#mostly for the enjoyment it brings spark

[absentmoon]

i don't think fark can eat but he can like cooking. also.

[ym523]

ℹ️ Blog Information ℹ️

Hi friends! - 🌟 I've created this pinned post to address some of the common questions I receive. I'll do my best to keep it updated regularly. Thank you for all the love and support! 💖

❌ Requests: CLOSED

❌Commissions: CLOSED

🔗Linktree

❓What 3D program do you use?

Blender

❓Where you you get your models?

Deviantart or I extract them from the game myself.

❓What are the rules for requests?

Feel free to request anything from any fandom! I'll do my best to bring your prompt to life. While I'm gradually becoming more open to explicit content (within limits) and ensuring nothing offensive is created, I'll always prioritise creating content that's respectful and enjoyable for everyone.

❓Where can I submit a request?

Please submit your requests via my ask box! My requests aren't always open, but you never know—something might spark my interest! 😏 If you want to guarantee that your idea gets brought to life, I recommend commissioning a piece instead.

❓Do you have/know any tutorials?

Not particularly, but there are plenty of resources online that can help. I mostly learned by experimenting with the software, so I might not be the most adept teacher! 😅

❓Do you do custom Tav requests (BG3)?

I can do it, as long as you provide an animation-ready 3D model (with textures) that I can import into Blender. If it's part of a commission, I can handle the extraction for you.

❓Are there any pairings you won't create?

I do not create romantic animations or renders of the following pairings:

❌ Astarion x Cazador ❌ Mizora x Wyll ❌ Gale x Mystra ❌ Karlach x Gortash

However, I’m open to creating content that explores the characters' stories or interactions as they are in the game. I understand that these subjects might be sensitive to some, so I will make sure to tag them appropriately.

[clarisse0o]

Camp Wiegman-Part 76

Lucy Bronze x Ona Batlle

Alternative Universe: Military School

Words: 5K

TW: Abuse Mention

Masterlist

———————————————————————

Saturday, March 26; 9:00 PM – Jenni and Alexia's apartment.

The evening is underway. We're at Jenni's since her apartment is the closest to The United. Needless to say, our friend is well-stocked with beer for the girls' enjoyment. We ordered takeout – Chinese food, to keep things simple. The others left us about an hour ago to enjoy their own evening. We started ours by playing a few rounds of car racing games on Jenni's PlayStation. The games went on until our stomachs started growling. I think Mapi was mostly tired of Alexia beating us. It seems like she's had a bit more practice than we have. So now we're eating, and I took the opportunity to share the good news I received today.

"And so, she’s willing to take you on at her gallery?" Ale asks. "That’s crazy. Small world, huh?"

"We're not complaining," Mapi replies with her mouth full.

She swallows before continuing:

"We were starting to worry you wouldn’t be with us next year."

"Oh no. I was more worried about ending up with nothing. I don’t think I would have left anyway..."

"But is this thing certain?" Ale asks.

"Supposedly. She wants me to visit the gallery and spend a weekend there to see if it works for both of us."

"That’s cool. At least you’ll get a feel for it."

"Yeah, exactly! Plus, she’s a woman running the gallery alone, which suits me even better."

"Yeah, that’s great news," Alexia comments, though with a hint of sadness.

My remark brings about a short silence. I take a deep breath and uncross my legs, placing them on the ground. It was now or never. I mean, there wasn’t a better opportunity.

"I think I’m ready to talk to you about it, girls."

They were both focused on their little boxes of Chinese noodles before I sparked their interest. Neither could hide their surprise.

"You don’t have to," Mapi says first. "I’ve lived in silence for over a year, and I’m fine with that."

"No. Well, no, I don’t have to. But I managed to talk to Lucy about it, so I feel ready to talk to you now. I know you won’t judge me or anything like that anyway."

"That’s the last thing we’d do," Ale replies. "But like Mapi said, don’t feel obligated. Lucy knows, so it’s already a big step for you to have opened up once."

"It’s not about opening up anymore. It’s that you two are my best friends, and I want you to know what destroyed me one day."

They nod in understanding.

"It’s just that if there are two people I’m going to tell this story to, it’s you two."

"Okay," Mapi says first. "Well, if you want to know, I’ve been looking for the truth about all of this for a long time, even though I’ve come up with plenty of scenarios in my head. That piece of garbage Feli still managed to destroy my best friend."

I give a sad smile. It took me a while to understand, but I wasn’t the only one affected by my change in behavior.

"That scumbag, as you put it, abused me for almost a year," I say bluntly, without beating around the bush.

I owed it to myself to do it this way, or my resolve would have evaporated. Still, I can’t bring myself to meet their eyes. I keep my gaze fixed on my box of food, resting on my knees.

"What do you mean, abused...?" Ale murmurs.

"She got angry because of the drugs, and I paid the price... I won’t go into the details. Even Lucy doesn’t know. She ended up figuring it out after my fight with Korbin. I had completely shut down and didn’t want her to treat me at the time, until she understood what was happening."

My throat tightens at the memories resurfacing. It’s harder than I imagined. Alexia, sitting beside me, places her hand on my knee for support.

"I—I didn’t mean to push people away. I just couldn’t stand being touched or approached anymore. I feel vulnerable around people..."

"Oh my God, you poor thing... I didn’t realize it was that bad. So... she hit you?" she asks uncertainly.

I lift my head to see them looking at me with sadness. I sigh and stand up. I don’t like feeling pitied, but I knew what to expect when I started this topic. My back is turned when Mapi speaks before I can answer.

"She did more than that, didn’t she? How far did that bitch go? I mean, you were so strong before. I never would’ve imagined someone could break you like that."

A few tears escape me. I quickly wipe them away. Mapi’s the only person who can guess the full extent of what she did. No one else here knew the Ona from before. So bold and rebellious.

"She did a lot of things I regret," I whisper.

I turn around and lift my sweater to show them my scars. Their gasps fill the room. Some are burn marks, often from cigarettes. Others are knife wounds that struggled to heal properly, as I was never able to treat them. Looking back, I think some of them should have required hospital care. But I never went. It would have meant reporting Feli and going back home. I feel foolish for never doing it now.

"I’ve never seen those," Mapi admits breathlessly.

"Well, if you think about it, I haven’t undressed in front of you since I got back," I point out.

I was never shy with Mapi since she was my high school girlfriend. We used to undress and change in front of each other without any issues before all this.

"The only time you could’ve seen them was at the pool a few months ago, but you were too busy with Ingrid and Joan," I add with a small smile to lighten the mood.

"Oh yeah, that day," she replies. "But wait, you had trouble going to the pool then?" she realizes with shock.

I bite my lip and nod.

"I didn’t want to go, but I didn’t say anything because everyone was so excited. Lucy scolded me in the changing rooms when you all left. She didn’t know no one else had seen them except her... She reassured me and made me feel comfortable before joining you all."

"Oh my God! But why didn’t you say anything?"

"It’s fine, I’m not dead," I joke. "Lucy is slowly helping me feel more comfortable in my body..." I add, blushing.

She’s the first person I allowed to see me in my underwear, practically at the start of our relationship. Granted, I was in bad shape and in a tough spot because of my withdrawal, but I could have refused her help. Somehow, she managed to earn my trust quickly.

"Does she know she abused you?"

I blush even more than before. Mapi never holds back. I can’t even contradict her because we both know she’s right. I had no shame or fear before Feli.

"No," I whisper. "I told her no to avoid her pitying me. She was already worried enough about everything else."

"You can’t hide that from her," Mapi protests.

Her reaction surprises me, and I’m at a loss for words. It’s such a sensitive topic. I’m already pushing myself to talk to her about it, so telling Lucy... the person I share my bed with... is asking a lot. The worst part is that this happened frequently because of Feli’s violence. She had hormone surges she wanted to satisfy, and I was powerless. I often thanked the drugs for helping me forget half of those moments. Seeing my distress and disconnection, Ale steps in to help me.

"Stop, Mapi. This isn’t an easy thing to discuss, especially not with her girlfriend," she defends me.

"What? If I were in her shoes, I’d want to know!" Mapi retorts.

"Please don’t say that," I reply, feeling some remorse now. "I didn’t want her to pity me about this, or worse, to hold back. I wanted everything to happen at my own pace, with her help, and that’s what happened. »

Ale nods in understanding, while Mapi crosses her arms. I sigh at that.

“I was planning to tell her after our first time, but I’m afraid she might take it badly, or... I don’t know... Her reaction scares me a little.”

“She would have every reason to take it badly,” Mapi grumbles. “She would’ve reacted differently if she’d known!”

“And that’s exactly what I wanted to avoid. You know very well I hate being pitied! That’s not how she would’ve helped me!”

Mapi dramatically sighs and rolls her eyes. I understand her frustration. Mapi is the only one who knew me before all of this. She hates that I’ve become so secretive. I guess she expected me to open up at least with the woman who shares my life so she could take care of me. But this is still my choice.

“And what exactly does she know? And since when? Because if even she doesn’t know everything, I’m not sure how to help you anymore.”

“Come on, you’re exaggerating. She’s known a lot for a while. She knows I was a junkie and that I lived in abandoned places with Feli and the other addicts.”

“She knows why you ran away?” Mapi snaps with a certain bitterness.

“Yes, she knows about my dad’s death in combat, and how close we were. She also knows about the communication problems with my family, especially with my mom... Even though that’s a lot better now.”

“And she knows she was violent?”

“Yes, since Korbin, she knows. Like I said before, she’s the only one who will ever know the details of every one of my scars.”

I say this preemptively to stand my ground. I understand she’s still worried about me after hearing all of this, but she has no right to question my choices. Not about Lucy, nor about what I choose to tell her. Mapi narrows her eyes for a moment before sighing in defeat.

“Fine,” she mutters.

“Lucy has helped you a lot...”

I give a sad smile to Alexia, who seems a bit shocked. The poor thing just learned a lot all at once. I had never told her any of this before. To my surprise, she doesn’t resent me for keeping it from her, judging by the way she continues.

“I remember the first day we met. You brushed me off like never before,” she laughs. “I thought I was in for a rough year, and that we’d never be friends given the anger coming off you…”

The way I acted when I met Alexia is one of my biggest regrets. We’ve become very close since then. Alexia just wanted a friend, having never had one before, and I’m glad she can now count me as one.

“But in the end...” she continues. “Once you faced Lucy, I saw that anger disappear. I don’t know how she did it, but she really helped you work through a lot.”

My shoulders slump at this truth. She understands what my girlfriend has done for me. I nod softly to confirm.

“Yes… That’s exactly what happened. She pushed me physically and mentally with punishments… Yet she always listened and supported me. I questioned myself so many times because of her, and I started to trust her. Once she realized that, she began to rebuild me.”

“You see,” Alexia turns to Mapi. “You’re scolding her for not opening up enough… But I think Lucy already knows.”

“Why do you say that?” my best friend asks, frowning.

“Because Ona has never needed to speak for Lucy to understand that something is wrong.”

I sit at these words. If I were honest with myself, I’d say that’s exactly what I hoped for from Lucy. I pushed her away so many times when things got serious, hoping she’d figure out what I’d been through. Unfortunately, she’s never brought it up. So I don’t know if she knows.

“I’m sorry,” Mapi says. “You’re probably right, Ale. I was so jealous at first of how easily she reads you when I’m supposed to know you best… So yeah… She probably already knows, if I could figure it out.”

“I hope so,” I murmured. “I don’t want to say it out loud.”

“Do you still have trouble with people in general?” Mapi asks me.

“No... Well, school and Lucy in particular have helped me open up to the world again. I still push people away sometimes when they surprise me with touch, but it’s happening less and less. We’re working on it a lot.”

“With Lucy?”

“Yes. She’s helping me regain my confidence. In fact, I finally gave myself to her last week.”

“She’s really had a lot of patience. Kudos to her, because I would never have been able to do what she’s done in such a short time.”

“Totally,” Ale agrees. “It’s no wonder you’re so close. Even if you two hadn’t gotten together, I think you’d have maintained a strong bond that the other students wouldn’t understand.”

“Speaking of school, I forgot to tell you, but Wiegman knows,” I said.

The girls look at me without any visible reaction, taking a moment to process what I said.

“Who’s Wiegman?” Mapi responds.

“What do you mean Wiegman knows?!” Ale exclaims.

“Wiegman knows,” I repeat with a small laugh. “Wiegman is the school principal, and she knows. My management professor, who has a crush on Lucy, talked about us to Wiegman. Lucy was there to hand in her resignation letter, and she confessed. She didn’t want to lie, especially since she was about to leave anyway.”

“Wow!” Mapi exclaims. “She’s lost it!”

“But what happened? Are you two getting expelled?”

“No. We think the fact that she knows my mom helped a lot. She also took Lucy’s resignation into account. Since we’re at the end of the school year, she’s letting us finish, and I’m allowed to continue my evening classes since they’re part of my apprenticeship,” I explain with a shrug. “We just have to keep being discreet because if any student finds out, she won’t be able to do anything to stop us from getting expelled.”

