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jazinerambles · 4 years ago

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Persona 2 Innocent Sin Review

I wanted to have some time in between playing the game and writing my thoughts for Persona 2 Innocent Sin. I will be referencing it and other Persona games so there may be some light spoilers for games 2-5.

I played the psp version of the game on a Playstation TV. I beat the game at 76 hours on the dot. I have not completed most of the theater missions, but I have completed the main story of the game and did do a few sidequests.

My review will be organized in several sections-gameplay, story, music, characters, LGBTQ representation, extra content, wishlist and recommendation.

Gameplay:

Persona 2 Innocent Sin was released in 1999. Therefore plays as a game from 1999. The PSP rerelease updated menus, changed the difficulty, and added all out attack art similar to P3-P5 for the fusion spells. I love the all out attack animation and although the menus got a little cumbersome, it didn’t really impact gameplay for me.

The biggest complaint about Persona 2 IS is how easy and repetitive it is and the high encounter rate. The battles for the most part are easy and if you set up all your attacks in the first round, you can basically use autoplay until an emergency occurs or you encounter an enemy in which you must change it up.

I never saw the gameplay as repetitive as others do and I feel those who do only just battle and that’s it. I was constantly trying to get all the fusion spells, max up my personas to trade them for items, try different combinations for the demon negotiations and spread demon rumors to get items, spells, and cards (you need cards to summon new personas in the velvet room.) Demon negotiations also allow you a better look into each of the characters’ personalities and relationships. Events in the game will change how the characters react in these negotiations so it is always nice to go back to them throughout the course of the game.

The demons you encounter have emotions. I believe they are intrigued, happy, angry and fearsome. Make them happy and they will offer a pact with you and give you free stuff and willing to spread rumors for you. Make them angry they will fight you. Make them fear you they will run away. Make them intrigued and you get the cards needed to summon personas and even more if you already have a pact with them.

I wanted to return to the big complaint though, the high encounter rate. This was something that I felt hot and cold about. Most of the time this didn’t bother me, because I needed to level up my personas anyway. But when I needed to backtrack and explore further, it did get a little bothersome.

You can use estoma to avoid enemies weaker than you. It is not a passive skill, so once you have a persona that has it, you have to cast it every time it wears off. At the Mu casino, you can also purchase a disguise kit that does the same thing, but it effects last about the same amount of time and it is ridiculously expensive. Just use estoma.

As briefly mentioned above, unlike Persona 5 in which you can just catch Personas, in P2IS there are only two ways to get them. You get cards from demon negations, take those cards to the velvet room and then trade them in for a Persona. But you have to enough cards to summon it and the persona has to be 5 cards within your character level.

You can also talk to the demon painter, for him to make you cards for the specific arcana you want by using blank cards. These are also given through demon negotiations that you have a pact with.

In P2, ALL your characters are capable of changing out Personas, but their compatibility with different personas varies with their Arcana.

The other way to get personas is through the story. There are certain actions that you must take to get the prime personas and then the final personas. These personas are character specific and you can’t give them to other characters.

I wanted to talk about three more things before I move on to the story: rumormongers, fusion spells, and dungeons.

Persona 2IS is based around rumors. Just like P3 is for the dark hour, P4 the midnight channel, P5 around palaces and so on...

To get certain items and progress the story, you MUST gather and spread rumors. There are five characters throughout the game called rumormongers. They will give you information in exchange for receiving information. You then share this information to the detective agency, pay a fee for them to spread them for you, and there you go. rumor spread. As mentioned earlier, there are also demon specific rumors.

Fusion spells were something I really enjoyed in this game. Although hearing “Are you ready? Here goes” and “Let’s go everybody” will be stuck in my head for the rest of eternity...

Basically, to create a fusion spell, members in your party require a requisite spell and then that party member is placed in a specific order when taking turns. Once that spell is unlocked, it will let you know if you have the requisite spells and you no longer have to adjust the order of party members. Some of the spells you need to unlock fusion spells are persona specific. The fusion spells are elemental.

I will not go into weaknesses of elemental spells, I am just going to say that you aren’t “down”’ed like you are in 3-5.

Finally, my first real pet peeve with this game-the dungeons.

Oh boy. Air raid, AeroSpace and one of the four Zodiac dungeons (I am pretty sure its Eikichi’s) gets ALL my hate. There are cheap gimmicks that make the game artificially hard but only for these dungeons and more so, frustrating.

But I am not going to go into detail why, and the other dungeons are not bad at all. But play the game and experience these dungeons for yourself. That is all I am going to say about that.

Story:

This section will be nowhere was long as gameplay. The story did not go where I thought it would, but that’s a good thing. I would go in completely blind if you can. The ending definitely surprised me a bit. I think it has one of the best stories of the persona games.

It does not follow a calendar like the later Persona games and time just blends together. By the end of the game, you won't know if a day, week or month passed from the beginning to the end.

Music:

The music is actually really good. It is the reason why I played the game in the first place. Just don’t look at the soundtracks names. Spotify has it available if you live in the US. You are better off listening to the soundtrack because I promise you that most dungeons songs will be cut off due to the frequency of battles.

Some of my favorite songs are Smile Hirasaka, Unbreakable Tie, Kurosu’s theme, Joker and the Taurus dungeon’s theme.

Characters:

Despite Persona 2 not having social links, I feel like I know these characters better than some of the persona games that do have social links. It is also the only Persona game that I can say without any hesitation that I like the entire main cast.

I truly love them all, but my favorite would probably be Yukino or Maya.

Unlike other Personas, the dynamics for Persona 2 IS are different, because not all of your party members are high school students. The adult characters have adult problems, the high school students have high school problems, and all of them have deep psychological problems and abandonment issues that will take years of intense therapy (or Philemeon) to forget.

One of the biggest themes of Persona 2 is confronting your past and learning from the mistakes of your childhood. And the characters do! And by the end of the game you are so proud of how far they have come. And then things happen...

LGBTQ representation

Let me say that I started P2IS off on the wrong foot, but I am still absolutely justified at being upset by it. One of the very first interactions you can have with a NPC is through a very uncomfortable exchange between you, Eikichi and a transman that is pretty transphobic. And to add the icing on the cake, Atlus refers to him as a “weird woman.”

I was literally going to just stop playing the game like an hour in because of that, but I decided to continue.

What I discovered was a game that has highs and lows when it comes to LGBTQ representation.

You can play as a bi character who can confess his feelings to men and women. *Stares hard at Persona 4 and Persona 5*

You have a gay character that has an interesting story, character development, is unabashedly gay and isn’t a walking stereotype. Nor is his entire arc centered around gay panic.

From what I understand the dialogue from the NPC does get better, but I am not holding my breath.

And the one sapphic kiss scene we get in a Persona game is a kiss of manipulation and not love. So that is a little sad.

But overall, P2IS does try to make an effort. And it definitely makes a better effort than its successor released almost 2 decades later.

Extra content:

Again, Persona 2 doesn’t have social links or a calendar. Please don’t approach it like the other games where you have to fill up your time between dungeons. It is not a necessity, but there are things you can do.

Mu is a casino that you can visit that allows you to play mini games to gain coins that you can use to get weapons, rare items, and even unlock personas. I spent a little too much time at Mu....

You can also talk to NPCs to do side missions. Be careful though. You have to do the side missions in a given amount of time or you may not get rewarded for it. Also P2IS is very much like Final Fantasy 9 where it is much better to go to a place sooner than later, because there may not be a later...

You also have the factory which is an optional dungeon that opens up more and more as you progress through the game.

There is the theater which is a PSP exclusive which has side missions unrelated to the main story that you can play. They are okay.

Wishlist

I hear so many people wanting a remake of P2IS so the game can be more accessible. I am very torn about this. Besides the difficulty and maaybe tweaking the encounter rate a bit, I wouldn’t change a thing. However, I also know that I couldn’t enjoy Shadow of Colossus until the controls were updated. Like I tried and then just gave up.

I honestly don’t want a remake. I don’t trust the Atlus of today with this game.

I do want it to be acknowledged and more accessible though.

But if I had to make a wish list, this is what it would be. Again, this would be a “it would be nice list.”

Make the battles harder.

Update cut scenes? I really like the art for the cut scenes already, but would like some more. Maybe keep the drawings but update the CG?

Social side quests. I do not want social links in Persona 2. However, side quests that allow you to learn more about your character like a social link would, would be something I would be very interested in.

Make the portraits consistent. The art from the original game and the new art put in the PSP game (I am talking about you climax lady) clash so much. Pick one style and stick to it.

I want to fight Ms. Ideal. Let me do it for reasons. Give me a chance to battle her.

I want the option to switch out characters. I love both Jun and Yukki, but I want to be able to play with both.

Let me skip the animation when I create a new Persona.

