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evakuality · 4 years

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Druck, s5 episode 10 - belated thoughts and overall season impressions

I really like that Nora is still being shown with her symptoms here. She’s reconnecting with people, and letting people know things about what’s happening, but that doesn’t magically fix everything. And it’s good that she takes the chance to talk to them a little bit about everything. It does feel a bit sudden in a lot of ways - she was just anxious about telling the therapist all this stuff and being labeled crazy (I assume - that’s certainly the vibe she gave off) and now she’s super happy to tell the girls all this stuff. I’m happy that she wants to and feels like she can, but it also feels quite quick. But that’s the nature of something like this, I guess. Everything needs to be resolved now. The whole business with the merch is weird too, with the way she just goes ‘yeah sure, I’m emotionally numb so I’ll draw lots and lots of pictures on lots of things.’ Again, the girls are nice about it, but I guess she feels a bit guilty because it was her who stuffed it up so it feels like there’s some pressure there, even if they don’t mean it. And ugh, poor Ava when Kieu My turned up - I mean I get that most of this group don’t necessarily know how bad the whole thing was for her but it feels really weird that the focus is on Fatou’s nerves here rather than actually dealing with some of the bigger and more serious stuff that’s floating around with this. I know it was more the others, but we know from later that this was pretty shitty for Ava. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again - I really hope the bullying gets addressed properly and not swept under the table. The fact that Nora is still happy to be around these people after her experiences with Constantin and Ismail makes me wary. But I do still have hope that all this will be worked through. If they are combining the squads (and it looks like they are), then they can’t have this unresolved, not when it’s such a big thing for Ava (and should have affected Nora more if she hadn’t been so numb to everything).

I understand why they have this scene with Kiki about being allowed to stay in the flat by themselves, and I think it’s goods that they deal with all of that (the way Kiki came running as soon as she felt she was needed - it’s not good for her, as they all seem to realise and I’m glad everyone is getting to do what’s working best for them), but it felt very rushed (I suspect I may say that a lot about this episode - it’s all stuff that needs to happen and it’s already quite long, but it feels too fast for me). And the same with Nora’s comments about therapy. She says she quite likes it and wants to continue and yet we didn’t see that. What we saw was a very closed off and belligerent Nora who was only just starting to thaw in that session. And yes she has a reason to make it all seem more cheerful than she really feels, but it’s still very abrupt as a change. This is probably the only time I haven’t found a scene with this family compelling and that’s a bit of a shame.

And another rushed moment. There was a lot shoved into this one clip (Josh, merch, a bullying session, a concert we never heard of til now, a random half-baked apology from Constantin) - for some reason, the show thinks Ismail and Constantin still need to be assholes for no reason. I mean, clearly it’s designed to show that Kieu My is ‘better’ than they are because she engages and is willing to do ‘12 year old stuff’, but again, if we’re connecting these two squads then this sort of stuff has to stop. I know I get worked up about this, but it really bugs me. This behaviour is childish and I’m finding it boring to watch. Even the apology from Constantin (which does seem sincere) isn’t enough to balance how stupid this ongoing behaviour is. Hopefully they deal more with that later too and don’t just drop it. My other take away from this: Nora has to draw 76 things already???? This is going to take forever and I have no idea how she’s going to manage that alongside her classwork.

Oh, I love this little mis-matched table and chair thing they have going on. It’s so cute and I feel like it really perfectly fits them and their vibes, you know? This whole friendsgiving idea is so cute and I love that they took what Ava was saying and tried to do something nice for her. They really are a sweet group of kids. And her face when she saw it is just ... perfect. Ugh, when am I getting my Ava season????? This little conversation between Nora and Josh is very good, too. You can feel him trying and how hard it is for them both. I do wish they had dragged this part out a bit longer, either pushing the original break up to earlier in the season or by spreading this into another one, but I like that they’re showing this part. It IS awkward and difficult to be friends with someone you have feelings for and good on Josh for saying that he just can’t do it. It hurts and it’s hard, but honesty really is key. And that, for me, is the biggest thing Nora has had to learn this season. You can’t hide behind a face and expect things to be okay. So all these moments of honesty that she’s facing and dealing with, those are so important to her growth. And then we end with the girls supporting each other which I also really love. They are all super adorable!

This last clip is also nice. I still think this sudden ‘live concert’ coming out of nowhere in this last episode is a bit rushed, but the execution is cool. Ava and Fatou are adorable together and I need a lot more of them singing. I’m not 100% feeling the thing with Josh and Nora, which is kind of ironic, but it is cute. I just wish this had all been given more time. In fact these are the things I wish had more space: the Cash Queens reunion/reconciliation (it needed more conversation/discussion), the Constantin/Ismail/Kieu My stuff being dealt with in more depth (though hopefully this is coming), the Machwitz siblings deciding to live together and Kiki being okay with it (that one needed another clip or two, I think), and the Josh/Nora reconciliation. Some things have been done really well. I do think Nora’s mental health was done well, and I liked that it makes clear in this episode that she isn’t totally well and doesn’t expect to be in the near future. Having said that, I’m not a huge fan of the ‘minute by minute’ idea being moved here. In some ways it works (this is about a mental illness, after all, and so it fits in that way), but in others ... that’s so iconic for a specific situation and this doesn’t fit in with that one. Even needed it in a very specific way, and Nora needs something, sure, but I don’t think quite nails her specific needs and I wish they had thought it through for her a little more thoroughly.

Overall, I like the episode. My biggest issue with this episode is that it’s trying to do so much in such a short time. Every clip has so much packed into it that nothing really feels like it has time to breathe. I assume there’s a reason why they’re sticking to 10 episodes, but I wish that either they didn’t have to or that they had paced things more evenly through the season. The great strength of Skam and Druck is, I feel, that everything is allowed to be paced as it needs to be. That things happen in a way that gives weight and meaning to lives in a way that isn’t dramatic and isn’t overwrought, but which shows truths about people and their lives. That this episode hasn’t been able to do that in the same way is a shame. It’s the ending; it should be the strongest one. Having said that, I think the friendsgiving clip manages to do exactly that and I love it for it. It is my favourite clip of this episode and one of my favourites of the season. This probably feels negative and like all I’m doing is criticising the episode and the season, but that’s not true at all.

Overall I really enjoyed this season, particularly the sibling dynamics and getting to know the new girls. It has its flaws, but so do my absolute favourite seasons, and I think it’s a really nice entry into a new gen and some new characters. The mental illness plot was good to see and I really liked some of the decisions they made around showing its build up and how it affected Nora. The lighting chosen, the framing, some of the shots they chose - it all built that part up very well. And while the resolution to it did feel a bit rushed, I do like the acknowledgement that it’s still part of Nora and she’s going to be dealing with it into the future. And while I’m not on board with Kieu My being the love interest until and unless they address the bullying properly, I do like that we have plots already brewing for next season. Ava is clearly not cool with it (that whole ‘you deserve better than her’ thing she said to Fatou), and Fatou was clearly thinking she had a chance until the Freindsgiving business and so things are set up for the new season. It’s a really decent intro to the new era, and solidly sets up characters while telling a story that is good and even compelling in places.

#for the anon who was interested #I have no idea how this stacks up with what you think #but these are my thoughts

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thiswasinevitableid · 4 years

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Apology Flowers (Indruck)

@cyborgrabbit requested 63 from the meet uglies: “sometimes I steal flowers from your garden on my way to the cemetery, but today you’ve caught me and have demanded to come with me to make sure the “[person] is [attractive] enough to warrant flower theft” and I’m trying to figure out how to break it to you that we’re on our way to a graveyard.” They added, “If it wasn't a personal Garden but like a large private/public outdoor Garden that Duck was the main care giver for he absolutely would verbally attack anyone who touched his flowers”

Indrid considers the plants before him carefully; he wants variety, but he also wants flowers that fit the occasion and the setting. Roses would be nice, but as a human he can’t get them off the plant easily. He needs his mandibles for that.

He picks snapdragons, some lilies, some foxglove, and a smattering of pink and orange blossoms he can’t quite identify, wrapping them all in one big bouquet in a few sheets of USA Today. He’s so busy preparing himself for the hour ahead that he misses a change in the future and the figure stepping around the bushes.

“Hey man, you know you ain’t supposed to pick those, right?”

He whirls, ill-gotten blossoms clutched to his chest.

“I, ah, I, yes, I, I am aware it is frowned upon in a public garden but none of the ones in the store quite, ah, suited my needs.”

The man, clearly an employee, crosses his arms, “so you decided to take some from the botanical gardens?”

“Yes. You have so may, I assumed a few would not be missed.”

“Maybe they wouldn’t, but if everyone gets it into their heads to take just a few, suddenly whole chunks of the garden are missing and all our hard work is for nothin’. Besides, average folks can’t tell the difference between a common plant that’s easy to replace and one that was a pain in the ass to grow.” He doesn’t sound angry so much as tired, as if he’s had this conversation dozens of times.

“I see your point. I, ah, I can’t really put them back though. May I keep these?”

The man smirks, “sure thing. I’m comin’ with you though. I wanna see if the person you’re given ‘em too is good-lookin enough to warrant flower theft.”

Indrid has zero desire to admit where he’s actually going.

“Ah, but, you are clearly at work. And I’m in a hurry.”

“Lucky for you I just got off and can walk pretty fast.”

Indrid sighs, defeated, “Very well. And no need to walk, I have a car.”

The man follows him to the little sedan he’s been towing behind the ‘Bago. Indrid opens the doors, pausing before he gets in, “are you certain you wish to come with me, Duck Newton? It’s not going to be very entertaining.”

“I’m sure. And how’d you know my name?”

“Name-tag.” Indrid replies automatically, hoping the man is actually wearing one.

Duck shrugs, and climbs into the car. As Indrid turns onto the main road, the gardener asks, “you been to Point Pleasant before?”

“A few times.”

“You got family here?”

“No. My family lives rather far away. Ah, what about you?” His distracted state is a blessing, as it keeps him from accidentally saying Duck’s words along with him.

“I’m from Kepler originally, moved out here for this job. Uh-” Duck turns, looking back at the arch they just drove under, “you sure we’re goin’ the right way?”

“Yes.” He says tightly, pulling into the cemetery parking lot.

“Fuuck” Duck groans, smacking a hand onto his face in embarrassment, “why didn’t you tell me those were for this? Woulda eased up on you a little.”

“I wasn’t sure how to explain it.” He opens the door, “will you be joining me, or do you wish to wait here?”

“I’ll come help you pay your respects, seems the polite thing to do.”

They enter the grounds, Duck removing his hat as they do. There are a few other visitors scattered about, the sky blue above them and the grass pleasantly fresh cut.

Indrid finds the first grave, removes a snapdragon from the bouquet and sets it atop the stone. Stares at the name a moment, long enough to think the words he’d usually say aloud, then walks to the next grave he needs to visit. He knows their order by heart.

He’s expecting Duck to become bored with his wandering, or try to talk with him, or offer some thoughtful but useless platitudes. But the human simply follows him from grave to grave, keeping a respectful distance between them.

Indrid doesn’t cry, he never does during this. But with Duck near him, he feels like he should. A human would cry, would they not? Only a monster would remain so unmoved.

Not all of them are buried here, and so after a half hour they return to the car.

Indrid stares at the wheel, “I have one more stop to take flowers to. I can drop you somewhere else if you’d like.”

“I’ll come with you. Come this far. But uh…”

“Indrid. You were about to ask my name. It’s Indrid.”

“Right, yeah. Look, Indrid, you seem like you’re dealin with somethin heavy and, well, I don’t feel quite right leavin you to deal with it alone. But if you need me gone, I can go.”

“I’d very much like your company on this next part.”

“You got it.”

They drive in silence, and Indrid turns on the radio because human music is one of his favorite things. Duck hums along at one point, the noise off-key and charming enough to make Indrid forget what’s ahead of him.

When they approach the memorial, Duck says softly, “ah, thought I recognized some of the names, couldn’t place where. The Silver Bridge Collapse.”

“Yes.” Indrid sits down on the ground near the first row of bricks inscribed with names of those he failed to save. He sets the remaining flowers on a nearby stone, so it will be clear what they are for.

A scuff as Duck sits down next to him.

“Did you know someone on the bridge.”

“Not exactly, no” Indrid sets his hands on his knees, focuses his gaze on cracked ground.

“I, uh, I think what you doin’ is real noble. Most folks come and just visit the Mothman statue.”

“I’ve seen Mothman plenty of times, I do not need to see him anymore.”

“Nicest ass in West Virginia.”

Indrid snorts in surprise, glancing over at Duck.

“Sorry, tend to goof when I’m feelin’ awkward.”

“It’s alright. My actions are less noble than you perhaps think. I, ah, I was there. The day it happened. I suppose you could say I have a, ah, a very intense case of survivors guilt.”

“Oh, Indrid, I’m so fuckin sorry. That must have been terrifyin.” Duck rests his hand on his knee and Indrid starts. He hasn’t been touched on purpose in two years, maybe more.

“It was. I come back whenever I can, to, to pay my respects. To say I’m sorry. Sorry that I couldn’t save them. Sorry that I failed.”

“Hold up now, you didn’t fail no one. Bridge collapse was an accident.”

“But-”

“Let’s say even if you, I dunno, had some way of seein’ it comin, you’re just one guy. One guy can do a lot, but he can only do so much. Trust me, I know. Whatever happened on the bridge, it wasn’t your fault.”

“I…” no one’s ever said that to him so sincerely, so plainly. But as the story he’s told himself all these years starts to crumble, emotion seeps through the cracks.

He shudders, head collapsing into his hands. The strong arm wraps around his shoulders and he crumples, falling against Duck’s chest. Through the silent, sharp tears, he tries to be polite, tries not to make the man feel Indrid is any strnager than he already must.

“I’m s-sorry, I shouldn’t, you don’t need to-”

“Hush now” Duck murmurs, hugging him, “just get it all out.”

Indrid does, streaking his face with and wetting Duck’s shirt with tears. When they finally abate, his mind is pleasingly clear, save for one question.

“Why are you being so kind to me?”

“Because it seems like someone needs to be. Plus, was kinda a dick earlier.”

Indrid snickers at his candor, “You were right to scold me for picking those flowers. Perhaps I should grow my own. There must be a way to do so inside a small space.”

“Can think of a few.”

In all the futures, Duck clears his throat and says that even so, he should be going and that it was nice to meet Indrid.

“If you, uh, if you want, could brainstorm so with you over dinner.” A warm hand rubs his upper arm, soothing and protective.

He sits up but stays in Duck’s arms, looking down at him, “I would, but you do not need to ruin your evening for my sake.”

“Wouldn’t call gettin’ to know you more ‘ruinin’ somethin’. Plus, you’re still in a raw spot. You telling me you wanna spent the rest of your evenin’ with your own thou-”

“No, no I do not.” Indrid says flatly.

“C’mon, some friends of mine have a real nice place to eat near the gardens. French Onion Soup is to die for.”

“I have never had it.”

“Fuck, really? Well now we gotta go.” Duck smiles, his mellow enthusiasm contagious, and by the time they’re in the car Indrid is smiling too.

Dinner really is delicious, though Indrid prefers the pie to the soup (though he must admit he enjoys watching the pleasure on Duck’s face as he eats said soup). Duck asks him about his travels, eagerly shares stories about the garden, and shows him pictures of his cat. When Indrid mentions he draws, Duck asks to see the little pocket sketchbook he carries, and proceeds to tell him a half-dozen times how amazing it is. He also hears Duck laugh for the first time, a ridiculous sound that he wants to hear a hundred times more.

They talk until closing time, no longer across from each other but side by side, as Duck had hopped around to Indrid’s booth to show him more pictures of the gardens. The human offers his arm, and they walk at a leisurely pace. When he reaches the car he hesitates, then hugs Duck. The shorter man hugs him back.

“Thank you, Duck, for everything.”

“You’re welcome. You stayin in town?”

“For awhile, yes.”

“Well, hopefully I’ll see you around.” Duck slowly retracts from the hug, tips his hat with a wink and heads to his car. Indrid gets into his own, watches Duck drive away before heading towards the trailer park. As he reaches into his pocket for his keys, he finds a folded slip of paper with the words “dinner and movie tomorrow?” followed by a phone number.

He grabs his phone, and hurriedly dials.

And in every future, including the one that comes to pass, Duck answers the phone with a smile.

#Indruck #indrid cold/duck newton #meet ugly #TAZ Amnesty #prompt fills

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datheetjoella · 4 years

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Fantober 2020, Day 12: Enchanted Forest

Author: DatHeetJoella Fandom: Free! Pairing: MakoHaru Rating: T Part: 12/31 (read the full collection here) Word count: 1,799 Tags: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Human!Makoto, Elf!Haru, First Meeting, Magic, Fluff Read at: AO3, FFn, or right here!

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Tired and worn-out from his travels, Makoto weaved through the dark woods in search of a place to camp out for the night. Preferably at a river or a creek, somewhere he could refill his flasks and wash his face. His horse was starting to lose speed, so hopefully, he would find a good spot before she had to give in to exhaustion.

Then, the sound of running water drowned out the symphony of owls and crickets. He followed it and to his delight, he stumbled upon a glade at the bottom of a cliff. A pristine waterfall cascaded down the rocks, flowing down into a moderately-sized lake.

Relief engulfed Makoto from within and he leapt off his horse, guiding her over to the edge of the lake so she could drink from it. He kneeled and peered into the water. Moonlight shimmered on the surface, illuminating every droplet. Never before had Makoto seen such clean water; there were no fish or algae in the lake, not as much as a leaf or a branch floating down the stream or caught on the sides. It seemed almost divine and the mere sight of it made his scratchy throat even drier.

