#i'd fear for an art block rising

[iceclew]

Hahaha, don't mind me I'm perfectly OK, definitely did not delete 3 hours of text editing to the markiverse comic I am struggling with for more than a month now hahaahahah (┛ಠДಠ)┛彡┻━┻

And I could be going to bed early, but I would be feeling like shit since I would have felt like I was totally fcking useless this evening, and so instead I did another sketch my dear markiverse enthusiast suggested. And an old sketch I didn't finish, and now I just bearly/badly censored it, lol...

Aw shit - I just realized I misspelled Sensei...sorry guys.. don't kill me

[thebluestbluewords]

Retro-Red

Hi friends. Enemies. Reluctant allies.

It's been a long time since I had a really impassioned rant about the silly logistics of these silly dcom movies that I love so much. But never fear! I rewatched the first 20~ish minutes of Rise of Red the other day, and I've come back with some more thoughts about Red's outfits. 

Mostly that she DESERVED a silly retro vaguely 80s-90s outfit after the time travel.

My visual art skills aren't up to the task of drawing her a new outfit from scratch, but I love silly retro clothes AND dissecting costumes, so I'd like to present some ideas on how to 80s-ize Red’s costumes post time travel.

Main outfit: I really don't love her main outfit - I think the materials look cheap. Her jacket has fun weird sleeves, but they're not easily identifiable as "2020s fashion", and I feel like the costume designers leaned a little too hard into making the outfits look like what they thought "edgy fairy tale fashion" would look like, and not hard enough into making them fit the descendants style that was already established by the last three movies. I’d hoped for more of a distinctive wonderland vibe- maybe a more dramatic fantasy top, or mixing in some color that isn’t just the same matchy-matchy shades of red and black. Give her some white and yellow details maybe?? Or at least let Red visually rebel through her clothes by giving her a look that’s different from the rest of wonderland- make Wonderland vintage, and Red modern! Give her something to make her stand out, not blend in with her mom! Red outfit (the second picture) I actually don't hate this one. She's kind of working the coordinated athletic set look, which as best I can tell is still a trendy 2020s teen look! She's got enough impractical studs to read as VK-style, but not so many that I question how she was walking around set. (cough-chloe-cough) 

side note: I never want to bash a plot-significant shoe choice, but seriously. These are.....bad. 

How is she walking around in these?? The stones on the bottom are doing to give her no traction. I love a glittery shoe as much as the next girly, but these look like a pair I used to own during my middle school days, not a pair fit for a princess. I’d rather see Chloe in some materials meant to genuinely imitate iridescent glass, rather than regular silver rhinestones. Something like these:

(Sporty and coordinated feels like the ideal Chloe vibe, and as best I can tell, that means immaculate un-creased sneakers)

BUT!! My biggest complaint about the costumes in this movie isn't actually about the costumes we did see- it's about the costumes that we were TRAGICALLY DEPRIVED OF SEEING. 

Red and Chloe DESERVED 80s/90s inspired outfits to wear after the time jump, and I’m here to deliver some very accurate and normal ideas for what they COULD have worn!!

consider this a reference image: what Red and Chloe were actually wearing around Merlin Academy.

Red’s general vibe- she’s got the big jacket, the layers, and a sort of cool-girl-slacker vibe.

I think we can make her jacket More 80s. She needs bigger shoulder pads! Her sleeves are big in her modern clothes, but they’re big at the end of the sleeve, not the shoulder! Give this girl VOLUME.

once we’ve got the shoulder pads in place, we need to think about color variation. Colorful details are FUN. They give IMPACT. They bring in the mismatched, retro vibe. Imagine the first Big Shoulder jacket with pink and red collar details- adorable! In character! It ties Red visually to Bridget! And if she needs a sportier look, well, the tri color leather is also a solid option.

Red’s canon pants are cut pretty tight, and I think we can roll with that!! #giveredstirruppants

If she needs the color block vibe, giving her some stripes with the heart cutout (probably not rainbow, but maybe a red/pink sort of look??) would fit the vibe, make her pants look different from her modern outfit, and still look distinctively Like Red.

Alternatively, give Red Big Detailed Vintage Denim. It would work for her too-cool-for-school vibe. Also the heart jeans are Extremely Cute.

For accessories, I want Red to go bigger with her hair. Claw clips are trendy in 2020, but they were ALSO a 90s trend, and giving Red a little half-up claw clip as a time travel alternative to her space buns would have been CUTE.

for Chloe’s look:

Big hair is ESSENTIAL TO ME. GIVE CHLOE CURLY RETRO BANGS. SHE NEEDED THEM. LET ELLA CUT THEIR HAIR TO MATCH IN A DRAMATIC BONDING SCENE. LET HER OFFER TO TRIM BRIDGETS SPLIT ENDS RIGHT AFTER AND EXPERIENCE THE INTIMACY OF HOLDING A BLADE CLOSE TO ONE ANOTHER’S NECK.

(I am. So normal. About them.)

as the sporty fencing queen of my heart, Chloe deserved to wear leg warmers. Preferably with jeans (because oh dear god what a trend), but they would’ve been cute with color coordinated leggings too. She needed these. They could have had crowns knitted into the cable pattern. They could have had GLITTER. Or pompom appliqués of a princess figure holding a cheerleading pompom. We could have had it all!!

speaking of sporty looks, I think Chloe would have looked adorable in a vintage varsity jacket. She could’ve had her dad’s old school jacket! There could’ve been a whole moment where she had to scramble to justify why she had it! More Charming family bonding!!

But if we want to stick closer to her canon look, Chloe is wearing a quilted jacket. The ambiguously historical 80s-90s had quilted jackets. Chloe could rock one of these. She could color coordinate it with her leggings!!

I don’t have a conclusion to this rant (this is a lie) (I have so many images of high fashion 80s prom gowns that the girls COULD HAVE WORN TO CASTLECOMING) but in not-really-conclusion, give these movies More Goofy Vintage Looks!! Adding a bigger costume difference between the modern Auradon Prep scenes and the historical Merlin Academy scenes would have gone a long way towards improving the overall costuming of the movie.

[jessica-caillte-jessicannot-draw]

Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster

Disclaimer-the pictures used belong to Capcom's Dead Rising series. I am using said images as examples to illustrate my opinions

I'm delighted to see one of my all time favourite games coming back! It looks like they did an excellent job! They seem to have fixed issues that frustrated me in the original like the survivors blocking each other from getting up onto that ledge near the safe room vent and screwing up my time for completing the other cases. If there is any time left in development before release (even post release) I hope they will change a few things.

Firstly, I'd love the option to switch between the new voice actor for Frank and the original T.J. Rotolo. It will be exciting to see what the new voice actor will bring to the table; his take on the character should be given a chance. I can't form a full opinion on the new voice yet based off the few lines in the trailer. It seems to have a playful tone and great delivery from what I listened to. However, there should be the option to choose between the new and original in my opinion, and I don't mean the reuse of audio from the original, I mean bringing the original voice actor back to redo the lines for the remaster.

T.J. Rotolo's version of Frank West will never not scream badass to me. His voice is distinct; it's a key part of keeping the charm of the original character and game intact for this remaster since Frank is the main man. I would genuinely spend another 30 to 50 euro more on top of the games current pre order price if they would bring T.J. back to redo his lines. Once again, having the option to change between the new and the original Frank voice would be awesome. I say this as I fear this choice to replace the main character's original actors will carry over should they choose to remaster Dead rising 2. What if Peter Flemming will no longer voice Chuck Greene?

As for the audio/soundtrack, I hope they include that most recent version of "Justified" By Sean Lacefield. Drea's incredible vocals wouldn't go astray either! I can't listen to it and not visualise the concept art of Isabella holding onto Frank amongst the horror. Badass. I rocked out to that tune during my teens. It's a gorgeous song and the series would not be the same without it.

No your honour, I didn't simultaneously rock out to "Justified" and write a whole assignment on why Frank is one of the best characters in all of gaming during my college days.😂

Am I a game design or voice acting expert? no, just someone that loves the games and the characters. That being said, others seem to share my opinion on including T.J.'s version of Frank's voice so I'm not alone in thinking this. It takes something away without him there. This is a beloved game; I'm allowed to be sentimental and worry about a repeat of mishandling of Frank's character like Hank East. This game and it's characters are iconic and should be handled carefully.

See below for Frank's reaction to my ranting ;-;

My second point is more time should be devoted to Frank's design. Brad and Jessie are polished but faithful to their original designs. Frank's hair line should be brought down slightly. Just enough so that he mirrors the Frank we know from the original.

My main argument for this is because he looks like his older self from later in the timeline, that being off the record and or case west and he's not that age yet. The receded hairline and wrinkles shows time has passed and creates a sense of progression for Frank's character -older and battle hardened. Case west era Frank's still kicking it and fighting for survival with the parasite/infection in him daily all these years later. Dead rising one's Frank just isn't there yet. So to reiterate, it's too soon in the timeline to age him up. I think Frank is slightly cartoonish in relation to the other main characters e.g Brad, Jessie etc. Frank's remaster model has intricate detail and looks amazing, no doubt about that. The design just needs to be tweaked a little as it strays a bit too much from the original in my opinion. I just don't feel he looks like THE Frank West. If you compare Frank face to that of the other characters, he feels a little out of place with the overly exaggerated hairline. One thing I love about Frank is that he's not your typical poster boy, not toned, idealistic, young etc. The original Frank was that nice balance between the two and looked like your average guy.

am I discrediting the amazing work they have done on this remaster? absolutely not, I'm just keen on Frank feeling like he's actually Frank West in this remaster of the game.

