#then scanned and coloured digitally. I like the look and the feel of this method a lot.

[poorly-drawn-mdzs]

The Wizard Cowboy War (Wizboys VS Cowards) continues on.

[beartitled]

Hey Bear remember the detailed art where it’s a place and there’s a just filled with different bears, I think it will be a great excuse to practice but idk how to approach it. Any tips?? Or just things you learn when you started drawing those

Hellow 👋

I have a feeling you asked this a while ago, but I only saw it now

If it's the case, sorry must be a tumblr glitch💥

👏a wall of text warning👏/silly

Planning

First thing I usually do is - I plan a lot beforehand

Especially if it’s a drawing with existing characters

Ironically TSP/STP drawings were easier to do for me

Even though bear megadrawings look simpler (I think?)

Basically when you already have a list of character you want to include - you just need to think where to locate them

When you just draw a lot of random characters - you need to design every single one

Which is kinda a nightmare on your brain 💥

The second type is a lot more flexible tho (you can add or remove characters at will, no count needed)

Project stages

I will use TSP + Undertale reblog chain drawing as an example

1) Collecting references - if you plan to draw existing characters, it’s better to gather all the references

Making an additional list of all characters helps too (this way you can track which character you already drawn)

2) Planning the area

Photobashing or finding a good location reference really helps here

Sadly don’t have a photobash I did for this, I deleted everything 💥

This is just an example to demonstrate things 👆

I usually just do a rough sketch on a small piece of paper

You don’t have to have it 100% planned, if characters don’t fit, you can just extend/edit the area

3) Character planning

You have to determine where your characters will be located

The common mistake I see when ppl draw detailed drawings: they draw a singular character and move on to add others

If you’re doing it digitally, this may not be a problem for you (ya know just make a character smaller or move them, problem solved)

But what I recommend doing:

Is drawing shapes where you plan to put characters in

This will help you plan out the composition more and regulate the character amount in different parts of the drawing

Also keep in mind the size of you character

I struggle with it to this day tbh

Usually the characters on the foreground are bigger then the ones on the background (this is one of the art principles used to showcase distance)

But an interesting thing you may notice when looking at illustrations like “Where’s Waldo” series

This principle often may be ignored

It’s still kinda present, but you can pretty much say many characters are -+ the same size

My theory is that it’s done to make every character equal, so the purpose to find Waldo is still challenging

+ I think to keep the whole picture harmonious

I may not know certain principles (the nitty-gritty of detailed art like this)

So keep in mind this is just my experience, do your research too >:D

4) Key characters

This one is a bit vague, but I will try to explain it the best I can

When you have a specific character, who, for example, is way bigger or has brighter colours then the rest

Special bois 🌸

You need to give them more attention

Let’s see an example

- Big creatures on da background - they were drafted first, bc they required a lot place

- Spider Barry - a special area for spider characters

- Thierry - active action, running, led to a chain of characters interacting

- Narry Grilby’s, Bearline, Pixel Alphys - themed areas for certain characters

(my apologies if I made a mistake in any character name here, let me know, I will fix it)

+ Advice for colour: try to keep them the similar saturation, so the image looks harmonious

You don’t really have to have key characters, it’s just my method that makes the process easier to plan out

5) Art part let’s gooo

This part is up to you obviously, different ppl draw differently

For me it’s usually > small draft > sketch > line art > scan > colour

Advice for my traditional artist - ya’ll need a big paper sheet

I usually work on A3 format, bc it’s easier to scan

But the bigger the paper the more detailed characters you can draw

This one as an example

Bc rookie mistake

Too many characters, not enough paper

I used A3, but looking back A2 would work way better here

I used a really thin line pen (005) and didn’t realise the consequences of that 💥

As a result scan turned out not the best quality (+ if you zoom in on the faces 🐻‍❄️🔫)

It was impressive at the time, but rrrr I wish I just bought a bigger piece of paper back then 💥

Just to illustrate the issue

On the top are pens I usually use for comics lineart, the bottom one is 005

And my finger as an obscure reference lmao 💥

As you can see the lines are REALLY DAMN THIN and everything is smol, tiny even

So just keep that in mind 👍

And for my digital fellas

🫵 Big canvas 🫵 big 🫵 the pixels will eat u 🫵

How much time it takes

Practicing concentration and patience is important 💥

This may sound silly, but it does help with finishing stuff

Projects like those require a ton of patience and focus

So just mentally prepare yourself for sitting on your desk for hours™️

From my experience I would recommend to start with small drawings with a small amount of characters

And then gradually build up to bigger amounts and more details

My first ever megadrawing was this piece

Line art took 2 weeks, colouring -+ a week I believe

This was exhausting the first time 💥

After practicing the process became faster and less tiring

The TSP x Undertale took about 4 days (but like full 4 days)

Remember doing lineart in 1 day, taking breaks just to like eat

🫵Ok don’t worry about me🫵

I have a tendency to concentrate on things for a really long periods of time, so it’s not a “🔥I WILL BURN MYSELF OUT WITH THIS PROJECT LET’S GO🔥” type of deal, this is pretty much how I am

If I enjoy a specific process I can spend an entire day doing just that, without getting tired (the only problem could be not enough movement and eye pain, my eternal enemy 👿)

But 🫵 don’t expect yourself to do the same 🫵

Start small, practice, don’t push your limits right away

Take breaks and care about yourself fellas 👏

Good luck with your projects🫡

Alright

Hope it was helpful, thank u for you question ❤️

For new ppl here, you can check the megadrawings section in navigation (pinned post), if you got interested

[ardn716-thedirectedimage]

SDL - Photographer Research; Jeanne Lucas

Photographer Jeanne, who works out of Paris, gives her shots a documentary feel by focusing on various subjects that interest her. She finds inspiration in people she meets, in the world around her, and in society. At the core of her work is the quest for authenticity, which she communicates through her choices in casting and creative direction. Her approach is defined by the combination of fashion and documentary photography, subverting the conventions of each genre. This method serves as the cornerstone of his creative style, raising questions about the image's intended function and casting doubt on the line separating staging from reality.

"What is the “Jeanne Lucas photography style”?

JL: Well… it’s about documentary and fashion. I like to play and mix photographic genres. For a very long time, I wasn't in agreement with myself because I could only separate the two. I went to photography school, where you learn that you must choose between the two. But I soon realised that when I did fashion shoots, I always looked for the story behind, the documentary part of it.  

But my practice is also about the true and the false. I play with people's ideas of my photographic technique. I shoot digital, but everyone thinks I'm doing analogue because of my image processing, and I admit I have a lot of fun with that.

What is your secret photographic trick?

JL: I've developed a blank film, scanned it, and extracted the grain. I then add it to my images in post-production. And for my colour palette, I process colour by colour to get warm and sunny tones as this is what I find beautiful."

[fmp2georgiathompson]

Machinarium

Machinarium is our first full-length adventure game in which players take on the role of a robot who has been exiled to the scrap heap. Players must use logic, collect important items, and solve environmental puzzles to get the robot back into the city of Machinarium so he can rescue his robot-girlfriend, save the head of the city, and defeat the bad guys from the Black Cap Brotherhood.

Machinarium has a 2D, hand drawn, watercolour style that has an overall dull colour scheme to it and everything looks like its got a touch of yellow to it. The style that the style that the game uses is called steampunk. I find it interesting how all the bots in the game have slightly rusted and the whole game has a sort of worn and rusted look. The style of some of the ships reminds me of the castle (left) and the battleship (right) from Howls moving castle.

Machinarium and Beyond by Jakub Dvorsky, DevGAMM Kyiv 2013 (revisit)

The design team decided pretty early on that they would be making the game by using 'old school' techniques and it being entirely hand drawn with pencils and pen on paper. They decided to do this because they felt like it was a good fit for the robotic feel of the game because of its contrast to the 'cold and methodic and exact' way that robots are usually presented in science fiction, so they wanted to break this stereotype and somehow make it 'warmer'.

One of the first issues they came across when creating the game was with the lead artist Adolf Hoffman and how every illustration he did was almost to exact and too perfect for the feel of the game, so as a team that had to discuss how they could relax the style and add the clunkiness that they wanted. The did this by having Adolf draw with his left hand even thought he is right handed and this idea ended up being perfect for the game and the whole game is actually drawn in Hoffmans left hand. Towards the end of the drawing stage in the project he ended up being to skilled in his left and which you can see from watching a play through the game and can see how the art ever so slightly improves. I find this really interesting how people usually strive for perfection in their work but in this instance the perfection wasn't that they were going for and instead that earnest it too look almost incomplete and messy, this is called being stylised and its they type of thing I would like to reflect in my game and the idea that your work docent have to be perfect to be right.

Following all the sketches work the illustrations were scanned in with what I was either a photocopier or just a photograph into the game engine, in which the colour of the game was added as well as the texture. Finding out that the colour was added in digitally surprised me because by the style and my knowledge of watercolour I had always assumed that the colour had been added with watercolour due to hit having that sort of muted and waterblened look that all watercolour priced have, however this look could be done the the colour being added on top of already textured, scanned in paper. They have and incredible use of texture in the game which they created for referencing photos taken of real rotten pieced of wood and rusted metal and old walls.

Games design notes from Amanita - challenge is really important in gaming but its not vital in order to have a good game, a game that shows this is well is 'Dear Esther' in which you only walk and explore and island and you don't really have any challenges that you face, but it is still and enjoyable and fun game because of the small details that are added, such as being bale to chase and interact with bees in 'Dear Esther". These small little interactions are called 'interactive toys' and when the people were researching and cresting Machanarium they decided that it would be import t for the game to include lost of them as little side quests, because they would make the game more interesting to the player. From personal experience when playing a game I love to search random spots for these sort of hidden easter eggs, fondant them makes me feel sort of special because its hidden and not all the players would find them and including lost of them in a game would create a more personal experience for the player. Another really important part in adventure games in the replayability of them, which is often said within the gaming community that adventure like games lack. I personally don't think that it is true because if you like a certain song you will listen to it over and over again and I don't see why this doesn't apply to games, since starting this project I have played Machinarium demo for the first time loved it and played it many times since so I think this idea is extremely false. Each time I have played it I have found a new easter egg and considering I'm only playing the demo i cant imagine the amount that would be in the full version.

Amanita made sure their game had a constant feel of unpredictability, for example there is a quest in the game in which you are asked by a fan robot a few quiz questions and in order to complete the quest you need to answer the questions wrong, answering wrong angers the robot which means you can proceed. This sense of unknowing gave the game an organic can human feel and also more importantly made it fun and interesting to play, in previous games I have played where you have to answer quiz questions it starts to feel as if you are at school and are taking a test which isn't how I want to feel when I am gaming in my free time.

Business and marketing of Machanarium

Amanita said it was very important to start early with marketing and build a community and when creating that sense of community you should try and have a creative approach to doing it. A way that Amanita did this was by having a massive sale on the game where they brought the price down from £17.99 to £5 in a sale tat they called the 'pirate amnesty' because they needed the press to notice their sale and use them to inform others because the game was only available on the Amanita website and wasn't yet on steam. They called it 'pirate amnesty' because of the amount of people who pirated the game, this idea ended up working because it was featured on every known news website and game media and ended up selling more than 20,000 copies in a week.