He cupped his hands and let the water flood his palms, gratefully drinking as much as he could get. The water tasted even better than it looked, fresh and crisp like it rejuvenated him from the inside.

Once he'd quenched his thirst, Makoto checked the trees to see if anyone was around. When he was sure the coast was clear, he disrobed himself and dove into the water headfirst.

When he broke through the surface, he felt reborn. The fatigue and strain of his travels slipped off him, leaving nothing but contentment and serenity in his heart. Although he was miles removed from home, Makoto had never felt quite as comfortable as he did within this lake.

Alas, this feeling did not last.

A shadow moved behind the waterfall and Makoto let out a strangled screech, hastily covering his nude chest. Through the stream emerged a man, someone whose presence he hadn't noticed before.

Fear spread through Makoto's body like he'd been hit with a poison-tipped arrow; he was alone in the dark forest in a rather compromising position. Even if he hadn't been, he was not exactly the type suited for combat anyway and he saw no opportunity to make a quick escape.

But when the man stepped forward and the moonlight showered over his face, Makoto's fear evaporated.

Long, dark robes that reached down to the ground were wrapped around his slender body. Pointed ears poked through a curtain of dark hair, framing his small face. His features were soft and elegant and his pale skin contrasted the darkness of the night. But the most mesmerising parts of him were his eyes, blue and piercing. Like he could peer straight into the past, present and future.

Elves were rumoured to be gorgeous and although Makoto had never seen one in person, he was certain this man was among the most beautiful in their entire species. His appearance made him forget about the world around him, enchanted by a single glance.

But then, the elf's expression shifted, from neutral to confused. Or rather, shocked.

"Who are you?" he said, and despite the vibrant distress in his tone, his voice had a calming effect on Makoto. "How did you find this place?"

"Oh, um I," Makoto stuttered, unsure which question to answer first. "I was looking for a place to rest for the night. I heard the waterfall, so I followed the sound and it brought me here."

"Impossible."

"Sorry, am I not supposed to be here?" Perhaps he was trespassing on elven territory without his awareness. "If that's the case, I'll leave immediately. I don't mean to cause any trouble."

The elf seemed to be at a loss for words and the uncomfortable, misplaced feeling in Makoto's stomach grew.

"The water…" the elf said after a brief pause, "did you drink from it?"

"Yeah," Makoto said, cowering into himself like he was being scolded by his mother. "My horse did, too. Is that bad?"

A loud groan left the elf's lips and before Makoto could blink, his robes were flying through the air and water splashed upwards, sending ripples of waves throughout the lake. He emerged right in front of Makoto's nose, shaking the beads from his hair.

It startled Makoto and heat warmed his cheeks when he realised how clear the water was and how he was still very much naked. The look inside the elf's eyes was fierce and sharp and Makoto wasn't quite sure whether he should be embarrassed or scared.

"Listen, if I did something that I shouldn't have, then I sincerely apologise," Makoto said, frantically waving his hands as if to prove his innocence. "Please believe me when I say that I had no ill intentions. I just wanted to wash up and fill my flasks, I meant no harm."

After another second of staring in scrutiny, the elf relented. "I believe you. What's your name?"

"Makoto. And yours?"

"I'm Haruka. Haru," the elf said. "Say, Makoto, you have no idea where you are, do you?"

"Not a clue." Makoto sheepishly rubbed at the back of his neck.

"This is the Sacred Moon Spring. Every droplet of this spring has been infused with ancient magic and every full moon, its magical properties are replenished and the water is at its most powerful." Haruka looked up at the sky and Makoto followed his line of vision; the moon was large and round, standing out brightly between the trees.

This was not good. No wonder he felt so refreshed. "We drank from the sacred, magic water…" Makoto stated the obvious. "So, what happens now?"

"I don't know. My clan has been guarding this spring for centuries, but no human has ever come near here, let alone drank from the water," Haruka said, "To be honest, I'm not sure how you even found this place. There's a protective spell around this area, a barrier that's supposed to keep all non-elven creatures out. Not even birds or deer can pass through."

"Oh," Makoto said, drawing circles on the surface with his fingers, "Well, there's this story in my family that my mother's great-great-grandmother was a Woodland Elf, but I always thought that was just a tale. Do you think it could be true?"

Haruka shrugged. "I guess it is. I don't have any other explanation why you would be allowed to pass through. The barrier must've detected elven blood in you."

"But there's so much more human blood in me, and I don't look like an elf at all."

"You don't," Haruka said as he took a step closer. "But your eyes do."

Makoto frowned. "My eyes?"

"Hm. They're… vibrant." When Haruka noticed how close he'd gotten and how breathy his voice had been, he blushed all the way up to his ears and increased the distance between their bodies. The pink hue looked immensely cute against his pearly skin. He coughed and tried to regain his aloof demeanour. "So, I suppose you are a descendent of a Woodland Elf."

"But what about my horse? I don't think she had a great-great-grandmother who was an elf."

"Were you riding her when you arrived here?" When Makoto nodded, Haruka said, "Then that's why. You lead her here, and your authority granted her permission to pass through, too."

That did make sense, as much as any of this magical spring situation could. Maybe there was an off chance he had bumped his head against a low hanging branch and was hallucinating, or maybe he fell asleep beneath a willow and this was all a dream. But was his simple mind truly capable of conjuring up something so fantastical, or someone as beautiful as Haruka?

Ashamed of his thoughts, Makoto said, "If I'm not supposed to be here, then I shall leave. I wouldn't want to disturb the balance of this place."

"You can stay, if you'd like," Haruka said, brushing his fringe back to appear nonchalant, "if the barrier let you through, then I see no reason to reject your presence."

"Are you sure? I wouldn't want to impose on this sacred place. If there's a barrier to keep humans out, then I can't imagine it's okay for a human to bathe himself in this water."

"As the guardian of this sacred place, I'm sure," Haruka said, "To be honest with you, no one is allowed to touch this water with their bare hands, not even I. It's used in important rituals in my clan."

"Then I should get out! I'm so sorry," Makoto said in a combination of disbelief and panic; Haruka didn't seem to care, but the last thing he wanted was to be struck with an elven curse if anyone else found out.

A hand on his shoulder held him back. It was small and felt cold, yet it also emitted a strange sort of heat.

"You already touched it and drank from it, so I don't see why I would send you away now. The water is already contaminated, and truthfully, it was long before you even got here."

"What do you mean?"

"How could I guard such a beautiful spring without going for a swim every night? There truly is no water like it." For a second, a hint of an adorable smile was visible on Haruka's face before he let himself fall backwards underwater and Makoto couldn't help but laugh. Haruka was the first elf he'd ever met and a rather odd one at that, but Makoto had an inkling they were going to get along very well.

All throughout the night, Makoto stayed inside the spring and talked with Haruka while floating beside him. They discussed their everyday lives, Makoto's family and his apprenticeship at a blacksmith a couple of towns away from his home, Haruka's clan and their traditions - and Haruka's disinterest in adhering to them -, how Haruka became the guardian of the spring and what effects the water could possibly have on Makoto and his horse.

The hours flew by and Makoto completely lost himself in their conversations and in Haruka. He didn't sleep a wink, but the water energised him like no amount of rest could and there was nothing that could whisk him away from this place. That wasn't because of elven magic, though, but because of Haruka. Makoto's suspicions were confirmed; Haruka turned out to be just as beautiful on the inside as he was on the outside.

Many things about his future were uncertain now, but there was one thing Makoto knew for sure: this would not be the last night Haruka and he spent together.

#i'm sorry i'm stupid #makoharu #makoharu fic #my fic #fantober2020 #colourful days with you #this is an idea i've had for so long now #i'm glad i finally got the chance to write something in this universe

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bardicious · 4 years

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Do you create your own comic books? If so, what is your inspiration?

The answer to your first question is a firm not yet! While I've got my main comic project in the works: ALBION, the preparation of it's story has left me a little bit frazzled. However, I'll be updating more concepts for it soon and you may see some lighter comics of it in the near future! You may feel free to check out any current concepts and progress on my blog!

The second question is a little bit harder because frankly there's so many things. Ill give you the “highlights” of what I look for in other people's work and my own.

1. Comic Inspirations

I've been reading comics my whole life, this makes it much easier to get the general beats of paneling down. Or the exaggeration of body movement, or even bubble placement! (Easier not easy. lmao) When it comes to comic art aesthetics I have a separate list of artists I look for in comic cover art, comic page art, and small cuter comics. There's simply just a difference in detail and it matters a lot, especially when you're trying to make a comic all by yourself.

Two of my biggest inspirations, and really two that scream almost peak perfection for me personally are Patrick Gleason (particularly his work in Batman and Robin) and Greg Capullo (particularly his art in the New 52 Batman series).

Pat's ability to both compose, create emotional scenes, and design characters are always on my mind. I wasn't even particularly happy with the New 52 series in DC but both him and Tomasi quickly won me over. Not only that, but his work is also gorgeous is Superman! I think it might be a combination of his drawings and whoever does the coloring (unless he's the one who does the coloring, not sure) but its definitely worth a look!

Capullo on the other hand has this wonderful horror element. And while I have very mixed feelings about any of those stories, the art wins me over each time. Seriously, go look at the man's covers! They're fascinating if you love horror and the superhero genre. It's like this wonderful mix of the two, one doesn't over power the other.

There is of course many other note worth artists I look to, a good few names are: Kenneth Rocafort, Raga Sandoval, Kevin Wada, Phil Noto, Terry Didson, Becky Cloonan, and many more!

Also, if you love design and comic covers, do yourself a favor and look up Yasmine Putri! They're perfect.

2. Inspiration Outside of Comics

Obviously there's a lot of inspiration outside of comic books. Most of which are either folklore, traditional and cultural influences. I tend to stick around Europe for these, but hopefully in the future can move out to learn about other cultures! Mostly I'm learning about Celtic groups. And I'm quite literally looking at archaeological findings. That's the best way to ever really be informed on any of your interests. Go to the sources and all that. It doesn't exactly inspire me in creating the comic panels, but research is important for your story. (Though I would never recommend getting bogged down by all the facts - its just not worth it - unless you're really trying to make something historical). Folklore is the basis for my inspiration but I tend to look at movies or shows for writing!

I'm not a big fan of most writing in DC Comics or Marvel, I've read several hundred manga and find different issues, but still issues. Over all tv or film has been more enjoyable and there's a lot to learn from there. From the costuming (though you really must simplify everything for comics) to the scene set up. (Also have you seen Alfred Hitchcock's movies? They're really cool for comics. Like, so good in framing and drama). And that's where I draw most of my writing inspiration and emotional impact.

There's also notable artists, though not comic book artists, who are out there as well. I follow a few, but my main inspiration currently is Nico Delort who has a fascinating hand in drama and lighting. His inking skills are to die for and loosely reminds me of Greg Capullo's inked pages in Batman. Same creepy vibes, if you catch me.

3. What am I looking for?

So I've established I love fantasy, horror, folklore, and superheroes right? Now Im looking for the best way to share that. These are just a few final bits of what I'm looking for in my art and what I want to produce and why.

Web comics I don't look at nearly enough, but since this will likely be my main mode of sharing my work it's definitely on my to do list. Also have you seen Avasdemon? Im in love, gives me animation vibes but without the animation and the rendering and artwork is gorgeous! My goal is to find more like this one and expand in a similar way.

The Episodic style, not very common nowadays and if a show does have it, it quickly loses it for more... boring... plot. (Looking at you Supernatural) I don't hate plot, but in my episodic shows, I love having monsters of the week (Star Trek TOS and BBC Merlin <3). Star Trek DS9 has an okay mix. Rare occasion where it didn't frustrate me. And technically Merlin has plot, but.... lmao literally nothing affects anything ever, everything kind of just happens in that show. xD Both infuriating and brilliant. But yeah, my goal is to hopefully bring some of that back for people who also love episodic shows! They're fun! I really wish the tv industry didn't decide to eliminate them completely. (Another super fun example is Quantum Leap!)

I can throw shade at Supernatural, but I think the first two seasons are partially what drive me towards my more horror like art? Im still at the beginning stages of what I truly want to draw, but I think I might owe that show and obsessions with being scared. (Or it could be Chucky, or I know what you did last Summer, or Scream, or... I watched to many horror movies as a kid)

But yeah! Hope this helps, or if you just wanted to know, thank you for asking. <3 This was a very lovely ask. 😊 And if you're interested in anything I have said feel free to follow along for more updates on my project!

#asks #Bardicious Asks #victorgreywolf

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gibberingcultist · 4 years

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The Forgotten Age

We think we know the history of the Earth, but there are secrets that lie beyond our reckoning and truths that could undo our entire understanding of the universe. When renowned historian Alejandro Vela discovers one of these secrets, the ruins of an ancient and forgotten Aztec city, it sets into motion a plot that could unravel the very fabric of time.

Designers: Matthew Newman Artists: Andreas Adamek, Justin Adams, W. T. Arnold, Borja Pindado Arribas, Cristi Balanescu (cover), + 55 more! Players: 1-4 (best at 3 per BGG). But I would say Arkham Horror LCG is always best at 2 players. Playtime: 60-120 minutes per scenario. BGG Weight: 3.86 / 5 Mechanisms: Action Point Allowance System, Cooperative Play, Deck / Pool Building, Hand Management, Role Playing, Variable Player Powers

I am so far behind schedule on all these Arkham Horror LCG expansions and mythos pack reviews. The Dream-Eaters Cycle was recently released and already FFG has two more Arkham Horror LCG box expansions planned for the near future. The Innsmouth Conspiracy and potentially something called The War of the Outer Gods. We shall see if that second title is accurate or not in due time. Either way I can already see the money draining from my wallet like venom from a serpent’s fangs.

This will actually be my second time playing through The Forgotten Age expansion. The first time was with a party of three and we had no idea what we were getting ourselves into. I found my first overall experience with TFA to be a incredibly frustrating. It was a grueling, torturous journey through the Mexican rain forest. We picked all the wrong supplies for all the wrong characters it seemed.

So after it was all said and done, I was pretty sure that I wasn’t ever going to play this expansion again. But with recently finishing The Circle Undone and not having all the mythos packs for the Dream-Eaters Cycle in my possession, I caved and returned to base camp to go on the expedition all over again. This time with a better idea of what will be needed. Characters with very high agility and well…. blankets. Why didn’t my first expedition group take basic bedding with them?! I’m surprised we even had boots on our feet, we were so unprepared for survival in the outdoors. Hopefully the second time through will be a little smoother.

So as I already mentioned, knowing how important agility is for your investigators; my girlfriend and I selected the two investigators from the The Forgotten Age campaign with the highest agility (feetsies). These two also seemed to have the highest potential for the most bonus actions in a round, which is always a good thing to have in this god-forsaken game. We chose Ursula Downs and Finn Edwards. We can’t help but think that Finn is really just allowing himself to be employed by Ursula to get himself away from some sort of shady business dealings back home. Or to make a hefty profit selling all of our equipment and provisions. Because why else wouldn’t we have blankets?! I swear that stuff is getting stolen from under us.

“I have had it with these motherfucking snakes in this motherfucking jungle!” The pit vipers aren’t too bad as long as you are as spry and nimble as Ursula and Finn. We were able to stay ahead of the sneks by constantly moving and clearing each location of clues as quickly as possible. The Boa was a bigger concern as he was hunting us through most the scenario. We don’t plan on killing anything with vengeance points. IF we can help it that is. Neither of us really had any weapons readied during this scenario anyway. Just the trench coat on our backs and the track shoes on our feet. We were bouncing all over the jungle like gummy bears hopped up on Ayahuasca juice (is that a thing?).

Once confronted by Ichtaca, Keeper of the Etzli, we really had no choice but to parlay with her. I’m not sure why Alejandro Vela is so opposed to working with the locals (at this point in the game). Sounds like he’s part of the White Savior Industrial Complex. We discovered the Etzli ruins, thanks to Ichtaca and left behind a wake of snakes (very much alive mind you) and watchful Guardians. Rushing exploration and clue gathering was the way to go for this scenario. Very thematic and fun.

In this first scenario, one gets introduced to the exploration deck. Where one could potentially lose his/her movement actions based on what cards are randomly drawn from a small shuffled deck. A deck consisting of a handful of treacheries mixed in with a variety of potentially discoverable locations. I guess I don’t mind the exploration deck mechanic. More times than not, we will unluckily draw all the treachery cards rather quickly. So we take the explore action early knowing full well that we are going to draw treachery cards. After all the treachery cards have been randomly drawn and discarded, THEN we can explore without fear or consequence. And that’s a great feeling.

Welp. So much for trying to maintain zero vengeance points. Yig’s fury went from 0 to 5 in just one scenario. We were rapidly overwhelmed with serpent humanoids and barely got out of the Etzli temple with the Relic of Ages in hand. It’s almost as if investigators were meant to die/lose this scenario. Ursula suffered a mental trauma after being hounded by Yig’s minions every step of the way. Her treachery card was what did her in though. She was unable to heed the Call of the Unknown after taking such a beating from the treachery filled exploration deck.

We both found this scenario too frustrating. The difficulty ramped up to 11 and we were still ill prepared for such things. None of our weapons were even drawn during this game, so once again we just had to keep moving. Trying our best to stay ahead of the wave of snake creatures. The only reason Finn was able to get out of the temple, after snagging the Relic of Ages, was because he was lucky enough to draw his I’m outta here! card right when he needed it most. There was no way he was going to make it past the 7 or 8 monsters in his linear path. This relic better be worth it.

….Aaand it’s gone. We lost the relic. Or Harlan did. Whoever the fuck he is. We chose to keep the relic safe by giving it to some rando in passing. Then we are shocked when the supposedly trusty vagabond up and leaves town. Great.

