#drew on a different device than usual but i think i prefer it for sketching

[zolus]

[elmidol]

Error: Program Not Found - Four

Summary:  You are in charge of programming the droids that work most closely with both General Hux and Kylo Ren. Unbeknownst to you, each of these two men have it in their heads that your relationship extends beyond the workplace. This causes things to escalate quickly when your two apparently secret boyfriends compare notes on their respective partner who is far too similar for their liking.

Read on AO3

“Gossip is the opiate of the oppressed.” - Erica Jong

 Four: Gossip

Millicent did not take long to adjust to Eddard’s presence. She curled up three feet away from him on the ground. Startling twice in the first ten minutes that he was in the quarters, the feline opted to follow him with her eyes then determined he was not a threat. It was at this point that she fell asleep whilst purring up a storm. Eddard, after this occurred, seemed to feel freer to move about as needed to map out the room. It was this that provided him insight as to how large the TIE-shaped droid would need to be. You already had your own idea and measurements, however a second opinion on this front was not unwise. To top it off, there would be necessary adjustments should the suggestion of the droid doubling as a cat bed be utilized.

 Basic knowledge of droid engineering was required for your career and current position. That hardly made you an expert, which was why your designs often met with modifications by those on your team. Experience was an excellent teacher. The ability to choose members of your team proved an asset when you took this into consideration rather than become insulted should any subordinates correct you. Where this had the potential of becoming an issue was during optional modifications and alterations to blueprints that you did not accept for the final project; there were engineers and technicians

 Gossip and arrogance were what you worked hard to avoid in the workplace. Thus far Eddard did not seem the kind to start gossip. As to whether or not he would believe gossip, this was not anything you could determine in the short amount of time that you had known him. There had been nothing to set off alarm bells in your head regarding these matters.

 Eddard sketched out his own tentative design for the TIE-shaped droid on the datapad that he had brought with him. It was a model older than the one you possessed, and one you recognized as being assigned to newer workers within the First Order. He might have been given the datapad after a transfer from a different base. In the end, this was not important enough for you to spend more time thinking about it. You instead asked that he link you to the project in order for you to pull up the hologram on your own device. Eddard complied, and you changed the settings on your datapad so that you were able to display both blueprints side by side.

 Merging the two versions together, you worked through which portions of the droid were superfluous. The bed idea was one that you were growing fond of. This rang more true as you came to realize that one of the toys you had scrapped before was perfect for this altered version of the droid. It would be capable of deploying a fuzzy ball attached to a string for Millicent to chase. The droid when in bed form could continue to dangle the ball, giving the cat the option to play while in a more relaxed state. You kept the hover setting along with the light beam that Millicent would chase. Reducing the altitude that the droid could reach was a necessity; the added bulk of the bed feature would otherwise be a danger to the cat.

 The revised blueprint was not yet completed when Eddard was set to go off duty for the remainder of the cycle. You informed him that you would finish the fine details for General Hux to look over. Anything more would be minor, and Eddard would receive a chance to look over the project along with the lead engineer that would begin construction. Most work left revolved around programming as well as ensuring the droid had the necessary components to carry out the instructions you wished to give it. In the end, the remaining work rested on your shoulders anyway. Eddard exited the quarters with a wave of farewell.

 Millicent slunk forward to climb into your lap. She nudged your datapad with her head until you lifted it a fraction higher. The new position was awkward on your arms. The muscles in your limbs cramped, prompting you to push your elbows outwards. It was not a large improvement, however you had worked in worse conditions.

 “TeeArr should be repaired soon,” you said under your breath. Your fingers were in constant motion typing in commands for the program to display. Examples of what cushions could rest within the droid without becoming a fire hazard. “I don’t know how soon General Hux wants me to alter his programming, do you?”You dipped your chin. Two bright eyes stared up at you in reply. They were similar to those of her owner’s. This was nothing you had made much of a note of before.

 The door to General Hux’s quarters opened not a quarter of an hour later. You did not bother to turn around to greet the one who entered. This was not to be taken as unprofessional behavior by the man; he had always been upfront that he preferred that his presence not interrupt the flow of work. You were right then hitting the finalize command for the program. This set the blueprint as read-only and would allow you to send it to General Hux then later the engineer to work with without either being forced to run the program that you had been using. It would lessen the strain on their datapads as well as prevent accidental edits. Millicent, unlike you, happily raced towards her owner and greeted him.

 Feet shuffling spoke of how General Hux altered his stance to lift up his beloved cat. As for the rustle of a bag, that did draw your attention away from the image displayed on your datapad. You spared a brief glance over your shoulder. He was carrying with him a cloth bag that had a logo you recognized from the lotion that he had been ordering.

 That was fast, you thought, fighting off the urge to scowl. It was one thing for him to purchase a high end product. Another to pay the exuberant price for same-day delivery. You held in these thoughts despite the bubbling urge to protest so that such behavior was not repeated. That in itself would have been presumptuous. He had not promised to give you anything beyond this single bottle.

 You wiggled your toes in your slippers. General Hux had set the bag down on the ground next to you. Next he sat on the couch, drew a blanket over his lap, and placed Millicent atop it. He would not cover his uniform in fur. Not that he didn’t own several lint brushes for the occasions that her fur did stick to his clothing.