In the video seminar that I watched they spoke about how important it was to keep updating and improving and expanding upon the game even after its initial release because things will go wrong, Its also very important to pay attention to customer support and consumer feedback because it can increase your revenue and keeps that sense of community going even years after a game has been released. Merchandise is also very important in a community, things like plushies and collectables are greatly valued and is definitely a good idea if you are successful in creating your game and it is popular enough to sell merch you should.

I got most of my information for this post from the video above and don't get ,me wrong the video was very educational and has taught me loads but my god was it difficult to watch, the dude presenting it had the most monotone voice I had ever heard. However the knowledge that I now have about what goes into creating a game, keeping something stylised even if its not perfect, creating and curating a community and how to keep that game going years after its release.

[mhansenmajortwo2022]

PROCESS THOUGHTS AND PLANNING NEXT

From the feedback from our crit and further investigations and thoughts, I have concluded that 16 mm will be the right medium to move forward with. First, I can make connections to my subject matter but it is also a way to challenge myself and my art direction even further. I am a perfectionist and tend to think a lot before I do something. Therefore, by choosing to work with an analog, I have to change my working methods.  Through my previous works, I have worked with a digital medium and I have produced a lot. This time, I want to turn that around and work with something that requires a different way of attention. First aspect is that I can only see the result once the film goes through the projector / it has been processed and scanned. Therefore I will need to plan my shoot very strictly as I will only have 3 min on the roll. I am going to use Kodak Tri X Black & White 16mm as it gives a much more contrast between the black and white colours on the film. I will also use a service to get it processed and scanned which requires I add extra time for the turn around. 

My aim is to create a much simpler piece of work, compared to my previous works, as it is a great learning experience for me to say; less is more, and focus on mastering using the Bolex camera to create some unique footage and experience with my animations skills in a more practical way as scratching into the film. I was asked, why this subject matters so much to me. One thing is that I have learned through my travels and moving to London being open and talk with people with different backgrounds and point of views than you is key in order to be able to understand each other. Secondly, I do, as small person, understand what it feels like to walk into a room and being met with assumptions based on the way you look. Though, the fact is, white people will never really understand, and this is what we need to accept. Which brings me to say: Of course I have to care about this matter, I am white. Whiteness is the source of the problem. White people has the responsibility to fix it! ____________________________________________________ While working on this book, white people have often asked me, “You’re white. Why are you doing this?” But whiteness is not about skin, and not to make this difference is to concentrate on the way we white people appear physically at the expense of how we think or behave, consciously or unconsciously. Our skin wraps around us, it is biological; whereas our whiteness lies within us, it is a way of being in the world psychologically, behaviourally. We live whiteness because we have been invited to participate unconsciously in certain social structures, and we have grown comfortable in doing so. Daniel C. Blight - The Image of Whiteness “Moreover, the position of speaking as a white person is one that white people now almost never acknowledge and this is part of the condition and power of whiteness: white people claim and achieve authority for what they say by not admitting, indeed not realising, that for much of the time they speak only for whiteness”The impulse behind this book is to come to see that position of white authority in order to help undermine it.” Robert Dyer - White

[k00275774]

Project “Movement” Statement

I started this project with the idea of body movement as exercise. It was inspired by my boyfriend Jeff who is a Strength and Conditioning Coach and Personal Trainer.

I started with Graphic Design (GD), I have created a pattern that reflects exercise movement, and I’ve made a stop motion animation of it coming together.

In the meantime, I was developing my idea further by researching the effects of exercise on the brain, more closely I looked at Dopamine, the neurotransmitter associated with reward or positive feedback, and its release. I started to research artists who work with or similar idea, and my favourite work is by Vasily Kandinsky. I made a quick drawing using markers and then adding water to make colours mix. Within photography I explored this area thoroughly.

I reimagined my 2D water on paper with markers into a 3D concept of light diffusion and colour, using fairy lights, glass of water and my camera to capture the resulting display through photos and video.  I’ve made a video of Jeff doing exercise and took series of photos to create a narrative. I made a compilation of videos captured previously. I projected that film in the church gallery. While I explored other photography techniques like pinhole camera, long exposure, analogue film I also experimented with scannography, inspired by Sian Aldridge and Mike Parillo I made beautiful abstract patterns to reflect dopamine explosion using a scanner. I scanned my results several times in the high-resolution printer trying different layouts. I edited photos in photoshop and inverted the colours. I loved the result so much that I have entered my work into a competition.

Moving on to animation, using two different techniques I created two animations, one Claymation stop motion, and hand drawn animation using the photos I took earlier. I found Claymation more enjoyable than drawing methods. To show dopamine release after work out I came up with a clever idea of using sweets as props. I wanted to show the mood by making first part of it in black and white and as the music /exercise starts colour comes back following the “snow angels” in jellybeans as dopamine.

Back to GD, after gathering more material from photography. I have made the mood board /analogue poster and digital posters using some photos I made which I overlayed in photoshop and added my favourite quote “Build Don’t Talk, as it fits my theme perfectly.

In conclusion I want to say that I enjoyed all 3 electives and I understand all 3 by doing my own independent research and experiments. I worked my idea through photography, video, animation and graphic design. I did my best to complete all 4 tasks for animation however as the time was getting closer to an end, I had to make a compromise, I did 3 tasks. I wanted to give all 3 electives a fair shot, so I decided to go back to GD and do more work. I feel that I have given my attention equally and made some nice work in all electives.  While doing my project I also entered in 2 photography competitions

[harrietjulia]

Passion Project | Exploring the Films

I decided to start with some quick mind maps for each movie I have chosen to use for the festival posters. By doing this I was able to select themes, imagery and initial concepts that I could use to evoke the feeling of each film.

Wizard of Oz: Concepts to Highlight

Black & White contrasting with vivid dreamy Colour

Giltter, Sparkles 

Red (slippers, poppies) Emerald (the city) Yellow (brick road)

Split Screen, Good v Evil

Past Poster Designs

Jaws: Concepts to Highlight

Sinking Boat

Shark Bite, Blood, Red, Teeth

Harpoon gun

Open Sea (blue), stranded, swimming

Warning, Danger, Fear, Thriller

Past Poster Designs

Dirty Harry: Concepts to Highlight

Gun, reflection on pavement, persepective

1970′s aesthetic

Bullet Holes, shoot out, get away, cars

Anticipation, suspense, on edge

Broken glass, destruction

Police, Good v Evil

Past Poster Designs

Casablanca: Concepts to Highlight

Forbiddean Love

War, Espionage, escape

Black and White, film noir

Strong, dramatic lighting

Piano, Jazz, bars

Nostalgia, longing

Past Poster Designs

Star Wars: Concepts to Highlight

Space, death star, galaxy, sci-fi

Good v Evil, Jedi/Dark side

light sabers (red,blue)

Dark, brooding

Revealing, shocking moment

Resistance, war, battle

Past Poster Designs

First Explorations

Above: I played around with 3 of these films to try out some concepts on procreate (these will not be the final posters, think of these as very detailed digital sketches) by doing this I was able to toy around with some of the first ideas noted above, and it has given me inspiration for some further analogue and digital methods for my creations. It has also allowed me to practice further with hand lettering (something i find very therapeutic) I would like to trial these using type faces and analogue methods to see which direction to take. 

I have yet to sketch out first concepts for Casablanca or Star Wars and I’m starting to wonder if 5 movies is too many to work with, or should I stick with 3, I don’t want to overwhelm the work load.

Notes on sketches:

Dirty Harry

I particularly like the idea of bullet holes in the Dirty Harry poster, physically blowing away the wrong word, and I think I’m going to try my hand at using a hole punch (inspired by Saul Bass) in one design to explore this idea further. I’d also like to try using shadows on pavements to create imagery and letterforms. 

Wizard of Oz

I also liked the idea of using a split screen for the Wizard of Oz concept to create that reality/dreams idea and the change from B&W to colour (I also have a thought on mirrors or door openings for this). In this concept I used imagery of musical notes to erase the incorrect quote and tried to make the letters red and glittery, something I can toy with in analogue methods, I also think using actual ribbon could be fun to create the letters, or perhaps yellow bricks? (too far?)

Jaws

The Jaws concept will be really fun to explore, this initial concept has given me ideas to use torn or shredded paper to create shark bite and suspense. Red dripping for blood and using water, sinking to give that feeling of impending doom. 

I think one of the hardest parts of the project will be creating a co-herent feel across the posters/branding of the festival and I’m not sure how to concept 2 visual ideas as I will have many? One other thing I need to be careful with in all these concepts is legibility!

Above: I’ve also made a list of words/ideas for how I can change and manipulate the way a quote is visually read. 

I also have some fun initial ideas for the ticket stubs which I’m super excited to explore further. I love the idea of the quote changing once you tear, hole punch, fold, stick, or even scratch the ticket. The idea of pulling a slider on the ticket to change the words is super intriguing to me too, and reminds of books I read as a kid.

I have also been thinking how this could translate into a digital or wearable ticket on your phone and or wrist, my first thought is could there would be a QR code that you wear and once you leave the festival you can scan this on your phone and it prompts you to take part in a quizz to test your knowledge or the quote will simply change?

Above: Taking a look at my Dad’s ticket collection mostly from the 1970-80′s 

[ramonaprintmakingtwo]

Project 3: Landscape composition

Due to the current travel restrictions and lock down it didn’t feel appropriate or safe to sketch on location the way I would like to. Reading through the exercise I really wanted to study London’s Southbank. This is my favourite part of London and reminds me of spending days with my family, walking along the river and visiting the Hayward, National Theatre, BFI or The Royal Festival Hall. Although often viewed as ugly I love the brutalist architecture and enjoyed climbing up the various staircases and levels, hiding behind pillars and looking out over the Thames. 

In my last Unit, Illustration Two, I completed a six digital illustrations of some of the iconic buildings on the Southbank. In preparation for that assignment (and about two weeks prior to the last lockdown) I took lots of photos so had some reference material already to work from. 

My Photos

My previous Illustrations

Visual Reference

I also supplemented my visual reference using photographs and videos I sourced online. This allowed me to explore more angles and perspectives that I hadn’t captured previously and the videos in particular helped me to remind myself of the feeling of walking down river. 

London National Theatre (Escuris, n.d.)

Hayward Gallery (Guy, n.d.)

Geometry + Geology: Hayward Gallery (Hewitt, 2011)

London Virtual Walk With Ambient Sounds Roof Bar To Festival (Living Walks, 2018)

360° London - South Bank (Fly Through Films, 2015)

Difficulties in comprehension

I read through the project instructions multiple times but struggled to understand what exactly I was been asked to do. I looked at other printmaking students learning logs to try to gain a better understanding however this didn’t clear it up entirely for me.  I am going to include the instructions and my interpretation of them within this write-up in hopes that my tutor or future assessor will understand my rationale for my work, even if the process I have used isn’t what was asked of me. I have used bold to indicate my thoughts.

Instructions

‘Using a pencil on A3 paper and working to the edge of the page, make a line drawing of a section of built environment. Pay attention to perspective and the main forms and structures avoiding excessive detail. Think where to place the lights and darks. Line drawing to me means just the key shapes, I’m not sure how to indicate tone, light and dark within a line drawing. As a left handed person, excessive pencil mark-making quickly becomes messy. You may well need to do a number of drawings until you find the perfect balance of shapes.