Threads of Fate was another rather frustrating scenario with a ungodly amount of enemies. The moment we were able to eliminate just one of the Haunting Nightgaunts terrorizing us, we would advance the agenda deck, reshuffle the discard pile, only to draw the very same Haunting Nightguant! GAH! These guys are tough as well, 4HP, running away from them is hard due to doubling the negative modifiers. Terrifying creatures.

It was neat that there were multiple Acts or multiple storylines (threads) to follow and investigate. We were only able to fully complete one of the three but at least the scenario still rewarded us for making an attempt at the others. In that you receive some bonus experience points for just getting past Act 1 of each deck. Alejandro Vela was rescued and now resides in one of our decks. I would have preferred to have the Relic but circumstances prevented us from making it so.

Wait, it was all a dream?! But I consumed actual gas in driving to this fever dream. I want my gas supply point back. The Boundary Beyond would be strike 3 for us. Another overly frustrating scenario with too many monsters and a damn near impossible end goal. We were suppose to lose weren’t we? Considering we only managed to get 3 out of the 6 locations explored correctly, and then wiped of clues before being overwhelmed by enemies. The added penalties for exploring was very rough and we felt it… hard. Like for instance, one location forced you to take a physical damage to take the explore action. Which inevitably resulted in drawing a treachery card, making the damage you received to draw the treachery even more painful. So consume another precious action, take another physical damage, and try your luck again!

The Harbinger of Valusia once again made his appearance known. A damn near impossible enemy to combat while also trying to achieve your necessary win condition. With Alert and Retaliate active even when exhausted, the Harbinger is going to just decimate anyone interested in doing any amount of damage to him. Especially book nerds like us. We were able to inflict 2 damage on him though before getting TKO’ed. 2 damage out of his 20hp! I feel like we should be further down on his health track. Ugh.

During set-up, players are instructed to set aside the Agenda 3 and Act 3 cards. I imagine this is to mislead the players about the intended length of the scenario? And well… it worked! During what we thought was our very last turn (before the agenda would advance), we both made some hail mary plays to try and acquire as many clues/locations as possible before ending the scenario. Only to find out, the scenario wasn’t over. By the time we realized we had more rounds at our disposal, we were either already eliminated or stuck in some impossible situation. I can see that designers are looking to subvert players expectations in whatever means possible, but this ended up just frustrating my girlfriend to the point that she considered quitting the campaign all together. She is calling AH-LCG an abusive relationship. Wondering why we keep going back to it.

The Story So Far

Wait. Why are we back in the jungle again?! Let’s recap. Going back a few scenarios, we uncovered information on a secret cabal, called the Brotherhood, who had interests in the Eztli relic (missing!). This Brotherhood also had a great deal of information on Alejandro’s previous expedition into the Mexican rain forest. According to Ichtaca, the Brotherhood is seeking a place called the Nexus of N’kai. OK fine. So without any other bit of information given by Ichtaca, we set off on another expedition back to the relic’s original location. For what I imagine is to seek out additional clues in regards to the power behind the relic.

During our road trip to Mexico City, Alejandro voices his opinion that the documented symbols adorning the relic is not of Mayan or Aztec heritage. Hmm…ok.

We putz around Mexico for a while, eating lots of fish tacos and drinking lots of margaritas (or so I imagine), but doing not much else. A week later, Ichtaca FINALLY decides it’s time perform some sort of cryptic incantation, alone in her room. An event that results in a dream like scenario which gives us some insight. Insight into (Tenochtitlan locations?) a cave that Ichtaca believes is the path that leads to the Nexus. She wants us to go with. Do we have time to grab some Pozole before we go? I think so.

Part 1

The first half of the Heart of the Elder’s mythos pack seems more of a catch-up scenario. Because we only received insight on 3 of the 6 paths/stone pillars outside the cave, we had to spend some days trying to decode the other 3. The stone pillars are essentially the lock tumblers allowing access to the cave maw.

I find it hard to believe Ichtaca had been running all over this jungle, secretly protecting the relic from outsiders, and never once discovered or learned about this cave. And if she did know of it, why did it take so long for her to explore it? And it she did explore it, why didn’t she know the 6 paths from the start?! Gah!

We did not like this part of the scenario. It felt like another throw away scenario that really wasn’t needed. It took two attempts at it to get the remaining 3 paths. Our first day/attempt resulted in no additional paths and Ursula ended up dying to the snake monsters. On the second day, a replay of the same scenario mind you, we had much better luck in not drawing snake monsters to hound us the entire time. So that helped us focus on clue gathering. The whole idea of playing the same scenario over and over again until you achieve some specific goal, rubs me the wrong way. Repetition in this regard is no fun. We also were annoyed that progressing the Act deck, which is normally a good thing to advance, significantly hampered our overall goal. So on the second day, knowing that it would be detriment to advance the Act deck, we advanced it only when we were ready to take on the additional headache.

Part II

After we gained access to the cave, we had a good spelunking time getting clues and discovering locations. It’s as if clue gathering is what we excel at. We lucked out on drawing a minimal amount of enemies during the mythos phase. Which helped us deal with everything else thrown at us. We felt like we had plenty of time to achieve the overall objective and we got a heck of a lot of XP from this scenario (both parts 1 and 2). Which makes the sting of part 1 a little less so. Part 2’s flavor text alludes to a Journey to the Center of the Earth type inner world, taking place below ours. Which is kind of neat.

The end of the scenario was a little confusing. Alejandro betrayed us?! He was working in unison or is commanding some sort of alien race to find and gain access to Yoth, cavern of the serpents? Why? I take it Alejandro is a member of the Brotherhood, which would explain why they had information on Alejandro’s expedition. It was information of the inside variety lols. My girlfriend thought the entire campaign was over after reading “It is your last human memory.” So we just died?! Not quite.

Alejandro was working with scientific, alien creatures? Hah! So we got mind-swapped with a couple Yithians and mentally transported to some unknown location beyond space and time that acts as a mass-information compiler. What are the aliens doing with our physical bodies right now? The other aliens didn’t seem to mind us wandering around their utopian society. That is until we fucked with their experiments. I suppose we would be the real aliens at this point. We had a lot of fun playing this scenario. This would be the first time, in publication order, that your investigator’s card gets swapped out for another scenario specific one. The next instance of this taking place during the prologue of The Circle Undone campaign. Both enjoyable experiences.

We slithered around, doing our best to hold on to our items with our noodly appendages. We did manage to perform all six of the necessary intellectual pursuits before mind-melding back into our original bodies. AKA we were a rightful pains in the ass. 9 xp from this scenario! So that’s very nice. This scenario required a lot of card-play. Mostly we used our cards just for the modifier icons to pass tests. As your Yithian character card allowed for the doubling of icons for one card per test. This coupled with our ever reducing max-hand size, made the end goal of holding 10 cards at once a rather tricky puzzle to figure out. We would not have achieved this goal had it not been for our new pen-pal, the Custodian, and the best room in the house, the Yithian Orrery.

What were we suppose to do with the Out of Body Experience treachery cards? I was never instructed in the setup but I feel like these should have been shuffled into our decks at some point. The backside of the Yithian investigator cards have Do you remember…? in the Deckbuilding Requirements section. So maybe it was a mistake in that these treachery cards should have been included in our decks to start. Not sure. We didn’t utilize them. This will probably be corrected in the Return to.

Now lets see what Alejandro and his alien buds were up to while we took a mental holiday.

I hear people play this scenario just to see how far down into the depths they can get before they are torn to shreds. We got to level 5 (the bare minimum) and immediately got the hell out of there! One could get a significant amount of XP on this scenario though. If everyone is well suited for fighting monsters and dealing with the ever growing pain that is the chaos bag. We on the other hand are NOT well suited for dealing with monsters. Besides running away from them. Finn Edwards recently purchased a Ornate Bow which has been pretty damn effective at eliminating a bunch of annoying or persistent enemies. Enemies with the Hunter trait mostly. Lets hope the next scenario is more about getting clues and not fighting a Boss of some kind.

The Depths of Yoth is an alright concept for a scenario but just like in a previous scenario (The Heart of the Elders Part 1) you essentially just play the same mini-game multiple times. At least with this scenario, with the reset between floors/levels, the locations are randomized. Your starting location and which locations are available will be slightly different between floors. We quickly learned which icon to look for in order to find the Steps of Yoth (how to progress). And I’m so confused on what’s going on in the over-arching story that we don’t even care anymore. Both Ichtaca and Alejandro have turned on us and want the Relic of Ages for different reasons. Ichtaca, I believe wants to awaken Yoth for some terrible reason. Hopefully it will all make more sense after the next scenario.

We finished! …thank God/Yig. We did get an above-average ending. Resolution 1 if that does anything for you. We lost the original Relic of Ages so we didn’t get the best ending but we refused the tempting offers from both Ichtaca and Alejandro Vela and went about mending the tear in the fabric of time…ourselves somehow. Luckily for us, The Relic of Ages was rediscovered in A Pocket of Time which I suppose makes sense that we traveled through time and found a earlier/later version of the one we lost. I’m always impressed with the final scenarios of each of the major campaigns. This one was no different. The story seemed to come together. Both Ichtaca (Yig worshiper) and Alejandro (Yithian in disguise) had ulterior motives which is understandable. I liked that we could have sided with either of them to change the world as we know it forever.

We didn’t kill a single enemy this scenario. Besides those EZ-PZ cultists. So we were once again dogged by a myriad of serpent & elite enemies. We were use to though after the sixth or seventh scenario where that happened this campaign. Finn Edwards handled running away from 5 different monster enemies himself, each round for two or three rounds. One free evade, three normal evade actions, and a Leo De Luca evade action. While Ursula Downs worked vigorously at exploring and clearing clues from as many shattered locations as possible. Taking damage and horror when necessary. It worked. I can’t wait to go back to playing some Guardian and Survivor class characters. Or really anyone with dynamite

We don’t officially get to play the bonus, secret mission because we lost the Relic of Ages from our timeline but we will play it anyway just to see what it’s like. Going on the assumption that we didn’t hand a complete stranger one of the most powerful objects in the known universe. So we will play that next and I will report on it here.

Man, fuck this game. We got devoured by Yig pretty quickly in our attempt to undo our past mistakes. Turn Back Time has a cool concept but this scenario is not designed with pacifists like us in mind. It’s tough! Arm yourself to the teeth before entering the Eztli Ruins again! We didn’t REALLY deserve to unlock this scenario and we are going to continue acting like this scenario never happened. Our own form of time travel.

Now that we are done with this campaign we will play a Return To… or start The Dream-Eaters cycle and hope that our last Mythos pack gets delivered very soon.

In Summary

Of all the Arkham Horror campaigns that I’ve played, The Forgotten Age is and will remain my least favorite. With that said I was impressed by how many of the scenarios ended up having a decently high personal rating. This tells me that the scenarios themselves aren’t bad but the over-arching story and mechanisms introduced are what leaves a foul malignancy festering in my mind when contemplating The Forgotten Age. Mainly due to the frustrations with the exploration deck, the supply point system (never having what you need), and having to suffer the ridiculous amount of serpent creatures all looking to settle their poisonous fangs into your meaty neck. The Harbinger of Valusia is still out there, slithering around the jungle with a whopping 18 HP! Good luck with that Mexico.

Final Score (Avg)

#Arkham Horror LCG #The Forgotten Age #h.p. lovecraft

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oc-rehab-centre · 5 years

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OC Design Basics #1 - Colour Palettes

Every part of an original character, fandom or non-fandom, humanoid or animalian, is important to the bigger picture. Your original character is like a mosaic or a puzzle, every piece is crucial to having a “good” character: personality, backstory, relationships, etc., you know the deal. But today we’re going to discuss: the importance of OC design, common mistakes and what you can do to fix them.

Now, this isn’t a post made only to talk about how OC fame/attention is linked to OC design… Which is really isn’t, and I hope that’s clear! This isn’t a tutorial on how to get famous either, but rather a collection of information and tips meant to help you! This is also geared towards a younger audience - so some things are pretty obvious.

Alrighty then, let’s get into this~

Importance of Design

We all know the idiom “don’t judge a book by its cover”: which discourages people to prejudge something’s overall worth from a mere first glance, positive or negative. However, when it comes to characters, you’ll often see the images before you see their biography or information and get to know the nitty-gritty information about them.

It’s pretty superficial, but first impressions can make or break your OC’s popularity and reception, but alas, that is just human nature. If you have a fandom OC; how well your OC’s design blends in with the existing cast, or how much they stand out against them can reel in an intrigued audience. Your OC’s design is just one of many factors which may bring you an audience, or leave you with just a small one - but shove aside that notion and let’s focus on what’s actually important.

A good OC is congruent, with all the little pieces working together naturally to tell your OC’s story and fit with aspects of their personality in a way that doesn’t feel forced. Their appearance should reflect things about them, and give the audience an idea as to what they are like from a first glance or two. It’s a challenge, but as you grow more experienced, it becomes easier. However, some help along the way is always nice, and that’s why we’re here!

In this tip & tutorial post, I’m mostly going to cover more natural colours and make your OC look more, well, “original”! Of course as always, these are just opinions, and you are just as entitled to your own as I am to mine! Also, I’ll be talking about more common mistakes I’ve seen several young artists and creators make, so if you’re new to OC creation, here’s some tips from someone whose been doing too much of this kinda thing!

I will not be covering facial features and shapes here, but perhaps I will in the near future??? This mostly focuses on colours!

For this tutorial, by the way, I used a colouring page found HERE. I’m not entirely sure if this is the original artist, nor is the original artist credited. If you ever find the source and wanna let us here at @oc-rehab-centre know, that’d be just dandy!

Common Mistake #1 - Hair Colours/Styles

If you’ve browsed the undiscovered page of DeviantART, you may find yourself browsing the work of younger creators. It is always wonderful to see young artists working to produce their own characters, but it’s a shame to say that most OC creators can determine or guess your age range and experience from the way you design characters, or perhaps an inability to credit base makers lmao.

What I see a lot on DeviantART when it comes down to hair colour is often… unstimulating. Hair colours like black and oversaturated colours are often used, perhaps due to a lack of understanding the colour wheel of infinite possibilities or how to make colours beyond what they can find in their box of 24 Crayola coloured pencils.

When it comes to OC design, you want to try your best to avoid black and bright, bright colours that are hard on the eyes unless absolutely necessary and essential to your character.

Black hair can easily be substituted for other dark and natural colours, like shades of brown or red. Heck, there are entire charts of natural hair colours online you can browse.

Blinding shades of red, green, blue, etc. can all be made easier on the eyes by simply mellowing or darkening the colour. Perhaps you might settle for pastel hues, or a darker and less saturated tone. Both your eyes and the eyes of your viewers will thank you for making something other than pitch-black or a vibrant hot magenta!

Hopefully this little diagram shows what a difference a bit of playing around with your colour wheel can do! Now time to address another common trope in OC creation when it comes to hair: hair styles.

A very common hairstyle that you see is the hair over one eye. OCs with their bangs draped down over one eye. TV Tropes discusses this infamous design cliche as a way of symbolizing sexuality, shyness, solidarity or powerful [HERE].. However, most OCs with this hairstyle are not always explained and if it is, it’s done poorly, making it seem as though a) the creator was merely going for a run-of-the-mill edgy look with their character OR b) they just can’t draw the other eye.

While having an OC who's a bit on the edgy and badass side is cool and all, it is a trope to avoid. I went through a phase of having my hair over one eye in my elementary days but trust me, it’s not a very practical hairstyle, and it’s certainly not very stylish if your bangs are all scraggly too. If you have chosen this hairstyle to avoid drawing the other eye, just take the leap! You’re not going to improve unless you push yourself to experiment with new hairstyles, of which there are many!

Finding other hairstyles to use for your OC is as simple as browsing the Internet. There are countless of video and written tutorials to watch on how to draw hair styles, all of which are arguably more appealing and interesting than that mock of edgy bangs. If you are striving for an edgy character, there are other ways to show that in their design than simply such an ill-mannered hairstyle!

Credit: doggerland

Common Mistake #2 - Eyes/Facial Scars

Much like hair colours, overly-saturated colours can ruin eyes when they seem out of place. You can have an OC with natural coloured hair, a good colour palette and then oh wait - an eye colour that doesn’t really fit. I’ve seen many young creators using eye colours that really don’t exist and look very unnatural, clashing with their character’s design.

Like with hair, a certain number of natural eye colours exist. Even if you’re bending from natural eye colours, avoid using saturated shades or shades that are just too dark. You can get some nice and more natural colours by playing around with your colour wheel. You can be bold without using such assaulting colours! XD

Another common trope derived from anime and gaming are scars. I know I was mostly going to discuss colours here, but like hairstyles, it’s something worth addressing!Once again, I’m gonna make reference to TV Tropes’ article. The most common scars include:

A cut over one eye

A claw mark (usually three or four even gashes on the chest or face)

Any of the Standard Bleeding Spots

Any scar shaped like an X.

A scar on the face that happened in a sword duel.

Credit: TV Tropes

Regardless of the universe, fandom or non-fandom, scars may add to your character’s story, but it takes a lot to make a scar on the face seem original. I’m personally not a fan of OCs with scars on their face, since it’s often not acknowledged or even drawn in a way that is realistic.

For example, getting slashed across the eye with a sword or blade would not leave a clean scar and a pearly, blinded eye, as we often see in anime. It would look nasty and it would look as disabling as it feels, so when people don’t abide to the very nature of how the human body heals, it irks me a little bit.

My tip here would be to avoid scars that go over the eye unless you’re going to do it right. Research the injuries if you don’t have a weak stomach, and see what injuries like that would really look like. Overall, facial scars are also something you should steer away from. Important scars can go elsewhere, you know! There’s more to your OC’s body than just their face.