 “I’ll have the blueprint sent in just a moment,” you said. You straightened your posture and watched the movement of his hand. He stroked Millicent head to tail. She purred at his touch while nuzzling him through the blanket. “Eddard had several suggestions that helped. I appreciate you giving approval.”

 “I look forward to seeing the results.” General Hux paused in stroking the top of Millicent’s head. “I overheard how Kylo Ren damaged TeeArr. Is this something you would like me to address with him?”

 It was a kind offer even without the animosity that existed between the two men. You declined, albeit not without thanking him for the offer. General Hux continued with surprising you. He stated that you need not wait to use the lotion. He had caught a glimpse of the forming blisters again when he had walked into the room. Treating them as soon as possible was wise. This time you took him up on the offer. You stretched out your legs, removed the slippers from your feet, and opened the bottle of lotion. Using one hand, you applied some to your right foot simultaneous to attaching the blueprint to a message that you sent to General Hux.

 “You can sit on the couch if you would like,” he offered, tilting his head a little to the left to indicate the cushion beside him. His words elicited a stutter from your heart as blood pooled into your cheeks. This, in your opinion, entirely intimate behavior was worrying you. He had been sleeping even less than usual. That had to be it, you reasoned. Otherwise there was a chance he was feverish. You were not about to request the chance to feel his forehead to check. Likewise, you could think of no way to ask if he felt alright without insulting him.

 You reached for the bottle of lotion again to apply some to your other foot. “Uhm…” A thought entered your mind: it will be easier to discuss the project if you are sitting next to him. “Thank you. Just one moment.”

 General Hux nodded acknowledgement. He resumed petting Millicent with one hand, and with the other he grabbed his datapad to review the work that you had sent to him. You finished rubbing and massaging the lotion into your foot. Already there was a light tingling sensation as the product soothed some of the discomfort. You lifted the bottle to eye level and read its name. Smiled a little to yourself. Finally you replaced the bottle in the bag that you would later take, and stood to join him on the couch. He did not react as you sat down beside him.

 He did, however, lean into the back of the couch. Lounged rather than sat rigid as he normally did. Your eyebrows rose. Averting your face in the hopes that he had not caught your expression, you began to speak of the alterations that you and Eddard had made. The cat bed drew from him an interest hmm and he expanded the image to zoom in on the design.

 “It is a much different project compared with training and assassination droids.” So conversational, you thought. You were already nodding in agreement when you were reminded of the project that you had mentioned to Kylo Ren. “If I may, there is another project I wish to discuss once this is submitted to the engineering team.” His green-blue eyes left the image to search your face. The close proximity allowed you the ability to appreciate how soft his features could be and how young he was given his rank. “Physical training droids for wounded officers and stormtroopers.” You wondered for a second if you should have held off giving a pitch until later.

 That second passed. General Hux offered something of a smile; not quite a grin, not a smirk. “Your mind is rather remarkable.” If he was aiming to give you a heart attack or kill you with praise, he was close to succeeding. “I will arrange time for your official proposal.” He turned back to the blueprint. Maker, you were grateful that he did. It was the one thing that allowed you to regather yourself as you worked through the shock and pleasure of being complimented in such a forthcoming manner by General Hux.

 You again began to verbally outline your thoughts on the TIE droid. You focused on the reduced altitude and the complications that might arise for the engineer while the individual decided which material would best serve as cushion for the bed. You imagined that this would require additional testing by the engineer, and those tests might include your presence to work on the programming. This, you acknowledged, might push back the time for when you were prepared to officially propose the new project to the board. It would not be an issue, and General Hux was prepared for potential delays.

 More might have been said had you not received a summons from the maintenance lead you had no fond feelings for. The issue was not with the training droids, however, but with TeeArr. General Hux gave his approval for you to dismiss yourself. You grabbed the bag that he had brought for you and carried it along with your datapad out of the room. Your mind was already proposing numerous possibilities as to what had gone wrong with TeeArr. The vagueness of the message irritated you. It served as yet another reason why you hoped to not have many projects with the man in the future.

 On the way to the maintenance room that TeeArr had been taken to, you walked past a group of three stormtroopers. Their postures were rather lax in comparison with what you knew was expected of them. One was playing the role of lookout. His visor tracked your movements before returning to stare at the other end of the hallway. The other two were speaking. You generally did not make a point to eavesdrop, but when your mind registered the name General Hux, you couldn’t help but listen while you walked.

 “I hear he’s going to be spending some time with his girl,” one stormtrooper theatrically whispered conspiratorially to the other. You had two thoughts on this; the first was how childish it was to gossip, and the second was wondering how much General Hux spoiled the woman he was romantically involved with. Unless, you continued, it was nothing more than a political arrangement. His strange behavior suddenly made more sense to you. It was better that it was due to romance than that he was falling ill.

[redskull-fanatic]

Captain Hydra

Chapter 2

Zola chuckled as he closed the drawer of blueprints. His mind was lost in a humorous memory, a time he hadn’t forgotten and kept with him to calm his nerves.

The day was young and so was his partnership with Johann, back when the two didn’t really know what boundaries to put.

Schmidt was an odd one, his lines were strange and back then… The risks he took were something Zola never fully understood.

Right before he got onto the train, Schmidt gave him some weird advice.

“Dr. Zola,” he said, “Remember to look behind you.”