“Wow!” Ale exclaims. “I wasn’t expecting that.”

“Yep. So… Wiegman knows,” I sighed.

“Lucy really took some big risks.”

“I know. I felt bad when she told me, but it just goes to show that honesty pays off.”

“And when did all of this happen?”

“Yesterday.”

“And then you say nothing interesting happens in your life,” Mapi mutters to Ale, who bursts out laughing.

“Alright, enough about me. What about you two!? You always let me go first.”

I look at them in turn. They glance at each other, and Alexia decides to go ahead.

“Well, nothing special. Alba agreed to meet Jenni at Leah’s party. Of course, Jenni accepted, but she’s terrified,” she laughs. “She’s afraid of Alba’s reaction.”

“Your sister’s a bit of a pain,” Mapi comments.

“A bit, yeah,” she sighs. “It’s partly my fault too. I hid my relationship for way too long. I shouldn’t have.”

“True,” I agreed.

“Have you talked to Lucy about it? Are you two coming?”

I shake my head, crushing her hopes instantly.

“Sorry, but she refused. Since we’re under scrutiny with Wiegman, she really wants to wait until the end of the school year before we go public with my school friends.”

“Damn…” she sighs.

“Don’t worry, you’ll be well surrounded. Misa will be there, I imagine.”

“Yeah…”

“She’s really cool, you know. We helped each other out when you and Alba were called in. Maybe you could do the same for her that night…”

“I’ll see,” she grimaces. “I’m not sure where to place her. She came to tell me, and I quote, ‘we should get to know each other better.’”

“Who’s she? Your sister-in-law?”

“Ew, don’t call her that,” Ale replies.

I laugh heartily. It seems like things still aren’t smooth between them. I know she doesn’t really like her, but she’d be surprised.

“Come on, she’ll be a good help, trust me.”

- Yeah, well, wait. I think Alba plans to spend part of the holidays with us, like, "to make up for lost time," you know? I'm so pissed! I thought we'd finally be able to enjoy some time just the two of us!

I laugh again. I understand how she feels. It’s always like that with Lucy. We plan to be together, and then everything gets turned upside down. It's complicated with family all over the place.  

- And on top of that, you two won't be here, she adds. I heard you're leaving a week early.  

- Yeah, we're going to my grandfather's for the first week. Since we're going to Portugal, we might as well make the most of it, I replied.  

- Yeah, that's true, but once again, you won't be here to back me up, she says, pouting.  

- Either way, we wouldn't have been here. You'll have to wait until the end of the year for that.  

- Damn it, sighs Ale. It's ridiculous. It’s not like our friends would rat you out.

- Oh, you never know! Mapi surprisingly defends us. All it takes is for someone to have something against Lucy or even Ona, and boom, they're screwed.

- Yeah, mumbles Ale, not entirely convinced.

I laugh quietly to myself, but I think that’s exactly what Lucy believes too. That, and maybe the fact that she doesn’t want to get too close to her students before she leaves. I’m giving her some space for now, but once exams are over, she won’t have any more excuses. I definitely plan to introduce her to the whole gang.  

- So, Mapi, what about you? Anything new?  

- Not much. I'm selling my apartment. Preparing for my move... The school accepted my enrollment.  

- That's awesome! Ale comments.  

- Yeah, definitely a good thing. Also, my parents got in touch.  

- No way! What did they want?  

- To spend time together and reconnect, she laughs bitterly. Apparently, they wanted to check in on me and see how I was doing.  

- Ouch. Any hidden agenda?  

- No idea. I refused. I plan to spend my vacation here getting settled. I told them that and mentioned I have a girlfriend. When they started giving me grief about it, I hung up.  

- No surprise, I grimaced. They didn’t even ask how you were doing before that?  

- Nope. They started by asking how school’s going, if I’m doing well... Same old. I guess they still don’t have anyone to take over their stupid business. I wasn’t planning on seeing them again anyway. They probably thought I’d changed my mind about how I live. They still haven’t realized I’ll never be straight or take over their damn succession.  

- But what exactly do they hold against you? Ale asks calmly.  

- Well, exactly what I just said. Being a lesbian and loving engineering, which they consider a "man’s job." They would’ve preferred me to inherit the family business and start a family with a man for the succession. I’ve always refused. There’s no way I’m pretending to be someone I’m not for people who were never there for me.  

I smile sadly. She rarely talks about her family, even to me. All I know is that they’re rich, always off on business trips, and were never around. The day of her accident was the turning point for her. They couldn’t even be there for her, so she not only rejected her inheritance but also cut ties with them. I knew it was hard for her. Despite what she says, she values family a lot. I can tell when she’s with mine. She’s always said I had nothing to complain about. I find it awful that her parents want her to be someone she’s not. I’m glad she’s finally found some peace in her life thanks to Ingrid.  

- Anyway, no more news from them. I’m living my life, about to join you guys, and it’s about time. I’m really happy about that.  

- And how’s your leg?  

- It’s doing better. The pain is less frequent. But I know it’ll never fully heal. I was told that after the first surgeries.  

- Do you need another operation soon?  

- No, your mom managed to avoid that. We found other solutions. Better physios,… Anyway, they’ll never be able to fully fix it.  

- What happened, with that? Ale asks hesitantly.  

- Car accident. Wasn’t even my fault, she jokes with a laugh. A drunk driver crashed head-on into my mom and me. My knee got completely crushed. According to all the doctors, I was very lucky, if not miraculous, to have saved it.  

My heart sinks every time she talks about it. She was heading home with her mom when it happened. Mapi was the most injured since the car hit her side. The man in the other car flew through the windshield and didn’t make it. Her mom was the least hurt, with just a broken arm and a few cracked ribs. They were rushed to the hospital, especially Mapi, whose knee was shattered. Their father joined them at the hospital. What I find disgusting is that once her mom recovered, her parents didn’t stay with her. Mapi was a teenager, and legally, they shouldn’t have left her alone. But they did. They went back on business trips for days. They only visited occasionally to check on her progress. Mapi had to go through several surgeries alone, with no support. Then came the physical therapy, where they’d just drop her off at the doctors without asking if she needed help. She’s always said that the best thing her parents did for her was bringing her to Barcelona. They were advised to go to the best surgeons there. That’s when we met at school, and my mom started visiting her at the hospital since she was always alone. She’s always told me that her real family is us.  

- By the way, did you call your mom about the wedding?  

- What wedding? Ale asks.  

I blush in embarrassment. I didn’t even have time to tell her. My God, I really need to get back to reality.  

- My mom’s getting married to her partner. I called her this morning, and I agreed to be her maid of honour.  

Mapi practically explodes with joy, jumping on me. I laugh softly. I know she’s always wanted us to get along better since she’s always gotten along with my mom.  

- No way? Oh, I’m so happy! So, you’re going?  

- Of course, I roll my eyes. It’ll be after the exams. June 18th.  

- Oh no, Ale groans. You won’t even be here for my birthday!  

- Really? When’s your birthday? I ask.  

- Well… the 18th, she laughs.  

- Damn. No, we definitely won’t be here, I chuckle. We’ll probably head to Barcelona right after the exams to help with the preparations and all that. Lucy suggested it to get a break before the exam results come out.  

- Oh, that’s even better! You’ll be with me then! Can Ingrid come too?  

- My mom will probably invite her too, so yeah, of course, I laugh.  

- Well, I’m still upset. No one will be here for my birthday, Ale says, crossing her arms.  

- Oh, come on, we’ll celebrate your birthday, don’t worry.  

I say, giving her a hug. The last thing I want is to not celebrate her birthday.  

- Yeah. We’ll do it when we’re back. Maybe a night out, something with lots of drinks! It would do us good.  

- Speaking of drinks, I saw a bottle of champagne in the fridge. Anyone interested?  

- Yeah! Mapi exclaims. Go ahead, pop it open!

We laugh as Ale gets up to grab it. A glass of champagne sounds good tonight. I needed to unwind, and since Lucy is picking me up later, I don’t hesitate to have a drink or two, especially after Ale pulls out the rest of the alcohol from the other night.

Saturday, March 26; 2:50 AM - Jenni and Alexia's Apartment.

- Darling, someone murmurs to me.

I groan, burying my head into something soft, like a pillow. I recognize Lucy’s touch as she runs her hand through my hair, a little mocking laugh escaping her.

- Come on, get up. I need a little help.

I sigh contentedly, blinking my eyes open. It’s hard to keep them open, even though there’s no light in the room.

- You can stay here if you want, I hear Jenni offer.

- No, no. We’re heading home. Come on, babe, at least sit up so I can carry you.

I groan as she pulls my arms, trying to sit me up. I never know where she gets her strength, but somehow, she always manages. I have a slight headache. I definitely overdid it with the drinks tonight. I don't even know what time it is. Wrapping my arms around my girlfriend, I teasingly pull her toward me. She laughs before pressing her lips to mine.

- You’re not going to make this easy, are you?

- Nope, I grumble.

Too tired to fight back, I let my head fall onto her shoulder. She takes advantage of my state to pull me to the edge of the couch, then lifts me by holding me firmly by the thighs. My limp body betrays me, collapsing entirely against her.

- Thanks again for the evening.

- Will you be okay? Jenni asks her.

- Oh, yeah. It’s not the first time I’ve had to carry her, she jokes.

- Alright, she laughs. Be careful on your way back. Text me when you’re home.

- I will. Thanks.

I hear the door close as Lucy moves, followed by the sound of the elevator. I wait until the doors close to speak.

- You’re not mad at me? I mumble.

- Mad at you for what, baby? she whispers.

She gives me a little bounce to adjust her grip on my body. I groan softly at the jostling.

- For drinking too much, I whisper into her neck.

I’m being honest, because I know she knows. We didn’t have time to clean up the bottles, and I must reek of alcohol. I'd rather be upfront than face a scolding.

- No, she surprises me by saying. Not in this environment, where it’s safe.

A long breath of relief escapes me. She kisses my temple and finally exits when we reach the ground floor. I can feel the cold, and I realize I don’t have my jacket on.

- I’m warning you, once we get to our building, you’re walking up. You’re getting heavy, I swear.

I laugh into her neck as best I can, but I nod. I figure by the time we get there, I’ll be somewhat awake. Somehow, Lucy manages to get me into the car, and I hear the door shut before she walks around to the driver’s side. That’s when I notice my jacket is draped over my lap. I decide to put it on to stay warm.

- I love you, you know that? I say, in the middle of the drive, making my girlfriend laugh.

- Yeah, babe. I think I’m aware, she teases.

- Why are you laughing? It’s not funny. I’m being very serious! I huff.

- I’m not laughing.

- Yes, you are!

- Well, only because you’re the most adorable thing when you’re drunk. I forgot how happy you get in these moments.

- Does that mean I can drink again? I say excitedly.

- I never forbade you from drinking, she sighs.

- Yes, you did at the beginning.

- Yeah, but back then, you weren’t as responsible as you are now. And the places you frequented weren’t exactly the safest.

- Blah, blah, blah.

- Babe, she giggles. Don’t pick a fight in such a nice moment.

- Hmm, I reply, stretching. I’ll try not to, I tease.

We arrive at our building, and Lucy parks in the underground garage. This time, she doesn’t carry me up, but she still helps me stay upright and even undress me a little once we get to our apartment.

- Can I wear one of your shirts? I mumble as I collapse onto the bed.

- Of course.

I’m down to my underwear as she rummages through our closet. I take off my bra without any hesitation. Partly because I’m drunk, partly because I’ve become comfortable with Lucy since we made love.

- Here, she says, tossing me one.

I put it on quickly and slide under the covers, watching Lucy change. Once she’s done, she joins me in bed. I barely have time to snuggle up to her before I feel myself drifting off. I can still feel her lips against mine just before I fall asleep.

- Good night, my love.

- Good night, baby, I mumble back.

[fuckyeahgoodomens]

A great interview with Michael with Collider :), mostly no spoilers (or what already been said elsewhere :)❤)

COLLIDER: Obviously, when you were making the first season of this show, you had the book to work off of, you had a characterization to work off of, but because this season is an all-new thing that Neil Gaiman has written, did you get to work with him at all to develop what Aziraphale was doing this season, or was it all dependent on what he wrote?

MICHAEL SHEEN: Yes, I think when we were doing the first season, Neil always talked about the idea that he and Terry [Pratchett] had talked quite a bit about future storylines and that they had worked out quite a lot of it, actually. They just never got around to writing it down in a book. So there was quite a lot of material already in his head. One of the wonderful things about this, as well, working on this project, has been how much myself and David have been able to collaborate with Neil on the characters and inhabit them and bring them to life, and developing the relationship between them and the storylines. So it’s felt very collaborative, but then, of course, Neil is very good at making it feel collaborative even when he knows exactly what he wants.

QUESTION: Speaking of that relationship between Crowley and Aziraphale, you are obviously quite close with David Tennant. You work with him not only on this but also on Staged. What's it like getting to put that friendship dynamic to use on those shows, especially since Staged is something that's so completely different from Good Omens?

