#truly a ​productive work that inspired both of us so stay tuned ;)

[mouwrites]

hi hi! can I request some headcanons about the ninja (+pixal, if you're up for it) having an artist s/o? okay thank you, also I love your writing!

Oooh yess!! Where my artist ninjago enjoyers at⁉️ I’ve come to nourish you <3

Ninjago - Ninjas (+ Pixal) with an Artist s/o

Jay

Immediately asks if you can draw/paint/etc him

If you agree, he will ask again in the future

….honestly he’ll probably keep asking even if you say no

What can he say? He wants to inspire you ;)

If you have art block, he immediately jumps to pose dramatically or arrange a bowl of fruit or something

He’s equally enamored with the quality of your work and the fact that it came from your hands

He loves all your work, even the pieces you decide to scrap/re-do

“What are you doing?? That was perfect!”

“Jay? How long have you been standing there-”

On that note, he loves to watch you work

Even when you don’t know he’s watching… (he’s a little obsessed)

But the plus side of this is that he knows the exact products you use, and he can see when you’re running low

He makes sure to replenish your stocks for you :) so you won’t ever have to worry about running out mid-project

He also makes sure to flaunt your work as much as possible, especially the pieces he “inspired”

He truly thinks you’re the best artist in the world, and he WILL fight someone over it

Cole

I see Cole as a pretty artsy guy himself, so he’d be thrilled to have an artsy s/o

You might not expect it, but he’s really in tune with his feelings, so to me it makes sense

He’s not quite as artsy as you, but he knows how to appreciate it

He’s more into the performing arts himself, but he has no less respect for other types of art

He’ll totally arrange work sessions for you both, which vary depending on the vibe you’re working with

Feeling like doing something a little dark or moody? Dramatic piano. Candles. Wine/grape juice in wine glasses.

Feeling colorful? Open windows. Flowers in vases. Candy and fruit. Maybe some cartoons playing in the background.

Point being: he knows how to get a vibe going

He really loves to work alongside you, even if you’re not doing the same thing

Sometimes he tries to sketch or paint, but more often he’s just watching you work or practicing moves

(You guys totally have a shared studio btw; wood floors and barre for him, easel/supply cabinet/whatever you need for you)

You guys definitely help each other out too

He’ll teach you a few moves so you can be his dance partner every now and again, and he’s more than happy to be your muse in return

He doesn’t really do performances or anything (dance is just a side hobby), so he has all the more respect for you if you publicize your work

He loves all your work, but he’s also a great source of constructive criticism

“I like this one. It’s darker than your other pieces, though, isn’t it? More drab.”

“Yeah, that’s kinda what I was thinking. I think I was just in a mood when I made it.”

Kai

He’ll make requests, but mostly for things he thinks would be cool

“What if you did one with, like, a car shooting flames from its exhaust pipes? Oh! And the driver is super handsome with a flaming cape and swords and sunglasses that are made of pieces of the sun!”

“That is insane. …I’m starting right now.”

He really admires your art, and he’s honestly a bit jealous of your skill

He actually has a pretty creative mind, just not the means to express it

So he’ll be shy about it, but eventually he asks if you can give him some pointers

He doesn’t want to keep asking you to bring his sharks flying in jets over volcanoes to life forever, after all

He’s gotta learn to be independent!

So he’ll quietly join you while you work, watching you closely and trying to follow along

He gets frustrated when he isn’t instantly as talented as you, and you have to laughingly assure him that skill takes time

He only gains more respect for you as he tries to stay calm

He learns to truly admire your work this way

And with his admiration came a tenfold increase in support

However you share your art, he’s the #1 supporter

Posting online? He’s already liked, commented, and shared on 7 different platforms. At a showcase? He’s dressed sharply, stationed not-so-inconspicuously in front of your piece(s) and getting others to talk about them

Zane

He also has a deep appreciation for art

He doesn’t always understand non-logical things, but art has a way of resonating with him

So to have a partner who makes art…

It adds a whole new level of emotional depth to your relationship

You already make him feel complex things, so seeing art that’s from you is truly an experience

The wistfulness he gets when looking at normal art is only amplified when he remembers that your hands produced it

He likes to be with you when he admires it, squeezing your hand while he takes in the little details

He’s a quiet admirer, but he’ll absolutely attend any events you’re featured in/support any online presence you have

He never gets tired of looking at your work; or looking at you work, for that matter

If you let him, he’ll watch you work

He’s dead silent, which is either a blessing or a curse depending on how easily you get creeped out

Eventually, when you finish, he’ll stand up and join you at your side, admiring the final product

You know he likes it when he reaches for your hand with a smile, letting you rest your head against him

The most you’ll get verbally is “it’s beautiful,” but trust me, he feels so much more deeply about the piece (and you <3)

Lloyd

Lloyd is more curious than anything when he finds out you’re an artist

What kinds of art do you do? Can he see your work? Have you always liked art?

He’s eager to see your work, but he’s not sure he can “appreciate” it properly

You have to reassure him that there’s no one way to “appreciate” art, and however he feels about it, that’s just how he feels

Your response only increases his interest

He ends up getting more into art because of you

The art of appreciation, if you will

He wants to be able to understand your work more so that he knows how to support you

He mostly spends hours just staring at your work, trying to notice the little details

He’d love to watch you at work, too, if you’ll let him

He asks questions all the time, but still tries not to annoy you

He’s actually already a natural at “appreciating” art, but the fact that he’s always trying to learn only makes him better at it

So you can do nothing but smile while he tilts his head, carefully formulating his next question

They’re surprisingly deep at times:

“Do you think this piece uses smoother shapes because you were feeling relaxed, so you moved more slowly? Or perhaps you were just emulating your calmness subconsciously..?”

“That could be it. I hadn’t thought of it like that.”

“Oh, sorry, am I overanalyzing? Sorry-”

“No, no, you’re totally right.”

You’ll ruffle his hair affectionately, and he’ll wrap an arm around your shoulder while he continues to examine your piece :]

Nya

I’m gonna be honest, I don’t see Nya as the type to get all deep over the meaning of art

Like, if it’s pleasing to the eye she’ll appreciate it, but she doesn’t think about it too much

It’s just too abstract for her tastes; the pseudo-reasoning of art critics gets on her nerves

But for your work she makes an exception

Well, not really an exception—she doesn’t take to pseudo-reasoning

She knows you, she knows your feelings, so when she sees your work, she sees a piece of you in it

It’s something she doesn’t see in other art pieces; she doesn’t know the artist, so it’s nothing more than a visual piece for her

But with your pieces, she can dig deeper because she knows deeper information

That’s why she loves your work, and why she loves watching you work

You’re the only artist that makes her feel like she really understands art, and for that she appreciates you

(She still thinks that most critics talk out of their asses though)

On that note, she will fight your critics. She will hunt them down and make them regret ever trying to “understand” your work

“Tch, look at this idiot. He doesn’t even know what he’s talking about! He doesn’t know you!”

“Nya, he’s complimenting my work-”

“But he doesn’t understand it!”

Honestly you think it’s a little funny how she’s unintentionally become one of those critics who argue about a piece’s meaning

Only for you though ;)

Pixal

She has a vast trove of knowledge, but feeling is something she often struggles with

There are few things that actually give her profound emotions

Your art is one of those things

The fact that it came from you, that your hands crafted it…

It stirs something in her, and suddenly the shapes and colors come to life

She asks you about it often, trying to understand

“Why is it… calming?”

“Well, I suppose I used some pretty muted colors, and the imagery is kinda peaceful… I dunno, does it calm you?”

“Yes. It makes me feel calm.”

Obviously you’re proud of her for better recognizing her emotions

And she’s proud of herself!!

Your art helps her understand a part of her that she’s only beginning to explore

And, since it comes directly from you, she credits you with the help :)

She loves to see your finished work, but she also finds herself mesmerized by your creative process

Watching the piece come together, each motion bringing it closer to completion, helps her understand the art itself

She tells herself that it helps her understand her feelings, too

Even though she knows that not every piece is dedicated to her, she always thanks you for showing her your work <3

Thanks for this request!! And thank you for reading, take care you little rockstars <33

(divider by saradika)

[thebandcampdiaries]

Ethan Mawyer introducing: "Master of the Outs” 

A whimsical baseball parody to the tune of one of the best songs from "Les Miserables.” 

Ethan Mawyer is a talented and one-of-a-kind musical comedy artist and songwriter. His creations are characterized by their whimsical and catchy nature. His most recent release, "Master of the Outs," is a hilarious and clever baseball parody that draws inspiration from the classic song "Master of the House" from the musical "Les Miserables." Should you not be familiar with the original work, it's a musical theater set in 19th-century France, telling the story of Jean Valjean, a former convict seeking redemption while being pursued by a police inspector. The original track from the fame musical masterpiece is about a shady innkeeper. However, this hilarious parody is about a dominant closer with a big ego...perhaps even bigger than his actual talent! The original song also has an added part performed by Mrs. Thenardier, another character, but this time, from the perspective of the batter. The storyline's setting also takes us back to the golden decades of baseball, a time of legends, before pitch clocks became so widespread.

The song features a mid-tempo groove that is both smooth and engaging, and its vintage electric organ sound is the perfect match for the baseball theme. The song's five minutes and four seconds of play time are packed full of impressive melody and fun, and the listener can't help but be swept up in the playful energy of the piece. 

The production quality of "Master of the Outs" is top-notch, with a well-balanced instrumental that is both warm and inviting. The vocals, performed by a professional singer for hire, are clear and intelligible, a crucial characteristic in this genre, as the clever and funny lyrics of Ethan's songwriting are an essential component of the music. 

At first glance, "Master of the Outs" may seem like a mockery of baseball, but the more you dive into it, the more it becomes apparent that the song is actually a love letter to this sport. Baseball has been captivating audiences for decades, and it continues to do so to this day. The sport has become an integral part of American culture, and its impact is felt far beyond the confines of the diamond. It's only fair to poke a little bit of fun at it, and Ethan does so in a very relatable and charming fashion.

 "Master of the Outs" acknowledges this cultural phenomenon while also giving listeners a truly hilarious take on some of the quirkiest aspects of the game. The song's clever lyrics and catchy melody capture the spirit of baseball, making it clear that, despite its humorous tone, "Master of the Outs" is a celebration of all that makes this sport so special. It is not easy to reinterpret a song from a timeless musical, let alone create an original parody based on it. However, Ethan outdid himself on "Master of the Outs." He turned a true standard of musical theater into something fresh, lighthearted, and entertaining for baseball aficionados and beyond. More importantly, he managed to add his own personal touch, which made the parody stand out from a songwriting perspective especially.

Ethan's comedic timing is truly remarkable when it comes to writing awesome lyrics. He worked with a professional singer to bring this song to life, and the result is awesome. The vocalist he worked with delivered the punchlines with precision and perfect timing within the song will make it impossible not to laugh out loud, staying true to Ethan's lyrics and songwriting work!

In addition to the amazing quality of the music production, the accompanying music video is top-notch as well. The footage is all cinematic grade, and the timing of the scene cuts is perfect with how the music unfolds. Ethan was also very clever in making a choice to include the lyrics as well since they're such a vital and important part of this particular piece of music! The contrast between the vocals and the way the arrangement develops is brilliant as well. For instance, the musical pause that happens at "Hits Off Me" is truly fantastic, leading into the next part of the song in a seamless yet clear-cut way.

Listeners of all backgrounds are sure to appreciate the timeless charm of "Master of the Outs." Ethan's clever songwriting style is pure comedy gold, and his ability to create a piece that is both engaging and lighthearted is a testament to his skill as a songwriter. Overall, "Master of the Outs" is an excellent addition to Ethan Mawyer's already impressive body of work, and it's sure to be enjoyed by fans of baseball, comedy, and great music alike. 

Normally, it would be ill-advised to end such a piece of writing with a pun, but in this case, we can safely say it: this song is a homerun!

[independentartistbuzz]

GAMING MUSIC ARTIST THEFATRAT REVEALS THE BEGINNING OF HIS EPIC SAGA WITH A HEARTENING NEW SINGLE “OUT OF THE RAIN”

Coming off the high of his recent hypnotic single “Monkeys,” gaming music legend TheFatRat, popularly known for his immense online following of over ten million fans, has released his new single “Out Of The Rain.” The irresistibly hopeful new single features vocals from breakout alternative electronic singer-songwriter Shiah Maisel and culminates with an exciting brass-filled ending.

The tune begins to reveal the much anticipated beginning to his epic saga and is now available on all DSPs and streaming services, and is free to use on Social Media like YouTube and Twitch, true to TheFatRat’s tradition to make his songs available for creators without the hassle of demonetization.

Listen in here: https://open.spotify.com/album/2lz42JvrrwvTr4yKYpODLY

With his second release of the year, the go-to-artist for Esports brands like ESL and Dreamhack has returned with an inspiring single dedicated to people going through a hard time. “Out Of The Rain” is a song that acknowledges our continued perseverance, even when things get hard. Fans may have noticed that the artwork of TheFatRat’s releases are connected and tell a cohesive story. Now, “Out Of The Rain” and the following songs will provide fans with the much anticipated beginning of this epic saga both through the artworks and the lyrics telling the story of two siblings; a girl with her younger brother, living under dire circumstances in the slums of a futuristic city, hoping for a better life.

“It’s a song about hope…We all have been in circumstances that feel unbearable but at the same time impossible to escape from. The song is about how you keep going and stay alive in such situations.” - TheFatRat

Known for his production and leadership in the gaming community, with his music being used in popular video games like the top-grossing Dota 2, Rocket League, Rolling Sky and Game For Peace, you can instantly hear the subtle influences of his tried and true sounds on the track. Opening with a bubbly beat paired with a lighthearted drum sequence, the diverse sounds lead to a one of a kind listening experience as the song goes on. As the energy of the music escalates,  the bass drop approaches and listeners get the feeling that if this was a video game they are preparing for the boss battle. “The hardest part in “Out Of The Rain” were the drums,” said TheFatRat. “The drums in the first demo were ok, but didn’t quite have the bounce I was looking for. I ended up working over two weeks, full time, every single day to get them righ

With Queens, NY born alt-electronic singer-songwriter Shiah Maisel’s strong vocals accompanying the beat, listeners are exposed to a truly unique audio-sensory moment across the song. Shiah has amassed over 110 million streams on Spotify alone through his very diverse music including popular songs like “Really Love You” feat. AFROJACK, “Not Coming Home Tonight,”, and collaborations with Laidback Luke, Kayzo & more.

"When Christian first showed me the song, I instantly knew these lyrics were ones that I wanted to sing. With such a deep and inspirational message that many can relate to, the world is in a vulnerable place, and the hope the song brings is very needed today…I’ve looked up to [him] for many years, and to be able to record with Chris in the studio was a dream come true. Everything flowed perfectly, and I’m so excited to inspire the world with this special song.” - Shiah Maisel

TheFatRat started 2023 off with a surprise, giving fans his own deep vocals on the long awaited track “Monkeys.” He capped 2022 with his December release of “Back one Day” featuring NEFFEX, the vocal version of his globally trending instrumental “Xenogenesis,” which had accumulated over 250 million TikTok views and participation from celebrities such as Nick Kroll on The Tonight Show, Lil Nas X, and massively popular YouTuber Collins Key. Prior to that, TheFatRat released “Ghost Light,” the seductive and saxophone-heavy trap-leaning collaboration with award-winning K-Pop band EVERGLOW.

TheFatRat’s highly-anticipated lore-filled debut ten-track album PARALLAX was released in September 2021. As is still a tradition, each song from the album was premiered on YouTube followed by an interactive Discord chat hosted by TheFatRat with collaborators and thousands of his fans. The album, artwork, and lyrics from PARALLAX tell their own cohesive story filled with imaginative characters and fantasy settings that have been referenced in his past projects, with each single sharing new chapters of the story. This lore is a huge interest for his rabid fans, who speculated wildly on online forums about the meaning of each release and guessing what was coming next.

