like armor as he hurried for the entrance - exhausted defiance notwithstanding, he was eager to put solid walls between himself and whatever dangers lurked in the dark.

The inside of the Maw Walker's building, however, was only infinitesimally lighter. A single, naked bulb hanging from the atrium ceiling illuminated the 'Out of Order' sign taped to the unlit elevator and the first few steps of the ramshackle stairs. Renathal, accustomed to the ill-lit passages of Revendreth, managed the trek to the sixth floor without incident. But as he skirted bulging bin bags, clutters of take-away debris, and several hazardously broken floorboards, he thought he better understood why the Maw Walker favoured the outside route.

Face screwed up against the smell of rubbish and neglect, he fumbled for her key the moment his feet hit the sixth-floor landing, traversed a short stretch of carpetless hall to the appropriate room number, and let himself hastily into the Maw Walker's flat. The flimsy plywood door shut quickly behind him was a barely effective barrier against outside odour, but it was not the lingering smell that made Renathal’s upper lip curl unpleasantly as he stared around at the room.

The room. There was just the one. And it would have fit comfortably in his own flat’s open living space with square footage to spare. In one back corner hunched a no-frills futon; in the other, a plastic foldaway table, which, judging by its contents, served as both nightstand and desk. Between them was left just enough space for a single person to squeeze through sideways (one of a rapidly growing number of reasons Renathal surmised why he had never been extended an invitation). Revolving on the spot just inside the door revealed a narrow clothes cupboard and purple overnight bag to the left, a small, discoloured sink set into the wall to the right, and … that was all.

Renathal, eyes bleary from lack of sleep and fluorescent hospital lighting, made another, more careful inspection of the room, checking the various sections of peeling paint did not conceal another door. But there was nothing. No secret en-suite, no kitchen annex, not even a private water closet.

And the Maw Walker preferred to spend her nights in this comfortless cube than his own spacious flat?

He shook his head briskly, casting off the offensive thought. He had neither the time nor mental acuity for suppositions at the moment. Turning in another slow semi-circle - now with an eye for the things the Maw Walker would need - Renathal snatched up the purple overnight bag, unzipped it, and set it open on the futon's threadbare coverlet, then plucked a toiletries kit from the edge of the dingy porcelain sink, rolled it up, and tucked it securely inside. Shuffling sideways between futon and foldaway table, he perused the latter for further necessities. Passing over two polythene cups - one containing an assortment of coloured pens, the other a small amount of cold, congealed coffee - he focused instead on the out-of-date tablet and the bulging purple three-ring binder, whose many unsecured pages spilled from the tops and sides.

Ingrained tidiness - and, perhaps, a whisper of curiosity - nudged Renathal's hand. He flipped the binder's cover open and shuffled the papers into a more orderly pile, rifling through their contents as he did so: loose leaf notes, printed syllabi, and what looked like hand-drawn maps of multiple campus locations. His gaze lingered for a moment on a crude depiction of the Revendreth department, its margins so crammed with notes in the Maw Walker's indecipherable native alphabet as to be functionally useless for finding one's way through the underground labyrinth of halls.

An odd pastime, amateur cartography, thought Renathal, tucking the now neat stack back into the purple binder and the binder into the similarly-coloured overnight bag; there were plenty of gratis maps available in the administration office. He made a mental note to pick up a few from Oribos for her as soon as he could find the time.

Speaking of time.

A glance at his glowing watch-face made Renathal wince. The morning was already half gone and he had not accomplished half of what needed doing, not the least of which was returning to his own flat to shower, sleep, and tend to Vrednic (not necessarily in that order). Stifling an enormous yawn, he turned back to the table for the tablet, and his fingers, trembling slightly with exhaustion, brushed the device’s sleeping screen. It woke, the bright glow assaulting Renathal's already bleary vision. And when he blinked the spots from his eyes, he found himself staring at a crowd of missed call and text notifications.

His own name - Ren, with a purple heart emoji beside it that made his skip a beat - took up most of the screen, with alerts labelled Theotar and Work appearing sporadically in-between. But there was one other contact who had apparently been as eager as Renathal to reach the Maw Walker; who, by the timestamps on the notifications, had not stopped most of the night - a picture-less profile assigned the simple, cryptic, and unpleasantly familiar moniker: T.A.

Someone's initials? Her distant, rarely-spoken-of friend, perhaps, whom the Maw Walker had stayed with over the fall break? Or was it a title, like Renathal's own? Did the Maw Walker keep close ties with teaching assistants in her other courses? Could that be how she passed them? And was that the reason she refused to spend a full night at his flat? Did his lover have other, similar arrangements scheduled after him?

Renathal sat. Fortunately, the futon was just behind him. The backs of his legs knocked hard against the metal edge, a pain he only distantly felt. On some level, he knew he was being ridiculous, that there were a hundred innocent explanations for the initials and their multitude of calls and messages glowing innocently up at him from the screen. But he was tired, hungry, emotionally drained, Denathrius’ phone call and its ominous implications looming over him as darkly as the Maw outside. He was too out of sorts to stop the familiar, furious prickling spreading like a wildfire through his chest.

Jealousy. It was Renathal’s greatest prevailing vice, and one he had never managed to overcome. That gut-wrenching, blood-boiling, detestable sensation, like the ground had been pulled out from under him and he had no safe place left to stand. He wallowed in it for a few miserable minutes, fingers tapping an aggressive rhythm across the edge of the device still resting in his lap. And it was not until the screen went dark again and Renathal swiped it angrily back to life that he noticed the picture hiding behind the myriad notifications, now gathered into one tidy stack.