Arnim furrowed his brow in confusion, “... Herr Skull, I- I don’t understand, why would I look behind me?”

Johann simply smiled, “Your allies may be close, but foes are always closer. If you see them coming, it ruins the surprise.”

Arnim simply nodded, “... Very good, then-” He turned to get on, but Johann’s words stopped him.

“I’d hate to lose such a brilliant mind.”

Arnim turned around, almost in shock. However, he was met with the Red Skull walking away from him, back to the depths of the Hydra base.

Arnim never forgot that. There were lots of times he couldn’t forget.

Johann, one night, pushing him to create more designs, more blueprints. Another, the Skull allowed Zola to rest early, seeing he has been busting his back working hard the whole week.

Then they time they laughed hysterically at some failed experiment. Arnim was so surprised Skull was amused by it, and afterwards he simply said to abandon the project. Called it, “A good laugh, but a time waster.”

Johann’s manner seemed to change almost daily.

One day, he’s polite, strict, yet understanding and reasons well.

Others, he smiles almost constantly, gives constructive feedback, and just seems more full of energy.

However, everyone feared his bad days. The days he truly becomes “the Red Skull”.

He’s merciless, constantly yelling and has such a bitter tone you’d think his saliva was made up of poison.

The worst is when he gets physical, grabbing soldiers and throwing them across the training field. He once ripped out most of a woman’s hair, injured her jaw badly, and broke her hip. All because she reported a troop went missing in the woods.

Schmidt’s bad days were hell for everyone, Zola especially.

He much prefers the Schmidt who is strict, but at least polite when he manages to control his anger.

Schmidt seems to be having an excellent week today, but… He’s been distant.

He normally is, but more distant than usual. Some guards even told Zola they were sure he was heard talking to… Seemingly no one.

Zola shook his head more and more concerned, I hope Schmidt’s madness is kept at bay.

His thoughts were startled by the glass door sliding open, and a figure entered the dark room.

“Dr. Zola… “ Schmidt’s eyes seemed to illuminate the entire workstation, “... A word.”

000

“Zola, how would you feel taking on… a much larger project?”

Arnim swore he could hear the slight uncertainty in Schmidt’s voice. “Well,” Zola paused in thought, “… Depends how large the project is.”

Schmidt slightly licked his lips, “The largest project I might ever ask of you. It involves risks, Zola.”

Armin looked at him in horror, “… Schmidt, this won’t be.. Similar to the rabbit incident, correct?”

Skull grits his teeth, “We do not mention the rabbits, Zola.”

The doctor nodded, “Of course, of course… However-”

Schmidt pursed his lips in thought, “… Worse, maybe, if things to do not go well.”

Zola sighed, of course.

Schmidt stopped abruptly in the hallway, looking into the setting sun. The open windows in the hall allowed the air to flow, and the land around them to be more visible. Sure, Schmidt was a fan of giant windows, but was happy that some places he left without windows.

Of course, enemies had the possibility to sneak through, but details, details.

Schmidt stared into the sky, swearing he could see the image of Captain Hydra now.

Zola caught himself before he ran into the Red Skull, and made a confused gasp.

Schmidt noticed and briefly looked at him, “Arnim, how confident are you in your inventions?”

The doctor looked confused, “Well, very, Herr Skull. My designs have grown, and so has my faith. Why?”

Skull slightly bit his bottom lip, “… Do you think you can create something to slow down Captain America?”

Zola almost dropped his books.

Skull side eyed him in silence, waiting for an answer.

��A device-… Herr Schmidt, I- Why?”

Skull dreaded that question, “I have a theory… A rather big project, but if it goes well all of Hydra benefits from it.”

Zola tilted his head, “And that is?”

Skull huffed softly, “Simple. I want Captain America to join Hydra.”

___

Steve threw his head back, laughing hysterically. Bucky just told him the dumbest joke ever, and he had a hard time keeping his laughter in.

“I’m sorry, bud, but I’m serious! It just makes sense!” Bucky takes a sip of his drink, managing to hold back his giggles,

Steve sighs, “I never thought in a million years, you’d say something like that.”

Bucky flashed a stupid smile of his, “You should’ve.”

Both were interrupted by Peggy storming down the hall, pausing to smile at them, “Oh, hello boys.”

Steve shifted his sitting position and rested his sketchbook in his lap, a christmas gift from Bucky last year. “Something wrong?” Steve asked, raising a brow.

Peggy’s smile instantly grew sour, she crossed her arms and huffed angrily.

Bucky laughed, “Ooh, what did Howard do?”

Steve eyed Bucky, “How do you know it was him?”

The soldier shrugged, “It’s always him.”

Both looked at Peggy for her to answer.

Carter sighed, “He almost blew up half the lab, again. I keep warning him, and warning him, but he never listens.”

Bucky responded with a cheeky smile.

“I swear one of these days… He’s going to end up dead.” Peggy muttered, then strutted off to voice concerns with the Colonel. Her face as worried and as angry as ever.

“She worries a lot.” Steve voiced his concern, causing Bucky to lay back down.

“Ahh, she’s been like that ever since our first Hydra mission. You know her, good ol’ mother hen.” Bucky hummed, setting his drink on the table next to them.

Steve nodded, then looked down at his sketches. He didn’t even notice who filled up half the page.

The Red Skull.