Now draw four boxes on tracing paper 15cm x 10cm. Use these boxes as viewfinders and move them over your drawing trying different angles and compositions looking for what you consider to be balanced composition of lines and shapes. As you make your tracings you can edit any unwanted detail and even make the design more abstract – enjoy the freedom of exploring form to produce an aesthetically pleasing composition.

You will use these tracings (plural) to mark up your piece of lino. (singular) Is the final piece meant to be 15cmx10cm? Are the four tracings meant to be combined to create one piece around A4 measurements (30cm x 20cm)?

The print is going to be black, grey and the colour of the paper. You can start by adding black to one shape and then to another to balance the weight and so on.’

My understanding and steps

Make a pencil line drawing on A3 with little detail of a built environment.

Using  viewfinders, explore the image to find a good composition.

Refine and edit composition (for me this usually means using pen to block out dark areas).

Combine the four sections to make one abstract composition. 

Use a reduction print method using grey and black. 

First Sketches

I completed two very basic sketches of The National Theatre (reference Escuris, n.d.) and the back of The Royal Festival Hall (reference Living Walks 2018).

(Pencil on paper)

I used paper viewfinders on my LED light board to trace selected areas. I put the pieces together in different potential compositions and scanned them. This allowed me to put the compositions next to each other to allow for direct comparison. 

Three different compositions scanned

(Pencil and pen on paper)

Draft composition, taped viewfinders

I then went over this composition again, cleaning up lines and bending others so the image felt less disjointed. To help me remember which bits I needed to cut, the blue in this image represents areas of white. 

Final Composition 

(Pen on paper)

I selected this composition as the contrasting angles meeting in the centre of the design reminded me of a ship, moving forwards through the river. This felt in keeping with the riverside location of the National Theatre. The overall image feels dynamic and dramatic. 

The abstract interpretation of buildings reminded me of the hand coloured etchings of Bronwen Sleigh.

Earlspark Avenue, Pacific Quay, Rue Beaudoin,Hinna  (Sleigh, n.d.)

First Layer test print with ink pad

Printing process

First time using my press

I had difficulty using the press for the first time as my Lino was jumping causing the registration to be off. I ended up completing the run by hand as I being a reduction print I only had a limited number of prints and didn’t want to ruin the entire run and have to start again. Through talking to other printmakers on Facebook I have since learnt that I had the pressure too tight. 

Final Prints

Best Print

I would have never considered creating an image using in the method outlined in the course materials (or my interpretation of them!). The end result is bold and striking and captures my joy for the National Theatre and it’s architecture. 

PLEASE NOTE: These prints have been scanned using the incorrect setting causing the colours and contrast to be inaccurate. I will be re-scanning and updating this post at a later date.

References

Escuris, L., n.d. London National Theatre. [image] Available at: <https://linoescuris.com/london-national-theatre/> [Accessed 21 December 2020].

Fly Through Films, 2015. 360° London - South Bank. [video] Available at: <https://youtu.be/WGjCaNTQhVk> [Accessed 21 December 2020].

Guy, C., n.d. Hayward Gallery. [image] Available at: <https://gidsey.com/portfolio/hayward-gallery/#> [Accessed 21 December 2020].

Hewitt, D., 2011. Geometry + Geology: Hayward Gallery. [Gelatin Photography].

Living Walks, 2018. London Virtual Walk With Ambient Sounds Roof Bar To Festival. [video] Available at: <https://youtu.be/NsD7FbiMMlU> [Accessed 21 December 2020].

Sleigh, B., n.d. Earlspark Avenue. [Hand coloured etching].

Sleigh, B., n.d. Hinna. [Lithograph].

Sleigh, B., n.d. Pacific Quay. [Hand coloured etching].

Sleigh, B., n.d. Rue Beaudoin. [Hand coloured etching].

[sam-gibbs]

Animated

Now we are moving onto our animated starting point. Here I will be able to go ahead and look at things such as animated films,tv shows,companies and games.

Cuphead:

Cuphead is a game which was made in 2017. The game is an animated run and gun styled game.As you can see the game was inspired by the old styled animation used in the 1930′s, this includes the works of people such as Fleischer Studios and Walt Disney. The visuals and audio of the game were made the same painstakingly way they did in the 1930′s era. By using traditional hand drawn cell animation as well as watercolour backgrounds and original jazz recordings.

Informations taken from:

https://store.steampowered.com/app/268910/Cuphead/

When it comes to Cuphead it must of taken ages to develop and put together the game as everything is drawn and animated through drawings meaning it would of taken a lot more time to animate than it would to animate 3d models. Here is a video I have found which talks about the creators of the game making the game:

In the video it not until you get about 5 minutes in until they are talking about the actual development of the game. For starters they planned for the game to only be a small game.However after all the feedback they got at events such as E3 in 2015 they then went forwards and decided to take the game further and get more serious with it.Secondly they then start to talk about how they had originally joked at the beginning of making the game about doing the 1930′s style. This was mainly due to one of the creators being the only animator they had at the time. However they went forward and decided to try something else as they felt that they could not efficiently pull of the 1930′s style animation. They talk about how they had thought of having the game art being like going through elementary school, Meaning each level would be arts and crafts.For example a kindergarten level would have a turkey that was made like a painted hand print as well as having cotton balls attached to it. Then they planned about doing stop frame animation with them. However they eventually decided to go back to the 1930′s style animation. WHen it came to animations they talk about how most stuff was done classically so it was all hand drawn on paper instead of digitally drawn as well as the backgrounds being watercolor painted.Even the music is live recorded and wasn't digitally made.They talk about once the character is drawn and animated they would then scan it into the computer which is where they would then go ahead and add the colours to the characters.

Fleischer Studios:

Fleischer Studios are famous for there creation of popular characters such as Koko the clown,Betty boop and Popeye the Sailor. Unlike other studios which mainly focused on making there characters anthropomorphic animals, Fleischer studios most famous characters were actually humans. Compared to their competitor company Walt disney, Fleischer studios went for a different cartoon style. Unlike Walt Disney, there animations were more rough than defined as well as more artistic than commercial.However in a unique way there art was expressed through a culmination of arts and sciences. There approach focused more on surrealism, dark humor, adult psychological elements and sexuality. Another thing was that the environments were grittier and more urban compared to Walt Disney. They would often be set in squalid surroundings to reflect the great depression as well as the German Expressionism.

Why do they wear gloves:

One big question that came to surface is why do the cartoon characters in the Fleischer and Disney animations wear gloves.Here is a video where they ask an animation historian this same question and here are the reasons he gives for the characters wearing gloves.

One of the most basic theories as to why the characters wear gloves is in order to save time. Drawing detailed intricate hands aren't very easy and take up a lot more time. By having the characters where basic gloves which are a basic shape saves a lot of time when it comes to drawing and animating the characters.As animations went on they tried to make characters with more basic a circular shapes in order to make them easier to draw as well as more child friendly. This was called the Rubber hose and circle design where characters main features such as there head,stomach and palms of there hands would be circles.The all other parts such as arms,fingers and legs would be more of a rubber hose design which made them more spaghetti looking.Here is an example of this process:

The rubber hose and circle process made it so animators could draw arms,legs and heads without having to spend loads of time on them.Here come the piece where the gloves came into play. Now its a good idea to use the rubber hose and circle method however characters hand were black as well as the rest of their body. This meant it was very hard to distinguish where there hands were and what they were doing.It was only until 1929 for the white gloves to come into play on characters.

One other reason given for the gloves was actually written inside of Walt Disney's 1968 biography “The Disney Version” when he talks about mickey mouse having the gloves , it says:

“We didn't want him to have mouse hands,because he was supposed to be more human like.So we gave him gloves”

Unfortunately there is one more reason about why they wear gloves which isn't as nice.The film the Opry House is where Mickey mouse put on a vaudeville show.This film as well a many of the other animations that came before it were closely linked to vaudeville performances and the blackface minstrel shows of the time. A man called Nicholas Sammonds writes in “Birth of an Industry” that many early animated characters such as felix the cat, Bimbo and mickey mouse “weren't just like minstrels, they were minstrels”. Which by the way the definition of a minstrel is someone who has dressed up in black face for a performance on a show for example the Minstrel show. Characters in the Minstrel show would wear white gloves as well. However even as the Minstrel show started to disappear the gloves on the cartoon characters stayed due to it being part of there animation design.

Cuphead and the Racist Spectre of Fleischer animation:

While doing my research I managed to go ahead and find an online article which I decided to go ahead and look into:

https://unwinnable.com/2017/11/10/cuphead-and-the-racist-spectre-of-fleischer-animation/

In the article it talks about how the creators of cuphead also dredge up the bigotry and prejudice which had a strong influence on early animation.When asked in an interview about how cuphead had an unfortunate associations with the 1930′s era.

 Maja Moldenhauer replies:”Its just visuals and that's about it. Anything else happening in that era we are not versed in it”

It talks about how Studio MDHR goes and ignores the context and history behind the aesthetic in which they tried so hard to recreate.I also think that people aren't happy that they sort of idolise this sort of animation style due to its racist context and history behind it and feel like the studios should of took into consideration the history behind it before choosing it as there art style. They then talk about how in many early cartoons, characters were often tricksters,layabouts and thieves. These archetypes were born from the depiction of the lazy slave minstrel shows specialised in. This is brought up due to the fact that at the start of the cuphead game you meet 2 tricksters (cuphead and mugman) who make a deal with the devil ( another trickster) over a gambling debt, an activity often linked in the 1930s cartoons to implied sinfulness and savagery.

Studio Ghibli:

Now we are moving onto studio ghibli which is an animation company for anime films such as spirited away, Howl's moving castle and my neighbour totoro.Studio ghibli is a japanese animation company which was founded in 1985. Like Fleischer studios Studio Ghibli's animation techniques are all very traditional. All there frames are hand drawn before being put together to create movement.Even Though CGI is very popular now the creator Miyazaki prefers to stay away from this and believes that hand drawing is the fundamental of animation. However he doesn't sometimes make small exceptions and allows small bits of CGI in his art in order to help animations with tricky scenes and to speed up the process.

The process:

Everything Begins With an Idea

From script to screen, the idea is developed into a story.

Then, characters and costumes are designed and created. In doing so, also creates the atmosphere and settings the film is

The story is then turned into a storyboard and is used to illustrate the key frames to produce movements.

After the scenes are drawn out, color is added and painted. Note: the backgrounds and characters are drawn separately.

The characters are placed onto the background, which creates a frame. Each frame is shot individually.

Dialogue & audio is added and then the director ensures that everything syncs together naturally.

After the film is developed, it is ready to debut!

All this information was taken from:

https://commons.marymount.edu/leetopic/creation-process/

Animation types:

Now of course when it comes to animation inside of tv, film and video games there are multiple different types of animation people can choose from. The different types are cel animation,2D animation,3D animation and Stop animation.

Cel animation:

Cel animations is the animation style we have already talked about in this post. Cel animations is when you animate on sheets of transparent plastic called cels.The cels are then placed over a background and photographed in sequence. When the photos are played back at either 12 or 24 frames they create the illusion of movement.When it comes to making a drawing on a cel. The inker will transfer a drawing done on paper onto a cel using black ink. Once dried the colourist will the use cel paint onto the artwork. All informations was gotten from:

https://conceptartempire.com/cel-animation/

2D animation:

2d animation is basically the same as cel animation. However it expands more out into the world of digital art where artists and colourists can do all there work on a computer instead of having to do it on cel sheets.