[zu-is-here]

Commission for @help-im-a-gay-fish! ♪ Thank you a lot for all your support (*´꒳`*)♡

The illustration to her Greek Gods AU story Following Flower Petals ☆

Dream & Nightmare by jokublog

[meruz]

once again i am answering asks in a big compilation post. included is... gotham, patrick stump, tips about drawing backgrounds, tips about drawing in general, links to my faq, and infinity train

like.... the tv series? No... I’ve drawn dc comics fanart before, though. But it’s been years since I’ve been really into it. I like jumped ship like 10 years ago when the New 52 happened LOL.

AFJHDSLKGH I’m sorry I (probably) won’t do it again??

Actually full disclosure I have a truly cringe amount of p stump drawings/photo studies in my sketchbook right now LOL. He’s just fun to draw... hats, glasses, guitar, a good shape... but I don’t think I’ll rly post those until I can hide them in another big sketchbook pdf.. probably Jan 2022. Stay tuned........ (ominous) 

(ominous preview)

These are all sort of related to backgrounds/painting so I grouped them together even though they’re pretty much entirely separate questions.... ANYWAYS

a) How is it working as a BG artist? Is it hard? What show are you drawing for?

I think you’re the first person to ever ask me about my job! Being a background artist is great. It’s definitely labor intensive but I think that could describe pretty much any art job (If something were rote or easy to automate, you wouldn’t hire an artist to do it) and I hesitate to say whether its harder or easier than any other role in the animation pipeline. Plus, so much of what truly makes a job difficult varies from one production to the next, schedule, working environment, co-workers etc. But I will say that I think while BGs are generally a lot of work on the upfront, I think they’re subject to less scrutiny/revisions than something like character/props/effects design and you don’t have to pitch them to a room like boards. So I guess it’s good if you don’t like to talk to people? LOL

A lot of my previous projects + the show I’ve worked on the longest aren’t public yet so I can’t talk about em (but I assure you if/when the news does break I won’t shut up about it). But I’m currently working on Archer Season 12 LOL. I’m like 90% sure I’m allowed to say that.

b) ~~~THANK YOU!! ~~~

c) What exactly do you like to draw most [in a background]?

@kaitomiury​ Lots of stuff! I really like to draw clutter! Because it’s a great opportunity for environmental storytelling and also you can be kind of messy with it because the sheer mass will supersede any details LOL. 

I like to draw clouds... I like to draw grass but not trees lol,,, I like to draw anything that sells perspective really easily like tiled floors and ceilings, shelves, lamp posts on a street etc.

d) Do you have any tips on how to paint (observational)?

god there’s so much to say. painting is really a whole ass discipline like someone can paint their whole life and still discover new things about it. I guess if you’re really just starting out my best advice is that habit is more important than product. especially with traditional plein air painting, I find that the procedure of going outside and setting up your paints is almost harder than the actual painting. There’s a lot of artists who say “I want to do plein air sometime!!” and then never actually get around to doing it. A lot of people just end up working from google streetview or photos on their computer.

But going outside to paint is a really good challenge because it forces you to make and commit to lighting and composition decisions really quickly. And to work through your mistakes instead of against them via undo button.

My last tip is to check out James Gurney’s youtube channel because hes probably the best and most consistent resource on observational painting out there rn. There’s lots other artists doing the same thing (off the top of my head I know a lot of the Warrior Painters group has people regularly posting plein air stuff and lightbox expo had a Jesse Schmidt lecture abt it last year) but Gurney’s probably the most prolific poster and one of the best at explaining the more technical stuff - his books are great too.

e) Do you have tips for drawing cleanly on heavypaint?

@marigoldfool​ UMM LOL I LIKE ONLY USE THE FILL TOOL so maybe use the fill tool? Fill and rectangle are good for edge control as opposed to the rest of the heavy paint tools which can get sort of muddles. And also I use a stylus so maybe if you’re using your finger, find a stylus that works with your device instead. That’s all I’ve got, frankly I don’t think my drawings are particularly clean lol.

f) Tips on improving backgrounds/scenes making them more dynamic practicing etc?

Ive given some tips about backgrounds/scenes before so I’m not gonna re-tread those but here’s another thing that might be helpful...

I think a good way to approach backgrounds is to think of the specific story or even mood you want to convey with the background first. Thinking “I just need to put something behind this character” is going to lead you to drawing like... a green screen tourist photo backdrop. But if you think “I need this bg to make the characters feel small” or “I need this bg to make the world feel colorful” then it gives you requirements and cues to work off of.

If I know a character needs to feel overwhelmed and small, then I know I need to create environment elements that will cage them in and corner them. If a character needs to feel triumphant/on top of the world then I know I need to let the environment open up around them. etc. If I know my focal point/ where I want to draw attention, I can build the background around that.

Also, backgrounds like figure compositions will have focal points of their own and you can draw attention to it/ the relationship the characters have with the bg element via scale or directionality or color, any number of cues. I think of it almost as a second/third character in a scene.

Not every composition is gonna have something so obvious like this but it helps me to think about these because then the characters feel connected and integrated with the environment.

Some more general art questions

a) Do you have any process/tips to start drawing character/bodies/heads?

I tried to kind of draw something to answer this but honestly this is difficult for me to answer because I don’t think I’m that great at drawing characters LOL. Ok, I think I have two tips.

1) flip your canvas often. A lot about what makes human bodies look correct and believable is symmetry and balance. Even if someone has asymmetrical features, the body will often pull and push in a way to counterbalance it. we often have inherent biases to one side or another like dominant hands dominant eyes etc. you know how right-handed artists will often favor drawing characters facing 45 degrees facing (the artist’s) left? that’s part of it. so viewing your drawing flipped even just to evaluate it helps compensate for that bias and makes you more aware of balance.

2) draw the whole figure often. I feel like a lot of beginner artists (myself included for a long time) defer to just drawing headshots or busts because it’s easier, you dont have to think about posing limbs etc. But drawing a full body allows you to better gauge proportion, perspective, body language, everything that makes a character look believable and grounded.

Like if you (me) have that issue where you draw the head too big and then have to resize it to fit the proportions of the rest of the body, it’s probably because you (I) drew the head first and are treating the body as an afterthought/attachment. Sketching out the whole figure first or even just quick drawing guides for it will help you think of it more holistically. I learned this figure drawing in charcoal at art school LOL.

oh. third mini tip - try to draw people from life often! its the best study. if you can get into a figure drawing/nude drawing class EVEN BETTER and if you have a local college/art space/museum that hosts those for free TREASURE IT AND TAKE ADVANTAGE OF IT, that’s a huge boon that a lot of artists (me again) wish they had. though if youre not so lucky and youre sitting in a park trying to creeper draw people and they keep moving.. don’t let that stop you! that’s good practice because it’s forcing you to work fast to get the important stuff down LOL. its a challenge!

b) I’ve been pretty out of energy and have had no inspiration to draw but I have the desire to. Any advice?

Dude, take a walk or something.... Or a nap? Low energy is going to effect everything else so you gotta hit that problem at its source.

If you’re looking for inspiration though, I’d recommend stuff like watching a movie, reading a book, playing video games etc. Fill up your idea bank with content and then give yourself time/space to gestate it into new concepts. Sometimes looking at other art works but sometimes it can work against you because it’s too close. 

Also something that helps me is remembering that art doesn’t always have to be groundbreaking... like it’s okay to make something shitty and stupid that you don’t post online and only show to your friend. That’s all part of the process imo. If you want to hit a home run you gotta warm up first, right? Sports.

I should probably compile everytime i give tips on stuff like this but that’s getting dangerously close to being a social media artist who makes stupid boiled down art tutorials for clout which is the last thing i want to be... the thing I want to stress is that art is a whole visual language and there are widely agreed upon rules and customs but they exist in large part to be broken. Like there's an infinite number of ways to reach an infinite number of solutions and that’s actually what makes it really cool and personal for both the artist and the viewer. So when you make work you like or you find someone else’s work you like, take a step back and ask yourself what about it speaks for you, what about it works for you, what makes it effective, how to recreate that effect and how to break that effect completely, etc. And have a good time with it or else what’s the point.

for the first 2, I direct you to my FAQ

For the last one, I don’t actually believe I’ve ever addressed artwork as insp for stories/rp but I’ll say here and now yeah go ahead! As long as you’re not making profit or taking credit for my work then I’m normally ok with it. Especially anything thats private and purely recreational, that’s generally 100% green light go. I only ask that if you post it anywhere public that you please credit me.

(and I reserve the right to ask you to take it down if I see it and don’t approve of it’s use but I think that case is pretty rare.)

a) @lemuelzero101 Thank you!!! I haven’t played Life is Strange but actually  that series’ vis dev artist Edouard Caplain is one of my bigger art inspirations lately so that’s a really high compliment lol. And yeah I hope we get 5-8 too...!

b) Thank you for sticking around! I’ve been thinking about Digimon and Infinity Train in tandem lately, actually. They’re a little similar? Enter a dangerous alternate world and have wacky adventures with monsters/inanimate objects that have weird powers... there’s like weird engineers and mechanisms behind the scenes... also frontier literally starts with them getting on a train. Anyways if anyone else followed me for digimon... maybe you’d like Infinity Train? LOL

c) @king-wens-king I’M GLAD MY ART JUST HAS PINOY VIBES LOL I hope you are having a good day too :^)

a, b, c, d) yessss my Watch Infinity Train agenda is working....

e) aw thank you!! i think you should watch infinity train :)

[bouncingkadachi]

Blessed Rain

Summary: A Hunter’s weapon of choice says a lot about them. OR: Kyle upgrades his weaponry and gets caught red-handed in the act. Luckily (?) for him, only Tsukino seems to know exactly why he's having an emotional crisis over this.

Word count: 3,260

Note(s): set post-game

Also available on AO3!

Kyle’s had his new bow for a good couple of weeks before the feel of the limbs and the weight of the draw became comfortable enough for him to consider upgrading it. If he’s going to be injured, he reasons, he’d rather it be purely by way of monster and not because he pulls a muscle wrestling with a bow that hasn’t been properly broken in. His wallet despairs as he forks over the zenny, but this’ll hopefully let him take on some of the bigger hunts like the ones that Reverto goes on. It’ll all be worth the investment up front once he has his completely finished bow and restocked his coatings and finally drops the last of his coin on a couple new talismans.

He refuses to think about the implications of his reasoning with a literal coin, rolling it around and around his fingers as he pushes through the market throngs towards the smithy’s. Perhaps he ought to have a change of scenery—the fog-shrouded summits of Terga were said to be particularly beautiful at this time of year, and the heat in Lamure was becoming just shy of unbearable.

The final product that the blacksmith puts into his hands when he finally makes it to collect is nothing short of gorgeous. Blessed Rain is sleek where his old Rex bow was bulky, far lighter and certainly not as clunky. The upgrades on the riser gives the entire weapon a pleasant solidness in his hand, yet the delicately reinforced plating on the limbs doesn’t retract at all from its flexibility. The decorative grip protector gleams. Just looking at it makes Kyle excited to shoot.

“Bring her back if you’re finding that you need anything adjusted,” the smith tells him after Kyle’s diligently inspected every inch of the bow. “Kept the poundage the same for you, but added another inch to the draw length like you asked.”

“Thanks,” Kyle says. Eventually, he’d like to work up to the point where he can up the poundage again. Even just another five pounds would be good. He can do most of the hunts in his skill range alone now, but extra firepower would make him just that much more efficient, or that much of a better support for team hunts. 

The smith laughs when Kyle sheepishly admits this. “Well, I always like to help a Hunter improve, and you know where to find me,” he says cheerily, clapping Kyle enthusiastically on the shoulder. “Come by again anytime if you need a tune up or want to test out something new.” 

And with that, he waves Kyle away so that another Hunter can step up, holding a tired-looking sword and shield and looking equally exhausted. “Aye, rookie Hunter?” Kyle hears as he wanders off to find a more relaxed corner of the market in which to admire his new bow some more. “If you’ve got the materials I can repair and upgrade that for you.” The conversation peters out and melts into the general din of the marketplace as Kyle slips into the crowd, taking care to step out of the way of a Felyne carrying an absolutely massive basket groaning with produce. He watches the precarious load totter away, trying and failing to locate Tsukino in the brief respite the parted crowd affords him. They’d split earlier that morning and he hasn’t seen her since.

He still hasn’t managed to find even a whisker of Tsukino’s whereabouts by the time he settles into a decently quiet nook next to a stall selling all manner of spices. Pity, because the dappled light spilling through the colorful drapes of the marketplace catches so beautifully on the milky-white sheen of the bow, and he’d been looking forward to showing it to her. As a Hunter, Kyle will always care more about weapon practicality than aesthetics, but as a normal human being he certainly won’t turn down the opportunity to have both an aesthetically pleasing and perfectly functional weapon. He’s still grinning a little when he goes to strap the bow to his back, and it’s in the process of looking up that his gaze catches onto wide eyes staring plainly at him from across the street. 

He freezes, arm suspended awkwardly halfway to sheathing. His beautiful bow glints damningly in the bright Lamure sunlight as his unexpected friend wades through the throngs of people towards him, gesturing for him to stay put with a wave of her hand that really can’t be mistaken for anything other than a greeting.

“Hey,” he says cautiously and lamely when she finally reaches him. Belatedly, he remembers to lower his arm. He is momentarily thankful that she doesn’t try to reach up for his face in the Mahanan greeting, although his goodwill evaporates when she leans in to inspect his bow, body thrumming with unexplainable anticipation.

“Oh, that’s pretty,” she says finally. Kyle can’t help himself from preening just a little, shifting his grip so that she can get a better look. After all, what was the point of spending all that money and materials if there was no one to excitedly show the end product off to? Besides, it’s been a while since they last saw each other. Last he heard, she had been traveling, keen to finally see the world on her own terms and at her own pace.

“It’s fresh off an upgrade,” he answers smugly. “Easier to handle than the Rex.”

“Slightly less intimidating though,” she chimes in, and Kyle bristles, not liking where this conversation is going. And true to form, she goes in for the kill: “Mizutsune? I recognize the plating.”

Kyle can feel the flush crawling up to his ears. Logically, he knows that there’s nothing for him to be embarrassed about. It’s a mark of good smithing that one can tell at a glance which monster a weapon was inspired by, and a Mizutsune was both powerful and extremely iconic. This bow in particular had good stats and the ability to fire rapidly, which admittedly took him some time to get used to after focusing mostly on piercing shots. The paralysis coating that works so well on this bow has also already saved his skin on more than one occasion. There is little more a career Hunter can ask for out of his weapon. It’s not like he’d been heading out to Pomore Garden at any given opportunity and holding onto an increasing multitude of Mizutsune materials just because he wanted some physical reminder of what was probably the most pivotal moment of his life, something that never failed to put a very complicated and jumbled mess of emotions deep within his chest whenever he thought back to it.

He’s starting to feel very, very hot under his collar. The sun is terrible. He resolves that his next big hunt really needs to be somewhere outside of Lamure.

His friend, however, just looks more and more baffled as he launches into an unprompted defense of his newest purchase. Every time she opens her mouth, Kyle talks a little faster. Eventually, she doesn’t even bother trying to interject, which is arguably worse, because instead she just looks progressively more and more thoughtful. Kyle wished desperately for Tsukino to peel away from whatever hidey hole she was tucked in. Then, his train of thought screeches into a rude and abrupt halt.

“What,” he croaks. “What are you doing.”

One of her brows quirks up. “I sure hope your eyes are still working because that’d be a detriment to your job,” she says plainly. “What does it look like I’m doing? I promise it’s not a trick question.”

What she’s doing is holding Kyle’s hand—the one not clutching his new bow—the one that had apparently been waving about with increasing agitation as he jabbered on and on. What Kyle doesn’t understand is why. It’s not like he just did some impressive shot to give them the edge in a battle or anything else that was cool and hand-holding worthy. He’d just been yammering about bow mechanics, and maybe embarrassingly dipping into his talisman hopes and dreams. He stares a little helplessly at his trapped hand. Her kinship stone winks up at him.