*EDIT* I can’t believe I forgot this and feel awful I did, but I do think they should keep the trans NPC, but change the dialogue and the the name. It isn’t the NPC that is the problem but the dialogue and actions. Otherwise, I think it would be ok.

I think that’s it.

Recommendation:

So should you play Persona 2 IS? Short answer, yes. Long answer is that it is complicated. In a few months the game will no longer be accessible for psp consoles. The physical version of the game is ridiculously expensive. You will have to accept the fact this game is on psp and its sequel’s psp version never came to English speaking markets.

You may not like the graphics, gameplay, or that it doesn’t feel like the later persona games. And as much as I love this game, that is alright. You do you. But I truly do think you are missing out on a great game. So if you have the opportunity to do so, yeah absolutely give it a shot.

#Persona 2 #Persona series #persona 3 #Persona 4 #Persona 5

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into-the-daniverse · 4 years ago

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About Alec

Art by @amnesia-moth | post here

Meaning of name — “Defender of the People”

Family — Alina (mother, deceased), Romar (father, deceased), Jamil (adopted paternal-figure), Camia (adopted maternal-figure), Leon (adopted aunt/uncle figure)

Nicknames — Little Lark (Alina), Pumpkin (Romar), Cub/Kid (Jamil, Camia, Leon), Sirène (Leon), Starlet/Star (Julian), Love (Asra)

Favorite meal — Lomo a lo Pobre con Churrasco

Favorite drink — Hot Chocolate! (with a bit of caramel)

Favorite flower —Bird of paradise

Birthday — April 6th

Age — 29 (start of game)

Height — 5′8″ / 172cm

Gender — Female

Zodiac — Aries Sun, Sagittarius Moon, Cancer Rising (take these with a grain of salt please)

Patron Arcana — Queen of Wands

Upright: The Queen of Wands is confident in social and professional settings, drawing others into her orbit.

Reversed: The Queen of Wands is stubborn and quick-tempered, easily losing her temper when things don't go her way.

Sexual orientation — Demisexual

Romantic orientation — Biromantic

Appearance —

Her skin is a very warm, medium bronze and she tans very easily

She has a number of beauty marks scattered across her body, but there are four on her face: on the top right side of her forehead, the outside corner of her left eye, on her right cheek (aligned with her right nostril and the corner of her mouth), and on the bottom left side of her chin

Her hair is very dark brown with lighter sections woven throughout, and it isn’t curly but it does have a definite wave to it—if she were to actually take care of it with products and the whole deal, she would probably have nice 2b/2c type waves

Almost always in a loose braid, it trails down her back and settles around her tailbone

Thick, dark eyebrows that are strong and boxy, taper off slightly at the ends

Full lips, bottom just slightly fuller, her mouth naturally sits in a soft smile

Angled face and jaw with a round chin

Has a few ear piercings, mostly wears gold jewelry

She has very strong hands but long, slender fingers, perfect for playing the piano or guitar (and for lacing between her partner’s fingers)

Think of the body of a female rugby player or weightlifter (as shown below) and you’ve basically got Alec! Though she would have a softer stomach than most of these women since she’s not training for any competition (and is not shy about eating all of Selasi’s famous pumpkin bread)

A punch/kick from her would knock just about any would-be assailant over in a heartbeat, though it doesn’t happen often

This is the best face claim I’ve found for her so far—not perfect, but close!

Languages spoken — Vesuvian (common tongue) and Prakran fluently (though she doesn’t practice it as much as she should). She knows how to get by in a great number of other lanuages (like Venterrean) due to spending about a decade of her life traveling, but mostly just conversational.

Hobbies —

Playing instruments—the shop has an upright piano, but there’s also a few miscellaneous instruments (like a spare guitar, fiddle, and zither) lying around leftover from the band

Song-writing—she transcribed all of the songs the band performed, but she’s also written a great handful of her own (that are either stuffed into her one music book or scattered around the shop)

Embroidery—making clothes in general is a passion of hers, but she likes the delicacy of embroidery over sewing, knitting, or crocheting

Acting—she was one of the main stars of Vesuvia’s community theater pre-plague

Magical abilities — Elemental magic (Air and Water) and Music Hypnosis

While her family wasn’t particularly magical, early on in life Alec gravitated towards air and water as her primary magical focuses

It wasn’t until she had to learn how to survive on the streets by herself that she really dug into her own magic

She would use magic to fly (more so float) herself down alleyways and under the quick hands of Prakran guards when she’d snitch food or clothes for herself

She would use magic to find wells of water on the outskirts of the city, and even when traveling on the road

But once she started traveling with the band she learned that her real strength was in her singing voice

When she sings, she is able to influence the mood of anyone around her

The song doesn’t matter, or the lyrics, but the intention behind it does

She could be singing Happy Birthday, but if her intent is to make you angry, you will feel angry

However, one drawback of this magic is that she takes on the burden of others emotions, especially if they were extremely negative emotions

She can calm a frightened child, or make a sad person feel happy, but she will in turn receive their anxiety or sadness

This also works the other way around, if she were to make a happy person angry, she would essentially steal their joy for herself—which would make her a frightening adversary

If someone was ever able to take control of her and use her magic for evil—let’s just say it wouldn’t end well for the people of Vesuvia

Amplifying current emotions don’t have any affect on her, which was what she spent the most time doing as a singer

Making happy people happier? Easy!

She had to work on her range, but essentially anyone able to hear her voice can be influenced by her magic, whether she’s standing right in front of them, or half a mile upwind

Love Interests — Alec is paired with all of the Main 6! Her dynamic is very different for each of them. (She also has some relationships with other OCs in separate timelines, and is always open for new ships with other OCs 👀)

Background —

Born on the outskirts of Prakra, Alec lived with her parents until she was about 8 years old, when they both died in a fire that destroyed their home and small farm.

She lived on the streets of the inner cities of Prakra until she was about 11, at which point Jamil, Camia, and Leon found her. She stole Jamil’s guitar because she felt drawn to the music, and once they all tracked her down, Leon convinced Jamil to take her with them, as he could feel the dormant magic lying within her.

The next decade was spent traveling all over the world with the three musicians, picking up and dropping off other band members over the years. They frequently visited Vesuvia, as Camia owned the shop that the band used as their home base, and they were always invited for numerous festivals to perform.

She met Asra when she was 13, and he was around 12-13. They became fast friends, and bonded over their own magical abilities.

She met Julian when she was 20, and he was around 26. She started acting at the community theater whenever she could, and the community she formed there was a huge reason she decided to stay in Vesuvia.

When she was 22 she made the decision to stay in Vesuvia permanently, and Camia gifted the shop to her for her and Asra to stay in. They both lived there, with the band frequently visiting, until Alec died at 25.

Resurrection —

Alec was brought back with minimal knowledge of the world around her. She could breathe, eat, sleep, read and walk, but not much else. She didn’t remember Asra, Julian, Jamil, Camia, or Leon. She didn’t remember how to sing, or play any instruments. Asra feared she’d never get those back, as he couldn’t teach her.

The musicians wanted to stay, but Alec only seemed to get worse the longer they were there, plagued by headaches and nightmares, so they left, promising not to return until she was ready.

She had awful nightmares almost every night for the first year—the fire leading to her parents’ death coupled with the fire that killed her made her almost deathly afraid of any open flame for a long time. She still has the nightmares, more vivid now, but far less frequent.

Eventually she regained her voice with the help of her extensive collection of sheet music and instruments. She didn’t have to relearn language entirely, just how to make herself speak, as there was a block for a long few months.

It took her a long time to be comfortable leaving the shop, and longer to be comfortable leaving by herself. Too many people still remember her before the plague, and her presence was boggling to some and infuriating to others. Why did she live and others did not? Why did she act as if she didn’t remember who they were?

She struggled with the “past Alec versus Alec now” for years, and still struggles with it, even once her memories return. Is she even the same person anymore? What if “past Alec” was the better version of her?

More Art! (under the cut)

By @traviq | post here

By @heartofnopal | post here

By @missrabbitart | post here

By @valhallanrose | post here

By @saltybitterss | post here

By @artbyfarouche-eclaire | post here

By @miel-1411 | post here

By @sad-arcana-au | post here

By @joeyhazell-art | post here

Sprite Edits (by me) —

Current look + expressions

#this was a long time coming #thank you to all of the artists who have drawn her!!!#I love you all so much #the arcana #the arcana game #daniverse oc #apprentice alec #Apprentice Alec bio #the arcana fan apprentice #fan apprentice

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nyxshadowhawk · 4 years ago

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Best of Nox Arcana Playlist

Nox Arcana is by far my favorite music artist, and since I’m desperate for Halloween season to begin and can’t wait any more, here’s my Best Of playlist! I think every album is represented here except for the collab albums, the Doctor Arcana soundtrack, and Blackthorn Asylum (since that’s the only main album I don’t have a single song from). This list is about three hours worth of music, so strap in!