-Jessica-Caillte-Jessicannot-Draw

❤❤❤🤘🤘🤘

[kyberconfessions]

A/N: Hey guys, I've got no excuse, life happened and shit happened and I lost some dear people. Hopefully I can make it up to you in more chapters. New Moodboard art by the wonderful Saradika. As always, this is a 18+ older fic and deals with anxiety, death, sex,  PTSD, murder, loss, found family, Order 66, and coming to terms. This is not just a fluff fic. It will very much be dealing with very dark and hard themes, so please, if that is something that can be too hard for you, don’t read.  Pairings: Rex x Reader x Cody (polyamory) I should say this is NOT a Rex x Cody fic. There will be ZERO Clonecest on this blog or story. Reader is a consensual relationship with Rex and with Cody. Yes they share, yes they will eventually have sex together, but Cody and Rex are NOT in a relationship nor will they be intimate. TW: Death, Murder, infanticide, death of the Jedi, PTSD, Loss, Anxiety, eating disorders, sleep disorders, Order 66, sex, m/f, PiV angst, but ends in fluff. I will add other things as I think about them

No Matter Where You Go, I Will Find You.

Part 6 - Confessions

You laid in your bunk, half curled up against Rex's side, half laying on top of him, basking in the afterglow. The small bed was not quite big enough, but neither of you complained, content to be as close as you could be.

It was dark inside, the few dim colored lights flickered, casting soft shadows onto his skin.

You could hear the rumble of your ship's engine, low and soft against the vast emptiness of space, and the quiet beeping from your mousedroid, already in stasis. The others had gone planetside, but you and Rex chose to stay up in the thermosphere, wanting some precious time alone.

The recycled air blew on you and him, causing goosebumps to rise on his shoulders, but he didn't say anything in discomfort, too lost in you.

Rex lazily ran his fingers up and down your shoulder and arm while you pushed your face farther into his neck, arm thrown across his barrel chest.

"Rex?" You whispered against his skin, sleep prevalent in your voice. He hummed in question and bent his head down to kiss your crown.

"Is this a dream?"

You felt him stiffen at your words before both of his arms came to grip you tight. He held you against him for a few moments, content to hold you as close as he could.

You sunk in closer to him, reveling in the contact. It had been so long, so very long. And you never wanted to lose this. Neither did he.

"Cyare, if it is, I'm never waking up."

You smiled, placing small, sleepy kisses on his skin.

"I missed you so much, Rex. I never thought...I never thought I'd ever see you again. I thought I lost you like...like..." You couldn’t bring yourself to say Cody’s name. Thoughts of him started playing in your mind, memories of his kiss, his laugh, his touch; but then your treacherous mind brought up the memory of him ordering your death and how cold and heartless he sounded as he tried to kill you.

You rolled over slowly and rubbed your eyes, waking a bit before sitting up. The happiness you had from earlier suddenly turns to melancholy - thick and sticky in your throat; you move away from him, trying to force yourself to not go to those dark places. Your knees come up to your chest and you lean against them, head in your hands, fingers tangled in your hair. You try to remember your meditations, try to ground yourself in your breathing to let this moment of fear pass.

Rex, unsure what caused the change, sits up as well, back against the small wall and head ducked so he didn't hit the ceiling and your little trinkets.

"Talk to me, Jed'ika. Don't block me out.'

He leans forward to put a tentative kiss on your shoulder, before rubbing his hand up and down your back. It's an awkward position, the bed and cubby much too small for him, but he doesn't mind.

You're quiet. A moment passes, and then another, and he feels small tremors in your shoulders, letting him know you've started crying.

He sighs through his nose, eyes full of concern. He hates that he can’t comfort you now like he used too. When you got like this, it wasn’t uncommon for him and Cody to just hold you at night. You had done the same for them countless times.

Softly he whispers your name and tries to bring you back to reality.

"Sweetheart, please, talk to me. Don't go where I can't follow."

"I went to Mandalore." You whispered, barely loud enough for him to hear, but he did.

Rex felt the blood drain from his face and his stomach drop. His hand fell away from you, unsure of what he should do now.

"I went there to look for you. After...after Master Kenobi and I went to the temple. After we escaped. After he...after he tried to stop that...monster, that thing, that took Anakin, that killed him, on Mustafar. I went there and searched for you. I searched for all of you. I knew it'd get me killed, but I had to see you, just once more, even if you were the one who killed me. I looked everywhere. But it was just....it was ash. And dust. And blood. But there was no sign of you, of Jesse, of Ahsoka, of any 501st soldier. You were all gone. And I couldn't find you. And I couldn't find Cody. And then I couldn't find anyone in the Force. They were all gone, everyone, just gone. I was alone. I was so alone. And Hondo, he tried to help, he did, he tried so hard, but I didn't, I didn't know what to do, Obi-Wan was gone, Ahsoka was gone, everyone was gone and Maker Rex, there was so much blood. Everywhere I went there was blood. So, so much blood and death in the Temple, in the halls, in the rooms, bodies everywhere, my friends, my family, they were all dead, strewn across the grounds like they were garbage, bodies of, of, of younglings!

"Younglings, Rex, they, they, they were just slaughtered like, like animals, scattered in the council chamber, and the Halls of Healing...I can still smell it, I can still smell that burning, fetid, sweet stench... and The Corrie, oh Maker the Corrie...they locked it up, Rex, they locked it up and, and, and burned it down. Everything that was important or precious to The Order was burned. Everything was destroyed. And the Clones, it wasn’t their fault, it wasn’t them, they never would have done this, but it happened and we were hunted down like wild animals by men we trusted; Fox he, he killed so many of us and he loved it, he laughed, Rex, he laughed and he was my friend....and Padme, gods she tried, she tried Rex and ...she...she died...in, in, in my…"

You were sobbing out, choking on your words and breaths, crying at the memories you endured... Finally, you swallowed down a deep, shuddering breath, cutting off your ramblings.

When you closed your eyes, you could see Padme’s face, so serene in death after struggling to birth her children. You pushed the heels of your hands into your eyes, pushing in hard until little bursts of light lit up the darkness, trying to stop the memories. But you could still feel the weight of her lifeless body in your arms. You could see the bloodied corpses littering the floors of the temple; children, friends, teachers, people you knew and loved.

You could see Anakin, still just as handsome as always, but those horrific, yellow eyes that now haunt your nightmares, glowing; that evil that had taken over, clawing at you. You could see him slaughtering the younglings hiding in the Council Chamber, scared and crying, praying for a Master to save them. You could feel the heat of Mustafar and hear him screaming his hatred at Obi-Wan and could smell the putrid, burning flesh of his body as you helped your broken Master up the rocky incline.

And you could see Cody, see him smiling at you, full of love and happiness, hear him whispering his love to you as he handed Obi-Wan his saber with a laugh and you could feel his hands on you as he helped you up onto the varactyl.

You could hear him give the order to shoot you down.

The blanket that pooled in your lap had a growing wet spot from the tears that slipped around the heels of your hands. You took a moment, fingers digging into your hairline and scratching hard, hoping the pain you caused yourself would give you something to purchase on better than meditation did. You took a breath, and another, and another, swallowing down air.

"I've done things, Rex. Things I'm not proud of. Things no Jedi should ever do. I've killed people. I've slaughtered them. I'm no Jedi. Not anymore. That young girl died with Kenobi."

You fell quiet again, eyes closed and head slumped forward with your hands once again tangled in your hair, trying to control your ragged breathing and emotional spiral.

Rex reached out again, slowly, gently. He pulled his hand back for only a moment before gripping your shoulder with a firm touch and pulling you to him. He knew you better than anyone. He knew you didn't need feather-soft touches that dance on the skin. He knew you didn't need to be treated like delicate glass, you needed a firm, strong touch, something to ground you in reality. As soon as your cheek hit his shoulder, you crumbled into sobs, horrible, open-mouthed cries that threw spit and tears all over his tanned skin. He pulled you closer and positioned you to sit in his lap, wrapping one arm around your waist and the other with his hand on your head.

Gently he rocked you, humming some nonsense tune that he made up on the spot. He held you as you cried. Everything you had held in since that night came rushing back. Everything you stopped yourself from feeling as you watched your Master grow smaller and every nightmare you had where you felt Cody fire at you to kill you, everything came out. And Rex was there to hold you through it.

“I have you, sweetheart. I have you.”

[boyakishannarrative]

The room was silent, still even. It'd happened again, she was sure of it. Anger placated as the knight looked down to her. "who art thou child?" She drew blade, longer and stronger blocking her. Steel meeting flesh, fury falling to behind her. "Oh knight. Tell me. What are thous tenets?"

The knights looks at the girl, despite her small stature, a righteous fury blazed behind her eyes. He halted. Considering his words. "Protection. Loyalty." He decided, he chose not to say a third one. Since, well it didn't exactly apply.

Her head tilted. Definately happened again. She caressed the flames, heat flickering into her palm as the blades still held. "so tell me. Would a mistress of a home of those who'd lost those of older positions in a child's life were to abuse those impure. Would she be... Reprimanded? Would the children be moved? Or say our Knight Reginald and his inner circle of knights. If he... murdered someone. Or our Knight Orion, I'd he massacred entire communities of Hybrids. Would he per say lose his title? Be stripped of rank?" Her hand began fizzling with focused mana, energy coursing into a focused ball. She put it behind her.

The girl was clearly in rage. Lord Reginald. King Orion. They'd likely done those acts, I had not known. She'd glared at sister Mary when she mentioned the mistress. Perhaps this was a misunderstanding. But the scars and dead men said otherwise. I chose words carefully.

"if they deserved it. If those actions were true. Yes. Most likely.".

The man said his belief. The girl looked up her him. "Sir Michael. You hold the life of three of the primary figures within the Paladins on your hand. One in your company. Do you, under the order of God, agree to their punishments?"

This. Changed the dynamic. This girl didn't seem religious. Nor holy. He chose carefully.

"it is my belief, if the charges are true. Yes. They shall be committed."