SHEEN: It's just wonderful, really. You know, often you work with actors that perhaps you have very good chemistry with on-screen or on stage, but maybe off-stage, off-screen there's not a particular spark. It's fine, but there's nothing particularly special about your relationship on stage or on-screen. Then other times, there are people you get along with really, really well, but maybe there isn't necessarily that amazing chemistry on-screen or on stage. So it's very rare that you have both. I think with us, we've just sort of discovered that that is the case, or it seems to be that people feel like we have good chemistry together when we're working. And we just have a lovely time together in between working as well, so it's such a pleasure to be able to do that, and to be able to work on projects like Good Omens and Staged with the characters that we play in those. It's just a real joy, so, you know, long may it continue.

QUESTION: Personally, I love the relationship between Aziraphale and Crowley, and the show has had such a massive fan response. How much are you aware of that, and what do you hope fans take away from this season as opposed to the first one?

SHEEN: Oh, I'm very much aware of it. Yeah, it's one of the most enjoyable aspects of working on this, to see how much the audience and in particular Good Omen fans just give to the project. It does feel like a fulfilled kind of creative collaboration with the fans as well. There's so much talent when people come to writing fanfiction or artwork, or just discussing ideas or things that have sort of been born out of it. I mean, there are all kinds of amazing groups who fundraise now for charities and do all kinds of incredible things. There are conventions and all sorts. I love that, and I love seeing how people have made friends, really close friends, through their connection to this and these characters in this story, and how communities have been created, and how much people are helping each other. I see all that online and I hear about it. It feels very in the spirit of the story, you know, it feels very in keeping with what it's all about. I think that's a big part of why Neil and I and the rest of us have all really opened ourselves to that fan community, because I think it feels like a very living part of the story.

QUESTION: How do you think Aziraphale has changed between where we leave him at the end of Season 1 and the beginning of Season 2? Is there anything unusual that we can expect from him this season?

SHEEN: Well, I think he's in a quite odd position for him because, on the one hand, he's got a lot of the things that he's always wanted. He's always wanted to just be left alone and live in his bookshop, and drink tea and listen to music, and read books and go to the theater, and eat nice meals and drink nice wine, and be with the being that he loves being with the most. But on the other hand, he's also someone who feels very anxious about not being part of the company, you know, being out on his own and sort of independent. It’s quite a challenge for him. It’s that thing about “be careful what you wish for.” He got what he wished for, but he still feels a bit off-kilter, I think, and then this unexpected guest arrives and turns the world upside down for him again.

But one of the things that we wanted to explore with Aziraphale in this series is perhaps finding something a little steelier underneath the apparent soft surface, that maybe there's something else going on under there. So we see that kind of come out as the story goes on, as well.

QUESTION: In addition to playing Aziraphale, you also did the voice for Lucifer in The Sandman audio series, which is obviously also a Neil Gaiman joint. So what's the difference between playing an angel and playing a demon?

SHEEN: Well, of course, Lucifer is an angel, was once a fallen angel. My first experience of Neil’s work was The Sandman. That was what I first read when I was still a teenager in the late ‘80s, and it just absolutely blew my mind and opened me up to all kinds of things and started a journey [with] Neil’s work, but also all the people that Neil kind of points you towards through his work as well. It opened so many doors for me. So to be able to then be a part of The Sandman world, as well, to play such an iconic character, it was and is, because we're still doing it, just a bit of a dream come true.

QUESTION: I have one last question for you, and it's a little bit of a silly one. One of the most iconic parts of Good Omens is Crowley's Bentley, which is cursed to play nothing but Queen songs forever and ever. I would love to know what you think Aziraphale’s favorite Queen song is.

SHEEN: Well, I think he likes the more operatic ones. So he probably…I think he likes “Bohemian Rhapsody.” All those nifty chorus bits. He’d love that. So yes, probably “Bohemian Rhapsody.”

[seaofreverie]

Sparkstember Day 12: In Outer Space (Cool Places)

Oh boy, it's finally here!! Having been a Sparks fan for nearly a year by that point, I finally got to an album I just straight up don't like! I honestly forgot by then that this was even a possibility. But a world where I can enjoy everything in such a vast catalogue of a favourite band of mine would be too perfect. It would be pretty strange and unsettling even. Not to always make it about my other favourite band whenever I'm talking about the first, but with TMBG also I eventually got to that one studio album release that I just couldn't bring myself to like, no matter what. So I think I discovered a bit of a personal repeating pattern here.

Alright then. My verdict on this album, which already got a pretty mixed response from fans as far as I know, is that it's not very good, or at the very least, it's not for me. Even the songs I like here I mostly like in the sense of, well, this one I could listen to again outside of the album every once in a while, but they're nowhere near being an actual favourite (besides one song, or two, mayyyybe four if I'm feeling particularly generous).

So I think that my main problem here comes down to how the arrangements / instrumentals seem rather empty to me but not in a cool minimalistic way. And, dare I say, they're pretty damn uninteresting - very few elements of suprise or anticipation to be found here. This is the only Sparks album that just... doesn't feel Sparks to me. (And that's coming right after Angst, which might really just be one of the most Sparks-like of Sparks albums in a way). Something is TERRIBLY missing here and a couple catchy melodies and fun synth lines aren't enough to make up for that. It drags on quite a bit and is underwhelming to listen to as a whole. With only a couple moments of change and something more interesting and engaging. It's this sort of situation where I feel like the whole time I'm waiting for some kind of resolution that never happens ultimately. First instance of me putting on a new Sparks album and forcing myself to sit through the whole thing. And last one I hope! (and expect...? well, better not jinx it)

Ok, having said all that... This will be a historical event because I can't finish this post before I have my obligatory listen to the album of the day on its day. So, time for some real time documentation of my changing opinion, or lack thereof. Time to hear IOS in it's entirety for the first time since april!

...Ok, I'm glad that I didn't say all this in vain at least, LOL! Because I'm still underwhelmed! No major change here. Definitely still not something I'm going to return to more often than very occasionally and the "waiting for nothing" effect was very present and real once again. And it just dawned on be, but do most of these songs not have a bridge?? Maybe that could be part of why it all feels pretty predictable! But alright, as per tradition, let's look at some highlights anyway.

Favourite songs (and other highlights):

Cool Places: never felt in any strong way about it but repeated listens made it an enjoyable little ditty over time, lol. One of my first impressions here was how LOW Russell's voice is, this must be the lowest he's ever sung, right?? And oh, quick shoutout to the 21×21 version of it too

All You Ever Think About Is Sex: ok, this one's really cool and exactly what convinced me that the rest of the album would be enjoyable in the same way. Not for me unfortunately!!

Please, Baby, Please: my definitive fav here that I like a whole lot and that for whatever reason doesn't seem to have any of this album's problems that I described earlier. And I'll always be partial towards songs that I can interpret as being aspec-coded, thanks to my predisposition to do that as often as possible

I Wish I Looked A Little Better: very similar case to All You Ever Think About Is Sex

Dance Godammit: it's funny. It's fun to listen to sometimes

[lulu2992]

After playing Cattails earlier this year, I decided to buy the sequel, Cattails: Wildwood Story.

It made sense to me to play as my only kitten from the first game so I recreated Ella as faithfully as possible and they became the leader of the “Wildwood Alliance”.

I then spent at least 105 hours (a little over 5 in-game years) doing everything there was to do, unlocking everything there was to unlock, and leveling up everything there was to level up.

In my opinion, Wildwood Story is even cuter and more enjoyable than the first game, mostly because many of the things I thought were frustrating or not very convenient in Cattails were fixed and improved in the sequel. For example, it’s easier to locate and catch prey, friendships develop quicker and actually last, and you don’t have to complete daily tasks before midnight, which means you don’t need to spend the whole day running around... only to arrive late at the task board anyway :’) Also, you can now eat bats and that helps a lot in the mines.

In short, I had a good time, and if you liked Cattails, you’ll probably enjoy Wildwood Story too :)

My family, den, and more gameplay moments under the cut:

To unlock all the achievements, you have to find a spouse and have kittens. I chose to marry Spark for three reasons. First, I thought they had an endearing personality. Secondly, they’re the kitten of a character from the first game, so probably about the same age as Ella. Thirdly, I originally lived in the Forest Colony in Cattails and interacted with its shopkeeper Ember, Spark’s parent, quite often. They were one of Lou’s few friends and I liked the idea of their children being close too.

I now realize I didn’t take any pictures or videos of the wedding, but it took place on the beach as a tribute to my custom Seaside Colony from the first game. The couple had four kittens, Didi, Fifi, Riri, and Nini, born on Summer 1.

Two highlights of my experience as a parent that made me feel like I was doing a great job (ironically in one case, haha):

My kittens all successfully catching their first prey on the first try :’)

My den (I combined 18 screenshots for this):

The kittens’ rooms (on the left) are decorated according to their personalities and favorite gifts, so basically monsters for Didi, pretty things for Fifi, fish for Riri, and prey for Nini. Ella was a creative kitten in Cattails and Spark loves insects, so they have art supplies and a bug collection in their room too.

Then, here’s an involuntary trick shot:

[SPOILERS from now on]

Since Spark was my cat’s spouse, they didn’t marry Lainey. However, all the other four rival marriages (Talon & Krampy, Elli & Champ, Bob & Buttercup, and Alabaster & Fliss) happened and the couples gave birth to a total of six kittens, Jack, Aster, Basil, Beau, Bubby, and Salem, bringing the number of cats in the Wildwood Alliance to 31.

Finally, in the main quest, when it was time to decide the Wildwood Champion’s fate, I did what I always do.

I spared them (and felt happy about it).

[mariacallous]

As a teenager, I was embarrassed about liking chopped liver. To be fair, I was embarrassed about most things — my parents, my lack of the coolest sneakers, and my freckles among many other things. But liking chopped liver was high up on the list. It was just one of those gross foods: aesthetically unappealing, greyish and mushy, and just plain weird. None of my non-Jewish schoolmates had ever heard of anything like it.

But it tasted so damn good. All of it did — my grandmother’s, made from beef livers and shimmering with schmaltz served weekly at Shabbat lunch; the mass-produced packaged stuff that was kind of gristly, in a not-all-bad way; the scoops of it sandwiched between two slightly stale slices of white bread at the kosher deli (which may well have been the packaged stuff); and best of all, the creamier pate-like offerings, topped with a sweet fruit chutney, served at Friday night buffets in Israeli hotels. Chopped liver was rich and didn’t require a lot of effort — you barely needed to chew it. It also sparked an iron-fueled rush of energy. It was my guilty pleasure.

I didn’t realize I had been so spoiled in the chopped liver department until I left home from England, to Israel, where it was actually quite hard to find. Israeli chefs were deep into a returning-to-culinary-roots movement but hadn’t really delved into the Ashkenazi kitchen yet, preferring the spicier, sexier Mizrahi dishes like kubbeh and upscale stuffed pita sandwiches. I could find chopped liver in haredi areas like Bnei Brak, but it was a real schlep.

So I did what any committed liver enthusiast would do: I started making my own. I had my grandmother’s recipe, but beef livers were hard to come by, so I set my sights on a chicken liver version I’d found in Geila Hocherman’s Kosher Modern cookbook. This was more a pate; it departed from tradition in some quite ballsy ways, like adding capers! And thyme! And chili flakes! I was intrigued.

Finding chicken livers wasn’t a problem — there were trays of them, slippery and pink, in the Carmel Market in Tel Aviv. And, like those my Ashkenazi ancestors cooked within Eastern Europe, they were cheap and sold raw. Back at home, I gave my grandmother a call and she, delighted by my culinary undertaking, gave me step-by-step instructions. First I had to rinse the livers, salt them, and broil them — this was going to take some time.

I tend to be an impatient cook — technique-heavy, complicated recipes bring out the worst in me. But the process of making chopped liver was unexpectedly enjoyable. Growing up in an Orthodox community, my role as a woman often felt passive, mostly consisting of watching the men participate in Judaism. So it felt new, and welcome, to take on the active task of preparing the livers, with instructions passed down through my matriarchs for generations.

Once they’d been sufficiently broiled on both sides, I added the livers to a pan with caramelized onions, capers, thyme chili flakes, and a splash of white wine. Then I blitzed the mixture and a few slices of soaked bread with a hand mixer and steeled myself for a taste.

While the unorthodox ingredients added a saline spurt and chili zing, the chopped liver tasted wonderfully familiar. It was my take on all the other versions I’d gorged myself on before — not competing with them, but adding something a little new. I was content and even proud. I sat at the kitchen table with a glass of red wine, a box of crackers, and a jar of mango chutney and ate half my homemade liver in one sitting. Not the healthiest snack, I grant you, but it was an important reminder to me that sometimes it is worth investing time in the kitchen to please only yourself. Making chopped liver began as an exercise in nostalgia but turned out to be much more — an act of culinary self-care.

[kalena-henden]

These are all the shows I’ve watched in 2023 so far...

finished:

Alchemy of Souls: Light and Shadow - Fantastic finish to the story! Top 3 Kdrama.