1. We Are Legion, Legion of Shadows: Every Nox Arcana album begins with a narration track that introduces the album’s theme and story. Of all of them, I decided to go with this one for the Best Of playlist, because I think that it encapsulates Nox Arcana and those who love it.

2. Night of the Wolf, Transylvania: Nox Arcana’s most famous track, by far. Also one of their most distinctive! The lyrics translate as, “The moon is the mistress, werewolves of evil / powers and destroying, incarnated wolf. / Wheel [or chariot], life, nightmare, vein / Sea [or likely “nightmare” again], devil, death, life.” (volkodlak, which means werewolf, is Slavic. “Mara,” meaning nightmare, is Germanic. “Dracul” speaks for itself. The rest is Latin)

3. Labyrinth of Dreams, Grimm Tales: My personal favorite Nox Arcana track, which I first discovered through this video. It is so ethereal and haunting, and absolutely screams “Halloween” to me.

4. Into the Night, Legion of Shadows: Another personal favorite of mine, and a really spooky piece. I love it for its fast pace, and I think it sounds both unsettling and exciting.

5. Shadow Dance, Season of the Witch: This is the best Season of the Witch track, in my opinion. I actually like a lot of Season of the Witch tracks, but I left most of them off this list. Season of the Witch sounds kind of like a Spiritual Successor to Grimm Tales, with that same distinctly autumnal and Halloweeny atmosphere. This piece in particular epitomizes that.

6. The Quest Begins, Blood of the Dragon: Nox Arcana has a tendency to start sounding the same after a while, but about once per album there’s a piece like this one, that sounds completely unlike anything else they’ve written. This piece is unique for how unusually optimistic it sounds. If you knew nothing about this piece, you could easily guess that it was about noble knights setting off on a quest, couldn’t you? I love the drums, and the dramatic vocals work really well.

7. Legacy of Sorrow, Shadow of the Raven: The title of this piece sounds like it could be Part 3 of Soma Cruz’s story, but I think it’s kind of an underrated gem. I like its melancholy, lilting melody, and I also like the organ that comes in midway through. This piece is just kind of everything you’d expect in a Nox Arcana track.

8. Echoes of Elise, Ebonshire: Nox Arcana’s haunting rendition of “Fur Elise,” which is very ethereal and eerie. It also has the same “aesthetic” of falling snow that permeates this album. It’s really beautiful.

9. The Hidden Realm, Legion of Shadows: One of two pre-existing tracks to be used on the Doctor Arcana soundtrack. It’s spooky, but also kind of calming and peaceful. It’s also definitely got a fantastical flavor to it.

10. The Raven, Shadow of the Raven: The title track, named for Edgar Allen Poe’s classic poem. This was the first Nox Arcana track I downloaded once I rediscovered it, almost by accident. I love this piece. Its melody is simple and repeats over and over again, but it works, almost resembling the structure of a song. I love the violin solo in the middle, which sort of acts as the “bridge.” My one complaint is that it’s much too short to actually recite “The Raven.”

11. Ebonshire, Winter’s Knight: Back before Ebonshire was an album unto itself, there was this track from Winter’s Knight. This piece definitely calls to mind the image of a spooky forest with tall, straight black trees and slight snowfall. It’s a very different vibe from the autumnal forest of Grimm Tales. It’s also peaceful and mystical, like “The Hidden Realm.”

12. Hearthside Lullaby, Ebonshire: What a gorgeous piece. This is another outlier among Nox Arcana’s music in that, while it’s still a haunting piece, it isn’t grim or sinister. It’s soft, almost cozy, like snuggling into a blanket by a fire when there’s a snowstorm outside, and drifting off to sleep. It’s another one that sounds like it should have lyrics. This is my favorite Ebonshire track.

13. Masque of the Red Death, Shadow of the Raven: “There were much glare and glitter and piquancy and phantasm [...] There were delirious fancies such as the madman fashions. There were much of the beautiful, much of the wanton, much of the bizarre, something of the terrible, and not a little of that which might have excited disgust.” The lilting waltz, the spooky organ, the sinister chiming of the clock. The multitude of dreams! This is the ultimate dark masquerade music, if you ask me. It totally does Poe’s story justice. You can totally imagine the masked dancers twirling, the dimly lit colored chambers, the infiltration of the deadly disease... you know what, never mind, that hit a bit too close to home.

14. Haunted, The Dark Tower: I think The Dark Tower is my favorite album, because there are more tracks from that album on this list than any other one (including Legion of Shadows). This is among the Nox Arcana pieces that I would call genuinely unsettling, as opposed to just spooky or dark. This piece is creepy and almost threatening, like something is out to get you.

15. Haunted Carousel, Carnival of Lost Souls: One of the highlights of this album for me! Carnival is definitely the most unsettling album. Listening to “Calliope” alone in the dark put such disturbing images in my head that I actually stopped listening, which is saying something. That’s not on this list because I don’t like to listen to it, but this one is, because I like this one a lot better. It’s plenty creepy, and it sounds like a nightmarish carousel. Even if you didn’t know the album theme, you’d know after listening to this.

16. The Dark Tower, The Dark Tower: ABANDON ALL HOPE, YE WHO ENTER HERE. The title track of The Dark Tower, and an awesome track in every sense. This just perfectly encapsulates the sinister majesty that is the Dark Tower and all the lore that goes with it.

17. Magic and Moonlight, Winter’s Eve: I think most fans agree that this track is one of the best on this album. What really needs to be said? It’s all in the title. I have to say that some of the most breathtaking moons I’ve seen have been at the beginning of February, with fresh snowfall. There is nothing like the shadows of trees on snow in the moonlight. You just know that the gods are meeting up to dance in it when you’re not watching.

18. Crimson Thirst, The Dark Tower: Why did I put this one on here? It’s pretty unremarkable, since there are a lot of other tracks like it, but this one sticks with me. This one gets stuck in my head and haunts me through the rest of the day. Honestly, all the Dark Tower tracks are excellent.

19. Virtuoso, The Haunted Symphony: The Haunted Symphony is Nox Arcana’s most recent album, and I’ve been slowly warming up to it. Its soundscape is similar to The Dark Tower and Legion, with a truly gothic flavor. This piece is just so impassioned, I can completely believe that it expresses the mad inspiration of a tortured artist (as it’s meant to in-universe).

20. Necromancer, Theater of Illusion: Theater of Illusion is a great album, and I’m really glad it’s getting more of a presence (and maybe even new lore?) in the Doctor Arcana games. This is another really fast-paced piece. I honestly think the beginning with the fast chimes is the best part.

21. Born of the Night, The Dark Tower: I mean, come on, it’s “Born of the Night”! It kind of speaks for itself, doesn’t it? Creatures of the Night rising to take over the world, shadowy choirs, the hordes of nocturnal beasts silhouetted against the moon, a Dark Lord or Dark Lady commanding them all from his/her castle, young vampires swooning in the rapture of fresh blood... There’s something so ecstatic about this piece.

22. After Hours, Carnival of Lost Souls: I wasn’t really sure if I should put this one here, but honestly, its clock-like, rhythmic chiming so jarring that it doesn’t matter where I put it. This is another really unsettling piece, both because of the chiming and also because of the creepy whispers, and I’m not exactly sure what it makes me think of. Wandering a dark labyrinth, probably. In some ways, it reminds me of The Night Circus, although the Night Circus isn’t sinister. This piece definitely stands out.

23. Dark Desire, The Dark Tower: What is this piece about? Lost love? Insatiable lust? A forbidden romance? Bloodthirst? All of the above? Whatever it is you desire, it’s clear that you’re fighting it, and you’re losing. It’s going to overtake you soon, and when it does, you’d better pray to whatever god you believe in that it doesn’t end badly for you.

24. Lords of the Night, The Haunted Symphony: This one’s along the same lines as “Born of the Night,” but stately rather than frenzied. This one is more like vampire lords and ladies gathering on a hilltop on black horses, preparing to tear off across the countryside in pursuit of prey.

25. Noctem Aeternus, The Dark Tower: This is the only concluding track from an album that I’ve put on this list, and if you’re familiar with Nox Arcana, you know what that means. I was genuinely spooked the first time I listened to this all the way through. I remember I was lying in bed reading Tales From the Dark Tower, and it went quiet, and... well, I won’t spoil it.

26. Nocturne, Transylvania: This is one of my favorite Nox Arcana tracks. It just strikes me as perfect. It’s dark and sinister, it’s atmospheric, it’s memorable, and it comes right out of the darkest depths of Überwald.

27. Pandora’s Music Box, Carnival of Lost Souls: Definitely one of the best Carnival tracks, and one of the best of Nox Arcana’s selection of creepy music box pieces. It has such a distinctive melody. Slowly, other instruments and vocals arise to compliment the music box, keeping things interesting even as it repeats itself.