He blinked - a very Maw Walker-esque expression of his surprise. Holding the tablet up to the window, he let the screen catch its thin, choked rays of light, but the picture did not change, and, unfamiliar as it was, there could be no doubt of its subject. It was Renathal himself: standing in profile before the range in his own kitchen, white apron round his waist, spatula in hand, face bent intently towards the pan.

The Renathal sitting non-plussed in the Maw Walker’s derelict flat squinted at the tablet, trying to determine what his picture-self was cooking, but the cluster of notifications hid the counter from view. It might have been one of any number of dinners he had prepared while the Maw Walker watched. She must have snapped the picture from her phone when he wasn’t looking, then sent it from her phone to her tablet, then made it the tablet’s lock screen background. Which clear evidence of forethought and affection unwound the knot of tension tightly-coiled in Renathal's gut. A weight seemed to fall physically from his shoulders. He rolled them experimentally, and, for the first time that day, felt his lips stretch in an almost effortless smile.

Renathal stood, clicked off the tablet and nestled it securely into the overnight bag; then, with new purpose and vigour, squeezed past the futon and foldaway table for the clothes cupboard and began rummaging through its narrow insides. The smile was still pleasant and warm on his face as he thumbed through the sparse wire hangers. The Maw Walker cared for him - he had seen the irrefutable proof. Everything else - Denathrius' ultimatum, whatever role he might have played in the Maw Walker's accident and what she was hiding that could cause him to do so - it would all be worked out later, after both of them were rested, rational, and safely returned to his flat.

Except perhaps, realised Renathal, shuffling through the hangers a third time as if some new, more cast-accessible items might appear, the issue of what the Maw Walker was going to wear for the next six to eight weeks.

Apart from the dress he recognised from their Ember Club date, the Maw Walker’s wardrobe consisted entirely of a few camisoles and blouses and one extra pair of jeans. A single set of black-and-gray tracksuit bottoms branded with the university’s logo were folded at the bottom of the cupboard, but even these Renathal doubted would fit easily over her cast’s bulky plaster. He stroked the hair on his chin for moment, considering. Then his eyes fell on a camisole the exact shade of purple as the heart emoji the Maw Walker had added next to his name. And he made up his mind.

Shutting the cupboard door, Renathal returned to the futon, hastily zipped up the overnight bag, and abandoned the shabby room to itself without a backward glance.

The following morning was spent perambulating department stores choosing new clothes for the Maw Walker; a much more enjoyable task. Perhaps too enjoyable, Renathal considered when he arrived back at his flat with more bags and boxes than could be carried from the garage in one trip. But he couldn’t help it. The memory of himself in place of pride as her tablet’s background appeared before his eyes every time he saw an item he thought his lover might conceivably need.

And those were many. From socks, which he had not found in her clothes cupboard, and easily slipped on shoes, which the Maw Walker did not own, to a new coat and hooded sweatshirt to replace the ones that had been ruined; as well as undergarments, which Renathal had forgotten to look for in his haste to leave her flat. In addition, he chose two sets of loose-fitting silk pyjamas and one perfectly innocent nightgown, several casual, mid-length dresses sans constricting sleeves, and a few other ensembles he deemed likely to fit over both her casts. He did his best to set his personal taste aside and select with an eye for the Maw Walker’s preferences (plain, comfortable, and - wherever possible - shades of purple), but it was still with some trepidation that he unpacked the shopping bags and inspected his purchases before hanging them in the wardrobe next to his own clothes.

When he had finished, Renathal stood back, admiring the effect. The new arrivals added something to his monochrome sartorial collection he had never noticed was missing: a colour and a vibrancy, very much a match to the contributions the Maw Walker had made in his day-to-day life.

With a glance at his watch and a start at the time, he closed the stuffed wardrobe with a snap and reached for the overnight bag. This took only seconds to unpack. Toiletries, three-ring binder, and tablet were set on the little bedside table he had cleared for the Maw Walker's use. The latter he plugged in to an extra charger while valiantly resisting the urge to revisit her notifications and check if T.A. - whoever they were - had called or texted again.

All mysteries would be cleared up soon - quite soon, Renathal reminded himself with a prickle of excitement. In just a few short minutes, he would be locking up and heading for the hospital, on the way to collect his lover for her first, and long-overdue, night at his flat.

-

"Shall I confess something?"

"Yes, please."

"I have wanted to do this for some time."

"Really?” The Maw Walker craned her neck gingerly to the right, attempting to catch Renathal's eye with her good one. “Help me wash my hair while keeping my casts out of water? That's a very specific fantasy."

Renathal’s reply was to reach around and daub shampoo lather bubbles to the end of the Maw Walker’s nose, upsetting the careful decorum she had maintained throughout the undignified bathing ritual as well as her precarious balance on the edge of his claw-footed tub. But she was laughing as she slipped and he was laughing as he caught her, and it was several mirth-filled minutes and inelegant contortions before both were back in position.

"The fantasy,” he explained around the dregs of amusement as he resumed scrubbing the top of the Maw Walker's head, “was to have you in my bath. I admit, this was not precisely what I pictured."

"Oh, I see." She cocked her head to the side again and Renathal could see the hint of a smile play around her swollen, bruised lips. "How did you picture it?"

He made a thoughtful sort of noise and scrubbed in silence for several seconds, as if only now considering the details of a fantasy he'd had ready and waiting for weeks.

"Well, there would certainly have been wine,” he said at last - the Maw Walker hmmed her approval. "And candles perhaps. Bath salts. Bubbles."

She wiped a bit of lingering lather from the side of her nose.

"We do have those."

Renathal chuckled but otherwise ignored this interjection as he finished, “And we would both of us have actually been in the bath. And with all our limbs safely intact."