Scars also come in more shapes than just 3-4 animal claw marks, burns from abusive parents or straight-lined sword scars. Scars come in different shapes and sizes. Some are hypertrophic/raised while others are flat and just sort of look like birthmarks upon healing. Are you willing to give up your action-packed duel scene and settle for a more realistic scar for your OC? It’ll help in the long run if you’re aiming for accuracy.

Common Mistake #3 - Colour Palettes

Oh goodness you guys have probably heard enough about me yammering about colour. But hey - this tip post is mostly about the importance of colour. This here is the last major tip for designing your OC. This will be the last part of this post, and I apologize for this being a bit of a mess! I was trying to keep this one as general as possible!

ANYWAYS-

Colour palettes are essential to a character! I hope that’s ingrained in your brain at this point because it really is! Their wardrobe should reflect their personality and should be carefully considered as well. Too many times have I seen colour palettes that just do not work at all with the character’s attire nor their apparent personality.

Using the girl who has been our base for examples in this post, let’s take a look at her attire. A baggy hat, a bandanna around her neck, a sweater, fingerless gloves and a layered skirt. This is rather cutesy attire and while perhaps you could argue that a pink and teal getup or an edgelord black and rainbow outfit could work, there are palettes that might fit this character a little better.

Pastel colours fit better with this style of dressing. It feels more correct to have the four palettes on the right than the two on the left. This is the effect your colour choices have on how pleasing your character looks to the eye.

And that is all!

We hope you enjoyed this tip post! Likes, reblogs and follows are always appreciated. Some aspects of OC design were not covered here, especially the important stuff that more experienced creators would’ve wanted to see like how to make face, eye, nose, etc. shapes more unique and clothing design. I’ll try to ensure that gets covered in the future, as I said before, but I hope that those that read this enjoyed it!

#General #Multifandom #Non Fandom #Multifandom OC #Non Fandom OC #OC Help #OC Review

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trueloveseyeroll · 6 years

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The Dancing Thief (8/13)

Summary: Pretending to be a noblewoman might be the dumbest thing Emma has ever agreed to do. And she’s not sure if meeting Lord Killian Jones made the whole thing better or worse. (Better. Definitely better.)

Rating: T (language and mild violence)

Beta: The wonderful @forget-me-not-s

Artist: The lovely @captxinswans - check out her amazing artwork for chapter 1 and chapter 2!!

Word count: 4598 (62k words in total)

Chapter 1

AO3

It was a strange experience, liking someone. At times Emma would feel like she could scarcely contain the happiness within her. And a second later, she would find herself doubting everything about her and Killian, wishing the feeling inside her would just disappear.

She didn’t see him much in the following weeks. Dancing and gossip, young lords and ladies took up most of her time. He seemed to be busy as well, with who knows what. She never even properly thanked him for the paints, a part of her too scared to acknowledge the gift, scared he regretted sending them. And somehow, she felt that he was avoiding her as much as she was avoiding him.

It was a strange experience, indeed.

Trying to riddle out the secret thoughts in the minds of the nobility didn’t make it easier either. But as the knowledge of the king’s illness became more common, the game began to change.

At first, the nobles mentioned their hopes for the return of the king’s health. Some seemed honest in their politeness, others were far from. And Emma found two kinds of dishonest well-wishers: the ones she hoped to find (the ones like her), and then there were the dangerous ones, clearly seeking opportunity in George’s death.

She still didn’t know which side Killian was on. The weeks had allowed for far too little time between them for her to figure him out. (She liked to think he’d be on her side though - David’s side - because how could he not be?)

“I think House Rose is very likely to support you,” Emma said, happy to be able to share good news with David, Snow and the rest of them.

They had meetings every day now, in the lounge room around the circular coffee table. Snow had intel gathered from informants, Robin and Will from the servants, and interestingly enough, Will had made friends with a merchant who knew plenty about the nobles - plenty about everything, really. Emma wondered if this merchant might work at the bookstore she’d seen him leave all those weeks ago - Maurice’s. But from Will’s uncharacteristic bashfulness, Emma supposed the merchant in question was a woman. As long as she was trustworthy though, Emma wouldn’t tease him. At least not too much.

“Has Lady Aurora mentioned anything?” Snow asked.

“Actually, Grace was the one to say something first. Her father is apparently very torn about George’s illness, saying it could either do the kingdom a great favour or seal its doom. All depending on if the one to take George’s place is an even worse ruler.”

From what Emma had garnered, Lord Jefferson had witnessed some of the more disturbing consequences of King George’s ruling. For while slavery was said to be illegal in the Enchanted Forest, everyone knew it was a thin line separating indentured servitude and slavery from each other. Worst of all, when orphaned children weren’t ignored by George’s guards, they were captured and forced to work on plantations or in factories. Emma had lived in fear of that fate for many years. And Lord Jefferson had once seen a kid being taken – a young girl, resembling Grace.

“And you think the rest of House Rose agrees with Lord Jefferson?” David asked.

“Aurora said her mother had said the very same thing,” Emma nodded. “And while Ella kept quiet, I could tell there was something on her mind. As if House Boyd may be having the same concerns.”

“But no one’s right-out said they can’t wait to see George gone, have they?” Will asked.

“Nobles tend to have a bit more tact,” David said, dryly.

Unfortunately, Emma thought. Oh, her job would be so much easier if everyone just said what they meant. At least her natural talent at spotting lies had given her an advantage when learning the language of the nobility.

“So far though, from what I’ve gathered,” Robin said, “most people believe the king will recover.”

“The common people desperately hope he won’t,” Ruby supplied. The news of George’s illness had spread through Misthaven within a couple of days. Since then, Ruby had heard plenty of patrons toasting for the good fortune that had finally shown its face in the king’s malady.

“They don’t realize that George’s death may lead to something far worse, do they?” David said. “It could lead to a war.”

“It could,” Snow agreed. “But right now, all they see is hope. Hope for a better future. And...” Her eyes suddenly lit up as she sat up straight. “Maybe that’s exactly what we need!”

“Hope? I don’t reckon we’d have agreed to all of this if we didn’t have hope already,” Will said.

“No, we need the people to have hope,” Snow said, a smile spreading across her face. “They need to know that without George, things will be better. They’ll have a fair ruler, a ruler who listens and works hard for his people.”

“You were quite popular amongst the people before, weren’t you?” Robin asked.

David nodded, but the accompanying sigh sounded much too defeated. “Yes. But unfortunately, George managed to tarnish that popularity when he exiled me, likely with the help of Lady Mills and Lord Gold - they’ve got plenty of power over the town criers and papers. And the people took their word for it when they heard any son borne of an adulteress was the worst kind of bastard to exist.”

“Typical,” Emma said, wryly. “A man can have as many bastards as he wants, but when it’s a woman...”

“It’s a shitty world we live in,” Ruby agreed. “Hopefully, we’ll get to change it someday. Starting with the fact that I don’t think the people hate you, David. Not when George is near death, or so they think. They’re less afraid of him now - less afraid of all the nobles, really. And they’d love a king like you, who’s lived like a commoner for seven years.”

“Exactly,” Snow said. “We’ve been going about this all wrong - well, not entirely wrong, we just forgot a key player in the game. The people. No candidate for the throne will want to go up against someone with the people on their side - it would be too much work. Especially if we do get Great Houses like Rose behind us as well.”

“So, you want to tell the people I’ve returned to Misthaven to take the throne?” David asked.

“We’ll need to make a good story of it,” Robin said. “One people will remember, and share with everyone they know. But not one that will cause George to send his guards out looking for you.”

“Like a ghost story,” Snow supplied.

“Oh, you just leave that to the barkeep,” Ruby said, smirking into her cup of spiked chocolate. “I know exactly what to do.”

---------

Two weeks passed; two weeks of colourful ballgowns and lunches and talking. Two weeks without seeing much of Killian. Oh, their eyes would meet every now and then at balls, and they would find themselves amongst the same group of people, but they were never alone together. Not like they had been.

And the constant presence of others stopped her from getting to ask him what the hell was going on with him. With them. Not that there was any them, of course, but... Emma found herself missing him. That alone was probably a good reason to be happy that a distance had formed between them. She couldn’t afford to get too close to him and missing him.

(She’d opened the paints one evening, tried her hand at being artistic with a brush and some parchment she had found in the townhouse. She had meant to draw a swan, but the picture (now hidden in her dresser) didn’t resemble anything but a mess.)

The king’s health hadn’t returned, and everyone was starting to realize it might never return at all. Still, the date for the all-important council meeting, the one that could determine who would sit on the throne next, hadn’t been given a date. It seemed George still had hope. And he refused to have the nobles squabbling over his position while he was still alive.

The situation made for tense evenings. The nobles did their best to hide it, but they were getting anxious. So was Emma.

But two weeks after Ruby started spreading rumours - ghost stories - about the exiled prince’s return, Emma found herself smiling behind her wine glass; the story had reached the nobility. Zelena to be precise.

Observing the nobles’ reactions to the story nearly, nearly, made her forget all about Killian. Most people refused to believe it, some saying ‘the bastard’ wouldn’t be stupid enough to return. Others had clearly known David before he was exiled, known the kindness that Emma now knew. They didn’t cheer or anything, but Emma could see it in their eyes. They were hopeful.

If only Snow could see this, Emma thought, eagerly awaiting the moment she got home, so she could spread the good news.

“An extraordinary coincidence that he’d return right after news of the king’s illness, isn’t it?” Lady Regina said, just as Emma passed her table. Of course, Regina couldn’t possibly know of Emma’s connection to David, still, it felt like she had raised her voice just to be sure Emma heard what she said.

The smile faded from Emma’s lips. Regina, Cora and Gold - or anyone who really wanted to - could easily sway people into thinking David had a hand in George’s death. And who knew what would happen to him then, if he ever showed his face in public.

Emma found even fewer reasons to be happy during the following ball. Once, she had been asked to dance by several young lords each evening. She’d mingled with numerous groups of nobles, her youth and inexperience making her seem like one of the least threatening persons in the room.

But now, conversation died out as soon as she joined. Very few lords asked her to dance, and they never lingered to speak with her after. Aurora and Ella weren’t present, so she had no one to turn to. And Killian kept close to his friends, of which Eric especially hadn’t seemed very happy about Emma’s presence lately.

What had she done wrong? Had she somehow revealed herself? Did everyone know who she really was?

“Lady Emma.” She turned to find Robin looking at her with concern. “I think it’s best we retire for the night.”

“What’s going on?” Emma asked, determined that Robin answer her truthfully.

“Exactly what David feared.”

At Emma’s scrunched brows, Robin elaborated, “the King’s illness has grown much worse. The nobles are starting to form alliances, making plans to ensure or better their stations, and -”

“And I have nothing to offer,” Emma finished for him, her voice not giving away any emotion. Truthfully, she wasn’t sure what to feel. If the nobles wouldn’t talk to her, she wouldn’t need to talk to them anymore. She wouldn’t need to dance or lie, fear exposure or face her feelings for Killian... but she’d be useless. David and Snow wouldn’t need her anymore.

“Don’t worry, Emma,” Robin said, as if he could read her mind. His genuine friendliness warmed her, still, it didn’t stop her from worrying. “We’ll see what happens.”

Snow and David told her much the same when she and Robin returned home. Before she went to bed, Snow pulled her aside to give her a hug, which wasn’t at all uncommon. Emma still wasn’t used to it though. And now she couldn’t help but feel it was a hug goodbye.

“The nobles may not think you have much to offer, but Emma, we know you do. You’re a part of this,” Snow smiled, reaching up to curl a stray lock of hair behind Emma’s ear. “We’d never have made it this far without you. And we won’t make it to the end without you.”

Emma wanted to argue and say that she hadn’t really done anything at all. The look in Snow’s eyes stopped her though. And well, if Snow really believed Emma was of value and that she wanted her to stay, Emma didn’t want to argue. Although as she closed her bedroom door behind her, she knew she’d only be waiting for the other shoe to drop.

---------

Days later, Emma looked at herself in the mirror, knowing the beautiful red dress may be the last ball gown she’d ever have to wear. Snow and David wanted her to try attending one more ball, just to be sure that mingling with the nobility was a lost cause. It seemed fitting that that ball would be hosted by House Jones.

Emma tore her eyes away from the dress, meeting her own stare in the looking glass. She should be happy; this was her last ball. She’d fooled them all for months, made the nobility believe she was one of them, and now she could go back to being just Emma. No more lordships and ladies. No more nonsense.

As soon as the carriage rolled to a stop outside of Keep Jones, Emma could tell things were off. Compared to her first ball, the entrance was nearly empty, and inside the main hall, people favoured talking in small groups rather than dancing.

Fortunately, Aurora and Ella were in attendance. However, it didn’t seem like they intended to stay for long.

“My father and step-mother didn’t want me to come at all,” Ella said. “They think it’s better for us to stay out of everything going on.”

“Much like my family then,” Emma lied. “I received a letter just this morning. They’re asking me to come home.”

It was the perfect lie, really. A believable reason for Lady Emma Swan to leave Misthaven; her parents didn’t want her to get caught up in a potential house war. A war that was becoming more and more likely with each day that King George’s illness got worse, and each day he refused to let the council meet. The tension and uncertainty was weighing on everyone. Soon enough, someone was bound to snap.

“What?” Aurora exclaimed, genuinely surprising Emma. “But Emma, you belong here, I know you do!”

Again, quite the surprise.

“Hopefully I’ll come back when things have settled - and for your wedding, of course.”

“Oh, you must certainly come back for the wedding!” Aurora said, grabbing Emma’s hand and giving it a short squeeze. “But I understand your parents’ concern. Things aren’t what they’re supposed to be here in Misthaven - far from.”

She was right about that, Emma supposed. Although, in her opinion, things hadn’t been what they were supposed to be for years. That’s why she chose to help David after all.

Ella left soon after, and Aurora got caught up in conversation with her parents and their close friends. Emma meant to go looking for Robin, but her resolve quickly broke.

She went to the balcony instead.

Killian hadn’t been up there yet as far as she knew. And she didn’t know what she was doing, going up there and hoping he’d see her. Hoping he’d join her. Every step she took, she knew she was making a terrible decision but... she just had to see him one last time. Had to figure out if she’d truly made a horrible mistake, allowing herself to develop feelings for him.

Ten minutes passed as she lingered at the edge of the balcony. She tried not to look down at the people, instead training her gaze on the glass windows. This was her last chance to see them from the inside anyway.

“Swan!”

Emma turned her head to see Killian walking towards her. He wore a smile, but as soon as Emma smiled back, his faded away. He stopped a few short paces away from her, almost mid-step.

Something wasn’t right.

“Swan, I... I wanted to talk to you actually,” Killian said, and Emma didn’t like the way his tone dropped, the words heavy and grave on his tongue. Her feet ached to step closer, but she kept still, feeling unsure of herself in a way she never had before in Killian’s presence. Something was wrong for sure.

“Yeah?”

“Well, um,” he paused, looking around as if afraid anyone would overhear him. “We haven’t talked much these past few weeks, and I merely wished to offer an explanation. You see, with everything that has been happening, the King’s illness and the uncertain future ahead of us, I’ve been quite busy, and I realised that perhaps... perhaps it would be for the best if we ended this dalliance of ours.”

“Oh.” The simple word and the, hopefully, blank look on her face did not at all convey the way she felt.

He may as well have punched her in the stomach.

“Of course, we were never that close,” he continued, “but I do feel like something was about to happen, however it probably wouldn’t have lasted for long either way. Better we end things now before risking either of us getting hurt.”

Emma had no clue what he expected her to say to that. She had no clue what she could say. A punch in the face would surely draw too much attention, but it might be worth it, knowing that he’d feel some semblance of pain, because his words were absolute bullshit.

“So the King falls ill and you don’t want to be seen with me anymore,” Emma summed up, anything but impressed by his excuse. “Sure it’s not because I’m just a country girl to you?”

The pain Emma was hoping to see before flashed across his face. “Do you really think that little of me?”

“Clearly, it’s the only reason that makes sense; the King’s ill and my rank will do nothing to help yours when he finally dies.”

“Emma, I’m not even sure what your rank is,” Killian snapped.

“What?” Emma scrunched her brow, but Killian didn’t leave her waiting.

“You’re a spy! Aren’t you?”

The question hung in the air, but just as Emma was about to deny it, Killian barrelled on. “Hired by House Mills or Gold, I presume, or even my own bloody father. And I reckon you’ve been lying to me ever since you came here, though I like to think you weren’t. I like to think you were just playing the game, because that’s what we’ve all been forced to do, ever since we learned how to talk -”

“Why the hell would you think I’m a spy?” Emma asked, interrupting him. Anger boiled inside her, not because he’d guessed correctly, but because he’d gotten the details wrong in the worst way imaginable. That he could actually think she worked for Cora or Gold....

“I’ve got a list of reasons, but Emma, it doesn’t matter why! All that matters is I’m not letting myself be fooled by you anymore.” He swallowed, looking like he was trying to hold back words he’d regret. Emma didn’t want to risk finding out what those words could be.

“No, nothing you’ve said matters one bit,” she all but spat. “My parents have asked me to come home, and I came up here to say goodbye to you, but you know what, Killian? Screw you.”

Finally, she let her feet walk forward; right past Killian, leaving him behind without a second glance.

---------

He watched her leave, feeling much worse than he thought he would. Obviously, he thought of their time together as more than a simple dalliance. He’d fallen for her, head over heels.

Unfortunately, he’d also fallen for her lies.

His friends had to be right. Killian had looked through the records at the Royal Library, and no House Swan had ever existed. Then there was the fact that she’d been the one to take his spot on the balcony when they met - a spot most nobles knew to be his favourite. Their meeting was inevitable that way. He’d even left her alone with his books at one ball, and had come back to find her reading one of them! No doubt, she’d taken the chance to look through them all. And finally, she was friends with the barkeep at The Red Wolf, and must have heard about his conversation with his friends during their lunch at the establishment. She’d wormed her way into his head, perhaps even into his heart...