Unlock My Boss - Chae Jong Hyeop shines as an aspiring actor who winds up taking the roll of a lifetime as the new CEO of a tech company when the soul of the previous CEO gets stuck inside his phone. Wild concept but fun found family, corporate intrigue, and a sweet little romance that brews between the young new CEO and his assistant.

The Forbidden Marriage - Top 5 Kdrama. If you want romance, comedy, angst, and alot of love, this is your show. I had so much fun and was rewatching while it was airing.

King2Hearts - An unlikely romance sparks between a South Korean prince and a top North Korean (female) soldier leads to potential reconciliation between their two countries that is threatened by a crazy arms dealer whose cover is a magician. This a James Bond inspired, enemies to lovers, family dynasty, international war games drama. The unhinged villain has his own lair and minions but the only one who can match his off kilter mind games is the wily prince, who is equal parts smart, asshole, and lovable. The North Korean soldier is one of the only one’s who can go toe-to-toe with the prince to eventually bring out the best in him as they fall in love that is literally ride or die. There’s also a secondary romance with the princess and a royal guard. I loved parts of this and liked the rest.

Poong the Joseon Psychiatrist (S1 & S2) - I’m a big Kim Min Jae fan. He shines as a medical doctor who experiences trauma that drives him to suicide. He is saved by a passing noble woman and a short while later he saves her from suicide due to her own trauma. Both of them end up working at a rural clinic with another exiled doctor to treat the locals physical needs but also begin a new practice to treat people’s mental health needs as they try to recover from their own traumas. I loved S1 but S2 brought on some annoying new antagonistic love interests. It is a happy ending though.

Lighter & Princess - A poor computer programing genius clashes with an ambitious rich girl in his college classes but sparks fly when they vie for control of the school’s entrepreneurial programming club leading to unlikely but hard won romance. This was excellent. 

Love to Hate You - A brash entertainment lawyer gets entangled with a romance actor who keeps his distance from women due to a trauma. A bit over the top, lots of role reversals but also fun. I liked it but didn’t love it. 

A Very Secret Service (Au Service De La France) - This a dry, witty French comedy about espionage and spies in the 1960s. Quirky and enjoyable with good character development. 

Taxi Driver (S1 & S2) - Lee Je Hoon leads this team of vigilantes who try to root out the evils of society for individuals in crisis that they were never able to do for themselves. The cases are mostly based on real life events. Violent, emotional, satisfying. I love this found family. 

Crash Course in Romance - A beloved, handsome math academy professor falls for the single mother of one of his students leading to an uproar amongst the parents. There’s a cute love triangle with the daughter and her classmates (I’m Team Geonhu) and a unsatisfying serial killer plotline. 

Gaus Electronics - This is an over the top, quirky, office comedy. It’s so crazy, especially at the beginning, that it’s almost too much but it’s smart and fun with an unlikely enemies to lovers romance that is quite sweet.

The Heavenly Idol - A high priest from another realm in the middle of a battle with the devil unexpectedly switches places with a failed idol grasping for his last chance at success. Kim Min Kyu is a great fish out of water but the story is a bit all over the place. I like his sweet healing romance with the band’s new manager though.

The King: Eternal Monarch - Parallel worlds, time travel, doppelgängers. Lee Min Ho, Kim Go Eun, Woo Do Hwan. There were some great concepts and good execution but it lacked the follow through to make it truly satisfying. 

Dr. Romantic (S1, S2, & S3) - Top 10 Kdrama. A small town hospital where a visionary maverick doctor, Master Kim, mentors 30-something year old doctors with his unorthodox methods while they fall in love with each other. It has a huge found Doldam Family with the hospital workers of all ages and their complex relationships with each other. I love this show!

Our Blooming Youth - Park Hyung Shik leads this Joeson-era mystery romance. It’s okay but it’s too slow and doesn’t develop the characters enough. It should have been 16 episodes, not 20. 

Call It Love - Introverted adults in their 30s try to overcome childhood trauma inflicted by their parents as they unwittingly fall in love while working together. This one is slower, complex and compelling. It’s one of my favorite dramas of 2023.

Please Don’t Date Him - I watched this solely for Lee Junyoung as a young firefigher who falls in love with a woman who works with A.I. in home appliances and stumbles upon a government spy program. It’s a light comedy if you’re looking for fluff. 

Find Me in Your Memory - An actress who’s lost her memory and an anchorman who can never forget fall in love. I mainly watched this because of the actors cameo as these character in Sh**ting Stars. It was okay.

Healer - I know this is a fan fave but I liked it, didn’t love it. 

Bora! Deborah (True to Love) - So much potential but a bit of a let down. I like both Yoo In Na and Yoon Hyun Min.

When the Weather is Fine - I was here for the small town romance with the local bookstore owner and the fun found family of their all ages book club. However, the last third of the story wallowed in the revealed family trauma too much and lost sight of everything else. 

Tale of the Nine-Tailed 1938 - When this was on point, it was compelling, funny and so much darn fun! There was bromance, romance, adventure, healing, friendship, and battles both personal and national. It had some slow times but overall Lee Dong Wook was clearing having the time of his life and Kim Bum stole the show as Lee Rang came into his own. 

Thirty But Seventeen - 10/10. Top 5 Kdrama. A teenage violinist gets into an accident and wakes up from her coma 13 year later to find the world vastly different. This was so much darn fun, great found family, cute romance, angst, and healing. Even when it was sad, I was so happy watching it. Shin Hye Sun, Yang Se Jong, and Ahn Hyo Seop are fantastic!

Something in the Rain -  I wanted so much to like noona romance with Son Ye Jin and Jung Hae In but man did it drag. Her mother is especially heinous. I completed it which was difficult.

See You in My 19th Life - I weirdly dislike-watched this in one weekend cause I wanted to see what all the fuss was about. It was okay. There were some interesting things about it with the relationships and past lives stuff but not for me.

King the Land - Lee Junho acted his heart out in this fluffy romcom and Im Yoona was a worthy partner in crime. I came to have a good time and they gave it to me. 

Heartbeat - Ok Taecyeon did a good job of carrying this unsteady vampire show that had some good moments but didn’t deliver on its premise. 

Legend of the Blue Sea - I really do like Lee Min Ho. He has a casual charisma that is undeniable. Jun Ji Hyun was an excellent literal fish out of water. While I liked the intertwining of the past and present lives, the story never quite hit the mark for me. Liked it, didn’t love it.

Never Have I Ever (S4) - This show never let me down. A satisfying finale season!

Meteor Garden (2018) - I needed more Dylan Wang after Love Between Fairy and Devil. This was an unexpected crazy fun ride. It was so outrageous at times. It inspired me to one day watch all the adaptations of Boys Over Flowers, as I’ve already seen 3 now. 

Hidden Love - A slow burn, age gap romance between a college girl and her older brother’s longtime friend. I really liked this but I wasn’t in love with it like everyone seems to be.

Nadiya’s Time to Eat - A fave Great British Bake Off winner’s cooking show. Inspiring.

Nadiya Bakes - And her baking show too.

Shadow and Bone (S2) - I think it improved on some things from the first season but they really crammed the second two books into one and some of Six of Crows too. Still a bit too fast-paced but I enjoyed it.

The Night Agent - An FBI agent gets an emergency call that starts a race to find a government mole and protect the informant. I binged this almost straight through. A good watch.

Queen Charlotte - This Bridgerton spinoff sheds light on royal power dynamics, mental illness, and social and racial divides.

LuLaRich - This is a compelling documentary on the rise and fall of Lularoe’s multi-level-marketing scheme. A must watch.

Sweet Magnolias (S3) - This is a comfort drama. I’m just here checking in to see how the little town is doing.

Star Trek: Picard (S3) - Showrunner Terry Matalas brings some of his 12 Monkeys (the tv series) magic to the final reuniting of the Next Generation cast while setting up a compelling potential Legacy spinoff.

My Lovely Liar - I enjoyed the romance between Hwang Minhyun and Kim So Hyun but the show itself is okay.

Destined With You - Magic, Curses, Past Lives, Symbolism, Spells, Fated Love. I thought it was going to be the next great fantasy romance but it chucked the fantasy halfway through and left a million unanswered questions at the end. At least we got a decent romance, even if the story lost its way. A big disappointment for me but I would recommend to see Rowoon acting his heart out in a cute romance.

The Uncanny Counter 2 - I was back to see the demon hunters fight for their humanity and loved ones again.

Celebrity - A solid takedown of influencer culture with mystery, intrigue, and a tiny bit of romance.

It’s Okay Not To Be Okay - I’ve been hearing about how good this drama is forever and it lived up to expectations. Great characters and development. I was surprised at how funny it was and enjoyed the romance too. Highly recommend.

True Beauty - This has been on my list for a long time and I needed more Cha Eun Woo while waiting for new episodes of A Good Day To Be A Dog. A great high school romcom with angst about a girl bullied for her acne getting a second chance at a new school who turns into a ‘goddess’ when she learns to do her own makeup. Love the romance, bromance and friendships! I love the second male lead as a character but never got second lead syndrome because I loved the main romance. I enjoyed the whole way through. 

Beckham - A docuseries about soccer (football to the rest of the world) star David Beckham that made you feel like you had front row seat to his past triumphs and struggles through the reflective lens of the present.

[waterfallofspace]

57 and 68 for either s/hin soukoku or All Might? Okay there's one more coming and then I swear I'm done