“Look,” she says patiently, when it becomes very clear that Kyle is going to need a moment before he can get his brain back online. “There’s nothing wrong with a bow made from Mizutsune parts and I am the last person who will ever turn down pretty things. What I was going to say was that this is an interesting departure from your whole—” She pauses, as though looking for a specific word. “Well, your whole image as a very grown-up and serious and intimidating Hunter or whatever it was you were trying to convey with that scowl you used to like so much. And you weren’t letting me get a single word in.”

��You’re getting plenty of words in now,” Kyle scowls, just to be contrary. “And I’ve grown since then.”

“Someone’s in a mood today.” She smiles, crinkle-eyed, up at him. Kyle very seriously debates wrenching his hand out of her hold like he did the last time this happened and then pointedly doesn’t act on the impulse.

“Why’re you in Lulucion?” he asks instead with a truly remarkable level of self-restraint. “Thought you’d never want to come back again after what happened.”

She shrugs, the greatsword on her back heaving with the movement. “Guess I’ve grown too,” she says loftily, though she sobers quickly. “I was actually visiting my grandfather. He used to go back to Mahana around this time of year… he can’t do it anymore of course but I’ve got Ratha now, so I figured I could do it instead. And then I figured I’d stop by Rutoh before going home, to see Ena and Alwin and wheedle a few more stories out of them.”

She lets go of Kyle’s hand. He tries not to miss it. “Even Ratha can’t make the trip in one go, and Lulucion was closest, so we’re stopping to rest. I dropped by the Scrivener’s Lodge earlier because I was hoping Reverto could give me a few weapon pointers as I’ve saved up just about enough for an upgrade, but they told me that he was out on an urgent mission and wouldn’t be back for a while.”

“Oh,” Kyle says, a little stung that she hadn’t come specifically to see him first, out of all the Hunters in the city. He’s slightly mollified when she grins at him, though.

“And then I met Tsukino by the cannons. She said I could find you here, so here I am.”

“I don’t know anything about greatswords,” Kyle blurts out, and immediately wants to kick himself. She blinks at him, and then bursts into laughter.

“I was just going to ask the smith,” she wheezes when she’s got herself somewhat back under control. “Can’t I see a friend just to say hi to him anymore?” Kyle stares very intently down at some of the finer detailing on his bow.

“Where is my Palico anyway?” he finally settles on, falling into a tried and true grumble. “I haven’t seen her all day.”

She waves her hand vaguely in the air. “Navirou said something about getting donuts. I wasn’t really listening.”

But there was a donut stand right here in the marketplace, Kyle wanted to cry out. He should have seen Tsukino by now if they’d really been going to buy snacks! And how was it possible that he had missed Navirou in his entirety, between the Felyne’s penchant for wearing ridiculous little outfits and his inability to shut up?

“Why? You have a hunt you need to run off to?” 

“Yes,” Kyle says hotly. It’s a lie. He’d accepted a subquest that wouldn’t depart until later that evening for the sole purpose of testing out his new weapon in a relatively stress-free environment. Before that, he’d just planned on hitting up the shooting range in the training arena to break in the new string. His schedule was very, very free. Tsukino was perfectly aware of that.

His eyes widened. Tsukino had been with him on every excursion into the Gardens. She went where he did (usually), and it’s not like Kyle would ever begrudge her a visit home. But she’d been with him every step of every single Mizutsune job he’d ever taken—had watched him craft traps when he needed to capture and had kept watch for opportunists hoping to sneak up as he’d carved. She’d been the one who’d recommended the spinner for all the excess purplefur he was ending up with. At first, he’d simply thought that she’d wanted the thread to mend some of her own items, or to send back home to her brethren, but instead she’d tucked each skein of vibrant, silk-soft thread into the bottom of his pouch with gentle paws, cryptically talking about how strong a material it was, and how nice it looked when woven. Kyle has never touched a loom in his life, but now he’s looking at someone who he definitely knows has.

His stomach drops. Hadn’t Tsukino looked particularly smug ever since he’d lingered on the blueprints for Blessed Rain after getting a look at its stats and required materials?

“She got me,” he groans. His friend just looks at him bemusedly, though perhaps with a touch of wariness at his ferocious frown. Hastily, he tacks on: “It’s nothing. I, uh—I just remembered that I needed to tell Tsukino something. Important. Later, when I find her again.”

“Alright,” she says, though she doesn’t quite look like she believes him. “A quest’s a quest, though, so I won’t keep you here. The bow really is pretty though. I know I just said it doesn’t match your image and all but I really don’t think you can go wrong with something you like. You’ve got the skills for it, anyway.”

“Thanks,” he croaks, feeling a little overwhelmed. He manages two whole steps out of the nook before he pauses, worrying at his lower lip. “Actually,” he says sharply, spinning around on his heel and nearly causing his friend to startle right into a spice display. “How long are you staying for?”

“However long it’ll take to upgrade my sword, I guess,” she says after she collects herself, the words lilting into a question. “Three days or so, I guess?” She skirts nervously away from the glaring vendor, careful not to overbalance on her greatsword.

“Cool,” Kyle says with a nod, steeling himself. “Great, even. Look, how about this. Your last visit to Lulucion was terrible—” an understatement, “—so when I get back from my hunt I’ll show you some of the better sights Lulucion has to offer. There’s a hole in the wall that I think you’ll like. Dad used to take me after hunts—they grill really nice queen shrimp. And the parapets—you can climb them, and they’ve got all these little carvings in the stone that you can search for like a scavenger hunt.” He’s keenly aware that he’s rambling again, but she looks interested, so he barrels on. “I’ll come pick you up tomorrow just as soon as I can get a nap in. We can stay in the city or take Ratha out to the Barrens, down by the water. Just make a day of it.” He’s pretty certain that he looks at her with something akin to hope as she considers. It feels like a lifetime before she finally comes to a decision. 

“I want to take Ratha out in the evening,” she says finally. “I don’t want him to be cooped up too long here ever again.”

“Yeah,” Kyle breathes out, the word rushing out of him in a flood of relief. “Yeah, I can work around that.” She beams at him.

“I’ll look forward to it,” she says, sincere and looking more than a little surprised despite herself at the prospect of looking forward to doing anything in Lulucion. “I’m staying at the inn closest to the stables. Pretty sure I’m the only Rider there currently so they’ll know who I am.” Kyle nods, and lets himself get his hand squeezed again, though not without her hands first hovering in an instinctual bid for his cheeks before she remembers herself.

“Good luck on your hunt. If I see Tsukino I’ll let her know you’re looking for her.”

“She’ll show up in due time,” he mutters darkly. “I’ll let you know if Reverto gets back early or if he’s just been loafing around this entire time. For your next upgrade or whatever.” She laughs, bright, and then slips off into the crowd to wrestle her way into the smithy’s queue. Kyle is left staring in her wake before his gaze is drawn back down to his bow.

“This is all your fault,” he tells it. Predictably, it doesn’t answer. Also predictably, Tsukino takes that exact moment to drop down from seemingly nowhere. 

“I didn’t know we had another job lined up,” the Felyne says delicately, carefully brushing crumbs off of her coat. Kyle groans, sheathing his weapon.

“Don’t tease me,” he huffs. “I’m going to the shooting range. Are you coming?”

“Hmm,” says Tsukino. “I suppose I can spare the time.”

“Of course you can spare the time!” Kyle hisses, indignant. “You just spent the day eating donuts and eavesdropping!” He pointedly doesn’t look towards the smithy, where his friend was patiently browsing the display while another Hunter was getting their hammer looked at.

“One must always be prepared with the latest intel,” Tsukino says mildly. “I’m glad the upgrade went well.” 

“It’s got good stats,” Kyle protests weakly in what is quickly becoming a tired argument. “The rapid shots have been going very well. And I had a surplus of Mizutsune parts.”

 “Yes,” his hunting partner agrees readily enough. “Have you thought of what you’re going to do with the thread?”

“This conversation is finished,” Kyle says abruptly, making a very determined push towards the market’s exit. “Either come or don’t, so long as we meet at the gate for tonight’s hunt.”

Tsukino looks at him with exasperated fondness, which is frankly a little insulting, but readily falls into step next to him. Kyle wonders how many rounds he’s going to have to shoot in order to clear his head again and rid it of thoughts of Hazepetal Garden or Mizutsune or high-grade thread that he’ll never use himself. He’ll examine them again someday—because he’s not a coward—but that day is most certainly not today.

He does his rounds in the training arena and marvels at the way the string slides off his fingers with a satisfying twang, even though it’ll still be a good few days before it’s fully broken in to his liking. Tsukino’s saved him a donut, the cakey sweet sticky with honey and practically melting in his mouth. He’s got some free time even after stocking up for the evening hunt, so he takes a few minutes to browse the quest board, taking careful note of the jobs that were situated near the Harzgai Rocky Hill, or the ones from further afield in Alcala that’ll take him closer to Rutoh. And when he leaves the city, he pointedly doesn’t look up at the familiar shape circling in the dusky sky, even as he knows that they’ll surely see the last rays of the setting sun winking off of the plates of his bow like a beacon.

[onestowatch]

Lynn Gunn’s Honest Portrayal of PVRIS’ Past, Present and Future Plus Details on New LP ‘Use Me’ [Q&A]

Did you know that quicksand cannot really sink your entire body? Hollywood renditions of this frightening occurrence showcase “Indiana Jones” type heroes desperately reaching for a branch or a vine to evade being swallowed whole by the muddy foe. In real life, however, quicksand is much denser than the human body–namely your torso and lungs. So, although you may sink to some degree, you’ll only be engulfed to about your torso region. That being said, to escape the hold of this mucky captor, you’re called to utilize, not a vine or a stick, but a natural aspect of yourself–in this case, the buoyancy of your torso and lungs. Doing so allows you to adjust your positioning so that you are on your back and are therefore more easily able to free your legs and eventually, yourself.

During moments of crisis such as this, it is not often that we think to use what comes most natural to us in order to overcome difficulties. However, as PVRIS frontwomxn Lynn Gunn discovered, tuning into your natural inclinations can be exactly what sets you free.

After battling debilitating health issues, anxieties, and multiple album delays, the refreshingly new album Use Me is here, and it has the empowered LGBTQIA+ artist plastered all over it. From the distinctively raw lyrics, impassioned vocals, dexterous commixture of that classic PVRIS Alternative Rock and new-aged Glitch-pop, and even a 070 Shake feature, this new album is taking everything we thought we knew about PVRIS to much higher heights. Use Me serves as the first release since Gunn followed her heart and came forward as the sole architect behind PVRIS back in March. After listening to all 40 emotion-inducing minutes of this cinematic project, it becomes clear that Use Me is so much more than an album, it is an unapologetic reclamation of power.

We were able to speak with Lynn Gunn before the release of the album and gather her perspective on this new era of creativity, utilizing her natural abilities for this new project, and even on supporting social justice causes.

All quicksand jokes aside, sink into this interview with Lynn Gunn below:

Ones to Watch: Although you’ve been making music for quite some time, this new era seems to be of a new bloom, not only for PVRIS, but for you. As you have stated, PVRIS is still very much a collective, but you have decided to shed the skin of “band culture” and from it emerge as the sole vocalist, lyricists, and creative director of PVRIS. How has that transition been on you all? Are people taking to it the way that you imagined?

Lynn Gunn: I didn’t really imagine anyone taking it any way, to be honest, it’s happening regardless of what others want to say or feel about it. It’s felt great personally and as a unit. I’ve seen mostly support but obviously, with anything, there’s always going to be people with the opposite. At the end of the day, this is what this is moving forward and works best for us, I know my truth and what this journey has been and looked like so far. I’ve seen so many insane and comical theories and conspiracies about the transition/negative comments… but ultimately I think anyone who decides to wastes their energy like that might find their life to be much more enjoyable if they channeled that energy back into their own life as there’s clearly a lack/wound somewhere within themselves. If that seems sprinkled with “shade”, it is, but I mean that with the most sincerity as well.

The saying goes “you can never really outrun yourself”, and from White Noise to Use Me, it seems that you’ve left a bit of a breadcrumb-trail leading us to this point. Although PVRIS has primarily been recognized as an Alternative Rock “band”, we can hear tiny glimpses of the sound that best encompasses PVRIS now throughout your entire discography.  Was this glitch-pop, disco-esque sound something you were intentionally experimenting within your previous projects?

To be honest, this is always where I imagined PVRIS’s sound living and the type of production I’d heard PVRIS songs being told through. I think in the past I didn’t fully know how to communicate the little production nuances that would have taken some tracks from point A to B, there was also a fear (that I now regret having) about straying from the “rock” production/experiencing rejection from the “scene” we initially started playing shows and touring in.

For the most part, and I truly mean this, there really isn’t that much of a difference in the instrumentation and sonic choices of this album from the first two, it’s still a very even play of organic instruments and electronic/synths, it’s just being produced through a different lens that’s a bit cleaner, crisper and crunchier in some areas. It’s a new interpretation of the woodwork that’s always been there.

What has kept you motivated to continue creating and sharing your truth with the world?

That’s a great question because I go back and forth with that feeling sometimes… Ultimately seeing comments from fans/listeners and hearing everyone’s stories and ways that they connect to PVRIS’s music is the most motivating thing in the world. I also feel that no matter what type of obstacle course the universe wants to throw me through, I’m always going to be grateful for the bruises/lessons and always going to feel compelled to create and share those truths through music.

I understand you’ve run into a deluge of unfortunate health issues the past few years that have affected you and the band greatly. If you feel comfortable sharing, could you talk a little bit about these illnesses and the ways you have had to overcome the obstacles they brought forth to get you to where you are now?

Totally comfortable sharing! I was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease called Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS) about two years ago and then about a year ago was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease. AS is an inflammatory disease that mainly attacks the lower back, hips, and ribs, but it can also manifest in a lot of other ways as well such as joint pain, chronic fatigue, and even eye issues. Sometimes when my AS is really bad, I can barely get out of bed or even roll over in bed. Over time, if not treated properly or managed, it can cause your vertebrae to fuse... I’ve heard that’s super rare though. Crohn’s is chronic inflammation in the digestive tract and is a little more embarrassing but pretty self-explanatory haha…

They definitely taught me (and by taught I mean forced me) to take time in caring for myself and caring for my body. Resting properly, staying in shape, eating super healthy, setting boundaries with work, etc. It’s also just made me really appreciative of the moments when my symptoms aren’t as bad/just happy to be alive and not have it worse. I’m determined to manage both diseases holistically and through integrative medicine, so far I’ve seen great progress.

Do you believe these difficulties aided in your journey towards this self-actualization that listeners are able to distinguish in this new era of PVRIS? If so, how/in what way?

Definitely! There are definitely some references to those difficulties in a few of the songs. I think outside of the music, it’s given a lot more self-love, strength, and patience. It’s also just created even more urgency to live my truth and to live it unapologetically in the way that I want, which naturally extends into PVRIS and the art that I want to make.

If you had to use one word to describe each album thus far, what words would you use and why?

White Noise - Freshman - everything was so new and exciting and there was so much eagerness with it, like a freshman walking through a high school for the first time haha.

All We Know of Heaven, All We Need of Hell - Bootcamp (haha) - creating it and touring it were both pretty hard experiences BUT incredibly strengthening.

USE ME - Upgrade - despite all the chaos around this release, this is the freest I’ve felt and the most confident I’ve felt about a PVRIS album.

All the visuals and music video treatments that you have conjured up have a strikingly symbolic and cinematic feel to them. However, the symbolism and tone of the music videos tied to Use Me seem to take on a different nature. Can you talk about this shift in creative expression?

Mostly just working with new collaborators (Yhellow, Katharine White and Griffin Stoddard). I feel a lot less precious about things (to a healthy degree) and much more open to letting others run with the concepts as they wish! So many fun new exciting perspectives have been able to shine through.  

I know you are a film fanatic and dabble in cinematography. Do you have any staple films that influenced the creation of the last five music videos?

The Holy Mountain was a big influence for the “Hallucinations” video, as well as [for] “Old Wounds”. For “Dead Weight”, I was actually inspired by the opening credits to That 70’s Show and Saturday Night Fever haha.