He’d genuinely thought there was something between them. He wished there was something between them. Not something short or doomed to fail, but...

He should just let it go. Let her go. Even if he was wrong about her being a spy, he’d just insulted her in a most terrible way, and she was going home. Whatever it was between them, it wasn’t there anymore.

---------

Of course, Robin would be impossible to find. Of course he was, right when she wanted to go home more than anything else, wanted to scream and to get out of her wretched corset. Instead, she was left to roaming the hall with invisible steam trailing after her.

“My, you look quite upset, Lady Emma.”

That managed to stop her in her tracks, looking to the side to see Lady Zelena with a glass of white wine in her hand.

“Oh, it’s nothing,” she lied, hoping to get away from the younger Mills sister as soon as possible. She’d rather not end up as the newest gossip story.

Then again, it didn’t really matter if she did.

“I’m sure it’s a good bit more than nothing,” Zelena said. The comment should have been kind, but it only sounded like she couldn’t wait for a look into Emma’s mind, so she could pass it on as soon as possible. “It wouldn’t have anything to do with your upcoming departure, would it?”

A few months ago, Emma would’ve been surprised and slightly alarmed that Zelena had already come across that piece of information. But now she knew how fast news reached Zelena’s ears. Even when Emma hadn’t told more than a handful of people about her departure, including Killian.

“Well, yes, I am quite sad to be leaving,” Emma replied, hoping a quick agreement with Zelena would allow her to be on her way.

“It really is a shame. But then again, it seems the knives are about to come out from under the tables, so perhaps leaving is for the best.”

Well, that sounds like an ominous threat more than anything, Emma thought.

“You think someone will end up hurt because of the King’s illness?”

“Oh, darling, we all know it will,” Zelena said, sounding a bit too amused. “So I hope you’re pleased with the goodbyes you and Lord Killian exchanged up there on the balcony.”

“What do you mean?” Emma blurted, though she knew full well what Zelena meant. “Someone’s going to hurt Killian?”

The familiarity of the way she said Killian’s name gave a curl to Zelena’s lips, one she hid behind the wine glass in her hand. “I have no idea, darling.” She sipped at her wine. “But were they pleasant goodbyes? Or is Lord Killian the true reason you look so upset?”

The rules were clear; Zelena wasn’t going to give Emma any more information unless she divulged some of her own. And if Zelena wanted to know about the relationship between Emma and Killian, well, Emma had nothing to lose from letting her have what she wanted.

“They weren’t pleasant, no. Before I even told him I was leaving, he said he wanted to end things - that it didn’t make sense to go any further when the King’s illness is so serious. Likely because I won’t be of any use to him, power-wise.” Emma let it all roll off her tongue. Except for the part of him believing her to be a spy. Zelena didn’t have to know that.

“And what precisely were these things he wanted to end?”

“We only ever talked together. Often alone, and we did nearly kiss once, but we were interrupted,” Emma said, hoping that would be enough for Zelena. Truly, there wasn’t much more to say.

Zelena hummed, as if evaluating Emma’s information. Finally, she spoke, “you’ve missed your last chance for that kiss then. I heard someone’s going to pay his room a visit after midnight. And they’re bringing the sharpest knives they own.” With a final sip of her wine, Zelena smiled. “Have a wonderful journey home, Lady Emma.”

Thanks, Emma thought, letting Zelena leave without another word. The information she’d given was spinning around in her head, threatening to make her nauseous. She may be angry with Killian, but the thought of anyone putting a knife to his throat was like swallowing lead.

Maybe Zelena was wrong. Maybe she was lying. Why would she tell Emma something so significant anyways? Everyone knew Zelena as the court gossip, but Emma knew she was smarter than she let on. She wouldn’t share plans for an assassination without an ulterior motive.

David and Snow were of quite the same mind.

“You can’t trust Lady Zelena,” David said. “She could have hundreds of dark reasons to have told you that, Emma, and it would be best to just forget it.”

What was it with people telling her what was for the best? Killian, Zelena, now David. Emma was getting sick and tired of it.

“But what if she’s right, David? What if someone really is going to try to murder Killian?”

“I... I don’t know.” It pained him to say it, Emma knew. But she also knew he wasn’t telling the entire truth.

“Meaning you’re okay if he dies.”

“No, Emma, of course not!” David exclaimed, hurt that she could even suggest it.

“We don’t want anyone to die in order to achieve our goal, not even King George,” Snow said.

“So why aren’t we making plans to save Killian?”

David sighed. “Because it’s likely a trap, Emma. What other reason would Zelena have to tell you about it?”

“What reason would she have to set a trap for me?” Emma countered.

“Maybe she’s discovered something about you - about us,” David said. “And trying to save Killian will be the proof she needs.”

It was logical, Emma knew that, but still... Killian’s life was worth that risk. She didn’t need to convince David and Snow about that. She probably could have. They were good people, and when they said they didn’t want anyone to die, Emma believed them. But they were likely to be more accepting about Killian’s death than anything bad happening to Emma.

So in the end, when Snow said she’d try to make a deal with one of her contacts, Emma pretended to be satisfied. She bid her and David goodnight, went to her room and closed the door behind her. But she didn’t put on her nightgown, and she didn’t get under the covers of her bed. Instead, she pulled out the clothes she’d hidden at the bottom of the wardrobe when she first arrived. Clothes she could use if she ever needed to escape without being seen. Clothes she usually wore for heists.

The dagger on the nightstand was finally taken from its spot, as were the daggers in the dresser. Emma pulled her hair back in a tight ponytail, and looked in the mirror. She had no problem recognizing herself this time. And as certain as ever, Emma opened the window, knowing this was a job that couldn’t afford any mistakes.

#csbb #cs fanfic #cs ff #my writings #the dancing thief #chapter 8 #time for some more angst!#(sorry)

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ratretro · 6 years

Text

The Heart Beats Chapter 2

Title: The Heart Beats

Pairing: NaLu

Summary: Soulmate AU mashup - Red Strings. Forgotten Dreams. Colors of Gray. Marked Skin. Unfamiliar Names. Soulmates have different meanings for everyone, and Lucy struggles to find the courage to take her next step forward. Will she finally claim her future or will feelings go left unsaid?

Rating: M – sort of??? probably??????

None of these characters are owned by me, they are all owned by the wonderful Hiro Mashima!

A/N:

Old Bullets is on hiatus. Cause I wanna focus on this story tbh

lmao ill update the info on it so everything is fancy official (I have to update my author page anyway lol) more info at the end!! Also, let me send a little love to my girl @petri808 for being the beta for this chapter to make sure my prescription brain didn’t completely destroy it lmao

FF.net - AO3

He watched her carefully from his position near the blender. He didn’t have the best view but the top of her head was visible and he could see brief movements that made him think of what actions she may be taking. Was she laughing, shaking her head, or just listening to each word coming out of her friend’s mouth with intensity.

The pinkette bounced from one foot to the other, wondering what exactly was being said beyond his outrageously good hearing. Behind him, the blender chirped and the whirring of the blade faded as it finished the selected setting. It jolted him from his thoughts, sort of, and reminded him: ‘Hey! I have a job!’. The frappucino was poured into a plastic cup with the typical fluff of whipped cream on top. From there, it was a handoff to Juvia with high hopes she didn’t fumble and drop it on the woman in front of her. He’d originally replaced her on the register so she could go to break but now that she was back he could safely hide in the corner and make the drinks. He could also reply to her.

What did she think he was anyway? Some kind of criminal? He tugged roughly at his sleeves until the blue smudges came into view, ‘Shit!’ She’d give him hell about it later. His eyes flitted around for one of the dirtier rags. It would be gross on his skin, but it’s not like she’d have to feel it. Once he was done all he had to do was scrub his hands down and throw the rag in the designated dirty rags basket. Done. Easy Peazy.

Pen in hand he was ready to respond when a man walked up and stared at the menu. Natsu vaguely remembered that he was sitting at the table with the blonde from earlier, and for one reason or another, that bothered him. It bothered him a lot.

“Of course! Natsu, one strawberry-banana smoothie.” a girl’s drink, in Natsu’s opinion. Though, he could easily be ordering for one of the girls he was with.

“Got it.” He supposed that reply would have to wait.

“You seem… familiar?” the voice was deeper, meaning it must have belonged to the dark-haired male. Was that a pick-up line? If so, it felt like one lifted straight out of a book.

“Juvia thought so as well.” it was the tone that got Natsu. It was higher than normal, and she definitely sounded… excited. Not that he cared about that, he wasn’t interested in her anyway, but Juvia was always gushing about her dreams. Mostly, the man in her dreams. She’d never been interested in a guy until now. She was surprisingly dedicated to a man she’d never met in person.

He lost track of their conversation as the blender once again whirred to life and blocked out most of the general noise of the cafe. The blender had about 2 more minutes left which meant that, if he was quick about it, he could get a response in.

Rude.

I work normal jobs like a normal person.

He was sure she wouldn’t believe him but he didn’t have time for an argument during a work shift. Though, argument was a strong word here. It was more like bickering. They rarely fought, but if they did she’d start drawing on her face in permanent marker. Shit like hearts or the one time she wrote ‘NERD’ in red on his forehead. He just messed up her notes in retaliation.

Natsu wondered, ever so briefly, what kind of girl she was outside of notes. Was she like the blonde sitting 10 feet away from him or was she like the bubbly blue-haired girl next to her? He wanted to meet her. It’d be easy too. Literally, a dab of ink on his skin and he could ask. Yet, he was somehow scared.

He was the punk who got into fights frequently. Who knows how many bruises she had to hide because of him. Once again, his nervous ticks returned. His ball-point pen tapping on the metal counter that held the equipment. His foot tapping incessantly. Nervousness quickly became agitation followed with a groan of disappointment.

Surely, he’d made things difficult for her without thinking about it. Especially, before the point where he’d learned they were even connected. Not that he could help it. Besides, while he had told her he worked normal jobs that wasn’t exactly the case. The shop they were in now was a cover for a mission they were working.

It wasn’t a big job, but all the same, it had to be handled. They just needed some information on a cocaine dealer. That dealer was also working in human trafficking. Mostly women. Mostly sexual. It disgusted him and he’d needed a new mission so he offered himself as the ‘tank’ so to speak. If they were talking game terminology.

Besides, it was legal. They were hired by the police after all. That was how their company worked with most of their revenue coming from the cafe, the bar, and finishing up with the occasional work sent their way by the police.

Personally, he was happy he’d taken this job. After all, it placed him in the same city (hopefully) as his soulmate. Or at least he thought it was. She’d mentioned ‘Magnolia University’ and they were in Magnolia right now. He’d been stationed in a smaller city and jumped at the opportunity to move to the main branch for Fairy Tail.

The chairs screeched as the blonde and her peppy friend stood to follow the dark-haired male as he left with his newly acquired smoothie in hand. They’d mentioned their friend seeing color so they were probably meeting her now. He wished her luck in trying to find whoever her soulmate was. Juvia was having a hard time so he imagined others had similar issues. That caused him a pang of guilt.

“Natsu.” Juvia’s voice cleared his mind and brought him back to focus.

“What’s up?” there was a lull as the cafe emptied; as though they were following the blonde and her group.

“Did you know that Jellal’s back?” no, he hadn’t. Not until now, except that was pretty typical of gramps too. Jellal had been living across the country with his father until now.

“Nah. But you know how gramps is. He doesn’t really explain himself.” he gave a shrug in tangent with his answer.

“Juvia thinks he might work with us on the trafficking case.” she was suddenly back to being soft-spoken even though she had been surprisingly animated with the male from earlier.

“Probably. Didja get that guy’s number?” from the look of surprise, and the immediate flush of her cheeks, he guessed she hadn’t.

In all honesty, they kinda needed the help anyway. Natsu had already been in two brawls since he started two weeks ago. The area was great at looking like a safe middle-class section. But he’d stopped one kidnapping and a mugging since he came here.

------------------------

Lucy hated Blue Pegasus. Hated was a strong word, or so her mom would say, but it was the truth and she wouldn’t lie to herself. She didn’t like coming here for a few reasons. One, her dad caught it on her bank statement and grounded her for a month. Two, the idea and sight of strippers always gave her unease. Three, Hibiki, Eve, and Ren. Her friends called her pure-hearted but they still insisted that she spend her 21st birthday here. So, she did.

Unfortunately.

Her dancers at that time had been Hibiki, Ren, and Eve which was fine until they discovered she was a light-weight. And a touchy one at that. At one point, they became the one receiving the show and she had to be dragged out of the club by Erza, and Levy. Now, every time she saw them she became unbelievably embarrassed.

Coincidentally, this was also where she met Gray. Not on THAT night, but it was a few days after when she’d mustered the courage to come back and apologize to the trio. He worked a different job now, but occasionally he still picked up a shift or two if he needed the extra cash.

“Don’t worry! They’re not here today!” the chipper voice of Blue Pegasus’ owner and bartender rang through the air.

“Master Bob!” surprise was laced in Levy’s voice as she came face to face with Pegasus’ one and only owner.

It wasn’t exactly rare to see the master. In fact, he probably spent most of his waking hours behind the bar even though all of his staff could make drinks and were certified to do so.

“What is my favorite worker doing here on his day off?” Master Bob’s voice was always high-pitched and sing-songy. While most thought it could be annoying, they actually enjoyed it. Master Bob was a happy man, and as such, he exuded that aura which made Blue Pegasus a comfortable location to visit.

Really the only thing preventing Lucy from liking the place was her own humiliation.

“Hello, Master.” a curt nod was given to his direction. He gave her a chuckle and a knowing wave before pointing to the door.

She knew it was Erza walking – strutting – in the door like she owned the place. She didn’t but she exuded the aura of dominance which made it hard to tell the difference.

“Erza--!” A man bumped into the blonde’s shoulder and while she’d normally fight for her ‘honor’ this man smelled like a beer refinery. She opted for silence. It also wasn’t hard to recognize the male as a regular here. Lucy had seen him more than enough times and was fairly certain he was in love with Jenny.

The blue-haired male stumbled a bit and then spread his arms as if trying to remain steady. He did, somehow, before continuing on. Really, nothing about him was attractive. In fact, she thought his appearance, and demeanor, both sucked. He even had a tattoo of an ‘X’ above his eyebrow. Speaking of eyebrows: hideous.

An obnoxious snort rolled from her lips and Levy clicked her tongue. Gray did nothing, as per usual, but his posture had changed to one a slight bit more aggressive.

“Lucy. It’s good to see you.” Erza’s voice wasn’t loud, per se, but it was commanding. Deep, but soft. If that made any sense. It wasn’t something that Lucy herself would put on paper. In fact, she’d probably skirt around the subject entirely.

“Is there a problem?” the redhead drew her back from the contemplation inside her mind: fight or flight? In the end, wasn’t it always flight that won?

“No, everything’s okay. Right guys?” the blonde prompted for answers.

“Yeah. Men with ugly eyebrows definitely didn’t walk off drunk.” Levy’s sass was newfound to Lucy. The blunette wasn’t normally this saucy but she’d been hanging out with some man she’d discovered in a bar a week or to ago. Lucy didn’t know who and Levy wasn’t providing the information so the pair was at an impasse. All she knew was he was ripped with piercings. He looked like the guy her dad warned her about on many an occasion.

“Definitely didn’t run into anyone, either.” Gray’s backup was quick; no hesitation.

Erza remained quizzical for the most part. She gave a casual glance to the man with ugly eyebrows. The redhead really wasn’t too focused on it, Levy had been oddly specific. She tensed as he threw an arm over a woman’s shoulder but, upon seeing it was consensual, she let it go. Truly, it wasn’t the group’s business.

“So, Erza. What’s up?” it was Levy who broke the red head’s thoughts and brought her back to the issue at hand. The blue-haired male disappeared in the crowd which aided in the loss of her attention.

“Yes, I’m actually quite excited.” her face lit up. Though, it wasn’t like a little kid on their birthday. More like, someone who got a small promotion and was celebrated with a beer. I

The group waited in hopes it would prompt her to continue.

“Colors. It seems faded at best but… I can see them.” No one spoke for a moment. Faded could mean one of two things. He was coming near to her, possibly even the same city, or he was passing through on his way out of the area. They all hoped for the former.

“This is a good thing right?” Levy prompted the question. ‘Did she want this?’

“I think so.” Truth be told she wasn’t sure. The thing about soulmates was that you had to meet them in some capacity. It wasn’t like you had to speak to them. It could be simply passing by, a bump on the shoulder, a one-time meeting on the playground as children. You never really know.

Did she want to know a man she could’ve met briefly as a child? Passed by in a coffee shop? She didn’t know.

A/N:

Hello my loves it’s me ya boi back at it again with a chapter I wrote on an impressive amount of prescription medication. Things had to be adjusted more then once and it caused quite a delay in the chapter. (plus that writers block) if you follow my tumblr i’ve been giving updates on the situation and now I should be back up and running unless a plethora of drugs are thrown my way again. Ive got the brain issues and stuff so thats a struggle. Everyone who has been waiting so patiently I appreciate ya fam. I’ve got a question for you guys and I want to see your theories:

What did you catch in this chapter? Did you guys see the little hints I dropped? ;)

I can’t wait to see you all next chapter!

#fairy tail #nalu #natsu x lucy #nalu ff #ft #lucy heartfilia #natsu dragneel #dorkneel #queen #my children #i love them so much tbh #the heart beats #thb

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asecretsummer-rpg · 6 years

Photo

Name: Hunter Smart Age: 30 Sexuality: Heterosexual Gender: Male Portrayed By: Andrew J. West Availability: Closed

“It all sounds so insane… but it sure as hell makes a good story.”