“Ah, I see,” the Maw Walker said again, though this time the smile in it was shaky. Renathal could feel the tension settle stiff in her shoulders as he worked shampoo through the ends of her dark, wet hair. “That does sound lovely. I'm… sorry to disappoint.”

Renathal craned his neck to place a kiss against his lover’s bare right shoulder.

“You are not remotely disappointing,” he murmured, enjoying her little shiver. “We will just have to do it again sometime, will we not? Under different circumstances. Now, lean back.”

The effort required to ease them both into positions where Renathal could rinse her hair precluded further conversation beyond quick instructions and the Maw Walker’s strained groans as she stretched muscles that clearly ached. Renathal kicked himself for not remembering her medication before they started. His lover had been eager to wash off the remains of blood and filth, and he eager to help her, unaware of how complicated and time-consuming the process would be.

Truthfully, none of the practicalities of her convalescence were quite as romantic as Renathal had imagined. From the surprisingly difficult to procure wheelchair and the rearranging of the furniture in his flat to accommodate it, to the sheer physical labor required in hoisting the Maw Walker back into it once the protracted affair that was drying and re-dressing her after her bath was finally complete. Her shock and self-conscious protests at the discovery of her new wardrobe, at least, were expected, and Renathal had rattled off his well-prepared arguments for its necessity as he tugged the sleeves and legs of the silk pyjama set carefully over her casts.

The upshot of which was he had no spare moment to think of, let alone discuss, any of the mysteries still lurking at the back of his mind until he had settled the Maw Walker’s chair at the kitchen's alcove table (Vrednic, suspicious of this new wheeled addition to the flat, stationed protectively at her feet) and began preparing dinner.

“Did you happen to grab … my tablet?” the Maw Walker choked around a series of coughs, having just swallowed a veritable mountain of prescription capsules.

“Of course,” replied Renathal, and his own throat convulsed at the abrupt resurgence of his former nest of viperous nerves.

He gave himself one preparatory minute - pulling a pot from a cupboard and setting it in the sink under the running tap to fill - before fetching the device from his bedroom. He set it down on the table in front of her, then returned to the sink to shut off the tap, reciting his memorised lines in a tone of unimpeachable nonchalance all the while.

"You had quite a few missed messages. Mostly from myself, of course. And work, and Theotar, who sends his best. Oh, and a good many from another concerned T.A."

"What?"

Shooting a furtive half-glance over his shoulder as he transferred the pot to the range, Renathal watched the Maw Walker slide the device towards her with her good hand, click it on and inspect the glowing screen. She swiped through the notifications without blinking - which he found telling; though what it told him but that the messages were not a surprise, he could not say.

“Oh, her. That’s not a T.A., it’s a... classmate," she explained, though there was a brief hesitation before the word Renathal was sure he had not imagined. “We’re on a... a sort of a group project together,” the Maw Walker continued, not looking up. “She'll be livid she hasn’t heard from me. I’ll have to ring her back tomorrow and explain.”

She clicked the device off and pushed it away across the table with a little groan that contained notes of both frustration and physical pain, then wriggled in her chair, adjusting her plastered leg with her good hand in an attempt at a more comfortable position, while Renathal, watching from the corner of his eye, pulled pasta and salad ingredients from the fridge and digested this new information.

“You are welcome to do so now,” he offered, still perfectly casual, but the Maw Walker shook her head.

“No, it can wait. I’m not sure I’m up to dealing with her, to be honest. She can be a bit… accusatory. And it’s not like there’s anything I can do to help her right now. Ugh!” She exclaimed abruptly - the sound making Vrednic lift his head - and ran her good hand through her damp hair. "I forgot about exams! I've missed all of them, haven't I? After all that bloody stupid work I put in, too."

“Ah, as to that…” Renathal leaned against the granite counter, dinner momentarily abandoned as he remembered the other, even more troubling problem than the Maw Walker’s dubious classmate. “I took the liberty of sending an email to the professors on your course list. It was nothing -” he inserted quickly, correctly interpreting the Maw Walker’s budding protest and holding up a hand to forestall it. “It was an email - hardly taxing. And most were happy to offer extensions or makeup exams under the circumstances. So, you certainly have not failed them all.”

He made rather a production of adjusting the fold of his shirt sleeves (rolled to the elbow the better to wash his lover’s hair), then fetching his white apron off its hook and tying it around his waist, giving himself a few extra seconds to decide how best to phrase what must come next. But the Maw Walker spoke first.

“You said most were willing. Who wasn’t?”

Something in her tone convinced Renathal she already knew, and when he admitted, “Denathrius,” she gave no telltale blink, or any other hint of surprise. He turned away, fumbling cutting board and proper knives from their drawers as he went on, “His excuse was that it would not be equitable to allow you more time to prepare. I did try to reason with him, but I am afraid he is immovable on this point. He wants you-” Renathal paused, face twisting at the taste of the words, then tried again. “He proposed to take you on as a private intern next semester. If you agree, he will waive the exam grade. If not, you will have to retake the class.”

He snatched up a cucumber and began to dice, rather rougher than strictly necessary. For a few seconds, there was only the angry, wet slice of blade through veg and the rhythmic thud as it hit the wood cutting board. Then -

“You're joking.”

The Maw Walker’s voice was flat as the grim, stretched impression of a smile Renathal shot her.

“I assure you, I am not.”

There was another half cup of diced cucumber's worth of silence before she spoke again.

“Well. That is... unexpected.”