3D animation:

Now unlike 2d animation 3d animation is far more advanced. Instead of drawing out there models. 3d animation is the art of using motion to bring characters as well as vehicles to life inside tv shows,films and video games. 3d animations uses 3d models instead of 2d drawings. When it comes to animating the models you can either rig the model and do it that way or in some cases map them to a person's body and have them act out the motions they wish the character to do.Here is a nice video I found which shows how the process of it somewhat works when it comes to putting scenes together:

Stop Animation:

Stop motion animation has been around for a very long time and has been used in films such as Coraline,Wallace and gromit and Missing link. The process of stop animation is where they have real life 3d models of their characters, props and vehicles. These models are made out of clay. However although fun to make stop motion is a time staking process. To do stop motion animation the models are moved in small increments frame by frame. Every time the model is moved a picture is taken. Then the film is put together when it goes through the flames at a fast speed in order to make it look like it is moving.Here is a video which talks about how they did the stop motion animation in a film called the missing link.

The video talks us through the process of how they use rigs for scenes where characters are in the air as well as how for some scenes such as underwater scenes they do need to go ahead and use CGI for those parts of the film. It is not only till you see the sets until you realise how much space is needed to create some of these scenes as well and how much time and effort goes into making some characters in the films.

Bugsnax:

Bugsnax is an animated video games which due to the animation style looks like it is targeted towards kids.With a pegi 7 rating you would be surprised to know what the contents of the game really contain.Here is a video which talks about eh lore that someone has theorized about the game.

After watching the video all I can say is that I am quite surprised at what some of the hidden context of the game can be. I believe there are hidden messages about drugs in the game and about how addicted someone can be, as well as the fact that it changes a person's body just like how drugs can affect people.

However there is one thing that I think was creative and its the fact that this game really goes off of the phrase we are what we eat.

In summary what I have learnt through my research is that there are of course many different ways to animate in which people can choose from, however each type of animation does come with its pros and cons so depending on how long you have to create a project as well as what sort of scenes you are wanting will affect what sort of animation style will be best to use. other things I have learnt is that animation can have some disturbing history and backstory to them and sometimes aren't always what they seem.

[brokenjardaantech]

gloves

part of the groom lake aftermath series set quite a long time after everything i’ve posted.

pairing: simarkus

summary: 

markus gives simon a pair of gloves.

also on ao3

---

Simon has just put baby Vesti to sleep when he catches Markus smiling at nothing in particular. What puzzles him even further is how his husband also immediately gets up from where he is looking at a tablet on the sofa and disappearing into the closet to change, emerging like he is ready to go out despite the fact that it’s already 20:00 and most places in the colony are closed, and he can’t help but follow him to the front door where he is putting on a coat.

{Where are you going?} Simon asks through the bond between their minds because he doesn’t want to wake their child up. {It’s late.}

[A parcel just arrived,] Simon doesn’t remember seeing Markus this excited before apart from… never. The PL600 suddenly wants to kiss the face-splitting smile off his face and interface with him so that he knows what is making his husband so happy. [I’ll go out and collect it real quick.] Then Simon suddenly finds himself involved in a slow, gentle kiss, but Markus pulls away before he can deactivate his skin to initiate an interface. [Don’t worry, it’s something for you.]

He is disappearing into the darkness outside before Simon can react, and there is nothing he can do apart from pacing quietly around the house and waiting for his husband to return. Usually they would be at least cuddling on the sofa with their minds joined, but now that Markus is gone for his mysterious package that apparently contains something for Simon, he can only emulate it by wrapping a weighted blanket around himself on their bed. Far from the real thing and not nearly as comforting, but it will do for now. His stupid brain somehow always thinks that being alone means he’s back in that stupid cabin on that stupid ship, and the blanket, which is soft and smells like Markus and is nothing close to the standard-issue things they were all forced to wear and use during that painful trip that also changed not only humanity’s but also the entire galaxy’s history, serves as one small ‘no you’ to his stupid brain by telling it that he is safe in their home where Ryder and her people won’t be able to find them. Still, he resorts to his bad habit of holding his wrist close to his body with his other hand with a force tight enough for the skin to retract because it is the only thing preventing him from screaming and waking Vesti up right now, and that is how Markus finds him when he returns from the post office with the promised package with him.

[Love?] he asks no doubt from where he is changing back into his robe in the closet. The package has been deposited somewhere on the bed, but with his entire body hidden by the weighted blanket, it’s hard for Simon to pinpoint where it is. [Are you alright?]

Markus’ voice soothes his racing heart for a bit, but it takes a few moments to gather his courage to exit the safety and comfort from underneath the blanket and peek out with his nose still covered by the fabric, and of course Markus is in nothing but a pair of worn boxers and a maroon dressing gown that he doesn’t even bother to tie up. Sometimes Simon is convinced that the RK200 is doing it because he knows what it does to him, and the PL600 knows that he himself isn’t any better; sometimes he just throws on a loose shirt and a pair of boxers because it’s more convenient this way, but most of the times? He does it because he knows the effect that outfit has on Markus. He would’ve been climbing his husband if his curiosity wasn't nagging him about the parcel at the back of his mind. ‘I am now,’ Simon answers out loud as he slides out from where he was under the blanket until it is only covering his legs. ‘What have you got?’

Markus climbs onto the bed and crowds into Simon’s side before pulling the package onto his lap with a raise of his hand and a crackle of blue. He doesn’t open it at once, however, and instead covers Simon’s hand with his own and intertwines their fingers together while his skin deactivates. Simon does the same, their chassis slightly glowing as they initiate their interface, and Markus’ presence in his mind calms him even further despite the fact that their wrists are in contact with each other. He leans against his husband with his head on his shoulder and closes his eyes, allows himself to enjoy the interface for a moment. It’s early still.

He tenses when he feels Markus’ other hand touch his wrist. He knows Markus won’t hurt him and enter his mind without his permission - hell, they’re even interfacing right now - but sometimes his body just forgets that he is safe now and acts defensively first, and he doesn’t know if it breaks his own heart more or Markus’. Yet another ‘gift’ Ryder left them during the one last fight for dominance over humanity, and deep down he knows that it has nothing to do with her as well; it’s just him still being unable to get over that one single trip. Then he feels Markus kiss his temple.

‘That’s why I got this for you,’ Simon feels him shift through their contact, and he opens his eyes just to see his husband opening the package with some precise biotic tendrils. His thoughts must have leaked to Markus through their interface. ‘I had to customise them to fit what I want to give you but… may I put them on for you?’

Put them on? Simon wants to ask, but soon he understands what Markus is talking about. Unfolding in front of their eyes as the RK200 lifts them up is a pair of evening gloves, and when Simon scans the fabric, his system tells him that it’s made out of one of the very few materials in the galaxy that can block interface signals from androids - and yet it is also nothing like the bulky ones he has seen or heard of before. When Simon reaches out to take them in his hands, they are light and smooth to the touch. Markus holds out his hands to ask for the gloves back, rolling one of them up carefully before sliding them onto Simon’s arm with one smooth motion, and Simon is mesmerised by the sensation of the fabric against his skin. It is cool and soft and he doesn’t feel any seams at all even though he has deactivated his skin up to his upper arm, halfway up which is where the glove ends, staying on and sticking despite the lack of detectable grip on the inner linings. And it is interfaceable from this end too, a notification popping up in his HUD telling him that he can change the colour of the glove he is wearing. He blinks it away to leave the original colour for now.

‘You ready for the other one?’ there is something in Markus’ eyes, something that Simon would’ve known that it means when he isn’t so focused on his shiny new piece of cloth, but he does hear the question and gives a tiny nod because he is still processing… everything, and Markus rolls the other glove onto his other arm in a similar fashion, letting go of Simon completely so that they aren’t directly touching at all; they do maintain their interface through the weighted blanket and their legs, because as he plays with the settings and interfaces with his gloves to absorb the information packet attached, Simon isn’t sure if he can find the words to express his gratitude and joy.. A lightweight glove that covers most of his arm and blocks interface from the outside but not the other way round, which means no one is going to accidentally interface with him with a brush of their arms. 

Which means even if Ryder somehow manages to find them, she won’t be able to use her old grab-and-forcefully-interface method anymore, eliminating one of the greatest fears Simon has since that fateful trip to the galactic core.

‘I know you don’t feel safe exposing your arms and most clothes either don’t cover your hand at all or at least leave your fingertips exposed,’ Markus starts explaining. He looks a bit shy as if he is uncertain whether he did the right thing or not. ‘Normal gloves won’t solve the problem of the sleeves not covering your hands because they can always ride up so… Can’t go wrong with long gloves and sleeves, can we?’

And Simon can imagine it: him putting on his gloves before donning an interface-proof shirt so that all it is left of the places people can touch directly and interface with him are his neck, his face, his head, all of which only Vesti and Markus can touch without losing a digit to an angry biotic android or an involuntary biotic outburst, ensuring that there will be no forced interfaces, no sidecarring in his own mind while whoever initiated the interface rummage around his mind for that one single programme that they want to use, no more being used as a component of a greater network that will leave him drained for the rest of the day or even days. He will be able to go out with his family without constantly trying to avoid other people which is virtually impossible.

He will finally have some resemblance of a normal life even if it takes two layers of fabric on his arms no matter the season and weather.

‘I know it doesn’t solve the issue from the root, but I don’t want you to be afraid anymore. You deserve to be happy and live without fear.’

His heart soaring, Simon throws his arms around Markus just in time for his tears to fall. Tears of relief, of joy, of love; he sobs into Markus’ shoulder because he doesn’t know how else to express himself, and he doesn’t even know that he has deactivated most of his skin to be as close to his husband as he can be both physically and mentally until he realises that the coolness against his skin isn’t from Markus’ robe but is from the other android’s bare chassis showing and brushing against his own. He feels a pair of large hands patting his shoulder, rubbing circles on his back, sliding down the bumps and valleys of his spine until it nearly touches his buttocks but not quite yet, and he feels his strength drain away completely underneath his husband’s gentle but firm touches. It does remind him that he hasn’t said anything yet, however, and once he starts sending a simple ‘thank you’ to the other side of their interface, it doesn’t seem to stop, and he doesn’t know he can sound so breathless and worn-out in their shared mental space. Well, he does now.

[I’m glad that you like them,] Markus says with patches of his skin still deactivated. [Let’s take them off for now, shall we? We can test them out tomorrow.]

Simon is still too overwhelmed to do it himself so he lets Markus gently glide the fabric off his arm and place them back into the box, and instead of storing it in the walk-in closet that is attached to their bedroom, he merely places it on the bedside table on Simon’s side before returning to his usual side of the bed once more, dropping his gown onto the floor with one smooth motion that shows off his body. Then he crawls up the bed and cages Simon with his limbs, intertwining their fingers together next to Simon’s head on the pillow, their skins retracting to reveal glowing chassis. The air starts to smell of static and eezo, and while it once used to be a source of fear and terror, now he just associates it with Markus, with protection, with home. {Yes,} he answers the question before Markus can ask it. {Always.}

Markus leans down and draws him into a deep kiss, and the two of them are lost in each other’s body and mind for the next few hours.