That was all she needed to hear, wings. Larger than her frame could support gree out her back, knife in her hand growing and she herself morphing larger. Not quite towering, but growing older. The captain still sat on a chair. Watching and listening to it all. Large, dark skinned and with piercing blue eyes, an emissary for a far away land, he said nothing as hilts were grabbed.

She spoke in an older accent. She walked up, her shadow betraying her form. Then she asked questions, now she seemed ready to do what she implied. Ellie grabbed her shotgun, cocking her KS-23. Shells loaded, while the woman looked at the two by her side. Glaives raised to her sizable chest.

"lower your weapons. I'm here for the nun." She looked at sister Mary. Fear filling her as she recognised her. The scar on her arm, elongated but still showing the marks of the whip. The knife marks on her fingers, her legs strong but still marked by not faint cane beatings. Her face lightly stained with tear ducts. With a sword in one hand, her other glowing. A room of 12 knights ready to fight. Then the rest of the nuns all stepped back.

The women glowed, magic forcing limbs to bend and step away from the nun. They cried out protests, rushing to support their sister, to find they couldn't go near or stand close to anyone. Boxed behind the knights, the woman sighed. Looking at the two distracted guards. Stepping back, she drew her blade into a resting position. Molten iron fell to the ground, the weapon forged into the man's body. He barely looked down, noticing the molten metal. Before screaming and disintegrating. She drew a blade at the woman's neck. "Lower the weapon."

Blades dropped to the floor, several being reached. Firearms couldn't work against her, combustion would barely start before she'd rise her blade. Several stepped back, blocking the woman with their body and weapons. She looked at the twelve, swirling glaives, as it melted to the floor. The woman falling down into dust as she stepped into the molten iron. It rose upon her touch, metal shoes forming around her feet as she drew her blade once more. "So we dancing?"

Blades fell to the ground, metal cooling as she lifted the Head Sister with a flaming fist. The heat reached through her clothing. Then, she was gone.

[tvrningout-a]

so this is from an ask on my previous blog! for context, chiyo becomes a manga artist after a few years at college ( she thinks she's gonna teach and then!! pursues her passion as she should uvu ), and she does really well tbh! this hc dives a little into the specifics of her as a mangaka.

what are her favourite topics to write and make art about?

i'd say chiyo loves to write about topics like mental health, learning to love oneself, loss -- internal struggles that cause harm even if it isn't always visible. it's not just satisfying to watch her characters overcome these sorts of obstacles, but she also hopes that by portraying a healthy way to deal with these issues, she'll help people do the same. not everyone has a grandmother or parents to help guide them, but what do people often turn to? stories, be it for the escapism or seeing a character go through the very thing they're going through.

you'll also notice with chiyo's work that she does something studio ghibli often does -- she adds moments that let the readers breathe! she enjoys drawing intricate scenery that might take up a few panels or a whole page and taking time to focus on the beauty of the characters' environment bc it gives her an excuse to just have fun drawing and honestly!! she finds it to be necessary a lot of the time. the protagonists just went through a big fight, maybe lost someone? she'll let them and the audience breathe as she depicts the toll their fight took upon their environment, or how the sun still rises despite what might have happened. she never rushes through, especially when something big happens in the story.

what do you imagine her drawing style to be like?

i'm thinking!! her biggest influences art-wise would have been studio ghibli, a variety of shounen manga like n.aruto, b.leach, etc. and a touch of shoujo manga like f.ruits b.asket! so chiyo's art style tries to mash bits and pieces of these together, giving you very pretty environments and character designs she ends up cursing herself for bc yes they're pretty, but they take forever to draw :' ) but it's nice bc while chiyo has a preference for writing/drawing shounen manga, she does like to dabble in shoujo, so she just! draws as usual rather than switching stuff up.

i'm not sure if this is making much sense adfg but basically? take the more accurate/detailed body proportions of shounen manga but the prettiness of shoujo and you have chiyo's art style!

does she have any routines when she starts working on a new piece or is in the process of doing so?

chiyo's routine is wake up, leisurely go about her morning and enjoy it before turning on some tunes and sitting down and working till her brain hits a stopping point! she does try to give herself little breaks so she doesn't give herself hand cramps ( they're the worst ), but she mainly tries to draw as much as she can in a day, and more often than she'd like to admit, in a night. sometimes her inspiration or motivation doesn't hit until it's 10 o'clock, and chiyo can't break her rhythm once it starts for fear of losing it the next day.

if she hits a bad writer's/art block, chiyo will break routine and go on a walk, touch base with friends and family -- anything to get her brain out of its funk! pretty often it happens if she isn't stimulating herself enough, so doing something different, seeing people she cares about, and indulging in new media will usually do the trick.

[tvrningout-archived]

so now that we know what her favourite types of characters are, what are her favourite topics to write and make art about? and what do you imagine her drawing style to be like? does she have any routines when she starts working on a new piece or is in the process of doing so? (IT'S LOVE CHIYO DAY)

@pridewon | YOU HEARD CHA!! IT'S LOVE CHIYO DAY <3

what are her favourite topics to write and make art about?

i'd say chiyo loves to write about topics like mental health, learning to love oneself, loss -- internal struggles that cause harm even if it isn't always visible. it's not just satisfying to watch her characters overcome these sorts of obstacles, but she also hopes that by portraying a healthy way to deal with these issues, she'll help people do the same. not everyone has a grandmother or parents to help guide them, but what do people often turn to? stories, be it for the escapism or seeing a character go through the very thing they're going through.

you'll also notice with chiyo's work that she does something studio ghibli often does -- she adds moments that let the readers breathe! she enjoys drawing intricate scenery that might take up a few panels or a whole page and taking time to focus on the beauty of the characters' environment bc it gives her an excuse to just have fun drawing and honestly!! she finds it to be necessary a lot of the time. the protagonists just went through a big fight, maybe lost someone? she'll let them and the audience breathe as she depicts the toll their fight took upon their environment, or how the sun still rises despite what might have happened. she never rushes through, especially when something big happens in the story.

what do you imagine her drawing style to be like?

i'm thinking!! her biggest influences art-wise would have been studio ghibli, a variety of shounen manga like n.aruto, b.leach, etc. and a touch of shoujo manga like f.ruits b.asket! so chiyo's art style tries to mash bits and pieces of these together, giving you very pretty environments and character designs she ends up cursing herself for bc yes they're pretty, but they take forever to draw :' ) but it's nice bc while chiyo has a preference for writing/drawing shounen manga, she does like to dabble in shoujo, so she just! draws as usual rather than switching stuff up.

i'm not sure if this is making much sense adfg but basically? take the more accurate/detailed body proportions of shounen manga but the prettiness of shoujo and you have chiyo's art style!

does she have any routines when she starts working on a new piece or is in the process of doing so?

chiyo's routine is wake up, leisurely go about her morning and enjoy it before turning on some tunes and sitting down and working till her brain hits a stopping point! she does try to give herself little breaks so she doesn't give herself hand cramps ( they're the worst ), but she mainly tries to draw as much as she can in a day, and more often than she'd like to admit, in a night. sometimes her inspiration or motivation doesn't hit until it's 10 o'clock, and chiyo can't break her rhythm once it starts for fear of losing it the next day.

if she hits a bad writer's/art block, chiyo will break routine and go on a walk, touch base with friends and family -- anything to get her brain out of its funk! pretty often it happens if she isn't stimulating herself enough, so doing something different, seeing people she cares about, and indulging in new media will usually do the trick.

[stevetown]

I posted 238 times in 2022

That's 237 more posts than 2021!

46 posts created (19%)

192 posts reblogged (81%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@voxvalentine

@knaveofaces113

@plummetingplum

@vgadvisor

@nintendumpster

I tagged 128 of my posts in 2022

Only 46% of my posts had no tags

#steve bait - 30 posts

#video games - 21 posts

#2022 game journal - 10 posts

#tumblr - 8 posts

#twitter - 5 posts

#silent hill - 5 posts

#dracula daily - 4 posts

#neon white - 4 posts

#pokemon - 4 posts

#persona 5 - 4 posts

Longest Tag: 70 characters

#no but really ezio killed hundreds but decides hes done with the pope?

I sent 3 gifts in 2022

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

See the full post

89 notes - Posted August 23, 2022

#4

Her: She would be the kind of domme that's like "Pin yourself to the wall."

Me: Lmao. Wait what's that a reference to again?

Her: "...Sonic the Hedgehog"

106 notes - Posted August 11, 2022

#3

Hi! I just saw your quick start guide for the new twitter refugees and as someone who has been on tumblr since 2013/14 I was actually pretty impressed - you seem to have adapted very well. It got me wondering: how do you feel about all the "twitter-refugee-phobia" you have seen in the last few weeks? Personally, I'm kinda worried with the idea of new people ruining the tumblr echosystem, but I would like to see your point of vew (Sorry to bother you btw <3)

I totally understand that worry! Thinking on it, I believe it comes from two separate sources.

The first, and in my view more legitimate fear, is that Tumblr will become more like Twitter in that we'll see more corporations/celebrities/influencers/advertisers come here and somehow upset the ecosystem, as you say. In honesty, Tumblr has some built in defense mechanisms that make this less of a worry for me. Namely, they have access to the same tools as everyone else. There's no personal information here for them to buy, no real algorithm to game, no verification system. When anyone joins, they're just like you and me.

I'm heartened to see folks like @flanaganfilm come and check out Tumblr and take advantage of things like the ask feature. I think it's a really great way to interact with folks that feels more personal than Twitter pedestals.

The second fear I see is that somehow regular Twitter users are going to come in and ruin the place in an unspecified way. I guess the fear is they're going to bring a specific brand of toxicity or some such, but that seems unfounded to me. I think about how so many people are hooked to Twitter and don't know how awful it is and how much more comfortable they can be with a social media platform and themselves. We should encourage and welcome them!