28. Velvet Darkness, The Haunted Symphony: The first thing that comes to mind when I hear this piece is an empty candelabrum covered in cobwebs, sitting in front of a mirror in a corridor that is completely dark except for a bit of pale, diluted moonlight coming through clouds. I take the candelabrum almost instinctively even though it has no candles in it, and walk down the corridor...

29. Castle Dracula, Transylvania: What an underrated piece! I actually like this one better than “Night of the Wolf.” It screams “vampire.” It perfectly captures the dark majesty of Dracula’s Castle, it’s towers, its dusty halls, its freezing crypts, its gothic windows, its flickering sconces and floor candelabra that are just begging to be hit with a whip... And the Dark Lord on his throne, with a wine glass...

30. Ritual of Fire, Season of the Witch: This piece is oddly catchy. It has a great rhythm to it, and I like the percussion. It would be so much fun to dance naked around a Samhain bonfire somewhere deep in a secluded wood, with a bunch of other witches and maybe an incubus or two, or five... We’re definitely summoning or worshipping something, but ultimately, it’s just a party. It’s sinister, but a fun kind of sinister.

31. Rogue’s Hollow, Blood of the Dragon: I was pleasantly surprised when I found this piece. I love medieval-style music. This sounds like the kind of thing your Bard would play when you and your party are resting around a fire in the woods, in the middle of an epic quest. It’s peaceful. It’s a breather, maybe even a calm before the storm. It would be really easy to do a simple circle dance to.

32. The Forgotten Path, Grimm Tales: This piece sounds very... mystical? Mystical and seductive. I don’t know. It sounds a little like you enter a dark, smoky, perfumed tent and are seduced by scantily-clad women who probably want your blood, or your soul... It also sounds a bit like being escorted to an initiation ceremony by veiled women down a dark forest path, with little golden lights twinkling around you... It would make a great belly-dance piece. It’s a bit of a departure from the general fairy tale theme of the rest of the album.

33. Unhallowed Halls, Gothic: I think this is my favorite piece from Gothic. I don’t know why, it just is. It’s got a nice mix of piano, organ, strings, and harpsichord. And spooky vocals, because of course. Overall it’s a pretty standard Nox Arcana piece, but like “Crimson Thirst,” it stuck with me.

34. Mysterium, Theater of Illusion: This is the piece from Theater, and I will never understand why it wasn’t used anywhere on the Doctor Arcana soundtrack. I guess because it’s used for the album puzzle? But there isn’t a single track from Theater on Arcana’s soundtrack, even though the game ties into the lore of Theater. Anyway, this track should have been there. It should have been there because it just sounds occult, distinctly mystical, eerie, vaguely threatening but more weighty (like an initiation) than unsettling. This is an auspicious ritual, and you’re here to witness its secrets.

35. The Nameless City, Necronomicon: I haven’t listened to too much of this album, but this track really stood out to me and stayed in my head. It’s based on Lovecraft’s story of the same name, in which an explorer finds an ancient, ruined city and descends into its catacombs to discover it belonged to a lost civilization of pre-human reptile people. Because Lovecraft. This piece really sounds like film soundtrack, the track that plays when you’re on the cusp of discovering the information mankind was not meant to know. The paranoia that permeates all of Lovecraft’s work is definitely there, but it’s kind of exciting, too. You just have to know! It builds and builds until it ends with a gong.

36. Twilight, Grimm Tales: This is what I meant by “autumnal.” You can hear it, can’t you? It’s sunset in the woods, and the orange glow of the setting sun is magnificent through the mostly bare trees. The leaves crunch underfoot, with their distinctive crisp smell. The night creatures are coming out, some benign, others not so much.

37. Once Upon a Nightmare, Grimm Tales: This is one of my favorite tracks from Grimm Tales. I don’t know why I love it so much. It slowly gets more dramatic, alternating between the glockenspiel and the strings, with male backing vocals for once. It’s just the right mixture of adventurous and spooky. I love listening to it in the forest at dusk.

38. Memento Mori, Transylvania: One of the best chime/music box pieces, in my opinion. I don’t think it’s as good as “Pandora’s Music Box,” but it really grew on me after I got Transylvania.

39. Saturnalia, Winter’s Majesty: This is such a great piece to dance to. I love how it starts as a slow, medieval-ish circle dance and then picks up! There’s even clapping sounds on the rhythm. Although it’s still spooky, it puts you in the mood of a fun winter festival.

40. Gifts of the Magi, Winter’s Eve: I don’t actually know why I picked this one. I like a lot of tracks on Winter’s Eve, and “lighter” Nox Arcana pieces in general. My favorite is “Greensleeves,” but that one felt too “Christmasy” for this list. This one is better, being a bit spookier and kind of mystical whilst still being on the lighter end. It sounds like it casts the Three Kings more as wizards than kings or priests.

41. Veil of Darkness, Darklore Manor: One of only two tracks I have from Nox Arcana’s debut album. It’s a pretty standard spooky Nox Arcana piece, but a good one nonetheless.

42. Lullaby, Winter’s Knight: Another one of my favorite chime/music box pieces. Unlike “Hearthside Lullaby,” it sounds less like an actual lullaby, and more like a piece to accompany an animatronic ballerina.

43. Nightshade (Single): One of the newest wintery pieces from Nox Arcana. I like this one almost as much as “Hearthside Lullaby.” It’s also on the lighter side of things, but I like that it’s more otherworldly than spooky. It’s like exploring a frosty garden during a light snowfall.

44. Undying Love, The Dark Tower: Wow, what an unnerving piece to be titled “Undying Love.” It sounds downright threatening, and maybe a little tragic. That handsome vampire you’re dancing with is definitely going to sink his fangs into your neck. Or maybe this vampire’s sunk into despair because the humans killed his wife again.

45. Brides to Darkness, Transylvania: Speaking of vampires and their loves, there’s this haunting tribute to Dracula’s brides. They are beautiful, ethereal, and dangerous. I love that this piece is almost entirely vocals in the first half, and then the creepy harpsichord comes in.

46. Legion of Shadows, Legion of Shadows: The title track. Plenty spooky with that organ. Similar to “Born of the Night” in that the night creatures are rising up to take over the world or get vengeance, but this time you’re the night creature and it’s something to be proud of. Honestly, I wish this album had more context. Who’s Lorelei, and what happened to her?

47. The High Seas, Phantoms of the High Seas: This was one of the standout tracks from this album for me. Like “The Quest Begins,” it sounds distinctly adventurous, but more sinister than optimistic. We’re setting out over sea instead of land this time, and the sea is brutally unforgiving.

48. Dreamscape, Legion of Shadows: Another really spooky piece that’s kind of unlike anything else Nox Arcana has produced. It definitely has the quality of exploring an eerie, surreal landscape, like an alien planet. This isn’t the Poe album, but it sort of reminds me of Poe’s poem “Dream-Land,” which I think is super underrated.

49. Black Sails, Phantoms of the High Seas: Another piece from this album that really stood out to me. I really like the instrumentation. I like the harp, and the stringed instrument in the middle that sounds like the guitar used in the “winter” pieces... is that what it is, a guitar? Whatever it is, it has such a unique sound.

50. Grimstone Manor, Gothic: This piece lives up to the album’s name. That church organ really hits you. This is another classic example of Nox Arcana, with the organ and piano and vocals and everything. It’s one of the best pieces from Gothic.

51. Shadowplay, Theater of Illusion: This is definitely my favorite piece from Theater, and one of my favorite Nox Arcana pieces overall. I love how energetic and fast-paced it is, and I can easily imagine an umbrakinetic dancing on a stage, manipulating the shadows on the wall as they do. They conjure writing tendrils, shadowy dragons, swarms of bats and crows that they send out into the audience with a flourish... I think this piece is just so much fun!

52. Gypsy Caravan, Transylvania: There are a lot of these types of pieces across Nox Arcana’s albums. Like “The Forgotten Path,” it sounds seductive and smoky. This would also make for a great belly-dance piece, and it’s fun to listen to while reading Vargo’s Gothic Tarot or the Madame Endora deck.

53. Highland Storm, Blood of the Dragon: What’s this? Nox Arcana does a Celtic piece? With bagpipes? There is absolutely nothing else like this in Nox Arcana’s repertoire. It sounds so unlike their usual work, I probably wouldn’t guess it was Nox Arcana if I didn’t know better. I love it. It makes for a great medieval-battle-style piece, and was a lot of fun to listen to in Scotland.

54. Temple of the Black Pharaoh, Necronomicon: This is a really spooky Egyptian-style piece, that instantly transports you to dusty sealed tombs that almost certainly have curses. The whispered chanting consists of the names of Egyptian gods, and Nyarlathotep. (Nyarlathotep, Atum, Osiris, Set, Amon-Ra. Nyarlathotep, Khonsu, Anubis, Set, Amon-Ra.)