In July, you announced that the album was being pushed back so as to allow the floor for the amplification of Black voices, and to generate events in support of Black Lives Matter. Do you believe artists have a responsibility to take steps such as these to create a better future, regardless of whether or not these issues directly affect them?

Absolutely. We all need to be educating ourselves and actively doing the work to demand and create change towards a future that’s equal and just for Black lives.

Fans have been clinging to the edges of their proverbial seats waiting for Use Me in spite of all of the justifiable album delays. If you could relay one message to all the fans who have been patiently waiting, what would it be?

Please enjoy/connect, be good to each other and please please please vote if you are able!

Who are your Ones to Watch?

DRAMA, Jax Anderson, HDBeenDope, Royal and The Serpent, Nikki Hayes, Kat Cunning and LEXXE!

[mankai-onlyfans]

"Hey guys!" Kazunari bursts into the lounge, tablet in hand, and flashes everyone a grin. "Check this out!"

Sakyo looks up, his eye already twitching. "We're in the middle of a meeting, Miyoshi."

Kazu nods, his energy not diminished in the slightest from Sakyo's chilly demeanor. "Yeah, I know! That's why I-"

"Then please let us finish." Sakyo cuts him off, gesturing towards Izumi to continue.

She gives Kazunari an apologetic smile. "Like I was saying guys, we're facing a real problem here. With everyone in quarantine, we can't put on any shows for the time being. It's just not safe."

"And without selling tickets to performances," Sakyo adds. "Our profits will go through the floor."

Sakuya makes a noise of disbelief from where he sits on the couch beside his fellow company members. "What?! But does that mean-"

"All of our hard work, down the drain..." Tsumugi says somberly, his brows furrowed with concern.

Izumi nods. "We can't let this place go bankrupt after all we've done to save it. That's why we have to figure out a way to earn money while everyone is staying home." She looks around the room at the twenty actors, all under her guidance. "Any ideas?"

Kazunari waves his hand around in the air. "Ooh, I have a-!"

"Maybe we could livestream some performances from here." Tasuku suggests. "Like one act plays, people could buy virtual tickets."

"That's a good idea!" Izumi points at him and turns to write it down on the whiteboard.

"But how would we advertise? All we have is the company website." Sakyo points out.

"Oh true." Izumi slumps. "We can't do street acts like we normally would to promote."

"And that's how we garner new fans." Sakyo says. "I guarantee that we would only get a tenth of our usual audience, maximum, without proper promotion."

Izumi hesitantly scribbles down the idea.

"Guys-" Kazunari starts to say, but this time it's Omi who interrupts him.

"What if we record videos and upload them online? Like vlogs and things. They're pretty popular right now, and I could help with filming."

Sakyo shakes his head. "That won't be showcasing our talents as actors. We need something more marketable."

"Guys, what about-"

"I know!" Citron interupts Kazunari this time, and jumps up from his seat. "We could make stuffings of ourselves and sell them!"

"Stuffings?" Tenma looks appalled.

"I am NOT being taxidermied, okay?" Taichi whines, curling up and hugging his knees with a shudder.

"I think he means 'stuffies'. Like plush toys." Itaru chimes in, busy as always on his phone.

"Plush toys?" Muku asks, his eyes lighting up at the thought.

"Yes!" Citron exclaims. "One for each of us. Yuki could sew them! A little Citron, a little Itaru-" he points to himself, and Itaru in turn. "-and a little Muku!" He finishes, leaning over to pat the pink haired boy on the head. "Soft, squishy stuffings!"

"Marshmallows...?" Hisoka asks, only hearing half the conversation.

"Wha-?" Muku blushes, seemingly overwhelmed by the idea. "B-but who would want a plushie of a shrimpy, no-good, wannabe actor like me...?"

Misumi hugs him with a chuckle. "You're not shrimpy, you're fun sized!" He pulls a triangular pebble out of his hoodie pocket and hands it to Muku to comfort him.

Yuki scoffs in agreement. "And if anyone here is a no-good, wannabe actor, it's the hack." He sniffs, shooting a glare in Tenma's direction.

Tenma balks and is probably about to retort when Izumi claps her hands for their attention. "Plushies would be a great idea. But I'm not sure if our fanbase is big enough to want to buy that kind of merchandise."

Sakyo hums his agreement. "We would need to weigh the cost of production with potential sales revenue. But Izumi is right, without a strong enough following, the idea would be a waste of time and effort."

"GUYS!" Kazunari steps into the middle of the room, waving his arms around frantically.

Everyone looks to him, slowly falling silent. "What's up, Kazunari?" Izumi asks.

Kazu lets out a breath of relief, happy to finally have everyone's full attention. "I have the perfect solution!"

"Care to enlighten us?" Sakyo asks, crossing his arms and leaning back in his seat.

Kazu nods and whips out his tablet. "We need a way to make money, while still growing our fanbase and showcasing our talents, right?"

"That's the idea." Juza grunts.

"Say no more! I found this great website, where you can make an account and post exclusive content in exchange for moolah." He turns the tablet around and shows it to Sakyo, who adjusts his glasses to examine it. "They have multiple levels of subscriptions, so it's affordable for the casual fan, and super fans can pay more to get more content. Boom! Monthly income, and a way to grow our skills and fanbase."

Kazunari grins proudly at his little speech. Sakyo's brows lift slightly as he examines the price points. "This... might work. What's the name of this website?"

"Patreon." Itaru says, reaching for a sip of his soda.

"Nope! Onlyfans." Kazu replies.

Itaru promptly sprays soft drink all over the couch, as well as Tsuzuru and Banri.

"Ah, shit! Watch it, man..." Banri grumbles, while Tsuzuru wearily hands Itaru a tissue and claps him on the back while he tries to choke in a breath.

"Are you..." Itaru coughs, his eyes watering. "Are you sure that's the best idea?"

"Why wouldn't it be?" Kazu asks, perplexed.

"It's just that... people sometimes..." Itaru tries to stammer out what he means to say, uncharacteristically flustered.

"People use that site for all sorts of things." Azuma chimes in helpfully, his hands folded in his lap. "It's very profitable."

"Right? That's what I'm saying!" Kazunari shoots a finger gun and a wink at Azuma, thanking him for agreeing. "It's like, totally a great way to make money. And check it out, the content is exclusive to people who subscribe, so it builds hype and mystery around what's posted."

"Oh, it's no mystery." Azuma chuckles to himself, his eyes glittering with amusement.

"So, what do you say, Frooch?" Kazunari turns pleading eyes to Sakyo. "I'll manage all the networking for it, and I'm sure Itaroon wouldn't mind promoting it either, right dude? You have a bunch of followers!"

At this, Itaru's cheeks turn curiously pink. "I-I'm... people might think..."

Sakyo stands up. "Very well. Miyoshi, you can set up this Onlyfans promotional account for the company."

Kazunari fist pumps the air in victory. Sakyo points a finger at him. "However, I expect you to take this seriously, alright? If I don't see profits by the end of the month, I'm pulling the plug."

"You got it, chief!" Kazu cheers, giving him a salute. Then Sakyo glances at everyone else. "I expect you all to cooperate and do as Miyoshi tells you. He's in charge of this project, but we all have to participate for it to be successful. Remember, this is catered to our audience."

"I'm sure they'll be overjoyed," Azuma smiles cryptically.

Sakyo then adjourns the meeting and leaves, taking Izumi with him to talk about budgeting. The others all chatter over each other, bursting with questions about this new endeavour.

"Whoa, whoa! One at a time, guys." Kazu laughs, thrilled to be the center of attention.

Homare raises his hand. Kazunari gestures for him to go ahead.

"How frequently will we need to post? I require inspiration to make anything truly worthwhile." He chuckles, twirling his hand in the air dramatically. "I cannot create on demand, you know."

Kazunari snaps his fingers. "Cool question. Answer is: whenever you want! Subscribers will be paying the same fee no matter how much we post, but posting more often will get more people talking about us!"

Sakuya raises his hand next. "What kind of content should we make? There's a lot of options."

While considering Sakuya's question, Kazunari either ignores or doesn't hear Itaru choke again. "I'd say we should do lots of stuff! We can post vlogs, like Omimi suggested, and scripted stuff, like Tax's idea. It'll give us good practice and show off our skills."

"What about fanservice?" Azuma says innocently, raising his hand as he does so. "Wouldn't it help us grow closer with our fans if we take their questions and requests?"

"Fanservice! Yes." Kazu agrees.

Itaru purses his lips, his eyes full of alarm he stares down at the carpet.

"You know, that's a good idea." Tsuzuru says thoughtfully. "Even though our fanbase is growing, we haven't really interacting with them on a personal level."

"Trust me, this will make it super duper personal." Kazunari assures him eagerly. Itaru tries to hold in either a laugh or a sob, his lips beginning to twitch from the effort.

"Maybe we should look at some other accounts to get ideas." Masumi suggests.

"Great idea!" Kazunari agrees, lifting his tablet. But before he can search, Itaru and Azuma are both on their feet.

"Don't-!" Itaru snatches the tablet away. "I... I have to get my login bonus." He gives the weak excuse and quickly makes sure Kazunari hasn't accidentally called up any questionable content.

Azuma pats Kazunari on the back, smiling apologetically. "I think we should come up with something unique, without any influence..."

"Y-yeah, sure." Kazunari looks between them, his eyes wide with confusion.

Mankai Onlyfans, now open!

Do you love seeing shows at the Mankai Theater, but you're stuck at home? Never fear, now you can see exclusive Mankai content, right in the comfort of your bed! Tune in for exciting livestreams with extra special new shows just for you! Get to know our actors in thrilling and intimate ways like never before!

Send us your burning questions, your most desired requests, or just come to chat! Fanservice of your favorite actors** delivered right to you!

**Muku, Yuki, Masumi, Tenma, and Taichi are exempt from answering any questions or requests that their director deems too suggestive.

[messyzine]

the mess that is “messy”

By Rachael Nuckles

I want to kick off this publication with some reflections on why it exists. The name "Messy" quite literally came to me in a stress dream, induced by the looming due date of my thesis prospectus and a nearly year-long battle within myself about my place in the world as a feminist, an artist, and an academic.

Before COVID-19 changed my life entirely, my first year of graduate school introduced me to feminist theory in a way I'd never experienced. At a round table of other budding academics, we discussed weighty texts and debated meaning. I would be lying if I said I didn't feel lost most days, overwhelmed by language I didn't understand and ideas I had never been exposed to. You see, I grew up in a conservative, small town in the Midwest and chose a graduate program at one of New York's most liberal institutions. I had attended a Lutheran university for my undergraduate degree, where administrators demanded professors remove phrases like "gender identity" from their syllabi for diverting too much from the "values” of Christianity. More on those frustrations will certainly come in future posts by me. The culture shock at the beginning of my graduate degree was immense. It was the thing I had always wanted for myself, yet have found myself battling as I continue to navigate thesis writing within the constraints of academia.

I have felt both trapped and liberated by academia. I study women's history, and as any feminist scholar will tell you...it's difficult. It's difficult to constantly explain your field to those who don't see the need for it. It's difficult to grapple with texts about violence directed towards women. It's difficult to communicate with other women who don't understand the need for feminism. It's difficult to communicate with other feminists as they gatekeep the boundaries of what can and cannot be defined as "feminism," while using words you've never heard and citing texts you've never read. It's difficult to constantly feel like there must be more to the story, but not have the words to explain said story. It’s difficult to study something so radically revolutionary as you adhere to the rules and regulations you’re supposed to be learning to break. 

My relationship to feminism continues to evolve, and I continue to argue with myself about my identity as such. How can I express my frustrations, frustrations I am sure others also feel, in a way that is productive? How can I meet basic definitions of “productive” in the midst of a pandemic?

Call me out later for not citing my sources, but the name “Messy” is inspired by a quote I read in a required text in the fall of 2019. To be completely honest? I read so much during that time that I can’t even remember which piece it came from, but the meaning has stuck with me ever since. Essentially, the author wrote about her educational pursuits and a lesson she later learned: that life is messy, full of many more gray areas than we’d sometimes like to admit. The book was full of nontraditional academic experiences, often accomplished by women later in life after significant events such as childbirth, divorce, or leaving abusive partners took place. Academia can be daunting because of its adherence to “tradition.” Tradition can make it difficult for students to obtain their degrees later in life for a variety of reasons. Yet, the women in this book had found ways to make their desired education a reality. It was never a neat path, and it often took creativity. 

The reference this one woman made about the messiness of her academic experience resonated with me as a young scholar who felt like there was a “right” and “wrong” way to participate in these institutions. Her quote has forced me to think more critically of my environment, and to question my authority to dictate the experiences of others. At the core of much of my work, I question the validity of feminist gatekeeping in a contradictory space of flexible boundaries. I question how to maintain feminism’s “everyone should be feminist!” mantra without invalidating or excluding others; in other words, how can we make feminism accessible and stay true to itself?

Messy comes from all of these thoughts, recognizing that there’s no one way to identify and no one way to explore feminist ideology. There’s also no one way to be an academic, artist, or activist. Who decided the way scholarly work is ~supposed~ to look? Who said art should remain hidden because it doesn’t follow the rules? Who said activism looks the same ways it has in the past? 

This is a space to showcase the messiness, perhaps even the contradictory spaces you find in your own life. I will continue to contribute regularly with my thoughts, both in art pieces and rambling writings on feminist media, but I hope you will feel inspired to create your own piece and submit as well. As you will find in our submission guidelines, we are open to all types of work to be featured here on the site. I also hope this space will inspire my fellow creatives to showcase their work, my fellow writers to try out some material, and my fellow activists to debate meaning.

As a last minute personal note about this project, I wanted to say how excited I am to get something up and running officially. Since high school, I have drafted and redrafted versions of this site which never saw the light of day. It never felt like the timing was right for those old babies, but as I look towards my digital and feminist future, combined with the support of friends, colleagues, and online acquaintances, I feel ready to let this one out into the world.

Last but not least, part of my goal in creating this online space is that it will truly become a multimedia experience. Once we are sure we have content to work with, my goal is to create an accompanying physical publication with the same vibrant, community-based energy of the zines that inspired this thing in the first place. I hope that if you’re here reading this, you’ll stick around to see that come to fruition.

Stay tuned as we begin to publish more original content, and feel free to send us questions in the ask box or in an email to messy.zinestaff@gmail.com

[ratingtheframe]

Hard to swallow thriller succeeds in style and falls in substance - The Other Lamb REVIEW

A sinister thriller starring Raffey Cassidy that follows a Shepherd and his numerous wives and daughters living on the outskirts of society.

It’s difficult to critique a film when artistically it shows itself to be bold, innovative and really clean. For most filmmakers, the edgy camera angles and ultra vibrant set design is both an addition to the story and the inspiration for it, with both elements driving and helping the story to reveal itself. Indie filmmaking has always pushed films both beautiful as stories and visual masterpieces. However, and this is a big however, it’s very easy for a film’s story and central themes to get drowned out by the artistic execution.  We can agree that certain production choices influence the story, but that should be it; an influence, artistic choices should affect a film, not necessarily create it. It’s okay to think of the colour curtains you want in a room before the scene itself, however we need that scene at the end of the day in order for the story to be told.

The Other Lamb is set up in the middle of the woods. Selah (Raffey Cassidy) lives amongst two sets of women dressed in blue and red to distinguish their positions; daughters and wives. They live pretty simply, skinning and eating sheep and sleeping together in plain wood cabins. It starts off slow and uncertain as to how and why these women came to be here on the outskirts of society and living in a hub led by womanhood. Or so it seemed, when the true face behind this community is shown painted on the outside of one of their cabins; the man they call “The Shepherd” (Michiel Huisman). Selah seems to have this infatuation with the Shepherd that goes beyond him being her father. She truly idolises him, along with all his wives and daughters who hang onto his every word as if he were Jesus and they, his disciples. This sort of context makes sense, seeing as Jesus was known as a Shepherd and the women in this community are labelled as “a flock”. I don’t know about anyone else, but to stay in this hub wouldn’t be the first desire of mine in life. However, these women have been brainwashed into thinking the world outside of them is something to be feared and that depending on the Shepherd is their only fulfilment in life.