Sure, this place isn't going to be for everyone, and I suspect many will check it out and bounce. And yeah, some not-so-great folks will find their way in. But at the end of the day, the block button, filtering, and content moderation tools still work the same!

When I came to Tumblr, I felt fairly instantly like I could be more myself. I could talk about weirder hobbies, I could engage with queer art, I could make silly Dracula Daily memes, and it all felt not just okay but encouraged. I want that same experience for everyone.

If Twitter really is the "modern public square," you're still putting on a mask and a front when interacting with people. Tumblr let me take that mask off, and I want everyone to have that opportunity.

114 notes - Posted November 9, 2022

#2

414 notes - Posted November 8, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

A Tumblr Quick Start Guide

A year ago, I realized that every time I logged onto Twitter, I felt my blood pressure rise. It's a platform that runs on anger and outrage, and I wanted someplace better to spend my screen time. In my almost-year on Tumblr, I now realize I log on here and get one or two good laughs every time I check my dashboard.

Tumblr has given me a lot lately, but it is a bit different than other platforms. I'd like to give back a little and provide a quick-start guide on how being new to Tumblr worked for me.

Finding Things to Follow

The biggest thing I had to get used to was realizing that on Tumblr, you don't necessarily follow people or celebrities or politicians. You follow your interests. In fact, it's pretty common to follow only strangers that post things you like. That can make your empty dash daunting to fill! Let's fill it with things you love and make you happy.

Make a list, mental or otherwise, of things you're interested in. Be both broad and specific! Board Games. Magic The Gathering. Supernatural. Marvel. Video Games. 8-Bit. Urban planning. Any and all things that you like!

Pick one of your interests and search for that tag. Flip between "Latest" and "Top" and browse around to see what kind of content is in that tag. You'll notice images, art, gif sets, TikToks, videos, essays - all sorts of things!

If you see a lot of things you like, cool! Click the button to Follow that tag if you want to keep up to date on it and find things later (we'll come back to this).

If you see a post you love, check out who posted or reblogged it. Scroll around on their blog. Do they post similar stuff? Are there other things you like here? Are they posting often? If you like what they post, follow the blog! Congrats, you've followed your first blog!

Take some time and check out some other tags and follow the same process - follow tags you like and blogs you might be interested in. It's not possible to over-follow! You can always curate your list later. This isn't Twitter - no one cares if you unfollow someone. Find what makes you happy.

Go back to your main dashboard - how are things looking? Filled with things you're interested in? Excellent. If things don't work for you, don't be afraid to unfollow blogs.

Want to follow more blogs? New episode of Andor drop? Go to the "Your Tags" header and scroll around to find some more juicy content. Check out blogs you like, follow 'em if you like em, rinse and repeat! That's curating your dash!

Your Blog is Your House

Okay, so you have a dashboard of content that you like - but what do you do with it all? Someone once described a Tumblr blog to me like your little house that you can fill with all the things you like. There is no rhyme or reason, and you don't need an excuse to reblog something other than the fact that you liked it!

If you see something you like, reblog it! To me, I reblog things when I say "I like this and I want it to live in my house so other people can see it when they come visit"

Reblogging is like passing a message along to other people. You can just reblog it on its own to amplify it, or you can add your own tags, or if you have a funny reaction gif/thought/video/thousand-word-essay, add to it when you reblog!

Use tags. People actually find posts through tags here. Use them to help people discover that really cool reblog you found! You can also search for tags on specific blogs. This makes them great for categorizing posts on your own blog. For example, I use #2022 Game Journal when I blog about whatever game I'm playing so I can do a year-end review later and find all the posts later.

Like things too. Likes don't amplify posts, but they're nice to let a poster know you appreciated it! I also use likes a bookmark. Sometimes I don't have time to watch that TikTok, so I'll like it as a reminder to come back to it later.

Be Weird. You can have sideblogs to hold more specific content, but don't be afraid to just scoop up anything you like and put it in your house! Reblogging is how content gets passed around.

Random Blog Tips

Wow nice job, your blog's looking great! Before you know it, someone will find it, check out your posts, and maybe give you a follow if they like what you've made or what your reblog! The last thing I'll touch on here are some nitty-gritty tips that can help you think about all the meta stuff about Tumblr:

Tumblr is the most anonymous social media platform. No one has to know who you are. Take advantage of all the privacy options.

You can also hide likes and who you follow from public view - that's no one else's business! Turn off asks too if you want.

Play around with your settings in general - there are lots of customization options and other dash tabs that you can use to find new content. You can also turn on timestamps so you know if a post you see is a "heritage post," as they say. Content is evergreen here and I personally like to see that in action.

You can filter and hide tags that you don't want to see.

Just block people liberally, it's cool.

You can pay to remove ads (nice), but you can also leave the option to see Blazed posts on. Blazed posts are ones that people pay for impressions for - and any post can be Blazed. The kicker is, there's no ad targeting. It can be quite funny or quite annoying depending on what you want.

When viewing the notes on a post, you'll see comments, reblogs, and likes. For the reblogs section, I like to filter by "Comments only" to find what people have added to the post.

Like all social media sites, there are dark corners here. I think Tumblr more than most puts you in control to curate your Dashboard to only see what you want. Block a user, hide a post, and move on.

That should be quite enough to get started! Tumblr can take a little more time to "get" compared to other social media platforms (and get in on the long-running jokes!), but trust me, after a week, you'll notice the difference between checking your Tumblr dashboard and checking your Twitter timeline.

See the full post

1,925 notes - Posted November 8, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[crystalwillow]

I’m All Yours

Pairing: Ethan Ramsey x Casey Valentine (F!MC)

I started a book on May 19th of this year (2020) that is full of Ethan x Casey one shots and short stories. I love Ethan’s character, and really enjoy his relationship with Casey just as much, I wish to share with the 5 part mini-series I started this book off with.

Before I post the fiction. I feel that it’s only right that I say a massive Thank You to @ethansdique again for letting me use some of her art for the cover of this book. 🥰 

Tagging: @kiteplayschoices @brycelahelalover @obsessedheehee @eleanorbloom @fuseboxmusebox @princesslahela @vibrantlyjaz @kaavyaethanramsey @queencarb @schnitzelbutterfingers @ramseysno1rookie @caseyvalentineramsey @ethanramseyswhore @whippedforethanfreakingramsey

=================================

"... Yeah, I'll see you tomorrow...... I love you too.... Goodnight babe. mwah!" Casey said softly down the phone to her soon to be husband. As she placed her phone to charge on the nightstand there was a light knock at her door, "it's open" she called out. It opened slowly and her bridesmaids filed in one by one. Jackie, Sienna, Aurora and Esme. "Hey. How are you feeling?" Sienna asked as they all sat on the bed around Casey. "Pretty nervous if I'm being honest." she replied with a shaky voice, "Hey. You've got this Valentine." Jackie encouraged as she wrapped her arm around Casey's shoulder, pulling her into a greatly appreciated tight hug. "Late night snack before bed girls?" Aurora asked, Casey sat up and looked at her "What is it?" she asked with narrowed eyes, "Gluten free pizza with all your favourite vegetables plus a sprinkling of diced chicken" Aurora answered. The girls all looked at one and other before rushing out the room and down the stairs "Casey has the best taste for pizza. the first slice is mine!" Aurora and Casey heard Esme shout out as the three other girls raced towards the kitchen. The two left behind, shared a chuckle before following them for a snack and glass of wine before bed.

--- 15 hours later---

Casey paced back and forth nervously in her room at the church waiting for word on her dress from Jackie and Esme, and the arrival of her hair and make-up artist from Aurora and Sienna. "Okay... it's okay Casey. everything will be fine there's a whole 3 hours to go. they'll be here soon, and everything will be fi--" She stops rambling to herself as her biggest fear completely takes over and she flops on the sofa bursting into tears. "Why me!?" she screams through her tears. She and Ethan had been planning this moment for the past 2 years. They had been officially dating for a year when Ethan popped the question one night in the diagnostics room, as they were staying late to finish up some reports. Now 3 years later she's "backstage" at a church for her wedding a wreck because both her dress and make-up artist are stuck in traffic. She was a hyperventilating mess by now, she'd been crying for almost 45 minutes when a knock at the door sounded, followed by a deep soothing voice that was all too familiar. "Casey?? Sweetheart, it's me. Ethan. Look... I know we're keeping things traditional because you're respecting me, but I want to respect you too. I've heard about what's going on so I uh... I'm out here in a t-shirt and jeans if you want to thr-" he's cut off by the door flying open and his soon to be wife running out into his arms and sobbing into his neck. "it's ruined! everything is ruined!" she exclaimed through her tears. "hey! shhhhh, it's alright sweetie, I'm here." he cooed softly as he rubbed soothing circles on Casey's back. Slowly he walked into the room and sat them down on the sofa as he cuddled Casey close. Slowly but surely with the small forehead kisses and whispers of sweet nothings she finely calmed down. "I'm sorry." Casey sniffled after a few moments of silence; Ethan's brow furrowed. "Sorry for what?" He asked, "This. I've messed everythi-" She started to ramble but Ethan stopped her with a finger to her lips "I don't want to hear none of that Valentine, do you understand?" he asked seriously but with the softest look on his face. She nodded. The two spent a few more minutes with each other, cuddling, laughing and sharing sweet kisses until Sienna came back. she gasped as she saw Ethan "The others are coming! quick! out... out!" She panicked urging Ethan out the room "I'll see you in a few Rookie" He smiled at Casey blowing her a kiss before leaving, mere moments before the room came to life with what felt like a million people to prepare her for the moment she had dreamt about her whole life. Marrying the love of her life. Her soulmate. Okay so he's a few years older but that doesn't matter, what matters is their love and respect for each other. The ceremony they're here for to tie them together for eternity.