55. Sanctuary of Shadows, Darklore Manor: Another really creepy organ piece, and the other one I have from Darklore Manor. I’m not sure whether it makes me think of the atrium of a haunted Victorian mansion, or a secret temple where shadowy people conduct rituals, or vampires and their attendant beasts, or what.

56. Autumn Dusk, Season of the Witch: I don’t know why I chose this one over “Bell, Book, and Candle” or “Mystic Circle” or any of the other ones I like from this album. I guess the clue is in the name. Like “Twilight” and “Shadow Dance,” it just sounds like autumn. Like the setting in Over the Garden Wall, but even spookier.

57. Pax Terra, Winter’s Eve: Another piece that sounds unlike anything else Nox Arcana has produced. It’s almost entirely choral, except for the sound of church bells, and it’s pretty. It has a kind of bittersweet optimism to it, and it’s moving. I’ve actually cried listening to it. Its lyrics are Latin, and translate as: “Everlasting God, life on the forest floor, eternal sacred earth -- tree glory, life [of] the nourishing mother, eternal sacred earth -- incarnate, hail blessings, glory to Nox Arcana [night secrets] -- To the threshold of time, follow the song, glory to Nox Arcana!” The grammar isn’t perfect, but it’s still beautiful, profound, and usually uplifting.

58. Dark Embrace, The Haunted Symphony: I remember when this album was released last year, and I thought to myself, “Have they seriously not written a piece called ‘Dark Embrace’ yet?” And man, what a piece for that title! This is definitely my favorite track from this album. Technically, it’s the same melody as “Virtuoso,” but with strings instead of piano. While “Virtuoso” sounds like a standard (although memorable) Nox Arcana piece, this one is unique and striking.

59. Toccata, Legion of Shadows: What better to close off with than “Toccata and Fugue in D Minor”? I actually have no idea how this piece came to be associated with vampires; its first use in film was for a Jekyll and Hyde adaptation, meanwhile the famous Bela Lugosi Dracula film begins with... the Swan Lake theme, of all things??? So, I don’t know how this became the “vampire music,” but I’m glad it did. Nox Arcana’s cover begins with the classic organ, but most of it is piano with some strings, eventually bringing in harpsichord before returning to the organ. There are spooky vocals and some tolling bells for effect.

If you made it to the end of this list, I commend you, and I’m interested to hear what everyone else’s “best of Nox Arcana” playlists include. Nox Arcana is the best!

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fearsmagazine · 4 years ago

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MORTAL KOMBAT Original Motion Picture Soundtrack Now Available on WATERTOWER MUSIC

WaterTower Music is excited to announce the release of the soundtrack to New Line Cinema’s explosive new movie “Mortal Kombat,” which brings to life the intense action of the blockbuster video game franchise in all its brutal glory, pitting the all-time, fan-favorite champions against one another in the ultimate, no-holds-barred, gory battle that pushes them to their very limits. The film is helmed by award-winning Australian commercial filmmaker Simon McQuoid, marking his feature directorial debut, is set for release nationwide in theaters on April 23 and will be available in the U.S. on HBO Max in 4K UHD, HDR10, Dolby Vision, Dolby Atmos on supported devices for 31 days from theatrical release. It will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures.

The Mortal Kombat (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) contains all new score by Golden Globe-, Emmy-, and Grammy-nominated composer Benjamin Wallfisch (IT and IT Chapter 2, Shazam, Blade Runner: 2049 [w/ Hans Zimmer]). It features 24 tracks by Wallfisch, who interpreted the film’s themes and emphasized the story’s hard-driving, visceral action through his music. Fans will be thrilled to hear the heart-pumping score, which includes themes for such characters as Lord Raiden, Sub-Zero, Sonya Blade, Cole Young, Shang Tsung, Liu Kang, and Kung Lao, among others, and epic battle themes from the film, including “Kano v Reptile” and “Sub-Zero v Cole Young.”Also included is “Techno Syndrome 2021 (Mortal Kombat)”, the composer’s musical homage to the music, fans, and enduring lineage of Mortal Kombat. The track was produced and performed by Wallfisch and mixed and mastered by Tom Norris (Skrillex, Lady Gaga, Zedd).

Director Simon McQuoid discussed working with Wallfisch on the score. "Ben and I both knew that we needed to use the classic Immortals track ‘Techno Syndrome’ as source material for the entire score of Mortal Kombat. But along with that we knew that an updated elevated version of the song also needed to be created. And Ben certainly delivered! I am so excited by this new 2021 version of the track, when I first heard it, it blew my mind. Actually, Ben kind of blew my mind on a daily basis through the making of this film, so we can all thank Benjamin Wallfisch for his genius and passion in creating ‘Techno Syndrome 2021’.

Wallfisch further elaborated. “When I was invited to come on board ‘Mortal Kombat,’ I was very aware of the responsibility that comes with scoring a franchise so deeply embedded in pop culture and with such a passionate fanbase. My first question was what can we do with ‘Techno Syndrome,’ a piece of music so much part of the DNA of the game and the original movies? What motifs could be reinvented and blown up to a full-scale symphonic sound world in the score, and might there be room for a full reinvention of the whole song as an EDM single in 2021? A huge thank you to The Immortals for giving us their blessing to reimagine their classic track in this way, as a celebration of the world of Mortal Kombat and its fans, and of the uplifting power of Electronic Dance Music, which the original did so much to light the fuse of 30 years ago.”

Mortal Kombat (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) is now available, and the full album track list is as follows. All music by Benjamin Wallfisch.

TRACK LIST 1. Techno Syndrome 2021 (Mortal Kombat) 2. Hanzo Hasashi 3. Lord Raiden 4. Bi-Han 4. Shang Tsung 6. Cole Young 7. Birthmark 7. Sonya Blade 9. Kano v Reptile 10. Liu Kang 10. The Great Protector 12. Sub-Zero 13. Kung Lao 13. Origins 15. Kabal 16. Goro 16. Arcana 18. Jax Briggs 19. The Void 19. The Tournament 21. Sub-Zero v Cole Young 22. I Am Scorpion 22. We Fight as One 24. Get Over Here

#music news #score #soundtrack #mortal kombat #watertower music #benjamin wallfisch #new line cinema

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vesuvianoak · 4 years ago

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Top of the World – Gentleman Apprentices Week Day 4

Title: Top of the World Author: Vesuvian Oak Fandom / Setting: The Arcana – Post-Game [Nadia's Route] Characters / Pairings: Consul Valerius x Ąžuolas Tobeluk Rating: T Word Count: 817 Recommended Music: Top of the World — The Hunchback of Notre Dame musical Warnings / Notes: Written for @gentapprentices' Gentleman Apprentices Week, Day IV: A Man in Love; loosely affiliated sequel to Queries

I've had this song on my Valerius x Ąžuolas playlist for months, so I decided to adapt it to the moment Valerius realized he was in over his head.

I figured since all the other characters either had or are going to get I love you scenes, I'd focus my effort on someone who for time being (*looks at devs*) isn't on the roster haha

The light was rose colored, and despite the fact that the sun was setting, it was still warm. Bells of all sizes and tones were ringing in the temple district, a sound not unfamiliar to Valerius as he waited on one of the lesser verandas for his guest's arrival.

No sooner had he thought it did the guest in question, Azuolas Tobeluk, apprentice to the magician Asra, appear, hair and clothes tousled from his walk. "You're late, witch." The words came without any malice—he was right on time, and to call him a witch was to, admittedly, deny the power over the arcane he held.

"Sorry," Ąžuolas said, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "I had to help Asra close up the shop, but I came as quickly as I could. After all—" He reached into the bag hanging from his shoulder and withdrew a piece of parchment, heavy and creamy and with a deep burgundy wax seal, carefully broken by its recipient. "It's not every day one gets a personal, handwritten invitation from the Consul of Vesuvia."

Now that he'd pointed it out… Well. Valerius didn't want to say he was caught off guard, but he wasn't going to deny (at least to himself) that he'd been a little… impulsive in this plan. "Follow me."

Ąžuolas fell into step beside the consul as he lead the way into the palace and to an almost out of the way door, which opened to a tall, spiraling staircase.

After several minutes of climbing in silence, Ąžuolas finally spoke. "Soooo… urban hiking is a hobby of yours?"

”Not exactly,” Vaerlius replied as they finally reached the topmost landing.

A mischievous gleam appeared in Ąžuolas’ eyes. “Is this a daaaaaaaaate?” he intoned.

”Consider this…” Valerius paused, hand on the door handle, choosing his words carefully. “An expression of my gratitude—" He pushed the door open and offered Ąžuolas a hand—"for what you did in the Realms.”