Looking up from his work, Renathal watched confusion and some sort of shrewd calculation do battle across the Maw Walker’s pale, puffy face. It was odd, seeing so much open expression on it - a result of days on pain-killers, he supposed - but more notable still that none were the indignance, disapproval, or even outright anger he had expected. On the contrary, when at last she exhaled and looked directly at him, she was wearing an almost lively smile.

“I guess I'll have to think about that. It might be a good idea.”

The knife missed the cucumber entirely, slicing through the side of Renathal’s finger instead.  He dropped it with a clatter, his hiss of pain echoed from behind by the Maw Walker, amid a rattle of wheels as she pushed from her chair and Vrednic's high-pitched yelp as one of them trod his stump of a tail.

“Sit,” Renathal snapped automatically - both human and canine froze at the command.

"Are you alright?" the Maw Walker asked in audible pain and alarm, all of which Renathal could barely process - no, he bloody wasn't alright, but it had little to do with his freely bleeding finger.

“It might be a good idea?” he repeated, snatching up the nearest dishcloth and pinching it around the offending digit.

“What?”

“Denathrius’ internship - you would seriously consider it?”

The Maw Walker's wide, pale eyes, pupils constricted from medication, flicked from Renathal’s face to his finger, clearly struggling to grasp the thread of his ire.

“I - yes? I mean... why not? I have a decent grasp on the basics now. An internship might move things along more quickly than sitting through another semester's class. Not to mention,” she added hastily before Renathal could question this odd assertion, “it has the added benefit of keeping you out of trouble with your boss, doesn't it?”

Words failed Renathal. And anyway, his jaw was clenched too tight for speech. Of all the things currently plaguing him, this particular ingrained fear had not featured, but now it returned with a vengeance, crawling painfully across his skin like he'd been dipped in dry ice. Possible competition for her attention with the mysterious T.A. was one thing, but to lose her to Denathrius? That he could not bear. And when at last he managed to unlock his jaw and say the Maw Walker's name, his voice was raw enough to make her struggle from her chair in another vain attempt to reach him, Renathal too preoccupied to stop her this time.

“You cannot take this internship."

“Why not?” she asked, brow furrowed in confusion - or possibly the effort it took to stay standing; Renathal, already ranting, could not decide.

“Apart from the fact that it would certainly increase the time you would be required to spend in Denathrius' presence - something you have always vehemently claimed to dislike? Then because you are in no way qualified for such a thing! You have only just scraped through this class, and that on my assistance - which I would be hard pressed to give you when you are under the Professor's thumb and forbidden to speak of what you are working on. It would be up to you to fool him into thinking you knew the subject well enough to be there, and, as much I love you, you are simply not that good."

Renathal caught it too late. And, by her blink, the Maw Walker had caught it, too. Vrednic, either sensing the tension or sick of the dramatic scene, slunk to the sitting room, claws clicking disapprovingly across the faux-wood floor. A beat of silence passed, as throbbing and uncomfortable as Renathal's finger, before the Maw Walker shook her head slightly to clear it, then spoke as if nothing monumental had just occurred.

“I know I’m not qualified," she said with slow, careful emphasis, gripping the edge of the table hard with her good hand, "and you know that, and Denathrius has to know it, too. So, don't you think his offer is suspicious? Don’t you want to find out what he’s playing at?”

"Of course," retorted Renathal stiffly, unsure if he was more relieved or offended to have his inadvertent admission so summarily ignored. "I should like to find out a great many things. Why Denathrius is interested in you at all, for one, and why you are interested in him for another. But not at the expense of your welfare."

"My... welfare?"

The Maw Walker's face was screwed up in perplexity again and, like a light had been switched on somewhere in his brain, Renathal was abruptly aware of how unnaturally pale it was, and that she was panting, and that her one good leg was shaking as it fought to remain upright. All his remaining outrage leaked from his chest as though it had been punctured. He was at her side in a shamefilled heartbeat, bloody dishrag dropped carelessly to the floor, catching her under the arms just before her collapse and easing her back into her chair.

"Dearest, I - I am sorry." He mumbled the words to her cast as he arranged it delicately on the footrest. "I - this was not the right time. I only meant..." Renathal stroked an absent pattern across the plaster, remembering Denathrius' last phone call and the conclusions he'd had no choice but to draw. "Only, I no longer know what Denathrius is capable of," he admitted in a rush. "I don't ... I do not think I know him as well as I once thought."

“Renathal.” The Maw Walker said his name in that unique way she had - the tender care of the consonants, and her hand on top of his, stroking his knuckles, melting some of the tension bunched up along his spine. “I’m so sorry. About all of this. Everything. You've done so much for me, and I know - I mean... I don't know - I can only imagine how this all must seem to you. I wish...” Renathal looked up as she paused, watching her bite her swollen lip over whatever she meant to say next. “It doesn’t matter," she decided, shaking her head. "None of it matters, really. Not Denathrius, not his class, not... anything else. Certainly none of it is worth hurting you. I won’t take the internship," she concluded firmly. "I will... figure out another way.”

“Really?”

Wholly taken aback, the word was out of his mouth before Renathal realised he had spoken aloud. And the raw vulnerability in it would have mortified him had the Maw Walker not smiled - a tired, but genuine smile - and gently squeezed his hand.

“Yes. Really. I -” She paused again, drawing a deep, shuddering breath before confessing, "I love you, too."

All the many ways Renathal had envisioned a joint declaration of love were nothing like this: him stuck in a knee-cracking crouch beside the Maw Walker's wheelchair, cupping her bruised face carefully in his still-bleeding hand, while she leaned down at an equally uncomfortable angle for a clumsy, desperate kiss they could take no further tonight. Dinner was no more romantic - the Maw Walker managed only a few mouthfuls before her medication took earnest effect. And no fantasy of Renathal's had ever seen him heaving his semi-conscious lover into his bed, propping her casts on a series of strategic pillows before tucking himself in awkwardly at her side.