[minaa-munch]

@furrymakerkid asked:  writing request for you sweet mun. Minato was too smart to know no feeling was good. How did he cope with it? He didn't have Jiraiya Kushina or his team in the beginning.

Here’s a short answer: He didn’t.

Warning: Kinda dark and maybe NSFW if you squint. Possible triggers may include blood, gore and morbidity [it’s war, ne? Although I’ve restrained my descriptions...er, tried to. I hope you can read it, @furrymakerkid]

Disclaimer: This is my interpretation. Yours may be different and that’s okay - to each their own.

Image credit: Rurouni Kenshin

The trees whispered in soft, breathy murmurs as a gentle wind meandered past their many, leaf laden branches. All was calm, almost eerily silent sans the constant patter of boots against the bare crumble of rock; hushed whispers that were broken by the faint whistle of weapons and the occasional intake of breath. The usually relentless, rough soil was wet, almost muddy; yet there had been no downpour in weeks.

The land of Tsuchi no Kuni wept, while the heavens above bled. The glowing embryo of the sun surrendered to a cocoon of fluffy cumulus, lofty rays bleeding shades of red and orange across the darkening skies as a massacre quietly unfolded below; a beautiful painting, if only in the nature of its innate, organized chaos.

It would be nightfall soon.

“...”

It didn’t matter who raided which settlement first. What mattered was the fact that both sides had to keep an even body count. The dictum regarding warfare they were taught in the academy hardly covered such tactics; a few measly lectures so that bright eyed academy students wouldn’t take the trade less seriously.

It was all fun and games until someone lost a limb on their first field mission. Minato, in that regards, had been rather lucky. Where most cadets would rely on a team to ensure the success of a raid, all he needed was a handful of kunai.

He had always been ridiculously fast - even by regular standards.

The metal loop settled comfortably against his palm as tan digits curled around the hilt, seamlessly pushing it through with one, smooth movement before wrenching the weapon sideways, slicing the unexpected chest like one would tear open a package. Bloodied entrails followed the blade’s wake; peeking out of the soft folds of uneven, torn skin as the still pumping organ convulsed uselessly against twisting branches.

It was a quick execution; a means he had devised after their last field run. The metal loop of his kunai swung easily around his index finger as the waste was swiped off with a sharp flick of the wrist. Blue hues barely caught the woman’s expression as she dropped to her knees; he was already moving, the chakra signatures from his earlier sensory scan twinkling like quaint little targets.

They would be quick kills, for Minato hardly had the time for mercy. A kunai through the eye for anyone stupid enough to look his way, the splattered remains of a skull of a nin ambitious enough to try and sneak up on him, whereas most of the others barely got a chance to blink before deft digits pierced their forms with relative ease. Pure chakra would bounce off his skin like a controlled gale, as his natural wind affinity reduced muscle to fleshy ribbons.

It wasn’t needlessly cruel, per se; it simply happened to be the most effective in ensuring a kill. Besides, he had stopped feeling the warmth of skewered innards ages ago.

“Kami willing may you choke on your own blood”

The words drifted into the faint breeze that swept past their drenched fields; the scent of copper and compost intermingled into a sickly fragrance which sunk into his skin, down to his very bones.

Kami willing? As if Kami existed for people like them.

And then he heard it; a constant low hum that swelled to a certain crescendo, painting his subconscious in a murmur of static. Minato blinked curiously at his quivering fingers before casting a furtive glance around the field of littered innards and crimson. Hardly a soul in sight and yet...trailing off, blue hues returned to the tremble that had somehow seeped into his wrist. He couldn’t feel the slash decorating his palm, but he could definitely see the discoloration associated with poisoned weapons. Ugly strokes of yellows and blues bloomed all over his hand like pale, deathly flowers and he nearly dropped his weapon.

Fuck.

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

“Er...it wasn’t your first kill, was it?” The question was asked nonchalantly enough, as practiced hands wound a roll of gauze around his discoloured counterpart. Minato shot him a flat, unimpressed look which was met with a barely concealed smirk as he tied both ends with a vicious tug.

“I mean...you never get injured.” He continued, as Minato retracted his hand, giving it an experimental poke. “Lucky for you, you got back in time otherwise you’d lose your good arm.”

He was making fun of him, wasn’t he? “Yeah. Lucky.” the blond replied, tone as dry as the man’s wit before he curled his bandaged digits, “What about the hallucinogenic side effects?”

Would it have even mattered if it had been his first kill? The nin had been alive one moment and then he just…hadn’t. Was he supposed to feel something special about that? Besides, he had attacked Minato first.

Regardless. It had been so long ago, he hardly remembered the face associated with the deed. Since his deployment at Kusa, he had killed so many more with seldom a thought that he couldn’t be bothered to remember what they looked like. His last count had been, what, thirty three consecutive solo kills in thirty minutes? That was more than one life a minute.

Mere statistics. It didn’t matter.  

“Noise huh? It's the first I'm hearing of it.” Cue the methodical tap of wood against an unshaven chin, “Say, ever considered signing up for the psych evaluation thing they proposed back at HQ? I mean...there's nothing physically wrong with you. Maybe it's in your head." He placed his brush down on the makeshift table before letting out a snort, much to Minato’s chagrin.

“If what they’ve been harping about at HQ was true, we’d all be classified as nuts anyways.” The medic laughed, his grey hair reflecting warm honey in the dim lighting of the medical tent. Bemused, he took off his glasses to wipe a tear, before shooing him away with gloved digits. “Get going, Namikaze. We need you on the patrolling grounds. The war will be over soon, ne?”

Coloured hues met dark counterparts, bleeding ink and whispering false nothings.

“Ne?”

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

Hours turned into days, days turned into weeks, and the persistent whine in his head refused to shut up. Many an evening would witness the blond shifting his reading scroll to the side, just to press rough finger pads against his closed, burning lids.

He couldn’t recall the last time he had slept. Granted, Minato wasn’t one to sleep much to begin with; he was young, ridiculously curious and had the collective energy of twelve hyperactive gerbils. Still, he had always managed to clock in a few hours before, but this...

It was so damn loud. Minato couldn’t even concentrate for more than a few minutes before the constant low hum poked at his subconscious like a poisoned senbon. It tore at his mental-scape and sensory peripheral akin to flames consuming dry bark. Gone was his natural, healthy tan that had stayed resolute despite their meagre military rations, only to be replaced by a yellowish pallor, along with dark smudges underneath his weary hues.

A part of him was tempted to write to Jiraiya; the man always had answers to all the questions. They were in contact, of course, despite the state of the war and whatnot. Courier runs were few, but very dependable - but could he really divert the Jōnin’s attention from the frontlines where he was undoubtedly needed?

No, he couldn’t be that childish. Their local medic had dismissed his concerns too, so clearly it wasn’t that big a deal.

Right?

His seniors had different answers. Some blamed the weather, some considered the possibility that an enemy had contaminated their food supply [“I’ve been feeling kinda itchy myself.”] While some had nothing to offer at all. No answers. They figured he was finally losing his mind, after killing so many - in fact, most were still wary of him since even the older Chunin in their unit showed a little hesitance when it came to those child scouts who were no older than academy students.

But Minato? He operated on autopilot. For someone so young and without a hint of malice on his features, he was surprisingly cold hearted. Most of the new Chunin cadets steered well away from him, either in awe or fear whereas his older, more experienced counterparts often regarded him with complacent silence.

Not exactly friends, but comrades. They could probably share a few drinks together. Not converse though. Perish the thought.

The constant, low drone was driving him mad.

Arizuwa Yana; an experienced Chunin from the reserve strike unit apparently had a few theories. Said theories were dry at best, with little speculation as to the nuance of phantom sensations, though with plenty of promises of actual sensations.

Somehow, one thing had led to another and they had ended up intertwined together in one of the darker corners of the many, many tents in their unit. He was a few years younger than her, but apparently that wasn’t a problem.

Age didn't matter, gender didn't matter - nothing did.

The problem was that despite the hands ghosting his clothed sides, he still couldn’t feel anything; it was like his insides were frozen with nothing sans the constant thrum of sound for company. A frown settled between his brows at the thought as slender, yet calloused fingers tangled themselves within his hair, tugging with an odd sort of insistence.

It did nothing to quell the static he alone could still hear, could practically sense crawling under his skin like wild, feverish ants.

Static. It seemed that was the only thing he could feel these days.

And this…this wasn’t helping. Blue hues flickered to dark, older counterparts before tan digits removed themselves from the soft swell of her pretty face. “I’m sorry, senpai.” Is all he managed to say, not really sorry at all before the same fingers found her forehead, jutsu a mere whisper against her flushed skin.

Yana senpai was out cold in the span of a heartbeat. Dull orbs stared at her peaceful features for a few precious seconds before he rolled over, gaze fixed on the sloping ceiling and a forearm resting against his forehead.

Maa...what a waste.

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

Jiraiya sensei,

How are things at the front lines? Yuuhei taicho told us that Amegakure had officially joined the fray and you would be deployed there soon. Gambatte, sensei.

Ano…sensei, I don’t know what’s wrong with me but I’ve stopped feeling things. It started out as a weird sort of numbness, as if I was looking at the world through someone else’s eyes. I don’t even feel the sting of a cut anymore.

I’m scared. Is this a good thing? Oh by the way, you won’t believe what I found about that fuuin combination you told me about that one time. If it’s truly what you say it is, the Nindaime might have been on to something. See, if you swap the earth and wind constructs then the combination gets altered. I tried something with one of my fuuin tags today and the results were kinda wonky but in a good way. Let me know when you get this and I’ll send you all the workings I did.

Minato

He purposefully left out the bit where a part of him wanted to hide behind the elder, shaggy white mane and all, and stay in the comfort of his towering shadow. He had wanted to, though - desperately, too. But his writing brush had paused, a lone drop of ink blotting the parchment and upsetting his neat signature.

That had decided it then, hadn’t it? Gloved digits had rolled the parchment in a neat scroll, bound it with a convenient little fuuin and handed it in for the next courier run.

His paranoia was silly. Kusa was one of their priority outposts; full of experienced comrades and they were armed to the teeth. They were as safe as they would ever be. Besides, he had a near perfect kill streak - no one in their right wits would target him; Konoha’s number one rookie genius.

He felt so horribly alone though.

You’re not a child anymore, Minato.

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

Three weeks. No reply. The constant fighting was taking its toll on all sides; with dwindling numbers and increased recklessness. Their tiny little outpost presently served as the main rendezvous point between the frontlines fighting Iwa and the reserve forces that had set up camp a few miles away. The war would enter its final phase soon and everyone was too bone tired to complain.

Minato wanted to send another message, but if Jiraiya hadn’t had the time to respond to his previous letter…

Sigh. Clothed shoulders sagged a little while the side of his face met loosely curled digits, expression forlorn. Next to him, Inuzuka Saito quirked an eyebrow but said nothing. They were both stuck with watch duty, in case the platoon that had been sent out to assist their frontlines against Iwa a few days ago came stumbling back.

Initially, Minato had been a part of it too, but Yuuhei taicho had ordered otherwise. He and a few others would be used to sneak from behind and attack Iwa’s unguarded backs. His experimental jutsu was perfect for the purpose, and he had a near flawless strike record so far.