→ Background

Hunter Smart was born and raised in London. He had two sisters. One called Lily and one named Kathleen. Their parents were very loving and attentive. They had a large extended family and lots of pets. They were quite typical, the Smart Family, nothing too outlandish or unordinary about them. Hunter liked his family, he liked how close everyone was. When his sister started displaying strange symptoms, however, caused by an unknown mental illness, it seemed as though their parents (particularly their mother) were unable to cope with her daughter’s deteriorating mental state. The woman just completely checked out and left it up to Hunter and her husband, who wasn’t exactly much better than she was. Hunter did everything he could to be there for his sister but he was also pretty young at the time, they both were, and it was tough on him. Eventually, Lily was sent to a hospital after she attacked a school peer in a fit of rage after just snapping one day, where she stayed to get treated and have therapy and hopefully get to the root of her problems and get her some kind of diagnosis. Hunter expected her to get better, to find out what was wrong, get put on medication, and that would be that. They could all go back to normal. Everything would be the same as it always was, as it always should be.

Then, Lily disappeared. She just vanished completely. Managed to somehow escape the hospital and go on the run. Hunter didn’t understand, for one, how anybody could have let her just walk out of there in the state she was in, or how she had the presence of mind to get out without alerting anybody. He also didn’t understand why she would do something like that. The family waited for weeks to hear from Lily, for her to turn up, but the weeks turned to months and then into years and the youngest of their family was just gone. Hunter did his best to get on with his life, while still holding onto the hope that Lily would turn up one day safe and sound, but it was tough. He missed her a lot as they’d always been quite close, at least before her mental break. He’d been there through the suicide attempts and the breakdowns when their mother or father weren’t and he missed her a lot and worried to the point of making himself ill. Over time, it got a little easier to manage his worry and guilt, and still live. Life went on, as they say. He went on to university, to study to become a journalist, and had a very promising future ahead of him.

→ Back to Baberton

It’s been about six years or so since the Smart family have seen Lily. The last he remembers, she’d turned twenty-three and looked so unwell. He’d thought she’d be in the hospital forever sometimes and that scared him. Though he’s kind of managed to move on, some days are harder than others, and it’s just so maddening that the police can find no trace of Lily anywhere. It’s like she’s vanished into thin air and he honestly believes that she has been killed by some psycho who took advantage of her mentally ill state and left her for dead in a river somewhere or something. He doesn’t believe he’ll see his poor sister again and he really misses her every single day. He’s written countless pieces about his sister too, since he’s a professional journalist now and likes to keep her somewhere in the headlines whenever he can. His boss gives him permission a fair bit because he feels bad for Hunter. He doesn’t mind - he’ll take what he can get.

A few months ago, Hunter was assigned to Baberton, to work on some stories about the crazy happenings in the little town. A lot of other journalists from other papers had been travelling to and from Baberton to get first hand accounts and stories about the serial killers that Baberton have had plaguing them, and Hunter’s boss wants in on the money grab. It’s a huge story now, the killer (killers, if you want to get technical) have been haunting the town for years now and the police seem to be nowhere near catching the psycho. One after another, copycat after copycat, no one had ever seen anything like it.

Hunter thinks it’ll be a good story to get in on, maybe make a bigger name for himself in the journalism world, though his parents worry about him being here since they’re scared to lose him like they lost Lily. They had another child a few years before Lily disappeared and Hunter feels they neglect his poor little brother just a bit, out of guilt or something, and he does his best to be there for the little guy, playing the part of cool big brother though it does sometimes remind him of Lily. His sister Kathleen has kind of kept to herself the last few years. While in Baberton, Hunter has made friends with Evie Baker and Chad Asher, who are younger than him, but they’ve all formed something of a trio and they’re both pretty cool. He’s also been rubbing elbows with most of the locals and some of the other journalists who were sent here too. There’s a story to be found everywhere, after all.

→ What’s His Secret?

Hunter met a girl one night called Cara in a local pub, working behind the bar. Something about her face reminded him of his sister. She looks… pretty similar but he’s done this many times before, latched onto a girl with similar features and obsessed over her, freaked the poor woman out. Cara doesn’t even dress like his sister would so Hunter is pretty sure that he’s just transferring again… but sometimes he just isn’t sure. Is it possible that his sister could somehow have ended up here and that fate would draw him here too? He doesn’t want to get his hopes up just to be let down yet again because he knows it’s more than likely that his sister is dead, but he can’t stop comparing her to Lily.

Over the years working in journalism he’s developed something of a manipulative streak. He’ll stop at almost nothing to get the next big scoop or a massive tip or story before another writer. He’s even slept with other journalists as a way of getting them distracted and stealing their notes and taking their stories. He doesn’t really feel guilty about it either, despite having gotten a girl fired before due to losing the story to him. All’s fair in love, war and journalism... right?

#secrets rp #appless rp #bio rp #andrew j west #takenm

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mazojo · 6 years

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Let’s Play

Sooo if you saw some of my previous posts, you know I've kinda gotten into webtoons and I binge-read another one called Let’s Play and I Looveeee. I will do a spoiler-ish review as of the chapters that have come out so far and and all the images and stuff included are from Mongie, the author of this baby.

Plot

So the plot basically revolves around Sam, who works for her fathers company coding and working on programming but her true passion is creating video games, more specially indie games. She creates this game called Ruminate and its all fine and dandy until super famous youtube Marshall Law plays it and jokingly says it kinda sucks so people and trolls go leave hate on her account so her developer score in this indie publishing website is almost 0.

Sam is disappointed nay this turn of events and tries contacting the company to help her score as its flawed but unfortunately nothing happens. Then we find out super Marshall Law is moving next door to Sam and she flops. He then later realizes how he messed up and as they start becoming friends (slowly but surely!) he is fixed on making it up to her becouse he is a cinnamon roll. There are also other characters involved, from Sam’s gaming crew which is hilarious, to her super hot and sexual tension boss, Charles who is trying to help her grow as a person and as a worker and we also have Lincoln which kinda has a crush in Sam and they’ve been friends for quite a while as Sam helped him overcome his dads death.

The story is funny and filled with great moments, treating also mental health topics and the struggles of Sam discovering she may or may not have feelings for the hotties mentioned above ^^.

Characters

As I did with my Kiznaivers and I Love Yoo reviews, ill list the characters from my favourite to my least (I love them all so it sounds so bad to say the least!) including a song that reminds me of them. I won't list them all as their are many as you can see in the picture above but definitely the main ones <33

Sam

Angels - Owl City

Sam. is. such. a. mood. Like honestly, if you ever wish to know me and who I am as a person and how I work, read this and I am the literal reincarnation of Sam loll. She is very nerdy and suffers from anxiety, sometimes leading her to have asthma attacks. She really cares about those close to her and although she is quite shy and introverted, doesn't doubt the chance to jump in when someone she cares about is in danger. I have no words to describe her but I think I’ve found my long lost drawing form character.

Marshall

Lucky - Britney Spears

Yes, I choose a Britney Spears song for him, is it amazing? Y e s, do I regret it? N o p e. Marshall is just adorableeee. Like he is the literal reincarnation of a puppy and he is much more complex than what it seems? Yeah he’s got this bubbly exterior to himself but deep down he is dealing with depression and anxiety but hides it from anyone, to the point of literally breaking down. He is trying his best at making everyone happy and likes video games and ahhhh ??? I Stan Marshall.

Lincoln

Livin’ on a Prayer - Bon Jovi

Lincoln the embodiment of the dad friend, there I said it. He has such a pure soul and heart and protective aura around those he loves and he is so soft??? He struggled with his dads death and takes care of his brother (which makes a part of the guild Sam is with). He is a little oblivious but other than that Link must be protected at all cost and hopefully finds happiness at the end of the comic becouse if he doesn't I will riot.

Charles

Rude - MAGIC!

Charles is your typical cold but sexy filled with sexual tension moments boss character. He is Sam’s boss and what I love most about Charles is how he wants others to succeed, pushing them their limits to reach their full potential, something I think its quite admirable. Honestly in comparison to the other two boys I haven't connected much with Charles but I still really like his character and hopefully we are able to see more of him in the future!

Monika

Power - Little Mix

The image pretty much describes Monika lol. I decided to include her becouse although she is kindaaaa the antagonist, I feel like she isn't really that bad and honestly, her character is quite compelling. She is Marshall’s girlfriend and a beauty guru, so half of the time she talks about makeup-is things I quite honestly dont understand lolll. However she really cares about those near her and (cues alpha female aura) does her best to protect Marshall becouse she really does likes him, but due to the fame and their worlds they both manage, it makes things complicated at times. I hope she doesn't turn evil or something like that becouse I truly think she is good (or at least up till now) and hopefully she gets a happy ending too ~.

Ships

Sam x Marshall

This was actually so hard to choose! Because I honestly ship Sam with Lincoln just as much but there’s just something about this couple that I just gahhh! They have this chemistry working over them and they complement each other so well too! Like Sam is very perceptive and a good listener while Marshall just fakes a smile every time and I believe she will be the one to notice something is wrong first <33

Sam x Lincoln

AHhHHH I love Link so much?? And how he protects Sam and cares about her is so freaking adorable? I think their mutual support and understanding is what makes it one of the best and Sam clearly has some mixed feelings about him that she repressed for a while in order not to tarnish their friendship but now she knows that he likes her so ??? I hope Link and Sam end happy because they both have to be p r o t e c t e d.

Sam x Charles

As I mentioned before, I don't think I can compare Marshall and Link’s relationship to the one with Charles considering they have had more time together, I believe in the next chapters we will get to see their relationship increase. He is very protective and does whats best for Sam and they have this tension around them which gets Sam all flustered and its really cute. Its not my main ship but I’ll wait and see how things progress in the future.

Monika x Marshall

Okay so this is not one of the main ships and people often don't like this couple but I thought it was important to mention! As I said before, I think Monika is quite a complex character and they are both dealing with their own worlds and problems which may make it hard for the relationship to work and not seem toxic. Still, they both care deeply about the other and I know in the end, they would want to see the other happy soooo we’ll see how it ends ^^

Final Thoughts

I absolutely adoree this Webtoon! I’ll try to review the chapters as they go out like I love yoo giving my impressions and what nots. Here are some theories that I think may happen in future chapters too;

- I don't think I mentioned it but Marshall is really good at drawing and its kinda his passion but he hides it from everyone due to fearing failure. I think Sam in one way or another will encourage him to pursue his dream eventually drawing them closer, and as she needs an artist to help her with her next game, I am guessing Marshall will be perfect for that spot :333

- Charles will definitely appear more I think, most of the “romantic” moments have been with Link followed by Marshall leaving the Charles Stans in need of their baby <33

- I think Angela (one of Sam’s guild member and friend) likes Link?? I didn't talk about her much but in one of the latest chapters she gets flustered by him and I am not really sure? I'll definitely be on the look for that.

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pillowfluffs · 6 years

Text

Soulmate!Wonho // Chapter 8

Pairing: Wonho X Reader (female)

Genre: Soulmate!AU, College!AU, fluff, slight angst, mystery?

Author’s Note: I am so sorry for the long wait, but it’s back! I developed writer’s block whilst writing this chapter so I feel that this isn’t my best chapter and I’m very sorry.. You may think otherwise but this is just from my point of view. I am of course past this block and am working diligently on the future chapters and other works coming soon! I really can’t imagine what my other series’ will be like after? Like this story means so much to me and I love it so much and I’m so happy so many of you enjoy it too! This series only gets juicer from here ;)) So I hope you enjoy chapter 8! And as always, I will be posting a new chapter on Saturday’s 5:30pm Eastern Standard Time (U.S. Time) ((4:00pm Central Time // 2:00pm Pacific Standard Time)) Feedback is greatly appreciated and please look forward to more future works ;)

Chapter 9 is coming out September 15! I’m SO sorry for the long wait ;(( I’m just very busy, but I will NEVER drop this series!

The bright morning sun peeked through the leaves, but the dense amount of trees still made it dark. You were calm as you walked through, the sounds of small twigs snapping below your feet as well as the rustling of the leaves as the wind brushed through singing its song. the cool breeze blew through your hair as you walked through the familiar yet somewhat changed place; new trees had begun growing, some were fallen over which created a new path. You didn’t have a set place in mind, just wandering and wondering what would happen when night fell. “Am I going to die again tonight?” The corners of your lips pointed downwards as your pace slowed down just from this thought. So far, you were trying your best to not think about what just happened with your parents; you knew you would cry from it but you would have to confront it either sooner or later.

Changkyun and Wonho left the Arcrani, each with a bubble milk tea in hand after enjoying their dinner beginning to head back to the academy. He knew Changkyun was right but he couldn’t help the uneasy feeling within beginning to eat at him for not finding you. A silent atmosphere surrounded them as they walked down the sidewalk, more people in the streets and less cars. People were out, going to nearby bars, restaurants, other places due to the fairly warm weather for the first time in forever.

“So do you want to stay at my dorm until the harvest moon? I have a couch in my room so you don’t have to go back and forth.” Wonho offered. The two hadn’t shared a room since they were in elementary school together. Their parents moved houses before middle school and high school but the house they currently lived in now was a final home since their children were now going to go to the same college.

“Are you sure? Don’t you have a roommate?” Changkyun didn’t want to intrude on his brother’s nor his possible roommate, but Wonho did make a good point. “And either way, I’m not a student, would that be okay? Won’t security, like, not even let me in?” He felt weary at his brother’s idea, as well as ill at ease, feeling like he would be intruding on his brother’s privacy considering they hadn’t shared a room in many years.

“No one has roommates in Mapnerry; everyone is fortunately able to have their own dorm but we have a shared bathroom between each dorm though.” Wonho nudged his brother, taking a sip of his drink. “Plus, security won’t mind. The only thing they’ll stop you from is if you didn’t have a student ID and you were trying to get into the school, but I do and they’ll allow me a guest.”

Changkyun contemplated, worried about security. “Alright then, if you say so then yeah, thanks. Plus it would be nice to have some company than me going home and being alone since mom and dad are out in a mission.” The two continued walking, almost near the school.

Time had passed since and Changkyun glanced at his brother as he was a step behind him as they walked next to each other. He had never seen his brother so down and gloomy; his head was down as he walked with one hand in his pocket and a clear pout on his face. He wanted his brother to be happy again but he wouldn’t be without you; you were the solution and he didn’t realize this thought until he began thinking about what Wonho and the headmaster said about you. “Wait a minute,” his voice was clear, his eyes looked straight ahead as he processed the next words.

Wonho looked up to his brother. “What?” his voice was monotonous as he looked up. A small spark of hope ignited within him.

“If the headmaster is experiencing energy surges like us and Y/N has the same power as him, then she must be experiencing these surges too right?” Changkyun’s eyes were wide, feeling great.

Wonho’s eyes grew wide from a realization and his mouth created an “o” shape. “That means we, well the professor can locate her with her energy since it’ll be overflowing,” Wonho’s voice was filled with excitement, he was filled with hope but deep down he knew he couldn’t let his hope get too high unless the professor was unable to.

The two now walked faster up towards the open school gates, seeing some students entering and leaving. The path up was illuminated by torches, held by gargoyles whose horns pointed up as they were in a kneeling position, their horns prominent as their face looked down and their arms held out the torch. They approached the gate; Wonho walked through with ease but Changkyun was stopped at the barrier, unable to enter. The security turned towards Changkyun and approached him to turn him away. “He’s my guest, please allow him entry and exit for the week,” a low voice caught the security guards’ attention. They stepped away and went back to how they were before. “Changkyun you may enter.” The headmaster stood next to Wonho. Changkyun attempted to step through, sticking his hand or as well, now able to step through.

“Thank you, professor,” Changkyun nodded his head. “We also have something we wanted to ask you.” he glanced to Wonho into the campus talking. “It’s about Y/N..”

You wandered aimlessly through the woods, a feeling of familiarity mixed with distance filled you. Nature thrives all around you; bird chirping, singing their morning song, small critters scurried about chasing each other over the fallen leaves. A sudden low growl filled your ears, startling you at first until you realized where the sound came from; your stomach. You began feeling hungry as well as a thirst you weren’t going to be able to satisfy, remarking his words. Hopefully these wouldn’t be too big of obstacles on this journey you finally decided, to the school. If anything, you hoped Wonho would remember you, your own soulmate but you didn’t let your hope grow too high so it wouldn’t hurt too much if he didn’t. “This is going to take awhile..” you thought to yourself as you just walked through, hoping not to encounter another beast as you walked through. “Are my abilities really useless in this world?” You thought to yourself as you slowed down your pace, holding one of your hands up, focusing on the energy you could feel within you, but unable to release it. You could feel the energy inside you that you would usually use for your abilities were full, but no matter how hard you tried, even using different techniques of releasing it, it didn’t work.

He sat before you, his chin perched upon your knee in the cold atmospheric bubble, simply enjoying being in your presence whether you knew it or not. The sound of cars were quite a distance away, only the sound of honking cars and sirens of emergency vehicles whizzing past the abandoned road hidden by the tall trees which led to where the two of you were. Crickets from the nature outside filled the silence. His body was relaxed as his back rise and fell as he breathed, his eyes upon your resting face with his mind clear and body feeling nothing as if he was a blank piece of paper. He suddenly stood up and moved his way towards the door that lead back to his dorm and quickly returned with a pencil and a small black moleskine notebook in hand. He pulled up an old chair but stable enough to hold his weight and opened the small book, flipping through the multiple pages of his drawings of many miscellaneous things, no particular theme until he reached a blank page filled with the natural creme color. “I guess..” He broke the silence with his own voice, although he was unsure himself if you could hear him at all or not, but continued anyways as he slowly began drawing the shape of your head, continuously glancing back and forth. “I never told you my past which was the main reason why I took you..” His voice was a bit soft with the smallest hint of pain, his pronunciation of every word clear as if he was talking to you awake, the sound of his pencil against the paper making short light strokes.