--- 30 minutes to the ceremony ---

The girls are all inside their room having the finishing touches put to their outfits when there's a frantic knocking at the door. All four bridesmaids rush to answer it. on the other side you hear a frantic voice "Have you girls seen Ethan?!" you zoned out of the conversation as your phone pinged

Ethan: peep out the window :)

Casey: Why?? ...

Ethan: Just... please?

Sighing Casey set her phone down and peeped out the window, only showing her head and neck. As her eyes focused, she saw Ethan doing the same round the corner of the building and smiled wide, giggling to herself. She waved and blushed as Ethan blew her a kiss before disappearing round the corner. "Casey..." A voice sounded out behind her causing her to jump "What are you smiling at missy?" Jackie asked smugly, "oh, nothing. Just two birds who looked very much in love" Casey replied. Jackie, Aurora, Esme and Sienna all gave each other a knowing smile before turning back to Casey and wiggling their eyebrows "What? ..... What're you guys looking at me like tha- OOOOOH. no! stop! get your minds out of the gutter!" she laughed as she threw a pillow at Esme and one at Jackie. "Oi Valentine!" they shouted in unison and the world around the five of them went completely still for a moment "wow. That's the last time I'll hear that as my last name." Casey whispered with a tear coming to her eye but stopped it from falling. *ding ding ding ding ding ding* the bells started to chime signaling the beginning of the wedding. "well...." said Sienna, suppressing a smile as she looked around the room "Let's go and make you a Ramsey!" She cheered and the others joined in as Casey grabbed her bouquet and followed them out.

As Casey stood behind the closed door, the nerves really hit her, "Oh God... I'm doing this. I'm marrying Ethan Ramsey. phew" she rambled nervously "hey! It's going to be fine" Ethan's dad told her soothingly "What if I trip and fall on my face though? I already had one breakdown tod-" She started rambling again but was cut off by the bolt on the other side of the door moving. Letting out a deep breath, she looped her arm through Alan's, and they began walking down the aisle, as Casey walked down towards Ethan he looked down to wipe tears from his eyes. Soon, they were standing opposite each other and exchanging vows. Ethan cleared his throat and looked at Casey with a smile, "Rookie. That's how this whole thing started... you helped me rescue a woman in the reception area on your way to orientation when you didn't need to stop. as that year went on you infuriated me more and more with your persistence to be kind to me when I was, quite frankly, being an asshole to you. But then we... hooked up. I had shut that kind of thing out of my life for years. To be honest, I'd given up on finding "the one" who I would end up marrying. But you came along and changed everything. I... You showed me the feeling of love again that I had blocked out. I feel normal again and I want to thank God for putting you in my life because if it wasn't for you, I believe I would have become a stubborn drunk by now. Thank You for everything you've done and will continue to do. I love you" he finished up and kisses away a tear rolling down Casey's cheek. "you look beautiful" he whispered in her ear.

"I now pronounce you husband and wife." the priest announced after Casey and Ethan exchanged "I do's" and rings. They leave the church to hollering and applause, with bursts of confetti coming from random people. As they reached the steps, Ethan picked Casey up "Ah! Ethan!" she giggled as he carried her to their limo that would take them to their reception and then their new house at the end of the night.

--- At the reception ---

The reception was in full swing as Ethan and Casey sat at their table watching their guests enjoy themselves. Sighing happily Casey looked up at Ethan and kissed his cheek. "I love you Mr. Ramsey" she said, he looked down at her and smiled "I love you too Mrs. Ramsey" he smiled and kissed her lips sweetly. She giggled giddily and hugged him tightly. Ethan's dad approached the table with someone in tow, making Ethan rise to his feet to stand in front of her protectively. "I found this guy outside. He said he knows Casey." Alan stated as Casey looked up and saw Landry who gave a nervous smile and wave "You weren't invited." Casey said coldly as her face turned sour, "I know but we were friends and I wa-" Landry started to explain as Casey moved past Ethan getting into his face "Exactly, WERE  friends. But you decided to try and get my license revoked and almost cost me my job, when I was doing what was right for the patient. She passed away happy! and YOU!" She said raising her voice louder and louder by the minute as she jabbed her finger into his chest and pulled her shoulder out of Ethan's comforting grip, "YOU WERE. PART. OF IT. But you left that part out to save your ass! So, no. We are no longer friends because you are a TWO FACED, BACKSTABBING, MAN-WHORE, WHO NEEDS TO LEAVE MY RECEPTION AND GET OUT OF THIS BUILDING RIGHT NOW. GO!" she shouted as she pointed to the door. "I- okay" Landry said as he turned to leave. Ethan pulled Casey close to his chest, pressing a kiss to her head, "Get rid of him dad. Please, for Casey's sake." He told his father who obliged and escorted Landry out. "Hey. it's okay" Ethan cooed to Casey sweetly as he hugged her tightly as Jackie and everyone else came running over to support her "are you okay Case?" Elijah asked, "I brought you Champagne" Sienna said as she held out the flute to her best friend. Casey took it with a smile and a small "thank you" as she took a sip. "I think we should go dance. All of us. We've come so far together. Aaaaand, I wanna have fun tonight" She smiled as she placed the flute on the table next to Ethan's beer. "Macarena circle?" Bryce suggested, his eyes glistening with mischief "WOOOOO!" everyone cheered and rushed to the dance floor as Bryce went and asked for the song before joining the circle. Together they danced and laughed the night away. Before they knew it, Ethan and Casey were pulling up to their new home they would share for the rest of their lives. "Casey.... honey..." Ethan whispered as he gently woke his new wife up "Hm?" Casey hummed as she sat up looking confused "We're home" Ethan said softly, and Casey responded with a smile. After he had stepped out, Ethan held out his hand to help Casey out of the limo and together they stepped into their new home ready to start the next chapter of their lives together. 

[justaramblingromantic]

Hello~~, hopping you had a wonderful holidays, I'd like ask RyoAli for the ship meme, if that's okay with you (and you're still accepting requests, that's it, hehe~), thank you so much in advance😊🤗

~ send me a ship and i’ll tell you who ~

Ello!! Happy holis to you, too! Sorry for the wait, and thanks for the ask! :)  

EiRin here

SouEri here

IshiNene here

RyoAli

curses like a sailor

He cusses with the spitting intensity and burning fervor of an unstoppable machine gun once he really gets going and he doesn’t care too much about what other people think about it, either, and neither does she. She smiles sweetly and easily beside him even when he’s deep in his ‘mad dog’ persona, even when the people around them flinch away with prejudice and cowering fear at his wild, rough-around-the-edges demeanor. They don’t know him like she does and it is amusing the way they label him even before trying to get to know what he is really like. But of course Ryou makes that hard too, with his fierce visage and unapproachable demeanor and that bored thousand yard stare (he is just sleepy as usual). She reaches up and pets him happily on the bicep in the aftermath of one of his episodes - he has emerged victorious, as always, ‘My Ryou is the cutest~’

does the chores voluntarily

Sometimes he looks at himself and wonders what the hell happened - he has become so domesticated it is horrifying. Once, she was nothing more than an irritating rich brat always getting in his way and causing no end of trouble for him, but these days, he has turned into a manservant, a butler, a bodyguard and a nanny rolled into one convenient package, loyally dedicated to the service of said aforementioned rich brat whose never-ending demands he can never quite seem to say ‘no’ to, and even when he does, she pesters him into doing whatever she wants, anyway. He trains his body even more aggressively as if to make up for that self-perceived weakness in character; but she is only all the more delighted with his strength and tag teams with her mother often to praise and tease him until he is flustered and harried and confused by their easy affection and familial warmth. Too late does he realize that they have caught and tamed him with their loving ways; now she bosses him around all the time and he comes to heel willingly like an faithful hound ready to fulfill her every desire. There is an innate, automatic compulsion for him to guard and take care of her that stumps him at first, but eventually he figures it all out -some bonds, once forged, are for life. 

wants to marry their bed

She has to be literally carried out of bed some mornings, all the while whining to have five more minutes of shuteye (it is never just five more minutes, that much he knows by now). She alternates between kicking her legs at him in childish pique and clinging to him for warmth, her grimacing face pushed into the crook of his neck and her eyes squeezed shut as she tries obstinately to resist all his attempts to wake her up, but he is unsympathetic and plants her upright like a turnip on the seat cover of the toilet bowl. Her toothbrush is pressed into her hand and a placidly delivered threat to put her in the shower stall next and switch on the cold water finally has her attention, and she pouts all the way through her morning ablutions. He does not even blink when her pajamas falls to the floor and she flounces out of the bathroom to find her change of clothes; he has seen her in skimpier swimsuits, and more importantly, must she always leave a mess everywhere she goes?  

gets awkward about romantic gestures

Perhaps it’s the fact that they grew up together, but the blithe exchange of casual, demonstrative gestures comes easily and naturally to them, long before they made things official. Even after that subtle change in relationship status, nothing seems too different or entirely new or something strange that either feel that they had to struggle to adjust to. Alice is even touchier than ever, gleefully groping Ryou in places she has always wanted to grope (she has unrestricted special VIP access now), and Ryou puts up with her amorous affection up till the point where he abruptly reaches his limit. His self-control snaps like a proverbial twig then and he drags her off to somewhere quiet so he can mark her back until her legs shake and her voice comes out of her in unsteady, uncontrollable gasps-

stays in the shower for what seems like hours

Ryou enjoys a long, hot shower after a hard, satisfying workout, the kind with temperatures high enough to peel skin.The shower facilities are equipped with state-of-the-art, high pressure, ionising spray jets that Alice has specifically custom ordered for him - supposedly, they have revitalizing and de-stressing effects and can also help to improve blood circulation, particularly effective for soothing sore muscles.They also have a private sauna which they use often, a standard practice derived from their years living in Scandinavia. It is one of the things that Ryou appreciates when it comes to Japan; how the bathing traditions here in this land of the East are so similar to those back home, in the far Nordic North. The Japanese don’t practice winter ice swimming with as much zeal, though, but Alice and Leonora are always in for a treat every end of the year, when Ryou and Soe gamely don snug swim trunks after a nice, long session in the sauna and brave the freezing winter conditions for a few invigorating laps in the freshwater mountain lake that borders the Nakiri winter lodge. 