Selah is up one night when she sees The Shepherd in a conversation with a policeman, confirmation for us as audiences that the outside world still exists. After that night, The Shepherd announces that they have to leave their home, without explanation. The other women, like always, go along with what the Shepherd announces, believing his decisions to be the best for all of them. Selah is unsure and thus their journey begins to a new home, with Selah at the forefront and forced to be exposed to the Shepherd’s true colours, as a controlling individual without a caring bone in his body.

This journey starts at the halfway point of the film and usually in a film, there’s a moment screenwriters like to call the “inciting incident” where the true story kicks off post expositional visuals. This is when the clock starts ticking and the protagonist's journey towards a goal commences. This would be when Rose and Jack meet in James Cameron’s Titanic or when Ladybird starts Catholic School in Greta Gerwig’s Ladybird. Everything before that is known as the set up, it explores the world around the film and the people we’ll get to know later on. Though you might not be aware of it, this segment lasts between 10-15 minutes before we’re told the real reason why we tuned in on this film; the inciting incident. What The Other Lamb failed to do was give us that reason sooner. 

It took a veeeery long time before we were told why we were watching this film; the journey to a new home reveals the Shepherd’s true colours. Beforehand was filled with BE-AU-TI-FUL shots and some great filmmaking techniques that were meant to create this entire unfathomable world. However, a lot of these shots were hard to understand and interpret their relationship to the story, almost like an experimental film. Maybe The Other Lamb falls into this category, but I would’ve liked that verification before watching the film. 

As mentioned, the real start of the story was played way too late into the film and we as an audience were sort of left on a whim as to what this story is really about. In fact, the entire structure of this film went AWOL and the ending came quicker than expected. The film’s concept, camera work, acting and production design were flawless and enviable, however they don’t mean much against a poorly structured story. The idea fell through the weak structure and had the screenwriter spent a little more time developing their characters and implementing a stronger arc, this film would have been excellent. Screenwriting and filmmaking techniques are principles, not rules. They provide basic anecdotes into creating great movies and those who go beyond those structures become revolutionary in their art form. Go too far and you lose the audience completely and stick to them too much, you risk creating a mundane, before seen film. It’s a true filmmaker who can balance their own imagination with the principles that help sell most films and an understanding of both can really skyrocket their creativity.

[ghosttownaz]

Underground Uprising’s “Artist of the Week” - D. Carter

We are back with the Underground Uprising's "Artist of the Week" and this time we have a director/videographer to showcase!  D. Carter, the man behind "To the Top Visuals" is the first "AOTW" to  be chosen for their skills behind a camera and after you get to know him and his work a little better, you'll be a fan or an eager artist that wants to work with this diversely skilled man from Arizona.

Where are you from?  What was it like growing up there?

"I was born in Mesa, Arizona. Raised in the East valley of Phoenix, bouncing from Chandler, Gilbert, Mesa, and Tempe. I've been here my entire life. I moved a lot, but mostly throughout the east valley. I love AZ, it is a place I'll always represent and call home. I've met several solid people who've played huge roles in my life. I've had a lot of great memories and a lot of bad one's. But I'm sure it's like that anywhere you are from. The one thing i love about Arizona is its difference in nature. You can go from the Phoenix desert at 120 degrees and take an hour and a half drive up North and be in cooler weather and surrounded by pine trees. Growing up here has been a long experience and journey. I don't know any other place better than I do Arizona."

What kind of videos/movies/tv inspired you as a kid?

"I grew up loving a lot of sci-fi and comedy films. "Star Wars" brings out my nerdy side and i could watch those movies over and over despite how many times I've already seen them. I also loved movies like "The Matrix" , "Romeo must die", "Predator", "Alien", "Rush Hour" "Chappelle show" and stand up comedies to name a few. As a kid I was heavy into "Pokémon" and "Yu-Gu-oh!" I don't care what nobody says that was my thing. Lol. I really enjoyed movies or shows where their was a main character who was separated from the rest "The one" or they had special abilities that no one else had. Some badass "lone ninja" type stuff. Lol. I actually try implementing that on my own projects. I think it's cool."

When did “To the Top Visuals” start?

"[It] originated as "Carterora Productions" about two years ago. As I was building my portfolio as an artist going by "D Carter", I needed content. I didn't have the money to afford photo shoots or music videos all the time with what I was trying to do. I knew I needed to put things out but I was limited. I hated that feeling. I originally invested into camera equipment with a business partner who had experience in multimedia in hopes to grow as an artist and build a business shooting music videos and doing photo shoots for other artists. My partner and I had conflicting schedules and (life happened) at the time and couldn't run it full force attacking it head on together like i was intending to. So I ended up doing it by myself. I started building relationships and taking on big projects like Weddings, Corporate videos, small business videos, artist photo shoots, artist music videos etc.. I really had no experience what so ever with a camera or knew anything about it. But I did my research and learned more and more over time. I had to learn the ins and outs of a camera, a drone, editing, all while having my own style to it. It was very over whelming for a while because I was also trying to be a music artist. Then all the sudden I was a videographer and a photographer.

I've had my fair share of gigs and the experience is really what took me to a new level. Although I still am the learner and have much more to figure out. It has skyrocketed my opportunities and building relationships being able to it all.  Until I met my manager, (Danielle Ellis) aka "The Matrix" We built a team together under the label "To the Top Music Management". She has helped me immensely to grow as an artist. We decided to partner and run the multimedia business I had built, together and rebrand the name to match what we had already started in To the Top Music management. To make things simpler, thus the name "To the Top Visuals".

Favorite director?

"I loved Tarantino films, Spielberg, and of course George Lucas for giving us star wars lol."

What do you both think of the current state of AZ Hip Hop?

"I think anyone can agree that Arizona is a hotspot for talent. I've met so many talented and credible like minded individuals who are all here trying to do the same thing. The driving direction in AZ hip-hop is in full acceleration. One day i believe AZ will be known for Hip hop like California, New York or Atlanta. One driving force will be Respect the Underground and what they have put on for the city, year after year. Especially with the showcasing of talent at each years Annual Hip hop festival."

Advice for up and coming creators and artists?

"My best advice, do what you love to do. Not because it's cool. If you truly love the ART and can dedicate your life to it, then take every opportunity thrown at you. I mean that as in right away. Not next week, next year, or when you're ready.. Because you will never be "ready". The time is now fam."

Biggest lesson learned in your career?

"My biggest lesson as a music artist, was to stop making music for other people. Make music that YOU like. Don't follow the trends. Separate yourself from the rest. I see to much of the same things nowadays. I also learned that this is a business, not a hobby. You need to have both a business mindset and a creative mindset or else this will be very difficult for you. It was for me. The last important thing I learned is don't listen to what people think or criticize you on about your art. And that goes for the multimedia side as well. Your art will never be good enough for some people and that's okay. You have to accept that. The ones who enjoy what you do will follow."

What are you most proud of, what is your biggest accomplishment so far?

"What I am most proud of in this journey in the music business and multimedia business is the experience itself. Never did I think 4 years ago I would be where I am today, strategizing and executing a clear vision with Mic Myers, Talika, KMRN, Genesis, and Drk Matr, all of which are a part of our label “To the Top music management” as well as hosting Hip-hop night at Good Time Charlis in Chandler. I've worked with or had the opportunity to surround myself with several successful artists and media artists such as Whitney Peyton, Sincerely Collins, Fat Belly Filmz, Shot by Dub, Delly Everyday, Bag of Tricks Cat to name a few. I've collaborated with super producer Kato on the Track, on a beat and had the opportunity to meet and learn from him. I've taken pictures of several local artists whether it be photo shoots or performance photos for groups like The Kotton Mouth Kings... The opportunities are out there.. I'm proud of my journey and I cant wait for what's next."

Who would you like to collab with in the future?

"I would love to collab with Futuristic one day, but I'm sure everyone would want that since he's one of the faces of AZ hip hop right now.. J Rob the Chief is another artist i believe is next level. I'm open to collabs with anyone who is serious about this honestly. Eventually I'd like to expand outside of AZ and collab with other we'll known artists. But overall I want to grow and help others grow too."

What’s the next move for To The Top Visuals?

"To the Top visuals has a few videos coming out that we are excited about. One of which being Whitney Peyton. She is an incredible talent and has given us the opportunity to collab with her. So stay tuned for that. Otherwise, To the Top Visuals is open for business and taking all inquiries for video, photo, beat production, studio recording, album art or cover art, or even if you need help learning the business side of music etc.. So hit us up we got you!"

by: Steven Sandage

[beatsfortheillperth]

Words with Twin Nemesis

The United States is the homeland of a lot of the creatives we've had words with over the years, and Soph and Sylv, the masterminds behind Twin Nemesis are just two more US beat-smiths and creatives who just so happen to be cohesively moving sound-waves over in the USA.

The girls are tweaking valleys of bass that display a musical landscape that is infused with funk and wave wonder and this duo will intrigue like the piper, tame ones head to bop and, damn feet to tap with their select but distinguishing variety of tracks.

Twin Nems sound will either have you wishing you were out in an underground nightclub, bouncing by the speakers or, chilling at home on a rainy day with a hot cuppa. It can go both ways with these talents, something that's not easy to encourage, but these beat-smiths do so in the most pleasing matter.

Keeping their minds well and in tune away from producing through their studies in University and Med School. These two are not only fuelling their minds but the minds of their listeners worldwide. 

Thank you Twin Nem and please don't let the studies led to a musical disappearance, Bass needs you both to continue your relationship and we need you to stay together, for our speakers' sake. 

Much love and enjoy words with these unique talents.

Listen to Twin Nemesis, Saying Hello on Spotify -https://open.spotify.com/artist/0aSDNbyGRzbragp1DE9ZKk

Hey, Twin Nemesis thank you so much for taking the time to share words. I thought we would start will a few quick questions.

Favourite Food: Sophie - Mac and Cheese Sylvie - I love food, so that's gonna be hard! I'd say sushi, vanilla berry cake, gummy candy or Thai food :). Oh, and a juicy burger and onion rings. Favourite Beverage:   Sophie - Mojito ;P Sylvie - Plain and simple, water! Stay hydrated, folks! Last track you listened to: Sophie - The Suburbs- Mr Little Jeans Sylvie - Jon Casey's 20/20 mix! That part at 1:30 is insane!! A childhood memory in regards to music: Sophie - The first song I remember is Karma Police..my mom was playing it in the car when I was like a few months old and it stuck with me. I heard it again maybe when I was 14? It was like a shot of lightening. I felt this nostalgia. It was insane. It's my favorite song.   Sylvie - Without a doubt, driving with my dad in the car to Sergio Mendes and the Beatles. I grew up on Bossa Nova and Classic Rock :) First Album you ever purchased: Sophie - Ok Computer  Sylvie - Sheesh, I can't recall to be honest! Most likely something from Sergio Mendes. Last Album you purchased: Sophie - Don't remember tbh  Sylvie - I stream on Spotify, so I haven't quite been purchasing! Views on Cheese: Sophie - Give me all the cheese, just not the weird french ones Sylvie - Cheese is godly. The music you were listening to in Middle School: Sophie - Dubstep (UKF, etc) Sylvie - In Middle School, I was a huge fan of dubstep and drum and bass! UKF releases were the bulk of my then ITunes (rip) library! Still love both genres, especially the soulfulness of liquid drum n bass! What you like to do in your downtime: Sophie - Run around, play videogames, music Sylvie - I'm almost constantly studying, to be honest. However, if I do have a moment, I'll be reading medical journals or watching operations. I want more than anything to be an Emergency Room Physician, so I'm constantly reading articles about the ER when I find good ones. 

I'll also often hop on a shift to volunteer for Crisis Text Line, a truly powerful platform where you can be there for people in difficult times <3. Spreading love and reaching out is incredibly important to me. I also spend a lot of hours as well training for fencing and at the gym for cross-training... Not much "free time" I suppose, but that's exactly how I like it! I'm a busy bee. :D Your ideal feast would consist of: Sophie - Pizza, mac n cheese, nugs. Basically all the foods that will send me to the grave. Sylvie - Probably too much food to realistically procure for one feast. 

Thanks for that, so I'd like to start by asking, how did you both meet? Had you known each other long before you started making music together? Sylvie - We met in fencing in middle school and instantly became best friends. We just clicked! About a year into our friendship, I mentioned in fencing practice that I produced music, and Sophie wanted to join. We learned the ropes of Maschine together, and she picked up Logic faster than I did. Sophie proved to be a natural, and things just flowed from there!

Sophie - We went to the same middle/high school but met during fencing practice! We both fenced sabre for a couple of years and bonded through that. So probably like 2-3 years before we started making music.

    How did your musical relationship start and at the beginning were you both making your own music separately? How long have you been making music together? You've been releasing music on Soundcloud for 5 or so years under Twin Nemesis. Had you been making music together even before releases such as "Nocturne"? Could you share a memory from your early days making music together that has inspired you to continue creating? Sylvie - Sheesh, I would say it's been 6 years. We waited a year before releasing. We're both perfectionists. Before Twin Nemesis, I was releasing creations on my personal account. Sophie vibed with them, and before long we were producing together. In high school we would have "production nights" where we would stay up all night and produce something on one computer, one Maschine. Right after? Dance party time. These have been some of my best memories to date. Sophie - Sylvie taught me everything about how to use Logic and Maschine when we first started! I remember during fencing practice she was talking about producing beats and I thought that was so unique and interesting since I didn't know anyone who did that. We started hanging outside of fencing at her house experimenting with the Maschine and I just fell in love. 

What equipment do you guys use to create your sound? Also if it applies, what musical instruments do you both play? Does knowing how to play an instrument necessarily benefit someone trying to make beats more? Sylvie - I have background in drumming, so I gravitated towards the Maschine. I'm actually a classically trained violinist, and have been playing for 16 years! I also play the bass and drums. In terms of helping beat-making, I'm not quite sure. Plenty of really legendary beat-makers don't play other instruments-- I don't think it's needed to play anything. But I like to incorporate classical or jazz elements into my music when I can. Sophie -  I do not actually play any instruments but I use Maschine as well as Logic and Ableton. I wish I understood the theory behind a lot of the music being put out today but playing by ear has worked out so far.  Could you share a paragraph of what Twin Nemesis represents to you individually and also what Twin Nemesis represents to you both collectively? What inspired the name Twin Nemesis? Love it. Sylvie - Its really special to be able to make music with your best friend. To me, Twin Nemesis represents a creative outlet where we can express our feelings through a medium that has no words.

 We're able to pinpoint that feeling, and hone in on the sonic experience that can deliver a sense of it into our listeners. I want to be able to uplift them, be there for them, show them that they're not alone, be their shoulder to cry on, and help them if I can with our music. 

To me, it's my hope that we can help heal people with the joy of music, (cheesy as it sounds). There's no greater joy than helping others, and I hope we can do that not just in our day- to-day lives, but in our music as well. 

Sophie came up with Twin Nemesis actually, and it's ironic, because I'm an actual twin. We are far from nemeses, my twin is a best friend as well, and I'm extremely lucky to have her. So there's no connection there, Sophie just thought it sounded cool. She's creative as heck! 

Sophie - I think I came up with the name and honestly I think it came from the fact that Sylvie and I just looked very different (blonde vs brunette), yet we're both girls so I wanted to keep that dichotomy but also, yeah, it just sounds cool haha. 

For me Twin Nemesis is a great way to relax. I just finished my BS at Cornell University and am starting medical school at UCSF so my life tends to be very busy and stressful. Making music really grounds me and I found during the most stressful times of my career I tend to create the best music.   Going back to your track "Nocturne" I wanted to discuss it a little further as it is Twin Nems' earliest release that I felt contrasted it's follow up release on Soundcloud delightfully. That follow-up release was "Nostalgia". Were the contrasts in these two releases intentional or are the tracks unrelated? Can you share what making Nostalgia and Nocturne was like? And what you were trying to portray with each track? Sylvie - The two of those tracks were meant to be lofi hip-hop-esque. They were meant to evoke feelings of, well, nostalgia, from two different waveforms. For these two, we busted out our Maschines, and went for something as groovy as it was soulful. 