Another thank you for the ask!!! I've been having such a good time with these, you have no idea, hahaha~~ I chose S/hin S/oukoku because it sparked an idea for how it might go down, but I’d be more than happy to do something for A/ll M/ight too if you’d like <3 (I just… the idea of tormenting A/kutagawa was too good to pass up hehehe~) Another first time writing characters, so I hope it’s enjoyable, or at least tolerable!  2.2k words, prompts 57 and 68, story under cut! 57. “Stop telling me you’re okay.”  68. Sparring/training and coughing/sneezing. (References to slightly high fever and violence, they're sparring so there's attacks from both of them, though it's mostly from A/kutagawa. Nothing graphic is mentioned, but there are definitely implications, so just in case anyone doesn't like that!)

~~~~~~~

‘By all accounts, Akutagawa is dying right before my eyes.’ 

Atsushi watches his sparring partner aim yet another attack, pausing to lean into his hand with a cough that leaves both of them winded. ‘He sounds rough… I’ve noticed he coughs a lot on a good day, he must have weak lungs. Oh- that can’t be a good match for a chest cold…’ 

“Maybe we should take a brea-ouuf!”

He’s cut off by another blow to the chest, Akutagawa’s eyes burning straight into his soul. The ferocity is dampened by the hand Akutagawa raises to his mouth, ducking away with another cough that nearly brings him to his knees. Managing to subdue it enough to speak, Akutagawa resumes his glaring.

“We will do no such thing. Dazai has personally asked me to train you, so that is what I shall do. ah’GSh’kieu-!”

“A- are you sure you’re up for- hey!”

This time he manages to dodge, rolling across the alley as Rashōmon grazes his arm. ‘He’s still able to put up a pretty good offense, despite being so sick. His defense though… whenever he has to duck away to relieve his lungs or sinuses he’s vulnerable. B- but… that feels unfair to take advantage of…’

“Tired alr- heh’enSH’kiue-! already, weretiger? We’ve barely begun.”

“I’m fine, Akutagawa.”

“And what is that suppo- eh’DSHhh’kuu-! supposed to mean?” 

“Oh I wonder. Come on, you’re sick. You can’t go-”

“hh’gSHh’kieu-!”

“-a few minutes without sneezing.” 

Atsushi can’t hide the giggle spilling from his lips at the adorable nature of Akutagawa’s sneezes, jumping to the side as another blow lazily misses him. ‘His movements are getting slower. I was late on my reaction, unfocused, he should have been easily able to hit me.’ 

“ah’knshh-nNShh’kiew-!”

“Bless-”

“Don’t. Just because Dazai picked- gshhh’kuu-! that up doesn’t mean you need to follow suit.”

“Uh- aren’t you the one who practically worships him..?”

“I want him to notice my strength. I do not want to become him. Besides, he only started- hh’enDSHhh’kieeu-! using that particular expression to torment particular members of- eh’nnNSHh’kiu-! the port mafia.” 

Each sneeze seems to shake his entire body, Atsushi barely resisting the urge to grab his arm as Akutagawa trembles from the force. ‘They’re pretty tiny noises, and yet they seem to take so much out of him. He’s gotta be sicker than he’s letting on. Maybe I can use Dazai as a way to get him to admit it…’ 

“Oh, I actually didn’t know that! It seems you know Dazai pretty well, huh?” 

“Enough talking. Rashōmon, Agito!”

This time Atsushi doesn’t even have to dodge, another cough shaking Akutagawa enough to have the jaw crash into the ground before it can reach its target. Atsushi responds with an assault of his own, letting his claws form on one hand as he lunges. Akutagawa’s barely able to block, only succeeding since his Rashōmon blocks by instinct.

“After that, you’re still claiming you’re fit to train?” 

“hieSHhh’keew-! gNNSHhh’kuu-!”

“Bless you!”

“I thought I told you not to do that.”

A light warmth bathes Atsushi’s face as he offers a sheepish smile, eyes closing as his cheeks raise. At the sound of Akutagawa coughing again, he reopens them, starting to ramble to give Akutagawa a bit of privacy to rid his lungs of the irritation.

“Sorry, it’s become a bit of a habit. We all say it in the agency now! I actually think Dazai started saying it to tease Kunikida, but then Kenji latched on, and now even Ranpo will use it at time-”

“What exactly gives you the impression that I care, weretiger?”

“N- nothing I guess, sorry- I ju-”

“Tsk. Focus on the battle. If you drop your guard like that the enemy can easily- aH’DnGshh’kiew-!”

Laughter bubbles up through Atsushi’s throat before he can muffle it, Akutagawa responding with Rashōmon. Unable to dodge in time, Atsushi finds the jaw latching onto his leg, a wound that would be serious on most anyone else. ‘He knows my healing will take care of it. If he wanted me dead he’d aim for the throat. B- but… I can’t tell if he’s going easy because Dazai asked him to train me, or because of-’

“hH’INdgT’kiew-!”

“That sounded like it hurt.”

“dNgZSh’kiew-! It did not.” 

“The wincing would suggest otherwise.”

“hheHh-! N- no. I am simpl- eh’geXGT’kiew-! simply growing tired of these interruptions.” 

Akutagawa’s hand is clenched against his face, pinching his nose shut as each ‘interruption’ grows in force. ‘It’s almost hurting me to watch him do this, they sound utterly unsatisfying.’ Atsushi finds himself thinking, eyes darting down to the tremble in Akutagawa’s legs once more. 

“hH’eNXGT’kieuu-!”

“That can’t be helping-”

“Rashōmon, Sawarabi!”

Climbing the wall of the building to his left, Atsushi manages to dodge the spikes rising from the floor where he once stood. ‘Alright, alright, I get the message! Focus on the training. Maybe… maybe I can use this to get him to admit he’s sick…’ Another attack has him springing back to the ground, his paw managing to grab the cloth before it can strike once more. Akutagawa is too busy shuddering into his hand with another fit of coughing to interfere.

“If I pin you, will you finally call it for the day and go rest?”

“Even if I was in a weakened state, you wouldn’t stand a chance, weretiger.”

Akutagawa attempts a huff, a cough spilling out in its place, Atsushi finding himself unable to prevent the wince from scraping through his clenched teeth.

“I- I mean, at least you’re admittin-”

“I said if. But that time is n- haHh-! N- not… nohhEht- eH’dSHh’kiew-! hH’eNSChh’kiue-! Hihh… guhh’eSHH’kiuu-!”

“Didn’t quite catch that through the sneezing attack.”

“That time is not tod- hH’eNgT’kiew-! Not today. I am perfectly fine, weretiger. Focus on tr- trahhh… training- aH’GSHh’kuu-! INgT’kiew-! gNNt-eNDT’kuu-!”

Using the lapse in concentration to his advantage, Atsushi throws himself at Akutagawa, easily pinning him to the ground. ‘I didn’t even need my gift to have the strength to hold him… that can’t be good.’ Akutagawa gasps, the force of the impact leaving him panting, prompting another cough to rattle his lungs. Atsushi flinches at the expulsions. ‘His decency’s still intact, even when it comes to me. He’s attempting to aim for his shoulder. I was careful not to crush him, but I might have been a bit roug-’

His thoughts are quickly silenced by Akutagawa’s Rashōmon catching him in the chest, jaws tightening against his arms as the frail man slips back to his feet. The cough hasn’t receded, and a few more sneezes push their way out as he weakly lifts a hand to cover. 

“ihh’geashh’kieu-! Guh… hnn’EShhh’kuu-!” 

A slight wheeze starts to present itself from Akutagawa’s battered lungs, Atsushi prying Rashōmon from his arms with a grimace. ‘That really doesn’t sound good… Screw this! I’ve had it.’

“You know what? No.”

“Wha-”

“Nope, shut up, it’s my turn. Stop telling me you’re okay! You’re clearly not, and it’s starting to feel like an insult to my intelligence for you to keep insisting you are.”

“I see no intelligence to speak of- hnN’GShh’kiew-!”

“Enough, Akutagawa! Training’s over, you need to rest.”

“Rashōmo-” 

The attack is cut short as Akutagawa’s knees give out beneath him, Atsushi’s mouth hanging open as he stumbles forward, catching himself against the wall. ‘D- didn’t see that one coming… maybe he has a fever..? Or maybe I pushed him into the ground a little too hard. I was trying to be gentle bu-’ 

“Weretiger, stop thinking so loudly, you’re g- giehhh… hinNChh’kuu-! giving me a headache.” 

“S- sorry… hey wait- no, I’m not sorry, how is my thinking giving you a headache?!” 

Akutagawa seems to be forming a response, raising himself from the wall to let his glare meet Atsushi’s eyes, just for them to flutter shut as he falls once more. Atsushi finds his body moving on its own, catching Akutagawa before he can hit the floor. The heat radiating from his body causes beads of sweat to form on Atsushi’s face in response as he pulls Akutagawa back to his feet. The man’s eyes snap open, wide with terror as his body flinches away from Atsushi’s touch.

“It’s just me.”

Atsushi keeps his tone low and grip tight. ‘He won’t like that I’m holding him up, but if I let go I think he’ll just fall back on his face… much as he doesn’t believe it, I don’t actually want to watch him die in an alley.’ The panic from Akutagawa’s face slowly starts to fade as his eyes meet Atsushi’s, recognition slowly replacing the feverish haze. Seizing the moment while he has the chance, Atsushi speaks up once more, voice still low, careful not to startle the man in his arms.

“Dazai would be upset if you died here, Akutagawa. It would ruin his plans. And you’re not weak for being sick, you’re human, it’s not exactly like you can help it.”

Deciding to add a little humour, Atsushi lets his eyes crinkle shut with a wide smile, a faint laugh humming out.

“You should hear Dazai if he even has the sniffles! He’ll just mope around the office moaning and whining, it’s frankly hilarious!” 

Clarity returning to his eyes, Akutagawa attempts to stand back up, neither of them mentioning how he needs to cling to Atsushi to do it. He huffs lightly, seeming relieved when the action doesn’t trigger another round of coughing.

“I don’t need your help, weretiger.”

“Whatever you say, Akutagawa.” 

Atsushi lightly chuckles at the grip Akutagawa still has on his shoulder, the weaker man letting another round of sneezes tear from his sinuses. He aims for one of his hands, the other bracing himself against Atsushi as they tremble through him.

“hH’GnSHh’kiew-! eh’nNSHhhh’kuu-! hAHh-! hihhh… hiH’NNChh’kiuee-!”

“Bless you.” 

Akutagawa’s only response is another huff, Atsushi’s eyes meeting his with an unspoken message. ‘I’ve got you.’ He can’t help the smile that spreads down his face as Akutagawa lets his eyes flutter shut, weight shifting onto Atsushi.

They begin the two block journey to the detective agency’s headquarters, Atsushi deciding it’ll be the quickest way to get Akutagawa sleeping. ‘I doubt he’d let me know where he lives, and I’m not exactly eager to bring him back to my place… and if I walked into the port mafia with him like this I’d be shot on site.’ 

“What is he doing here, Atsushi?”

Kunikida’s voice pulls both men out of their trance, Akutagawa quickly detangling himself to lean against the wall. Atsushi flinches, Kunikida and Akutagawa exchanging dark looks as they stand toe to toe.

“Dazai requested him to train me, but I needed a bit of a break! I hope it’s okay we came inside, I just need to grab some water before I continue..?” 

Eyes flicker over to him, Kunikida seeming to evaluate the situation while Akutagawa raises a hand to his face, feigning nonchalance as he brushes it against his nose. Atsushi recognizes the look in his eyes as he attempts to pinch his nose shut subtly. ‘He has to sneeze, but he’s not willing to show that weakness in front of Kunikida.’ 

“Well… I suppose that’s acceptable, just- keep an eye on him, okay kid? I know Dazai asked him to train you, but I don’t trust him here for a minute.”

“The feeling is m-heH… mutual.”

Atsushi picks up the “Or trust Dazai not to make a reckless call to further his own personal gain, the idiot,” Kunikida lets slip under his breath as Akutawaga’s glare hardens, nose twitching beneath his grasp. Electing to ignore the insults, Atsushi offers a nervous smile.

“Thank you, I knew you’d understand, we’ll be out of here in no time, promise!”

With that he grabs Akutagawa’s free arm, dragging the man into another hallway away from prying eyes. Once they’ve gotten far enough he stops, turning to Akutagawa who’s attempting to smother himself against his hand.

“We’re alone now, you can-”

“hEH’GNZSHH’OO-! nNZSHH’UHh-!”

“Oh- bless yo-”

“hH’DSHh’kiew-! eh’nNSHhh’kuu-! hiHh-! hih’nnSHhh’kieu-!”

“Bless you again, Akutagawa.”

“I didn’t ask for your blessings, or your help.” 

Rolling his eyes, Atsushi lets Akutagawa lean against him once more, the fever soaking through his clothes as they keep walking. ‘Would it kill him to say thanks?! Actually- knowing Akutagawa, it just might.’

“I know a back office even Kunikida never goes to. You can sleep there, no one will bother you.” 

Reaching the door, Atsushi pulls it open, revealing a small office complete with boxes, shelves, and a small couch in the corner closest to the entrance. Akutagawa rolls his eyes, growling out a retort as his body seems drawn to the couch by a force he’s unable to avoid.

“I’m not sleeping in th- eh’gSHh’kiew-! this office. I’m not weak like you weretiger. I don’t need to…” 

Akutagawa’s sentence trails off, eyes snapping closed as his head hits the soft leather. Light snores start pouring out, congestion crackling in his chest as he lets out a soft cough in his sleep. Atsushi lets a warm smile creep back onto his face, lightly brushing the hair from Akutawa’s feverish forehead before turning off the light and shutting the door.

“Sleep well, Akutagawa.” 

[voraciousvore]

Big Corp Inc. (35/43)

***This chapter contains vore and non-consensual sexual contact!***

Chapter 35: Stomach and Loins

Mr. Hardon had difficulty focusing on anything the CEO said in the meeting while Candy was squirming around inside his digestive system. She couldn’t seem to calm down, despite being trapped for hours. He was amazed how he could feel even her most subtle movements, when she paced around, sat down, or leaned up against his stomach walls. She had mercurial moments where she would beat up his stomach lining with her teeny fists and feet. Her volatile fits didn’t hurt at all for the Giant, though. He loved the sensation of her frenzied little bumps, like an internal massage. She made the meeting a lot more enjoyable. 

Mr. Wolfe droned on about sales, about trending products, about new clients and markets. He showed charts and graphs and went over the essential guts of the business, profits and losses. Truthfully, Mr. Hardon didn’t care about most of this nonsense. He enjoyed his nice cushy office job in management and he mostly kept his position by sucking up to the CEO, not by being competent. His eyes began to glaze over with boredom. 

Inside his belly, Candy was undergoing the worst experience of her life. She’d rather be locked in the closet with a million giant spiders swarming over her, or marinating in Ronny’s coffee all day, than be trapped inside Mr. Hardon’s stomach. It was hot, wet, uncomfortable, rancid, and disgusting. Minutes dragged on like hours. She hated being in total pitch-black darkness, although she had to admit she wasn’t sure if she would be any better off seeing her dripping meat prison in all its red, revolting glory. However, her lack of sight accentuated all the gross sounds of Mr. Hardon’s innards: the grotesque rumbling of his stomach, his throbbing heartbeat, the wind tunnel of his lungs, fluids flowing, the squelching and popping of his muscles and joints and organs shifting. Her sense of touch was enhanced as well, but everything felt the same: slippery, mushy, warm, and saturated with fluid. Candy felt like she was stuck in a soul-sucking dream, her sanity slowly seeping away. 

Mr. Hardon kept an eye on his watch, since he didn’t want to digest Candy. After the exquisite pleasure he had experienced with her alive inside him, he wanted to make sure she stayed intact so he could eat her again, as many times as he wanted. When the three-hour mark approached, he alerted Mr. Wolfe so he could demonstrate how the ingested human would be removed. The individual kits the company sold for consumer use came with an acid-proof rope with a light at the end that the Giant would swallow to fish the human out of his belly.  

Candy slipped deeper into the lake of acid as Mr. Hardon’s body lurched around her when he stood up. She listened as Mr. Hardon explained what he was doing to the Giant managers, his baritone voice resounding through his guts. She was desperate to get out and shifted on her feet impatiently, sinking into the wrinkly stomach lining. Finally, his voice went quiet and she heard him swallowing. 