Then her good hand crossed the fort of pillows to find his bandaged one in the dark and bring it to her lips.

"Thank you, Ren. For everything," she murmured drowsily against his fingers. "I love you so much."

And this at least - the exquisite warmth vibrating up his arm to his chest; the sensation both of being loved and being appreciated for his - was every bit as glorious as Renathal had always dreamed.

No one expected this update less than me. There's only the one chapter left (and two more smutty one shots) but I have no timeline for them and make no promises they'll ever actually see the light of day.

[unwelcome-ozian]

what do alters produced from alpha programming look/act like?

Alpha programmed parts tend to be littles and are often colour coded red. Alpha Programming - Is total alignment with the programmers’ agenda. It is a prerequisite for other forms of programming and a base program. Regarded as general programming within the base control personality; characterised by extremely pronounced memory retention, along with substantially increased physical strength and visual acuity. Access codes are often placed with these parts as well.

As for how they look, that varies based on the script, who they have seen, and the attributes of build desired by the programmers.

Oz

[luciiferous]

Mau: Biology and Basics

[This is the first of a lot of these! I'll be compiling a bunch of my worldbuilding notes into a big masterpost later on, and adding more art to build off the concepts here]

Both the present-day Manticore and Sphinx ethnicities derived from the same ancestor, the Mau, on the continent of Kha.

The earliest Mau were once small, quadrupedal felines with monkey-like faces and long appendages, bearing rudimentary digits with opposable thumbs on their forepaws. Early on, they were only about three feet in length from nose to tail, with the length of the tail making up around 1/3rd of their body. Their fur was short and sleek, often tawny brown to black in colour, with few discernable patterns besides a countershaded white underbelly and facial stripes that varied between individuals.

These Mau were ambush predators, typically hunting by concealing themselves in the high tree canopies and waiting to pounce upon whatever happened by. They would use their sharp teeth to dislodge the cervical vertebrae, or to shred arteries in the necks of larger victims. Archaeological remains suggest that even early on, females and their daughters sometimes worked as a collaborative unit to take down larger prey, while males were highly solitary, prone to fighting amongst themselves.

After discovering the Waters of the Tongue, the Mau began to change quite drastically in both physical appearance and mental acuity. Their bodies began to grow larger; footprints from this time show a rapid adoption of hind-limb dominance, as their forepaws became more dexterous, allowing them to craft tools. They had started to quickly form not only languages, but simple writing systems as well.

Upon the arrival of dragons into the world, huge ecological shifts began to happen in Kha. With new apex predators to contend with, the Mau were forced out of their native jungles and towards the arid desert regions of the middle continent. By the time they had discovered the Great River which bisected the desert, they had evolved to full bipedalism.

Their contact (and immediate predator/prey dynamic) with the Aos Sí occurred sometime after the foundation of their earliest cities, but before the great cultural schism (See Mau: Cultures). Kha’ash Aos Sí in this age were undoubtedly hunter-gatherers. As they moved through the valley with the changing seasons, the Mau learned to anticipate their arrival and prey upon them in increasingly elaborate ways, as the Aos Sí rapidly advanced to counter their efforts. (See Mau: Interactions with Other Spoken)

It's likely that the Mau first understood them to be another Spoken species by eavesdropping on their camps, learning the patterns and intonations of their words, and watching their behaviour. These early phonetics were passed around, refined, and their meanings discovered by trial and error— used as lures to draw the Aos Sí away from the rest of their group. As resources became segmented and scarce in the lower half of Kha due to emerging territorial disputes, some Aos Sí groups were forced to settle closer to the Great River— and in time, with this increased rate of predation, the Mau began to take on more extreme forms of mimicry.

Their faces began to look more similar to the Aos Sí, their mannerisms more familiar. Their mastery of the language, too, took on a degree of fluency. Mau writing at this time (which had become rather complex) describes the act of speaking with “three tongues”; the “rough” which is their own, the “smooth”, and “the Divine” or magical. As the predominant Mau religion heavily prioritised a strictly binary dualism, the “smooth” languages were thought to be crass and unnecessary (See Mau: Religion). Now, Mau languages typically incorporate a naturalised mixture of “smooth” and “rough”, though records suggest that spell words may have been used almost casually in their early society.

Today, Mau appear as an almost seamless midpoint between Aos Sí and beasts (a sentiment no doubt conjured by an Aos Sí writer). They stand no taller than five-foot six-inches, with sturdy, long tails and digitigrade feet, allowing them to spring from a crouch rather quickly. Running for a sustained amount of time whilst upright is unpleasant, though, and they often fall back into a quadrupedal stance when doing so. Their ligaments are highly mobile, and their spine can flex quite a bit to sustain this posture comfortably.

While they do have five fingers, they possess only four toes on each hind foot (+ a dewclaw). Their heads are smaller and flatter than those of Aos Sí, with large muscles to move their enormous ears. Their skulls have a somewhat shifted foramen magnum and notably lack a bony structure around the orbits, resembling a feline skull more closely in this regard. Males may have a short sagittal crest. They possess fewer teeth than any other Spoken, have large auditory bullae, and their skeleton hunches with a naturally stooped posture. Their hindclaws are retractable, but their foreclaws are not.

Both sexes grow manes, and their fur ranges in length from short (common), nearly hairless (highly unusual), to long (an increasingly common mutation, though seen as undesirable). They possess whiskers (superciliary, mandibular, and carpal), and seasonally shed their undercoats. From antiquity to the modern age perfumes have been used to both cover their scent and to prevent fleas, ticks, and other parasites.