“To start, I-” He struggled to push out the next words mentioning his amazing parents who he loved to the end of earth but he couldn’t causing a searing pain to bloom in his head and his tongue felt as if he couldn’t. Confusion filled him until a numbing feeling fell over him, causing him to stare into space, seeing and hearing nothing, unable to do anything until everything came rushing back to him. “I’m a broken one.. “ It pained him to think back to the fateful day when he lost her two years ago when he was a first year. “It’s cause of me..” He could remember the day vividly, feel the way your tangled hair would get caught in his fingers when he brushed them through it, scolding you in a loving way when you would complain about it hurting but it was your fault for not brushing your hair well enough.

He was awoken from his nap after taking his midterm from the chiming of his phone, ringing with his soulmate’s name and picture on it. He tiredly fumbled out of bed wearing a shirt and jeans, not bothering to change when he returned from the building where the exam had taken place. Someone had attempted to cheat on the exam foolishly which resulted them in being kicked out of the room and most likely sent to the headmaster’s office and having their test terminated which made the test proctors hold everyone there, literally blocking any way out or way in with obice generationem mages to make sure everyone else’s tests were all fair. They were special security called in for special events such as testing since they were very serious and strict about these things. He answered the phone after hearing the ringing for a bit, still groggy as he rubbed his eyes with his index finger and thumb, rubbing out the final bits of sleep.

“Hello?” His voice was a bit lower than normal, filled with sleep as he tried to suppress a yawn.

“Come to the cafe!” The energy filled voice of his soulmate woke him up entirely, no longer feeling. He was her sunshine though she was quite smaller than him, but to him, she was a perfect size to use her shoulder as a rest. “I finished my exam and so let’s celebrate!”

The corners of his mouth turned upwards as he listened intently. “I’ll leave right now~” his groggy low voice was replaced with a bright cheery one, happy to hear her voice after a few days without hearing it since she concentrated hard on studying. He hung up the phone and slipped on his shoes and his long black winter coat, leaving his dorm building and entering the cold white wonderland outside, feeling the frozen air lace against his warm skin.

The sky was washed with gray, watery light illuminating thin patches over the campus in brilliance and seeing the normal grassy area covered in smooth, crip, untouched snow. Winter pine trees covered in snow, making their branches droop lower than normal, making the areas below them much darker. Snow began to fall once again, slowly as he made it to the main avenue, not as busy around this time and streets were empty since there hadn’t been any proper shoveling done by any frigokinesis mages who were able to manipulate snow. Winter trees lined the avenue, shivering lightly in the frosty breese; their denuded forms stood starkly against the snow, almost like charcoal outlines sketched by a passing artist. Along limbs that not long ago were adorned with the vibrant colors of Autumn lies an unblemished white layer. He could feel the tip of his nose and his cheeks were now a rosy pink from the coldness, even though he did his best to hide his face. His hands were tucked in his pockets, balled into fists to keep them warm as his lower half was surprisingly doing much better than his upper half. It wasn’t long until he could see the warm lights of the cafe down the block which fortunately, the sidewalk was much easier to walk through from the steps of other people who dampened the snow which was now melted down to slush. It wasn’t long before he reached the entrance of the cafe, pushing the door to enter to be greeted in the warmest way, literally feeling the warmth of the heat from inside wrap around his cold body, the strong smell of the hot coffee being brewed, trays of warm soup and sandwiches being consumed by the few customers inside.

He scanned through the first level to see her by the window, a book open in her hands but her eyes were glued to the snowy world beyond the glass. She wore a black skirt with black stockings and winter boots, and an oversized sweater with her short brown hair, reaching to the length of her shoulders in a half up.

“Even though you finished testing, here you are reading. Ugh, my soulmate is a bookworm.” His voice caught her attention making her bring her light brown eyes to his dark ones, pretending to be in distress, using his fingers to hold his nose bridge with one hand as the other unzipped the jacket. “What am I going to do with you?” He smiled, stepping next to her in her seat, his hand holding her face as she smiled and nestled her face against his touch. He leaned down and pressed a kiss against her forehead, peppering it after words when he felt one of her hands reached up and held the back of his hand.

“Hehe, I’m your bookworm though,” she had a light tone to her voice, always sounding joyful even when she was upset or tired or sick. She was right however, she was indeed his and he would have it no other way. “Sit, I ordered some drinks and food for us a few minutes ago.” She gestured to the open seat across from her with a kind smile upon her face.

The two sat there, talking about their exams and other things, consuming their meal nicely as they spoke and simply enjoyed each other’s company after what felt like a month of nothing between them. She was an excellent student, though it took her some time to read and absorb things compared to others; she would need absolute silence and focus on whatever she was reading or studying so she turned off her phone the moment she woke up and would study for hours, having no distractions from things like social media or anything. The only distraction for her was him, however. He would miss her and write on his skin, drawing cute small things such as bunnies and hamsters and small animals of the sort to which she would ask him to stop and let her study. As much as he disliked being away and disconnected from her, he stopped. The two were finishing up their warm meals when a white shimmering light had flashed them in the eyes.

“What was that?” He blinked, trying to orient his vision, rubbing his eyes with his knuckles. “Did you see that?” He looked outside, thinking maybe it was a glare from the windshield of a car or something reflecting the sun, seeing the other customers undisturbed by it.

“Yeah, that was weird.” Her eye were being rubbed by her palms as she blinked repeatedly, slowly looking up to focus her eyes on him as he did the same. Just as her vision cleared, the chime of the cafe door caught her attention, seeing two dark figures enter the cafe with what seemed to be ski masks on. “Look,” her voice was monotone, not moving her eyes from them as they slowly began walking toward them, staring into her eyes. Both men were dressed in heavy coats, with black gloves and clothes, though one was somewhat taller than the other. They both possessed broad bodies, seeming somewhat middle aged from their bellies which bumped out a bit.

He turned around, seeing what she was seeing and quickly stood to his feet, sticking one arm out to the side to protect his soulmate if these men were to try something. They seemed to be burglars, yet everyone else in the cafe continued on with their lives, clearly not seeing these men. He tried to call out to the workers as they were usy brewing drinks and making foods, but they didn’t even bat an eye, continuing. “What the… They can’t see them? Or hear me?” They stopped a few yards away from their table in the corner, trapped and afraid to make any run in case these mages were lethal or not.

She slowly stood from her seat, fear beginning to fill her when she saw the smaller man in the back slowly pull out a gun from his pocket, very slowly. She couldn’t let his soulmate die and take a bullet for her, knowing if he did and died, she would feel the pain of breaking everyday. It wasn’t fair to him to deal with it, but she hopes since she was jumping in front, it wouldn’t kill her immediately.

“What do you want? Do you want money?” Her soulmate bravely stood up against the clearly heavily structured men, but blind to the man behind the first one. “Leave us alone!” A gunshot echoed through his ears, looking down to see where the bullet wound had hit, only to feel his heart dropping. He looked down to see her small body falling to the ground, beginning to feel a burning pain growing on his soul, growing hotter by the minutes, feeling his soul. “No, no, no, no, no, no, stay with me.” His eyes grew wide, with his eyebrows raised in shock. He pressed his hands over her wound, seeing her blood through her layers, frozen in the moment, unable to do anything. He looked back up to see the men gone, the door closing behind them. The shrilling sound of a woman’s scream filled his ears. He kept his eyes on her and hers on him, seeing droplets of water on her face, unknowing they were from him. “Stay with me.. Please..” His voice was breaking, his hands covered in her warm blood as her eyes, they began to blink ever so slowly.

The wound was small, yet a great amount of blood came from her. She began to feel weaker and weaker by the second, feeling more tired than pain oddly. It felt as if she had been shot by the sandman himself. Her vision began to slowly haze into blurs, unable to make clear of his facial distinctions she fell in love with. Even the sound of his voice was slowly beginning to blur, unable to hear much except for a constant high pitched ringing.

The two men approached the long black limo, entering it and removing their masks and gloves, touching them away into their pockets as they entered the limo, closing it and locking the doors behind them. “To Mapnerry, Wade, thank you.” The larger male tossed the gun to the side, beginning to pour himself a drink. “Would you like one, Larry?” He turned in his seat, holding up an old fashioned glass.

“No, thank you.” Both men’s voices were monotonous as they spoke, yet Larry felt uneasy. He had the ability to manipulate the senses allowing him to control what others saw or heard or felt, though he couldn’t control his own senses. “Are you sure the bullet didn’t kill her? There seemed to be quite a lot of blo-”

“Larry, I assure you.” He was cut off by his boss. “That bullet was made by me. You shot it in the place I told you. She will not die; she’ll simply be put to in a very very deep death like sleep where her pulse will be so slow, it would appear she died. Our main concern now is him. He will become a very useful piece on our chessboard, but of course, he doesn’t know, nor will he ever.” He poured the alcohol over the ice in his cup, eliciting the sound of cracking. He spoke as if he had done this before, but Larry knew he hadn’t, not for a long time.

“So what will happen to him now?” He sat forward, watching his boss as he sipped on his drink nonchalantly. “What if they find us?” He couldn’t help but worry considering he hadn’t done this in a few years, knowing that his record had just been cleared of any crime. They drove onto the main road, now out of the alleyway and stopped at a red light, waiting to go. It wasn’t long before the flashing red and white lights and the blaring sound of an ambulance were zooming past all traffic, driving straight towards the cafe.

“He will feel broken but won’t be one. The paramedics will take her to the hospital, he will most likely go with them and wait..” The limo began driving forward toward Mapnerry.

“But why are you starting this again? We escaped last time fortunately and now we have a good clean life with our new names and faces. Why?” He couldn’t help but ask, his curiosity getting the better of him.

“Bad habits die hard, and this habit is immortal. It will never die and I will never stop this. Consider me taking over Mapnerry as me scuba diving to catch fish. I’ll only catch the ones I want to eat, but save and raise the most precious fish as my own to sell later.” He laughed at his own simile as they drove into the gates of the school.

He couldn’t hear anything; it was as if everything moved in slow motion. He could feel the slowing of her heart rate through his hands as she continued to bleed out. It wasn’t long before the paramedics came through the doors, bringing a stretcher in with them as they approached the table. A telekinetic and healing mage acted swiftly, lifting her body with ease from the ground and placing her gently on the stretcher and the healing mage with a light orb forming around his hands, beginning to heal her. Other paramedic mages moved with them, placing a breathing mask over her face, her eyes now closed, pressing on the bag valve attached to the mask to ensure she got proper ventilation pressure due to her inadequate breaths. The next thing he knew, he was sitting in the ambulance as they attempted to stop the bleeding and keep her breathing.

“I understand and see your perspective on finding Y/N. While we were in my office earlier, I’m sorry to say, but I was scanning for her ability surges as well, unable to find her. Our best hope is to wait until the moon rises. Until then, I’m sorry boys, I can’t do much.” The headmaster walked into the building, heading towards his office.

The two of their hopes were diminished a bit, but they went after the headmaster. “Wait, Headmaster!” Changkyun called as they passed the entrance, catching up to the professor.

“Yes?” He turned around facing the two brothers whose faces were painted with slight disappointment but were trying to mask it.

“Could we use your arena? Changkyun believes he could beat me.” Wonho rubbed the back of his neck, hoping at least the professor would say yes.

The headmaster’s eyes practically lit up at the idea. “Ooh, of course. I am curious as well.” He chuckled before he raised his hands, allowing the black smoke to envelop their bodies once again. The headmaster sat in the viewing booth, having a clear view of the soon to be the duel between them. The two opened their eyes, each standing on opposite sides of each other in the arena with a clear barrier between them. “Are you boys ready?”

“Ready? I’m not going to hold back anything, brother or not.” A smirk grew on Changkyun’s face as he took off his flannel, tossing it to the side. Bolts of lightning and volts of electricity began to form around his hands, his hair turning white instantaneously.

“Don’t hold back,” Wonho’s voice was serious, lower than normal as he stared into his brother’s eyes, able to feel his energy radiating from where he stood. His eyes, no longer the dark earthy brown it was, but a whiteness took over. Smoke radiating off his body from the heat of fire beginning to ignite below the shin of his arms and hands, a wind circling around him as the ground of the arena beginning to shake and rumble around them.

Everyone got off the ambulance, pushing her on the stretcher, entering the hospital at quick paces as he followed quickly behind, the stain of her blood on his hands. His hearing was in and out, hearing words of them losing her, how she was recovering, but her condition was back and forth.

“At that time, Y/N, I was feeling the utmost pain within me, burning me, breaking me and ripping me to shards on the inside, but I kept it all in. I didn’t let any sign of pain come out because I couldn’t even imagine the pain she was going through. The pain of being shot in the chest along with the pain I was feeling added. It felt as if I was dying inside, my own soul breaking was crushing me from the inside out, but I followed her quietly, until they wouldn’t let me in so I sat there for hours on hours, waiting for an update on her and her surgery, but no one would tell me anything.” He looked to your closed, sleeping eyes, continuing to sketch you easily, thinking back to the torment-filled day, feeling uneasy.

He sat in the hospital waiting room on the edge of his seat with his elbows on his knees, his hands were covered in her blood, feeling as if time was stopped all around him yet the bustling nurses and doctors walking by proved otherwise. He sat there for what felt like hours when only minutes had passed by. His mind buzzed with the what happened moments ago, how worthless he felt when he was already standing before her, protecting her and ready to take anything to protect her, to not let a single scratch be inflicted upon her, yet here she was behind double doors, getting surgery to remove the bullet. He didn’t even see her go in front of him since his eyes were locked on the men, and then thinking about it really made him curious, who had done it and why? After sitting there for a bit, authorities later on and questioned him, but unfortunately, with everything they learned from him, they were still led on to a dead end.