And in the off chance he failed? It would be...understandable. The wars saw their fair share of victims and the Memorial was an honour for any loyal, Konoha nin.

The very thought made him taste bile. Tan digits curled into a trembling fist at his knee, as frigid blue hues glared a hole through the encroaching shadows of dusk that surrounded their camp. Kusa was known for its rich forests; gigantic fauna and rivers that made it the perfect terrain to hide and lie in wait. Nightfall usually witnessed the shadows that clung to its natural, beautiful scenery slip from their places and creep inwards, bathing all matter; living and non-living, in its eerie, peaceful silence.

Yet he had not experienced any blissful silence in so long; the static was a constant thrum in his mental-scape, one he had learned to accept. The Namikaze would be damned if he lost what constituted as his sanity to a useless murmur of sound; he had not survived through the countless murders to plead death by insanity, had not endured the constant stench of rot and copper which hung around his frame like the scent of mustard oil that he used to maintain his weapons.

Had not sliced through flesh despite the whimpers begging for mercy--

Cue a shuddering sigh as eyes squeezed shut and he felt the urge to rip out his own hairs. Trembling digits inched upwards, intending to do just that before Saito’s voice broke the spell.

“Are you okay?”

“Fine.”

Namikaze Minato was going insane. Maybe he had always been insane and by Kami, he couldn’t bring himself to care anymore. Blue hues snapped open, staring listlessly at the dark and he swallowed thickly against his now dry throat. His frame tipped forwards; forearms resting against his knees as long, blond bangs hid his terrifyingly monotonous expression.

They would learn to loathe him, to fear him and he would slaughter them like the pointless sacks of meat that they we--

“Mail call!” A second interruption, though this time something actually managed to hit him in the back of his head. Fumbling hands barely caught it before it could hit the ground as the designated courier nin giggled, “Sorry, Namikaze.” Boots crunched against the leaf littered floor before he moved inside the camp, similar calls echoing in his wake. Minato blinked owlishly at the nin’s retreating figure, before shifting his gaze to the messy paper wrapping and miniature scroll that hung listlessly from one of the many corners.

It wasn’t from Jiraiya sensei.

Minato no baka,

Heard you were stuck in Kusa. That sucks ne? You’re surrounded by giant weeds and laughing shrooms. I’ve sent you some of those weird sticky quail egg things you like to cheer you up.

Guess who’ll be deployed soon. Me, that’s who! Maybe we’ll even be at the same outpost. You can show me all the nice napping spots ne? We got news the other day that the war wouldn’t last long. It’s been years already. I hope you’re still…you know, you. I miss you. Why did you stop writing?

Take care of yourself. Better not die or I’ll drag you back from the clutches of the shinigami just to kill you myself.

Kushina

Weird sticky quail egg things? Wait, was she talking about the sticky sweet beans he had accidentally spilled on her once?

“What are you grinning at?”

“Hm? Nothing, nothing.” And yet, there was something. He couldn’t help the silly little smile that tugged at his lips while his current patrol mate shot him a weird look. He was about to open his mouth to ask a second time, but then he saw the half open wrapping resting in the crook of Minato’s arm and made a quick swipe for it.

“Is that natto? Kami it’s been so long! Can I have some?”

“Sure.” Minato wasn’t even paying attention to the greedy fingers that had grabbed the miniature treats as soon as the words left his lips. Blue hues were still trained on the inky scrawl that denoted the kunoichi’s kanji. Kushina had always been an unpredictable little oddball. He didn’t even remember the last time he had written to her, but she clearly did. It made him feel strangely warm.

---And now he wanted to rip his own heart out and squeeze the treacherous, woeful thing until it would beat no more. Trembling digits rolled the scroll before a sweaty palm was pressed harshly against his aching forehead, the fingerless, leather glove providing little comfort to the uncomfortable warmth that stung his tightly closed lids.  

Kami...what was wrong with him?

As if Kami existed for people like them.  

Endnote: This took me far longer than I thought I would. Apologies! Ano, extra trippyness can be accorded to Koko, ne? She mentioned insanity, and since you had already tempted my inner crazy...

[blushnote]

i need a joshua smut that is somehow school-based! i love your writings and i’ve been waiting for a joshua one! make it as kinky or calm as you feel is right, i trust your judgement~~~

↳ requested | 1.0k words

↳ tutor!joshua smut

a/n: okay so not too kinky, but there is public teasing and a brief description of public sex, so take that however you want! :)

your index finger jolts nervously on the table.

there is something so disquieting about an early morning at the library: the dull ticking of a distant clock, intermittent beeping from a printer that sits behind the front desk, how the metal doorway sharply squeaks whenever it’s pushed open, the faint streaks of sunlight glowing just below the thick curtains.

every little noise is amplified, and despite there being probably four other people in the library - including the receptionist - you cannot emerge from this slightly horrifying notion that someone could hear the sticky sound of joshua slowly fingering you open at the very back of the room.

he’s your chemistry tutor, and additionally, the key to you passing your upcoming titration assessment. however, joshua has rather unorthodox methods of studying, and you quickly discovered that behind his honeyed voice and the dreams in his eyes, he is downright cruel.

in the beginning, he was satisfied with pressing a simple vibrator against your clit through the thin cotton of your underwear, feeling your warm thighs cushion tightly around his wrist as you spluttered out a summary of the lesson. if you were able to survive a session without coming, then you knew your reward.

he gave exceptional oral, the kind where your eyes roll back into your skull and your entire body seizes uncontrollably in unprecedented surges of pleasure. he always swirled his tongue at the right moment, and had learned there was no better weakness than his lips gently suckling your bud between his teeth.

eventually, joshua grew bored of the vibrator. he moved your tutoring sessions from his apartment to the campus library (which is where he truly has his fun).

“if you have an acid as your unknown concentration, you need to create what solution?” he says to you so casually, as though his hand hasn’t flipped up your skirt, his index and middle finger sinking deeper into your heat.

your skin feels illuminated in tendrils of fire. it’s already obscene enough to be seated at the library with no goddamn underwear, and you know you’re one wrong answer away from a devious punishment. his eyes are rimmed gold with excitement as his thumb brushes down sternly on your sensitive clit.

somehow, you manage to unearth the reply he was looking for.

“a b-base titrant,” you fumble, his thumb then rubbing in soft circles, “u-using the two point zero mols of h-hydroxide p-pellets. you’ll need to f-find i-its mass.”

he practically purrs at seeing you fight so hard to stay composed, making sure to wriggle his fingers until they’re stuffed to the knuckle and you have to lean your head down to hide a flustered expression. there’s shuffling emanating from a few shelves down, and joshua suddenly lowers his voice.

“you’re close aren’t you, baby? the way you’re clenching down so fucking tight around my fingers, i know you want to come. poor thing, so wet and desperate.”

the shuffling draws closer for a moment, presumably a student scanning for a book, and you can hardly breathe. but joshua isn’t phased or deterred. in fact, he begins a steady rhythm of thrusting his digits in and out of your opening, the shallow, sloppy noises of your slick growing embarrassingly louder.

you reach for his determined wrist, nails sinking individual crescent moons into the tanned skin. either one of two things are going to happen. one: you’ll have to muffle your cries into his shoulder as your come floods his fingers and wets your skirt, to which joshua’s disappointment will eternally scold you.

or two: you’re able to hold off until he asks you another question.

if you even make it to option two, you doubt your mind will possess the capacity for irrational thought, and in a split second you’ll choke up some completely incorrect answer that warrants him to amp up the difficulty of your session. his fingers are harshly pumping into you at this point. fuzzy spots blur your vision.

however, the shuffling has subsided, sweat beads your temple like liquid jewels, and before you can process that you miraculously haven’t buckled yet, joshua is flipping his notebook to ask yet another question. your subtle breaths fan against his neck. your core is now empty as his palm cups your sex instead.

“you use a volumetric pipette to measure ten milliliters of the unknown into your beaker. you begin titrating, but you’ve gone past your endpoint. what’s the procedure?”

your body is thrumming dramatically with need. almost incoherently, you mumble an, “i-i don’t know, josh. e-everything hurts.”

he pecks your forehead as a form of sweet encouragement, “yes you do. c’mon, just focus a little bit more baby, then i’ll let you come, alright?”

you’re definitely focusing, you’re definitely thinking, but not about the titration procedure. it’s still early morning and library activity is lethargic. sensitivity is blooming inside you. understandably, you cannot shake the bliss you almost tasted mere minutes beforehand. it’s daring, but you’re far too needy.

joshua’s eyes widen as you get up from your chair and quickly sit, facing him, in his lap. your fingers, shakier than frail, autumn leaves, fiddle with his belt in a hasty attempt to remove it. joshua’s hands fall to your hips, lending a slight squeeze, his surprised expression morphing into something that flickers darkly.

you free his cock and position yourself above him. your heart is pounding in your chest with the strength of a thunderbolt, your blood crackling at the immorality of what you’re engaging in. slowly, you sink down, down, down, until he’s full and throbbing inside of you, his cheeks the colour of strawberries.

“f-fuck– oh ff-fuck, babygirl, you f-feel so fucking good, s-so good–, ” joshua stumbles in his hushed, velvet voice, his adam’s apple sharply bopping.

“i k-know i have to study for this assessment,” you grunt in his ear, inhaling the fresh scent of his skin and slipping a hand through his black, silk tresses, “but i really, really need you right now.”

maybe it’s not the wisest idea to ride joshua at the back of the library, but at this point, you’re far from caring, and something tells you he feels the same way as he harshly swallows back his moans with a mischievous glint in his eyes.

[wisdomrays]

TAFAKKUR: Part 94

Ant Stiches

Recently, at the G-Mex Centre in Manchester UK, I attended the CLOTECH 96 exhibition. The organizers had gathered an entire textile world under one roof - everything was on display, from humble scissors, buttons, needles and colourful threads to the latest computerized textile manufacturing equipment and embroidery software to execute complex stitching tasks on the newest high-speed machines.

I am not a tailor, I do not make or sell clothes for a living, I am not in the textile business in any way. Even so, what had brought me to this exhibition was curiosity about such devices as stitches, stitching needles, scissors and the like. More precisely, I had come to see what I could find out about the history and development of such devices in relation to cutting and joining in surgical procedures, especially sutures.

Every display in the great hall was presented by a team of experts who were there to answer questions. I asked many. In the end, rather to my surprise, I met one expert who was able to give me the kind of help I was looking for. He was Paul Breuer from Aachen, representing the German company SNF MANF, who, as it happens, manufacture surgical needles. Paul Breuer astonished me with his knowledge of a wide range of methods for sewing skin, including the use of ants. Naturally, I was intrigued, and Paul promised to post to me a photograph of an ant being used as a skin stitch, after his return to Aachen.

An embroidery equipment specialist, Caroline Sayers, of the company DATA STITCH, said she could design an ant stitch, if I could supply her with a suitable photograph. The very next day after I had supplied the photograph, the ant was scanned, digitized and an embroidery machine executed for us the amazing ant stitch.

My curiosity about this unusual suture technique led me to further investigations which finally bore fruit when I came across Welcome Institute for the History of Medicine’s 1973 publication, Albucasis on surgery and instruments. This book is a definitive edition of the original Arabic text with English translation and commentary by MS. Spink and G.L. Lewis.