Light entered her eyes, from a floating spark like a firefly, painful after being in crushing blackness for so long. Candy beheld with horror the churning pink viscera around her as she grabbed the rope like her life depended on it. The levitating luminescence rose up, bringing Candy with it. She cringed and squeezed her eyes shut as she experienced the familiar compression of wet flesh encasing her tightly on all sides through the long tunnel of the Giant’s esophagus. She was so miserable, she wanted to cry. She had undergone so much torture already, for so long, and this last bit just made it all so much worse. She needed to get out, now. 

Her plea was granted, as she was ripped out of his large throat, slapping his uvula on the way out. She was dragged across his tongue and banged her elbow and shin on his teeth as he removed her from his mouth. She slid across his lips and was momentarily blinded by the bright light, and stunned by the chill, of the exterior world. Mr. Hardon slopped her onto the big table in a puddle of gastric fluids, and she reflexively curled up on her side and silently wept. As she gradually overcame the shock of her experience and her eyes adjusted to the light, she became aware that she was back in the conference room. Mr. Hardon was rambling on about something, but Candy couldn’t understand anything he was saying. She wanted to crawl into a secluded corner and process her suffering in privacy, but instead she was out on public display. All those Giant men, the corporate executives in fancy suits, were gawking at her, observing her shame, the dreadful, lowly, pathetic state she was in. She was mortified. They loomed over her, making her feel small and insignificant, without a shred of pity or remorse for her plight.  

She covered her face with her hands and tried to block it all out. She tried to imagine she was with Martin instead, or secure in the comfort of her old apartment, but the feeling of the hard table on her side and the fluids drenching her body forced her into stark reality. She shook with tempestuous emotions. She felt a whirlwind of despair, rage, abhorrence, and shame that she couldn’t control. She was so overwhelmed, she hardly noticed when a set of Giant hands encapsulated her, lifting her off the table and carrying her away. 

The next thing she knew, she was being doused in water from a sink faucet. She flinched from the unexpected deluge but didn’t bother to get up. She was too broken. She lay in the Giant hand listlessly and allowed the water to flow over her. Huge fingers lathered her all over with soap to clean the acid off her skin, so she wouldn’t get burned. The hands dried her off with a towel as well. She figured it must be Mr. Hardon handling her, but she didn’t care anymore. She felt betrayed and disgusted. She didn’t want to talk to him or even look at him. She just wanted to be left alone. 

Unfortunately for Candy, she wouldn’t get her wish. Mr. Hardon wasn’t done with her yet. He had no room for sympathy in his heart of stone. Devouring her had been very satisfying, far more so than he had even imagined, but he hadn’t sated all of his desires yet. He still had another fantasy of his that he desired to live out, and indeed had been obsessing over for a long time. Considering he had already done his worst, he figured he had no reason to hold himself back now. If she finally gave up and quit, they would be getting new human employees to replace her. He didn’t like the idea of losing her, since he believed she belonged to him, but there was little he could do if she chose to never come back. He stared down at the tiny woman in the palm of his hand, who refused to look back at him. She appeared to be too devastated by her latest experience to resist him. He grinned, flashing his teeth, as he realized this was the perfect opportunity. He brought her up close to his mouth. She recoiled when she felt his breath on her skin, terrified of going back inside his belly.  

“You’re going to be good and obedient for the rest of the day. If you try to resist, or embarrass me in the meeting, I will crush you in my hand. Understand?” he hissed at her. Candy was too scared of the Giant and defeated to answer. Mr. Hardon was horrible, but he had never threatened physical harm on her before like that, and she had no doubt he was serious. Her only response was a shiver, but that was good enough for Mr. Hardon to know she heard his threat. With his other hand, he started to unbuckle his pants, moving quickly with unbridled lust. Candy didn’t realize what he was doing until the noise prompted her to stir from her position and look below, over the edge of the platform of his hand. The Giant pulled open the waistband of his pants and underwear. 

“No!” Candy shrieked in horror, but her protest went unheeded as the Giant stuffed her in his pants and buckled his belt again so she couldn’t climb out. Her small body, still slightly damp from being rinsed off in the sink, wriggled frantically against his junk, stimulating him. He was already rock-hard from having her in his belly, but her additional movements inflamed his sexual desire even more and got his blood flowing to his extremity. Candy tried to kick him like she did before, but she wasn’t wearing her sharp heels this time so it didn’t hurt him as much. He gripped his gigantic hand around her through the fabric of his pants in a warning, to remind her that he could easily smother or crush her. She froze up, realizing the danger she was in. He released her and she quieted down. 

Once Mr. Hardon was assured she wouldn’t try anything reckless, he returned to the conference room as though nothing had happened, and he didn’t have a tiny woman stuffed down his pants. It was lunchtime, and Mr. Wolfe had ordered catering for all the executives. Now that Mr. Hardon no longer had a human in his stomach, he felt hollow inside, so he sat down to eat and converse with his coworkers. The other Giant executives had been blown away by his product demonstration and had all sorts of questions for him. Mr. Hardon ate his food serenely, leaning back in his chair and basking in the recognition of all his hard work as he answered their questions. He felt fantastic. 

Meanwhile, Candy was in repulsive misery again. As if being eaten for hours wasn’t abominable enough, now she was trapped in the stuffy, musky confines of Mr. Hardon’s underwear, pressed against his hot, bare, mildly sweaty skin. Against her will, she was straddling his enormous, erect, pulsing sausage with her legs as if riding a horse, and she had nowhere to go, no means to escape. Above all, even more so than her substantial revulsion and nausea, she was terrified. She had previously assumed Mr. Hardon wouldn’t be so savage as to hurt her, but now she seriously doubted that belief. If she disobeyed him, he could squash her into mush with a simple squeeze of his Giant hand.  

After lunch, the meeting resumed. Mr. Hardon was enjoying it a lot more with Candy secretly stashed away in his pleasure center. She was very uncomfortable and kept shifting on his penis, arousing him further. He wished she would jerk him off, but she stubbornly refused, even when he found the opportunity to poke her with his finger. He didn’t want to make it too obvious what he was doing, since he was inhabiting a public space and couldn’t be grabbing at his own groin.  

Nevertheless, he still found extraordinary satisfaction, not only with the physical sensations but his power and control over Candy. He wanted her to belong to him, to be with him and nobody else, especially not her lover Martin. He realized, if he were honest with himself, that he wouldn’t want to settle for another human female, even a pretty and sexy one. There was something about Candy that was different, that drew him to her like a moth to a flame. He liked her more than any of the Giantesses, or really any other woman he had met. She was... small. Delicious. Cute. Pure and innocent, yet also surprisingly brave and resilient, in a way that was admirable. His heart beat faster when he thought about her. Why? 

He didn’t want to accept his deeper feelings, so he denied the truth. He doubled down on his lustful, gluttonous, sinful urges. He wouldn’t hold back anymore. He wouldn’t let her quit either; she couldn’t escape from him, any more than she could escape his pants. He decided that he would use her emotions against her, to manipulate and ensnare her. She wasn’t bright or clever enough to disentangle herself from his clutches. She was caught, and doomed to the path that she had chosen for herself, without knowing it. 

As the meeting drew to a close, Candy started to wonder if Mr. Hardon was on some sort of pill too, perhaps a small blue one. He hadn’t relented in hours. She was exhausted, stressed, depressed, and scared. The Giant stood up, and Candy had no choice but to hold on to his meat, lest she fall down into a worse position. She flopped around, hitting his inner thighs as he walked. She felt a drop as he went down the elevator to the third floor. She sighed. Hopefully her abysmal day would be over soon. 

As Mr. Hardon went to his office, he was surprised to find Martin waiting for him. Martin seemed to deflate when he noticed his boss didn’t have his girl with him. “Where’s Candy?” he asked. 

Mr. Hardon felt Candy shift on his crotch at the sound of Martin’s voice. Thinking fast on his feet, he replied, “Candy’s not here. I escorted her to the railway station already.” He coughed loudly to mask Candy’s exclamations of protest as he rushed into his office, shutting the door behind him. Martin sighed with disappointment and left for the day, unaware of Mr. Hardon’s despicable lies. 

Chapter 36

Chapter 1

[betweenthetimeandsound]

Writeblr Positivity Tag

Thanks @lexiklecksi for tagging me!

1. What motivates you to write?

I want to see what stories I could tell and to try to get into other people's point of view and see how they solve problems. Plus, to get immersed into a world I have created.

2. A line/short snippet of your writing that you are most proud/happy of. If not, maybe share a line of someone else's work you love (just please credit them):

"Surprised, Caroline glanced at her hand, adjusting to keep herself from falling. Blood gushed out of the crimson-lined wound as the storm ravaged on, while the wind blew Caroline’s strands against her eyes. The thunder and lightning roared and sparked across the rose quartz sky, and the russet rocks wore down towards the distant ground below. All the elements, all very present around her, performed a musical persuading her to die with every precarious note."

3. Which OC makes you smile every time you think/ talk about them and what are they like?

I feel like Inbal (one of the Mizrahi children in Iodine) should be fun to write about. She's spunky and fun and somehow gets into quite a bit of fights. That doesn't mean she's always happy, though--finding out not only she has a big sister, but she's alive. So she alternates between being happy to have a female companion and a bit cynical about why her mother would lie to her about something so big.

4. What process of writing do you enjoy the most?

You know that feeling when you're immersed into a scene and you can't seem to know where it goes? That feeling feels wonderful once you get into it.

5. What part of writing do you think you are the best at? (Yes stroke your own ego it's okay)

I think it's because of my poetry background, but I frequently write descriptive scenes and create compelling pictures of what's going on in that world. I also frequently go into the thought process of each character quite often, so I could frequently set up scenes and what not.

6. What is something in the writeblr community that is most enjoyable?

I like how they're open to not only sharing their work, but also open to come up with new ideas and trying ot inspiring people.

7. A writing tool/device you use that helps you with writing? (It could be speech to text, a writing program etc)

Not really, though I do have notebooks on worldbuilding and such. I mostly use them for Iodine and The Sorceress, though.

8. A piece of worldbuilding that you like in your own story? (It could be the magic system, a particular place in the story, a law etc)

I like going into the natural spaces; they tend to give a feel on how people think. Aleria receives the prophecy near a waterfall; one of the locations the Sea Gardenia could be is in a magical pond, and just the characters navigating through mountains, sea, and sky. As most of the discussions of how to find are within more populated areas, it's sort of brings the more adventurous feel to Out There that I want.

I also really focused on the magic system and how people deal with powers! It feels a bit secondary at this point, but as Caroline isn't living in the realms, but caught up in their stories, it sort of plays into her arc about what she wants in life. Hopefully I could write more coherent stories about their backgrounds.

9. What piece of advice would you say to encourage others to write if they are having a rough patch?

I would say...absorb everything like a sponge. The world is filled with interesting things; it's a matter of gathering what's the best for what you're working on!

10. Tag some people whose works you love/have been your biggest supporters:

@pineconeontheforestsfloor, @fragiledewdrop, @prasannawrites, @somebodyssongbird, @pinkmoonpoetry, @artymys, @thewritersplace, @andromedaexists, @aimeewai

[niuttuc]

About my Planeswalker-sona !

I have two actually, who are like twins and were both born on Eldraine (the set where I first began to play!). They were raised as knights at first but then they ignited their spark (idk how yet) and had a lot of experiences that made them change a lot.

One is a mardu-artifact wielding gruff sellsword man. He is trying to form an inter-planar mercenary force that could be hired to diverse ends, even tho it would most likely be violence. He isn't the most morally straight person, and isn't afraid to perform such violence in exchange for whatever currency or favor he can muster, but he can't help be a little white aligned and won't stoop to really evil deeds if he can help it or if he notices it. He won't call it "honor" but more like, preserving his reputation in avoiding to harm defenseless people and the like. He is short tempered, a bit ill mannered, and doesn't care about politeness most of the time but *will* respect a good warrior or other people in his line of work. He would be hard pressed to *truly hate* someone but can hold grudges for a good while. His powers are to store copies of artifacts (mostly equipments) he has seen in a remote access bag-of-holding-like demi-plane and bring them out whenever he wants like a powered down Gate of Babylon thing from Fate. His prefered style of battle is wielding a colossus hammer and a brass knuckle and going wild on his ennemies!

The other is his evil-twin, idk if they were born from the same mother or not but they look a lot like each other. Basically personnality wise he's a little evil gremlin that enjoys being chaotic and fucking with people. He's a bit like Ashiok in that regard, but while seeming a bit less "aloof" I'd say? He's still mostly doing stuff for his own enjoyment tho. He is simic aligned, and his thing is to be able to dominate weak animals and constructs, a bit like Lukka, but without a "two ways" link of the sort, because he can only impose his will upon really weak beings. But then, his greatest joy is to pump them up to great heights with green spells to surprise people and bring chaos to wherever he is, which annoys his brother a lot. People mistake them a lot and since this one is very elusive they tend to find the mardu one and bring their grievances to him even tho he hasn't done anything. For some reason, he seems to be able to dominate weak infected monsters without spreading the oil or getting infected himself (to his knowledge at least), which is his lattest "fun discovery": indeed, killing with poison is way easier than with damage... He's taking advantage of the current situation to keep an infected myr with him at the moment, but how long will that last?...

That's it ! They don't have names yet because I'm very bad at naming and I don't want to feel like, cringe lol. But I love that in the lore we're supposed to *be* planeswalkers when we duel ! So they are both the pilots of my two favorite decks : a Syr Gwyn equip/knights commander deck, and a pauper simic infect deck.