Facial markings are present from birth and may include features such as pseudo-eyebrows and facial hair, which is not delineated by sex. The colours of their coats and specific patterns often indicate a great deal of their ancestry, and the Manticore and Sphinx may immediately recognise one another from a great distance. Kittens (or cubs) are born both blind and deaf, though they age swiftly. Up to four kittens may be born at once from a typical pregnancy. It’s common for Mau to retain up to 6 nipples, though typically at least 2 are vestigial. Breast tissue does not begin to show until pregnancy, and may remain for the duration of the Mau’s life, or shrink back almost completely.

Sibling dynamics can be quite hostile among Mau of different sexes, as young males are forced out of the home by their sisters once they begin to show even the slightest hints of puberty. Even mothers may reject their sons if they linger too long within an area. This contributes to the culture of “roaming males”, who would’ve historically wandered from location to location in search of a mate, or moved into specialised roles within more sedentary societies in order to limit incidental contact with their homicidal sisters. These instincts decrease with age, but if left unchecked, fratricide is an exceptionally common cause of death.

[devilmeows]

been thinking about my ocs' pokemon au so hi. i am making a post about it

Ryden:

last member of the Sinnoh Elite 4 - assumed the position after Bertha retired, then the order was shuffled around for him to come last after Lucian

he and Lucian get along pretty well :)

his team doesn't have a clear type majority, but he does have 3 dark-types

his team is made of Mona (F-Meowstic, starter), Noivern, Salazzle, Obstagoon, Meowscarada and Weavile (only Mona has a name so far, but the others have names as well. just havent found them yet lol)

he lives in Sunyshore with his girlfriend Anathema :) it's close to the league and it's the warmest city in Sinnoh which is important for his Salazzle

speaking of, he found his Salazzle as a Salandit as he and his friend Arwin were helping with investigating into an illegal breeder: they found out he was breeding Salandit, and by the time the breeder got arrested the Salandit were no longer fit for living in their natural habitat or in most of Sinnoh. Ryden boxes her/leaves her at home when he goes to Snowpoint

his exact origins are unknown, but he was found by Louvain in Kalos, and he lived there for a few years before the Forna family moved to Sinnoh

Anathema:

just a trainer. Doesn't really have the same ambitions as their girlfriend, and is content with where they are right now

lives in Sunyshore with their girlfriend Ryden :) works as a mechanic there

their team is made of Roxie (Honchkrow, starter), Mienshao, Glaceon, Ninetales, Hisuian Zoroark and Gastrodon (East) (like Ryden, they all have names, i just havent found them yet)

they found their H-Zoroark as a Zorua near Lake Acuity - I headcanon that after the whole Distortion World stuff from Platinum, Sinnoh has experienced space-time distortions much like those in PLA. However, the Pokémon that emerge from them usually die within a few hours if not found. This specific Zorua got lucky that Ana was passing by

originally from Kalos, and a former member of Team Flare because of their parents. They escaped after blowing up one of their most important labs and they were found severely injured by Ryden in the streets of Lumiose City

they continue to dye part of their hair orange despite this. They just think the colour looks neat, and they look different enough now that anyone who might wish them harm wouldn't recognise them

actually the "they dont have nicknames in this post, but all of their pokémon do have nicknames" applies to everyone. gonna stop adding it now

Louvain:

also just a trainer. he's actually pretty tough but he doesn't really bother fighting. he's a dad he's past his youthful days of fighting all the time

lives in Floaroma with his husband Lucius :)

originally from Kalos, where his family has lived for generations. they did, however, die in a house fire a few years after Lucius came into his life, which is partly what prompted the move to Sinnoh after little Ryden entered the picture

his team is likely incomplete for now, but is made of Lycanroc (midnight), Lycanroc (dusk), and Delphox (starter). is it obvious that he's a werewolf in canonverse

he works at the Floaroma Community Centre and has entertained the thought of opening a bar there because he has an interest in mixology. Floaroma isn't exactly the target demographic for a bar though, so he settles for making cocktails at home for fun

travels a lot because of whatever it is that his family did/some other reason that is unclear as of now

Lucius:

also also just a trainer. just like his husband, he's actually pretty tough, but he doesn't like Pokémon battles, so he avoids them as much as possible

lives in Floaroma with her husband Louvain :)

they're the one who suggested Floaroma when the Forna family moved to Sinnoh, mainly because they like gardening and they thought the generally relaxing atmosphere of the town would benefit their husband and their kid

originally from Unova, and a former member of Team Plasma. he joined it because...lore unclear for now. He/his parents worked at a shelter and Lucius saw a lot of mistreated Pokémon, which made him more enclined to listen to Team Plasma and believe in their ideals, but then he realised it was all just Ghetsis wanting power before the events of BW went down and he dipped

her team is likely incomplete for now, but is made of Altaria, Decidueye, Florges and Lycanroc (day). have not determined who the starter is yet

finds it funny that one of Ryden's coworkers is named Lucian

Arwin:

one of the Sinnoh region's top trainers. considered becoming a gym leader, but his team isn't uniform enough for that

born and raised in Pastoria. currently lives in Veilstone

avoids cities that are too close to the Coronet mountain range because they're cold as balls

his team is made of Empoleon (starter), Garchomp, Dragalge, Eelektross, Togekiss and Basculegion (female)

they obtained their Basculegion in the same way that Ana got their Zoroark: on a walk around Lake Acuity because their Empoleon wanted a swim. space-time distortion happened. they kept the funny fish

Arwin and Ryden met as kids on the beach near Pastoria: Arwin was surprised that younger-than-10 Ryden already had a Pokémon. They became friends and remained friends and set out on their Pokémon journey together many years later. They dated during that, but Arwin broke up with Ryden and shortly after he had to go home because his mother Chantelle was in an accident

the accident didn't kill Chantelle, she was fine after a few days, but it was an extremely stressful time for Arwin, and he blames Furie for it: she was there when it happened, her Staraptor was also injured, and Arwin interpreted that as her being the cause of the accident. He hates her as a result (she wasn't actually to blame)

will do everyone else: Later!

also lore is subject to change if i feel like changing it

[iciousill]

Kobayashi Yuusuke: 100 Questions

Brief translation of the 100 questions Kobayashi Yuusuke answered in his YT video and longer translation of the later parts where he elaborated on some of his earlier answers.