would adopt a million cats if given the chance

She comes home with a box of squirming kittens one day, fat tears rolling down her puffy face and her reddened nose dribbling like a leaky faucet in reaction to the mewling felines in her arms. He cannot tell if her sorry appearance is due to being moved by the little strays’ sad, abandoned predicament or more due to the fact that the tiny mewling fluffballs are making her body go haywire in allergic reaction - probably a fair mix of both. ‘Ryou!’ she warbles his name with dramatic woe even as he is already rising from his seat and padding towards her. ‘Help; they were crying on the roadside and I couldn’t just leave th- achoo!!’

fixes stuff around the house / apartment

Alice is forbidden from fixing anything in the house, because more often than not, anything she attempts to save eventually ends up damaged beyond repair. Not that Ryou is exactly some miracle fix-it-all/DIY-er himself either; he does well enough when it comes to simple home repairs and improvements and is very knowledgeable with all the workings of his kitchen equipment, and most importantly, at least he hasn’t accidentally almost burned down the house…unlike a certain somebody whose name he shall refrain from mentioning. 

watches too many Disney movies

‘We’re like Beauty and the Beast,’ she tells him with a grin, and he just eyes her with his usual sleepy apathy, not even surprised by her random whimsy. ‘Do you know why? Because Beauty always saves Beast in the end!’ 

gets drunk off of champagne

She is the most ridiculous drunk person ever - one moment, she’s trying to pick a fight with a street post and the next she has somehow teleported across the road one block down, marching into the conbini for a random shopping binge. She runs off again, cackling into the night, while sticking him with the bill for her purchases and his face is deadpan as ever (his forehead is starting to twitch, though) as the convenience store worker blanches at his blandly murderous visage and nervously rings up the haphazard pile of candy, small mountain of junk food, as well as what looks like the conbini’s entire display of condoms even as the three other customers in queue behind him try not to gawk at the impressive hoard of prophylactics in flustered embarrassment. He catches up to her before she can get into any more trouble, herds her loudly singing self around several exposed manholes before she can dance and twirl right into them, scares off three different groups of hoodlums trying to pick her up (by then that look of pure homicide has been permanently etched onto his face, very convenient that) and manages to drag her troublesome behind home before she can pull another Houdini on him again. She throws herself into his arms when they’re in the backseat of the cab, and he is exasperated and pissed after an entire night of running after his ojou and putting up with her shenanigans; anyone would have taken one look at that dark scowl on his face, promptly do an about turn and run for the hills, but of course she climbs onto his lap instead and demands affection. ‘My Ryou is the best~!’ she brags to him looking like someone’s ridiculously proud grandma, and just like that, he feels his aggravation subside a little at her obvious recognition of his worth and ability. That special feeling is quick to disappear, however, when she reaches up to ruffle his hair and coos, ‘Who’s a good boy? My Ryou’s the goodest boy-” 

cries when the ASPCA commercials come on

She quivers and her eyes fill up like she’s going through an allergic episode again, and he fixes half his gaze on her in case she starts to swell up like previously. She does not puff up this time, but she’s…leaky, presumably a side effect of the short video they had been watching. He suffers through her sniffs, snorts and snuffles in silence - and he is very silent and very still, because she seems to have momentarily forgotten about his presence and he wants to keep it that way- but alas his good fortune does not last long. She turns to him with that piteous expression that reminds him very much of Leonora-san when she’s pouting with all her might at Soe-san, and Ryou feels something like doom encroach him at the familiar scenario. His stoic apathy falters before her mien of misery, and he wants to sigh in a very put upon manner. He opens his arms to her instead, and she shuffles into his side. ‘Ryou?’ ‘Yes, milady?’ ‘Let’s adopt a million cats.’ ‘…No.’ 

[judeonthemove]

One Hundred And Nine Beds

We loved Ecuador so much we stayed an extra day. Although that's not strictly true, it sounds much better than: despite having a bulletproof plan for getting to the airport, arriving there four hours ahead of our flight, and sitting for two hours at what was initially promoted as the correct gate, we somehow conspired to miss our flight. We still have no idea when they changed the gate, why we didn't notice, or what on earth happened to their customer service announcements. Tiredness, relaxation and misplaced trust lulled us into false sense of security and we were rewarded with a monumental fuck up and no hint of an apology. There are few things you want to experience less at a foreign airport than the icicle stab in your guts of realising you are stuck in a territorial no-man's land, on the wrong side of a continent, facing a temporal and financial haemorrhage that you have to resolve in another language. There are the immediate practical problems to deal with of course, but also the wave of humiliation and self-recrimination. How on earth did we manage to make their mess into our problem? Staff members trooped us off around the airport getting our exit stamps annulled, and down to the basement where our rucksacks lay unceremoniously dumped by a door next to the tarmac. Just to underline our misdemeanours the narcotics police then proceeded to dismantle our bags. It was surreal and strangely violating to see your sorry pile of belongings through a stranger's eyes; that the backbone of your life for ten months is nothing but crap. Given that we weren't drug smugglers, we were allowed to proceed with our walk of shame back through security and baggage reclaim before facing the inevitable at the airline ticket desk. Mercifully the woman on duty had fluent English and quickly reassured us that for the bargain price of a lost day and $198 we could still get to Rio de Janeiro. Painful, but nothing like as wounding as I'd feared. There was nothing but a web address to consult about our complaints, and we were sent off into the night.

Reluctant to bankrupt ourselves further and urgently feeling in need of some control we found a nearby town on the map, jumped on a local bus, and hustled down a dark, desolate road in search of accommodation. Our hunch that anywhere that close to an airport would feature hostals was correct and we holed up for the night, spending our last few dollars on pizza and beer, and hurriedly trying to make contact with our hotel in Rio. It was a prime case of sod's law that having decided to blow the accommodation budget on our final lodgings (a whole £30 a night, woooooooh!), we wantonly discarded a night of our booking. So here we are, back at Quito airport, paranoidly sat below the departures board at our supposed gate. Three hours should do it today.

...

Shortly after dawn we were hurtling through the streets of Rio on a transfer bus, astonished at seeing a huge high rise city again. Rio was covered in simple black graffiti tags at street level and at impossible heights all over tower blocks, bridges, and industrial buildings. The city had the appearance of having been infected with a rash of kanji. Delivered just a block from our hotel, we weaved around encampments of rough sleepers. At six in the morning it was already hot, and the bracing smell of human waste and desperation competed with the tropical plants of the park. While we might have been late, at least we had a bed to sleep in and a home to go back to. The kindly night receptionist was waiting for us and pointed out that the breakfast buffet had just opened. A quality breakfast was one of our pre-requisites when deciding where to stay so there was quite a weight of expectation upon it. Still wired from the events of the previous thirty-six hours, and suffering from no sleep and another two hour forward time jump, we were a bit over-excitable. There was a lift, carpeted hallways, key-cards, and a great room with a massive bed and powerful, hot shower. It could have been the Ritz and not felt like a better treat. We fell on the breakfast buffet like vultures then passed out until the late afternoon.

Other than for references to the quality night life, ‘sketchy' was the main adjective we’d seen used in relation our new neighbourhood of Lapa. We divested ourselves of valuables and ventured out on a quest for orientation, dinner and some good old Brazilian beer. Finding ourselves in a sports bar we utilised our best pointing and smiling technique in the acquisition of some tea. Portuguese might look like Spanish, but it sounds like Hungarian and we were utterly clueless once more. After fuelling up, some more beer was in order and it just so happens that Rio is full of actual bars, not cafes that might serve beer, but beer emporia that might serve snacks. Yes the area was a bit moody in places, but not to the extent that you'd hide in your hotel, and there was more than a hint of promise for the weekend. We soaked it up for a while then headed back, detouring by the hotel roof to survey the scene. We were surprised to find the view dominated by a terrifying Mayan temple-style ziggurat in brutalist concrete. Behind the local aqueduct-cum-tourist tramline it lurked, gigantic and awful. A swift search revealed it was a cathedral, possibly the most dystopian fantasy cathedral ever.

Rio being a big city, we had to be modest with our expectations of what was achievable in a few days. We stayed local on the first morning, visiting the bohemian hillside neighbourhood of Santa Theresa via the tram. At the top was a theatre in a ruined colonial villa and an art gallery with marmosets in the garden. The views towards Sugar Loaf Mountain and Christ the Redeemer helped shape our itinerary for the remainder of the week. We picked around the twisty cobbled streets and managed not to punch the army of selfie-takers on the Selarón Stairs. The artist burned himself to death at the foot of his meticulously tiled staircase but this grisly fact seemed to be lost on the crowd as they posed and obstructed on the same spot. Once in possession of the right kind of ticket, we zipped off on the metro to check out Ipanema beach. James is very much a mogwai when it comes to beaches and should never be made wet or sandy, but once installed on a rented chair even he admitted it was an excellent place and suggested we should do some more beachiness. In my imagination, the beaches of Rio are full of impossibly beautiful people so it was encouraging to find all sorts present and enjoying themselves. Beach life is serious business, involving lots of team sports, sexy casual style, and alcohol. Enterprising stalls set up each day supplying chairs, parasols and drinks, and disappear again at sunset spirited away in VW campervans. Despite the breaking waves I managed a bit of a swim in the Atlantic and we chilled out as the sun went down. It was time to get formally acquainted with the caipirinha, Brazil's national drink. I suspect that caipirinha is viewed as some sort of human right in Brazil. It is ubiquitous, and invariably both the cheapest drink available and blindingly strong. It's also delicious of course, which set the tone for the remainder of the week.