I want to keep evolving them as I keep evolving as a player too. Maybe I will give them names, new adventures, write more... or at some point retire them, if I change a lot? In any case, I like them a lot!

Interesting, not quite as mirrored as the beginning got me to assume, but still two folks that are quite different. You say they were "raised as knights", what's that to mean? Where they already adult knights on Eldraine before sparking or just educated in view of them becoming knights? Was this their parents' expectations or their own? What castle's knighthood did they have/were they aiming after?

[csswingandeasy]

@bloomberrypint tagged me in an ask for a list of my favorite first time listens of 2022. This was fun so thank you for the tag.

Apparently I listened to a lot of instrumental stuff this year. Four of my six picks are instrumental. I spent like half the year listening to just Sparks because I was so hyped for seeing them live in the spring. But I did discover some other great stuff this year.

1. Annette OST (Sparks)

Ok, listen, as a long-time Sparks fan I am only moderately embarrassed to admit that I didn’t watch Annette or listen to the sound track (except for the most popular tracks) until 2022. I’m not a film buff and I’d prefer to listen to Russell singing but, hey, I still enjoyed this.

2. Rags, Reels & Airs (Dave Swarbrick, Martin Carthy & Diz Disley)

I listened to a lot of mostly celtic trad in 2022 but was also happy to discover an album of tunes with two of my favorite English folk artists (Carthy & Swarbrick). Honestly worth putting the album on this list for its album cover alone, which brings extreme amounts of joy.

3. Days Have Gone By, Vol. 6 (John Fahey)

Incredible blues-style guitarist with some more distant influences as well. (See “A Raga Called Pat”). The most chill time I had all year was listening to this. Please listen to this. I’m obsessed.

4. Gryphon (Gryphon)

What can I say about this strange, proggy, light-hearted, Ren-Faire-day-trip-like band and album other than: teenage me would have loved this.

5. On Ne Dira Riem (Space Art)

Great old synth music for my Mort Garson Enjoyers out there. Favorite track - Onyx.

6. Astral Folklore (Blood Tower)

I listened to a lot of Dungeon Synth in 2022, and this was my favorite album of the genre last year (though it came out in 2020).

Tags for @notthatgeorgia @taintmansion @roamwithahungryheart & @reggiespoon if you’d like but zero pressure obviously

[afrobeatsindacity]

ARTICLE: Mavins And EMPIRE, Nigeria's Largest Record Labels, Are Bringing Back Group Albums

Once upon a time, at the height of its dominance, Mo'Hits records released Curriculum Vitae, a group album that featured its entire roster. That included D'Banj, the self styled kokomaster and most recognisable figure of the bunch, as well as other stars at various stages in the journey to stardom – Wande Coal, Kayswitch, D' Prince, and Dr. Sid. At the wheels of production was DonJazzy, who then identified more as a music producer (and performing artist) than label huncho.

At the split of the record label, Don Jazzy took this custom of group albums with him, and he launched his new label in 2012, the grandly-named Supreme Mavin Dynasty (or Mavin), with Solar Plexus, a collection that featured the inaugural class of Mavin artists – Tiwa Savage joined by D'Prince, Dr. Sid and Wande Coal. This time however, the album fell acutely short of expectations, with the short time given to the artists to prepare it quite evident in the music.

The sonic quality of the album aside, its significance to Nigeria's music culture is worth noting for how it carried excitement for the future of Mavins. Sadly this was not to include another such group effort. Mavins went on to release a bevy of collaborative singles in the following years, with the quad of "Dorobucci", "Adaobi", "Arise" and "Looku Looku" all debuting in 2014, followed by the playful "Jantamanta" the next year. With these songs as well, delivering on enjoyability would prove to be rather hit and miss, as some went on to become cult classics, while others need articles like this to remind of their existence.

However, as Don Jazzy maintained an abstinence from group albums, this discography of singles did not coalesce more solid. The mantle was therefore left with other major labels at the time, and one of them, Empire Mates Entertainment, entered the 2010's spurred by the infectious pop rhythms of a young prospect known as Wizkid, who was then just getting set to take the wheels of Nigeria's afropop to the world movement. The label itself was a decade old, but without the immediate impact of Wizkid's signing would have mostly been remembered as Banky W's self owned imprint and the home of his albums.

Their group album arrived only a month after the Mavins', and it was titled Empire Mates State Of Mind, a play on Jay Z's hit single from 2009. On the LP, Banky W guided a small group of young artists (Wizkid, Skales, Niyola and Shaydee) through pop music, with most of the tracks laced with the expected excitement of artists on the rise to stardom on the back of a blossoming label. They would, however, fail to live up to this potential, at least with EME. Wizkid left in 2014 and with him, most of the label's creative spark and commercial potential. Skales and Niyola would depart within a year, shutting the door on any sequel to Empire Mates State Of Mind.

And since the label did not have the regenerative ability of a group like Mavins, which has survived through three clear cut eras since its existence, it was also the definitive end to any hope of a collaborative album from the label. Interestingly, Empire Mates Entertainment has been relaunched as a record label, with Banky W back to the early days of releasing his own music, except this time he has his wife as a fellow artist. If history repeats itself though, Banky W's talent scouting could well see him identify the next Wizkid and restart the arc that leads to another collaborative album. 

In the meantime, we can count on other labels to satisfy our craving. In 2015, eight years after the existence of Chocolate City, the label launched its first collaborative album, The Indestructible Choc Boi Nation. By mere size the ensemble was one of the largest, comprising all label members at the time as well as budding talents of M. I.'s Loopy Records imprint that joined Chocolate City at the merger of the two entities. Also along for this ride was the returning Jesse Jagz, back after a 2 year hiatus from the label, altogether giving the album a staggering 13-strong cast. This conglomeration, as ambitious as it was, would not inspire the creation of any like projects, at least for a while. But this was not for a want of try. 

2018 could have produced an even bigger album if not in size then in impact, for it was none other than Davido and his merry band of music makers at the helm. After the release, and success of "Mind" in January that was followed by the smash group single, "Aje", three months later, Davido announced a group album that would have debuted in June, 2018, and it was not a surprise considering the label's position at that time. Group albums are only born from record labels in complete stability, in that happy stretch between artist recruitment and the inevitable period contract non-renewals that is a marker for a record label about to make an exit. Group albums are also a mark of chemistry, and they may differentiate a record label that is a house for its artists and one that is a family, and DMW, especially in 2018, could tick all of these boxes. A collaborative album from them, however, came no closer to fruition than this announcement. 

In 2022, two labels have a similarly firm grip on the industry, and this time, they've been able to bring the album creation process to completion. Mavins, the record label from earlier, is currently in the third lap of its existence, having survived the exits of its original batch of artists. But Don Jazzy's eye for talent is evergreen, and he's handed the end of each era with the growth of a newer one, with each batch of acts younger than the last, and with a higher ceiling to grow. The latest roster of artists, comprising Rema, Ayra Starr, Crayon LADIPOE, Johnny Drille, Boy Spyce and Bayanni are a fine blend of young and experienced talent with Don Jazzy there to provide a guiding hand and help pave their road to the top. 

Their project, Chapter X, serves to commemorate ten years of the label's creation, and the new stars are able to honour the legacy of their predecessors with a befitting piece. Spread across ten tracks (of course), these artists interact on themes of love and braggadocio, with one hand steeped in typical Nigerian music lyricism, and the other celebrating their ascendency as Nigeria's top music label, a contrast that was finely represented on the album's pre-released singles, "Overloading" and "Won Da Mo". Don Jazzy made the decision to have multiple artists on every track, rather than have each artist contribute a song or two to the collection, a choice that enhances homogeneity across the LP. 

EMPIRE's African division, for its group album, Where We Come From, went in a different direction. It was always going to be difficult to achieve the same level of cohesion, seeing as its artists are scattered across the continent. Instead, they find strength in their diversity, which allows creatives from various rich African genres to share space on a single project for a catalogue of our continent's finest sounds. South African Amapiano sits beside Nigeria's Afropop, which sits beside Ghanaian Drill, creating a variety of flavour. Nigeria, being the music dominating country it currently is, contributes the lion share of creatives, and with Fireboy DML, Asake, Tiwa Savage, BNXN, Olamide, Wande Coal, Kizz Daniel, Bad Boy Timz, Cheque and L.A.X. all on this project, EMPIRE is able to show off its repertoire of Nigerian talent and strengthen the creative chains that link them to the rest of the continent. 

As we spend what is left of the year savouring these group projects, we look to other burgeoning record labels to pick up the pace and take the reins next year. Nigerian music has never before enjoyed this level of attention, so these albums not only impact the population they are released to, but they can also serve as time capsules, serving a variety dish of today's music that can be accessed and enjoyed for generations to come. 

This article was written by Afrobeats City Contributor Ezema Patrick - @EzemaPatrick (Twitter)

[studyinspectrum]

Sherlock Holmes and the Red Demon: a Minnesota Mystery, a pastiche by Larry Millett, published 1996

(Originally published on Cohost on 7/01/2022)

so if i told you there was entire series of Sherlock Holmes pastiches that involved Holmes hanging out in Minnesota for a few years what would you say? "why is the famed English detective solving crimes in the middle of the northern United States?" comrade your guess is as good as mine, but probably because the author lives in Minnesota.

this series of books are pastiches built upon the premise that several unpublished Holmes stories penned by Watson were discovered inside of a wall of a historical building while it was under construction. the note left by Watson himself along with these manuscripts was that these stories contained too many unpalatable elements or dealt with their involvement in historical events both he and Holmes felt would be better left out of any publication. this isn't a bad set up for your pastiche i have to admit.

for the record, a pastiche is "a literary, artistic, musical, or architectural work that imitates the style of previous work" according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary. due to Watson being the point of view character, it makes it much easier for authors to establish their Sherlock Holmes story as a pastiche. the content warnings for The Red Demon are as follows prostitution, verbal and physical violence against women, sexual assault, and arson.

my biases

this book interested me as one of the first pastiches i got when i got my library card last year. living in Minnesota myself, this was a really interesting pastiche on it's setting alone. i've seen pastiches and adaptations where Holmes is in America for whatever reason, but he usually sticks to the largest metropolitan locations of the late 19th to early 20th centuries. there was a lot of exciting mysteries that could be told about Chicago or New York for example.

the detriment to maybe my enjoyment of this book is that i'm not a native Minnesotan, i'm not as familiar with the local history of the state as say someone who was raised here through their younger education days. i can't say that i know the history of the areas i was raised in like the back of my hand, but there are a few tidbits i could certainly pull better than the total amount of historical knowledge i have of Minnesota. hell, i remember more facts about the state of Vermont than i do about Minnesota and thats because i did a school project about Vermont in 5th grade.

i bring up Minnesota history because The Red Demon focuses around a real event that happened, The Great Hinckely Fire that occurred in September 1894. at least 200,000 acres was burned down and the official death toll was 418, though it was likely higher, attributed a lot to lack of recording of the deaths of the indigenous people and off the grid people living in that area. it is considered among one of the deadliest fires in Minnesota history. Sherlock Holmes and the Red Demon sure is the most historical historical fiction it can be.

the official reason for the fire was determined as a severe two month drought and due to the sparks that flew from the wheels on rails throughout the region, a fire was inevitable. There's more about the specific details of the fire on the City of Hinckley website. this story posits, even in it's own fictional way, that the fire was started due to an act of arson. an incomplete summary

i'm gonna be real, i listened to the audiobook close to a year ago so my ability to recall the details is mostly relegated to the larger set pieces of the book and pieces of the book i can find online to refresh my memory. i'd rather not go through the trouble of rereading or relistening to the entire book again, my apologies there but you'll see why i did this.

beyond the introduction i mentioned earlier, The Red Demon begins with Holmes being hired by railroad baron James J. Hill to track down a murderous arsonist calling himself The Red Demon that threatens his railway through several letters. the letters were a dead end for local authorities as they asked for no ransom and provided no details about the potential perpetrator. they were just vicious threats.

Holmes and Watson travel to Hinckley in order to figure out what they are able to, posing as reporters from England that want to write a story about life in the American midwest. Under this guise, they attempt to interview people that could have some insight into the identity of the Red Demon. Hinckley is a logging town that's dependent on the railroad in order to ship out the logs that they collect. the other big industry in town is sex work. this becomes relevant because Holmes is convinced that the threatening letters came from the matron of the brothel. Watson is nearly sexually assaulted while Holmes interviews the matron.

eventually they are put on the trail of a man who i THINK worked for the railroad but who's wife was killed in a railway accident. due to the circumstances the man lost his case in court as Hill's rail company was determined as not responsible for the accident. Holmes travels to Duluth in order to get information about this court case.

As the threatened railway destruction date draw near, Holmes and Watson try to find this man in town but unfortunately aren't able to locate him until the blaze begins. Holmes realizes that the culprit would be near the source of the fire so as everyone is trying to escape Hinckley by rail, Holmes runs in the opposite direction.

The Red Demon and Holmes have a physical altercation while the fire threatens to consume the bridge the train must go over to leave Hinckley. i can't remember who lands the decisive blow, but the man is shot or burns to death before their eyes and Holmes and Watson narrowly escape on the last train car out of Hinckley.