Name? Kobayashi Yuusuke.

Reason behind your name? Originally it was going to be Daisuke, but for reasons my parents changed it to Yuusuke.

Birthday? Showa 60 (1985), March 25.

Blood type? Type B.

Describe your personality in a word? Earnest?

If you were to be reborn? Human again.

If you didn't become a seiyuu? A job related to cars.

Type of characters you're good at voicing? Characters that yell. whyareyoulaughing...

What time do you wake up on your off days? Eh? About 8am.

What do you do on your off days? Basically soak in the bathtub.

Favourite colour? Blue.

Favourite season? Autumn/fall.

Favourite artistes? Acid Black Cherry, Janne Da Arc

First thing you do when you wake up? Look at phone.

Favourite part of your body? …NONE! LOL

Any siblings? An older sister and a younger sister.

What did you recently dream of? Ah… I was chased by something but I forgot what.

What are you not good at? What I'm not good at… Hmmm… HMMMMMMMMMMM… I can't think of anything.

Food you love? Sushi.

Food you hate? Shiitake.

Drink you love? Hoshino Coffee's iced coffee.

What do you want most right now? Drive/motivation.

Favourite hiragana? ゆ (yu)

Favourite four-character idiom? 臨機応変 rinki ouhen (adaptability, playing by ear, going with the flow)

Favourite animal? Iguana…?

Favourite onigiri filling? Salmon.

Favourite comedian? Puppet Muppet.

Childhood ambition? Pilot.

Favourite muscle? Eh? Biceps.

What pasta do you like? Carbonara.

Your catchphrase? 「失敗しても死にゃしない」　I won't die even if I fail.

What do you like about yourself? Ehhh? Hmmmmmm… I'm true to myself…?

Out of all the characters you've voiced, who would you be friends with? EH!? Eh. Hiraoka from Shirobako.

If you were to have a pet? Hnnngh… dog or cat.

What colour would you dye your hair next? Silver.

A little reward for yourself? I'd basically eat my favourite food.

Lights on or off when you sleep? Complete darkness.

A place you'd like to go to? An open-air cafe in Hokkaido.

A word of encouragement for new adults? Don't give up and put in effort, but it's all right to take a break sometimes, don't force yourself.

What do you do when you want to focus? Listen to music.

A country you'd like to visit? France.

If the world gets destroyed tomorrow what will you be doing? Eh? Eating sushi LOL

A musical instrument you'd like to play? Musical instrument… that thing that thing… accordion!

When did you first fall in love? Eh? 6-7 years old?

How's your visual acuity? Bad.

Do you wake up easily? Yes.

What item would you bring to a deserted island? Smartphone. Pfft。

Mountain or sea? Sea.

A tip for when one's conversing with another for the first time? Speak with a smile.

What sweets are you into now? Matcha sweets.

You've responded to 50 questions so far. A word? Let's carry on.

A big thing you recently bought? A mattress.

Music you recently listened to? Ah… Shiina Ringo's.

If you won the lottery? I'd practically invest it back

Your method of stress relief? I'd yell.

An unforgettable scenery? A waterfall in Nagano that I saw long ago.

What's your specialty dish? Hmmm… cold pastas.

How many times do you use a bath towel before you wash it? LOL. EH? 3 times?

What would you add on to a sunny side up? Soy sauce.

A core memory from your first day of school or at the start of the school year? Hmmm… the new school year pretty much started right after my birthday, which meant nobody wished me a happy birthday so I felt kinda lonely.

Pet phrase? 「確かに」 ('certainly' 'good point' 'indeed')

What surprised you recently? Hmmm… nothing! Pfft.

What do you always do before going to sleep at night? Put on a hot eye mask.

Next certification you want to get? Wine expert.

What to keep in mind when going to a reader's theatre? Nothing in particular. However you want to listen or however you want to watch, as long as you're watching I think it's fine.

Your recommendation for a vacation spot? I don't know about vacation spots but just putting this in, stopping by Umihotaru is nice.

When you do a thumbs up, do you have a hitchhiker's thumb? (Demonstrates in video) this? yes?

An example of your mum's cooking? Hamburg

If you turned female for a day what would you do? Eh I would enjoy the fashion.

If you were to have a superpower what would you have and what would you do with it? I'd fly and basically just fly to get to places.

What's the no.1 dish you want a woman to make for you? (softly) Make me your specialty dish :)

What fetish do you have? Smell/olfactory fetish.

What's the scariest thing in the world? G!

Average hours of sleep? 6-7 hours?

What app do you often use recently? LINE LOL (Interviewer: always LOL) it never changes

What is a thing you'd never compromise on? EH hmmm… anyway I'd want to do things that only I can do.

If you had a time machine, would you go to the past or the future? The future.

Do you have a daily routine? KY: HMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM no. This one I can't/won't answer.

What impressions that others have of you have stuck in your mind? "You don't carry yourself with dignity, do you?"