The process was relatively simple, as we were still figuring out the ropes- chop up a sample, lay down a bass-line, and of course, drum out a groovy, swinging drum pattern. That was really it, admittedly, but we felt that there was a special soulfulness in these tracks, so we released them. Sophie - Skipping, tbh don’t remember much other than I was going thru a bad breakup and these songs helped haha I just wanted to add, back in 2015 Twin Nemesis released a track called Chapel of the Devil via Bandcamp and the sounds displayed in that beat could easily nurse a rap, you guys had skill even back then, much love. What was it like for you making Chapel of the Devil and how do you feel your style has adapted over the years since? Do you feel more confident with each release over time, or do you feel you were more confident with your earlier releases? Sylvie - Mmmm. Good question! Sophie was more involved with that one. She found the sample and chopped it nicely. I can't really take much credit for that. In terms of style, I've began to shift into more bass-music, experimental types of music and have started to produce a fair amount of lo-fi hip hop.

What does making a beat do for you? Does it help you in any personal sort of way like offer an escape? What is it that you think draws more and more people into wanting to create their own beats? Sylvie - Making a beat is an outlet where I don't have anything to lose. When I'm making music, I tap into my emotions, and if not mine, my boyfriend's, my close friends', the worlds', or even my dog's (I'm obsessed with her). More and more people are gravitating towards beatmaking because it's become more culturally relevant with the rise of Soundcloud- the ability to share your creativity with the world is unique, and the fact that everyone has access to that upload button makes music production rather appealing. 

We live in a world of music-- it's all over us. To be able to create your own tunes has been an ever-present drive of humanity-- it's visceral. I gotta give one of my best friends, (an extremely talented classical pianist), Phoebe some credit for coming up with a quote that sums up why music itself is so powerful, especially in times like these-- 

"There’s nothing like the comfort of listening to a song that gets you. And that’s why music is so powerful, it can relate to any kind of person and make him or her feel safe and understood."

People are looking to make that song that gets them, to find that exact feeling that resonates with them and express it without words, in, what my boyfriend Jackson, (a phenomenal guitarist), describes as a medium that is visceral and can touch each and every person that listens differently. 

He believes some of the beauty of music is the ambiguity of the meaning as well. I had to credit these two here for their deeply insightful thoughts. 

Sophie - Refer to previous question, my life is very academically stressful so I use it as an escape away from the pressures of school. Twin Nemesis is also responsible for some bass-driven mixes that are just timeless. Listened to your minimix "That Wavy College minimix" which you both made two years ago and it is still relevant, thank you! Had you both always been into mixing or was it something you picked up along the Twin Nem journey? What gets you in the mood to want to create a mix and what inspires the tracklist you curate? Sylvie - YESSSSSS BASS MUSIC :) Mixing was something we picked up on the way. It really depends on who is making the mix. If it's Soph, it will be more melodic and rap-driven usually.

If it's me, it will be all about the drums. These are pretty consistent distinctions. The track-list is based on what has me bobbing my head and making the stank face at the moment. :)

Sophie - Sylvie makes most of the mixes and I loooove listening to them, especially when I'm studying. Her music taste really vibes with mine. I've tried making mixes but have yet to post anything....maybe soon... Twin Nemesis will also be doing a beatsfortheill mix which we are super humbled about, thank you both. What can our readers and listeners expect with this up and coming mix? Sylvie - You'll see ;) Bringing the timeline forward to a year ago, we have to discuss your track snüp, one of my personal favourites by Twin Nem that I feel perfects the sound you'd want any beat to create when you're trying the lay back, much love. How did you go about creating snüp, how long did it take you guys to make and what inspired it's creation? Sylvie - It was rather simple as well! Snoop Dogg acapella + sample chopped up + infectious drum groove + bass. Done. I would say it took us about 3 days actually. 

The both of us love jazz, old school hip hop, and soul music, so we wanted to integrate the sound of old school hip hop with more "new school". 

Adding the vinyl-ridden sample to a Snoop Dogg vocal was a contrast that we found worked very well, so we followed through with the idea and released it. 

Sophie - I'll let Sylvie answer this one You also released a track called Echoes of the Past in the same year and it was a track that showed me that you guys could tackle any genre. It's chilled, slightly romantic and soothing on a lofi lovers ears, thank you for creating this track. What inspires your shifts in sound in general from genre to genre? And on the subject of this particular track, what was it like to put together? Were you trying to share anything subtly with this release? Sylvie - Shifts in genre are because of our extremely diverse tastes in music. We listen to music spanning almost all genres, (save country, and for me, indie). 

This allows us to want to produce along the gamut of vibes! When we're especially enjoying lo-fi, like we were when we were making Echoes of the Past, we'll make lo-fi. If we're inspired by left-field bass/trap, we'll make something like Hello.Jpeg. It all depends, and there really is no specific reason for why make what we make, when we make it. It just happens that way! I wish I could say that I was trying to convey something...  In regards to music-making, what draws you in about a certain sound or vocal that makes you want to sample it? Sylvie - For me it's all about the groove. You know, when a groove is just *so infectious* that you can't help but bob your head and get those chills down your spine and turn the volume up higher.

I'm a sucker for creamy keys as well, like a Rhodes sample, the Korg Triton, jazz chords, 7ths. I love old soul and jazz music :) 

But also, I equally enjoy warping glitches and harsh sounds. For drum samples? Drums. Must. Slap. They have to cut through the mix and be powerful and beefy, with a liberal amount of syncopation added for that off-kilter groove.   Sophie -  I love oldies and sampling classical music, so if I'm listening to a random track and hear a catchy melody I download it right away and create something with it. I also am drawn to sadder more melancholy melodies. Not sure why but it's always been like that. The song that introduced me to your sound was "Hello.Jpeg" and I was blown away with this track. The intro reminded of something N.E.R.D could have produced and the bass will convert any avid bass listener, thank you again. What were you going for with this release? Did it take long to put together? Also, what do you enjoy most about this track? Sylvie - Awww sheesh, thanks! We were going for my favorite musical element, bounce. For me, that's what makes a track (in bass music). 

It's gotta have that bounce. We'd been listening to Jon Casey, Tsuruda, Explore, Mr. Carmack, etc. for ages, and were hoping to achieve a similar bouncy, stompy feel. 

This track by far took the longest to put together-- probably upwards of 2 weeks? There were a lot of elements there. As for the last question here, I think you can tell what I'm proudest of in this track.... (hint: the bounce). Sophie - We love experimenting with different genres and Hello.Jpeg was our jump. It was extremely fun and very natural to make...we're probably going to create more of that type.  Do you have any Musical Recommendations you could share? Sylvie - Ahhh, yes. I'll go by genre. 

In terms of bass and future beats, the "20/20" mix by Jon Casey is impeccable. Check out that 1:30 time stamp. "Spit That" by Chee has that groove and bass that keeps me wanting to come back for more. "Neptune" by Sam Gellaitry has an incredible groove in the second part that will have you bobbing your head, with that lush bass swirling around. You really can't go wrong with Mo Vibez either. "Hammer" by Tsuruda, "Deception" by Herzeloyde, and "React" by Chromonicci have that signature bounce that I love as well, I'm always scouting for bouncy songs. 

In terms of more hip-hoppy stuff, I'm gonna have to recommend Tek.lun's "Seshat". It has that bossa nova feel I've always loved, blended with hard-hitting drums. 

Drum and Bass! "Progression" by Flite. Anything by Dawn Wall. It's rolling and soulful. Speaking of soulful, soul! 

Tom Misch nails it every time, and I cannot recommend Gareth Donkin's track, "Catharsis" enough. It's beautiful. See for yourself. Classic rock, bossa nova... okay, should I just make a Spotify playlist for y'all? 

This could be too long. 

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/27nkDj0eqPrzOl2CLGNikJ?si=btVmbVLST5SOFRqSgDs6Fw Sophie - I love Sasha Marie mixes. I've found so many songs and artists through her soundcloud page. Give it a listen. Any up and coming releases we should keep a lookout for? Sylvie - Again, you'll see ;) 

Any Last Words? Sylvie - Yeah! An important part of my creative process and just, my life in general, are my amazing boyfriend and best friends, and my family, (yes, that includes my dog, of course). 

Just wanna give them a shoutout here. They're always cheering me on, and I'm absolutely so blessed to have them in my life. I cannot thank them enough. Sophie - Thanks so much for all this, truly blessed to be interviewed! Support Twin Nemesis Here: Soundcloud - https://soundcloud.com/twinnemesismusicofficial

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/artist/0aSDNbyGRzbragp1DE9ZKk

Bandcamp - https://twinnemesis.bandcamp.com/ Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/twinnemesismusic/?hl=en

[orengjijyuusu]

Articles of Clothing (A Jinguji Ren fanfic)

Okay so I wrote this prior to the release of Ren's new solo album, "Rose Rose Romance." It's basically about how Ren got his inspiration for the cover art of his *cough* strip tease *cough* album. The boys will all be in it so enjoy!

"We need to think of the concept art for your upcoming album, Jinguji." The visiting photographer ponders while pacing the room. 

The strawberry blonde idol looks attentively at the possible designs and themes of his latest single, "Rose Rose Romance." He retorts at the photographers various pitches, going back and forth with how the wardrobe would be drawn up.

Across the table, Nanami is busy composing her next arrangement for Syo's upcoming album. She scribbles notes on sheet music feverishly, not really paying attention to the two discussing their business. Despite being insistent on NOT needing to be present at a meeting involving photoshoots and album artwork, Ren had successfully convinced her to accompany him for, "moral support" reasons.

The composer automatically knew the role of being, "moral support" was poppycock, but how could she say no when he worked so hard on this project. Plus Ren could possibly draw some inspiration from the score now that she thought about it; so maybe she could be of non "moral support" use yet.

"My lady." His velvety voice breaks her concentration, causing her head to snap up in response. Ren's cheek is cupped into his palm while he smiles knowingly at her; it seems he had been calling her name for a bit.

Nanami blinks, "Sorry, I was in the zone. What's up?" She quickly straightens her stack of paperwork in her lap.

"May I see our arrangement?" He asks politely, with heavy emphasis on "our." "It would help a lot with the wardrobe theme I'm going for."

She nods and sifts through her folder, eventually finding the sheet music and handing it across the table to the idol. He gives her a wink before mouthing, "thank you." Nanami smiles bashfully and watches as Ren scans the piece.

The photographer waits expectantly as Ren begins humming the tune to himself, the gears of his mind turning as he thinks of the overall message of his album.

After a minute, he places the papers on the table and turns to the photographer. "This song is obviously very sensual, in composition and in lyrics. We definitely need roses in this. And we need something that epitomizes that message in terms of dress. We something daring, something passionate, something..." he purposefully glances over at Nanami with a teasing sultry gaze, "Something sexy."

Her face goes red at the comment and buries her growing blush in the paperwork.

Ren laughs at his composer exhibiting such an adorable reaction to his shameless flirts. He's still happy he can get a reaction like that from her despite using it numerous times during their development with Starish.

Meanwhile, the photographer ignores the underlying comment the idol made and took it as inspiration instead. "That's our Jinguji Ren for you! Always knowing what style to go for! This is plenty of ideas, thank you so much!!" They throw their hands in the air, "Oh I have so much to do now! I have to plan. I have to set up the wardrobe department. I have-I have to order all the fabrics!"

Ren chuckles and holds his hands up, "I'm looking forward to seeing what you come up with. Thank you for your hard work." He and Nanami bow at the photographer.

"Yes! Thank you for your hard work!" The photographer scrambles to pick up their files, "I must be going now! I have IDEAS brewing! Come by the studio on Friday. I'll be in touch!!" They rush out of the room with enthusiasm, leaving the two clients alone.

Both Nanami and Ren breathe a sigh of relief once they leave. Who knew photographers had so much energy. Ren turns to Nanami with expectant eyes, "May I treat you to dinner, my lady?" Nanami shoulders her bag and places her folders inside, "Maybe next time, I just got a melody I could use for Syo's new song and I don't want to lose the thought."

Nanami could have swore she saw Ren's shoulders slump at her rejection to the invitation, however he smiles and gives her head a pat.

"That's our composer. Hard at work." He chuckles lightheartedly.

Nanami looks up at him and notices his naturally drooping eyelids. It's not that he was sad, that's just how Ren's eyes normally look. But goddangit it wasnt helping the feeling of guilt growing in her chest. She purses her lips and thinks for a hot moment. Then she looks back up with a smile, "But, I wouldn't be opposed to stopping somewhere and getting ice cream."

The idol's eyes upturn the second she offers. He gives her a teasing smirk, "Making time for me, hmm? You truly have a heart of gold, my lady."

"You offered in the first place." Nanami erupts in a fit of giggles as they leave to go back to the agency.

*Later...*

"I assume your meeting went alright?" Masato asks, not looking up from his calligraphy as Ren walks into the room. His roommate throws his bag onto his desk and stretches his arms out, "We have an idea. Our lady came quite in handy with the composition."

Masato's eyebrow twitches, "I swear, stop dragging Nanami everywhere. You're putting her through a lot of trouble what with all the important work she needs to do. Distractions won't help her in the slightest."

Ren plops himself on his bed and yawns, "You're no fun as usual. Lucky for me, we went out for ice cream to end our PRODUCTIVE day. Which was LOTS of fun by the way." 

The bluenette slaps his brush onto the rice paper in irritation, "Everytime you go somewhere with her, it always turns into date night for you." He growls.

"Jealous?" Ren scoffs, leaning on his elbow to look smugly at Masato.

His roommate rips away the ruined calligraphy and starts on a fresh piece, "Like I would ever want to stoop down to your level. Unlike you, I have impulse control."

Ren rolls his eyes so far back he swore he could see his brain, "Whatever. I'm not going to be irked by your party pooping attitude. Gotta put my best foot forward for the ladies when I do my photo shoot."

He sits up briefly and strips himself down to his briefs. After carelessly tossing his clothes to the floor, he turns on his side and shuts off his lamp, "Goodnight, bowlhead."

Masato makes a "Tch!" sound with his teeth before concentrating again. "At least shower in the morning, idiot." He mumbles.

*The Next Day*

"No no! It's all wrong!!" The photographer groans, walking up to Ren as he poses with some roses.

The idol sighs and places the flowers on the floor, "I agree, something feels off about the setting."

The photographer places his chin in his hand, "No it's not that...its the outfit. I...I dont know why but it doesn't look right. It looked fine before..."

The two wrack their brains trying to figure out another solution for the cover photo, however each idea seemed to stay farther from what they originally wanted for the theme.

"Let's mix it up a bit. Wardrobe, we need to discuss." The photographer snaps their fingers and two staff members come over with a rack of clothes and sketch pads.

Ren exhales exhaustingly and goes to sit in the makeup department to do touch ups. As he lets the staff do their work, he notices Nanami through the mirror followed closely by his superior, Ranmaru.

Without turning around, he raises a hand and stares straight at the two in the reflection, "Hey, what brings you two here?"

Nanami walks to the side of his chair and hands him a bento, "Courtesy of Kotobuki bento. Hijirikawa noticed you didn't really eat anything for breakfast so we brought it over."

Ren takes it with a loving smile, "I appreciate it, lady."

"Tch..." Ranmaru scoffs quietly, "I'm the one who actually got it from that idiot." He saunters off towards the snack table.

"Of course, thank you as well, Ran-chan." Ren chuckles before turning serious.

"I don't mean to have you both see me like this but...turns out my photo shoot isn't going as planned. I'm sorry I couldn't gather enough from your song, lady." He gives her a sad smile.

The composer clutches her folders to her chest, "That's not true, Jinguji-san. You always have an amazing sense of style. That's a fact."

"My lady..." Ren's eyes widen slightly in surprise.

"When I saw you look at the score the other day, you looked so focused." Nanami puts her folders on the makeup table and squeezes his arm resting on the chair, "I could see the ideas churning in your head. So I know you can do it!"