Ąžuolas accepted his hand and allowed himself to be escorted into an elegantly designed chhatri. The light had become rosier, the air no less warm—but the atmosphere wasn't what made him gasp, it was the view. Vesuvia lay spread out below like a blanket, glittering like jewels; the city's canals and aqueducts sparkled like ribbons of silver as they wove between islands and buildings on their way to the harbor. "Oh my god, this must be the highest point in Vesuvia," he murmured, taking it all in.

"Second highest," Valerius corrected from beside him. "Only the Countess' contemplation tower is higher."

He'd expected Ąžuolas to counter with a clever remark, or a friendly dig; when none came, he found himself struggling for words before something finally popped out—"You can see everything from here—Red Street, the Floating Markets, the Vesuvian theater—"

"There are the Ash Docks!" Ąžuolas announced gleefully, pointing due east before his gaze travelled to a different point on the horizon. "And the South End Markets! And—" He tugged at the shawl wrapped around Valerius' shoulders, pulling it askew, his whole body almost vibrating with excitement. "I can see my shop!"

Ah. The Countess' handmaiden had been accurate in her assessment of the best view, particularly of the city center. "This is Vesuvia at her finest."

"Oh Consul Valerius, I disagree," Ąžuolas said, leaning on the carved rail with his head pillowed on his arms.

The words weren't malicious or even pointed, but he was a little surprised to hear him argue the point. "Care to explain?" he prompted, looking down at the magician with interest.

"Yes, Vesuvia sparkles in the light like this," Ąžuolas agreed, lifting his head and gesturing expansively with one hand as he spoke, "but to see her up close down there—no comparison."

He rested his hand on his chin as he considered Valerius. "You're native to Vesuvia, yeah?"

"Born and raised," he confirmed.

"Probably in a big fancy house somewhere?" he guessed.

He was nothing if not perceptive. "An estate, yes."

Ąžuolas nodded, as if this confirmed all of his theories. "I'm from somewhere else," he said. "It's a tiny village, not even on most maps." He rocked on the balls of his feet as he turned his gaze back to the view. "I used to dream about this view, about being a citizen in a big city—the young man I used to be would envy you."

Valerius watched Ąžuolas as the latter talked and observed and pointed out things about the city that he admittedly didn't know. He'd clocked the magician as not being Vesuvian by birth during their first meeting, yes—but where that had previously been a personality trait he could attribute to him, it was now a smaller piece of the larger portrait. The more he talked, mindless of the circumstances of their birth or their stations, the more at ease he felt, and the more he found he wanted to listen.

#gentapprentice #valerius x azuolas #the arcana valerius #arcana valerius #consul valerius #vynas | consul valerius

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caracalfeather · 4 years ago

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WARNING- Cats and Birds is a mob AU fanfiction of the Arcana game, and is not meant for young audiences and is not meant to offend anyone. Some writing choices were made so characters are out of their canon way of acting and thinking. Please do not be offended by character choices made by the authors and content creators, this story was made for fun and in the way we wanted it to be. The story was not hijacked by any of the authors to make any ships or characters overshadow any other. All content contained in this story has been agreed upon and accepted by all parties in it’s creation.

TW- Cats and Birds contains scenes that may not be suitable with some readers, including themes of violence, smoking/drug use, sex, cursing and various other strong themes. Special warnings for scenes will be posted with chapters. Proceed with caution and Reader’s discretion is advised.

Rose looked over and smiled "Hey. You wanna go dancing tonight? There's a club that just opened downtown." She walked over and hugged his arm "I...I wanna go out on a normal date tonight."

“That sounds like fun!” He smiled, “what’s the name of the club, I’ll try and swindle is some VIP access if you’d like” he winked at her and kissed her cheek.

"White Feather, I think." She blushed and smiled, nuzzling his chest "It's supposed to be a truce spot for many mobs."

“So it’s in The Gray Zone?” He looked at her curiously. Knowing that it used to be his territory, but many other mobs had their eyes on it. Everyone was just holding their breath, seeing which family would claim it first.

"I think so. It's perfect for a night of peace for Just us." She purred and kissed his neck.

“Perfect.” He smirked,”a night of peace would be lovely. Let’s go get drunk off our asses.” He laughed wrapping his arms around her.

"Actually… I just wanted a night were we don't get black out drunk… like...a normal date?" She blushed and fidgeted with her shirt slightly, like she was embarrassed.

Julian nodded, “we can also do that. Let me just get my coat and we’ll go” he kissed her cheek.

She walked to her room to change, pocketing a revolver just in case as she slipped into a short red dress that hugged her curves, humming softly.

Julian entered her room, dressed and looking fine. “Ah! There she is! You look beautiful.” He purred.

Rose smiled and blushed “Nadia gave me the dress. Can you zip me up?” She turned around and bit her lip.

He nodded and took hold of the zipper. It was stuck for just a moment as he started to pull, but it sailed smoothly up her back the rest of the way. Julian squeezed her ass and walked towards the door.

She squealed and swatted his hand with a laugh “Ilya devorak! You perv!” Rose teased and followed him out to the car.

Julian chuckled, he didn’t regret his decision. “You want to drive? Or do I have the honor?” He asked with a smile rubbing a stray bullet hole in the car’s side.

“I'll let you, it's always fun when you drive.” Rose smiled and kissed his neck, getting in the passenger’s side.

“As you wish!” He shook the keys that jangled around his long fingers, he started the car up and pulled out of the garage. “Now where exactly is the ‘White Feather’?”

“Nix street by the Old theater downtown.” She smiled and looked out the window, plenty of families were enjoying the evening air. She smiled at the sight of couples with their children and pets.

Julian made sure not to cause any trouble. Although he did run a few red lights. He watched the names of the street carefully and turned to the right one, the tall theater welcoming crowds. Not far from it, the club was electric! Lines of people hearing to get in and drown their sorrows. Julian parked the car and got out. He opened the door for Rose, “this must be the place. The lines are packed!”

“It is brand new!” She smiled, fixing her hair and taking his arm “Shall we show off for the cameras?” She nodded to the line of paparazzi near the door, roped off from the crowd.

“You can show off to your heart’s content my love!” Julian chuckled, “however I can’t go with you. I’m technically not supposed to even be in The Gray Zone. But you can go on ahead.” He pulled a pair of shades from his pocket and put them on. He looked ridiculous, shades on top of the eyepatch. Luckily his hair covered his bad eye enough.

Rose snorted and kissed his cheek “I'll meet you inside. Grab a booth for us?” She walked over and was immediately crowded with cameras and questions. She put on a flirtatious attitude and made the media swoon.

Julian did as he was told, he even swindled a group of young women to surrender their VIP accesses. Julian found them a booth in the reserved lounge, the live band in the lounge played softly as the “sophisticated” guests drank. While the real party happened out in the club’s main room. The faint bop of a bass could still be heard.

After a few minutes, rose entered the club, swaying her hips as she walked. A few men, probably from upper hollywood by the look of their clothes, trailed her, cat calling and whistling as she winked at them.

He saw Rose and waved her over, with a cocky grin. “I told you I could swindle us a good spot”

“How the hell did you get VIP tickets?” She looked at him, slightly shocked and sat down, glancing at the men.

“I have my ways.” He winked, the band starting to play a little louder as a smooth love song filled the room.

Rose swayed softly to the music, humming as the ordered drinks and watched the band “This is so nice.”

He nodded, “it reminds me of the lounge I used to have.” He leaned out of his seat looking around at the dark interior.

“You used to have a lounge?” She smiled, waving at a few guys as they passed and looked at ilya.

He leaned in close to her, “I used to be just like you. The Grey Area? It used to be mine.”

“Woah? No shit?!’ She smiled “I knew the Morganason’s had their eyes on this place but I didn't ever know someone already had this place once!”

“Didn’t we meet at the Peace Gala?” He boggled his mind, everyone was wearing masks, but if anyone was underneath a cat mask looking powerful then it had to have been Rose. “I provided the….entertainment. I brought my best jazz band and singers.”

“Right! I remember some very pretty singers. But i'll admit i was a little drunk that night while pulme handled the diplomacy shit.” She giggled and sipped her margherita.

Julian changed the subject, “well….now you know where all of my ‘experience’ came from” he sipped his whiskey glass averting his gaze until the memory fled his mind.

Rose glanced at him and stood, offering her hand “Come on darling. We don't need to think about the past when the present is perfect.” She smiled, her eyes sweet.

He took it with a smile, “right.”

She led him into the crowd, swaying against his chest as the music got louder. She was getting looks from different guys.

Julian growled at the onlookers, dipping Rose and kissing her softly.

She groaned into the kiss, pausing as the band began to play ‘La vie en Rose’, shifting the mood to smoothing a little more romantic.

He chuckled and started to softly sing the words in fluent French. His eyes full of love as they continued to sway.

“I forget that you speak french.” She blushed, leaning her head on his shoulder “It's very sexy.”