Have you ever had a paranormal encounter? Yes…

How long do you soak in the bathtub? At least 30 mins.

Do you prefer eating or sleeping? Eating.

A person you respect? There are too many!

What kind of people are you attracted to? Independent people.

Do you have a habit? Habit. Habit… I blink pretty often.

How do you maintain motivation? HMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM by listening to my rival's performance.

Long distance or short distance run? Long distance.

What sports do you want to try? Is parkour a type of sports? Parkour.

What do you remember most from your lessons? Aaaaaah… To convey emotions just from singing 'lalala~'

If you were to voice a villain, what kind of villain would you like it to be? One that nobody sympathises with.

Do you like any liquors or cocktails? Wine.

What animal would you liken yourself to? I've been told that I'm like a flying squirrel.

What kind of person do you think is adept at expressiveness? Someone who figures how to mess around within boundaries.

Kinoko or takenoko? Takenoko.

Do you like girls/women who use the first pronoun 'ore'? I don't think I've seen that happen…

Your sleeping pose? Sideways.

Housework you're good at? Cooking.

A word to your past self from 10 years ago! You… 10 years… continue striving as an actor!

What's your goal this year? Don't quit YouTubing within the year.

This is the 100th question. Your reflection on this experience? A lot of effort having to read all that right? GJ on your hard work. There were 2 questions I can't really answer.

Interviewer: Let's go over some of your more interesting answers. Interviewer: Unforgettable scenery: a waterfall in Nagano. KY: So yeah, a long time ago I drove to Nagano, and on the way to the inn there was a sign saying 'this way to a big waterfall'. I've always liked waterfalls, so when I saw it I thought to take a detour to see it. I followed the path and reached a mountain, at which there was another sign saying 'you have to walk a distance from here'. Back then I thought that it would've been easier to get there as I continued walking. Suddenly, though it was in the middle of the mountains, it opened into a Laputa-like (Castle in the Sky) vast grassy field. I was touched by the views, and as I was wondering where the waterfall was I saw it in the far off distance. The scenery was fantastic and I thought of visiting it again, but later on while searching for it (online) I found that a landslide had occurred. The path got buried and was unrestorable, so it's become an off-limits place. Interviewer: So it's also a mystical place.

Interviewer: Next qualification to get: wine expert. How is it different from a wine sommelier? KY: Actually I was considering getting a wine sommelier certification, but the reason I've been unable to is… For wine expert and wine sommelier certification, the examination and tasting session happen together, but for wine sommelier there's an extra requirement of 3 years of practical experience. Even if I buy wine from shops or drink at restaurants, 3 years of practical experience is kinda… it would be difficult for me to take up another part time job while working as a seiyuu. But well, the examination for wine expert and wine sommelier are basically the same, and I thought it'd be nice to have that certification.

Interviewer: Recommended vacation spot: stopping by Umihotaru (a parking area on an artificial island with a lot of facilities and amenities, and a 360º view of surrounding waters) KY: LOL. I don't really go on trips regularly, so I can't think of any regular vacation spots, but at night when I have to drive somewhere I'd often pass by Umihotaru. I've gone there a lot since I'd been able to drive, so it's a place I'd recommend going to at least once, especially at night. Interviewer: The night view? KY: At night it would be pretty much fully dark so there's nothing to see, and in that stark darkness I'd feel like, 'I gotta keep on living…' Interviewer: LOL. Survival instinct. KY: But as the surrounding sea's fully dark, I guess it might just be scary for a scaredy cat. Anyway if you're travelling to Chiba, you can stop by it on the way. It's a rest spot. You can eat seafood and sushi there, and there are plenty of fun things to do, so do drop by.

Interviewer: Others' impression of you: Undignified KY: I don't remember when exactly, probably about 2 years into my debut, I was called into a place where a nomikai for an unrelated series was happening. The studio had 2 booths, one was for the anime team and one was for an unrelated game team. Just as I was leaving there was some hubbub on scheduling issues. An actor I knew was there and asked me, "We're just about to go drinking. Come join us?" "I'm an outsider though, is it ok?" "I'm coming then" so I went, and during the gathering I chatted with the head of the project. As he was asking, "How old are you now, Kobayashi?" I believe I was 30 then, so I said "I'm 30 years old" and he responded, "30!? You don't carry yourself with dignity, do you?" Even now I'm still in shock at what they said. I wonder if I supposed to be dignified in my 30s? (30代って貫禄出るものなのかな) But anyway at that time I was in a place where I barely knew anyone so I was putting in effort to liven up the conversation, maybe I was too hyper and that's why they said that. From then I kind of toned it down a bit. Still, it was probably a good stimulus.

Interviewer: Last one: Been told you're like a flying squirrel KY: For this one, even I don't really get why. Interviewer: Flying squirrel-like, eh? KY: Well, this happened during my appearance at an event. The makeup artist was there. Sometime during the event we had to come up with 2 names, so I had to think of something. Anyway, while I was thinking of 2 names for myself... When I asked the makeup artist who had been working with us a few times, "What kind of image or impression do you have of me?" They said, "Actually since a long time ago, I thought you're like a flying squirrel..." Interviewer: lol what part of you resemble a flying squirrel KY: "Your face resembles one..." so I immediately went to search for a picture of a flying squirrel and I don't look like one. It was just that person's impression, and in my whole life that was the first time I've been told that I resemble one, so now that I was asked this I thought I should respond with, "It seems like I resemble a flying squirrel." I guess this is the only time I'll ever mention this. Mm-hm. Interviewer: That was quite an impression.

Interviewer: So to wrap things up. KY: Again, I'm not a particularly interesting person. So that will be all for this video. [channel subscriber spiel] Byebye~