Thursday saw us on the cable car up to Sugarloaf Mountain, for a spectacular view of the city and the incoming weather. On the way there we'd walked past the very swanky yacht club and therefore had a second chance to be envious, admiring the miniature yachts from above as they flew across the bay. The irony is there is no ‘January River' as Rio de Janeiro translates, the first Europeans to discover the place were mistaken. Guanabara Bay certainly looked like a mighty fine sailing ground though. We followed the short nature walk at the top and soon became enveloped in increasingly thick cloud. With the wind picking up and Rio now largely invisible, we descended once more. We pursued our plan to visit Copacabana but remained beach adjacent, supping caipirinhas and attempting to understand the rules of the foot/volley-ball hybrid game everyone plays. The sea did not look too safe for swimming, and as the sun went down it started to rain with a vengeance. Lightning pounded the sky above the mountains and ocean. Eventually we had to acknowledge it wasn't going to stop and had to make a run for it. Drenched, but still warm and cheerful we grabbed some food and called it a night. Across the road from our hotel, a mysterious festival was being set up.

We have breakfasted incrementally later as the week has progressed, which may or may not relate to the exponential increase in our alcohol consumption. Getting mobilised eventually on Friday morning, we went to investigate the intimidating cathedral. Like a reverse tardis it somehow seemed smaller on the inside. Smaller but still a vast open space with stained glass streaming down the walls from a glass cross in the roof. It was calm, cool and bold. Arriving at the modern art gallery by a rather leisurely midday was not a problem, as it emerged they only opened at midday, thus giving our tardiness the appearance of planning. Fully arted up we went for a wander round the waterfront and ran into what might have been some sort of naval graduation ceremony. Military bands in full uniform greeted dignitaries while bodyguards watched over the proceedings. We admired the architecture of one of Rio's newest museums but chose Coke and churros outside over going in. Our diabetes-baiting was rewarded with more rain so we trotted back to base for a disco nap as Rio geared up for Friday night.

When we re-emerged, Lapa had transformed itself into party central with innumerable samba bars featuring live bands. Off-licences doubled as bars, with crowds ranged across the pavements or sitting on the city's shared bicycles. Bar stalls crowded in the central reservation, and people with modified bikes and hand carts sold booze on the move. This was not the place for sobriety. While our ruined clothes made us look a bit down at heel inside the hotel, we fitted right in on the street. Urine, drains and cigarette smoke competed with frying snack food and the ever present zing of lime wedges. Groups of friends sang and danced in and around the bars, dodging traffic as the crowds swelled into the road. The mystery festival turned out to be a Christian music weekender. One couldn't help but feel they were fighting a losing battle. We lined our stomachs and got into the spirit of things at a restaurant before going on to a bar. The early hours found us under the aqueduct arches, clutching mind-bendingly strong, half-litre, 90p caipirinhas, and swaying to Christian rock in the rain.

Saturday was a slow start, followed by a restorative breakfast and post-breakfast sleep. We eventually hauled ourselves back up to Santa Theresa for a longer look around and a nice walk in the sunshine. After my ordering error in Baños I finally got stroganoff for my tea, and hoped this wouldn't be an ill-advised choice ahead of another night on the beers. We'd noticed protesters gathering earlier in the day, and many of them were partying in Lapa. Clearly it was something to do with next week's general election. The reported front-runner, representing the hard right, is currently recovering from being stabbed. These cheerful revellers were altogether more peaceful in their opposition to him, choosing stickers, glitter and dancing in the street as their weapons of choice. We steered clear of the cocktails but still made a poor attempt at getting a slightly earlier night. We looked up the hashtag of the campaign stickers and chanting, and discovered that #elenão meant #nothim, a cry of protest against misogyny, homophobia and racism.

Sunday, appropriately enough, involved a visit to Giant Jesus, or Christ the Redeemer as the statue is known to all but me. The figure watches over the city from high above and, while prominent, had seemed smaller than expected from the vantage points we'd had up to then. A Swiss-style train took us from the base of the mountain, up the steep, forested slopes to the undeniably enormous statue. All around the main platform, people lay prostrate at the feet of Christ. They weren't praying, or indeed even looking at the statue, but rather were all busily taking photos of each other; lying on the ground to get the same crucial shot from below. Arms outstretched, their backs to the statue, superimposing themselves over one of the modern wonders of the world. While the sights on the viewing decks were plain annoying, the views from them were superb, taking in the bay, mountains, city and beaches in 360°. We could have happily stayed up there for hours, but we'd promised ourselves a second crack at Copacabana and daylight hours were running short. Arriving on the bus, it was immediately apparent that some huge party was in full swing. The dual carriageway next to the beach was closed to traffic and full of floats and thousands of people. It was a powerful cross between a Pride parade and political rally. The tide was up and the sea so rough that lifeguards were patrolling on jet-skis and preventing people from swimming. My swim kit stayed in my bag and rather than sit on the beach as planned, we grabbed a drink and joined in. While it might not have been our election, it was a great opportunity to show solidarity. We picked a sound system we liked and danced alongside the slow moving lorry down the full length of Copacabana. We arrived several hours later hammered, starving and covered in glitter. Ending as we began in Santiago, our final dinner in this continent involved meat on chips, a South American staple. Clearly we couldn't just leave it there, as Sunday night samba was in full swing back in Lapa. Street-stall caipirinhas in hand we stood on the pavement admiring other people's dance moves and looking back on our trip. Our livers are quietly glad we are not staying longer.

We believe we have slept in one hundred and nine beds over the past ten months. This includes a bamboo stretcher in the forests of Laos, a tent in Thailand, wild campsites in an Australian van, and a boat down the Amazon. It does not account for all the overnight planes, trains and buses that we have variously enjoyed and endured. Thinking of it like this it seems incredible, yet here we are; it's the first of October and we're about to go home. Many of my clothes are about to go in the bin, together with the owl-patterned bag that has been slung across my body almost every day and is a veteran of our Japan our India trips before that. It's like discarding faithful friends. I have no idea what's coming next and am merrily avoiding thinking about it until we're home and the dust settles. As I lie here in Rio thinking of what a wonder, challenge and privilege it has been to do this, our tiny, huge earth rotates beneath me. We will soon be racing back across the Atlantic to the lovely Peels who will await us at Heathrow. For those of you who have managed to read this far, you’ve got through eighteen of these missives and who knows how many tens of thousands of words. Thank you for your interest, it's been lovely to have someone else to talk to.

[jackcarson-foxfutureworks]

I'D LIKE TO TALK ABOUT | PREY (Casual Game Review)

A THRILLING & PARANOID DAY IN THE LIFE OF MORGAN YU & HIS TYPHON TURMOIL ABOARD TALOS I

As anyone is when they are passionate about something, they like to talk about it. It isn't any different with myself and games.

These "casual reviews", as I like to call them, are in no way professional or official. I may try to sound and look like so, but believe me, this is simply me trying to coordinate my ramblings on stuff I enjoy or don't enjoy in games. I won't cover every last bit as there will be parts I miss or haven't experienced. On to it.

Beware of minor spoilers.

I don't quite remember the goings on of the original Prey of 2006, nor did I have much interest going forward when Prey 2 was announced, so I had little reaction to hearing of its cancellation. Fast forwarding to E3 of 2016 and the Bethesda conference where Arkane Studios revealed Prey would return but as a rebooted franchise, there was a strange part of me that caused my ears to perk up and think "Oh wow, Prey is back, can't wait to see what it's like" upon seeing that logo creep in. It would seem I did have fond memories of the original after all or was I just in a nostalgic stupor of late for games of days gone making their grand returns?

With MachineGames' Wolfenstein: The New Order kicking off this resurgence back in 2014 and then id Software and DOOM taking 2016 by the scruff of its neck and ramming a double-barrelled shotgun down its throat, would this new lick of paint for Prey really keep the ball rolling for Bethesda Softworks, Arkane Studios and reboots for decades-old franchises?

It is with great satisfaction that I say yes, Prey does exactly that.

I think the moment Prey stole my complete attention for the next several days after release was the immediate departure early on in the game from the every day bright and tranquil life of luxury that protagonist Morgan Yu woke up to each morning, filled with high-rise apartments and executive helicopter rides through a glistening and almost literal golden city. You begin to realise something is not quite right here, and you almost wonder why you'd ever get aboard Talos I in the first place with things not exactly running smoothly down on this side of Earth for TranStar, the company responsible for the research and development of neuroscience, run by yourself and big brother, Alex.

It's rare in my experience for a game to have such a standout opening that makes me question everyone and everything immediately and for the remainder of my time with it. I did just that when you literally break down the walls of your supposed reality and find yourself actually on Talos I, and for the past three years too. It's an incredibly strong opening that not only thrusts Morgan into the thick of it but it also never feels like the freedom that someone would experience from breaking loose of the simulated confines of Morgan's faux happy-go-lucky lifestyle.  It's this intrigue that creates a continuous need to delve deeper into Prey's background and uncover what life was like aboard Talos I before its Typhon infestation that kept me putting one foot in front of the other. If only moving forward wasn't my biggest fear.

While Prey's earliest moments are brimming with confusion and hesitation, nothing emphasises the latter more than the dastardly Mimics. Mimics are the first variety of Typhon you'll come across in your jaunt around this ghastly space station, and you'll start to wish they weren't. As the name would suggest, these creatures are very apt at blending in, and it's not just coffee mugs and lamps you'll be squinting at with increasing suspicion, but even the more enticing of items may not be the friend you're looking for. Even after the paranoia set in of watching my every move and pointing a great big finger at any object that even struck me as marginally out of place there were still moments throughout Prey, including late on, where I'd fall victim to a mimic in a disguise followed by varying profanity, most commonly of the "I f***ing knew it" kind. A heated firefight would often lead me to retreat for nearby health or cover, only to recoil in horror as my salvation bursts into a spindly black spider-like monstrosity. It's these moments where Prey becomes the tensest video game experience, although the feeling becomes a little dampened later on when access to mods for the binocular-esque Physcoscope allows detection of hidden mimics.