In Book 2, Chapter 85, on suture materials used by the Arab surgeons, Albucasis (the Latinized version of Abu l-Qasim) mentions two techniques. Spink and Lewis, 1973, p.538, comment:

1. Ants’ nippers. This is not a classical method; but is said to be used by African tribes as a way of bringing skin edges together (modern Michel clips); evidently the Arabian ant-nippers acted in the same way.

2. Gut sutures. Gut was used by the earliest Greeks for bow-strings; but it is not mentioned as used for surgical purposes until the Arab era of surgery. Albucasis then describes it as ‘rubbed-down gut, well cleansed’. This may be the earliest reference to this now universal suture material.

Abu l-Qasim’s own account (ibid., p.550) is a vivid description of sutures using ants and cat gut:

Some men of experience have said that when a wound occurs in the intestine and it is small, it should be sutured in this manner, namely: ants with large heads are taken; then the edges of the wound are brought together and one of these ants is applied by its jaws then the head is cut off, and it will stick and will not loosen. Then another ant is applied near the first; and you proceed after this manner with a number of ants according to the size of the wound. Then reduce the intestine and sew up the wound; for the heads will remain sticking to the intestine until it is healed up; and no harm will come to the patient.

The intestine may be sewn up with fine suture which is extracted from an animals gut and sticks to it after being threaded in a needle. The method is that the end is taken of this suture made of gut, well scraped; and to this end is fixed a linen thread, twisted, and then that thread is passed through the needle affixed to the suture of animalis gut, with which the intestine is sewn and then replaced in the abdominal cavity (Abu l-Qasim al-Zahrawi, Al-Tasrif, Book 2 Chapter 85).

Abu l-Qasim Al-Zahrawi (936-1013) wrote his remarkable surgery manual Al-Tasrif during the period of Arab/Islamic rule in Spain about a thousand years ago. I felt a curious and wonderful sensation at the link between an ant stitch, mentioned and talked about in an exhibition of textile craftsmanship in Manchester near the end of the twentieth century, and the dedication and craftsmanly skills of the Muslim scholar who, a millenium before, had adapted the use of ants, and invented the use of cat gut, for making sutures. This was not the only contribution this extraordinary man made to the development of modern surgery techniques, nor was he the only Muslim to have made significant and striking advances in the field of medicine.

It is hard not to feel awe (and, naturally, some pride) at the achievement of the Muslims in that great period of Islamic civilization. I have no doubt that their success was owed to the excellence of their faith and their consequent commitment to working for the improvement of human well-being and the advancement of learning. And I realize that I am merely at the beginning of a long quest for information about what was achieved by Muslims dedicated to Islam in the broadest sense-namely, a way that improves the quality of human life and the quality of our understanding of the world we live in.

[animationfinalproject]

Change in animating method

In order to make the animating process go more smoothly, I have decided to create my music visualisation using flipbooks.  I am doing this as I feel it is the best way to make the animation move, look and feel how I would like it to since this it is my perception of the Blue Danube.  

My inspiration for this is both the work of original Disney animators and Oskar Fischinger who used hand drawn images to create sequences Snow White as well as Oskar Fischinger.  This process is called cel animation of ‘divisionist’ technique.

This can be seen in the video below showing the inking process of Disney animators used in Snow White.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aQkJM13PMKw

While I feel most comfortable using flipbooks to create my animation, I still intend to scan in the pages of the the books and to compile them in Adobe Premiere to make the final product along with what I have already digitally animated.  On scanning in the pages I will decide whether or not I colour them further using Photoshop or Illustrator.  Overall, the piece will look consistent in colour and movement but I still would like the hand drawn style of the flipbook sequences to show.  For me this project is an experimentation of musical perception/visualisation and so I am happy to include both digital and hand-drawn methods to show the potential of animation to depict music.  

This merging of the hand drawn as well as digital animation is a style I have seen used in animated movies and television shows that I find inspiring and engaging in terms of how meaning and understanding is made using well-timed visuals.  

Example 1 (below): Star Wars the Clone Wars changing animation style.  Becomes more organic look with hand drawn elements in Season 7.

Example 2: Spider-man into the Spider-verse

Example 3: Telltale Games’ Walking Dead

[galaxiia-quean]

ocean eyes [1]

THE FLAT WAS BATHED IN LIGHT, streaming through the open windows. Ethan couldn’t recall a time in which he’d slept past five in the morning, always being up before the first rays of sun. He padded across the living room, following the music drifting from the kitchen.

He leaned on the door frame, a smile spreading on his face at the sight before him. His beloved girlfriend danced around the room, his white shirt draping over her thighs. Ethan approached her, brushing his lips on the silky slope of her neck as she finished serving breakfast. An involuntary giggle escaped her, his beard tickling the sensitive skin.

“Morning, love.” He twirled her, properly kissing her. Nora smiled against his mouth, tracing the outline of his bare muscles.

“I made coffee and waffles.”

“Perfect.” Ethan lightly squeezed her waist, drawing a short laugh from her.

They ate mostly in silence, relishing in the peacefulness. A comfortable hush enveloped them with the occasional discreet glance at each other. The easiness of their relationship never ceased to amaze him. Nora was perhaps equally as reserved as him — even though her amiability and patience ran deeper than his — and understood those rare moments of quietude were invaluable whereas his previous partners failed to comprehend the concept.

He admired most her way of appreciating the little things which the rest of the universe tragically neglected. Ethan supposed he was a part of that category. Although, he was beginning to warm up to Nora’s methods. He hadn’t been particularly superstitious until he met her and yet nowadays he found himself subconsciously knocking on wood and avoiding to cross under ladders. She changed his life for the better and he couldn’t be more grateful for that.

Ethan ran a hand through his mussled hair and deftly cleaned the dirty porcelain, wiping his hands on a nearby cloth when he was done. Nora squealed excitedly when the pop tune playing on her phone came to an end and swiftly transitioned into a kizomba ballad. Ethan recognized it as one of her favourite.

“Eth, dance with me.” Nora pleaded, beaming.

He complied to her request, a dimpled smile rising on his cheeks as he wrapped an arm around her, pressing their hips flush together. He intertwined their fingers, kissing her temple. Nora sighed contentedly, snuggling into his chest as he lead, expertly swaying along to the song.

Ethan rested his chin on top of her head, murmuring the words in a soft hum. His accent flowed smoothly after years of practice.

“My heart melts when you speak Portuguese.” Nora commented, the corner of her lips quirking upward. “Though I shouldn’t be surprised you’re so well-versed in it.

He gave a casual shrug. “It’s a beautiful language.”

“It sure is.” She agreed, reluctantly detaching herself from him as the last notes faded. “And we sure have lives to save, today.”

“It’s a rather beautiful day, isn’t it, Shepherd?” Ethan teased, pressing his lips to hers in a sweet kiss.

“I’m so glad I persuaded you to watch Grey’s.”

“Persuaded? I believe “pestered” is the correct term.” He laughed, disappearing into his bedroom.

They were careful to part ways before reaching the hospital, cautious of arousing suspicion. The diagnostics team gathered in the lobby, where Ethan assigned each of them a department, instructing them to update him throughout their shift.

Nora made her rounds in the pediatric wing, cheering the children up with jokes and the small batch of chocolates she always carried in her purse. Most of them had been milling about in the playroom and coaxed her into a game of Pictionary, which she promptly lost due to her dreadful drawing skills.

It was nearing lunch time when she entered the room of Amelia Bailey.

She frowned when she found the young girl entertaining herself with loose domino pieces. Amelia’s face lit up when she saw her favourite doctor, a bright smile replacing the sad grimace.

“Nono!”

Her scowl melted into a soft mien. She set the chart aside, allowing the child to hug her, and gently pinched her chubby cheeks, eliciting a contagious giggle from the six-year-old.

“How are you feeling, baby?” She sat on the edge of her bed, caressing the side of her face.

Amelia shrugged noncommittally. “Fine.”

“That’s good.” Nora lowered her chin, meeting the girl’s eyes. “Where are your parents?”

“They fought again. Mom went back home and dad went to work.”

The physician paused, exhaling deeply and struggling to contain the anger from her face. She averted her gaze and counted to three. Amelia’s grip on her hand tightened.

“They won’t answer if you call. Mom drinks when she’s mad and dad doesn’t use his phone at work,” Amelia said in a small voice, staring at her lap. “Can I stay here for a bit?”

“Is there no one else we could call?” At her silent shake of head, Nora conceded. “Then you can stay.” ‘I’ll have to inform child services’.

The nurses’ station was chaotic to say the least. There had been a massive collapse in an office building down the street and the hospital’s emergency and operating rooms were the most occupied they’d ever been. Nearly all nurses had been dispatched, leaving only two per station.

Danny greeted her, waving his hand. He was slumped on one of the chairs, a disarray of charts and laboratory results laying on the desk.

“What can I do for you, Nora?”

“I need you to call child services.” The doctor sighed, leaning on the counter. “Amelia Bailey, room 404. Her parents were arguing in her room until her stepfather left for work. Amelia told me we shouldn’t bother trying to reach her mother because she’s drinking and won’t answer the phone.”

He frowned. “Okay. By the way, here are the results from Sam Washington’s scans.”

Nora accepted the chart with a grateful nod and turned to leave. Her path was obstructed by a tall man with a charming smile. She raised expectant eyebrows, returning the gesture somewhat bemusedly.

“I apologize for bothering, miss, but it appears I’m lost. Could you be so kind to tell me where the cafeteria is?”

“On the ground floor, it’s easy to find. The elevator is down this hall and to the right.”

His smile grew. “Thank you very much, miss!”

Nora resumed her duties, and caught a glimpse of Ethan inside a patient’s room. From his posture, she deducted he was delivering bad news to the parents of the little boy; his shoulders were set in a straight line, arms folded and jaw clenched.

He ruffled the child’s hair before exiting the room, not entirely surprised to see her waiting for him.

“Hey.” He leaned on the wall, glancing around. “How’s Amelia Bailey?”

“Good to go, except for the fact no one is here to take her home,” Nora replied in a sharp tone.

Concern flashed in his icy blues. Nora rarely allowed her annoyance to shine through, maintaining a cool composure at all times.

“Danny called child services,” she continued, her hand brushing his, seeking the comfort his touch could easily provide.

“Good.” His eyes narrowed at something behind her right shoulder. “I’m sure Amelia is feeling lonely cooped up in her room. Why don’t you let her out for a walk?”

Her brow furrowed. “What is it, Ethan?”

He met her questioning stare, squeezing her hand. His expression softened into an adoring smile, though Nora saw right through it. The uneasiness in his blue depths alarmed her, the pressure of his digits digging into the back of her hand resulting in a pit of anxiousness building in her stomach.

“There’s a man in those visitor chairs in the corner who never left this wing. I’ve seen him linger outside of Amelia’s room when she was alone and sleeping. Maybe I’m being paranoid, maybe I’m not. I don’t want to take any risks either way. There’s a lounge at the end of this corridor where some interns relax during their breaks. Pretend like everything is fine and take Amelia there.”

His façade never fell. Ethan bent forwards as if to kiss her cheek and his warm breath blew gently on her skin.

“Be careful.”

Nora gulped, dropping the chart back at the station and shoving her trembling hands inside the pockets of her white coat. Amelia didn’t seem to notice her distress, following her dutifully outside and excitedly blabbering about her favourite games while Nora refrained from looking over her shoulder. Ethan’s instincts were sharp as a knife and she had absolute trust in them, so she had no doubts that the man was most likely a danger to Amelia.