The idol smirks, then brings his lips to the hand on his arm for a quick kiss.

Nanami briefly feels her soul leave her body before recovering.

"Always so encouraging. Where would we be without you, lady?" He hums.

Nanami clears her throat at her sudden outburst and looks away, "A-Anyways, what are you having trouble with, Jinguji-san? Maybe Kurosaki-senpai and I could help." She looks over to Ranmaru stuffing his face with bananas over by the snack table. Or just me, she thinks with a helpless smile.

Ren leans back in his chair, "Well that's what we are trying to find out. It's the clothing that was picked out for me." He turns his head to the photographer looking through his pictures, "Excuse me, is it alright if I take a look at what we have so far?"

The photographer sighs and brings over the camera while still looking at the screen, "Go ahead. Good luck trying to find something." They hand Ren the camera and walk off elsewhere.

He tilts the screen so Nanami can see as he clicks through each photo.

She hums to herself while analyzing Ren's outfit, "I'm no fashion expert but…" she gently tugs the camera away from his grip, "Aren't there too many clothing articles?"

Ren raises an eyebrow, "Oh, how so?"

The composer peers closer, "I mean--you have two jackets here. One around your waist and one you are actually wearing. And there's a loose scarf…"

"Looks more like winter wear than the passionate look you're going for." Ranmaru says over Nanami's shoulder, causing her to jump a little.

He ignores her reaction and bites into a banana, "If you want passion, you could stand to show some skin, ya know." He grunts before walking off again.

Nanami taps her chin with her finger, "That could work…"

Skin… Ren snaps his head up, "That's it!! I got it!" He jumps up out of his chair and walks over to the photographer. He whispers something to them before their face lights up with inspiration.

"BRILLIANT!! Alright we have a lead! Jinguji, head to the dressing room. I need the makeup department on him, stat! This photo shoot can be saved yet!"

Nanami's face lights up at the good news, "What's the idea, Jinguji-san?"

He shrugs off his jackets and turns to her with a wink, "That you'll have to find out for yourself, lady. I'm going to embrace what Ran-chan said earlier about 'showing some skin.' Wish me luck!"

He gives her head a pat and walks to the dressing room. At that point, Ranmaru makes his way back over to Nanami.

"He get an idea?" He asks, taking a sip from his water bottle.

"Yes, apparently Jinguji is heeding your advice, Kurosaki-san." Nanami chirps happily.

Ranmaru nearly chokes on his drink, "*cough* *cough* Say what now?!" He sputters.

The composer gives the idol a confused look, "Is something wrong?"

"I dont know why, but I got a feeling he's going to do something extremely stupid." He shudders while wiping his mouth.

Nanami chuckles nervously, "I-Is that so…?"

*A week later*

Ren let's out a yawn as he makes his way over to the lounging area. The photo shoot continued without a hitch, and by now the CDs should already be out on the shelves. He honestly couldn't wait to see the others reactions to his album.

The first thing he notices is the usual gaggle of guys gathered tightly around the coffee table, talking feverishly amongst themselves. As Ren approaches, the shortest member of Starish hears him first and jumps up in a fury.

"Ren!! What the hell is THIS!?" Syo shouts in disbelief, poking a finger aggressively at the album.

Bingo, Ren says with a devilish smile, Just the reaction I was hoping for. He smiles innocently, "Whatever could you mean, Shorty?"

"Cut the crap!! You know what I'm talking about! This!!" Syo shoves the CD album in his face, his face as red as a tomato.

There he was, printed for all the lovely ladies to see, completely shirtless...and pantless.

"Well, as you can plainly see, THAT is a CD cover." Ren retorts with a playful smirk.

"Why you-!" Before Syo can blow a fuse, Otoya steps in.

"Now now, let's not get too overworked." He laughs nervously before doing a complete 180 on Ren. "Ren, you are clearly NAKED! What--Just wha--I can't…" He clutches the album in disbelief, unable to form proper sentences.

"Hey now, they made sure to cut out the more 'daring' parts. Even I have standards." Ren winks lightheartedly at the group.

"The whole CONCEPT is daring!" Tokiya blurts before covering the blush on his face.

"That's our Ren! Always going the extra mile. So cool!!" Natsuki exclaims with a beaming face.

Cecil looks down in disappointment, "Aww, we could have done stuff like that? No fair!"

"No! One Ren is enough for this group!!" Syo shouts in response.

The strawberry blonde can't stop grinning from ear to ear. He was SO enjoying this. Suddenly, a copy of the album hits him in the face. He topples backward and onto the floor, wincing at the stinging sensation erupting on his forehead. Ren looks up to see Masato on his feet, looking the most pissed of them all.

"THANK YOU, Hijirikawa!" Syo raises his hands up.

"M-Masa, that was a bit unnecessary…" Otoya says nervously.

Masato's face is still stoic, however he failed to hide the red tint on his ears. "You...I can't believe you!" He has the most trouble forming words.

"I know, it's SO shocking. Honestly Hijirikawa, I thought you knew me better." His roommate says sarcastically.

"Yeah but I didn't think you'd actually be crazy enough to DO it. You think I'M shocked, look at poor Nanami!" He gestures to the sofa behind the idols. Nanami lay curled up with her face buried in a pillow. One could almost imagine steam rising off the top of her head. "She's been like that for 15 minutes!"

Ren bashfully scratches the back of his head, "She DID say I had too many articles of clothing on my body." 

Otoya and Syo sit down beside her and copy her position with their own pillows, "It's okay Nanami, we are just as shocked!!" Otoya whimpers while holding Syo in his arms.

"Guys, I think we are overreacting. Don't worry, Ren! I support you!" Natsuki places a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

Tokiya does the same, "I do too. I'm sorry. I was overcome with shock earlier."

Their fellow colleague sighs, "I'm glad to hear it. But I have a feeling you all won't be able to let this go so easily."

"Definitely not." Tokiya chides.

"It's blackmail material now." Syo mutters, looking up from the pillow.

"We won't ever let you live this down." Cecil smiles at Ren.

"We'll tease you about this until the day you die." Ittoki laughs evilly.

"Because we love you, though." Natsuki adds on.

Masato discreetly shakes his head and makes a face.

Ren laughs and walks over to Nanami, "You saved me again, lady. Don't ever forget it." He ruffles her hair.

Nanami curls up tighter, "I don't think I can, Jinguji-san." She mutters in the pillow.

*elsewhere*

"Whoo! That's our sexy kouhai! Show off that skin!" Reiji whoops as he watches a coverage of Ren's album on TV.

"The bastard went and did it!" Ranmaru cringes and buries his face in his hands,"I should have kept my damn mouth shut!"

Camus' stares distastefully at the screen while a pile of sugar forms in his tea cup and onto the table. He throws a glare Ranmaru's way, "Figures you would be the one to give him such immature ideas. Have you no shame?"

"Okay first off, fuck you! No one was talking to you, damn butler!" Ranmaru growls, not even turning to directly return fire at his colleague.

"I imagine the other members of Starish are quite shocked as well." Ai adds quietly, "Though I can imagine the ratings will rise 112% because of him."

"Ne ne! We should do a nude photo shoot with all four of us! It'll be super fun and sexy!" Reiji winks at them with excitement.

"No. Do it yourself." All three respond immediately.

"You're so mean!!!"

[schmergo]

The Winter’s Tale at American Shakespeare Center: Informal Review

It’s less than two weeks until auditions for the production of The Winter’s Tale that I’m directing this summer, so my friend and I went down to the American Shakespeare Center in Staunton last weekend to get some inspiration and get hyped… and it worked! Ever since, I’ve felt compelled to write one of my little informal reviews, so here goes!

If you’ve never been to ASC, first of all, you should. It’s my favorite place to see Shakespeare’s plays in the entire world. They’re this little recreation of Shakespeare’s indoor Blackfriars Playhouse (fancy people saw shows there in winter months in London), a cozy and intimate place that replicates Renaissance traditions like keeping the lights on through the show and using a small ensemble of actors to play multiple roles. But just because they take Shakespeare seriously doesn’t mean they take themselves seriously. Their shows are always fun, energetic, pleasantly irreverent, and full of creative little surprises in staging. They always pull out the spirit of the show. Another thing that they do is incorporate lots of music into the shows—they present a lively preshow and intermission mini-concert featuring the talented troupe of actors playing instruments and singing folksy renditions of contemporary tunes. My favorite this time was “Mr. Brightside,” sung by the actor who played  King Leontes. For those unfamiliar with The Winter’s Tale… well, that song is extremely fitting for Leontes’ state of mind.

The Winter’s Tale is—there’s no doubt about it—one of Shakespeare’s weirder plays. One part tense psychological drama and one part comedic pastoral romance separated by a 16-year time gap, it somehow all comes together in the end with a magical, intensely moving family reunion. I used to dislike this show, and I still think that on paper, it’s not Shakespeare’s best work, but seeing an imaginative production at the Folger Shakespeare Library the other year was a revelation to me: this show could be unbelievably powerful to watch if acted by passionate actors who are truly absorbed in their characters journeys without winking. As one character, Paulina, says in the play’s final act, “It is required that you awake your face.” Even the smallest shred of cynicism can shatter the delicate illusion that Shakespeare creates in The Winter’s Tale. Its plot is as fragile, intricate, and impractical as a Faberge egg.

I’ve seen six productions of The Winter’s Tale. Four of them only reinforced my snarky feelings about it. The Folger’s reimagined, highly original take on it was a breath of fresh air. ASC’s was different. It completely captured and reflected Shakespeare’s play for better AND worse, without doing any rewriting or reorganizing to cover up some of the play’s more awkward moments. It was unapologetic and authentic. All in all, it was emotionally exhilarating yet messy.

The story goes thusly: King Leontes of Sicilia is hosting his best friend, King Polixenes of Bohemia, for a long stay at his palace when he suddenly begins to suspect that his wife, Queen Hermione, has been cheating with his bestie. This is especially worrisome because Hermione is pregnant. Although she is actually totally innocent, Leontes’ paranoia spirals out of control until he tears apart his own family and destroys multiple lives—yet lost family members sometimes come back in the most unexpected way.

The final scene of the play, when done well, is a transcendent moment that brings tears to the most jaded eyes. I always judge a production’s Leontes—and, really, the production itself—on whether that final scene feels deserved, whether I want that happy family reunion for the penitent king. ASC’s Ronald Roman-Melendez completely delivered. I wanted his happy ending so badly that my heart was pounding.

               Roman-Melendez took a surprisingly long time to fully inhabit his character, however. In Act 1, he struggled a little with Leontes’ fragmented speech, sometimes seeming not to understand when Leontes’ phrases change direction. Some lines came out disappointingly Shatnerian. “Oh boy, this’ll be a long night,” I thought glumly, anticipating four more acts of this. But I needn’t have worried. When Leontes’ madness hit its full pitch in Act 3, Roman-Melendez crafted an incredibly complex portrait of conflict, sleep deprivation, rage and mental disorientation that was so believable that it was scary—and pitiable. After the play’s time skip, he beautifully reflected the passing of sixteen years of guilt, grief, and pious contemplation, his eyes sad but his voice warm. Leontes is, in my opinion, one of the most challenging roles ever written by Shakespeare,  and even the most talented actors often don’t seem to get it. Roman-Melendez is one of the few actors I’ve seen who seem to understand that Leontes’ tyranny is not an expression of strength. He craves control only because he’s completely out of control.

               As Leontes’ queen Hermione, Ally Farzetta resembles a Renaissance painting of the virgin Mary, with beautiful long dark hair, pensive features, and a halo-like headdress that seems to hint at her virtuous nature. Her Hermione is both playful and elegant, gentle yet strong. When she tells us in Act 2 that she is not prone to weeping as many of her sex are, it’s not bragging but overly naïve: she has no idea what kind of horrors will befall her. When she later appears bedraggled at her public trial, too soon after childbirth, her husband resolutely facing away from her, she cries.  I cried with her. Farzetta doubles delightfully as a ditzy shepherdess named Mopsa before a stirringly emotional turn in Act 5.

               The most powerful player in the ensemble was unquestionably Annabelle Rollison, who plays Leontes’ sharp-tongued advisor, Paulina. This may be a little unfair because Paulina is probably the coolest character in the play, with daring one-liners like “It is a heretic that makes the fire, not she that burns in it,” but Rollison takes a role that could be a one-note ‘strong female character’ and makes her utterly real: proud, emotional, manipulative, loving, devastated, hopeful, and much more. Her words feel like a punch in the gut half the time and an encouraging arm around the shoulders the other half the time. She commands the stage in every scene with a confident, stately bearing. (Her shepherdess character is even goofier than Ally Farzetta’s. The character’s name is Dorcas. That’s all you need to know.)

               Topher Embrey stole every scene as the adorably gullible Shepherd’s Son, an overgrown child with a sunny disposition and a fondness for the ukulele. Embrey plays the Shepherd’s Son (aka Clown) as unaware of his own strength to hilarious effect and, with his warm voice and wide eyes, is one of the most lovable lugs you’ll ever see. No wonder the two shepherdesses squabble so much over him—that and the fact that he carries more money than is good for him.

As young lovers Perdita and Prince Florizel, Constance Swain and Josh Clark show strong chemistry and energy and wonderful dance skills, as wild and free as you’d expect Bohemian revellers to be. They’re a treat to watch, yet I couldn’t help but feel some elements of their characterization could have been more carefully calibrated. Swain’s Perdita, though utterly lovely, came across as more 'manic pixie dream girl' than regal, no matter how much other characters commented that she seemed too great for her humble surroundings. Clark’s Florizel was a hair more petulant and irritable than I’d like to see in the impulsive poet-Prince.

The rest of the ensemble was good, though some characters (especially wise advisor Camillo) made less of an impression than I'm used to seeing. The energetic Madeline Calais failed to entertain as the mischievous peddler and scam-artist Autolycus, but that's not exactly her fault-- I've never found that character amusing in any of the productions I've seen. The scenes featuring Autolycus dragged even with the presence of audience favorite Topher Embrey.

Jessica Van Essen's sumptuous costumes enhanced every scene. She dressed Sicilia's royals and courtiers in formal Renaissance garb, with Leontes decked out in regal purple, while creating colorful costumes for the foreign land of Bohemia that seemed equally inspired by traditional Turkish, Ukrainian, and Bavarian dress. Plenty of flower crowns, silk jackets, intricate patterns, and a cool turban for Kenn Hopkins' commanding King Polixenes. In Act 5, Leontes appeared in a huge fur cape that seemed to represent the weight of sorrows heaped upon his shoulders.

Special effects were simple, as is common at ASC, but well-timed thunder sounds were often used to dramatic effect. The famous bear, simply played by an actor in furry costume, was nonetheless effective, both brutal and darkly comedic. One more modern touch included an automated pedestal that glided out across ASC's stage in the play's final scene-- a departure from the usual low-tech staging conventions, but magical enough to fit seamlessly into the play. "If this be magic, let it be an art as lawful as eating." I sobbed through the final scene.

Though this may not have been a perfect production of Winter's Tale, it was a wonderful recreation of Shakespeare's charmingly imperfect play. If you get the chance to go down to Staunton, don't miss it!

I can't wait for auditions!

[putschki1969]

2018 ~ A reflection

2018 was a crazy year with a lot of ups and downs. Despite all the things that happened in the Kalafina fandom, I have a lot of things to be grateful for.

♥　♡　♥　♡　♥　♡　♥　♡　♥　

First and foremost, I am grateful for 10 amazing years of Kalafina, I will forever treasure them. Kalafina is and will always be one of the most important parts in my life (if not THE most important part). They have inspired me so much in the past years. I have achieved things I never thought I would be able to achieve. I have become a better person. No matter what happens in the future, no one can ever take that away from me. This is what I wrote for project #マイヤイヤ and I think it sums up my feelings perfectly: ♪こんなに明るい世界へ君が私を連れてきた ♪ Thank you for filling my world with light and music for 10 years;

I will continue to support Wakana, Keiko and Hikaru on their future paths. They are amazingly talented women and I can’t wait to see what’s in store for them.