Steve didn’t know why he drew him, he just does. He has this weird… Fascination with Schmidt, and sometimes found himself trying to get his hands on Schmidt’s file.

Phillips always caught him, though.

Bucky peeked up, “Whatcha drawin’?”

Steve shut his book gently, “Nothing, Buck… Nothing… “

000

Steve followed the troops out to the clearing, however he himself wanted to wander a little too far.

Steve found himself in thick, calm woods. Moss devouring every tree trunk and log it can, birds quietly chirping, and even a gentle breeze danced around him. He traveled further into a clearing a little ways from the woods, sat down and watched the sunset.

It was beautiful.

Different shades of red, colliding with the orange, Steve swore he could see some white too.

He sighed, Steve loved watching the sunset. He loved noting the mixtures of colors, how they often looked like paintings made by the most careful eye.

As a silly hobby artist, he appreciated it.

Steve rested his back on the soft grass below and tried to pick out some shapes.

First, he spotted a circle with a strange design on it. The colors were too messy for Steve to really figure out what it was. He shrugged, just assuming it was some mess in the clouds.

Next, he saw a weird shape… it looked like a group of people.

Odd, Steve thought.

Next he saw what he could only assume is a skull.

A very red skull.

Steve shuddered, shaking his head in disgust. He doesn’t want to be reminded such a monster exists. Quickly, he focuses elsewhere.

His eyes settled on a strange… rainbow of sorts.

The rainbow was made up of red, orange, lighter orange, what seemed to be yellow, and white.

It was odd, but still quite a lovely sight.

Steve sighed, thinking over the past few months. Out here was the only place he could think clearly.

They all seem like a blur, from joining the army, to the Super Soldier Serum, to first meeting the Red Skull.

God, that was the scariest moment of Steve’s life. The Skull shedding his skin like a snake, claiming Steve was “deluded” and that they were beyond humanity.

Then deciding to track down the Skull, with backup of course, but Steve felt so alone.

It was a vivid memory.

Boots stomping towards him, the sound of a voice entering his ears.

“Arrogance may not be a uniquely American trait, but I must say, you do it better than anyone.”

It was clear the Skull was mocking him.

Me? Arrogant? Steve thought.

Skull made his way up to the American, staring resentfully into his eyes. His line of sight was locked into Steve’s, clearly focused on this new foe who entered the ring so suddenly.

Steve could only stare back, looking into Skull’s seemingly black eyes. They were so dark and deep, Steve almost got lost in them.

“But there are limits to what even you can do, Captain, or did Erskine tell you otherwise?” Skull slightly tilted his head, searching into the Captain’s soul.

“He told me you were insane.” Steve answered, trying to keep his cool.

The Skull continued to stare, raising his head, “Ahh..”

The silence followed by that response almost made Steve laugh. It was just so strange to him.

“He resented my genius and tried to deny me what was rightfully mine, but he gave you everything..” The Skull continued, scanning the Captain in such envy that Steve could almost feel it burning his skin.

He almost thought Schmidt would do something right then and there. Instead, his envy continued to burn.

“So, what made you so special?”

Steve smirked, “Nothing.”

The Skull’s clear confusion just made what he was about to say all the more humorous.

“I’m just a kid from Brooklyn.”

Skull, letting his bitter hate take over, punched Steve in multiple different places. Steve could tell he didn’t like what he heard.

Steve merely responded with, “I can do this all day.”

The Red Skull tsked, “Of course you can, of course-“

The Skull pulled out his gun, “Unfortunately for you, I’m on a rather tight schedule.”

Then the backup came, and the rest was history.

Steve shook his head, bringing it back to more recent events.

The destruction of another Hydra base, the success with the war, and then two months ago.

The bomb incident.

Steve almost laughed, gosh that situation was utterly ridiculous. He could feel himself slipping into another flashback.

He had raced after the Skull, dodging every bullet that man tried to shoot his way.

That is, until the gun ran out and Red Skull resulted in throwing the gun at him. It managed to hit his jaw, rough blow.

Schmidt cackled and continued to speed walk away, Cap shortly following after him.

They met in an open room, and continued their dance.

Skull punching Steve in the jaw as soon as the American entered, Steve aiming a blow in Skull’s ribs as a response, they two watching the other with fiery eyes as they violently danced around each other, fueled on bitter hate.

That was, until a bomb flew in.

Steve had caught it and in a panic threw it at the Red Skull. The German responded with throwing it back. They played hot potato with the bomb for awhile, until Skull threw it back into the chaos of their parties fighting on the ground below.

Steve stared at him, “Why did you do that?!”

Schmidt merely shrugged and answered in his matter-of-fact tone, “It would’ve blown us into pieces.”

Steve spared a glance at his friends below, “Now our forces will get blown up, Skull!”

Schmidt tsked, “Better them than me.”

Steve responded by lunging into Skull’s middle, grubbing the man by the sides and knocking him down. The Skull’s confused and startled reaction just made the situation all the more ridiculous.

Steve laughed, managing to drift out of the memory. It was all so silly if you think about it. A man with a literal red skull head, fighting another man wearing the American Flag. Both fighting over freedom, and a mysterious blue square. Sounded like a silly story younger Bucky would’ve told a younger Steve to help him sleep.

Now, that was his reality.

Steve sat up, deciding he spent enough time out here and made his way back to his friends.