True to Ethan’s word, a few interns were mingling about in the lounge. Nora’s mind barely registered their presence. Amelia plopped herself on one of the couches while she changed the channel to a kids program the girl would enjoy.

The fear gnawing at her insides was unbearable and became even more pronounced when terrified shouts were heard outside the room. One of the interns got up to check the commotion and quickly closed the door, all colour draining from his face.

“There’s an armed guy outside. He’s holding Dr. Ramsey at gunpoint.”

Her heart stopped at those words. Amelia turned to her with frightened eyes and Nora shushed her, cradling her face.

“I want you to hide behind this couch, do you understand?” She shielded the child with her body, holding her hands behind her back.

Absolute silence engulfed them. Nora could hear the thundering rushing of her blood in her ears, blending with her rapid breaths and accelerated heartbeat. Never in her life had she been so terrified. Ethan was being held hostage and she could lose him at any moment.

Deafening screams exploded when the door was ripped off its hinges, revealing Ethan and the gunman. He scoured the room for her. Tears welled up in her eyes, seeing him so unusually scared, his hands raised and the barrel of a gun directly pointed at the back of his head.

He was shoved inside and quickly crawled to her side, chest rising and falling with adrenaline. Nora realised she’d seen that man, spoken to him just minutes before that whole situation. He scowled when he didn’t see his target, then noticed Nora shifting her weight to hide the child.

“Give me my daughter,” he growled, aiming the weapon at her chest.

“I won’t let you hurt her.”

“I won’t. She’s my daughter,” he snarled, waving the gun.

“That’s not a toy.” Ethan watched him closely, moving so he could protect both girls.

“Shut up.” The aim was back on him. “I told you, I won’t hesitate to shoot. I want my daughter. Let her come with me and no one gets hurt.”

“The police will be here soon,” Nora threatened, pushing Ethan aside. They were both strategically positioned to cover Amelia.

“You called child services on the whore and her guy. I’m the best option for Mia!” He shouted.

“I would daresay the best option for Amelia is someone who doesn’t charge into a hospital with a dangerous weapon.” Ethan’s voice was calm despite his offensive stance, prepared to protect his staff should the man snap.

“Get out of the way.” The criminal switched the gun’s aim between the couple.

Neither budged.

“Last warning.” His target was uncertain.

Nora pushed Amelia further behind the furniture.

“Move!”

The gunshot blasted across the lounge, booming in their ears. Blood pooled around the figure sprawled on the floor, crimson staining the whiteness of their coat.

@princess-geek ; @cordoniansqueen ; @universallypizzataco ; @galaxy-of-rosess ; @hatlley ; @valiantlychaoticbarbarian ; @teenytinymagician​ ; @lilyofchoices​ ; @angellwithoutname​ ; @perriewinklenerdie ; @radlovedreamer; @claudevonstruke ; @nyikondlovu ; @ifyouseekheart ; @hopelessromantic1352; @gingerjane15 ; @cordoniaqueensworld ; @paleweasels ; @fangirlingmum ; @usuallyamazinglyaverage ; @writinghereandthere ; @confessionsofabrokegirl; @regina-and-happiness ; @brightpinkpeppercorn ; @choicesyouplayandmore ; @timmagicktoad ; @zeniamiii​ ; @drakesensworld​ ; @ethanplaysfavorites​ ; @topsyturvy-dream​ ; @sharrybh20​ ; @cordoniansqueen​ ; @greek-elsa​ ; @drakewalkerfantasy​ ; @paisleylovergirl ; @faithhasnowords

[illuminated-in-darkness]

Marauders’ Magical Marvels

Another plotless piece for my weekly writing challenge.

Setting: Magic Shop, Marauders

Prompt: “Hey! I was going to eat that!”

Tags: shenanigans, found family, magic shop, AU, apparently I love making people eat together, there’s literally no plot

 ~~~

        The bell above the door tinkled merrily as Lily slipped into the shop. She was immediately surrounded by a kaleidoscope of smells and colours, the boys clearly gone crazy with the freedom to fill the shop however they wanted. Lily wouldn’t have chosen to have any living space of hers look like this, but there was a certain comfort to the shop, a way that the intensity sometimes reflected the boys’ own dynamic. At least she had been able to convince them to stick to one or two scents, instead of assaulting customers with an open bottle of each product. The days leading up to the shop’s grand opening had been hectic to say the least – there were too many last-minute changes, as could only be expected, and the boys had insisted they needed to open with a bang. It had taken Lily the better part of an afternoon to make Remus see that ‘bang’ didn’t have to mean solar flare, and it took him another two days to talk the others down too. Eventually though, even Sirius had managed to admit Lily was right.

        And so Marauders’ Magical Marvels had finally come to be (Marlene was the one who made them see that Marauder’s Magnificent Magical Marvels was just way too much), and almost three years later the shop had settled into a rhythm and a regular customer base, always experimenting and expanding, but no longer at the frantic pace of their first year. The boys had also settled better into their roles. At first everyone was trying to do everything, which only led to confusion and a few unhappy customers. Eventually, however, they each found their point of excellence.

Peter had the mind for marketing, taking on most everything from displays and the shop’s organization, to signage, adverts, and promotions. He really did have quite the eye, Lily thought as she continued through the familiar aisles. There was something pleasing to the explosion of colours and shapes, each product unique. Not only were the sections of store more intuitive than any of them initially realized, the positioning of products complemented those around them. Now Peter could leave the menial shelving to one of the employees, but he made sure to impress upon them the importance of placing things just so.

Remus, ever the scientist and the most patient of the four, handled most of the R&D – which mostly consisted of experimenting in the back room, usually with seven or eight potential new ‘recipes’ on the go. The refrigerators were covered in notes only he fully understood, with instructions on what to leave for how long and at what temperature, or when to add how much of a new ingredient. When his wand wasn’t in his hand it was stuck behind his ear, a feat which continually left everyone mystified as to how such a large object could both stay put and stay out of Remus’ way. His less visible work was that of creating new spells, some which helped with the making and perfecting of the products, and others which were used within the products themselves; enchantments which would release upon the use or activation of the product. In the beginning he spent many a night catching only a few hours’ sleep in the room above the shop, needing to just slightly tweak a recipe in order to perfect it. Now Sirius made sure to get him home before it was too late, and Remus was confident enough in his research that he could stand to leave things for the night – or set spells that would take care of things overnight.

Sirius found that numbers came surprisingly easily to him, and his memory helped with the organization of orders, shipments, and bills. His charm and wit, which got him in trouble on more than one occasion, were helpful behind the scenes with partners as well as in front of customers and press. Sirius was the one who managed to keep the shop afloat, especially in the first year and a half of investment in the shop knowing when to spend in order to make revenue. It was less often now, but he still worked the floor when he could, happy to explain the ins and outs of the newest stock and help customers find exactly the thing they didn’t know they needed. If Remus was prone to constantly tinkering with products, Sirius could get lost in numbers, spreadsheets, and forms that none of the others understood. Occasionally it would be Remus leading Sirius home at a reasonable hour, or James bringing whichever meal he was sure Sirius had forgotten to eat.

James was the artist. If Peter had the vision for what products needed, James was the one who brought it to life. Ideas and keywords that made no real sense together came to life through his imagination and craft. Bottles and containers that were not only beautiful and eye-catching, but also practical, conducive to the type of product and the method of use. Then there were the labels, the size and font and placement, the symbols and images to complete the package. Peter knew what would sell, and James found the way to take the principles and turn them into something entirely unique. Sometimes he started his work digitally, but most often he could be found hunched over his sketches, hair constantly messy from his hands running through it. Every now and then one of the boys would have to remind him to stand up and stretch his back, his neck. He also joined Sirius in press for Marauders’ Magical Marvels, his evident passion easily spreading to those he reached. If Sirius had all the information and wit to let customers know why MMM products were the best, James could make customers feel something personal about them. Together they took on most of the external communications that Remus and Peter preferred not to engage in, although the four of them always appeared together for big moments and celebrations.

Lily was so proud of the boys and what they’d achieved, how hard they worked to get to where they were. She was thrilled to write about the shop and its successes when she could – happy she was in a position at The Journal where she could actually get word out about MMM. She came by most night after work, helping out where she could before heading home with James. It wasn’t until about two years in that she realized this place had become something of a second home to her, familiar though ever-changing. It was definitely the boys’ happy place, and there had been many long nights and early weekends spent at Marauders’ Magic Marvels. 

Lily made for the back room of the shop, where she imagined all four of them were hanging out now that the shop had closed. She pushed open the door to see Remus snatching something out of James’ hand and crumbling the substance onto the tray in front of him.

“Hey! I was going to eat that!” James protested, hand still outstretched.

Remus looked up at him from under his eyebrows.

“Yeah, and it would have tasted like chocolate for about two second before it made you violently ill, genius.” His eyes flicked to the doorway. “Hi, Lily.”

“Hi Remus,” Lily smiled. “Hey boys,” she addressed the others, Sirius scribbling away with his legs dangling off the counter, Peter’s head in a book.

“Lily!” James’ face split into a grin when he saw her, and Lily didn’t try to smother the warm feeling that bloomed in her chest at the sight.

Chocolate-like non-snack forgotten, James made his way over to Lily and pressed a kiss to her lips.

“How was your day?” James asked when they pulled away.

“Long, but good,” Lily admitted. “I think I’m hungrier than I realized.’

Right on cue, Sirius’ stomach let out a loud grumble. When he continued to scribble, Remus smacked his arm to get his attention.

“Lily. Dinner,” he said when Sirius looked up, gesturing toward the door with his head.

Sirius seemed to come back to Earth and notice his surroundings.

“Lily! Dinner!” He exclaimed, jumping off the counter and stuffing the paper and pen in his back pocket. “Of course!”

Remus took the tray he was working with and slid it into the refrigerator before washing his hands and taking off his apron. Meanwhile, Lily tried to break Pete out of whatever plot he was currently engrossed in.

“Hey Pete, are you hungry?”

Peter held up a finger, eyes quickly scanning the page before setting the bookmark inside and closing the novel.

“Yep, all set.”

They headed to the pub down the road from the shop, where Dorcas, Marlene, and Benjy were waiting at their usual table.

“Hey, you made it,” Dorcas pointed out.

“We always make it,” Sirius countered. “We just prefer to be fashionably late is all.”

Further bickering on the topic was prevented by the arrival of a round of beers for the table, and they ordered their usual.

After the ‘how was work?’ pleasantries, the group settled into a familiar rhythm, Lily and Marlene discussing the latest Quidditch match, Dorcas asking James and Peter about their newest product design, and Sirius trying to convince Remus and Dorcas that they had to go check out the summer food festival over the weekend.

These weekly dinners were nothing special, just beers, burgers, and fish and chips in a pub, but Lily had lately felt just how lucky she was that this was nothing more than routine. She knew it wouldn’t last forever. Benjy was planning on taking a position in Australia at the beginning of the following year, and life and schedules would eventually have to be worked around, but they would make it work, and for now, Lily was just happy to drink and eat and take the mickey out of her friends after work. It was a good day, and the fact that it wasn’t anything special made it all the more so.