the last i remember about the story is Hill congratulating Holmes for helping him with the case and doing away with the Red Demon and helping to save the lives of more Hinckley residents by keeping the last train waiting for as long as possible.

the one notable (possible) casualty of The Great Hinckley fire is Thomas H. "Boston" Corbett, or the man that's responsible for killing John Wilkes Booth, the man that killed Abraham Lincoln. this guy also appears in this book and assists Holmes during his investigation of Hinckley. i don't really know what to make of this, or will make much of a comment about it, but even The Great Hinckley Fire wikipedia page mentions this guy, so it felt notable to point out. a history lesson for another time, perhaps.

the review and analysis, aka the reason im writing about this book despite not remembering it that much

ok so this is where i explain myself a little bit more. i will be honest: i did not like this book that much. i feel like i can pare down the reason why to a single phrase as well: this book feels like it was written by a man. i'll try to elaborate on this as best i can since yknow, Arthur Conan Doyle was famously also a man and i don't have a problem with the way he writes.

ACD writes in a really dry fashion. it was the style of the time but his writing had to be exceedingly efficient. he wrote short stories that had to fit on a certain amount of pages, so he had to cram as much detail as he could into each story while still making things approachable and understandable. that leads to scenes that entirely focus on dialogue, people recalling information, or short descriptions of physical clues in the room. even his novels are considerably short, where extraneous details are laid to the wayside or implied so that the mystery can be the focus of the mystery. this for one creates problems when people try to write pastiches that are twice or three times the length of ACD's work.

the way that ACD writes Holmes and Watson is maybe something that only becomes apparent to me after consuming much of the canon, but something that i fixate on about both of them is that they are incredibly compassionate people. Watson is a doctor, he has incredible patience and a desire to understand people, but he makes judgements quick. Holmes on the other hand deeply understands people and attempts to accommodate them and comfort them at any turn, but he is an analytical mind. it's very easy to fall into the popular characterizations- Watson as a bumbling fool and Holmes as a cold calculating knife- but their characters across multiple stories portray them displaying kindness to most people they encounter, despite the line of work that they participate in.

i think of the moments of the original canon where Holmes comforts an upset witness, trying to get them to focus their thoughts, i think of the Holmes that values human life and does his best to help his clients who are often in desperate need of his help. people like to make his characterization out to be a snide and superior kind of person, but he only acts that way when people challenge him or he can tell they are lying to his face. if people are honest with him, he returns the kindness. that's the kind of man Holmes is.

Watson is a doctor, of course he has to have some care and compassion for people. throughout many of the stories Watson is the emotional balance weight that fills in the space where Holmes can't if he's distracted or occupied. throughout the Sign of Four, Watson is deeply concerned with the wellbeing of Mary Morston and makes sure she's accommodated for, even though Mary has incredible constitution despite her circumstances. Watson is a man that wants to believe the best in anyone unless they show evidence to the contrary. he trusts his eyes and experiences and above all trusts Holmes' judgement, having the experience to know that Holmes acts with the best interest of all parties involved in mind.

in The Red Demon, Watson is belligerent and irritable and Holmes is inconsiderate and a misogynist. these versions of these characters feel like they're expressing some form of strict masculinity, where anger and carelessness are the driving force of character. there are various points throughout The Red Demon where Watson expresses to the reader that he's frustrated with Holmes' behavior and actions and rather than vocalize his concerns to his friend, he bottles them up and fumes. at another part of the story, Holmes threatens and yells at a woman working at a brothel for information. it was actually really hard to keep in mind that these two characters are thought of as lifelong companions, regardless of how you view their relationship otherwise. they seem to be at each other's throats most of the time they're in the same room together for one reason or another.

a divergent characterization of Holmes and Watson would not be unwelcome to me i will say. the original stories provide such a limited scope of their personalities that a novel three times the length of a short story would obviously be able to provide a larger context to their character and explore their characterization in different ways. however, the characterization of Holmes and Watson are presented as such stereotypical men. i would love to sit and have a conversation with ACD's Watson. i would not want to be within 10 feet of Millett's Watson.

i mentioned it earlier in my summary, but Watson is nearly sexually assaulted as well. i apologize for my dive into this, but it is important to point out as it relates to my overall thesis of this book. rather than include Watson in on the interview with the brothel owner, Holmes leaves Watson in the company of two women who work at the brothel as some means of distraction i guess???? the text does not get explicit nor implies that Watson is raped, the women grope him and undress him while he continually protests that he is married and wants no part of "enjoying their services".

i am usually forgiving of scenes in a book even if i find them repulsive in content if they at least contribute to the overall narrative of the story, but i believe the only contribution that this scene makes is that one of the women steals Watson's gun while he's being undressed. there are a million other ways that his gun could've been stolen without this entire uncomfortable scene. i loathe to say that a scene like this "could only be written by a man" but i think people would hard pressed to disagree with me in the ways that sexual assault and rape is treated when the victim is male is often culturally different than when it is someone that is not male. i condemn assault and rape regardless of the sex or gender of the perpetrator, everyone can be a victim of this heinous act and it should be treated with the same severity, but the fact this book was written over 20 years ago and this scene being included is not lost on me.

i appear to have forgotten a lot of the scenes that exist with the brothel otherwise, and i can't recall specifics, but i don't believe that the overall treatment of the women working there was represented in any positive light either. i seem to remember something the brothel owner said about how the girls there have no where else to go and no other future besides working for her as prostitutes. i will state that the brothel and the treatment of the women within were moments where i deeply considered dropping the book.

after the divergent characterization and that scene that left me sour, there's also the matter of the culprit of the case. i can't pull up the name of the culprit, but despite his crimes, the man is in the right. he as an individual was crushed under the weight of capitalism. his wife died and the railway company was so very obviously at fault. he gained no retribution for what happened to him. the railway baron Hill even comments in the text how often he is sued by people that die due to the activities surrounding his railway, and how even more he is able to squash them by simply being the bigger entity in the monetary sense, or things are settled outside of court where he always remains on top. needless to say, THIS FUCKING SUCKS DUDE! forgive my language, i'm trying to keep these reviews as clean as possible, but this is so infuriating! especially in the scope of the corporate capitalist nightmare of the current United States where the lower class workforce is crushed under the weight of billionaires, i sympathized with the culprit. in the story, Holmes resolves to still apprehend this man despite learning the circumstances of the case.

that's another point that plays into the mischaracterization of Millett's Holmes. ACD's Holmes would pursue the culprit but would always give them the chance to explain themselves, to understand why they acted the way they did. "sympathy" is not the correct word but rather more on the side of Holmes expressing compassion for his fellow man. Holmes was always patient and always listened, he wanted to give everyone a chance and learn all the facts he could before leaping into action. when Holmes made mistakes, he would express his remorse to Watson about not acting differently in hindsight or would state that he wished he could have changed his behavior to lead to different ending events. as far as i remember, Millett's Holmes does not express this at the end of this story. he collects his sizable reward from Hill. and that's the end of it. i find that disgusting.

if all of this talk of the portrayal of the characterization of Holmes sounds familiar, that's not without reason. during the period before the release of the Enola Holmes (2020) movie, there was a lawsuit put forth by the Conan Doyle Estate over the personality of Holmes as written in the movie, specifically noting that his capability of compassion was something that was still under the estate's copyright, due to the last stories written after 1920 are still under copyright. the lawsuit was dismissed due to personality traits of a character being determined as non-copyrightable. thankfully (and something i'm going to celebrate) those final stories go into public domain fully January 1st, 2023. (i have been wanting to wrap my hands around the Adventure of the Three Garridebs for like two years now.)

that was a lot of critique bordering on complaining, here's my conclusion

so… after all that, i didn't like the book. i started this review with pointing out my own biases, and through my critique i believe i presented even more of my biases. my dislike of the book is not an argument that it is a "bad" book however. it has a multitude of things i had problems with and at times i almost dropped it, but i wanted to consider it as a full work rather than judging it upon pieces that i found uncomfortable. there was no relief from this feeling, and the book still leaves a bad taste in my mouth, but it is in the end… still a manner of taste.

what i find though looking at the reviews for this book online are that i'm apparently in the minority. people trend to giving this book a 3-4/5 stars on this book. they enjoy it! and i'm not going to harsh their vibe on enjoying a book that i didn't, but a grand majority of the reviews from the goodreads page and the storygraph reviews paint this pastiche as something unique and faithful to the canon.

for everything this book is and isn't, it is unintentionally a large inspiration for Study in Spectrum. after i finished that book i was trying to unravel why i disliked it, why did certain things sit so negatively with me, why i felt so strongly about it. i tried to explain my feelings over twitter but the character limits really held me back on explaining my thoughts to the fullest extent. i also feared that because Millett also lives in Minnesota, he'd somehow find my twitter account and then find me personally and be mad at me for not liking his book so vocally.

i'm going to be very honest here. Mr. Millett, if you somehow find this review of your book, i will say i plan on consuming more of them at the recommendation from reviews that your other Sherlock Holmes stories are better and hope you improve the content of your writing over time. i respect you as a creator and i am glad you are still writing to this day. also this is not a joke, i would love to interview you about your views on the character of Sherlock Holmes and what inspired you to write these books beyond adding a Holmesian spin on some notable historical events in Minnesota history. send me a DM on twitter or email me!

going off of my storygraph review of The Red Demon, i give this book a 5/10 ( i gave it 2.5 stars).

the next book in the series is Sherlock Holmes and the Ice Palace Murders and this audio book cover is the single most horrifying cover i've seen in like years dude. uhh don't look it up if you have a fear of distorted faces or possibly scopophobia. look out for that review where i will be a little bit more thorough and purposeful with my summary.

thanks for reading!

(mirror on bearblog)

[nickymortis]

Alone in the Dark: From Creepy to Intense

The Alone in the Dark series really shaped how games were back in the '90s. Detective Edward Carnby's adventures, and how they were shown, basically birthed a whole new genre of survival horror that still influences games today, sparking my interest in buying Xbox games. So, it's pretty clear that without Infogrames' work, games like Resident Evil wouldn't be the same, or might not even exist. But when Alone in the Dark tried to make a comeback in the 2000s, it didn't hit the same high notes. Fans worry the new game might flop like those did. However, this time around, they pulled it off. It's not perfect, but it stays true to the original while throwing in nods for longtime players. Since this is a reboot, playing Alone in the Dark is like going back to your childhood crib after years away. Stuff looks familiar, but they've mixed it up enough to mess with your memories. The new game retells the old stories, bringing back familiar faces but shaking up how it all goes down for fun. You've got Emily Hartwood and Edward Carnby again – she hires him to suss out what happened to her uncle Jeremy, who disappeared from Derceto, a place for curing people with health quirks. It doesn't change how you play, but it switches up the cut-scenes, NPC chats, and even a chunk of one chapter for each hero.

Building Exploration and Puzzle Challenges

When it comes to gameplay, it's kinda like the latest Resident Evil games, which always tempts me to buy PS5 games. They ditched the old-school fixed camera (although there's a cool part where it shows up, hinting the whole game could've been like that), opting for the more modern third-person perspective. Edward or Emily explore the Derceto mansion, hunting for clues to crack Jeremy's disappearance and items to unlock new areas. But don't expect free-roaming or brain-teasing puzzles to get into hidden spots. It's pretty linear, guiding us through a four-story building where unnecessary rooms stay locked unless needed for the story. Finding key items to move the plot forward is straightforward. The puzzles are decent but not mind-blowing – mostly safes, mosaic arrangements, and tuning a talisman to hop between dimensions. The tile puzzles are a highlight, where you not only swap pieces but also rotate them to fit the pattern. However, cracking the safes and tuning that talisman really stumped me.

Retro Aesthetic and Developer Insights

The outdated gameplay in 2024 is a real pain. One big gripe is those invisible walls, especially annoying in places like Derceto where Jeremy's search happens. You can't just wander off a bridge into a lake or dive into the thick fog – though it's tempting to see if the devs cooked up some other punishment for careless players. The same goes for items – after each chapter, stuff you won't use anymore gets stashed away in the inventory, which kinda kills the vibe of reviewing clues and doing detective brainstorming. But the game's old-school vibe pops with cool hero skins and visual filters. There's even developer commentary you can toggle on, popping up as you explore through audio logs you find.

Issues and Atmosphere

There are a bunch of issues – some are annoying because they don't tell you clearly what to do, others break the immersion, and some just feel outdated. They won't stop you from finishing the game, but they definitely change how enjoyable it is. If they just fixed the graphics problems, this game would easily get half a point higher in ratings. The new Alone in the Dark is perfect for suspense fans who are sick of cheap jump-scares. If you're into a gripping atmosphere rather than just getting startled, this reboot is right up your alley.