That was, until he was knocked out.

Ahhh, got it done!! Hope you like it!!

[words-are-my-existence]

Tea and Coffee

Introduction Part IV: Crepuscular

Warning: Course language and mature references within

~

The evening came around quite soon, Eliza lost in conversation with Levi who spoke about her and Lucy’s latest adventures in Japan. The two girls were old friends and had a taste for exploration, having an endless desire to travel the world. Levi was slightly shorter than Jai while Lucy matched more Eliza’s height, the former having quite dark brown curly hair, and ebony skin whilst the latter was more so fair and sported long wavy hair that changed colours like the seasons. When Jai and Lucy arrived they saw this time around she had it a sweet pastel shade of lilac. They were both a energetic pair and always knew the right advice to give at the given moment, never failing to call you and help out in a time of need even if they were on the other side of the globe,

“Next thing I know Lucy has jumped, I’m falling and our instructor is losing his shit at the fact that we left him behind!” Levi laughed as she talked about a parachuting trip over Nagoya,

“Yeah, though we made it up to him later on in the hot springs,” Lucy added on cheekily with a wink, Jai almost sighing sadly,

“Man that would have been so fun, oh what about that guy who swam with whales with you?”

“He tried drugging our drinks so we handed him to the police, some people seriously,” Levi rolled her eyes,”But the trip overall was great, the next destination we’re planning on is Hawaii on a cruise ship,”

“Woah already? I mean then again you both can’t stay in one place longer than a week,” Eliza commented with a soft giggle, finishing up making a cup of tea for herself. It was closing hours, the sky dark outside and twinkling with just a few stars visible beyond the city lights,

“I’ll finish cleaning up, we’ll have to catch up tomorrow before you set off again,” Jai called out as she headed around to the back, Lucy and Levi stretching as they joined Eliza by the door,

“It was great seeing you both now at least, the store is doing even better than we when we saw it last!” Lucy said clapping her hands, Levi nodding in agreement,

“You need to explain yourself to missy, apparently you have a few secret admirers you didn’t tell us about!”

“Jai has probably told you some nonsense, you know how she is,” Eliza sighed as she lead the girls out and locked the cafe door behind her,”If anything I get a few glances and men wanting to talk to me but nothing serious,”

“Hmm well we’ll get those answers tomorrow, see you guys then!”

“Take care!” Levi and Lucy hugged Eliza goodbye before heading to their hotel, Eliza herself making her way towards to the nearby park.

Before heading home she tended to go here after work every night and enjoy her English Breakfast tea, relaxing with a good book or practicing some sketches at her favourite park bench. It was a great way to cool off after a busy day or even just chill on a quiet one. There was barely a soul around either so it was almost perfect, those nights when it was was when a small black stray cat would come around and say hi. It was an adorable creature who seemed to love the small treats Eliza gave it.

She found her usual spot and sat down, opening her book up and picking up from where she left off in the afternoon. Out of habit she sneakily glanced around to see if the kitty was here tonight, when see couldn’t find it she subtly looked over to the bench across her a little way away where a figure was sitting on it and reading their own book with a tray of half a dozen cups resting beside them. She only had gotten glimpses of him before, a slim man who had pale skin and soft blonde hair that tended to cover his face. He came out most nights and read in the same spot just as Eliza did. The two seemed to have an unspeakable agreement on not interrupting each other, understanding when someone just wants to be left alone to themselves. Eliza often wondered what his eyes were like as she had never been able to see them. As well as if how she perceived him was the same way he thought about her, this strange girl coming out each night to be alone in the peaceful solitude the park gave.

Eliza shrugged the thoughts off her mind and returned to her own book, taking sips from her warm mug as she read.

As the night went on robust laughter and crude shouting broke the silence, Eliza sighing and rubbed her forehead as the noise drew closer. She glanced over her shoulder to see a group of around five men making their way through the park, each stumbling and bumping over each other drunkenly. It wasn’t to often an occurrence when people like them wandered through, Eliza knowing to just ignore them and focus on herself, the drunkards leaving her be.

Though this time as she looked down back at her book and focused on its pages, the men strode straight towards her and cat called as they approached,

“Look at this jewel hiding away in the shadows, you’re quite pretty from afar but boy aren’t you something else up close,” One whistled as he stood in front of Eliza, another slapping his hands down on her shoulders from behind and giving her a fright and causing her to jump up in panic, the man grabbing her strongly and forcing her back down on the seat,

“Hey sweet heart you shouldn’t be out all by yourself in this hour of the night. Let us take you back to your home safe and sound,” He cackled darkly as a third lent over and whispered in her ear, his breath sickly smelling of booze,

“Of course as payment you’ve got to let us gentlemen have some fun with you, otherwise we might just have to get ruff,”

Eliza already packing her stuff away tried again to slid out of the hands of the one who was holding her down, luckily doing so and quickly backing away,

“It’s quite alright thank you for the offer, but I can take care of myself,” She calmly spoke though could feel the sweat starting to build up on her forehead, yelping as she walked into someone behind her. Growing scared now she gritted her teeth, holding her dark mug tight in her hands and peeking behind her expecting the other two strangers to be there.