I am grateful for being able to attend Kalafina’s 10th Anniversary Live. For me it was the perfect concert (they literally sang all of my favourite songs!) I never needed elaborate stage productions or fancy frills, give me pure Kalafina and I am a happy camper. I don’t think I will ever get tired of rewatching my copy of the life. In fact, I am watching it right now as I am writing this. I know for most fans it has become quite painful to listen to Kalafina’s music or to watch their lives but for me it’s the complete opposite. I am embracing everything they have done up till now and it brings me endless joy to surround myself with their awesome work.

I am grateful for being able to attend both Hikaru’s Birtday Event as well as Wakana’s Symphony Concert this summer. I have honestly never felt closer to Hikaru and hearing Wakana’s goddess-like voice being accompanied by an entire orchestra was a dream come true.

I am grateful for my mum and my sister.

I am grateful for having a great job with supportive colleagues.

I am grateful for being healthy.

I am grateful for having the means to travel to Japan twice this year. My Kalafina pilgrimage was a great success. I visited so many awesome places in Tokyo, Toyama and Fukuoka. All of this made me feel so much more connected to Kalafina and each individual member. 

I am grateful to have climbed Mount Fuji on my birthday this year. Mid-way through I wasn’t sure whether I would actually make it to the top but Keiko gave me the strength to continue onwards.

I am grateful for having been able to meet lots of fellow Kala-fans. [Sorry for being so awkward all the time though.]

I am grateful for Wakana announcing her first solo single and album.

I am grateful for Hikaru starting her own twitter account and reaching out to us fans. I truly appreciate how she is letting us take part in her life a little bit.

I am grateful for being able to buy lots of gorgeous Kalafina clothes. My collection continues to grow and I am very happy about that.

I am grateful that I finally got around to buy a pretty showcase for all my Kalafina items. [In case anyone is interested I would be happy to share some pics.] I managed to complete my singles collection this year (still need two vinyls though). And my FJC newsletter collection is almost complete as well. I am currently trying to find cheap blu-ray copies of the older Kala-lives so I can replace my DVDs. [I might do a giveaway for my DVDs so please stay tuned for that.] At any rate, I am really loving my new Kalafina “shrine” and I am excited to see my collection grow even more in the future.

♥*♡∞:｡.｡ Thank you 2018 ｡.｡:∞♡*♥

＊*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚ Wishing you a happy 2019! ˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊

[cieloxcnco]

yo te haré mía (cnco) - ch4

Chapter 4

Words: 2,600+

Warnings: hardly even bad language in this chapter. I know, I’m surprised too.

A/N: i’ve been so busy and MIA lately- i’m sorry! thank you so much for being patient with me. on the upside, i’ve already started chapter 5, so let’s do this.

chapter 1 is here chapter 2 is here chapter 3 is here if you need to catch up.

Richard's booming voice always changed the energy in the room. "¿Que lo que, muchachos?" he bellowed, clasping each of his bandmates' hands in greeting as he entered the studio. “Ay, llegaste finalmente,” Joel playfully taunted. “I was wondering if you'd wind up showing up today.” “I had a rough morning with Aaliyah," he huffed, ruffling his hair under his hand after taking off his baseball cap. “She’s with Isa and Joaquin now. I just hope she doesn't give her a hard time.” At the mention of Isa's name, Christopher looked up from his phone, his eyes only halfway hidden behind his sunglasses lowered on the bridge of his nose. “She’ll be fine,” Zabdiel offered, swinging his jacket onto the back of the production chair. “Of course she will,” Richard replied. ”I dropped Jasmyn and Miguel there with her.” Joel tapped his toes rhythmically under the production desk. ”What was Aaliyah’s issue?" Richard shrugged. “She’d rather be here with Papi y los Tíos. You can imagine what it would be like trying to lay a track down with a five year old running around going, 'What's this button do? What's this button do?'" Zabdiel stretched his arms out in front of him and opened up the tracks they would be recording today on the computer monitor. ”You all want to come over then when Rich goes to pick them up? Isa will make everyone dinner." Chris was the first to interject. ”Isn't she probably exhausted with the pregnancy and then all kids there? We can order out for all of us so she doesn’t have to do all that." Zabdiel shrugged, indifferent to the idea. "I guess. But that's fine.” “Alright guys,” Joel interrupted, reverting the focus back to where he had his laptop on his legs, going over pages of notes in a word document. “We know we have a radio single sound with Eres Mía, and the tracks we have already laid down are a good base and definitely have good dance beats. A lot of focus I think that what we seem to be missing though is the lovesick ballad. We have the songs of initial attraction, the betrayal and heartache, but we don’t seem to have anything yet about being head over heels in love.” “Ingles es un idioma tan ridiculo,” Erick tutted, placing his palms against the carpet in front of him and lifting his lower body until he was doing a handstand against the wall. “What the hell are you doing?” Joel asked, tapping the top of his shoe against Erick’s wrists. Erick walked his hands forward so his legs could ease down the wall and stand back up, turning to face his friends. “There, my head it go over my heel. I in love.” “¡Jódete, idiota!” Chris laughed, blowing the straw wrapper off the end of his half opened straw towards Erick. “Pues,” Richard continued, having tuned out the youngest and retained his focus on the tracklist. “You all know I have that one song for Jasmyn but I can’t put that on the album. That’s our anniversary gift just for her.” “El otro hombre casado aquí debe escribir algo,” Erick suggested, rubbing his palm over Zabdiel’s cropped hair. Zabdiel’s nose scrunched “¿Creen que debo escribir una cancion para Izzy?” “Pues, you’re in love with her, no? Joel is saying we need a sappy love song,” Richard offered. “I didn't say sappy,” Joel protested. “Just a ballad. A love song. Something truly from the heart. Do you think you could write something about Isabella?” Zabdiel rested his cheek in his palm, contemplating. “I don’t know how to get my… emotions about her… down in words. And marriage is… a lot different than new beautiful love. Is not poetry, is not flowers and hearts. Is difficult.” Concern and confusion immediately fell over all of their faces. Richard was the first to break the awkward silence. “Yeah, but… You guys are okay? I mean, you still love her, right, bro?” Zabdiel chuckled, clearly uncomfortable but trying to lighten the mood.”Claro que si, that’s not how I meant it. Ella es mi esposa y la amo, pero you can’t write songs about life at home with bills and changing diapers. No es tan romantico.” The others laughed lightly, save for Christopher. Fury etched over his features. Zabdiel was taking the most beautiful thing in the world for granted. He didn’t know how lucky he was. Zabdiel had everything he ever wanted and everything he could never have. Zabdiel shrugged. “I was thinking of taking her away for a little vacation before the baby is born. I’ll try to make it sooner so I can find something to write about." “Ya, pues,” Christopher interjected, “We do need the ballad but we need to finish recording the bridge for Nenita. Richard, can you get in the booth and lay that down?” Richard saluted and checked all the lighted switches on the soundboard before he entered the booth and put on his heavy headphones, ready to sing. Christopher clicked the option to work the front-facing camera on his iPhone and began recording himself, spinning in the reclining desk chair to show the group hard at work behind him. "Hola mi gente- ¿que tal?" He began, sweeping his fingers through the angle of his bangs. "Estamos aquí en el studio grabando canciónes, escribiendo mas para un proyecto nuevo. Solo quiero decir gracias por todo el apoyo, el amor, y todos los mensajes." He clicked the button to end the clip. He hit the record button once again, with barely a breath between to let anyone know it was a new video. "I feel so lucky to have you and your love and support. You're honestly just amazing. I love you so so much." He zoomed in on his mouth and blew his trademark kiss to the camera, winking and laughing when he zoomed back out. He ended that clip, tried to inconspicuously hide his phone screen with the sleeves of his hoodie, and shared both of them - the first to his instagram story, the second only to the wife of his best friend beside him. Christopher tried to inconspicuously peek over his shoulder to check if Zabdiel was looking but his attention was focused on the sound waves on the screen. Christopher’s phone buzzed with a response almost instantly. Her name couldn’t be marked in his contact list in case anyone ever saw a notification, but five emojis with hearts for eyes alerted him that Isa had texted him back. Pensando en ti ahora y siempre. Te amo tanto. “¿Quien te ama tanto, muchacho?” Zabdiel said with a sly grin, his chin nearly resting on Christopher’s shoulder. He tried to hide how his face had just gone stark white. “Una mujer,” he answered simply. “Well you all say I should write about my wife,” Zabdiel replied, stretching and returning his focus to the sound. “Yours can be inspiration. Maybe you should write about the woman you love.” Christopher took Erick’s ever-present notebook out of his backpack and opened it to the final lined page. “I can try.” Zabdiel gave Chris another smile over his shoulder. “¿Como se llama ella?” Christopher shook his head. “Tu no la conoces.” That was satisfactory enough of an answer for his friend as they both turned away from the conversation and continued their work. And with that, Christopher wrote the starting line on the top of the page. Nadie Te Conoce Como Yo.

“Hola, mi amor,” Richard said beaming, leaning down to kiss Jasmyn. She started glowing at the mere sound of his voice, leaning her head back so he could reach her mouth upside down from where she sat. “Missed you, baby,” she whispered against his lips when he stood back up behind her. Zabdiel lifted his chin in his wife’s direction, a simple acknowledgment her only greeting where she stood at the patio table. Isa tried to hide the immediate dejection she felt with a muted smile. Christopher shoved his hands in his pockets, smiling widely at  while his bandmates were all looking in the direction of the pool. Isa responded with a gentle smile to not be as obvious if anyone turned around. “Papi!” Joaquin shouted, running towards Zabdiel and squeezing his leg awkwardly, the floats on his arms obstructing his way. “You come in the pool too?” “Hola mijo,” he chuckled, lifting him up and kissing his forehead. “Not right now. We’re gonna get pizza for dinner soon so we need to get you dressed, give you a bath.” His brow immediately knitted. “No bath.” “Si, un bath,” Zabdiel replied, walking over and setting his son on his wife’s lap. “Izzy, everyone is staying for dinner. I’ll order pizza if you get him washed and dressed?” Isa adjusted herself to get a better grip on her wriggling baby boy. “Of course, amor.” Christopher’s smile instantly faded. “Five minutes mas, Papi?” Joaquin pleaded. “Ta bien,” he replied with a sly chuckle, picking him up under his arm floats and tossing him back into the water. “Zabdiel! ¿Que estas haciendo?” Isa hissed, standing straight up, ready to jump in to the pool behind him. “Relajate, nena. It’s not deep water y tiene los floaties. He is okay. Mira.” He pointed to where Joaquin surfaced, laughing hysterically. Zabdiel lifted his eyebrows toward her, emphasizing his point. Isa let out a sigh of resignation and he winked at her with a quick smile. That expression had always made her weak in the knees, and though it wasn’t that sort of strong sensation now, the memory of the feeling made her stomach flutter. “Si haces eso con el bebe, yo te voy a matar, te lo juro,” Isa said with a soft smile, sitting back down. Erick patted her growing belly and piped up, “El bebe esta en una piscina ahora mismo. No hay una diferencia.” Isa rolled her eyes, playfully smacking his hand away. “So how did the recording session go?” “Muy bien,” Chris interrupted, giving her a blank look that tried to deliver a message beneath his words. “Zabdiel va a escribir una cancion de ti para el album nuevo.” Zabdiel rolled his eyes and bit his lip in frustration, not having wanted that detail revealed. Isa tried not to laugh at the irony. “¿De veras?” Zabdiel coughed and rolled his shoulders back. “Una cosa tan facil, amor- escribir todo lo que siento por ti en una canción.” Isa could only imagine the page in front of him - as blank as his daily looks at her. She chided herself - as he had thrust into her those nights before and claimed to miss and love her so, maybe he really did. Maybe some spark he had felt for her once still kindled deep down inside. Maybe he had just wanted a warm body underneath him to satisfy him and that and the love for their kids was the extent of what feelings remained between them. “I can’t wait to hear it, amor.” Chris covered his mouth with his hand so no one would see his condescending smirk but Isa knew him all too well and could see what he was hiding from her sight. “Tío Joel, miranos!” Aaliyah screamed from the top of the small waterslide, drawing the attention of everyone else around. Christopher and Isa, of course, never removed their gazes from each other. He moved to stand at a seat beside her at the patio table and touched her lower back gently out of sight of the others. “Obviamente no lo amas todavia,” he mouthed to her. “Por favor ahora no hagas eso,” Isa countered in equal silence. His lips moved slowly enough for her to hear the words he wasn’t saying aloud. “Yo te amo mas y tu lo sabes. Yo tambíen voy a escribir algo para ti- de amor de verdad, una cosa que Zabdi sabe nada.” “He is going to find out if you’re not more careful,” Isabella hissed barely above a whisper. His face soured. She knew that was exactly what he wanted, but he cared too much about her pride and feelings to do something that went against them. “Good job, Aaliyah. Bien hecho, mijo,” Zabdiel shouted across the pool. “Now come, time for bath.” Aaliyah immediately got out and ran into the Dora towel waiting in Jasmyn’s arms. “Pero Papi,” his son protested, still bobbing in the water. “Mijo, tienes que escuchar a tu padre,” Isa warned, her eyes moving to Joaquin as Chris’ hand moved lower. She hit his knee with her own to signal him to stop and he recoiled reluctantly. Joaquin trudged over, the pout on his lower lip growing with each step he took towards them. “Okay.” Isa dropped the towel covering her wet bathing suit to the back of the chair in order to pick Joaquin up. “Bueno, mira,” Jasmyn shouted quickly. “Look at her bathing suit. Doesn’t she look perfect? She won’t listen to me.” Isabella rolled her eyes at the start of this discussion again. My black monokini was a direct rip from what I’d seen Leslie Grace wear on the cover of a magazine - low cut with rhinestones alluring the eye to the edges of her cleavage and down over her sides.  Her growing baby bump was a little constrained by the material but it flattered every curve of her body. Richard scanned her over and noncommittally shrugged. “It looks fine, Isa.” Zabdiel would probably not have bothered responding if his friends had not been around to see him. “What are you worried about, mi amor?” Isa knew by his inflection that he used the endearment more out of habit and language than sentiment. Christopher flashed a genuine smile. “You look phenomenal in it, Isa. You really do.” Isa tried not to blush. “Thanks - I guess just feeling like a house with this little one in here doesn’t make me feel good in much of anything.” His eyes wouldn’t tear themselves away from the crystal accents dancing in the sunlight over her breasts. “Don’t even say that. You’re drop dead gorgeous in anything you wear, but you’re stunning in this.” Her eyes widened when they locked on his, trying to silently send a message to him to shut up. “Thank you so much.” “Mi mami es tan bonita,” Joaquin muttered, snuggling his head against my shoulder. “Gracias, mi amor,” Isa mumbled into a kiss on his forehead. “Te amo mucho.” “Entonces no tengo que bañarme,” he chuckled, locking his arms around her neck. “Don’t even think about it, mijo,” she laughed with another kiss to his cheek. “Come on. Let’s go get clean and you can show tíos your new Paw Patrol pajamas.” His energetic smile showed just how she had made the perfect negotiation. “Vamos ya!” Isa readjusted her hold on him as they waked inside and upstairs to the bathroom. Jasmyn asked Richard to help her grab the glasses and dishes we had left outside and Joel loped in with Miguel in his arms and Aaliyah behind Zabdiel to ensure he got the pizza order correct. "Coqueto," Erick chided, giggling as they too walked to the sliding glass door. “¿Yo?” Chris laughed innocently, but concern knitting his eyebrows together. “¿Como?” “Hablando con ella asi, mirando a ella asi… Cuidado, bro. Yo te conozco, pero if anyone else see that, they think bad.” “Bad? Like what?” He knew exactly what but wanted to cover up the guilt in his voice and see just how obvious he had been. “Like something going on with you both,” he answered as if it had already been clear. “¿Algo entre Isa y yo?” Chris looked up and studied the way I walked away, trying to not bite his lip. “Well, we would not want that, would we?”

chapter 5 is now here.