As for the rest of the game's line-up of deadly enemies, I'd get ready to see a whole lot of black shape-shifting goo of varying size because there's not much more to see outside of the Typhon organisms that stalk every corner, aside from a few mind-controlled humans here and there. Even if the aesthetic of each variation of these creatures isn't something to be marveled at, the difference between them always forced me to switch up my playstyle. The lesser evils such as Mimics and Phantoms are your run of the mill type, fast and dangerous, using a simple technique such as freezing them with the GLOO Cannon (more on that shortly) and then beating them to a pulp with the wrench will suffice. Moving on up are Telepaths and Technopaths, big floating cubes that either control people or machines. Blasting out your own Typhon abilities or the selection of ability blocking grenades against these menaces can do wonders. And then there's the Nightmare...which I'd suggest throwing everything you've got at it. Eventually, you'll come across other strains of Typhon and variants of familiar faces, such as a stronger Mimic, or a Phantom that harnesses electricity or fire, but dispatch method tends to be the same, albeit a few more whacks with the wrench or extra shell from the shotgun. Beyond the Typhon and humans, you'll meet operators, which are best described as desktop PC cases. These sometimes helpful robots can become corrupted and will fight against you, but as is with most of the enemies, not too out there in the realms of imagination.

In your bid to wipe out the Typhon threat from Talos I, you're given an arsenal that ranges from the standard gun-toting Silenced Pistol and Shotgun to the absolutely ludicrous Recycling Charge Grenade. While the selection of weaponry isn't wholly unique, there's a charm to some. Most notable of all is the aforementioned GLOO Cannon, a gun that can shoot big blobs of...glue, but this super tough and quick hardening glue is useful for stopping those pesky Mimics and co. in their tracks, perfect for any wrench flailing madmen to pummel. What the GLOO Cannon has over the rest is versatility, as it triples up as a puzzle solver and platforming device thanks to its ability to stick to most surfaces. Can't quite reach a ledge or balcony high up? Then just create a staircase of GLOO. Is a corridor blocked off by oil on fire due to a burst pipe? Simply plug up the hole and extinguish the fire with the power of GLOO. It's no surprise that I found myself relying on the GLOO Cannon more often than not to get myself out of a jam or into a tiny compartment that was otherwise unreachable. Think of it as Prey's Gravity Gun or Portal Gun, however, don't expect it to reach similar heights in the best ever video game weapons. In addition, each weapon (With the exception of the wrench and silly nerf inspired Huntress Boltcaster crossbow) can be upgraded using the countless upgrade kits laying about the station. The system isn't as in-depth as let's say adding a scope to the Q-Beam or Dragon's Breath ammo for the Shotgun, but it does allow for increased firepower, larger ammo capacity, better handling and faster reloading, with some relevant replacements for the more Sci-Fi weapons.

If a happy trigger finger isn't your style, or if you're looking to mix and match like a shapeshifting, elemental bending John Wick then Prey gives you the option of working through two distinct skill trees. Using these skills allows for some tailor fitting of whatever playstyle you're going for. There are paths for hacking and repairing if you're the kind who wants to see beyond every door or cash in on the goodies hidden in each safe. A junk hoarder would benefit from the suit skills which grant extra inventory space or maybe it's as simple a choice as wanting to soak up more damage with increased health. If that's not enough flavour on your plate then soon enough you can travel down the path of the Typhon. Here you can literally fight fire with fire with Superthermal as you lay down explosive proximity traps that roast Phantoms and Mimics where they stand, and even bend them to fight alongside you for a short duration with Mind Jack, which is also a useful tool outside of the Disrupter Stun Gun to incapacitating mind-controlled humans. Not all the Typhon abilities are of the aggressive kind, like Mimic Matter for example, which allows Morgan to beat the Mimics at their own game by morphing into most objects, including turrets further along the path. Another useful ability for getting into locked rooms should you not have the right hacking skill or keycard. I had fun figuring out which object to morph into in order to squeeze between security bars or split doors. Plus, a bouncing coffee mug is as about as much levity Prey can amount to. I personally kept to the human skills more as I never felt the need for many of the Typhon abilities, especially the powers for battle as I felt the guns did enough to dispatch most enemies I encountered. And upon learning that there were consequences to giving into the Typhon side of me, I was slightly disappointed to find that all it amassed to was the turrets would eventually recognise me as Typhon material and turn against me, forcing me to either break or hack them. I would've appreciated a little more consequence for dabbling in alien arts. That being said, I enjoyed the freedom and change of pace these skill trees gave me.

However, in order to use said skills you'll be needing Neuromods Luckily, just like the weapon upgrade kits, they are littered around Talos I, usually hidden away or rewarded for completing quests and you won't be starved of these precious upgrades. Finally, chipsets can be gathered and installed to your suit or PsychoScope to improve Morgan's combat prowess. Increased chance of criticals with a shotgun or resistance to energy attacks are just some of the many benefits from finding these. It literally is "play Prey your way".

And maybe you're like me, that inner treasure hunter that rises to the surface, eager to find every Neuromod, every upgrade kit, and other special items to improve Morgan as a whole. So chances are you'll be bounding back and forth across the numerous facilities that Talos I has to offer, once they've become available of course, and thanks to non-linear level design, Prey's environments, despite the limitations you might think of for a large tube in space, are sprawling. The likes of BioShock and Deus Ex come to mind, and obviously, Arkane's other franchise Dishonored, with regards to exploration in Prey. In that, Prey encourages you to stray from the beaten path, scoping out alternate routes to your objective or uncovering a dark secret within a restaurant kitchen. It's simple in thought, you have three doors to one room but each door presents a different challenge, whether the challenge you pick is easier or harder than the others, is up to you, but Arkane have woven it in a way that not only feels complex but super rewarding when you reach that tiny hidey-hole in the rafters of a common room crammed with supplies and gadgets galore. In what most would experience as an around estimated fifteen hours long game, my play time reached an unexpected twenty-six hours, because I was drawn to every inch of Talos I, and I'm still sure I have much to discover on a second playthrough. Movement around the station is smooth sailing thanks to the abilities and tools you'll acquire but if I had to have one gripe with my voyage through Prey's bountiful space station it's that the sections involving zero gravity were often clumsy, disorientating and slow, never more apparent than when floating in the outer space of Talos I's exterior where items of interest are few and far between.

If at any point the idea of retracing your steps through the same environment over and over again sounds about as appealing to you as a slap with a wet fish then I don't blame you. You'll be pleased to hear that roaming Talos I is far more appealing than that. Prey is definitely not a powerhouse in terms of graphical fidelity but the pseudo-alternate history angle really lends itself to the aesthetic. It's a perfect blend of progression, exploration and environmental story-telling that I haven't seen in a long time. Every part of Talos I has something to offer. Whether it's the opening hub of the Lobby with many layers of elevation or the colourful plantation and thick forest sections of the Arboretum to the chilling emptiness of the G.U.T.S, I was never tired of returning to each area as I was always discovering something new. Each location, big or small, had a story to tell about the people of Talos I before most of their unfortunate demises. You'll collect audio logs, notes, read emails and more as you start to piece together how things went terribly wrong, but it's also more personal than that, as you'll be stumbling across interrupted games of Dungeons and Dragons, complicated and typically doomed love affairs, and echoes of your own past. In some cases, I become more engrossed with characters I'd never meet and their intimate and tragic stories than the living, breathing survivors I saw.

Morality is a massive theme throughout Prey, as you can be faced with many an ultimatum and as Morgan, you're tasked with destroying Talos I in hope to prevent the Typhon spreading to Earth so I was happy to be faced with a choice regarding the outcome of this supposedly doomed space station and the passengers on board. I'm certain I'm in the larger demographic with my choices, as I found I'd often choose to save as many people as possible. This, coupled with my mission to destroy Talos I, made for some interesting weighing up of each of my choices. At one point I had the option of allowing a ship, that left Talos I just before the outbreak of Typhon, to safely make it back to Earth, or blow it up due to the possibility of Typhon presence onboard. This isn't a decision which has a right or wrong answer, nor does it allow you to find evidence to further lean towards saving them or killing them. It is a decision you must make then and there and it's refreshing to be confronted with a question that isn't morally black or white. In hindsight, not only did that choice completely contradict my decision with a similar choice further down but upon reflection, I still wasn't sure why I changed my mind. Was it because the latter choice leaned more towards a typical black or white choice? Or did a sense of regret have me looking for redemption? It's a testament to Prey's open decision making which has me still looking back and questioning if I made the right choice when the credits rolled.

And when they did I initially felt a little let down by Prey's conclusion. If it wasn't for a pretty standard main story, which is totally outweighed by the personal ones, then I'd be sticking Prey way up there, possibly even higher than the likes of BioShock and Dishonored. Yet, it's hindered by a jarringly sudden end with little resolve right up until the quite predictable post-credits reveal. There's enough to warrant a second and maybe even a third playthrough with more abilities to test, stones yet to unturn and choices to make but don't expect an entirely new experience.

MY VERDICT

Prey won't please everyone, and it certainly will miss out on a few game of the year nominees from some, but that doesn't stop it from being a solid, sci-fi action adventure. Only slightly let down by a par for the course main story, some sluggish zero-g and pedestrian combat, Prey is best when things quiet down and you're whisked away from the fight to poke your head into every nook and cranny of Talos I and the very personal stories it's once thriving community have to tell. As for me, this thrilling and paranoid day in the life of Morgan Yu and his Typhon turmoil aboard Talos I is well worth the trip to the stars.

Reviewed on PC

Until next time.

Stay inside. Play video games.

Just another reason to hate Mondays.