Instead a very skinny and short man stood there holding a tray of six paper cups of steaming coffee in one hand and in the other a book. He was trembling slightly Eliza noticed, though she was unsure if it was in fear or rage,

“The lady has clearly stated she is content with her own company ‘gentlemen’,” The blonde figured began sharply,”So I would ask that you leave her be and continue your intrusive disturbance somewhere you’re actually tolerated,”

“What mate?” One guy his scratched their head confused, a different drunkard speaking up,

“Hey you skinny pussy bugger off! We do what we fucking want to fucking do!” His voice grew louder in anger and frustration, the one who first approached Eliza slowly walking up to snarl in this newcomers face while his friends enclosed on them,

“I suggest you leave now, with your wallet on the ground, unless you rather to find yourself in a mangled fucked mess?”

“No, actually I prefer this idea instead pissface,” Eliza heard the retort as the man aiding her threw his tray of cups at the now clustered drunkards, boiling hot liquid splashing all over them causing them to erupt in a chorus of painful screams. In the spilt second this man grabbed Eliza’s arm and pulled her along into a dead sprint away from the spectacle, several extremely frustrated and raged shouting following in the distance.

Eliza wasn’t sure how long they had ran for, the adrenaline pushing them on until the sounds of their pursuers faded. As they halted at last the two stood only for a moment before collapsing onto the grass beneath them gasping for air, the threat now gone and the peace returned,

“Well that is my exercise for the year done,” Eliza spoke first as she gathered breath, her saviour heartily laughing in response,

“Yeah same. My mates are going to kill me tonight though when they find out they have nothing to drink but hey, this will make an awesome and hilarious story!”

“Hah yeah exactly! My friends won’t believe me probably but still,” Eliza added with a grin. They had rolled onto their sides to face each when talking, Eliza noticing for the first time the cute gummy smile plastered on him along with a pair of deep molten brown eyes that shone with such a depth Eliza was stunned. They were both stuck in silence for a few minutes staring at it each other, the two of them blushing when they realise and quickly scramble to their feet,

“Ah um thank you so much by the way, I don’t think I would have been able to take them all on. I need to do some more self defence lessons,”

“It’s alright, I’m glad to help. It would have been wrong of me to just do nothing when you were in need um..” He trailed off and nervously started scratching the back of his neck,”I don’t actually know your name even though we’ve seen each other quite a lot over the months, but well haven’t talked,”

“Yeah I’m sorry about that, I kinda assumed we both just wanted to be left to our own devices,” Eliza apologised guiltily,”I guess better late then never though, I’m Eliza,” She said as she held her hand out to him, who in turn shook it with a happy grin,

“Hi Eliza, I’m Yoongi, nice to properly meet you,”

“And you to,” She replied with a warm smile. Now with quietness around them Eliza finally noticed her phone buzzing about in her pocket, taking it out to find she had several missed calls and a number of frantic messages from Jai.

>I’M LOCKED IN

>WHERE ARE YOU???

>DUDE THERES NOTHING I CAN USE TO PICKLOCK WITHOUT BREAKING THE DOOR

>LIZ IM SORRY I PROMISE TO BRING THE STOCK ON TIME AND NOT DRINK ALL OF YOUR JACK DANIELS WITHOUT YOU

>ITS SO COLD WHY DON’T WE HAVE A HEATER

“Oh shit, I locked Jai in the cafe. I’m sorry I need to go now. Thank you so much again and it was great to meet you to!” Eliza grabbed her bag and waved to Yoongi before dashing straight back to the cafe,

“That was fast,” He commented to himself, turning around to retrieve his own items and noticing a small mug left behind,”Wait! Eliza-“ He went to shout and call her attention back but she was already gone from eyesight,

“Aw man...how am I going to get this back to her?” He sighed and grabbed the forgotten cup, pondering on the nights’ events as he made his way back to his own abode.

~

[embpunch]

10 pro tips to take vector illustration to the next level

One thing has become clear when interviewing some of the world's best established and up-and-coming illustrators for this set of professional tips. No matter how you work - whatever medium or software you choose - the concept, or idea, is the most important part of your piece.

Every single one of the talented illustrators and designers that we've featured here confirmed this before going on to offer their valuable software and industry-focused nuggets of advice to help you further your skills and career.

You may know most of these tips, but if there's even one nugget you weren't aware of, you'll improve your work. So, before you embark on that new killer concept, take heed of the great advice on offer to make the most of Illustrator and vector conversion to the next level.

1-Supply it right

"Always ask the client how they want the final image. If they want the Illustrator file, and you have lots of layers but don't want to move them to a new artwork one by one, it's easier to draw a large rectangle over the final image, Ctrl+right-click, and select 'Create a Clipping Mask'. This crops your artwork to the shape you drew."

2. Learn the Bezier tools

"Working with a Wacom tablet, I'm a big supporter of the Pen tool. The Bezier curves take time to learn, but are a super-efficient way to get the exact lines and shapes you want. Use the��Alt/Option key to drag off a copy, instead of copy and paste, and learn all the tool shortcuts to save precious minutes."

3-Start outright

"Consider the technology that will produce the work - you approach a full-colour image for a print magazine differently than something you'd spray on a wall. Our wall decal illustrations have to be simple, one-dimensional and easy to cut out, so we use styles from the '60s and '70s with elementary shapes."

4-Mix it up

"Don't be afraid to remove elements to make a composition that you're happy with. I usually think about an image for a long time before I start illustrating - but sometimes I just start with a line and a shape, then remove them. I remove half of everything I draw, and from that the illustration evolves."