Julian smirked, “I know a lot of languages ma amour.” He twirled her and pulled her against his chest, “Even I think that’s sexy, I could say the nastiest thing to you and you wouldn’t even know it.”

She blushed and nuzzled his neck “Querida eres tan escandalosa~” next to them a young man was walking by. He looked like the definition of a spoiled child. He gave rose’s ass a squeeze as he walked away from them, making her gasp and squeak.

“Darling” Julian growled, “you brought your gun right?” He pressed his head against her ear, watching the punk. How dare he.

She nodded, shifting slightly and putting the gun into his hand and hid her face against him. She felt extremely uncomfortable.

“I’ll be back.” He breathed into her ear. Watching the best as he slipped into a back exit. He followed the kid outside and was ready to teach the punk a lesson when he discovered that there were several other men waiting for him. Julian fired the revolver in the air as a warning and pointed it back at the men.

The men ducked, looking back at him in shock. The punk pulled out his own gun and cocked an eyebrow “AYE? YOU GOT A PROBLEM RAT?”

“Actually I do! And your dirty hands were all over MY WOMAN.” He spat, “so back off.”

“What? Are you protective over a slut?” He laughed and shrugged “Judging by that dress you paid pretty well for her.” Looking at him now, a gold ram’s head was on his jacket, he was one of Antonio’s goons. Clearly his dumbest.

“That ‘SLUT’ can cut you to pieces with the mere flick of her wrist.” Seeing the emblem, Julian rolled his eyes, “what are you jack asses doing all the way down here?”

“Scouting the king’s new terf. He’s decided to expand his terf.” One of them scoffed. The punk laughed “Go back to your whore old bird. Before you start a war down here.”

Julian spat at their feet. “Last chance boys. Before the Cat comes and rips you to shreds.” He completely ignored their comment. Trying to hold on to the lie that he wasn’t The Black Raven, “the Raven died 3 years ago, and this is a Gray Area.”

“You think that’ll stop Antonio?” The biggest laughed as the punk turned to go back inside “THe terf’s been free game for years now.”

“Not if I have a say in it.” He muttered under his breath, “why don’t you boys run home and tell your boss that if he wants the turf so bad then he should come here himself and claim it.”

The punk slipped back into the door as one of the men grumbled “Why do you care? You ain't a cop. And clearly not important to the mob families.” He growled and cocked his gun “You have something to do with the Raven?”

“No, I just know he died.” He sneered, looking at the door. He hopped Rose had heard his warning, he could use some back up. “You all know this, he was shot in your next of kin families.”

“Yeah i remember. Had no girl, no kids. Have no idea how the hell he managed here.” The guy huffed, inside the club a gunshot was fired, muted under the music. Rose stepped outside, throwing a dead punk onto the ground and cleaning her gun with a huff.

“Ah just in time.” Julian smirked, “a little help here Kitty Kat.” His gaze was sharp and he looked between the men.

“Sorry I'm late doll. Had a pest groping me again.” She kissed his cheek and looked at the men “What's this?”

“Looks like Antonio wants to take The Gray Area.” Julian scoffed, slinging an arm around her waist.

“Oh well that just won't do.” Rose looked at the men and aimed her gun “Shall we reduce the pest problem?”

Julian smirked and cocked his gun, “with pleasure my dear.”

The night echoed with Gunshots, and when they went quiet, Rose walked back to the car, cleaning her gun.

“Well….so much for 3 years without an instance.” Julian sighed, he opened the door for her. “And so much for a peaceful night.”

Rose shrugged and sighed “It's fine. It was interesting.” On the way home she put her hand on his thigh, squeezing softly as he drove.

Julian eyed her with a smirk, “I forgot how much danger turns you on.” He chuckled, “should I be afraid when we get home?”

“Depends on how much you fight for dominance tonight.” She pawed his crotch and purred, kissing his neck.

He flinched, “ohhh….so that’s how it’s going to be is it now?”

She didn't answer, simply working marks into his neck as they pulled into the garage. As they stopped she smiled “Maybe you can do what you were dreaming about the other day.”

Julian blushed, “ah ha…..well….in that case…” he was about to finish his thought, but he just couldn't. He just grabbed Rose’s jaw roughly and kissed her.

She moaned, pushing him against the wall and tearing his shirt open slightly.

He grabbed her wrists and pinned her down biting her neck.

Growling, she slipped a knee between his legs, rubbing his bulge.

Julian moaned, his grip loosening for a moment as he trailed kisses up her neck before kissing her deeply.

She groaned, yanking his hair back before growling “Let's take this to one of our rooms.”

“Mine or yours?” He purred, squeezing her breast.

“Yours is closer.” she jumped up and wrapped her legs around his waist, marking his collar bone.

Julian carried her to his room and shut the door tossing her onto the bed as he scrambled to free himself from his shirt.

She stripped from her dress then helped him strip. Moaning at the sight of him, she flipped him under her legs.

He ran his hands down her body, his eyes memorizing every curve.

Rose pushed him down, grinding against his cock and moaning “I-Ilya~” Her voice was sweet, almost a little higher than usual.

His vision blurred as he closed his eyes, his hands gripping her hips, it was all too familiar. As he was caught in the heat of passion he felt himself remembering a different time. And soon Rose’s skin was porcelain white and she had returned to him. His hands trailed up her back waiting for the same shiver, the same whimper.

Rose did shiver, slipping him inside of her with a loud moan. She threw her head back, adjusting to him.

“Mmmmph…..you’re always so tight darling…~” he moaned his hips bucking into her. Hoping to make her jump or squeal. She didn’t take over often, but he was allowing her to this time. She had been so good when he left to take care of some other thugs.

She gasped, starting to slam her hips down as she rode him, clawing his chest “Ilya! Gods!”

Julian was snapped back into reality, a loud purr in his throat. I guess getting rid of her wasn’t working. He was running out of options. He laced his fingers in Rose’s hair and pulled.

She whined, rutting her hips against him. Her voice was starting to blend with a familiar memory as she gasped, eyes tearing up.

“Fuck...my star…” he moaned, he was close, which meant she wasn’t far from coming herself.

Rose gulped at the new nickname, quickly finishing herself off with a sharp buck, moaning.

Julian filled her with his cum. Sloppily thrusting into her as he rode out his orgasm. His mind was as confused and clouded as it was a week ago.

Rose dropped next to him, passing out with a shiver as she didn't even bother to clean herself up.

He ran his hands through his hair. He was in trouble if he couldn’t find a new way to get rid of the past. The barking started up again outside and Julian groaned rolling over and cuddling against Rose.

#the arcane game #arcana apprentice #the arcana #the arcane julian #julian devorak #arcana #the arcane mc #muriel #the arcana julian #the arcana apprentice #mob au #cats and birds #rose sagenea #rose the apprentice #lyra the apprentice

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wherearemyglassesbro · 5 years ago

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The Arcana, can we get some headcanons of Julian/Ilya as a modern teen? I know alot of people get asked this but I just love it

Jules doesn’t really have many friends but he is part of many ‘groups’ like the nerds, theater kids and teachers pets

Hes book smart but not very street smart so he does dumb shit all the time like back flipping off of cafeteria tables or chugging coke and mentos and getting SiCk

As a teen, Julian isn’t confident enough to get on stage for musicals and stuff so he does stuff backstage instead! He‘s captain of the costume crew and takes his group to the local goodwill to find cool clothes that they can alter!!!! They all get distracted and have second hand fashion shows, it’s a good time

^^^Jules knows all of the songs and will sing for himself and friends but no wAY will he do it for the whole school (as an adult he’ll look back and wish he did though)

He’s got a really crappy car but he decks it out in flame stickers and fuzzy dice. It looks awful but riding with him is just a BLAST he’ hits every pot hole and speeds over train tracks so everyone bounces around! And he blasts his music and belts everything! He expects you to sing along too

He picks on Portia in the hall at school but if anyone else even THINKS about making fun of her, he’ll put leeches down the back of their shirt

He embraces the e-boy aesthetic and kinda looks intimidating with all the chains and eyeliner! Jules is a huge nerd though and it takes maybe two seconds to see through the facade, especially when you see him playing with dogs or somethin

He lectures the kids who vape and will explain in detail what it does to their lungs and show them what black lung/hairy lung looks like. His dream is to be a doctor! So he’s gonna start diagnosing people with things before hes even in medical school

^^^^He carries Ibuprofen, Benadryl and a small bottle of pepto bismol with him! All in a lil medical bag in his backpack “What! Stop calling me a dork, you’ll thank me when you get a headache” >:(

He wants a tattoo and draws all over his hands with pens...He chickened out of letting Asra give him a stick and poke tattoo

He pierced his ears in the school bathroom and they got infected so he had to let them close up >:(

#arcana #specsarcana #the arcana #the arcana game #arcana julian #julian devorak #ilya devorak

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michelles-garden-of-evil · 5 years ago

Text

Episode 7 Review: Flying South Like the Birdies

{ YouTube: 1 | 2 | 3 }

{ Synopses: Debby Graham | Bryan Gruszka }

{ Screencaps }

We open with a conversation between Alison and Raxl about the death of Dr. Menkin. Mostly, this is repeating what we already know for the benefit of the original viewers who missed the previous two episodes, but not entirely. I just realized that Alison didn’t learn of Dr. Menkin’s death in either Episode 5 or 6. (I had to re-watch part of Episode 5 and skim over Debby Graham’s synopsis of Episode 6 to confirm this.) So this is also an important scene for her, one that augments the fear she has begun to feel on the island, even if, unlike Raxl, she does not yet believe in the supernatural forces that make Maljardin, as the immortal housekeeper says just before the opening, “the Garden of Evil.”