“Boys, you may begin.” The voice of the headmaster echoed within the spacious room as he raised the barrier between them with a switch as he sat back with ease. “Show me what you got, boys.” A smirk grew on his face.

~~~~~

Chapter 1 // Previous Chapter // Next Chapter

Masterlist

#monsta x wonho #monsta x #monsta x scenarios #monsta x imagines #wonho #wonho scenario #wonho imagines #monsta x series #wonho x reader #monsta x x reader #monsta x fluff #monsta x fantasy #pillowfluffs #soulmate au #soulmate #monsta x soulmates

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gretehart · 6 years

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Important Updates: Patreon, Commissions, Etc

Heyo my dudes!!

The holidays are upon us, which means New Years is steadily waiting around the corner to ambush us & steal our lunch money ᕕ(ᐛ)ᕗ With 2019 readying its bat, I've got a lot of plans upcoming, and want to share them with everyone!

These updates are pretty important, so I recommend reading them (or at the very least skimming LOL)

Patreon: $100 goal reached (Again!)

So thanks to Patrons, I've reached back up to my $100/month goal, Which, fortunately for all of you guys, means I will be back on streaming every friday night! This weekly stream will begin starting in the new year, due to the holidays (I wouldnt be able to start before then even if I wanted to) Weekly freebie streams will begin on January 4th (unless something comes up), so stay tuned!!!

And a reminder; if I make it to $250 (the next goal), Patrons can start sending me their requests for freebie stream without having to be present for the stream itself!

Holiday Freebie Stream When?

I know I normally do a christmas/holiday stream just like for Halloween, but I dont have any info on when I will start said stream! The reason being is because Im still waiting to hear from my job what days we may (or may not) have off the week of Christmas and the week of New Year

My idea is to (hopefully) have the stream on the 22nd of December, so it can be all day and not exactly during the holidays (so people have a chance to make it to the stream)

This isnt official yet, but I will let you all know as soon as I can!!

Commissions: Refunds & Break!

(Please read this if I owe you a commission!!)

This is a pretty big change for me, but lately i've been absolutely swamped with work, both in and outside of artwork. Commissions, Patreon Rewards, Trades, and other things have been stacking up and I think its time to take a break.

From now through the rest of the month & thru January, I will finish what little I can on my list, start refunding people their money, and closing Commissions for the time being. Larger commissions will be refunded while smaller, easier commissions will either be finished or refunded as well!

Once those are taken care of in one manner or the other, I will be closing commissions temporarily. I want to start the new year focusing on Patreon stuff & more personal projects. I doubt commissions will be closed permanently, and I may just take a commission every so often during said break, but for the most part they will be closed/on hold!

Of course I will let you guys know when commissions are open, but until then \o/ expect more personal stuff (hopefully!)

Art Trades: Closing/ Close friends only!

This is mostly for artists that agreed to do an art trade with me, and I greatly apologize in advance

I wont be able to finish the art trades with whats all on my plate, and even after clearing out the commissions there will still be a lot to do and I cant handle taking on trades from others. I will be closing trades and leaving them to close friends only ! This may change in the future, and I will let you guys know if thats the case!

Instagram: Made!

So finally after forever of saying I'd make one, I have my official Instagram account up and running!

https://www.instagram.com/gretelynk/

I of course have next to nothing on it, but will work on it more and more through the days and hopefully have a fully functional page going on for those who want to follow me on there! I dont know much about Insta but Ill learn as I go ♥

Patreon/Twitch Discord: Coming in 2019!

Yes indeedy! I will have a Discord server set up for Patrons and Twitch subscribers coming the new year!

I asked a little while ago on Patreon if I should make a server, and a lot of people said yes, so its gonna be a thing! I'm already working out the kinks with the server (with the help of some close friends) With the Discord server, itll be easier to communicate with Patrons & Subbers about new content, streams, and many other stuff!

The server won't be public unfortunately, BUT that may change in the future! We shall see!!

In the meantime, Patrons keep an eye out for the invite link in the new year ♥

More projects coming soon

Honestly I've got a lot planned for 2019 and I really hope to actually flesh them out this time around.

One main thing I want to work on are keychains and charms! Nox and I got materials, a new printer, and even a laminator to make keychains, charms, and other things too! Its something I've wanted to do for a while now, and I think the new year is a good time to finally start!

I'd also like to (possibly) make more cork board designs, since those were a lot of fun to do ~ But thats only a possibility of a project; nothing set in stone.

Another thing I really wanna dive into are my own personal characters & stories. Now i doubt I will have any sort of story/series out, but just to be able to draw my own characters in my spare time would be nice. And who knows, I may have some ideas to flesh out in the near future!

There are some other projects I have in mind but nothing that I can really reveal at this time But stay tuned regardless!!

That should be it as far as updates and important info goes!

I'll be reaching out to Commissioners about their refunds & requests soon

Patrons be sure to keep an eye out for other exclusive updates coming up and to everyone else; you are all amazing and I couldn't have gotten this far as an artist without all of you ♥♥♥

Thank you all so so much

#greteh #gretehart #update #post #important #announcement #commissions #patreon #art trade #instagram #projects #personal

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stacks-reviews · 7 years

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New Releases 11/7/17

Happy New Release Day!

In Books --Descending Stories: Showa Genroku Rakugo Shinju Volume 4 by Haruko Kumota “After Sukeroku’s expulsion, Kikuhiko’s path to stardom seems clear, but the idea of inheriting the Yakumo name is a cold comfort. Sukeroku, disgraced, makes the heartbreaking decision to put his art aside and take responsibility for his new relationship with Miyokichi. As years pass and distance grows, Kikuhiko decides it’s up to him to bring his friend back to the theater. His determination takes him to the country, where Sukeroku now lives with his spirited young daughter. Kikuhiko is ready to stay as long as he needs to convince Sukeroku, but old wounds may come back to haunt them both.”

I haven’t had a chance to pick up volume 3 yet because we did not get a copy in where I work. And I haven’t had a chance to order it yet either.

--Fantastic Beasts Illustrated Edition When I first head about this illustrated edition I thought it was going to be of the movie Fantastic Beasts so I wasn’t very interested in this one. But it turns out it is for all of the creatures mentioned throughout the HP universe. Now I really want this one. Just not sure when I’ll be able to.

--My Hero Academia Volume 10 by Kohei Horikoshi “The League of Villains has kidnapped Bakugo, and the resulting negative publicity has thrown U.A. into a huge uproar. With the public’s trust in heroes threatened, the faculty convenes to figure out what to do. But Midoriya and the students of Class 1-A have plans of their own - an operation to rescue Bakugo that could get them thrown out of school.”

Picking up right where volume 9 ended. Midoriya and his crew try to take back Bakugo but fail. And a few pro heroes are lost in the conflict. After their recovery in the hospital some of Class 1-A devise a plan to legally (meaning without using their powers) to try and save Bakugo. Which sounds like a bad idea all around.

It’s a really good volume that ends on an evil cliffhanger. I need volume 11 but that won’t be out till 2/6/18.

--Perfect Shadow by Brent Weeks “Gaelan Starfire is a careful, quiet, simple farmer. He’s also an immortal, peerless in the arts of war. Over the centuries, he’s worn many faces to hide his gift, but he is a man ill-fit for obscurity.

When Gaelan must take a job hunting down the world’s finest assassins for the beautiful courtesan and crime lord Gwinvere Kirena what he finds may destroy everything he’s ever believed in.”

I HAVE BEEN WAITING YEARS FOR THIS MOMENT. I love Brent Week’s Night Angel Trilogy so when I heard there was a prequel novella I was pretty excited. Until I noticed it was ebook only; after a brief limited printing run that I found out much later on. But after waiting and waiting, it is back in print. Right when I was about to break down and buy it digitally. I am ecstatic to finally have it to go with the others. Now I just wish I had the trilogy in hardcover. I just have them in the mass market paperback box set.

It includes the novella Perfect Shadow and a Night Angel short called I, Night Angel.

--Renegades by Marissa Meyer “The Renegades are a syndicate of prodigies - humans with extraordinary abilities - who emerged from the ruins of a crumbled society and established peace and order where chaos reigned. As champions of justice, they remain a symbol of hope and courage to everyone...except the villains they once overthrew.Nova has a reason to hate the Renegades, and she is on a mission for vengeance. As she gets closer to her target, she meets Adrian, a Renegade boy who believes in justice - and in Nova. But Nova's allegiance is to a villain who has the power to end them both.“

From the author of the Lunar Chronicles series comes a new series. I really like the Lunar Chronicles. I recommend it a lot at work. Though I still need to finish it. Cress (book 3) has been sitting on my shelf for a little while but I’ve been trying to focus on the arcs I have. And have been failing. Anyway, I really like her other series and am excited to try out a new series by her.

--Twinkle Star Volume 4 by Natsuki Takaya “The second semester of school is starting, and Chihiro's kinder attitude toward Sakuya is making her heart race! When he recommends her a book to read, she's positively overjoyed. But on the way home from a night of stargazing with the Star Appreciation Club, Chihiro suddenly approaches her! What does he want to talk about...?”

After this just one more volume of this series should remain. I still haven’t had time to go past volume 1 of this series. I’ve had to put a lot of series on hold while I tried to cut back during the second half of this year. I will pick it back up again someday. Hopefully by next year.

In Movies/TV Shows --Cheer Boys “Catch an exciting new take on the high-flying team sport, inspired by a real all-male squad in Japan. When Haruki Bando and his friend Kazuma leave judo martial arts, no one would have guessed they would turn to cheerleading! Rocking the college campus with a killer routine, these amateurs manage to draw in a crowd and enough new members to compete in regionals.”

I started streaming this on Funimation during its season. I watched about half before I got into another gaming kick and haven’t picked it up again yet. I did like what I saw of it but it probably isn’t my favorite sports series. But I think it is still worth checking out.

--Project Ito: Genocidal Organ “In Genocidal Organ, while developed countries rely on advanced surveillance to free them from the threat of terrorism, other nations are plagued by genocide within their own borders. Strangely, these massacres all link back to one American by the name of John Paul. Special agent Clavis Shepherd is sent to capture the target, but nothing can prepare this soldier—or the world—for the truth behind humanity’s darkness.”

The third and final Project Ito film. At least for now. I have been waiting on this one ever since the films were announced. I did watch Empire of Corpses and enjoyed it. Though I need to rewatch it soon because when I first watched it I was exhausted from work and kept having to rewind cause I kept nodding off for a few minutes at a time. I finally picked up Harmony a few months back but haven’t had time to start it yet.

--Revolutionary Girl Utena Set 2 “Utena and Anthy have become close during their time as roommates. So when Anthy casually mentions she has a brother, Utena can’t help but feel shocked. She thought she knew Anthy, but the longer she and Anthy are friends, the more she discovers she doesn’t know. What other secrets could Anthy be keeping? However, Utena won’t have time to dwell upon such matters. A new group of duelists has emerged from the shadows. These new challengers wear black rose signets and also seek revolution, but their methods are different than those of Ohtori’s Student Council. They don’t wish to possess Rose Bride. They are want kill her.”

Set 2 of the 20th Anniversary is now out. Contains episodes 13-24 of this great series. I have only seen it once all the way through. It is one of those series that you’ll have to watch over and over to get all the references and to catch all the imagery it contains.

--Westworld S1 “Set at the intersection of the near future and the reimagined past, explore a world in which every human appetite, no matter how noble or depraved, can be indulged without consequence.”

Season 1 of this series is out today. I don’t have the channel that it is on so I haven’t had a chance to check it out yet. I’ve heard nothing but great things about so I can’t wait to try it out sometime. Though I would like to watch the movie it is based on before I try out the show. I have heard the soundtrack before because we used to have it as an in-store-play where I work. It is an awesome soundtrack. It was a staff favorite and we played it a lot.

--Your Name “Mitsuha and Taki are complete strangers living separate lives until they suddenly switch places. Mitsuha wakes up in Taki’s body, and he in hers. This occurrence happens randomly, and they must adjust their lives around each other. Yet, somehow, it works. They build a connection by leaving notes for one another until they wish to finally meet. But something stronger than distance may keep them apart.”

Was very disappointed when this came out in theaters because it never came anywhere close to where I live. I don’t think it played anywhere in my state for that matter. I did pick up a copy because I want to know if it really is worth the hype. I haven’t watched it yet because I decided to wait till my friend and I could get together to watch it together.

There is a standard version (DVD and a combo pack) as well as an LE. The LE, “contains two-piece double-sided collectible chipboard box with rainbow holographic finish.” Like what they did for Death Parade’s LE. Which both are nice but makes me nervous that it would fall out if I picked it up wrong. It also comes with a 60 page art booklet, an art digipack, and a two disc OST. The second OST is shorter. It has five songs; if I remember correctly, that are sung in English by RADWIMPS.

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hillbillyhippiemusicreview · 4 years

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Post #45—Interview with Addison Lea Thompson

Hey all you hillbillies and hippies! I hope you’re doing well out there in Quarantine-Land. If you’re anything like me, I imagine you’re getting antsy for some live music to soothe your soul. Thankfully, during this time, a lot of artists have been putting out new tunes for us to enjoy and alleviate the blues. Speaking of new tunes, one of our favorite HHMR alums—Addison Lea Thompson—joins us today to discuss life and music during the shutdown and what the future holds.

L: Well, hey there King of Honky Tonk Loud Nation! How’s this quarantine been treating you with no bars to play on?

ALT: It has been a blessing and a curse. Any one that knows me, knows I live for road life and touring. My friends and family are probably going nuts being around me, having not been on the road for a while. However the upside is I am able to get back to my original love and help out on the family ranch, I have also been able to do a lot more writing recently as well as put a lot of effort into a new album that we have in the works. So, overall I’m doing well, but damn am I ready to be back on the road.

L: I love the road myself, so I can imagine you’re as stir-crazy as I am! How do you keep busy when you’re off the road?

ALT: I love the ranch life so you can usually find me perched on a tractor or fixing fence or one of the thousands of other things you need to get done on a cattle operation. When I am not doing either of those things I absolutely love to hunt and fish. I have been an outdoorsman my whole life, and I do my best to take time out of my schedule to go drop some flies on a river or go chase some Elk in the mountains.

L: So, you’ve been rather vocal on social media about your need to honky-tonk during this time of economic shutdown. Finally, it appears the music scene is opening back up. What was your first show post-quarantine like? Was it anything like you expected? Any remnants of days gone by left?

ALT: It was absolutely great to be back! There were some odd things that I am still getting used to, such as the social distancing guidelines in the venues and all. I’ll also admit that I was rusty as hell the first three songs, but man oh man I got into the groove on a “Dixieland Delight” cover around song number four and it was like being back on a horse you love to ride. I was back in the groove and back to doing what I love. I personally think we will be back to normal in the future.

L: Hopefully you are right and the scene will be hoppin’ again before long! When you’re able to tour regularly again, where would you like to play?

ALT: All over! Hahaha, in all honesty thats the answer. I have toyed with the idea of doing the western United States route I love doing so much, but I have also been super bummed that we had to cancel so many Midwest dates, and I really want to make those up as soon as possible because the folks out there have always been so amazing to me over the years. I also want to be able to share the stage with as many of my friends in this business as I can. I think some gigs with The Comancheros, Billy Don, Jeff Hopson, ole Uncle Dallas and so many more will be a well needed cure. Our plan is once its possible to set up a tour we are just going to hit as much of the U.S. as we can as quick as we can.

L: Most artists have their favorite venues to play whilst on the road and have that “Mecca” of a location they aspire to play. Where’s your favorite place to play and your dream venue?

ALT: I honestly don’t have a favorite, because there have been so many over the years that I have come to know and frequent. I will say the Moose Bar in Dillon, MT will always have a special place in my heart, because it is where I got my start, and it will always be my home bar. That was where it all started. My dream venue without a doubt is Billy Bobs Texas. I make a point to go grab a beer there every trip I make to Fort Worth. I’ll sit there and stare at that stage for damn near an hour and just keep saying “One day, Addison.” I know that sounds cheesy as all get out, but it’s sort of my cheesy moment I can always look at on a rough day.

L: That’s certainly a great—and reachable—goal, and I admire you for respecting your roots. What made you decide to start playing and writing music?

ALT: Music has always been a part of my life, I started piano at a very young age, I was in my school band, I was in the church handbell choir, church vocal choir, and the list goes on forever. I was the weird kid in high school wearing band tee’s and flannel, blasting classic country and rock through my headphones between classes. I was sort of just doomed from the get go. I’ve always written as well since grade school: short stories, comic books—I’ve got stacks of novels I never finished writing, poetry, again you name it! So, basically the two just came together somewhere in high school.

L: I can relate to the notion of being doomed from the start! The lyric “Way back on the radio dial, a fire got lit inside a bright eyed child” is my truth. When I started writing, I always made it a point to incorporate my life experiences. Can you elaborate on how your experience as a cowboy influences your writing and the stories you tell.

ALT: It’s my world. I have covered a lot of miles and met some amazing folks in my short life, all because of being a cowboy. It’s a unique world with its own culture, and that culture is so much of who I am and where I come from (Not to accidentally quote my own song there haha). You write what you know and I know the cattle ranching world and rodeo world. I always have felt if I tried to be anything other than myself and what I know in my music, people would know in an instant moment that it was fake.

L: It’s apparent from your music and lifestyle that you are very real—your music alludes to all things cowboy and western. So, what does the phrase “Heavy and Western” mean to you?

ALT: To me it means that I’m hanging out with my buddies “The Comancheros" and there will be a lot of talk about classic rock and Star Wars happening hahaha.

L: That’s a solid answer! Love those Comancheros! When I reviewed your most recent release, Western Sky, I focused a bit extra on two songs full of western imagery, yet with quite heavy undertones: “Towards the Light” and “Single Barrel Hell.” I was particularly drawn to the stories woven throughout the lyrics and I related deeply given my past with mental illness and suicide attempts. You mentioned I was the first to get the meaning behind them that didn’t know what they were about. Can you expand on your inspirations behind the songs?

ALT: For sure! Suicide awareness/prevention is a cause near and dear to my heart. I have lost several friends to it, I have my own personal experience with it, and I think there is a need to shine a light on what I personally think is a very “needed to be discussed subject”. I never went into the writing of either of those songs with the mindset of “oh, I’m going to make this big point about the subject”. I just wanted to tell both of these stories. One is the story of a combat veteran friend of mine, and the other is a collection of stories that are about a lot of people that have been through the same situation.

L: It’s a great cause to highlight and every bit helps to end the stigma. Where can your fans see you play those songs next? Also, where can they connect with you on social media?

ALT: Right now due to the current situation with Covid-19 we don’t have the normal solid schedule I like having, I will be trying to do more Facebook live feeds, and as soon as we get live shows booked everyone else will be the first one to know as soon as I know. You can catch me on the inter webs at Addison Lea Thompson on Facebook, @addisonleathompsonmusic on Instagram, and @AddisonLeaMT on Twitter. Or you can of course go to www.addisonleathompson.com

L: Speaking of social media, what’s your viewpoint on it and the effect it has on the music industry?

ALT: You know it is a blessing and a curse. It is a blessing because unlike back in the day, you can access a large crowd very quickly and find your market very quickly. It makes it easy for people that enjoy your music to stay up to date on whats going on. You can get the word out about shows, a new record, new merchandise—you name it. The only downside is you don’t want to get carried away using it as a platform for things that might not really effect your music. I make it a pretty solid rule to not post about touchy topics, because at the end of the day, people should be able to believe in what they want to believe in and it has no effect on me.

L: I can get behind that. It’s been a blessing to stay connected with new music lately. I’ve heard through the grapevine, namely via you, that there are new tunes on the way. What can you tell me about this project?

ALT: It will be sonically unlike anything I have ever put out, but also reminiscent of both of the previous records. I wanted to go different than what we have done historically on this record, and we have made that point key in the process. We are drawing on a lot of influences and ideas I have always had, but never pulled out of the bag. It has been an absolute blast working on the project and it will feature some awesome co-writers on some of the songs, all who are good friends of mine. In my personal opinion lyrically, this album is the best songwriting I have done to date.

L: I’m excited to hear it! Now, time for some lighthearted questions to get to know you better. You’re obviously quite talented in the music realm, but what would you consider your most useless talent?

ALT: I know a lot of good dad jokes, and I am excellent at being one of the most technologically impaired people on the planet.

L: Dad jokes are quite nerdy, but other than that talent what is the nerdiest thing about you that fans may not know?

ALT: I am a HUGE American Civil War history buff. I can’t tell you how many damn books, documentaries, and artifacts I own from the era. When I was 13 my folks let ME pick a vacation destination for the summer, big mistake on their part because I totally picked three days touring the Gettysburg Battlefield.

L: That’s awesome! It’s one of my favorite eras in history, too. So, it’s time for the final question—think hard. We at HHMR love to ask artists is what they perceive their spirit animal to be. So, what is yours? And why?

ALT: North American Bison, the main reason I say that is that it is an animal I am obsessed with. The necklace people always see me wearing is a Bison necklace. They are an incredible animal that just enamor me so I am personally going to say Bison. Ask my family and friends they’ll probably tell you an old mule, since I’m so stubborn.

Well there ya have it folks—the man behind the music is quite the interesting feller! But, I think I may be able to outdo him on the dad jokes...

What did the buffalo say to his son when he left for college? Bison!

On that note, I gotta go, buffalo. Y’all be sure to stay connected with all things Addison Lea Thompson via his social media. In the meantime, brush up on your puns so you can challenge him to a Dad Joke Duel and tune into the Facebook live shows until we can meet again in person. Stay safe and healthy. I’ll see y’all down the road.

Peace, love, & music

—Lyssa

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