5-Send it as a TIFF

"Work from the beginning in CMYK and even though your final image is vector, try to send it as a TIFF. This will avoid any kind of colour problem or involuntary change - in colour or composition." Of course, the client may demand an AI file, so then take Aaron Miller's advice (see 01.).

6-Be tidy and simple

"Make sure you keep track of your layers - I usually have a lot in any piece - and keep things tidy. I only use Illustrator's Selection, Direct Selection and Pen tools, because I prefer not to let the software's plethora of (admittedly very good) tools get in the way of my vision. It's all about simplicity and execution."

7-Go back to basics

"The best way to start any project is in your sketchbook: get your ideas down on paper, and be scrappy. Push ideas around, make observations, document everything that comes into your head. When I plan an image, everything usually stems from keywords and sketches, from there it's just a matter of layout."

8-Use Smart Guides

"I love Illustrator's Smart Guides - a great feature introduced in CS4. At the beginning they freaked me out a bit, but now I find that I just can't stop using them. They let me structure objects very quickly. They also help me align shapes and nodes when I'm drawing - they're a great time-

saving device. "

9-Master the Pathfinder

"Master the Pathfinder tool. Realising its full potential will enable you to quickly and easily build shapes without the need for laborious use of the Pen tool."

10- Keep it consistent

"Always keep consistency of style in mind in every element of your illustration. If you add too many differing styles, and too many jarring shapes, the illustration will tend to lack authority. Try to add your style to every vector element in the work, no matter how small - this will keep things consistent."

[henryatkinsfmp2]

FMP Evaluation

Quite a conventional title right?

I suppose I should start with the beginning. The idea around everything I did was just one I came up with on the bus. The problem was I didn’t deviate much off of it. I wrote a story around a person with a real-life plasma weapon arm and I did my research but the most deviation I made in the end was not showing the character with the weapon at the end and the kind of hologram I used. Mostly because of time limitations.

The idea also included development process on how the wielder of what I thought at the time to be a potentially heavy weapon was given more modifications to help carry, let alone use the weapon.

Before I had to decide on the format I was going to take this is. I always do this because I always want to either try something new or develop a skill I hadn’t before. This time I appropriately followed in the footsteps of my last FMP with animated 3D models. It failed last time because I stretched myself too thin with multiple ideas to have live action clips inter-spliced with these animated models in the real world. It came out short, only 3D animated and ugly although I did manage to throw in a computer segment that apparently caught my tutors attention more than the animation. So this time I wanted to keep it simple and keep it all in a computer simulation narrative with a log in sequence, very reminiscent of my last FMP, and models rotating and animating simply on a black background.

One more thing came to mind. Holograms, I was told during the last project how easy holograms are so I decided on using that as the presentation format.

The research I did was deeply rooted in how Plasma science actually works because I wanted an accurate model of both the outside and inside. Although my model did end up looking silly and

Sci-Fi on the outside I did make the insides actually look like a machine which I am very proud of. I think it might have been the most successful part of this entire Project because of the detail in the model!

What I would have done differently though is have more Pinterest boards. Or any. I included plenty of Harvard referencing, videos explaining the science and even forum boards and Emails discussing little elements like the recoil of a plasma weapon and the gun laws application to a prosthetic weapon as well as the recognition of a new kind of weapon but I definitely could have benefited more with even a mood board.

The designing of the weapon came a little later on the account of the research into machines that create plasma. What came first however were the character models that would wield the weapon. I tried a soldier type face, a dumb face which accurately reflects how the Americans put lost hopes into the military, as well as a child just because of the convention of giving children super powers in comics and cartoons like Astroboy. It was a distant concept for a character from the more realistic approach I was coming from so the child design isn’t exactly overly original compared to the others.

The design I evolved from was the dumb looking one. I could have gone with the soldier type but in order to have a stage-by-stage display of the development of this weapon I preferred someone more inexperienced.

I drew up some variations. Although I liked the first too much I did end up with a new design I liked better. I guess that says a lot about the development stage.

My tutors enjoyed the original and one of the variations respectively however I realised I needed a compromise between them. One was too short and the other (which was the original) just had too dumb a face. Overtime I became less accustomed to it and made a combination of the two designs to create a midway point that looked more normal. In the long-run it became incredibly helpful when designing the model. Imagine a man with legs shorter than their arms. It’s chaos and exactly what one of the original designs was like!

What I’m saying is that this is one of the better differences I made to my process on a project that came out even better than usual and something I definitely wouldn’t change.

The plasma weapon design was straight forward enough. Note down the designs of the equipment used of both a Plasma torch and the Plasma weapon in Missouri University and then design a casing for it and ammunition.

I few different designs were floating around but none but the simplistic tube, which I ended up using, were good enough. I either looking over complicated or like a bunch of random 3D shapes were thrown together excluding the Helix ammunition and the Revolver chamber designs which, although my favourite, appeared to me to be impractical.

Unfortunately there was something quite large that never made it to my blog but was mentioned in my reflective Vlog multiple times.

The New York trip.

Although we went to so many different places, I had my own spots to visit for research purposes. They were some Prosthetics centres which I hoped to get interviews with. When it came to contacting them they either dismissed me, said they were booked or didn’t bother picking up the phone. Many quarters wasted.