We also get an unintentionally funny moment where Raxl shouts “THAT DEVIL!” and the camera quickly zooms in to the portrait of Jacques Eloi des Mondes with some thunder and lightning for emphasis. Then Alison freaks out as she realizes that Jacques put the dream from last episode inside her head. It’s not clear if she is more frightened by the possibility that Jacques will kill her or by the fact that she is sexually attracted to a dead man who looks exactly like her brother-in-law.

Alison: “The dream was so real! This island...it IS evil! I have to get away, back to reason. Away from HIM!"

*flashing lightning and wailing theremin*

Colin Fox, by the way, isn’t in this episode, so, just like the previous Foxless episode, the focus is primarily on the subplots. In the next scene, we cut away to the French Leave Café, where Boring Artist Tim is hanging out with Vangie Abbott (Angela Roland). Now, even though Vangie first appeared on the show in the second episode, I wanted to wait a while to introduce her, mostly because I didn’t know what I was getting into when I started writing these massive blog entries and got overwhelmed early on by all the things I wanted to cover. But now that things are slowing down and she’s starting to become relevant to the plot, I will write a little about her.

Vangie, who owns the café, is a psychic who uses tarot cards to divine the future. She usually provides a lot of detail as to what individual cards mean, connecting them to specific characters and not always using the more well-known trump cards/Major Arcana to represent them. This indicates that Ian Martin probably did a significant amount of research on tarot cards and their meanings before writing about them. (Contrast with Dark Shadows, which mainly featured the same few cards--especially the Tower of Destruction--over and over and usually interpreted them literally.[1] I admittedly haven’t done much research on the tarot (although I intend to in the near future for this blog), so I’ve learned quite a bit about different cards’ meanings from Vangie’s dialogue. There’s a lot more that I could say about her character, but this is about all I can say for now without spoiling anything.

Well, I could also mention her quirky fashion sense and distinctive sing-song alto voice. (That’s Boring Artist Tim on the right, by the way.)

A screenshot of Vangie’s outfit from Episode 2.

Hundreds of miles away, we find the Reverend Matt Dawson at Westley House seeking word of the whereabouts of 20-year-old teenager Holly. He visits her roommate Dinah Heath[2] (Trudy Young), a young hippie who only appears in this episode, but who is the best thing about it. Truth be told, I wanted to write this entire post about just Dinah, but changed my mind when I re-watched the episode and remembered that Vangie was in it, too. Dinah is really fun and probably my favorite of the One-Episode Wonders: characters who only appear in one episode, but who are memorable for the right reasons. Dr. Patton from Episode 4 is another favorite one-episode character of mine, as is Claude from an episode months in the future (although my opinion is largely based on how I imagine him, because so far I have only read that episode’s synopsis and watched the accompanying slideshow).[3] And she totally takes the piss out of Matt when he comes to question her.

At the start of the scene, Dinah is jamming out in her room to some music while smoking. It looks like a cigarette, but it’s probably meant to be a joint, because she acts stoned during the entire scene.

Matt knocks on the door and she jumps off her bunk and immediately starts fanning the air to try to get rid of the pot smell. I love the ironic “please keep off grass” sign.

Matt doesn’t even need to mention Holly for her to know that he plans to ask about her. Dinah just outright says “she isn’t here” while smirking and posing with her hand on her hip.

Cue an exchange full of awkwardly-delivered 1960s slang as Dinah clarifies that he wants to know “why’d she split” and he accuses her of “trying to put [him] on.” I’m not sure how current the slang would have been when the episodes were written, but, considering that the writer was in his fifties at the time, probably not very.

She goes over to her desk to brush her hair while Matt continues questioning her. She denies knowing where Holly is, so he says patronizingly, “I admire your sense of loyalty, but there are times when it could hurt Holly rather than help her.” I might believe him if I didn’t already know that he had the hots for Holly.

More awkward slang. Dinah is still pretending to ignore him.

Matt’s horrified reaction when she says what we know from Episode 3. “Uh-oh,” he’s probably thinking, “she’s onto me.”

Definitely onto him!

Matt so wants the pretty young chicks at Westley House to see him as a groovy, happenin’ padre with all the hip slang he uses.

When he finally gets her to “level” with him, she tells him, “All I know is that she’s flying south like the birdies. Way down south. Has to be. Air alone costs $163.75 [$1,148.24 in 2019 USD, or $1,124.03 in 2019 Canadian dollars].” He asks how she got that money, and Dinah responds, “Saved some. We all chipped in with the rest.” So they all think that he’s a creep, enough to fund her escape from him.

She grabs this huge teddy bear and starts drumming on it. She’s not even trying to conceal that she’s stoned.

She means "vampire” figuratively, but I imagine this line was added to try to hook any DS fans tuning in. It would have admittedly been so awesome if Mrs. Marshall had turned out to be a literal vampire.

Stalker!

We next see Holly at the French Leave Café, trying to order a drink but getting turned away from the bar because she’s underage. How can they even tell? No one cards her before turning her away and Sylvia Feigel looks 27 at the youngest. Hell, I’m 26 years old, look younger than Holly does, and no one ever cards me when I buy alcohol. I could see them turning someone like Dinah away without carding her because she definitely looks under 21, but Holly? Really?

Holly does not look 20.

She has a meet-cute with Tim, followed by a free tarot reading courtesy of Vangie. Without her saying anything about her life, the psychic reveals that she knows Holly’s future:

Foreshadowing!

She also knows that a man has begun stalking her, but not his identity. “What are you running from Holly, and who is the man running after you?” she asks before the scene cuts to Matt telling Elizabeth Marshall that her daughter ran away. Soon after, the conversation shifts to his attraction to Holly. While stalkers are always creepy regardless of their age and the age of the stalkee, the way they talk about Holly makes it sound like the Reverend is interested in a teenager:

Because Reverend Dawson isn’t already gross enough with his stalking, smarmy demeanor, romantic interest in a just barely former ward, and offbrand Reverend Trask accent.

Elizabeth threatens to “fix” both him and Holly and leaves to track Holly down on her own. Then we get a short, unnecessary filler scene of Raxl and Alison before the credits.

In the next episode, THE DEVIL JACQUES ELOI DES MONDES returns and Dan meets up with Vangie to do some more research regarding Jacques’ identity. Stay tuned!

Notes

[1] I’m not disparaging Dark Shadows here. I love both shows; I just wanted to point out that the Dark Shadows writers probably did less research on the tarot. Either that, or they just loved the Tower of Destruction. In any case, they used the Tower of Destruction so excessively that sometimes even thinking of that card is enough to send me into giggling fits. (If you haven’t figured it out yet, I have an odd sense of humor.)

[2] Ian Martin seems to have been fond of the name Dinah for girls and young women. Eight years later in 1977, he used the name again for the 12-year-old protagonist of the CBS Radio Mystery Theater episode “The Child’s Cat Paw,” played by a young Sarah Jessica Parker. It isn’t his best CBSRMT episode, but I still recommend it.

[3] Coincidentally, the episode with Claude also features the introduction of Susan, another Trudy Young character who plays a major role in the show’s final arc. I haven’t seen any full episodes after 130 yet because they’re not on YouTube, but I’ve read all the synopses. Someday I will watch the second Desmond Hall arc, and I can only hope that the Claude scene on the show is as romantic as it is in my head cinema. (It probably isn’t, given that David Wells' other character Cort is hilariously badly acted (if very, very cute), but perhaps Wells’ acting was better when he played Claude.)

ETA 6/22/2020: I just watched Episode 133 this evening (got the DVDs now) and I loved the scene with Claude. I’m not kidding. Surprisingly, David Wells’ acting as both Claude and Cort is decent in the episode--and, after re-watching the first Desmond Hall arc, I can say that his acting improves over time and is even occasionally good. I’ll write much more about Cort later on (this isn’t the right entry for it), but I will say that not all Cort episodes are created equal.

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#strange paradise #gothic soap opera #week 2 #episode 7 #maljardin arc #ian martin #review #foxless episodes #1960s slang #one episode wonder #tarot #twentysomethings treated like children

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