Even worse was I did record the whole experience in New York on my camera in video and had planned to edit all the clips together into a super video. This has proven to be quite a monumental task since I’m still half way through as I have been trying to juggle FMP work with it.

I regret nothing more on this project than not being able to include it in my work outside of merely hinting at it.

The Prosthetic research and designing got as developed as real-world examples, a Harvard reference of a Cyborg comic from DC (which I got from NYC) and two designs in total. One sketch without looking at any research (which was a terrible idea and a terrible drawing) and a finished design which were copies of real technology. This element of the project just wasn’t as important to me as the plasma weapon and, although I could have done immensely more on this designs development, they already existed as real world technology and I feel that I needn’t reinvent the wheel.

The modelling process was pretty straight forward and I either learnt new techniques or rediscovered old ones like splines. I got as far as designing the final design or the plasma weapon and the character model but I did one more for presentation purposes.

Again, this takes second to the plasma weapon part but I made a 3D logo as a sort of screensaver to animate for some context that this is all taking place in a computer simulation.

I had a stray old file of a logo I was going to use at my leisure in video games which was a decent filler for this position.

Now, the problem was animating the character. I did start with my own technique using groups to align anchor points for each hinge of the body and putting every other limb of the body into each group in the same way until the finger tip from the torso. Imagine hinges screwed onto hinges.

The problem was how complex this appeared to be. I never got a moment to animate it before my tutor introduced my to Mixamo which is an Adobe website that provides stock models, stock animation and can add skeletons to animate to any model I upload.

It was going smoothly until I wanted to add the Plasma weapon and that’s where it all fell apart.

Mixamo decided it didn’t like the new model I was giving it and that’s where animating the character model came to a grinding halt.

I got as far as an idle animation.

What was good was that I at least had the highlight of my FMP work done. The Plasma weapon animation of it rotating and then being cut in half exposing the insides.

The logo was done as well but that wasn’t as important.

Besides this I needed a story. A reason for this all to exist.

I thought of an Iron man kind of story except Tony Stark is building these weapons for the military like he used to. The next was a communist or zombie space war but that seemed to Call of Duty Black Ops to me and has been done to death.

What I decided on was just the mere implications of a weapon firing something hotter than the surface of the sun on the battlefield which, in narrative, is being offered to the military for use in the field. It did occur to me that it seems useless if you could just use bullets which are faster (I did the maths based on the Missouri devices speed of 2Ft in a tenth of a second). My excuse was terrorists with stolen military armour that’s impervious to bullets and thus melting through them seems more practical than missiles which may miss the target or sheltered enemies.

A dash of multiple industrial companies building this together to appear more realistic than one overpowered company like Stark industries and I’m done!

Personally, I think this story development wasn’t overdone or underdone and I wouldn’t change anything. I could still easily change everything else but this story.

Editing was also straight forward. Some cutting up, some added sounds and the voice-over clips I recorded with my parents were layered on top as well.

I used them nothing more but because of their adult voices.

The lines weren’t much to talk about either. My mum voiced a generic A.I. that described what was happening potentially off screen like hacking and playing videos while my dad voiced the unnamed engineer character whose just explaining the plasma weapon.

It was still vastly disappointing that I couldn’t get the character model animated but there’s little I could have done if Mixamo hates my guts.

With the digital stuff done I’m just left with the Holographic projector and everything else I would use for the presentation. To get it out of the way I have a black curtain from the drama prop shed to go around the door to the closet I’ve shotgunned and I’ve spray painted black a plinth to put everything on. My tutors hate my spray paint job and don’t want me near another can of spray paint for the rest of my mortal life.

The science of the holographic projector has technically been available to us for years. It’s just reflections. Originally I was planning of building a four sided one to make it look especially 3D. Unfortunately I both ran out of time to render different angles of the models I’d made (because of ridiculous rendering times) and that the building of the four sided projector was the most fiddly thing I’ve ever attempted to do.

First I tried wood, no, metal, no. I ended up just downgrading to a single sided hologram and then building it out of metal and wood glue which I was convinced by a friend would come out clear.

You can imagine how annoyed my tutors were when they saw the copper skeleton lathered in white glue.

One of my tutors luckily remembers how to build one and did it himself.

For the record he agrees completely with me that workshop stuff is not my strong suit and is better left with him.

A few tries later (because the tutor was busy and left specific instructions with the workshop tutors who apparently handled it poorly) and we have it!

A test and a coat of black (non-spray) paint later and I’m pretty much done.

Originally I had a much, much more complicated design for the projector since I understood that tailoring it to work with the college computers meant I couldn’t use it at home with anything else but in order to get anything done at all I dismissed my overcomplicated yet versatile idea.

The conclusion was… surprisingly better than I thought. I cut back a lot more than expected since I assumed I wasn’t overworking myself because I planned so little models and designs compared to my FMP in 2017 but I’m happy that I got something done. Frankly I think this takes a joint second with my previous favourite work which was a minute and a half long chalk board animation.

If I could have done anything differently it would of course be what I planned to do. I think I’m done with animating in 3D unless I’m keeping it simple. Next time I do any animating I want to keep it 2D and drawn by hand.

Holograms were fun too and I’ll probably end up using the projector I now have again in the future. Probably as a regular computer screen.